Critically Evaluate the Management Model of Baumol

Under the traditional economic understanding, it is always assumed that profit maximization is treated as the main goal or objective for businesses, subject to perfect knowledge, single entity and rational logic. However, as illustrated by the principal-agency problem, managers do not usually make rational decision entirely like owners who take company interest as their sole basis for their decisions. Past examples have shown that managers do take their own personal goals and satisfactions as consideration in their decision-making. In addition, information gathering is not always perfect as managers do make decision by relying solely on the implicit knowledge gained from past experiences, without referencing to the macro-economic environment and the current market changes. Combining all these factors, it is therefore understandable that businesses do not always work toward profit maximization, at least in the short term, and other objectives like financial objective, market share, executive power, etc. do involve in business decision making. However, as pointed out by various academics (Baumol, 1962; Marris, 1964; Williamson, 1963), profit maximization does not always serve as the only correct objective for a firm, especially at various phrases of the business on a timeline scale. A point-in-hand is Baumol model. As an alternative to profit maximization model, Baumol model works on the correlation between price and output decision with the objective of maximizing sales revenue, subjected to minimum profit constraint by shareholders. In profit maximization model, profit is maximized at the output where Marginal Revenue (MR) is equaled to Marginal Cost (MC) whereas Baumol Model emphasizes on maximizing sales revenue (TR) and may miss the MC = MR point to achieve its goal. This model argues that businesses try to maximize sales revenues rather than profits with the possible motives such as growing or sustaining market share, to fill up spare capacity, discourage new entrants, management performance and etc. In addition, Baumol model provides a platform to understand some of the pricing strategies adopted by certain industries, which usually share common characteristics of having huge sunk cost and low variable cost. In such industries where fixed cost or sunk cost takes up a huge part of the total cost, producing a single unit and its maximum allowable output (without expanding its capacity in the short term) does not have any significant impact to the total cost. In such instances, profit maximization model is neither practical nor feasible as a focus of the model relies on seeking the output point where MC=MR. In the case of Walt Disney, the operational cost does not differ much whether there is one patronage or maximum allowable patronages as a theme park has to be fully functional during its operation hours, which render the MC at zero or near zero level. The objective of the company to seek sales revenue maximization for the day rather than focusing its effort to achieve the output point where MC=MR to maximize its profit does make sense. This explains the two-part pricing strategy adopted by Walt Disney where a fix initialization fee per entry is charged and allows the patronage to have as many free rides as they wish. Another example is the telecommunication industry, where the initial investment/fixed cost (for example launching the satellite and setting up the infrastructure) is huge, and the variable cost per call is insignificant to the total cost. In such industry, firms will focus on maximizing sales revenue (with constraints to maximum capacity/output) by using strategies like price discrimination strategy. In this strategy, the firms charge a different unit price to peak and off-peak hours, as there is plenty of spare capacity at off-peak hours. Since MC of output is low, any additional revenue that can be generated from this surplus capacity will be profit to the firms. As such instance, it is rational for telecommunication industrial to adopt sales maximization model like Baumol. In addition, as short term capacity is always constraint and limited, telecommunication industries would not want to experience loss sales due to their inability to meet customer demand, especially during peak hour usage. As service providers, consistent and frequent service failure could prove to be fatal in term of their survival and their long-term brand reputation. Therefore it would make sense for telecommunication firms to divert the peak-hours traffic into non-peak hours by using a price discrimination strategy which segments the users based upon their willingness and abilities to pay. For instance, business-users are willing to pay higher price for peak-hours usage due to their inelastic demand whereas in contrast, leisure-users’ demand is elastic and are willing to make call during off-peak hours in return for lower price. By adopting the price discrimination strategy, telecommunication firms are able to maximize sales revenue during peak and off-peak hours by balancing the air-time traffic based upon different market segment of users. At this point, it is also noticeable that one of the characteristics of Baumol firms lies in the perishable products/services offered which cannot be inventoried. The loss sale of the day on the unutilized capacity/outputs is an opportunity cost to the firms. Baumol model is not only applicable to huge/large corporations, but also to small retailers like bakery shop or wet market, which explains the reason why some bakery shops offer a special discount one hour before the shop closed to maximize the revenue. The rationales applied similarly to the low cost carriers (LCC) where price discrimination is used as a strategy to maximize revenue. LCCs sell a cheaper price to early booking passengers and a higher price for last minute passengers to increase the revenue. LCCs used the existence of multiple segments to