Saturday, August 31, 2019

Marketing Mix Report Essay

Braaap is an Australian company which operates as well in USA producing dirty bikes for all ages and gender. It is a company that provides good conditions for the consumer buying their bikes with stores located around the country and online options to choose the best way to obtain a bike. The main characteristic of Braaap’s is to sell products for dirty bikes with the highest quality in the world. The brand is known across Australia as the biggest store online in the market. Connected with partners around the world that provide to them the necessary support to develop their new products. In the Braaap’s store, the costumer can buy equipments from the best brands around the world which multiply the number of choices for everyone. By the way, the prices are not low otherwise they could not offer a highest quality in their products. However, Braaap has a unique promotion that makes the difference in this market, Braaap’s is the only store which provides a lifetime warranty for their customers. If we think that this sport has a very high risk, this kind of promotion is very good for their image in the market. Braaap has created their image through many kind of events which involve motorcycle, sometimes sponsoring athletics or tournaments around the world. Also they produce a catalogue monthly to keep their clients aware about what is changing or the market news. Most of the Braaap’s clients are young people between 20 to 35, especially mans, due to the practice of that sport. Anyway, they are trying to get more attention from woman and child. Braaap’s offer a program to learn how to ride and other events to entrencher the customer that might not like this sport or lifestyle. Braaap’s stores have segmented their business since they were just an online store with few equipments and brands. Beyond sell parts of motorcycles, Braaad starts to sell cloths and all equipments from many different brands. This action expanded the business and increased the profitability. A huge variety of equipments, not just parts of motorcycles but cloths and accessories from many different brands are an important turnaround of Braaap’s business. Even if the prices are high, does not matter because the quality, design, options and a reliable brand make the difference in the market. Braaap’s cover whole Australia and export for other countries around the world, their online  store is well viewed for everybody and their promotions are always very effective. The marketing mix is open their eyes for business and they are trying to leave the equipments more accessible for all public otherwise the competitors are growing up quickly and getting a good slide of the motorcycle’s customers. The clients like when the company has a nice reputation in the market and when that brand is attempt in the events between sport, media and entertainment. It makes the public remember their brand as a good position which care about their lifestyle. Also the clients would like to get easy access to store to solve their enquires, and keep clear the information and services between company and customer. One of the innovations at braaap is the Launch of the braaap silent. Braaap is one of the first petrol based motorcycle manufacture to launch an electric powered bike off the production line. It means that Braaap’s stores are trying to find a way out of the saturated market and at the same time renew the concept of motorcycles around the world. For while, it is just available in Australia and USA but it will be everywhere soon. In conclusion, Braaap’s business is given more attention for the price due to the knowledge that price could influence directly in the other points of the marketing mix. The lower price is always a good option but in this case would not be a good position if we consider that Braaap works with best brand around the world and offer only highest quality products. It is recommended that Braaad’s store keeps working well, trying to get the best for their clients and always investing in new products and partners which will make them stronger tha n ever.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Time Lags in Discretionary Fiscal Policy

When congress or the president proposes fiscal policies to correct unhealthy economic conditions, the time it takes from the recognition of the problem, to the proposal of a solution, to the implementation, up to the time that the effects would yield some result normally takes a considerable amount of time. These time lags can be grouped into three different phases, the recognition time lag, the implementation time lag, and the response time lag. Time lags in Discretionary Fiscal Policy, besides consuming some considerable amount of time, are also very unpredictable.Studies have shown that â€Å"discretionary actions have shown little consistent response over time† (Taylor, 2003). With these three time lags adding up together, we can say that when the government generates one proposal to ease out economic health, one must foresee that within the period of lag, there are no roadblocks or events that could alter the eventual outcome of such a solution. Given the initial informat ion that time lags are very unpredictable, it makes it more difficult to know what range of time needs to be foreseen.So within the period of the time lag, the conditions may alter in such a way that when the discretionary policy is already in place it is no longer applicable, or it could make the situation worst where the change of conditions within the time lag would work in such a way that it makes things worst. Let us focus first on a condition where discretionary fiscal policies would end up useless or delayed as the chain of events within the time lag would make it inappropriate.One example is President George Bush response to the September 11 attack where he immediately requested $40 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations. In the late October of that same year, he added additional stimulus that includes, â€Å"reduced taxes for low- and moderate-income households, accelerating the tax cuts passed in 2001, allowing partial expensing on business capital equipment, el iminating the corporate alternative minimum tax, and extending unemployment benefits† (Cooper, 2002). Five months later President Bush added expensing provisions and unemployment benefits.The result was that the people believed that the added policy was short and late. This is because there was no way for the President to directly quantify the needed policy to ease out the economic stress after the September 11 attack. The delay took so long that the needed effects came late. The events that occurred due to sentiments and fear where overlooked while the effects of the discretionary policy were not yet in effect. According to Auerbach (2002), â€Å"the impact of policy on current activity depends on expectations about the future†.The worst scenario would occur when discretionary fiscal would actually work against what it was intended for. This is because discretionary fiscal policy is an inexact science with congress having different agendas trying to work out with the P resident using present data that are already in effect and taking time to generate a corrective action for the present conditions. For example â€Å"temporary investment incentives may work in the opposite direction strengthening the immediate response but also, potentially, weakening prior investment† (Auerbach, 2002).This is because when the data are collected and fiscal policies are put in place, the progress of investment within this period could well be depending primarily on prior investment that are expected to boom during the period where the discretionary fiscal is still in the process of being implemented. Upon implementation of the discretionary policy, these prior investments could be affected by massive competition of new investment resulting in a scenario where the discretionary fiscal will worsen the economic condition.In the end, this document does not discourage the use of discretionary fiscal policy but puts caution that discretionary fiscal policies should be well thought off, assessing the possible future risk before it is being implemented. Effective discretionary fiscal policy is just like mastery of any art, that a group of body, the congress and the president, must become a guru in order for discretionary policies to be effective. References Taylor,J. (2003). Reassessing Discretionary Fiscal Policy. Stanford University, Retrieved September 15, 2007 from http://www.stanford.edu/~johntayl/Papers/Reassessing+Revised.pdf Cooper, K. (2002). Monetary Policy. Economics: Principles, and Policies, 16/e.. Retrieved March 23, 2007 from https://www.esa.doc.gov/Speeches/NABEFINAL.doc Auerbach, A. (2002). Is There a Role for Discretionary Fiscal Policy?. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Retrieved September 15, 2007 from http://www.kansascityfed.org/publicat/Sympos/2002/pdf/S02auerbach.pdf

