Management Under Uncertainly Essay

I had been in Target as a temporary worker and one decision made by the manager left a deep impression on me. As one of the largest retail stores in Australia, Target can be found in the shopping centre of most area. The store I had worked is located in Leichhardt which had the expectancy was achieving a sales budget of $ 50,000 per day, and then the net profit would reach $6000. In order to make the expectation into reality, the manager of Target Leichhardt store from the point of view of cost savings decided to cut the shifts of employees. Originally, one shift had four cashiers, but now reduced to two cashiers. In addition, the manger made a decision to no longer use customer greeters. In Target store, the duty of greeter is not only greet customers into the store, but also check the bags of customers to avoid theft when they leave. The manager decided to reduce shift because he found this is a kind of waste when the store is not busy. On the other hand, he thought the customer greeter looks like a decoration because the phenomenon of pilferage was rarely. Although the manager made the adjustments, the result was still not satisfied and the outcome was the store has not achieved the budget. These decisions caused complaint from a lot of customers about the long queue when they went to the checkout. I had seen some customers drop off the commodities which they had selected because they do not like to wait for a long time. Beyond that, the two operators always feel tired and unfair when the store is very busy. Once they feel bored, they will not have enough energy and passion to serve customers. Furthermore, no longer use greeter also caused some negative effects. For example, tally clerk found that small and precious items had been lost regularly. Obviously, there were customers in the store for stealing and the action of theft reduced the budget seriously. Analysis of the Decision Teale, Dispenza, Flynn, & Currie (2003) pointed out that the bounded rational decision making is refer to there are many options, but the decision maker only consider some of these, or from the long term, that is not a best decision but the most suitable for the current situation. Here is an example, a lady fell down along the road and break her stiletto heel, and then she quickly goes into a cheap shoe store and bought a pair of lip-flops that she had never worn before. If it is in normal circumstances, the lady will buy a pair of shoes that she likes at ordinary times, but now she is in a hurry and can not wear the shoes with broken heels. So, buy a pair of shoes that does not like usually become an appropriate choice. This can be called â€Å"satisfying†. People in most cases do decision like this, because sometimes we do not consider all the possibilities in order to save time (Campling, Poole, Wiesner, Ang, Chan, Tan & Schermerhorn, 2008). Decision-makers always pick up the most useful one. In the Target Leichhardt store, because the manager chose the solution to reduce the costs in a short time, the decision can be defined as Satisfying. The decision of this store manager made just embodies the people’s bounded rationality in decision making process. The managers thought the store can increase budget by cutting costs. However, queuing for a long time can make customers have bad impression on the store. Finally, people thought for long lines when they mention this store, then they refuse to go to the store shopping instinctively. People should consider three processes that bounded rationality usually involve in. hey are simple search, simple stopping and simple decision rules. These three rules are also referred to as â€Å"heuristics†, it is used to describe â€Å"how normal people make decisions without calculating utilities and probabilities† (Gigerenzer & Todd, 2012). In this case, the manager made decision without calculating the chance of various results by using the optimal and maximizing outcome. . In this situation, the manager didn’t use the optimal or maximizing outcome to calculate the probability of outcome occurring, he didn’t use the utility to calculate the expected happiness. There are many factors that can cause bounded rationality, such as emotion, knowledge and culture. According to Teale et al (2003), bounded rationality can also be interpreted as non-rational decisions. This is because people have limited knowledge level and lack of training. The lack of knowledge and training make people with narrow horizons, and then can not take a panoramic view of the situation and do not have a long-term view. In this Target store, the manager did not investigate and understand the situation of the store from all aspects carefully; it also can say he was lack of practical experience in management of decision making. His decision can only satisfy the short-term interest if it goes well. However, it turns out he did not achieve the short-term goals. In terms of the long time interest, invoice for a long time and occasionally steal phenomenon caused bad effect on the company’s image. On the other hand, decision-maker do not communicate smoothly and actively with others can also affect the decision making (McKee, 2010). According to my observation, the manager lack basic understanding of the store and he seldom communicated with employees and customers. Sometimes, he just organized the regular meeting, and the aim of meeting is to decorate task without exchange views with others. When someone makes decision by himself without communicate with others, bounded rationality can get a higher frequency of occurrence. Lacks of communication not only lead to make decision unwise, because the decision maker is likely to be emotional to make a decision, but also make the decision maker overconfidence. In real life, we meet some people who always think they are right (Hanson, Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2011). Beyond that, environment can cause bounded rationality. Today’s general environment is complicated and changefully, people can obtain information from various channels and ways. Not all information is appropriate, sometimes wrong information mislead decision maker to make an irrational decision. In this case, the general environment is the customers and sales performance are different and the manager eager to prove his ability. So he made a non rational decision and this decision does not have any benefit for a long term operation. Reflection Mckee (2010) show us The Eight Stage Decision Making Process Model. If I were the manager in this case, I would use the above mentioned model to help me to make a rational decision. First of all, I would collect all possible information about the sale budget and net profit for five years before. For example, check the financial annual report, the daily turnover and the net profit report. Form these reports, I could analyze and assess which part of work we need to adjust and improve. Our goal is to increase earnings; we can start this goal from attracting more customers rather than reduce shifts and layoff greeters. There are many ways to attract potential customers and make them become returned customers at the same time. One effective way is issue voucher; we can offer a five dollar voucher when the customers purchase more than 50 dollars. By that analogy, we can give ten dollar voucher when the customers purchase more than 100 dollars. In this way, we can ensure customers keep coming. Another way to attract customers is to do some promotions, such as buy three same items for two items price. When I use The Eight Stage Decision Making Process Model to make a decision, I would consider more on one of the elements that is to list alternatives (Mckee, 2010). In this case, arrange employees to the most suitable area according to their own ability and personality is an alternative decision. For instance, a employee with personality of patience and enthusiasm, I would arrange he to be a customer assistance. Put myself in customer’s position, I hope to get a better shopping guide and help. Moreover, Tolbert and Hall (2008) pointed out that the more person involve the decision process, the decision is more rational. Due to the feasibility of this theory, I would be honest to analyze the whole store operating condition and the goals to other managers and employees. Then, I will encourage them to actively participate in discussion and give advices. If I were the manager I would continue to use customer greeters. In order to make them not as decoration, I will arrange them some to do things to attract customers. For example, greeters can pass flyers to passers so that they have a better concept about what product will have a discount in which day. The following step we need to carry out decision, along with this step there may have some obstacles impede our progress. But, these are not serious problems, as long as we step by step; we are able to make sensible decisions (Kramar, Bartram, De Cieri, Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, 2011). This style of decision making can be described as the rational model. Only managers like a link, fasten all the employees together to make the decision, this decision can be good for long-term development of an organization.