serve and the opportunity to utilize surplus capacities to generate additional revenue. The adoption of sales revenue maximization model is also used as an effective way of securing additional market share within a regulated market with limited players where market dominance is vital. In related to pricing, add-on product/services like travel insurance, priority boarding and choosing-a-seat are used as bundled offering to the customer to gain extra profit. Firms are willing to earn a smaller profit if it means that they are able to gain a competitive advantage from their rival firms. As an illustration, Fitness club is a good example to elaborate how Baumol model is applied through adopting different pricing strategies. The reasons behind Fitness Club in adopting Baumol model include penetration to new market segments, retaining existing customer and to fill up spare capacity. True Fitness, which is a chained fitness centre, is effectively using Baumol model by offering different pricing strategies to capture different market egments, for instance, offering monthly fees to uncertain-customer and yearly/lifetime membership to certain-customer. Two types of pricing strategies are used by True Fitness to maximum its sales revenue, which are:- i)Two part pricing ( lifetime membership) The company offers a lifetime membership at ? 1. 5K as one-off payment and charges a minimal price of ? 20 yearly as administration/subscription fee. By payi ng a lifetime membership fees as fixed price, the customers are able to enjoy the facilities for life for as low as ? . 67 per month, which no other rivals is able to compete with this low price. As per other industries discussed above, fitness clubs have the similar characteristic like high initial set up cost and low marginal cost to adopt the Baumol model. The company charges an upfront fee to gain maximum consumer surplus and utilizes the yearly subscription fees, which is equaled to the marginal cost/average variable cost, to cover its yearly running costs. In addition, in order to adopt the two-part pricing strategy to maximize sales revenue, the company needs to have a minimum output (also known as critical mass), so that the full consumer surplus can be derived from the fixed fees. For example, if the yearly running cost (without considering the depreciation cost of the initial set up) is ? 200,000, in order to offer a yearly subscription fee of ? 20, the company needs to have a minimum membership of 10,000 in order to reduce the average variable cost/marginal cost to this level. By adopting Baumol model, which gives a higher output with lower price, this is achievable. This pricing strategy is also applicable to other chained-companies where the firms can derive the maximum profit from the fixed fee and use it as capital/investment to set up a new chain store. At the same time, individual chain store is able to run by itself from the revenue derived from the minimal pricing. ii)Price discrimination ( monthly membership vs. lifetime membership) True Fitness segments their customers into certain and uncertain customer by ffering different pricing to monthly and lifetime membership. The club is willing to offer a lower price to customers who are willing to commit, in comparison to uncertain customers. As illustrated in earlier examples, fitness clubs need to fill up spare capacities as any unutilized capacity carried an opportunity cost. With customers’ commitment, they are able to secure their stability in term of both volume and sales revenue. For thos e uncertain customers, the company charges a higher price, which customer willing to pay due to the flexibility and short-term commitment. From the above illustrations, it is apparent that a key characteristic of the Baumol model hinges on the elasticity of demand. As shown, Baumol model uses pricing strategies as a mean to achieve revenue maximization, and is therefore heavily dependent on the price elasticity to achieve the objective of the model If the demand is inelastic, Baumol model will not work as the demand of the product/services will not increase proportionately and therefore the sales revenue will not maximize from the reduction in price. In addition, advertising effect has not been considered in the above examples, which is a common tactic used to increase the inelasticity of demand. The psychological effect of advertising has been proven effective in occupying the mindset of consumers through brand image building, which increase the affiliation of the consumers to certain products/services, thus the inelasticity of the demand. The pointers from the last paragraph are well-illustrated by the Memo 1 example in Baye text book. In this example, it is shown that the price change does not correlate with the demand. By reducing the price from the current, $10. 50 to $10, the subscribers drops from 881 subscribers to 842, causing the revenue to drop from $9251 to $8240 and therefore a profit drop of $614. 5. (Appendix 1). In reverse, the firm should increase the price to $11. 5 to maximize the revenue at $11282 and a price of $12. 