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Ikea Swot Analysis

KStrengths 1. Supply chain strategies. 1. 1. Packaging concept. The flat packaging is known of its IKEA which is very effective for transporting products because more products can be shipped at the same time. Consequently, transportation cost will be cheaper. Furthermore, the flat packaging reduces some materials usage. However, it has some weak areas to work on such as protection and unitization. 1. 2. New unit load carrier. IKEA has created new carrier which is called â€Å"Loading ledge†, is a flexible unit load carrier.It can save money as a part of total logistic solution and also make the transport be more volume. The loading ledge has been used for two years within IKEA’s supply chain and the result has satisfied for IKEA because it can reduce damages in good processes. 1. 3. Direct delivery. IKEA’s products are delivered directly from supplier to different stores because this is the cheapest way for distribution. Furthermore, it can decrease the transport ation distance and lower carbon release. In term of process, the goods do not transport to distribution center because it can be directly to stores.This process is very efficiency and special one. So, they can save the cost of one time transport. Figure 1 Direct delivery distribution. 1. 4 Sustainable relationships. IKEA focuses on long-term supplier relationship. IKEA usually buy a large volume for a plenty of years. As a result, they can negotiate at low price. Moreover, the suppliers also gain advantages because their products are guaranteed ordering. 2. IKEA’s culture and concept. 2. 1. Powerful worldwide company. IKEA has strong global brand and concept which is guaranteed good quality at lower price. . 2. IKEA’s vision IKEA notes their goal that â€Å"to create a better everyday life for many people†. 3. Environmental perspectives. 3. 1. Green process. IKEA uses materials that are environmentally friendly. For example, renewable materials, recycling waste products, etc. 3. 2. New technology. Using new technology to reduce the amount of raw material needed. 3. 3 Effective transportation. IKEA transports their products by using rail and sea as much as possible to reduce the impact on environment. Opportunities 1. Environmentally business.IKEA believes that â€Å"environmentally focused business conduct will results in good return even in a price sensitive market†. Nowadays, consumers demand in green products is continue to increase. 2. Low price products. IKEA depends on the low-cost manufacturing countries as China and India. This is provided IKEA’s products to be cheaper. Moreover, customer’s demand of low price products is higher because the serious current financial issues. 3. Working on sustainability This is the main part of IKEA brand. This statement can be supported by: 3. 1. RelationshipBuilding relationship and good communication with stakeholders, consumers, and co-workers are IKEA’s concept. 3. 2 . Cooperate social responsibility. IKEA participate in social responsibility this include to be supporter for many charities. 3. 3 Online website. IKEA provides online tips and ideas for sustainable life at home. 3. 4 Environment IKEA uses sustainable resources, renewable energy, reducing water use, and green transportation. Weaknesses 1. IKEA size. The big size of IKEA’s business is hard to control quality and standards. For example, quality of product is concern in some regions. . Inconvenience located. The flagship stores are located far away from the city center; as a consequence, consumers have to travel a long distance to get to the stores. Moreover, they also have to collect a large in convenience packages to take them home. 3. Diverse market. The difference tastes of consumers in different regions. IKEA has many stores in different region. So, they have to adapt the style of products in order to satisfy each region consumers. Threats 1. Competitors. The growth of comp etitors, they can enter the low cost household and furnishers markets.Furthermore, they act like IKEA’s style which is the model of low cost products and flat packaging. 1. 1 Offering services. A better services offering from competitors. For instance, they offer home delivery, free installation, etc. 1. 2 More products. The larger suppliers such as Tesco and Walmart, they do not sell only home furniture, also offer electronics, groceries, etc. 2. Economic situation. The target group of IKEA is consumers with limited financial income. Therefore, this economic situation will impact and influence IKEA’s business due to a slow down consumer spending and income reduces.IKEA’s SWOT analysis| Strengths| Weaknesses| 1. Supply chain strategies. 2. IKEA’s culture and concept. 3. Environmental perspectives. | 1. IKEA size. 2. Inconvenience located. 3. Diverse market. | Opportunities| Threats| 1. Environmentally business. 2. Low price products. 3. Working on sustain ability. | 1. Competitors. 2. Economic situation. | Gap analysis Next 0-3 years Present Issue| Aspect| ? A weak online support. – IKEA lack of online purchasing options. It forces customers to go to stores. This probably causes losing some profits due to inconvenience located of some stores.?Do It Yourself – The target group of IKEA may require convenience installation. IKEA does not provide this point. Sometimes IKEA has overlooked their customers.? Using the new unit load carrier takes longer time than traditional one.? Due to increasing material flows, DC needs the effective solutions to handle it.? The distribution will increase in IKEA supply chain.? Over stock.? A lack of innovation of products? The highly flow of visitors which cause a long queues to check out. This is due to a lack of manpower. | ? Developing the online stores to compete with its competitors.Also, increasing online purchase by a space simulator.? The IKEA competitors, they offer delivery produc ts and free installation with good ability technicians. IKEA will provide immediate purchase and take home, and offer service but allows customers make their own decisions.? Providing information and knowledge of the new unit load carrier is very important to use it efficiently. It is also decreasing a damage and waste of products.? A great handled can reduce effect at DC by using, for example automatic picking.? Balance supply chain by using supported software and better management.?Hiring new generations staffs which are diverse of personalities. Consequently, they can create some new innovated products.? IKEA uses Beonic’s  tra? c insight  visitor flow system to ensure its checkout never short staffs. | The times 100 business case studies, viewed 13 Aug 2012, http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/ikea/ Jonsson A. and Mathiasen B. , 2004, Consequences of the implementation of the Loading Ledge, Lund Institute of Technology Mehnaz S. , Case analysis IKEA, viewed 13 Aug 2012 http://www. scribd. com/doc/59951004/Case-Analysis-IKEA

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Inquiry letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Inquiry letter - Assignment Example Currently, there is a significant decline in creativity and innovation evident from few modern mechanical designs in the market. Consequently, mechanical engineers brain drain from other foreign countries has resulted to lower native based skilled mechanics. Immigration of engineers is a notable cause of decreased creativity among native residents of the state. I believe that there should be no limitation on the immigration of skilled labor. Trade union has however placed quotas on the number of foreign skilled laborers entering the country. The union has also restricted the training of more American young professionals. The foreigners then enter the country and dominate the mechanics profession preventing entry and development of native engineers (Melville 866). Many patriotic and generous American citizens who have felt the necessity for native skilled mechanics have raised the apprenticeship questions. The benevolent citizens have also created business schools to help avoid trade union restrictions. Comparatively, modern business schools are better than the old learning. The new era education provides more sophisticated and inclusive curriculum as opposed to the old regime. Why would the trade union deny an American boy who aspires to become a skilled laborer the chance to pursue his wish? There should be no measures on the number of apprentices awarded. Training of the skilled labor should also occur in profitable

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Campaign Staffers and Political Consultants Essay

Campaign Staffers and Political Consultants - Essay Example The manager would be responsible for any aspect not covered by the candidate and would often be the lead strategist. In larger campaigns, for example, a Presidential campaign, there are a lot of workers in the campaign staff to help with the required tasks. They hire consultants to devise a strategy and the manager simply has to co-ordinate all of the workers and the consultants together. Below the Campaign manager are the departmental directors who look over specific areas of the campaign. Below the departmental level, the campaign staff tends to vary in structure in accordance with the nature of the campaign. Various coordinators might work under a single department sometimes. For example, within the fundraising department, there might be a staff member who focuses only on direct mail fundraising (Political Campaign Staff, par. 5). The very bottom of the campaign staff structure consists of interns and volunteers who look over the less publicized yet important tasks like data entry, responding to various queries and speaking on behalf of the campaign to a large number of voters. Political consultants do not work for a campaign full-time, but provide help in the shape of advice and creative expertise (Political Campaign Staff, par. ... President William McKinley's closest political advisor Mark Hanna is sometimes described as the first political consultant (Wikipedia; Political Consulting, par. 2). The idea of political consulting grew from 1930's onwards as Political Consulting firms emerged and the increased use of television advertising for campaigns gave a big boost to political consulting. This business has grown rapidly over the years in its importance and influential powers, and has extended itself to campaigns at all government levels. Except for working for political campaigns they also work for political organizations, public relations and research work for companies and governments. These consultants are often criticized for putting their own interests before the clients, have been involved in scandals and some have gone on to become media celebrities after acclaiming wide approval. The successful political consultant, James Carville comes to mind who took advantage of his fame to become an expert appearing on televisions shows and writing books (Political Consultant, par. 3). Its critics have a point when they claim that financial interests are put ahead of the client when firms take on too many clients to build a reputation. Firms are often accused of transferring campaigns themes and plans to different campaigns, even if the actual context of the political campaign is different from the theme that is transferred! The American Association of Political Consultants regulates this business and has published code of ethics and gives awards as well. In spite of the criticism, consulting is always an integral part of a successful modern election campaign. Without a consulting firm to advise and strategize a campaign, and a campaign staff to effectively

Self Esteem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self Esteem - Essay Example erefore, it plays an important role in motivation, work-related attitudes and behaviors of employees that due to such experience can consider themselves experts in certain area. There is also an organization-based self-esteem, which is related to the extent of employees to be satisfied with one’s job, commitment to the organization and in-role performance. While at workplace self-esteem is associated with the self-efficacy of a specific task, its main principle is that individuals are more likely to do and succeed in those activities for which they have higher self-efficacy than others  (Lunenberg, 2011). People are more successful in accomplishment of those tasks which align with their initial beliefs, thus, self-esteem aims to work as the self-fulfillment. Besides, in such a fast-paced and technologically oriented society, there is a considerable positive impact of self-esteem that enables careerists to compete (Andersen & Vandehey, 2011). As the employee makes a statement that one is the best Java programmer at certain company, that means that an individual possesses specialized expertise that is unknown to that extent to other employees and to the boss. In that case, the self-esteem of all the members of the work culture would perceive the best Java programmer as another unit that has special set of abilities and experiences. Hi gh levels of self-esteem that is needed to all employees create more beneficial economical predispositions for the company, while the defensive reactions of employees of low self-esteem can damage as own careers as negatively impact company’s performance. Underestimating own abilities create professional and personal envy toward others; employees with low self-esteem criticize others as they feel certain threat that come from the new ideas and more contributions of the confident co-worker. On the contrary, those with high self-esteem employees are able to promote honest feedback for workers regarding areas that need improvement and