Gender Roles in the United States Essay

1. Briefly discuss the history of ethnic relations in the United States. The ethnic history of the United States was long rooted during the colonial period. The first settlements in the United States were the Spanish outposts in the towns of Florida and California and a French outpost in Louisiana. English colonizers declared the United States’ independence in 1776 due to their yearning for freedom from their own country (Doane). â€Å"The class, racial, ethnic, and gender relationships of the contemporary nation have their roots in the colonial period† (Doane). Because of the failure to force Native American settlers to work on the fields, the British settlers resorted in importing African slaves to work on cotton plantations located at the South, while the Whites chose to reside on the North to further hone their emerging industries (Doane). The ethnic relations of the United States during the early years are characterized by the major issue of racism and discrimination based on skin color. During the colonial times, the poor whites and the indentured servants served as bridges for the slaves and the landlords. The poor whites tried to identify themselves with the rich landowning whites and propagated the idea of white racial identity rather than the class identity (Doane). This action in turn reinforced the racial discrimination in the country. The status, skin color and position in the labor market characterized the relationships among racial and ethnic groups. Some of the Blacks migrated northward to work on industrial jobs but disparity continued as they were paid less than the whites on comparable jobs. The Blacks also received less social benefits than the Whites reinforcing discrimination (Doane). 2. Describe the process of gender role socialization. Give examples of how females and males are trained to fulfill the expectations of their gender roles. There is a tendency for the society to mandate societal rules and determine what is right and acceptable to the people. This process is referred to as gender role socialization, wherein social institutions control the society’s expectations on â€Å"dress code, language, personality, leisure activities and aspirations for each sex† (Padavic and Reskin 53). Through this process, people learn their gender identity. The society associates well established values, attitudes, behavior, choices and performance that are appropriate for gender categories such as men and women. People are able to absorb the specific roles that the society is trying to inculcate to the members of a particular sex (Senior 25). Learning our gender roles is important in the aspect of socialization and our interaction with other people. Childhood experiences of socialization prepare the people in their gender and social roles in such a way that adult members of the society are expecting them to behave (Senior 25). Even as children, people have been trained to behave and act according to their biological sexual orientation. And as such, parents reinforce gender role socialization on their child-rearing methods. They give toy guns and robots to their male children and dolls and kitchen utensils to their female children. People may be unconsciously aware but through this method, social roles are being inculcated within the consciousness of children in the society as they become adults. Toy guns for male children depict that males should be aggressive and courageous. Boys are also more exposed to high-tech toys like PSP and Gameboy reflecting their advantage in the technological field of industry. Female children or girls, on the other hand, are encouraged to play with dolls and kitchen utensils to prepare them to their future social roles which are in charged of the household, homemaker and as domestic provider. It also encouraged the attitudes of women to become caring and nurturing. 3. Discuss the evidence, which points to either gender roles being biological or cultural in origin. Base on this evidence, what conclusions can be drawn about the origins of gender roles. Discuss some of the most important sources of gender inequalities in our society. How can these inequalities be alleviated? One of the speculated causes of the significant difference in the attitudes and social characteristics between men and women is their biological structure. It was said that genes and other biological components play a big role in influencing these social characteristics. There are biological explanations provided in an attempt to examine aggressiveness in males. It was already known that the inherent presence of Y gene in the 23rd chromosome makes males susceptible to physical disarray. However, there is no strong evidence explaining the role of genetics in the aggressiveness of individuals, particularly the males. Several indicators of violence have been found to be more evident in males than in females (Englander 122). Research further reveals the role of androgens in the prevalence of violence. Androgens are male sex hormones that are abundant in males. These hormones were indirectly linked to criminal violence and also to traditional behavior. Studies show that women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a medical condition in which androgens are secreted in the uterus of females, have an inclination to male tastes and preferences. Although there is no concrete evidence of the relationship between androgens and violence, it was suspected to be the reason behind men’s more aggressive behavior (Englander 123). Another biological factor that is thought to be responsible behind the violent attitude of men is the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). Behavioral patterns are related to the level of MOA presence in the blood. Men are found to have lower levels of MAO than women. Lower MAO levels are associated with aggressiveness and the sudden burst of anger and frustrations, especially impulsiveness (Englander 123). Another essential factor that was believed to be responsible for the development of aggression in men and the nurturing attitude of women is the social construction or the difference in how each was reared and molded by culture and society. A person’s social environment is accountable for the values inculcated in his or her personality. His or her socially-constructed identity is viewed to be inherent with his biological sex. Difference in gender has a widespread effect in the society, which was supported by documented knowledge in socio-biology and evolutionary psychology. This collection of knowledge states that men and women are irrevocably different in bodily configurations (Taylor & Spencer 41). Such disparities in gender can be alleviated through programs that will breach the inequality in gender such as having equal opportunity on the workplace. We could also start hastening changes through campaign programs that will call for equality between genders. Works Cited Doane, Molly. 2007. â€Å"Culture of United States of America†. Advameg, Inc. 11 November 2008 . Englander, Elizabeth Kandel. Understanding Violence. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. , 2007. Padavic, Irene and Barabara F. Reskin. Women and Men at Work, 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press, 2002. Senior, Olive. Working Miracles. London: James Currey Ltd. , 1991. Taylor, Gary and Steve Spencer. Social Identities: Multidisciplinary Approaches. New York: Routledge, 2004.

Art Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Media - Essay Example Mexican born in 1981, is digitizing archive images while at the same time creating a form of the extensive index of the associated words that eventually â€Å"mirrors† the image into the database (Inaki, 2003). The experience of interacting with this form of artwork is marvelous and very interesting. It is very interesting and enticing to learn that archive images can be subject to integrate with some words that mirror this archive images into the database. In my opinion, the purpose of this piece of art of work is to convert the past or traditional art into modern forms that would be able to attract the attention of the modern generations while at the same time be able to preserve the same archives in digital forms that would last for many years to come. Additionally, this form of digital interactive art purposes at accommodating numerous images in small space those viewers will be able to view conveniently without necessarily moving from one viewing room to the next viewing room. There is a lot that connects this form of digital artwork to the contemporary life. At first, the aspect of which archive images that could be viewed in the form of the traditional display were subject to integrate into the modern forms of digital storage connects to the contemporary life. It makes the entire process of viewing much simpler and easier through the aid of graphic designs and programming. An example of which this digital artwork compares directly to other activities one might perform on the internet in that there is a possibility of matching text and images. Additionally, it is possible to locate many images through the internet source, which compares similarly to this form of digital art whereby a set of core images are subject to locate existing in a single source of database. One thing that differentiates this site from other sources of the internet is that the images and wording contained in such databases tell of the historic activities or historic archives. Other

Journalism - Media Literacies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Journalism - Media Literacies - Assignment Example In the recent, various forms of media including newspapers and magazines have covered various issues that arise from moral laxity. In the same way, televisions have been in the forefront in presenting documentaries that creates moral panic within the society. According to Baer and William (1997) the activities undertaken by the youth as well as the level of crimes have greatly contributed to the immorality and threats that are faced by members of the society. Contemporary moral panics are different from the earlier ones (Victor, 1993). For example, in the past the effects of the young people on the family values were seen as a major moral panic that undermined family values. In the contemporary world, Cohen (1980) noted that moral panics can be caused by an occurrence of any event. In the same way, he stipulates that there has been rapid succession of moral panics. This essay will argue that media has played a fundamental role in representing moral panic associated with climate chang e. Climate change has recently been represented by media with an aim of exposing the public on its role of contributing to the global warming and high temperatures that have been experienced in various parts of the world. One of the main duties of media is to mediate between the scientific approach on the climate change and the temperatures that have been recorded in various regions. Human activities that include production of electricity and combustion of fuel within the factories production facilities greatly contribute to the destruction of ozone layer thus leading to unsafe environment. In United States, English-speaking media has spearheaded the coverage of climate change as compared to media channels in other countries. Through the studies done on tabloid press in UK and US, 1995 and 2001 establishments of IPCC as far as the role of scientific consensus on climate is concerned, was not effectively covered by media. However, extensive media coverage was adopted in 2007 and in 2 009. In 2007, wide media coverage was evident from An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary that was initiated by Al-Gore as well as the fourth assessment reports that was prepared by IPCC. In 2009, wide media coverage of climate change was catapulted by the UN climate change conference and the email controversy that engulfed the Climatic Research Unit (Mike, 2009). Media and journalists have been poorly informed about climate change. As a result, members of the public have little know how about the global warming despite the fact that it is a major challenge facing the contemporary world. Due to poor reporting of scientific issues that relate to climate changes, media scholars and reporters argue that three key distortions may arise. First, instead of journalists allocating more of their time to cover scientific aspects that relate to global warming and changes in climate, they specialize in writing stories that have human-interest. Secondly, journalists fail to provide balance between reporting of climatic changes and other stories. Thirdly, lack of adequate understanding of climate changes results to making of scientific errors. It is worth to note that in order to make policies that are effective in curbing global warming and nuclear power, it is vital to make the public more informed about climate changes. This can only be achieved if media and journalis

LLM EC Competition law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LLM EC Competition law - Essay Example Within the UK Articles 81 and 82 EC have been incorporated into the Competition Act 1998 (CA). The aim of these articles and the CA is to prohibit agreements, business practices and behaviors that have, or are intended to have, a damaging effect on competition in the UK (in the EU for the EC Articles).1 Article 81 prohibits any dealings that will distort competition within the EU, which includes any agreement from insider trading through to companies discriminating to supply goods or services on the basis of preferential businesses. The sale and supply of goods and services should be open to all members of the class that the company deals with. Also the sale of goods and services should be based on fair and open grounds, examples that the Office of Fair Trading and the EC use to illustrate anti-competitive agreements, in addition to cartels, include: The basis that the EC has used to identify what grounds are anti-competitive can arguably be determined as not economic, but more socially based. On economic grounds could such agreements as shown above not be a way to create a more competitive market, because if the present competitors agree to limit output does this not open the door for new businesses to open up in order for supply to meet the demand. Therefore it is questionable whether the current system of law is really dealing with what is economically competitive on economic grounds3. This is even more apparent with Article 82 EC, which deals with identifying what equates to abusive behavior by a company in respect to EC competition law. In order to be abusive under the company must be in a dominant position, which raises a question on the fairness of this article because if a company is not in a dominant position why is it not abusive This seems to be more of a social rather than an economic factor, because it means that if you are NOT a powerful and dominant company you can do as you wish.4 This illustrates that the grounds that EC law is determining on abuse in fact favors one sector of the economy over others, i.e. the underdogs. Is this not an abuse of competition law, because in certain instances dominant companies are a natural part of the industry's landscape, e.g. water, natural resources and fuel. This indicates that the current approach to determining a breach of competition law is in fact ironically a breach itself. The definition of dominance comes from the cases of United Brands5 and Hoffman-La Roche6 where the ECJ (European Court of Justice) defined the concept of dominance as: A position of economic strength enjoyed by an undertaking which enables it to prevent effective competition being maintained on the relevant market by affording it the power to behave to an appreciable extent independently of its competitors, customers and ultimately of its consumers.7 It is commendable that the ECJ indicates the need to protect the interests of the consumer; however is this determination on the basis of the economic grounds of