5 to maximize the profit at $4734. One of the reasons is due to the advertising and promotional effort from the company which increases the inelasticity of the demand. Secondly, since a loyal group of subscribers has already been amassed, STARZ network functions more as an add-on product to the existing subscribers. The combination of these two factors explained the reason why sales revenues and profit actually increases with price increases. In addition, from the data on STARZ network (Appendix 1), it is apparent that STARZ network does not share the same characteristics of high fixed cost or excess capacity to apply Baumol model. Instead, it seems like advertising or bundled pricing works better for STARZ network rather then price reduction. Further to the points above, Baumol model players are highly susceptible to the price reaction from their rivals, which could easily result in a price-war especially in an oligopolistic market. The existence of a floor triggering price in Baumol model constrained the players from lowering the price too much which will defeat the purpose of revenue maximization. Thus, it is highly unfavorable for Baumol model players to induce a price-cutting reaction from their rivals when they attempt to lower the price. This explained why certain Baumol model players used â€Å"noise† as disguise to their rivals when lowering the price to achieve revenue maximization. To summarize, long-term profit pursuance remains as the ultimate objective for any business. However, due to dissimilar characteristics of different industries, there are various models that can be used to achieve this long-term objective, which explains why certain firms are willing to sacrifice profit today in exchange for profit tomorrow. As illustrated through various examples in this assignment, the application of the correct model for the right industries and at the correct phrase of the company life-cycle becomes an even more important decision for managers to make. With the understanding and knowledge gained through the detailed analysis and critique of Baumol model, an useful insight to the economic rationale adopted by various industries, like Walt Disney, LCC and telecommunication firms is achieved. Bibliography Mercuro, N. , Haralambos, S. Gerald, W. , 1992. Ownership Structure, Value of the Firm and the Bargaining Power of the Manager. Southern Economic Journal, 59(2), pp. 273-83. Baumol, W. J. , 1996. Prediction and the logic of the Averages Variable Cost Test. Journal of Law and Economics, 39(1), pp. 49 – 72. McNutt, P. A. , 2008, â€Å"Signalling, Strategy & Management Type†, Available at: http://www. patrickmcnutt. com/docs/PatrickMcNutt. com_ebook [Accesses 20 Jan 2009]. Baye, M. R. , 2009 . Managerial Economics and Business Strategy. International ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Conway, L. L. & Craycraft, J. L. , 1974. Sales Maximisation and Oligopoly: A Case Study. Journal of Industrial Economics, 23(2), pp. 81-95. Armstrong, M. & Vickers, J. , 2001. Competitive Price Discrimination. The Rand Journal of Economics, 32(4), pp. 579-605. Oi, W. Y. , 1971. A Disneyland Dilemma: Two-Part Tariffs for a Mickey Mouse Monopoly. The Journal of Economics, 85(1), pp. 77-96. McNutt, P. A.. Management Objectives and Stakeholder Value (Study Guide Unit 1).

Contribution of Great Philosopher Jyotirao Phule Essay

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was a great activist, thinker, social reformer, writer and philosopher. He contributed in flelds like education, agriculture, women and widow upliftment. DhananJay Keer, his biographer, mentions him as â€Å"the father of Indian social revolution† Source of Inspiration After being insulted at wedding of a Brahmin friend, Jyotirao decided to defy the caste system. He served Shudras and women who were deprived of all their rights as human beings. Social Actlvlsm He opened girl’s school in August 1848. As no teacher dared to work in a school in which untouchables were admitted as students, he educated his wife, Savitrlbai, and enabled her to teach the girls. On 24 September 1873, Jyotlrao formed ‘Satya Shodhak Samar. Maln objective of the organization was to liberate Shudras and Ati Shudras. Contributions in Primary Education Jyotirao was not satisfied with the quality of primary education imparted. Therefore, he came up with a list of actions to Improve It. Curriculum & Role of Teacher 1 OF3 Wanted curriculum should be utilitarian and practical so as to cover the needs of the society. Formulated the course content and included reading, writing, accounts, general history, general geography, grammar, elementary knowledge of agriculture and a few lessons on moral duties and sanitation. Teachers to be properly trained and certified. Teachers should mix with students freely and understand their wants and desires. Role of Governing Body Upgraded the supervising agency to have better monitoring over these primary schools. Compelled municipalities to maintain all the primary schools within their respective limits. Worked to get adequate grants for primary schools from provincial funds. Recommended that Government should formulate the scheme of scholarships and rewards for the needy and deserving students. Disbelieved in vedas He was criticized in disbelieving in vedas. He considered Vedas as ‘idle fantasies’ as ‘palpably absurd legends’. He considered Vedas a form of false consciousness’. He maintained that at the root of all calamities was the blind faith that religious books were created or inspired by god. All established religious and priestly classes find this blind faith useful for their purposes and they try their best to defend it. Criticized caste system Phule preferred British rule to the regime of the Brahmins. He was aware of the shortcomings of the former and he never hesitated to point them out openly. His mission was to bring about an egalitarian society where all men and women would enjoy liberty; Phule criticized the contemporary rulers if he felt that their policies went against lower caste, whether it was educational policy. the pernicious system of high class education. He complained against the government in neglecting the downtrodden masses. Conclusion Throughout his life, Jyotirao Phule fought for the emancipation of the downtrodden eople and the struggle, which he launched at a young age ended only when he died on 28th November, 1890. Though he was often accused of fomenting hatred between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins, very rarely an attempt was made to consider his scathing criticism in a broad perspective. The later generations also took considerable time to understand and appreciate the profound significance of his unflinching espousal of the ‘rights of man’ which remained till the end of his life a major theme of his writings and a goal of his actions.