Monday, August 26, 2019

Bachalor of Commerce, Knowledge and Organisational Learning Essay

Bachalor of Commerce, Knowledge and Organisational Learning - Essay Example Knowledge management has recently emerged to be a successful management strategy that can help organizations manage the available human capital in the business (Noe and Hollenbeck, 2004, p. 1-3). People in the organization are most valuable assets and therefore recruiting and retaining knowledgeable, skilled, experienced and productive people have become highest priority of modern human resources management. This piece of research paper described knowledge management, as an HRM interdisciplinary and examines how it becomes relevant in today’s business landscape. This paper presents various elements that are relevant in the knowledge management process and examines various strategic perspectives as well as suitable technologies for fostering knowledge management in the business. Knowledge Management As Noe (2002, p. 168) noted, knowledge management is a management process that the performance of a business can be enhanced by designing, implementing and strategically aligning va rious tools, processes, systems, structure and cultures with a view to create and share knowledge among its people and to use for overall business purpose. The very basic three elements included in Knowledge management are 1) creation of the knowledge through some effective strategies, 2) sharing of the created knowledge among people and 3) making it available and useful for any business purpose. Knowledge Management has been found to be useful for the organization as it helps it get the products to the target market quicker, develop innovative ideas, serve the customer well in order to maintain customer loyalty and retention and achieve sustainable competitive advantages. As Boxall and Macky (2009, p. 10) emphasized, knowledge management helps a business achieve high performance working through various strategic processes and organizational development programs. Knowledge Management has emerged to be a management tool that focuses on data, information and knowledge among the employ ees in an organization (Awad and Ghaziri, 2007, p. 26) and encompasses the processes by which experience, skills, expertise, knowledge and abilities are gathered, then shared among the people and utilized so that these can be converted to collective organizational learning process (Foster, 2005, p. 397). Knowledge Management Models Explicit and Tacit Knowledge Knowledge management talks about creating, storing, sharing and utilizing data, information and knowledge either throughout papers, documents and database, or throughout the minds of people. This is a classification of knowledge based on where data and information are stored. When it comes to the management aspects, pure data and pure information have relatively less impact for a manager whereas structured data and information are relatively highly useful and effective measures that can be used to analyze and find solutions to issues (Noe, , 2002, p. 170). Based in the above classification, knowledge management is systematic p rocess and strategic approach for obtaining and making use of knowledge in the business throughout papers or documents or computers as commonly referred as explicit knowledge or sharing and making use of the knowledge throughout the people’s minds as commonly termed as tacit knowledge. To be more specific, KM is managing either explicit knowledge, or tacit knowledge or both together effectively. In managing

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Pandemic Flu Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pandemic Flu - Assignment Example Accidents resulted from unregulated workplaces. According to Wever and Bergen (2014), pandemic influenza killed many Americans soldiers far more than the ones who died during the war in Europe. There several factors that contributed immensely to the spread of the influenza. Pandemic Influenza is a communicable disease that can spread easily from one individual to another. One factor that contributed to spread of influenza in camps was crowding. Spaces in camps were limited and as a result soldiers had to stay together in small spaces. Morens et al. (2010) point out that the cause of 1918 pandemic flu was the influenza A virus of subtype H1N. The source of the virus is related to birds, mainly waterfowl such as ducks and geese. The birds mentioned above act as reservoirs for the virus. However, it is still not clear how bird related influenza viruses adapt to the mammalian host, infect different cells and spread to humans. On the other hand, the current pandemic flu especially the 2009 H1N1influenza s said to have resulted from the recombination of genes. The genes that brought the current H1N1 are virus that caused 1918 pandemic flu and the swine virus adapted to birds. There are, however, factors in the current society that can trigger the spread of the virus to the population. In ancient times, the virus could spread easily throughout the world. The current society can contain the virus by keeping infected people in one place. Nonetheless, the problem is the availability of medical staff to deal and contain the spread of pandemic

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Wk4 Discussions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk4 Discussions - Assignment Example Some of them might not be conscious of the dynamics involved in the investment of securities. Others might be conscious of the securities investment but do not understand which security will give a better return than the other. If Mr. Lynch answers this question, more investors from other industries will be interest on security investment. Mr. Lynch can let us know how to minimize market risks since avoiding it by diversification is impossible. He will suggest other avenues investors can use to minimize the risks associated with the type of security they have invested. Expectations of investors are high return, but market risk being included in the equation then the possibility of high return becomes slim. If investors have been armed with that kind of information regarding securities investment, we can be rest assured the number of investors in securities will increase. This will be a boost to our nation’s economy. To calculate the cost of equity division of cost of structure will need the use of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) or by Dividend Growth Model (DGM). The cost of debt can be calculated by use of historical (coupon) interest rate or market based interest rate The techniques used to calculate the estimate of divisional cost of capital are referred to as pure play approach. This technique is used to calculate riskier division is the security market line (SML) while for conservation division subjective approach technique would be used to estimate the cost of capital. The main challenge experienced during the estimation of the cost of capital for a division is that it hardly has securities for to trade in the market, so it is a problem to notice the risk of division in the markets’

Friday, August 23, 2019

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Essay

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper - Essay Example The person applying for fresh license should not be less than 21 years of age, should be of resolute and good character, and should possess sound physical and mental prowess. If the applicant is a body corporate, and not an individual, the above rules shall apply to the members of its governing body. The minimum standards in this regard are laid out by SBH (State Board of Health). The application shall be made in the prescribed form and shall be authenticated and should include such particulars such as type of institution, address, manager of the institution and such other information as is deemed necessary by the Commissioner. In the case of Association, body corporate etc; it has to be signed by at least 2 members of the management association for validation. The Application for the fresh license should be accompanied by Licensure Fees @ $10 per bed as per maximum bed capacity, which would include cribs and accessories. The fees paid cannot be refunded except in the case of the lic ense requisition having been refused, and normally, a issued license has validity for one year. The rates for such licenses would be based on its duration, and would be charged on the basis of whole unit US dollars. There are certain conditions governing the issue of licenses, and those are as follows: According to the prevailing laws available in Oklahoma, certain medical occupations do not need licenses. Services like body massagers, natural treatments etc fall in this category. But in such cases, the consumer has to give an undertaking that he has been fully informed about the nature of the relevant facts concerning the practitioner. These are: the address of the clinic, the type of treatment carried out, the professional qualifications of the practitioner, the fact that he does not profess to be holding certificate of medical practice, etc. It is the practitioner’s duty to inform the consumer regarding any changes in it. If there is any violation under this clause, it can

Thursday, August 22, 2019

William Blakes history and also compare five different poems Essay Example for Free