Class Discussion Week 12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Class Discussion Week 12 - Essay Example Chelsea Football Club has faced a public relations crisis after it emerged that a group of its fans were involved in a racial row after being filmed singing racist songs and refusing to allow a black man to board a carriage on the Paris Metro. The club did the right thing of countering the racist slurs by using its Public Relations team to issue statements disowning the behavior, and inviting the man who was racially discriminated to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea Football Club would have done better in handling the situation by requesting or advising the involved fans to issue a public apology (Rowitz, 2014). Chief Executive Officer, Public Relations team, legal advisor, a member of the public and a board member should be in the crisis management team within an organization. The human resources executive’s role is utilizing his/her knowledge and abilities to ensure the team delivers through staffing, performance management and strategic decision-making. A clear, appropriate and comprehensive communication strategy by someone from the public relations department should be developed for different stakeholders (Klann, 2003). Responsible communication content and approval lifts the image of the organization. Klann, G. (2003).  Crisis leadership: Using military lessons, organizational experiences, and the power of influence to lessen the impact of chaos on the people you lead. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative

Answer the questions related to fundamentals of finance Research Paper

Answer the questions related to fundamentals of finance - Research Paper Example For example, a company which is forced to delay investments to achieve earning target is trapped in short term vision. This tension can be described as a disturbance in equilibrium of maintaining balance between profitability & earning and growth & development of a firm. For example, a company focused on boosting high margin by reducing costs may also have to compromise on research and development or other investment on technological advancement. This may result in loosing profitability in long term to competitor. This tension can be described as a disturbance in equilibrium of maintaining balance between creating companywide benefits and utilizing individual potential of the units to the optimum level. One example of a firm trapped in such tension can be an organization which is swinging its operation between centralization and decentralization of its operations. The purpose of the Financial Statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and comparative financial trend of the firm to various stakeholders in order to facilitate them in economic decision making. Internal financial statement, however, is prepared for internal management and managers. It facilitates them in financial analysis and making business decisions. Whereas, financial statements intended for public is used for external stakeholders such as investors, shareholders and regulators etc. The fundamental difference between the two is that financial statements for the public is standardized and regulated by the authorities and regulatory body. It has to comply with minimum international and local accounting standard. Furthermore, the public statement is required to be audited and endorsed by the external auditors. On the other hand, there are not strict regulatory standards for internal statements and are used for internal decision making. It is purpose driven and can be

Write free writing on the tsunami using the listing words in class Essay

Write free writing on the tsunami using the listing words in class - Essay Example A major explosion hit a petrochemical plant in Sendai and in northeastern Fukushima prefecture, a dam burst which swept away hundreds of homes. The tsunami resulted in a massive destruction of infrastructure and thousands of innocent lives lost. Survivors were rescued on top of roofs. They took refuge at makeshift shelters in various parts of Northern Japan. Days after the earthquake and tsunami, the survivors went back to their homes to look through the rubbles and debris, desperate to find some things which they can still salvage. Hundreds of bodies were found in the northeastern coastal area of Japan, particularly in Sendai city. The Fukushima power plant was damaged by the huge floods which resulted in a nuclear disaster in Japan. Some evacuees and tourists who were afraid of a possible nuclear power plant meltdown trooped to the airport hoping to get the first flight out of Japan. The tsunami caused immense damage to Japan. But it also proved that the Japanese people are very resilient. Today, after seven months since the tsunami hit the country, Japan has started to rebuild, the trauma remains but for the Japanese life has to go

Educational Achievement Essay Example for Free

Educational Achievement Essay Using material from Item A and elsewhere assess the view that social class differences in educational achievement are the result of school processes such as labelling. Social class background has a powerful influence on a childs chances of success in the educational system, a child is often labeled from the first year of school based on stereotyped assumptions about their class background, in the society there are significant social class, gender and ethnic inequalities of educational achievement. Differences in cultural and material circumstances operating outside the school environment and processes that take place between working class and middle class students within the schools themselves which involve negative and positive labeling. Some explanations of class differences in achievement focus on internal factors within school and the educational system. Interactionists have taken this approach further, they have examined the way in which labeling is linked to other processes within schools that result in class differences in achievement, these processes include the self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming and the polarization into anti and pro-school pupil subcultures as stated by Item A. The self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true simply by virtue of it having being made, which leads to a student’s underachievement. If teachers have low expectations of certain children and communicate these expectations in their interaction, these children may develop a negative self-concept. They may come to see themselves as failures and give up trying, thereby fulfilling their original prophecy and leads to one’s underachievement. Studies show that self-fulfilling prophecy is particularly less likely to occur when children are streamed. Streaming involves separating children into different ability groups or classes called streams. Each ability group is taught separately from the other for all subjects. Howard Becker carried out an study and found that teachers judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of the ideal pupil, he found that teachers do not usually see working class children fit in that margin, they were often labelled as non-academic and ‘difficult’ they tend to see them as lacking ability and have low expectations of them. As a result working class children are more likely to find themselves put in a lower stream. Children in lower streams get the message that their teacher have written them of as no-hopers. Once a pupil is streamed it is much more difficult to move up into a higher stream. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy in which a student lives up to their teachers low expectations. By contrast middle class students tend to benefit from streaming. They are likely to be based in higher streams, reflecting teachers view of them as the ideal pupil. As a result they develop a more positive self-concept, gain confidence, work harder and improve their grades. Item A mentions about David Gillborn and Deborah Youdell study that examined the role examined the role of educational policies in creating the context for such school processes to take place. Their study shows how schools use teachers’ notions of ability’ to decide which pupils have the potential to achieve five GCSE A*-C. They found that working class and black pupils are less likely to be perceived as having the potential, and are more likely to be placed in lover sets, and entered in lower GCSEs. This denies them the knowledge and opportunity needed to gain good grades and so widens the class gap between working class and the middle class in achievement. Some people argue that the A*-C economy produces educational triage. However, Gillborn and Youdell put the labelling and streaming process into a wider context, they also link the triage system to the marketization policies within the educational system, such as league tables. As a result to the way that pupils have been labelled and streamed, students’ often appear into pupil subcultures. A number of studies have shown how pupil subcultures might play a part in creating class differences in achievement. Colin Lacey’s study displays the concepts of differentiation and polarization to explain how pupil subcultures develop, He states that, differentiation is the process of teachers who categorise pupils according to how they perceive their ability attitude and behavior, differentiation is also a form of streaming, since it categorizes pupils into separate classes. Polarization, on the other hand is the process in which students respond by moving towards one of the two opposite poles’ or extremes. To conclude, there are many different situations that children/students have to undergo, may it have a positive or negative impact on them in the future. As different sociologists have come up with theories that prove these certain situations, I too believe that social class differences do have an impact on educational achievement, the reason being it could internally/emotionally cause damage that other people aren’t aware of. The way a teacher treats its pupil due to thei r different social class is very wrong, and it should never have to happen.

Pastor as Person †A Review Essay Example for Free

Pastor as Person – A Review Essay As the title itself suggests, the whole thrust is on the personhood of the pastor. At the start (Chapter Two), stress is given to highlight the need for new approach in ministry. Although it was not directly stated, the idea was pointed out when Tom, a pastor, received a letter from his alma mater concerning the seminary’s plan to include into its curriculum a subject called The Person in Ministry. As the conversation of the characters progressed, and at the same time their personalities somewhat introduced briefly in chapter one, the theme of the entire book becomes more in focus. Indeed, as Gary L. Harbaugh was trying to highlight from the very outset, even the person behind the pulpit Sunday after Sunday is a real person with the characteristics of a normal human being with almost the same things to cope in life, if not exactly identical. The way the five pastors were presented – Tom Daniels, Joan Russel, Paul Denning, Chris Campbell, and John Jeffrich – in the first chapter seems to stress the fact of the human side of ministers in general. Although the tone of the author, all along, was to paint an honest appraisal of the pastor, and at the same time with the intention of helping his readers realize the impossibility for those among the ordained clergy to perform their lifetime duties effectively without comprehending their frame as human beings, more often than not, the overall expectation from the ministers is very unrealistic. And so, Harbaugh, in this book, incorporated all necessary studies/sciences which for him might yield a more comprehensive and more accurate portrayal of the minister as human specie. Through the lenses of philosophy, theology, psychology, and anthropology, the pastor was presented – not as someone who is above the rest, but someone who is very much like those considered rank and file (Harbaugh, 1985). At the last paragraph of the book, Dr. Harbaugh expressed his hope that upon reading, the reader (presumably, a minister) is â€Å"affirmed† and now having gained valuable insights into his/her personhood, with fresh outlook, the remaining years of ministry will not be anymore burdensome but promising instead. In Chapter Two, Harbaugh highlights the reality that the pastor is not only a spiritual person but physical as well. He experiences stress and at times may be subjected to bouts of â€Å"burnout. † King Hezekiah of the Old Testament was mentioned as an object lesson of a person dealing with stress. The author pointed out that there are correct responses to stressors and pressures, although unfortunately, pastors usually opted for what Dr. Harbaugh called as the pastor’s â€Å"common reactions† to stress. To really experience growth in life and in faith, one has to face his/her responsibilities and do everything within his/her ability to do, and at the same time, one has to accept his limitations that he/she cannot possibly do everything even while doing and employing the best possible means within his/her ability. As Dr. Harbaugh said, using the well familiar hymn, â€Å"Christ is the solid rock on which† ultimately, our â€Å"holistic response to stress can stand. † Moreover, the pastor also is an intellectual being. He thinks. This is the emphasis of the third chapter. While it is true that there are similarities, or things common among those in the clergy, Harbaugh maintains the individuality of the pastor (Harbaugh, 1985). This means that each pastor is different and hence must be dealt with individually. A right balance must be maintained between the pastor’s vocation and his personal/family life. Dr. Harbaugh, in Chapter Four, introduced Ptr. John Jeffrich. Through Jeffrich’s personality, Harbaugh presented a pastor just like anybody else reacting and full of emotions. Indeed, one cannot empathize with others without having gone through the same griefs which other people have gone through. â€Å"Weakness is strength† (Harbaugh, 1985). The remaining chapters – 5 and 6 – are expansions, further explorations of previous chapters. How the pastor should deal with different issues as he/she relates to other people. In summary, the pastor should learn to accept everything that he/she is – with strengths and weaknesses. As a pastor, he/she is chosen by God for the people of God.

Introduction To Fashion Design Objectives Cultural Studies Essay

Introduction To Fashion Design Objectives Cultural Studies Essay Meaning of fashion Fashion is what is accepted and adopted by the society at any given point of time. In other words it is a lifestyle statement of an individual or a group of people. In this sense it covers a wide range of human activities. Style, way, manner, mode, method and approach are the common terms associated with fashion. Fashion is an ongoing process and ever changing phenomenon that leads the world and is there in every nook and corner of the world. As fashion is a dynamic process, there are a number of external factors that contribute to it. There are various factors whose interplay affects the fashion scenario; it can be factors like social factors, political factors etc. The fashion scenario is a reflection of the prevailing conditions or tastes of people in the society. Everything that one uses, buys, wears, acquires has to be innovative and thoughtful. Fashion varies from society to society and from region to region. It is a term which is primarily associated with the art of clothing and accessories. In its real sense it is a continuous process of changes in styles in any field, be it clothes, shoes, bags, profession, furniture, furnishings etc. The term fashion used in this book is in a narrow sense: fashion here means the style or styles of clothing and accessories worn at a particular time by a particular group of people. Fashion life cycle Fashion is an ongoing cycle in which new trends take place, are accepted and get finally outdated and rejected. This brings about a change and gives way to newer trends. This process of acceptance to rejection forms a curve. However, the life of all trends is not the same. For some trends the cycle may be completed in 6 months whereas for others it may even be a few years. This curve represents the pattern of life of a trend that takes place in five phases (Figure 1). Phase 1: Introduction This is a stage where a particular style is just introduced and not many people follow it. It is created by stylists or designers, who are involved in developing new designs. Changing or manipulating the design details, colour or pattern etc. can bring about these changes. At this stage the cost of the garment is generally very high because the garment is not produced in bulk and thus the cost of production goes up. These garments are generally showcased in fashion shows, fashion exhibitions and get extensive media coverage. The most popular method of showcasing, nowadays, is by sponsoring the soaps that are telecast on television and through the film industry. These are methods of marketing so that the orders placed from these activities can go in for bulk production. This would bring down its cost. Phase 2: Rise Once a particular style is introduced, its popularity then depends upon the response of the people to that style. If the indications drawn are positive, then the other manufacturers start adapting and copying the same style. At times the designers too have an alternate brand, clothes line that is at a lower price. This is done so as to increase the transaction and to take the orders in bulk. To increase the popularity of particular style one may modify or alter it a little bit to suit the category of people he/she is catering to. Phase 3: Popularity Peak This is a stage where the demand for a style is the maximum or is at its peak. The production happens at all levels but it is produced ct different levels at different prices. The manufacturers keep a close watch on the reactions/response of the customers to a particular style so much so that even a slight indication towards acceptance jumps them to take production in quantities. This thereby reduces the manufacturing cost per garment and leads to mass acceptance. Such situations, many times, lead to fakes or Knockoffs. Knockoffs are cheap adaptations of design, which get a good response. They are priced low because of more economic versions of fabrics, trimmings and finishing techniques that are used. This is done by picking up a sample from a particular garment and making a pattern for the same, but one must be careful in getting into mass production as not every style is meant for masses. The practice of Fakes and Knockoffs works to a disadvantage for the original designer or styl ist. However one can avoid this situation by getting a copyright for a particular design, but keeping in mind the dynamic fashion era, taking a copyright for a particular design is not useful. Firstly, fashion vis-a-vis contemporary fashion trends change very fast and secondly, the procedure of taking a copyright is elaborate and tedious. Therefore, by the time one actually gets the copyright, the design might get outdated. Hence the alternate is developed for the situation whereby the designer themselves get involved in an alternate line of clothes where the cost of production is much lower than the original. Many a times the manufacturers get involved in the malpractice of imitating the original designer by using a similar firm name or label and manufacturing fakes. This illegal practice is carried out on international level. Goods are confiscated as and when the raids are conducted but this however has not been able to stop the malpractice. Phase 4: Decline After attaining the saturation point of popularity, the design slowly starts being rejected thereby bringing a downfall in its demand. This happens when people get tired of a particular style and start looking for a change that is innovative and fresh. In this stage the consumer continues to wear the garment but does not eagerly goes into buying it. Thus comes the phenomenon of sales, to remove the left-over stock of designs that has been discarded, before it gets too late and they become outdated. Phase 5: Obsolescence This is stage where a consumer completely discards a particular design because the consumers are tired of seeing and wearing the same style which gives way to newer designs, styles to emerge. These stages of fashion cycle may vary in time duration. A particular style may be accepted fast and may get rejected even faster, whereas the other might/may survive for a longer duration. Based on the duration, fashion is divided into classics and fads. There are times when a particular design may continue to survive but in the meantime it may undergo various changes in its design elements. For instance, the silhouette might change or the fabric used might be a different one. This explains the existence of a cycle within a cycle; for example, bell bottom or straight cut in jeans cycle, where just the silhouette has changed. This marks the existence of a cycle within a cycle. There are exceptions to a fashion cycle, which causes a change of trend in the flow of the fashion cycle. Such situation arises when we have an interrupted fashion cycle, due to varied reasons like manufacturer might stop the production due to decline in popularity of a particular style, and might be the manufacturer wants to start the production for some other pattern of garment. Some of the other reasons for such interruptions are: social factors, political, economic and other factors. One good example of such a situation is the radical change brought about in the dressing of people before World War II and after that. People shifted from elaborate flared clothes to straight and more fitted attires / dresses. There are certain cycles that are recurring cycles. In other words, the style is there for some time, follows the normal fashion cycle and then becomes obsolete but only to be revived again. In this case when it reappears, the silhouette proportions might remain same whereas the design details and fabric might change to cater to the prevalent demands or for enhancing the look of the garment. To understand this cycle, in Indian context, one can take the example of short tight Kurtis of 1960s, which have been revived again. Fashion terminology What is the difference between fashion, style, and design? Just what do high fashion, mass fashion, taste, classic, and fad mean? To avoid confusion when discussing fashion, we must first understand the meanings of these terms. Style The first step in understanding fashion is to distinguish between fashion and style, words that most people use interchangeably although there is an immense difference in their meanings. In general terms, a style is a characteristic or distinctive artistic expression or presentation. Styles exist in architecture, sculpture, painting, politics, and music, as well as in popular heroes, games, hobbies, pets, flirtations, and weddings. In apparel, style is the characteristic or distinctive appearance of a garment-the combination of features that makes it unique and different from other garments. For example, T-shirts are as different from camp shirts as they are from peasant blouses. Riding jackets are as different from safari jackets as they are from blazer jackets. Although styles come and go in terms of acceptance, a specific style always remains a style, whether it is currently in fashion or not. Some people adopt a style that becomes indelibly associated with them and wear it regardless of whether it is currently fashionable. Trend A trend is a general direction or movement. For example, you will often read in fashion magazines there is; a trend toward longer skirts; it means that several designers, including some leading ones, are showing longer skirts, leading retailers are buying them, and fashion-forward customers are wearing them. Marketers always want to know whether a new development is going to be a trend or a fad because they want to cash in on trends but avoid getting burned by fads. A trend can originate anywhere, and has a solid foundation that supports its growth; a fad does not. Fashion Fashion is a style that is accepted and used by the majority of a group at any one time, no matter how small that group. A fashion is always based on some particular style. But not every style is a fashion. A fashion is a fact of social psychology. A style is usually a creation from an artist or a designer. A fashion is a result or social emulation and acceptance. A style may be old or new, beautiful or ugly, good or bad. A style is still a style even if it never receives the slightest acceptance or even approval. A style does not become a fashion until it gains some popular acceptance. And it remains a fashion only as long as it is accepted. Miniskirts, moustaches, and theatrical daytime makeup have all been fashions. And no doubt each will again be accepted by a majority of a group of people with similar interests or characteristics for example, college students, young career men and women, retired men and women. Classic Some styles or designs continue to be considered in good taste over a long period of time. They are exceptions to the usual movement of styles through the fashion life cycle. A classic is a style or design that satisfies a basic need and remains in general fashion acceptance for an extended period of time. A classic is characterized by simplicity of design which keeps it from being easily dated. Sari and Lehenga are outstanding examples of a classic. Other examples include denim jeans, blazer jackets, turtle neck sweaters, etc. Fad A fashion that suddenly sweeps into popularity, affecting a limited part of the total population, and then quickly disappears is called a fad. The fad starts by being quickly accepted and then quickly imitated by others. Fads often begin in lower-price ranges, are relatively easy to copy, and therefore flood the market in a very short time. Because of this kind of market saturation, the public tires of fads quickly and they end abruptly. Fads follow the same cycle as fashions do, but their rise in popularity is much faster, their acceptance much shorter, and their decline much more rapid than that of a true fashion. Because most fads come and go in a single season, they have been called miniature fashions. Fashion consumers Fashion leaders Fashion leaders are the people who are innovative and bold enough to start a new fashion or try something away from what is prevalent in the market. They have the courage to adopt new fashion not necessarily to attract attention but to look different. People of social, political, and economic importance here and abroad are seen as leaders in the downward movement theory. The horizontal flow theory recognizes individuals whose personal prestige makes them leaders within their own circles, whether or not they are known elsewhere. Finally, the important fashion role played by young, lower-income groups in the last half of the 20th cen ­tury is recognized in the upward flow theory. The theories of fashion adoption stress that the fashion leader is not the creator of the fash ­ion; nor does merely wearing the fashion make a person a fashion leader. As Quentin Bell ex ­plained, the leader of fashion does not come into existence until the fashion is itself created. A king or person of great eminence may indeed lead the fashion, but he leads only in the general direction which it has already adopted. If a fashion parade is forming, fashion leaders may head it and even quicken its pace. They cannot, however, bring about a procession; nor can they reverse a procession. Famous people are not necessarily fashion lead ­ers, even if they do influence an individual style. Their influence usually is limited to only one striking, style, one physical attribute, or one time. The true fashion leader is a person who is seeking constantly for new fashion, therefore likely to launch a succession of fashions rather than just one. What makes a person a fashion leader? A person eager for the new is merely an innovator or early buyer. To be a leader, one must be influential and sought after for advice within ones coterie. A fashion influential sets the appropriate dress for a specific occasion in a particular circle. Within that circle an innovator presents current offerings and is the earliest visual communicator of a new style. Such people can be split into two categories depending upon the role they play. Innovators People who are the creator of new fashion styles come under this category. They may be renowned designers or a simple person who likes to experiment with his / her clothes. Such people believe in wearing clothes that are unique, in terms of colours, trimmings, accessories, designs, the style of draping a garment etc. They might consciously or unconsciously give an impetus to a particular style that might get popular. Influential or motivators This group of consumers consists of those individuals who are socially eminent and are an idol for other people, thereby motivating them to adopt a particular style of clothing. They can be movie stars, people who are the whos who of society, politicians, social activists, etc. Their sense of dressing inspires people to follow them. Such peoples style is cashed upon by the manufacturers who start manufacturing in bulk. It can be anything ranging from jewellery, hairstyles, accessories etc. One can rightly give the example of Princess Diana whose style of dressing was an example for quite a few. As monarchies were replaced with democracies, members of the wealthy and international sets came into the fashion spotlight. Whether these rich and wealthy members of society derive their position from vast fortunes and old family names or from recent wealth, they bring glamour that draws attention to everything they do. Today, through the con ­stant eye of television, magazines, and newspa ­pers, the average person is able to find fashion leadership in a whole new stratum of society the