William Blakes history and also compare five different poems Essay In my essay I will give some information on William Blakes history and also compare five different poems. The poems I will compare are London, The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) with The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience). I will also compare The Lamb with The Tiger. I will explain the poems first and explain what I thought the poem was about when I read it and using this knowledge I will compare. William Blake was a profound genius to some, and a nutcase to others. A British poet, painter, visionary mystic, and engraver were some of his many occupations. Born in 1757 on November 28th William was the third of five children to a successful London hosier. William grew up in Soho, London where he was first educated at home, chiefly by his mother. From the age of 6, William Blake was amazed and intrigued by spirits; angels and ghosts. He saw and conversed with the angel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary and various other historical figures. Blake was always enclosed in his personal visions and always seemed to be in his own world. His visions and beliefs made William the man he was and the way he is portrayed to the world today. William was deeply influenced by gothic art and architecture and this showed in his work. After finishing his apprenticeship Blake set out to make his living as an engraver. After studies at the Royal Academy School, Blake started to produce his own watercolors and engravings for magazines. In 1782, Blake married Catherine Boucher, the daughter of a market gardener. Blakes life, except for three years at Felpham where he prepared illustrations for an edition of Cowper, was spent in London. Blakes poems were long flowing and had urges of violent energy. They were full of power and moments of tenderness. A poem thought to be like this would inevitably be associated with Blake. Blake was not blinded by rules, but approached his subjects wholeheartedly, with a mind not distracted by current affairs. On the other hand this made Blake an outsider. He approved of free love and sympathized with the actions of the French Revolutionaries but the reign of terror disturbed him. He believed that as all men are born equal, that there should be only one social and economic level. Royalty such as Kings and Lords were seen as being in a league with the devil as they regarded themselves as being above other men. Blakes paintings and engravings, notably his illustrations of his own works are realistic in representing the human anatomy and other natural forms. However his paintings were rejected by the public as he was called a lunatic for his imaginative work. Blakes religious beliefs stemmed from a long tradition in Britain of Christian dissenters whom refused to accept the established church. This tradition was opposed to established religion, was suspicious of the monarchy and the role it played in religion and had long railed against corruption and abuse of power in the Church and Monarchy. Blake lived during a time of intense social change. The American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution all happened during his lifetime as well as the vicious backlash to these events by the British establishment. The Revolutions left William Blake disturbed and unsure of what was happening. English poet Appelbaum said, He was liberal in politics, sensitive to the oppressive government measures of his day, and favorably inspired by the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution (Appelbaum v). As London shows, however, Blake did not entirely approve of the measures taken to forward the causes he longed to advance: London refers to how the hapless Soldiers sigh/ runs in blood down Palace walls Among many other events which took place during the French Revolution, this could possibly refer to the executions of the French royalty. William Blake died on August 12, 1827, and is buried in an unmarked grave at Bunhill Fields, London. Blake wrote Songs of Innocence and Experience in the 1790s. The main theme of the poems came from Blakes belief that children lost their innocence as they grew older and were influenced by the bad ways of the world. Blake believed that children were born innocent and pure but as they grew up, they became experienced as they were influenced by the beliefs and opinions of adults and others around them. When this happened they could no longer be considered innocent and pure. The poems from Songs of Innocence were written from an innocent childs perspective. The poems from Songs of Experience were written from the perspective of a more experienced person. London (Songs of Innocence) Songs of Innocence features the politically powerful poem London. Blake wandered through the streets of London and sees the streets and even the river suffering under political oppression. Everyone he passes, he sees signs of misery and moral weakness. He notices the expressions and emotions ordinary people are feeling. He doesnt just see the misery of the sweep, the soldier, the prostitute or the baby; he also hears it in their cries, sighs and tears. He puts himself in their shoes and sees the churchs spirit blackened as the institution has allowed the fall of beliefs. He is writing about the reality of London and what the war has done to London. He does not see any life in the faces he sees as he walks, he sees faces of weakness and woe as London seems to have been taken over. It seems even the streets and the river Thames have been taken over by the rich, the poor people seem to be there for the rich peoples amusement. For instance, he describes the Thames and the city streets as chartered or controlled by commercial interests. He refers to mind-forged manacles; he talks of the mens faces and their weakness, marks of woe. William is becoming increasingly frightened of what the future holds as diseases are spreading and the public is becoming disillusioned about the reliability and honesty of politicians. William Blake wants to know what happened to the society that London had, when pain and misery was not the only feeling felt. Blake feels owned, like he is a nobody, he feels he does not have the right to be him anymore. He sees the dying soldiers last breath as if it is blood running down the royal palace walls. Blake has never seen such an unhappy era. He talks of marriage and death, which us an oxymoron as they are both opposites to add effect. Everything natural Blake sees as owned. He has no voice to speak out, no freewill and no opinions. Even if he was to try no one would listen. Blake is furious as he sees nature as Gods creations, Blake is angry that people seem to be owning what is not theirs. London seems to be more about society than William Blakes life but it does have an element of his childhood and how society was portrayed to him. He sees it as a struggle for everyone and how everyone puts on a front as if their emotions are locked away. There is a division between the rich and the poor and he does not see why. He does not see why the rich get priority when there are others in need more. I think he uses his childhood to be able to express his feeling as a child and give a direct image of how the division of classes and status caused misery. Compared to the Chimney Sweeper; London is more about society and politics and how he believes people made the wrong decisions. He because of this he has suffered and the children who are growing up will suffer too. The Chimney Sweeper is more about William Blakes childhood and how he was fooled by the world. It is connected to London as politics and society do come in to it. Exploitation is also a theme as in The Chimney Sweeper the little chimney sweepers are being exploited and being taken advantage of and William Blake seems to be standing up for this; in London, he is standing up for the rights of everyone especially those living in poverty. He seems to want to help in both poems and make it better. He seems like a good person who wants to speak out of the terrible conditions because no-one else will. He speaks out by his writing; he says it all in his poems so it is clearer and more effective. The poems are in comparison as they both contain elements of society, politics and the rights of a citizen; or the rights William Blake believes we should have. Both talk about people in different classes; who have different statuses and their rights and responsibilities they should have. God is associated with both of these as William Blake put his faith in to God but no one seems to be getting the life they deserve. However in these poems I dont think God is the only one to blame, politicians and the government seem to of had an effect on William Blake. Enough for him to speak out. The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) William is writing this poem in the perspective of a young boy called Tom. It is almost like William is talking of his own childhood but covering it up by using a different name. This is how William saw life when he was younger and what he thought of what was actually happening. The child monologue of Tom uses an innocent perspective on what is it like for a young boy to be living in such conditions and politically drastic decisions. William uses rhyming couplets to help the poem flow with ease. He talks of young boys working, being exploited and often killed because of the terrible conditions they have to face. He cleverly uses the word weep! By hiding sweep in it. He is using the movement the young boys had to do with the sound they made which was them weeping. I think this is a clever thing to do as it makes you think of what they had to do and how they felt about doing it. William is saying the young boys were not happy and were very scared. In the second stanza, William talks of how he actually sees Tom and what his relationship to Tom is. He talks about how little Tom Dacre cried when his head was shaved but William tries to bring light to this and make it into a joke. William says Hush, Tom! Never mind it, for when your heads bare, You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair. William is trying to make Tom feel better by joking about it, and showing how it is practical for his hair to be shaved but it is like shaving off little Toms purity and innocence. It seems Tom has lost his identity with his innocence. Tom did not like the reality of the institutions and William talks of Tom having bad dreams about the other boys who sweep the chimneys all being locked up in coffins of black. Not coffins of white but coffins of black, showing a sad image of how bad he sees life. William uses the names Dick, Joe, Ned and Jack showing deep down they know their identity, but to others they are nobodies. This is an upsetting view of life for them, as they are so young and have their whole lives to live but honestly they cannot see the point of living. It is a terrible life; all he seems to talk of is death and blackness which should not be the things on a little boys mind. Tom seems to have been blackened by the chimney soot literally and in his mind he seems to be in darkness. He can not seem to see the light anymore. There is a glimpse of hope as William writes about an angel who Tom sees in his dreams: And by came an angel who had a bright key, And he opened the coffins and set them all free; Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run, And wash in a river and shine in the sun. This gives the image that Tom might have just seen the light and his darkness has been replaced by hope. It is a sad image but it brings hope for Tom like a kind of heaven. To have pure innocence and the freedom in the sun. I dont think this is just Toms view, I also believe this is William Blakes view on how he wished it could have been for him when he was younger. In the fourth stanza William writes of the little boys being naked and all white as if their innocence and purity which was taken away from them has come back. He writes how they rise above the clouds perhaps on their way to heaven and how Tom had an angel; which seems like a guardian angel who says if Tom is a good boy he will have God as his father and will never want joy. However this angel could be seen in a dark way, as the Angel of death, but Tom and William decide not to view it in this dark way and try to look to the positives. This shows Tom looks to God for help and wisdom, he believes in his faith and one day wants to be up there with God. The sixth stanza talks of how Tom sadly awoke from his dream and rose in the dark, collected his tools and went off to work. William writes Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm; So if all do their duty they need not fear harm. I think this is showing how much Tom looks up to the heavens above and at God, as he believes one day he will be up there with the almighty people. He believes if he carries on doing his job and his duties, he will be happy and he need not fear harm as God is protecting him. I think this is also what William believed. William believed he was blessed by God and everything he saw and did was for a reason. Tom I also think believes this. That God is the only one that can help. He can bring the little childrens innocence and purity back and free their souls. The poem ends in hope for Tom and perhaps William. The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) This is very much a darker and more savage vision than that of The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence). Religion plays a big part in this poem and a lot is related to God. William talks of a neglected child and how religion has affected the child. The first stanza talks of the child looking for his mother and father, as they have gone up to the church to pray. From this first stanza it seems the childs parents are religious and look to God for help. The second stanza is in the past tense and talks of the child being happy upon the heath, smiling in the winters snow but then being clothed in the clothes of death; which he means the dark chimney sweeping clothes that have a sense of death. William writes about how the child was forced to work and taught the notes of woe. This is a sad image, as it seems the little child used to be happy and free, but was sent to work as a chimney sweeper and there he learnt the world of sadness and fear. He found out how to cry and be sad which once upon a time he did not know what sad was. However he has been taught to put on a front, to try and cover his sadness and woe with a happy smile so others cannot see that his condition is a sad one. It is like he is playing with death and any moment he could be gone. He feels mentally dead and inside he cannot feel anything but emptiness. In the third stanza, the child talks of how he tries to be happy by dancing and singing; giving the impression to others he is a happy youngster who is looked after well. This is not the case though as William writes: And because I am happy and dance and sing, They think they have done me no injury, And are gone to Praise God and his Priest and King, Who make up a heaven of our misery. The child is extremely depressed yet it seems no one can see it. He puts on a front to please people but deep down he has been hurt by everyone around him; his parents and God. He has been caused injury and pain and does not see the point in life. He makes himself look happy when in fact inside he is dead already. He has turned his back on God as he feels God has deserted him. He wants to know how the almighty God can bring such pain and hurt to such a young boy who has looked to him for help. God is meant to be there for help and advice, what God can make a child feel so depressed and sad that he feels on the inside he is dead already? He sees heaven as a place of miserable people, not happy but sad. Heaven was what The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) was mostly about and how he was looking forward to seeing God and going to Heaven with the angels. However in Songs of Experience he has totally changed his view on life and his perspective of God and the afterlife. He sees no poi nt in living at all-there is no hope in this poem. Just the darkness of a young child. I think this is how William Blake felt about life, after the fall of the church, how it seemed spirits were blackened by politicians and the way society changed for the worse. William is Tom and Tom is William. William used to believe in God and once looked up to him, but when William saw what was happening to society, he wondered what God would allow such bad and harsh things to happen. God is meant to be all good, no evil, but William wants to know how God can allow such terror and pain. No one is happy anymore. Why would God make everyone sad and full of woe? William wants the answers but he cannot find them so he decides the only option is to desert God like he believes God has deserted him. The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) has a lot more hope than The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) and talks of angels and Heaven as being a good place where no one is sad. William writes about God becoming Toms father if he does his duties. There is hope for Tom at the end of the poem and gives a good outlook on Toms life. However, The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) brings a completely different perspective of life and overshadows the innocence. All hope is gone and the sadness and woe is back. God has deserted them, so why should they carry on believing in him when he only seems to be hurting them more? The Chimney Sweeper (songs of Innocence) has been written in the view of a young child who is new to the world. He has been taught to believe that God is pure and innocent and will look after him. That is how the people of society have brought up their children and want them to remain hopeful. Yet The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) has been written by a more experienced person and shows how all these hopes and dreams have been fake and are not going to happen. The reality is how can there be a God if there are so many people in pain? You get two very different sides with these two poems and two very different comparisons on someone who once had hope who know has no hope. Comparing The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) with The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) is almost like a much lighter version of The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience). In Songs of Innocence, The boy who is focused on is called Tom and in the second version in Songs of Experience, the boy is unnamed, its as if he has lost his identity as he has grown up. In Songs of Innocence, Tom seems to be new to the world and unknown. He is fresh and is curious about the world; however he is thrown in to a job he does not like and shown the miseries it can cause. Even though this poem shows the downside and trauma it can cause to a child; it also brings hope. Even when Tom is down it talks of angels letting all the children in despair free and fulfilling their dreams. Compared to The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) it does not really contain any hope or joy. It talks of sad and dark images; there are no dreams and there is no optimism. This shows the comparison as although it is sad, it does bring a little bit of hope to Tom, as he i s young he has dreams that it will be better as time goes on. However it seems Songs of Experience focuses on the dark side of life basically portraying the image of insecurity and misery. Songs of Experience talks of churches and people going to pray making the reader thing happy thoughts but what Blake is really trying to say is that god is not all what he seems. If God was so great, why are people in poverty? Why are people dieing and put in these situations? He used to believe that God was there but as hes grown up hes realised that God has not helped him and as time has gone on he has lost his faith. This perhaps reflects William Blakes view on how on he was opposed to the monarchy and the church. These two poems in comparison show William Blakes faith in God beginning and ending. It shows his journey of why he has to come to the point where he no longer feels God is important and will support him. This is a sad journey and he has used a character called Tom; who I think represents William Blake as a child to portray this. He want it to be known how he feels but I think for some unknown reason he uses Tom instead of the word I because he wishes to be unknown, religion has seriously affected him and in extreme words damages him. He wants people to realise and understand what he has been through yet he cannot bring himself to be direct as in those days, the monarchy and church had extreme effects on society. To speak out against it would almost be a sin itself. William Blake also uses the words I was in The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) as if it is something he used to be, used to believe in. He is writing about the past and he wishes it to remain the past, whereas The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence) talks of the present and the hopes for the future so there is a comparison in tenses. The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience) is also a lot shorter than Songs of Innocence. There are only three stanzas where as Songs of Innocence has six. This perhaps shows that as William Blake has lost his faith in God, he has also lost the words to describe this. There is nothing left for him to write about God and he shows this by only writing three verses. The Lamb The Lamb is a sweet and innocent poem that portrays the image of the world being beautiful and pure. It is all very sweet and touching. William writes about a lamb; who is an image of happiness and feeling content. The Lamb is good and brings no evil. William is saying that God can and has the ability to make beautiful creatures. The Lamb I think symbolizes the young and the less experienced as everything seems perfect and nothing can go wrong. William sees the Lamb as an Angel of God and I think this is how he saw God when he was young. He saw God as a wonderful and pure thing that he could always rely on. This is the image portrayed to children. William talks of Gods blessing. He asks the question Dost thou know who made thee? and at the end of the poem he answers the question by saying Little Lamb God bless thee. Meaning God made the Lamb so perfect. The Tiger The Tiger is almost a complete opposite to The Lamb. It raises profound questions but does not finally answer them unlike the Lamb. As in the Lamb it was showing the purity and innocence, yet the Tiger seems to show the hatred and terror of God. It shows the way that life can start so simply everything being perfect, but then turn sour when you least expect it. In the first stanza William writes about an evil tiger that is feared by everyone. He writes that there is no creature or human that dare touch or go near the mighty tiger. God has created something evil that seems to have shocked William. God created the beautiful lamb with its innocence and purity yet God has created something so evil and devilish. So unlike him. William is trying to say that life seems so perfect at first with everything going right, well you think it is going well because you dont know better because you are not experienced, but as you become more experienced you recognise that everything that seemed good wasnt. It is like you have been fooled for most of your life believing in something that is not what it seems in Williams case God. In the fifth stanza William writes: When the stars threw down their spears, And waterd heaven with their tears, Did he smile His work to see? Did he who made the lamb make thee? William is writing that he feels God felt the need to balance the beautiful and innocent creatures with evil creatures. You need the balance of good and evil for the world to go round but do you need this much evil? This much hurt and pain? William wants to know whether the person who made such a sweet and wonderful creature could make such an evil horrible creature. Life cannot just be a sweet lovely experience; you need to have scary experiences to balance it out. Life cannot be too nice so some evil is needed but it depends how much. Comparing The Lamb and The Tiger: The Tiger and The Lamb are the same but opposites. Opposites attract and together the Lamb and the Tiger make life. For nature to have harmony, there has to be a natural balance. William is showing the Tiger represents all the things the lamb is not, and the Lamb represents all the things the Tiger isnt. William feels betrayed, he has studied a faith for most of his life that he believed in, but he feels he has been proved wrong. God isnt evil but thats all William can see in front of him. He feels he has been fooled all of his life until he became more experienced and started thinking for himself to work out life isnt all lovey dovey. The Lamb talks of the purity and sweetness of God hence the Lamb, but in the Tiger, William has come to his own conclusion that God has created evil when he is not supposed to do so. He feels God has taken away his innocence so he will take away his belief from God. The comparison between The Lamb and The Tiger cannot be more apparent. They are totally different animals that portray different images to the world. William Blake knew this and just knowing the titles of the poems gives you an idea of the differences. William Blake I think wanted the differences to be obvious to others so they can really understand how he has lost his faith and why. The Lamb contains two stanzas which are quite long but happy. It is set out as if it is a nursery rhyme and should be spoken joyfully. You do not even have to read it to recgonise this yet in The Tiger there are six stanzas set out like text in a book. It looks a bit duller compared to The Lamb and is definitely not set out as a nursery rhyme. There are a lot more descriptive words than in The Lamb as The Lamb contains more simple rhyming words which are easy to say, making the poem flow with ease possible portraying the easy side of life. The Tiger in comparison is showing the hard side of life and how not everything is what it seems. The Lamb seems to be welcomed with open arms yet The Tiger seems to be feared. This poem shows how God created evil compared to the pure, innocent Lamb God also made. The question William Blake wants to know is what God can create evilif he is meant to be all good? It is like people have been fooled and he is the only one that recognises this. The symmetry of the two animals is shown as a love and hate relationship between God. The Tiger poem is longer and more meaningful than The Lamb poem and I think this is because William Blake wants to express what he has seen and learnt whilst growing up; it is an experienced piece of writing and much longer as he has more to comment on. The Lamb represents the youth and how when young you are oblivious to the world and its meaning yet as you grow up it becomes noticeable and there are a lot of things you find out which are expressed in The Tiger. Comparing The Chimney Sweeper with The Lamb The Tiger The Chimney sweeper shows how a little boy (Tom) views the world and his society. He talks of hope and happy things until he realises as he becomes more experienced that life isnt how it seems. You see the poem in the eyes of a chimney sweeper who is doing a dangerous job and who does not understand society. This chimney sweeper once looked to God for hope until he realised that there wasnt any. When he realised this he turned his back on God and lost the will to live. In the Lamb and the Tiger, William writes about a beautiful creature that has been created so perfect and sweet but then he talks of the evil tiger who is feared by most. This shows how once he thought life was like the Lamb, full of love and innocence yet as he became older he comes to terms with the fact God created both good and evil and he cant accept this. To him for most of his life, God was great. Nothing could harm him if God was there but to him this was all fake. This was not the reality he was in. Both poems are focused around society and God. They both result in William coming to terms that all is not what it seemed. Tom is William Blake when he was younger and is open about his feelings and his religion. The Lamb and the Tiger symbolise William when he is older and how he feels. How society has affected his religion dramatically. I think it is sad that William seems to have lost all belief in the one thing that kept him sane for a while. William Blake wants a God that is pure and innocent, not a touch of evil. Evil is not God, evil is for the devil. William couldnt have what he wanted as he saw a God that creates good and bad and didnt see the point in it so he turned his back on religion and I think all these poems really clearly show this and how perhaps political decisions caused a backlash to him.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Race and Gender Schemas Essay Example for Free

Race and Gender Schemas Essay A person’s gender schema affects how they treat all other people regardless of age, race, or social position; because we assume that everyone fits into one of two categories: male or female. There are other cultures that do not have a binary gender schema, and allow people to occupy a â€Å"third position† combining traits that Americans would see as male or female. It is unfortunate that gender schemas are so restrictive and create expectations and judgments about people’s authentic selves that can damage the psyche (Valian, 208). As a way to navigate the social world, gender schemas can be important, but like schemas for race and social class, they can reinforce hierarchies that restrict a large part of the population. Below, I will talk about my own gender schema, how I view the gender schema of my society, and how it could be changed to better As media becomes an ever more powerful force in shaping the worlds perception of itself, an individuals struggle to maintain a unique identity and self-understanding apart from media influence becomes increasingly difficult. Damaging to the idea of the self are the racial, gendered, and class-based stereotypes (always artificial and frequently physically, fiscally, and emotionally unattainable), which are broadly perpetuated and, because of their persistence, are apparently not broadly questioned. The prevalence and power of gender (especially female) stereotypes in the media are addressed in this p My own gender schema has changed radically from when I was younger. I can remember asking my mother â€Å"is that a boy or a girl? about a person whom my mother identified as a woman, but who had a very square, angular face with large eyes. Later, I learned to incorporate larger scale features (curvy hips or breasts; large shoulder-to-waist ratio) into my schema. Although I was raised as a girl and have always looked female (if not always perfectly feminine), I don’t always â€Å"act like a girl† – I am somewhat aggressive when playing sports, I’m not shy about asking questions, and I’m sometimes stoic about my emotions. This reflects my gender schema for males: â€Å"typical men† are aggressive in sports, readily ask questions, and do not express emotions. By contrast, â€Å"typical females† in my gender schema are concerned with their appearance, are not aggressive on the playing field, tend to be shy if they ask questions, usually assume that they are not in a position of authority, and express their emotions freely. My schematic representation of male and female physical features has relaxed slightly since childhood; plenty of the women I was with in high school were more angular than curvy. Even though I grew up in a fairly enlightened part of the world, men and women still used nonconformity to gender stereotypes/schemas to insult each other across group lines (women insulting men for being too female-like; men insulting women for being too male-like). Also, I was more cautious of people who did not fit my gender schema, because these schemas predict behavioral and cognitive tendencies, however unreliably. Although our society has changed significantly even in the past 30 years, gender schemas themselves are still very restrictive. It may be the case that fathers have increased their contribution to childrearing time so little because the gender schema for males still dictates that a man spend the best hours of his day at his job (TenenbaumLeaper, 616). Women are expected to conform to people’s gender schemas by liking children and being caring, sympathetic people – all qualities of good mothers. However, it is never clear that every woman you meet wants to be, or is even capable of being, a mother. Many people still retain a gender schema that does not allow for women in positions of power in the workplace. The industrialized nations’ gender schemas â€Å"support a sexist society by propagating an ideology of an innate and entirely pervasive, sex determined social structure† (Devor, 147). This is as bad for men as it is for women. For every woman passed over for promotion at work because their boss’s gender schema classifies them as a â€Å"mothering type,† unsuited for the fast-paced world of their chosen industry, there is probably a man in a high-pressure job that would like to ask for paternity leave, but doesn’t want to be belittled by â€Å"the guys. From my perspective as a woman, and as someone who has felt pressure to conform to a feminine gender schema, it seems like women get a worse deal if everyone uses the male/female gender schema in which typically-feminine behavior includes letting other people have their way, assuming you are not in a position of authority, and paying more attention to your appearance than your skill set. For gender schemas to change in society at large, gender schemas must change for children. The best way to do this is by exposing children to gender-atypical men and women in an accepting way, expanding children’s gender schemas and symbolically making it acceptable for men and women to be as â€Å"masculine† or â€Å"feminine† as they feel like. Another way to take the claws out of the American gender schema would be to legitimize between-gender roles, either by working towards acceptance of transgendered and transsexual populations or by studying the gender schemas of other cultures as a way to shift our own prejudices about what constitutes â€Å"maleness† and â€Å"femaleness. Shifting our gender schemas will allow people’s inherent strengths and weaknesses, rather than their adherence to stereotypes, to be the most important determinant of how we treat others. Heightened public awareness of both the existence of and potential damage caused by these stereotypes is essential if they are to be eliminated. Frequently, though, they are d ifficult to combat and even to identify because of the ways in which they are presented. Overwhelming amounts of time and energy are devoted to uplifting a small, specially selected portion of the population as models of physical perfection. These individuals are, predominantly, television and movie celebrities, fashion models, and sports figures. The glamorous ways in which these occupations are portrayed by the media are seemingly impossible to separate from the physical appearance of the people who hold them. The glamour that surrounds the media presentation of the lives and careers of these individuals extends, not surprisingly, to the clothes that they wear and the way that they look. In fact, so much attention is given to celebrity appearances that entire television programs are devoted to little else but visual exploitation of celebrity clothing and their tangible products of their latest fad workouts. The media presentation of the celebrity body has a single unifying thread, regardless of the specific job title of a given celebrity. Celebrity bodies are desired, both subjectively and objectively. The media, without question, shapes this public response. It can be argued (and has been, on many occasions) that, because the media portrays celebrities bodies as attractive, desirable, and good, they become national symbols of these characteristics. Conversely, bodies that do not meet this lofty goal frequently are, consciously or unconsciously, regarded as bad or ugly. Consider the most recent (and extremely popular) advertising tack used by Subway, the national fast food sandwich chain. Jared, the protagonist of the recent slew of television commercials, allegedly lost hundreds of pounds while on a diet consisting primarily of the chains fare. Jareds before pictures show him considerably larger than his current size, but they also show him alone, with no friends or family. In stark contrast, however, his after action shots consistently show him not only thinner, but also constantly in the presence of a beautiful woman, presumably his significant other. The advertising message is clear: fat=bad, ugly, unhappy and alone, thin=happy and with attractive partner. Through these commercials, Jared has assumed celebrity status, solely on the basis that his body has changed to approximate more closely the current standard of attractiveness. Sadly, though, there is a severe disconnect between the male and female body types lauded in the media and those of the public at large. A shockingly small minority of the population has the genetic dispensation to match with what the media purports to be attractive. For women, desirable physical characteristics (as they are portrayed in the media) include being thin, long-legged, slim-hipped, and large-breasted. The media-portrayed desirable physical characteristics for men include being muscular and possessing a full head of hair. Some characteristics are portrayed as desirable in both sexes, such as being tall, fit, athletic, young, and light-skinned. In the gap between what is implicitly beautiful in the eyes of the media and the physical reality of the popular majority flourishes a market of self-improvement products and services, ranging from hair dye and makeup to tanning salons, dieting, and plastic surgery. It seems as though nearly everyone, at some point in his or her life attempts to alter him- or herself in a physical way, in order to conform more closely to the marketed norm of attractiveness and desirability. Television, magazines, and newspapers are filled with advertisements promoting self-loathing, while offering miracle, body-altering cures. The body that does not conform to a sexy, sleek stereotype becomes a thing to be hated, improved upon, and generally tortured into submission. A portion of the damage caused by such a mentality is quantifiable, though observation of the huge profits accumulated yearly by various diet programs and plastic surgeons. The harm of this presentation of the human body can also be seen in our current societal epidemic of disordered eating, including anorexia, bulimia, over-exercising, excessive dieting, and over-anxiety over food. While the population subset living with and recovering from disordered eating is still predominately composed of women, the number of men with disordered and dangerous eating habits is on the rise. In addition to physical damage, intangible psychological harm results from body image problems to which the media contributes daily. When men and women are faced with the implication that their bodies, if they fail to conform to an impossibly stringent set of standards, are unattractive, unhealthy, and unlovable, they begin to lose confidence in themselves. The perception that a single, narrow range of body types is acceptable and healthy for men and women is not only in error, but contributes to widespread social discontent. Instead of celebrating the diversity and beauty of the human form, the media stifles our desire to feel comfortable with ourselves in an attempt to fool us into supporting a billion dollar self improvement market, from which the media garners tremendous financial benefits. In addition to (and perhaps more devastating than) the physical and emotional damage caused by the current media-driven obsession with achieving an arbitrary physical perfection, our society faces losing serious social perspective. As it is currently used in the media, the body is stripped of its uniqueness and forced into frustratingly narrow constraints: good/bad and attractive/unattractive. Little or no public attention is given to the countless other factors around which a persons identity is structured: kindness, generosity, honesty, friendliness, work ethics, personal motivation, intelligence, and spirituality. By focusing too intensely on the physical, our society risks losing sight of the fuller sense of what people are, and what makes us truly beautiful. My LAP is going to talk about a personal experience that I have encountered with a family member. I have a brother who fits the schemas that we have spoke about in class. I feel that my brother has been dealing with identity issues for a long time since his childhood. How do you deal with being something that you don’t feel you are? Being in this class has me see that everything is not black and white. Schemas are just a stereo type and everyone that may be something does not always seem to be the case. Sometimes there are many reasons that people feel that they are a part of a schema it can be caught up in how people act. Many things on TV make people want to try things like being attracted to the same sex. But sometimes it can be what is going on in your environment. Sometimes I feel that I am a part of a schema I am one of the only black females at my job that is around wide variety of Reform Jews and to me I feel sometimes that I am not suppose to be there but I hold my head up high and keep my enthusiasm very high. So schemas are every day and it just does not have to be about sexuality.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Role Of Ethics In Education