jet set. What these glamorous people are doing and what they are wearing are instantly served up to the general public by the media. As far as fashion is concerned, these people are not just in the news; they are the news. Any move they make is im ­portant enough to be immediately publicized. What they wear is of vital interest to the general public. The media tell us what the social leaders wear to dine in a chic restaurant, to attend a charity ball, or to go shopping. Because they are trendsetters, their choices are of prime interest to designers and to the world at large. Of course, this inundation of news about what social leaders wear influences the public. The average person is affected because so many manufacturers and retailers of fashion take their cue from these social leaders. Right or wrong, fashion merchants count on the fashion sense of these leaders. They know that the over ­whelming exposure of these leaders in the media encourages people of ordinary means to rotate them consciously or unconsciously. Fashion today takes its impetus and influence from people in every possible walk of life. These people have one thing in common, how ­ever: they are famous. Because of some special talent, charisma, notoriety, or popularity, they are constantly mentioned and shown on televi ­sion, in fashion magazines, and in newspapers. They may or may not appear in the society pages. In this group can be found presidents and princesses, movie stars and religious leaders, sports figures and recording stars, politicians and TV personalities. Because they are seen so frequently, the public has a good sense of their fashions and lifestyles and can imitate them to the extent of the pub ­lics means and desires. Prominent individuals have been responsible for certain fashions that continue to be associated with them. Fashion followers There are many people who are followers, and good ones. Individuals, who do not like to experiment with new styles, come under the category of fashion followers. They are people who first let the style be tried by people and accepted by society, before going into adapting it. There might be people who like trying but due to lack of resources they are not able to do so. It can be monetary terms or in terms of time. There are even people who do not give a lot of importance to their style of dressing. As for them, clothing is just a basic necessity and therefore wasting time on it is not worthwhile for them. One of the reasons for a person to become a fashion follower is the fear of being singled out as a different sheep in the herd. They like to be just one of the groups. In fact, fashion followers category of people is the most important category as this is the group on which bulk of the work of the fashion industry works. It is for such people that manufacturers get into mass production. Most of the manufacturers cater to this category of people and manufacture whatever style goes along with them. Fol ­lowers are in the majority within any group. Without followers the fashion industry would certainly collapse. Mass production and mass distribution can be possible and profitable only when large number of consumers accepts the product. The styles fashion leaders adopt may help manufacturers and retailers in determining what will be demanded by the majority of con ­sumers in the near future. Only accurate predic ­tions can ensure the continued success of the giant ready to-wear business in this country, which depends for its success on mass produc ­tion and distribution. While fashion leaders may stimulate and excite the fashion industry, fashion followers are the industrys lifeblood. One important section of fashion followers is the people who form the Fashion Victim category. Some followers of fashion become slaves of it and start following the fashion phenomena without considering whether the particular garment suits them or not, as not every outfit or style suit everyone. One has to keep many things under consideration before adorning a garment. For example, physical characteristics of an individual, occasion, climate etc., are few of the important factors that affect the style of clothing. Thus people who blindly follow the fashion trend without considering the fact that it suits them or not, come under the category of fashion victims. Fashion movement Fashion is, in many ways, like a river. A river is always in motion, continuously flowing- sometimes it is slow and gentle, at other times rushing and turbulent. It is exciting, and never the same. It affects those who ride its currents and those who rest on its shores. Its movements depend on the environment. All of this is true of fashion, too. The con ­stant movements of fashion depend on an envi ­ronment made up of social, political, and economic factors. These movements, no matter how obvious or how slight, have both meaning and definite direction. There is a special excite ­ment to interpreting these movements and esti ­mating their speed and direction. Everyone involved in fashion, from the designer to the consumer, is caught up in the movement of fashion. The excitement starts with the textile pro ­ducers. Fully 12 to 18 months before they offer their lines to manufacturers, the textile people must choose their designs, textures, and colors. From three to nine months before showing a line to buyers, the apparel manufacturers begin deciding which styles they will produce and in which fabrics. Then, two to six months before the fashions will appear on the selling floor, the retail buyers make their selections from the manufacturers lines. Finally, the excitement passes on to the consumers, as they select the garments that will be versatile, appropriate, and suitably priced for their individual needs and wants. Successful de ­signers, manufacturers, buyers, and consumers have a good understanding of basic cycles, prin ­ciples, and patterns that operate in the world of fashion. Their predictions are based on this un ­derstanding. Fashion adoption theory According to this theory, there is a category of people who are socially eminent or elite. They might be politician, celebrities, sports player, etc. This category becomes the trendsetters for the other people who start following them. Gradually manufacturers from each category start moulding the fabric and finishing of the garment to fit the pockets of the strata of people they are catering to. This is done till the time the consumer does not lose interest in that particular style. The Trickle-down theory states that the movement of fashion starts at the top with consumers of higher socioeconomic status and moves down to the general public. This is the oldest and most accepted theory of fashion movement. According to this theory, people with lower incomes will only wear fashions that have become popular among consumers with higher incomes at the top of the ladder. As more people begin to wear the fashions, those at the top become less interested and begin looking for something new. Veblen (1899) was one fashion observer at the turn of the 20th century. He put forth Trickle-down theory. Looking around at his or her own time, the observer notices that fashion is still restricted to those at the top of the class structure-the rich and socially prominent. Fashion moves downward from the elite class to the lower classes in stately and slow progression, but never reached all the levels. The lower classes did not have the income, access, or the freedom to follow fashions dictates. He described the upper strata of the social system as the leisure class. Members of the leisure class displayed wealth in two distinctive ways, through conspicuous leisure and conspicuous consumption. They adopt an extravagant lifestyle of travel, entertainment, the pursuit of pleasure, Art collection, and acquisition of luxurious homes and furnishings demonstrate conspicuous consumption demonstrating conspicuous leisure. Highly visible upper class made up of those occu ­pying power positi ons in business, politics, and media. Simmel (1904), a sociologist, identified the engine of fashion change in the opposing human tendencies toward conformity and individuality. Conformity means striv ­ings for social adaptation. The imitator class believes in social similarity, in acting like others. Individuality suggests the need for differentiation. The elite class differentiated itself through fashion, and the adjacent lower classes reproduced the look. The individual seeking differ ­entiation constantly experiments with the new, relying in large part on personal convictions. These dual drives can also be played out in social groups where fashion simultaneously functions as a means of class distinction and as a button / symbol of group uniformity. Mass dissemination theory Due to globalization and better international network, there is mass dissemination of fashion. For example: A show that is conducted in Paris might get appreciated in India and manufacturers start the variants of the same style such that it suits the category they are catering to. With the media playing an important role in everybodys life, the trickle across theory is gaining much more relevance in todays scenario. This theory hypothesizes that designs are produced at all price levels at the same time. The merchandise quality and lines may vary, but new fashion exists for all groups. Within a given fashion season consumers in all socioeconomic groups simultaneously have the freedom to select from a range of styles and this range is sufficient to satisfy personal taste. Imitation and differentiation were still part of the dynamic because others would imitate innovators and influential within their social strata and those fashion leaders would move to new looks. Rather than elite introducing fashion ideas into society, King saw leadership within each social stratum and within each social group. Fashion acceptance begins among several socioeconomic groups and the leaders within each group influence its members. This theory is especially probably in the 21st century because technology allows designer fashions to be copies quickly and easily, making them available to all consumers sooner. Bottom up theory This theory states that the movement of fashion starts with consumers on lower-income levels, then moves to consumers with higher incomes. For example, the denim fabric was first used for work clothing for labors and was later adopted by hippies and other lower socioeconomic groups. From there, the designers adopted denim as a fabric and designed clothing for the higher socioeconomic consumers. Thus it is not necessary that new style statements emerge only from the economically socially eminent people. Fashion dresses Fashions appeal to many different groups and can be categorized according to the group to which they appeal. High fashion High fashion refers to a new style accepted by a limited number of fash ­ion leaders who want to be the first to adopt changes and innovation in fashion. High-fash ­ion styles are generally introduced and sold in small quantities and at relatively high prices. These styles may be limited because they are too sophisticated or extreme to appeal to the needs of the general public, or they are priced well beyond the reach of most people. However, if the style can appeal to a broader audience, it is generally copied, mass-produced, and sold at lower prices. The fashion leaders or innovators who first accepted it then move on to something new. Haute Couture Haute Couture is a French word for very rich quality / fine costume or dress design. Its made to measure tailoring, in simple words it is made to the measurement of a particular customer. It even means the art of dress-making. These clothes are expensive and are worn by celebrities. They have a limited number of clients. From couture originated the word couturier which means a male designer having his own couture house and couturiere means a woman having her own couture house. Haute Couture again a French word means high fashion garments that have finest of fabric and workmanship. Ready to wear Ready to wear fashion is also known as Mass or Volume fashion. These are garments, which are produced in large numbers thereby reducing the cost of production and thereby making the garments less expensive. They are standard sized which makes them more suitable for larger productions. Ready to wear collections can also be divided into Designers collections and street fashion. Designer collection These have a high quality, a superb finish and a unique cut and design. These collections are the most trendsetting compared to Haut Couture and Designer ready to wear collections contain often Concept items which represent a certain philosophy or theory. Generally introduced and sold in small quantities and at relatively high prices. These items are not so much created for mass sales but just to make a statement. The designers ready to wear collection is also presented on the international catwalks. Street fashion To contrast with high fashion, mass fashion consists of styles that are widely accepted. These fashions are widely produced and sold in large quantities at moderate to low prices and appeal to the greatest majority of fashion conscious consumers. Mass fashion accounts tor the majority of sale in the fashion business. Mass fashion is the bread and butter of the fashion banquet! Meaning of design The word Design is used both as a noun and a verb. As a verb, to design refers to the process of originating and developing plan for a product, structure, system, or component within intention. As a noun, a design is used for either the final plan (e.g. proposal, drawing, model, description) or the result of implementing that plan in the form of the final product of a design process. Design is a Visual Language. A language is the medium of communication. Communication is nothing but the transfer of information from sender to receiver with the information being understood by the receiver followed by a feed back to the sender. Visual language is self explanatory, in which the information is passed to the people with the help of signs, sketches, images, photographs and videos. Design is the process of selecting and organizing different elements in order to fulfil a specific target in terms of design. Elements are the basic components or building blocks of a design. A process is a series of actions taken towards achieving a particular goal. Selection process is aimed at carefully choosing things as being the most suitable. Organizing activity aims at arranging all the items or elements in an orderly way. Design is often viewed as a more rigorous form of design, or design with a clearly defined purpose. In Figure 1.2 (a) different components like a big circle, two small circles, a vertical line and an arc are selected. But they do not convey any particular message, because all of these components maintain their separate identity. In Figure 1.2 (b) all these components are organized in such a way that all of them dissolve their own identity in order to constitute a human face. The big circle represents the outline of a face, small circles assume eyes, the vertical line constitutes a nose and the arc represents mouth. In order to learn any language, one should be acquainted well with alphabets and grammar of that language. Elements of design are alphabets of design language whereas principles of design are grammatical syntax of it. Aspects of design Every garment makes a statement. It communicates with you. It has its own identity. It may give illusion to you such as Shy or Outgoing Dashing or cautious Cool or Dull Sophisticated or primitive When you go to the market to purchase a garment,