The Role Of Ethics In Education The lifestyle of a human being is closely bound with ethical values unlike other organisms living on this planet. This highlights the importance of embracing ethics on our day today activities. According to the New Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary ethics is defined as the moral principles that control or influence a persons behaviour. In other words as mentioned in an article appeared originally in Issues in ethics IIE V1 N1 (Fall 1987), ethics is two things. First ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness or specific virtues. Secondly, ethics refers to the study and development of ones ethical standards. As a person moulding the younger generation, a teacher has to act as a role model to protect the honour, culture and the discipline of the school while achieving educational goals with success due to sheer dedicated service to the teaching profession. Th erefore it is quite obvious that ethics play a major role in the teaching career. There are several ethical rules to be followed for a good moral conduct. To elaborate more on this topic, I have chosen two standards taken from the teaching of ethics of Graduate School at Penn State. At first, I wish to discuss about fairness or impartiality which is one of the most challenging codes of ethics a teacher can possess. It is extremely important to act neutral while judging the performance of a student because being biased towards some students may hurt and lower the self-esteem of other students. Fairness: Recognizing the inherent subjectivity involved in grading, instructors ought to ensure that their grading practices are as objective as possible by creating and adhering to unambiguous criteria.(From the teaching ethics of Graduate School at Penn State). An outstanding teacher understands that all students require equal love and attention. A teacher trying to be fair among the students will not even bother to look at the name on the top of the paper when awarding a grade for a student. Next, let me discuss about showing respect to the others. Respect can be defined as the consideration of self and of others. Teachers and the whole department of academic and non-academic staff work as a team no matter where they come from. Hence being respectful to each other makes a well-oiled team which in turn strengthens the unity of the school. Further, respecting the views and ideas of the learners may help them build their confidence in learning and sharing knowledge. Respect for Persons: Teachers ought to encourage mutual respect among students. Additionally, instructors ought to show respect and common courtesy for students both during interpersonal interactions and in responding promptly to students need for guidance and feedback. (From the teaching ethics of Graduate School at Penn State). Thus it is clear that following ethical rules is a key factor in achieving excellence not only for ones own self but also in the teaching profession as well.. B) As a potential teacher, I see myself as a valuable person capable of delivering a mammoth service to the humankind. My roles include not only teaching but several other aspects as well. Meeting the needs of the learners through effective teaching strategy is my topmost priority. But on several occasions my roles differ from time to time according to the given situation. Sometimes I will have to be a planner with a suitable teaching plan to make the learners understand the lessons better. Sometimes as an assessor ,monitoring and evaluating the students providing appropriate feedback. Next a facilitator supporting and guiding the students to learn on their own, an information provider, conveying knowledge, a resource developer, managing the available resources and a role model capable of influencing a learners attitudes and behaviours. To compare my roles with two other professionals in my organization, I would like to choose a sports coach and a professional school counsellor in th is regard. A sports coach is a professional who works in the school. He/she is responsible for training athletes while understanding the different skills of each individual separately. These include diet plans, training sessions, physical examinations etc. My role as a teacher shows some similarities with the roles of a sports coach such as being a mentor, adviser, supporter and motivator, dissimilarity being that it is done in a more academical context. Examination of the calorie intake and physical fitness do not necessarily include in my roles as a teacher. A professional school counsellor is someone who counsels the students with a genuine heart to solve the problems of them, be it academic or personal. A teacher also plays a role as a counsellor looking into the affairs of the students when they confide in them, dissimilarity being that the teacher might not have a professional training on counseling whereas a professional counsellor must have had. Hence a teacher relies on logical analysis and personal experience in solving problems during counselling. In some instance they may require help from others too. Its important to note that although different professionals work together in a school, everyone should understand their professional roles and invest their maximum effort in succeeding them. C) Teams comprising individuals working together towards a common goal while holding themselves accountable for the team output is known as teamwork. The most valued advantage of teamwork is its efficiency. In team, the work often gets done faster thus saving a lot of time. This is because large tasks are organized into smaller assignments and divided among the team members equally while sorting out the individuals best suited for the job. While working in a team, each individuals unique skills and ideas gets combined effectively and put to usage to produce the desired outcome. These combined skills lead to an increase in creativity. Hence this helps in strengthening the team unity and the team spirit. The team members will also develop a sense of responsibility since they depend on each other for success. Sharing ideas with one another and relying on others feedback gives a better team output close to perfection. While responsible team members invest sufficient time and effort, the low productivity of some members due to lack of commitment and dedication is a setback to the whole team. In some instances, this may cause resentment and a rift between the teammates. Hence a better output is not expected. Some members delay their portion of work. This will not help in finishing the task on time. Contrasting personal styles and difficulty in accepting ideas which differ from their own can result in clashes between the team members thus reducing the efficiency of teamwork. To understand team work better, Bruce Tuckman first came up with a theory called forming, storming, norming and performing in 1965. Later, he added a fifth stage called adjourning. Working individually is completing the given tasks on your own without the help of the others. When working individually, we get to think independently and incorporate our ideas into the task. Hence it develops our hidden potentials. Since there are no intruders, conflicts may not arise. Hence the speed and clarity could be an added advantage. Even the laziest person is put to work here thus giving an opportunity to shoulder responsibilities. The disadvantages of working individually include possible chances of having errors since the task is not checked by the others, no room for variations and a combination of creative thoughts, occurence of some doubts regarding the accuracy of the task and the possible chance of socialization getting hampered. Its important to understand that some activities in the school like the sports meet, prize giving and shramadana campaigns are best done in teams while maintenance of registers, library book keeping system and lab experiments are best done individually. D) Interpersonal relationships are social associations or connections between two or more people. In an organization such as the school, basically there are three types of interpersonal relationships. They are: student-teacher, teacher-parent and teacher-teacher relationships. It is vital to maintain a healthy interpersonal relationship with the others. The student-teacher relationship is a very special one. The teacher should be able to understand the learners and help them out. This is only possible if there was a healthy relationship among the students and the teacher. The teacher-teacher relationship is also equally important because the teacher might decide on lesson plans and strategies according to the feedback and the advice given by their colleagues. Further, planning on several occasions which are to be held at school could be done if the teacher-teacher relationship is healthy. To advice and talk about the short commings of a student, a healthy teacher-parent relationship is required. These types of positive interpersonal relationships can further develop the roles of a teacher while magnifying its effects several times. Sometimes the above mentioned interpersonal relationships end up in conflicts if there was no understanding between the two parties. Due to the uneasiness prevailing among the two parties, the activities meant to be carried out together may not be completed to perfection thus affecting the school as well. The teachers might also not be able to concentrate on their work and may feel restless. This will have a great impact on their professional role. Hence a teacher should be wise and tactful in handling different types of interpersonal relationships so that it may only bring out a positive improvement in their professional role.