The Problem of Plagiarism Essay -- Ethics

Problem As American education enters a time when the ability to use technology becomes imperative, a time when students will become expected to communicate and work via the Internet, and a time when students will need to be able to find and interpret information efficiently and correctly, secondary school teachers are searching for ways to provide their students with assessments that mirror the expectations those students will face in the workforce. One way to do this is to have students research topics and create position papers, presentations, and various other forms of written expression that require students to synthesize and analyze information. However, in the midst of researching topics and sharing ideas, these same students are faced with the temptation to simply copy and paste information as they find it. Instances of plagiarism are on the rise, yet teachers are in a position where they cannot discontinue this type of assessment. Therefore, teachers face the question: How can we sto p the rise of plagiarism among students? Input Since teachers have given assessments of any kind, students have attempted to find ways to cheat. Whether they were looking at another student’s paper, attempting to gain answers prior to the test, or directly copying another student’s work, these students were trying to gain a favorable grade without performing to the required standard. Today’s digital age has not only added more opportunity for students to copy the work of another, but it has also added an air of ambiguity to what is and is not cheating, or plagiarism. Some of this stems from, as Taylor (2003) states, â€Å"different mores and values than in the past [that] all contribute to cheating;† therefore, â€Å"working to understand underlyin... ...arch 11). New honor codes for a new generation. Inside higerhed. Retrieved June 25, 2009, from http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2005/03/11/pavela1. McKeever, L. (2006, April 1). Online plagiarism detection services – saviour or scourge?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(2), 155-165. Retrieved June 25, 2009, from ERIC database. Slobogin, K. (2002, April 5). Survey: Many students say cheating’s ok. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from http://archives.cnn.com/2002/fyi/teachers.ednews/04/05/highschool.cheating/. Taylor, K.R. (2003, November). Bracing for cheating and plagiarism. The Education Digest, 69(3), 54-59. Retrieved June 25, 2009, from ProQuest Education Journals database. Villano, M. (2006, October). Taking the work out of homework. T.H.E. Journal, 33(15), 24- 26,28,30. Retrieved June 25, 2009, from ProQuest Education Journals database.

Cetaceans And Evolution :: essays research papers

Cetaceans   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many forms of cetacean life living in the worlds waters. How an why they came into existence is uncertain, but there have been many theories. Some say that dolphins are aquatic forms of goats, and others believe they evolved just like everything else, from a single cell, and not from an actual multi-cellular being. Because most cetaceans have some vestigial structures such as under-developed os coxae, the former of these two theories remains prevalent in most researchers minds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theory that cetaceans evolved from a goat-like being is not at all farcical. The similarities between the skeletal systems are more than coincidental. The only difference is that the cetaceans adapted to a marine lifestyle. The front limbs became modified as paddle-shaped flippers, the bones of which are still reminiscent of jointed limbs and digits, but the hind limbs were lost. The broad horizontal tail flukes that provide the main propulsive thrust bear no anatomical connection to the lost hind limbs, but are a seperate and distint development. They contain no bone, and owe their firm and yet flexible shape to underlying fibrous elastic tissue. The body is enveloped in a thick layer of blubber that aids in bouyancy, helps to preserve body heat, and is a source of stored energy. A cetacean’s skin is free of sweat glands, oil glands, or hair, and feels much like smooth, wet rubber to the touch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cetaceans, like other mammals, have lungs. They breathe air through a single nostril, or pair of nostrils, located on the top of the head; but contrary to a popular image, they do not â€Å"spout† water when they exhale. The visible spout, the size and shape of which is unique to many species, is simply water vapor in the lungs and a small amount of water present in the depression around the blowhole, which is blown into the air as th cetacean exhales.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A number of physiological adaptations enable whales to perform deep dives. First, they have a larger blood volume than land mammals of comparable size and weight, and they also have a greatly increased capacity to store oxygen in their blood and muscle tissue. Second, each breath provides an 80 to 90 percent renewal of air in the whale’s lung, compare with only 10 to 20 percent in most land mammals. Third, cetaceans have a resistance to the metabolic by-product carbon-dioxide, the buildup of which in the tissues, rather than the lack of oxygen, triggers the involuntary breathing response of most mammals.

Everyday Use Analysis Essay

â€Å"Everyday Use† is a short story by â€Å"Alice Walker†, it is a disdainful short story. A story about two sisters and a mom, that the two girls are totally different. Also teaching to stand up for what you want. This story is about a mom and a girl called Maggie that they live alone because the older sibling moved out. In the story Maggie and the mother have not seen how much Dee has changed in over six years. Dee in the short story sees that her sister Maggie and her mother have not change throughout these six years not a bit. In the story Dee and Maggie are examples of foil characters. Maggie is the very shy and polite one out of her and Dee. Maggie was the character that lived with mama, during the story it says that Maggie was burned in a house fire. This character is a character that would just blend into the background because of how shy she was, she wouldn’t talk to much; so she would rather just blend in with the surroundings. Maggie was a foil character because her and mama didn’t change nothing throughout the six years that passed, while Dee did change a lot; throughout those six years. Maggie is a good hearted kid, she would rather let Dee have the quilts that were promised to her, instead of fighting over them. Dee is sisters with Maggie in this story, she is the character who is very impolite, or that does things her way. Dee is the only educated character; it says in the short story that she left so that she could be educated. Dee is noticed as a character that does whatever she wants, and have it go her way. One example is that, Dee wears a brightly colored, yellow-and-orange, ankle-length dress that is inappropriate for the warm weather. This shows that she would wear anything she wants even if its inappropriate in any way. In the story mama wouldn’t let Dee have the quilts, and she became furious. This another example that she is very stubborn, because in the end she keeps the quilts. In this story i learned that being generous and polite will get you farther in life, but if you’re stubborn, and impolite you won’t get as far in life.

Outline Influence of Childhood Experiences on Adult Relationships Essay

Individuals differ in their relationships; psychologists have researched whether adult relationships are related to early experiences in life. Bowlby believes that the type of relationship the individual has with their primary caregiver gives a basis of a future relationship. This is called the internal working model. The fear of strangers represents an important survival mechanism, which is by nature, babies display social releasers which helps them ensure contact or proximity with the primary caregiver, as they similarly will with their partner in their adult relationship. Another example of the internal working model is the continuity hypothesis, which is a key theory to explaining childhood or adolescent experiences on later adult relationships, where it states that childhood relationships will affect your future relationships, Mary Ainsworth explores this by looking at our relationships as infants as concluded three types: Secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant. Secure is where the infant is in a calm state even without the presence of the primary caregiver, secure avoidant is where shows little distress, avoids contact with caregiver when returns, and insecure-resistant is when child shows a lot of distress, anxious and nervous. This demonstrates the relationship that the child has with the primary caregiver when they are present and not present. This gives the child a set of beliefs about themselves and the nature of the relationship with others, the continuity thesis see’s this as a predictive behaviour of future relationships. Hazen and Shaver also devised a theory that supports the continuity thesis, they say that when a child perceives a threat to a relationship or themselves, they will feel frightened or worried, therefore they seek the primary caregivers attention. Depending on the situation the attachment behaviour varies depending on the need of the child. They also observed adult relationships, where adults normally feel safer and more secure when their partner is nearby and responsive, the partner may be used as a secure base, when they may feel sick or threatened they will seek attention of partner which mimics their infant-mother relationship. Another psychologist Freud, also looks into unresolved conflicts as a child, he links this into adult relationships, where he concluded that this could cause difficulty forming. He explains this using our defence mechanisms. Again, Hazer and Shaver supports the thesis as they published the ‘love quiz’ in an American Newspaper, and found that the majority of responses were secure attachment which gave them long lasting happy and stable relationships, however this could be due to a social desirability, as only certain category of people would reply to the newspaper advertisement, for example middle class, or those that are happy in their relationship are more likely to respond to the ad rather than those in an unhappy unfulfilling relationship. The participants were given 3 statements which each reflected the type of attachments that Mary Ainsworth found, he found those who were securely attached trusted each other and was in a happy stable relationship, those who were insecure avoidant were uncomfortable being close to others and insecure resistant were likely to be possessive and preoccupied about their relationships. However this study has been criticised for social desirability as participants may respond different knowingly that their information would be shared, and also for being retrospective as they are doing this from memory However there has been other explanations that suggests otherwise, for example Kagan presents the temperament hypothesis where different infants simply may just have different personalities, for Kagan the strange situation measures the temperament rather than attachment and the attachment behaviours displayed are a reflection of this infants temperament. However the bizarre case study of the Czech twins would go against the continuity theory as to where their childhood attachment were abusive, unsatisfied and had no social or emotional bonds went to the opposite after they were adopted by two loving sisters who they formed a normal loving bond and both went onto have long lasting stable relationships, this doesn’t show that adult relationships replicating childhood attachments as they are still able to have normal relationships without experiencing it at childhood. The continuity thesis is also very reductionist as they don’t take in any other consideration or factors that can affect their relationships, for example peer influence, cultural differences for example, a collectivist culture is more likely to spend most their time mothering the child, so they are more likely to form an insecure attachment, but can still go on to developing normal relationships.

Aggression in Humans Essay

There are many different reason why a person may act aggressively towards other human being. The person may act this way because of his background or the way he/she was brought up in life. A person does not; act this way based on natural feeling alone. Is more like a melded, learned behavior. A human being must have both environmental and instinctual factors in order to show aggression. Some of a person’s natural instincts are to desire food, reject some things, escape from danger, fight in a dangerous situations or when challenged. As well also sex desire, care for the young, control, and to accept substandard status. This combination of both instincts and environment determines a person’s behavior and actions throughout life. This is based on the theory that everything human beings do would have to be learned from other human beings. Aggression must be learned as we grow. It is not just simply there from the moment of birth. A person behavior is something that is taught to him rather than being an unmanageable instinct. For example, a newborn baby is breathing because it is an uncontrolled reaction. But on the other hand, a father may tell his young son to beat up the school buly who is picking on him. As a result, the boy is dealing with the situation by using violence. In order for a human being to display aggression, violence and anger, it must be driven by an instinct interacting with that person’s surroundings. The word instinct is defined as â€Å"an inherited or innate psycho-physical disposition which determines its possessor to perceive, and to pay attention to, objects of a certain class, to experience an emotional excitement of a particular quality upon perciving such an object, and to act in regard to its particular manner, or, at least, to experience an impulse to such action.† This definition, explains that people have different reactions for different situations they are put in. Therefore, an individual is expected to act a certain way when he is encouraged to do so from his surrounding environment. For example, an Eskimo does not have an inborn instinct that allows him to survive in his climate. He has to work with his people in order to survive when he is at a very young age. Furthermore, when people are brought up in a society, they learn a certain way of life and traditions. These customs are usually taught to them because it’s part of their society’s way of life, even if some of the customs may be brutal and horrible to others. For example, cannibalism is distasteful to us, but in some prehistoric cultures, to eat an enemy is to gain his or her strength. This aggressive behavior was taught to the people of this culture and is the cause for its existence. People need to have contact with aggressiveness in society in order to act aggressive. For example, there was a tribe in New Guinea, who were violent warriors that were always fighting and killing each other. The children of these people learned this aggressive act from their parents and then acted in the same way. A parent’s method of child rearing has a huge impact on the child’s aggression. For example my own brother found a way, which will convince my parents to buy him what he wants. All he has to do is cry and if he doesn’t get what he wants he will start smashing, kicking and throwing thinks that he find around him. Moreover, when a group of people are isolated, their behavior does not change unless they interact with other people. There was tribe made up of a group of people who were completely isolated fro the rest of the world. They did not show any signs of aggression due to the fact that they had no words for weapon, aggression, anger or war. All they did was gathering food. So the tribe and had no use for weapons. The tribe only used knives and other things that might be thought as weapons or tools to gather food. They even rejected the spear, the bow and arrow because they could not use them to gather food. There could not been anything in their genetic makeup that made them act in an aggressive or peaceful manner. This was just their way of life that was taught from generation to generation, to gather food which was needed to survive. The source of human aggression lies in factors such as society and culture. Aggression is a learned emotion that is built up on different factors in a person’s surrounding environment. It the combination of environment, society and culture that creates aggressive behavior. It is the person’s instincts that are the basis for the three. While one tribe is a peaceful group of people, and the other a group of aggressive warriors. Both of the tribes had  the ability for aggression and peaceful life but it was their environment, society and culture that have driven them to choose totally opposite paths.