Diagnosing Depression: Marys Case Essay -- Becks Cognitive Model

Mary is a 24 year old woman who has faced a series of traumatic events throughout her life. Mary's depression can be represented by the cognitive theory (Liese et al., 1997). The process in this theory can be shown through Beck's cognitive model (Liese et al., 1997). According to the model, Mary experiences depression because she holds incorrect negative views about herself, other people and the future and these beliefs take precedent over her actions, thoughts and emotions (Liese et al., 1997). According to the first stage in the model, Mary's early childhood experience is the primary contributor to her depression. Mary had experienced an instable childhood; her parents deemed unfit to care for her, leading to separation by Child Youth Services when she was two. This family dysfunction (by definition, disturbance or abnormality, not referring to abuse) provides the first risk factor of her depression. Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Studies have shown that destructive consequences on adult mental health are directly correlated by household dysfunction during childhood (Chapman et al., 2004). Freud's philosophy and the humanistic theory explains how this is a risk to Mary's depression, suggesting that humans possess an id that seeks gratification of unconditional acceptance (Reid & Sanders, 2010). It shows that Mary’s early family dysfunction forms the basis of her negative core belief that no one wants her, as this initial rejection of acceptance poses a question to her sense of belonging. Since Tracey is deficit of acceptance at a very young age, she learns to blame her circumstance on internal causes, increasing the risk factor for her depression in adulthood (Kosslyn, Rosenberg & Lambert, 2014). This goes deeper i... ...nosis can be useful, the extent of its helpfulness is debatable. Diagnosis in her case could have both detrimental and beneficial outcomes, depending on her individual mid-set. References Chapman, D. P., Whitfield, C. L., Felitti, V. J., Dube, S. R., Edwards, V. J., & Anda, R. F. (2004). Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of depressive disorders in adulthood. Journal of Affective Disorders, 82, 217-225. Kosslyn, R.M., Rosenberg, R.S., & Lambert, A.J. (2014). Psychology in context (1st New Zealand ed.). Auckland, NZ: Pearson Education. Liese, B.S., & Beck, J.S. (1997). Cognitive therapy in supervision. In C.E. Watkins (Ed.), Handbook of psychotherapy supervision (pp. 114-133). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Read, J., & Sanders, P. (2010). A straight talking introduction to the causes of mental health problems Herefordshire, UK: PCCS Books.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Capital Punishment Is Barbaric Essay -- Anti Death Penalty Essays

Who are we, any of us, to decide whether or not the man standing next to us, murderer or otherwise, is â€Å"no longer fit to be among us†? Capital punishment is used for such crimes as treason, murder, terrorism, kidnapping, and even for perjury causing the execution of an innocent person. It has been debated for years, whether or not the death penalty is just. And over two-thirds of the countries in the world have disallowed any form of government from practicing the death penalty. In the Eighth Amendment of our Constitution it is stated that cruel and unusual punishments, such as death, shall not be inflicted upon a man. The insertion of this small statement in one of the documents that our country was built upon is proof of man’s ability to recognize that there is indeed a line to be crossed when it comes to punishment. Yet somehow, man’s actions show a complete disregard for this part of our Constitution. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life. If this is the conclusion that the majority of our society comes to, then why do they teach their children differently? From day one it is impressed upon the majority of young minds that it is not acceptable to hit someone just because they hit you. So when suddenly at the age of eighteen, people in the United States can be charged with murder and put to death, it’s confusing wondering what it is that has changed. It is against all human rights to deny any man or woman of their life. Other than the moral reasons to abolish capital punishment, there are always the possibilities of wrongful conviction or mental illness. There is no proof that the death penalty is at all a preventative measure against murder, so why go so far as to kill another human being? Within the last 38 year... ...death-penalty-and-innocence http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-cost http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=53 http://crime.about.com/od/death/i/dpissue1.htm http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/crimes-punishable-death-penalty#BJS http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001000 http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/deathpenalty.htm http://www.openbible.info/topics/eye_for_an_eye http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-and-death-penalty http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=006946 https://death.rdsecure.org/article.php?id=42 http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-cost http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3259389&page=1 http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/lack-lawyers-blocking-appeals-capital-cases

Sunday, August 18, 2019

What is Post-Modernism? Essay -- Philosophy, Modernism

What is Post-Modernism? The aim of this essay is to explain how Post-Modernism has influenced our contemporary built environment and explain what other movements have derived from it. I would argue that Post-Modernism is a worldwide movement in all arts and disciplines. A definition of postmodernism will provide a better understanding of the trend that would show how it is relevant to contemporary culture and important for the future. Postmodernism became an important movement right after the Second World War, and the movement spread around Europe and North America during the early 20th century. According to Malpas, S. (2005, p.12) Postmodernism, focus on style and methods of representation, and is often interpreted as a successor to modernism. Similar to Architecture, postmodernism influenced all kind of art such as: Art, music, theatre, literature, dance and even photography. In the work of Best, S. and Kellner, D. â€Å"Postmodern turn† (1997, p.152) they state that postmodern architecture was a particular reaction to the aesthetics and as they describe â€Å"Philosophical assumptions† of the International Style. This is because one believes that the International style was refusing to incorporate the architectural forms of previous generations as if they were trying to detach themselves from the past. In contrary Best, S. and Kellner, D. (1997, p.153) claim that postmodernism returns to the past to combine and play with different styles, it embraces it for its rich symbolic and stylistic sources. In contrast to modernism, which rejects history. Postmodernist retuned to the past because they believed that we shouldn’t forget about our past, especially with what happen during the Second World War. So architects believe... ... If they try to sort out problems within the form of the building there it a chance that certain parts of the building with have no function, or the other way round. If they try to solve the problem of certain function in the building, then there is a chance that the form or the build might not have a standard form. He continues by stating, â€Å" we know longer argue the precedence of form or function, we cannot deny their interdependence†. Complexity of a program has often accompanied simplicity of form like early Le Corbusier. More recent explanation for the simplicity in architecture, are various expansions of Mies Van der Rohe, contradictory â€Å"Less is more†. In response to Mies van der Rohe’s famous proclamation, Venturi replied: â€Å"Less is a bore.† Above all, Copeland (1983, p.39) claims Venturi pits himself against the modernists’ obsession with purity.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Should Public Schools Require Student Uniform?

A school uniform is a specific design for clothing designated to be worn while attending academic classes at a school. The school context comprises grades one through twelve of public and private schools in the United States. Different schools and different grades within schools may have different uniforms, as determined by parents and school administration. In today’s society all public schools should require student uniform. These generations of school kids are more worried about how your hair looks, what name brand clothes you have on, and also what kind of shoes are on your feet.These kids are worried about all the wrong things. Instead of worrying about their peer’s attire they should be into their books. Worrying about all the wrong things can be distracting. When ones focus is on something other than what’s important can cause sidetracking. â€Å"We are under no illusions that it's a silver bullet that is going to make kids smarter,† school board Pr esident Pedro A. Ramos said last week. â€Å"We do think it will improve school climate. It removes a lot of anxiety and stress from lives of our students and parents,† (Johnston).To understand why this is an issue, let us look at the problem, why the problem is significant, whom the problem affects, why others’ attempts have failed, and how I propose to solve the problem. This is an everlasting debate that whether school uniforms should be worn or casual clothing is as good. And like most of the popular debate in the world it has no concrete answer, it totally depends on a person’s beliefs actually. For some it is a benefit for others a disadvantage. I believe public schools should require students to wear uniforms.First wearing school uniforms promotes good discipline. Second it reduces distractions. Thirdly it is a far less expensive to buy school uniforms than many other clothes. The problem is that public schools should require student uniform. Having all s tudents wear uniform causes the students to focus more on school and not each other. In today’s generation, requiring uniforms would take a lot of the pettiness and bullying over fashions and brands out of the schools. Today in most schools kids spend most of their time judging others by their attire rather than personality.Worrying about other things such as what everyone else is wearing takes attention off of learning and turns it onto attire. Is students paid less attention on what others were wearing and focus on school they would do much better in school. Most times when kids look down on other kids about their clothing it is a sign of bullying. Bullying starts when one person messes with another because they think they’re superior to the other person. It can also start by cliques forming and one clique talking about another clique’s apparel. Gang-related issues are pretty prevalent as a reason for using dress codes,† which often prohibit caps, earrin gs for boys, beepers, baggy clothes, and other gang-linked paraphernalia, says Jay Butler of the NSBA. School districts generally have found the codes â€Å"effective,† though not a cure-all, he said (Tyson). Students are affected by the schools wanting them to wear uniform. They are affected because what students wear is a sign of their own identity and individuality. Allowing students to wear what they want allows them to express how they feel not only through their character but the way they dress.Many students feel as though taking away the ability for them to wear what they want will not stop violence, failed grades, and also bullying. Most teachers and parents believe that when students wear uniform they don’t have to worry about appropriate versus inappropriate clothing. Also, fighting in the morning about what they can and can’t wear to school. According to at Brunsma at â€Å"The Journal of Education Research† and Rockquemore of University of Not re Dame, such creative hindrance encourages a power dynamic among students and faculty: If students feel inferior to faculty, they may also feel unsupported.This dynamic can impede their ability to focus in school, which can lead to behavioral issues (Foster). But in most schools that don't require uniforms, it is common for a teen or preteen student to feel pressure to wear trendy clothing lest she/he be viewed as economically disadvantaged or different. This is a big controversy between students and adults also between adults and adults. Having school uniforms in public schools is very important. Many people may ignore the signs that school uniform is a big issue in today’s schools, but others understand the need for these uniforms.One big problem is that when you give kids the ability to wear what they want that gives them a chance for freedom of expression. School uniforms stifle self -expression, and the development of the self is as integral as the development of the mi nd. Experts believe that there is no stopping self -expression in the psychological development of children and teenagers, and that more inappropriate means of expression will arise if clothing is restricted (Directory of Schools). To eliminate the use of derogatory clothing between young public school kids uniform should be rewarded.Having uniform will lower the parents having to fight with the child every morning with what they can and cannot wear to school. People that have attempted to try to get public schools to enforce school uniforms have failed in many different ways. They have failed because many people believe that just giving children uniforms will not stop them from bullying. Children bully others on the way they look such as the way other’s hair look, what type of sneakers they have on, and their classification.If school codes are already hard to enforce why they should put another problem on the staff’s hands. Sharp decreases in school crime reported by some districts that switched to uniforms have encouraged others to â€Å"follow suit. † In one prominent example, after Long Beach, Calif. , became the nation's first district to require uniforms at elementary and middle schools in 1994, crime dropped 36 percent among the 60,000 students (Tyson). Many people have so many different beliefs when it comes to school uniform.I propose to solve this problem by obtaining a survey. I will have two different surveys. I will survey 100 public school children and 100 parents. I will ask everyone the same question. I will ask public school students do they believe uniforms are the best thing for the students. Why? Before I give the survey I will collect information online about why public schools should enforce the use of uniforms. I will then give them the information I found about or why public schools take on the effort to have student uniforms.After that I would tell them my position on the public school uniforms conflict and that I like the idea. Finally, when all the data is collected from the survey I will tally the votes up and give them to the School Board of Education. In conclusion, because of the bullying that goes on with non-school uniforms, public schools should have school uniforms. Public school uniforms are very important and critical because there will not be a differentiation between rich or poor. Like for girls whose shirts are cut lower, or if a boy wears those checkered shorts that they seem to love so much.But with uniforms all of that is taken away because everyone will be wearing the same thing. I know your first questions will be: â€Å"But where's the individuality? † But it can still be there. Kids who roll their sleeves up or fold their collars differently, or who tuck their shirts in or leave them out. There are a LOT of factors to keep in mind. So just to talk about a child individuality and to not protect the other kids that can get emotionally, mentally, and physically damag ed by just one word because of what regular clothes they have on is unacceptable.