Case Study (Too Much of a Good Thing)

Benjamin Foster Physiology 10/23/2012 Case Study 1 (Too much of a good thing)) The definition of OSMOSIS is the movement of a solvent through a membrane separating two solutions of different concentrations. The solvent from the side of weaker concentration usually moves to the side of the stronger concentration, diluting it, until the concentrations of the solutions are equal on both sides of the membrane. Michael made numerous mistakes in this story that caused the corn fields to die. The first mistake Michael made was to add the additional fertilizer to the crops.The extra fertilizer around the roots of the corn produced a hypertonic environment. The cells lost water because of the excessive fertilizer. The extra fertilizer caused the cell to turn hypertonic to the plant cell. This made the water diffuse from the plant cells into the soil by the process of OSMOSIS and the cells began to get smaller. The water would have eventually left the cells completely, which would have caused the plant cell to eventually die. Michael’s second mistake is that he didn’t remove the extra fertilizer.In theory, if he would have removed the extra fertilizer and add extra water, he could have possibly saved the crops. People generally water their plants with only water which creates a isotonic environment around the roots of the plants and permits the plant roots to draw up minerals through the soil faster and easier for absorption without the intrusion of added solutes (extra fertilizer) which may slow the absorption process or even refrain the cells from absorbing the water and minerals through the roots.

A gift called “Wife”

6). Is there a word in English that adequately describes – such a paragon of virtues in the form of a beautiful, female, human-being, playing the role of a wife? If there is one, then few women indeed, would qualify to be described thus. Blessed indeed is the man, who is bestowed with such a woman, capable of enriching his entire life, filling it hope, happiness and healthy attitude. Personally, I must say, that I, am one of those lucky husbands who has been graced thus.   My wife is my savior, guide and friend; she is my albatross, averting the turbulent disasters that threaten to drown me in the ocean of my troubles, and guiding me to the shores of safety; very much like the woman praised by the Orientals. Ever since I met her, I have been drawn to her like a magnet. A young, beautiful woman, with a gorgeous body, lovely soft eyes and sensual lips, that make heads turn round instantly. Eligible suitors sought her, as do butterflies circle an attractive flower. Her eyes shone like stars, and her heart was filled with dreams – dreams of making it big, in the Hollywood. She has a sweet demeanor that hides the tensile nature of the resolute strength of her character and, little did I realize this invaluable asset at the time of our marriage. Nevertheless, I felt elated when she reciprocated my love and we walked down the Alter, as man and wife. But, I was to discover that, more than beauty, there were other things that contributed to her attractive personality. The adept professionalism in her single-handed management and smooth execution of our wedding plans to the last detail, unfolded a new aspect of her strength, to me. Our wedding day also revealed to me, the adamant streak in her. I remember, when all was ready and, I was about to enter the premises, she bid me on her mobile-phone, to fetch a particular candle she wanted lit on this special occasion. Unable to refuse the plea in her voice, I turned and started back. I remember, it was a chill, winter day, and a gust of cold wind pierced my face sharply, while searching for her car and groping with the keys. Sweat broke out on my forehead and my breath became heavy, as it was getting late, and I still couldn’t find candle in the place where she had supposed it to be; neither my words of counsel nor the advice of her bridesmaids (which got carried through on the mobile quite clearly), to proceed with the ceremonies without the candle, had little effect on her. It rather made her more stubborn, to have the candle fetched and lit, and she pined that none of us understood the deep significance of her actions. Whew! How I heaved a sigh of relief, when I finally found it. Thankfully, I dabbed away the sweat on my forehead with my handkerchief, and straightened my jacket, now that all was well. Later, I took ill and was down in bed requiring extra attention and care. There she was, by my side, with a soothing smile on her lips and a warm grasp on my wrist, feeling my pulse, monitoring my temperature, administering the drugs advised by the doctor, reassuring me all the time with kind words, that all shall be well. My heart was touched and eyes filled with unshed tears, when she made it to the doctor’s appointment, traveling across half the city – through peak traffic, despite her heavy schedule, to apprise the doctor regarding the status of my health and explore the options of my speedy recovery. The very same adamant streak came to the fore here in albeit in a very agreeable manner; with tenacity she clutched on to hope, never giving up, and adamantly pushed away pessimistic thoughts. Her son depends on this unique trait of hers, to prop him up during the defeating bouts of his mental-illness, and to keep him going. However, we her close kin and kith are not the only recipients of her kindness. She is surely a tower of strength, to many a friend and I personally know of few instances in which she has pulled some friends back from the brink of ruin. Now, am I not right in feeling that I have been graciously granted a rare and â€Å"auspicious† present in the form of a tenacious life-partner? Bibliography Garuda Purana, 1.64.6 –   Tr. J.L. Shastri/A board of scholars, Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology 12-14, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi 1982. (extracts with notes in [] by JanM, 1997). Retrieved on 24th May, 2006, from website address: http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/garuda-purana.htm

Business and enterprise coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business and enterprise coursework - Essay Example 45-50). In fact, cross-cultural management seeks to inform business mangers about cultural diversity and its effects on the business (Bhattacharyya 2010, pp. 92-95). Cultural differences influence interpersonal interactions, business management, and intergroup interactions (Tagreed 2012, pp. 105-109). Notably, in the global market environment, managers encounter different cultures and hence the need to understand the differences in these cultures and their effects on management. More so, when two or more companies merge, there must be different cultures in application and hence the need to adopt the best characteristics of the existing cultures (Ghosn 2013, pp. 1). In merging the different cultures, managers must make sure that they do not destroy the best cultural values. In addition, to implement a business strategy in a foreign country, one must consider all the cultural characteristics of the targeted society (Kozenkow 2013, pp. 1). Worth noting is that to increase the cultural k nowledge of an individual or an organization is very challenging. In this context, cross- cultural management addresses various cultural challenges in the global market thus making cross-cultural operations work much more successfully. Indeed, an understanding of the cultural factors that affect a business is very fundamental for any manager. As such, the issue of cross-cultural management is very fundamental in the modern business environment. This paper addresses the main cultural challenges facing the managers of British Multinational; Enterprises in the early 21st century and discusses the main management skills that are required for Cross-cultural Management to be effective. In doing this, the paper will refer to relevant academic literature and draw appropriate examples to support my analysis. Growth in information technologies, advanced communication, globalization (Dong & Liu 2010, pp. 223-228), deregulation, and privatization have led to increased growth in cross-border bus iness in the modern times. As the modern businesses become more global, people with different cultures have learnt to the need of working together by respecting cultural diversity. However, the growth in cross-border business attract cultural challenges which hider the success of such business (Tagreed 2012, pp. 105-109). As a result, managers adopt cross-cultural management strategies to enhance effectiveness in cross-cultural interactions. Nevertheless, managers of British Multinational; Enterprises in the early 21st century face numerous cultural challenges in the business world. One of the challenges that managers face is the difference in response to organizational practices, such as attitude and behaviors between different cultures. For example, people from individualistic and collectivistic national cultures respond differently to organizational practices where collectivistic cultures worked better in a group as individualistic cultures performed better in a specific manager (Johann 2008, pp. 10). The differences in response to organizational practices pose a great challenge to managers of British Multinational; Enterprises in the early 21st century since they may fail to offer harmonized performance in case of a merger. Another challenge relates to the cultural differences that a foreign manager or a company may face in a foreign nation that has a different culture. This inhibits the management since the employees and the managers adopt distinct

Human Trafficking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Trafficking - Assignment Example Williamson). International brokers and agents play a significant role in the displacement of human from one place to another or from one country to another. Most of the times, children and women are displaced from one place to another or from one country to another on the promises of bright future and better job opportunities which may be unachievable for them within their own country. However, this group comes to know the reality the time they reach their destination and realize that they have been deceived by the agent and learn the exact nature of the work; they are expected to do in future. Soon they realize that escaping from the situation can be difficult and dangerous for them. Child Labor: Child labor is also a form of illegal abuse and a forced labor that may cause adverse affects on the physical, mental, moral and social development of children and it may hinder the process of their education. According to an observation made by International Labor Organization that there a re approximately 246 million children around the world who are engaged illegal drug trade, forcibly involved in youth militia and armed conflicts, child prostitution and pornography or involved in debt bondage and other illegal activities. Emergence of Youth Militia: In major parts of Africa, children are forcibly recruited in diamond mines and to serve in civil and political wars. The political and civil instability in Sierra Leone has given rise to the army of child soldiers who have maintained their power and authority in the region. This army of children is brutally involved in the killing of thousands of innocent lives, rape, sexual abuse, illegal drug trade and sexual slavery. In third world countries, children and youth have played an important role in giving rise to youth violence. This emerging power of youth is also termed as the establishment of â€Å"Urban youth culture.† In other parts of the world such as Gulf-region which includes Palestine, Israel, Iraq and ot her Middle Eastern countries, we cannot neglect the political and civil instability which has also contributed in the formation of youth militia. Thousands of Palestinian children have lost their lives while transporting, throwing or exploding bombs or other explosive materials. Several groups have been established which comprised of young combatants against Israeli oppression. Furthermore, when mentioning the emergence of youth militia, one cannot ignore the rapid emergence of â€Å"Child Martyrs†. These child martyrs have given a new name to suicide terrorism which is the results of wars. Recruitment of child soldiers is a part of international law which is constituted on the basis of law of wars. According to this law, regulation of child soldiers under lawful recruitment is appropriate only if they are supervised or commanded by someone. It also states a particular age and criteria for the recruitment of child soldiers however; the law does not support the unlawful recrui tment of minors or the use of children in any civil or international war. Human Slavery: Human slavery is a part of human trafficking which allows the illegal trade of human especially women and children for different purposes. Human slavery exists in almost all the cultures and it has been there in the history from ages. Children and women are used forcibly and unlawfully in different