Ebonics & Education Essay

The Ebonics controversy in America has developed into a major conflict over the years. It has become a more serious concern within the public school system. The complex where the nation’s school systems lower their expectations of black youth to coincide with the patterns of Ebonics, the word used to refer to African American Vernacular English, has resulted in an epidemic where blacks graduate from High School reading three grade levels below their white counterparts. For the multiple number of theories that attempt to explain this phenomenon, very few have been able to counter the adverse culture that has developed in America as a product of Ebonics being considered a valid dialect. A wide range of theorists and politicians have used the American educational system as a platform on which to gain civil approval. There is a popular consensus that income designates the quality of one’s education in America. This state of socioeconomic prejudice has a detrimental effect on the face of our society. It can be argued that a single standard curriculum should be equally implemented and taught throughout the nation, and that this curriculum should be similar to the elite executive curriculum, which Jean Anyon identifies as the best education our country has to offer in her article Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. She identifies how many believe that private and public sector schools should be merged together, along with their curriculums (2006). She breaks down education into two curriculums, upper class and lower class, or working and executive class. Equalizing the differences between these two forms of education has always been the job of standardized testing. Initially standardized testing in America was used to asses one’s calculative ability. It is now being replaced, starting at the middle school level, with a format that revolves around authentic assessment (Wiggins, 1990). Authentic assessment is the direct evaluation of student performance through tasks that exercise their intellect. The tests are also known to evaluate creativity, listening and comprehension skills, experimental research in science, speaking and discussion skills and historical inquiry. It has been designed to replace traditional standardized testing, which means it eventually will be used in all schools across the nation to identify the intellectual elite. This is considered to be a major advent in education that will counter act the nation’s stigma of low expectations ushered in by the validation of Ebonics. A major cause of the low expectations placed on black youth in schools can partly be credited to those doing the research, as Kimberly Griffin points out in her article Striving for Success: A Qualitative Exploration of Competing Theories of High-Achieving Black College Students’ Academic Motivation, when she says, research on the academic performance of Black students has focused on low-achievers, framing their academic motivation as maladaptive and driven by externally (e. g. , competition or compliance) rather than internally (e. g. love of learning) generated forces (Griffin, 2006). This heavy focus on those blacks who have low quality achievement, has led to a neglect in the understanding of what drives the higher achieving students to be successful. Findings show that self-determination theory, socio-cognitive theory, and attribution theory cannot individually explain the motivation of these Black high-achievers. Instead, a multidimensional framework that incorporates all three models and that highlights internal and external sources of motivation best accounts for these students’ experiences (Griffin, 2006). Griffin goes on to cite an interview with a young black student that was less affluent than others. The dialogue reveals that the pressure of stereotypes and low expectations has a weighing effect on the level of effort and achievement that black students have in the class room. This is a stigma that is present whether the student is of a lower or higher class, but the lower the class of the student the even heavier the stereotypes are that weigh on them. I think probably intrinsically I might have felt at one point that I needed to try harder, because I was Black, to not be a stereotype . . . not just chill, you know, talk with Ebonics or stuff like—the stereotype that people have of Black people. I purposely try to steer away from that. I think that’s certainly definitely, in a certain respect, that’s true (Griffin, 2006). This pressure that stems from the inherent stereotypes perpetuated through the use of Ebonics is even further enhanced by a misunderstanding of this complex between the students and their teachers. Griffin points this out as well when she says, the fact that many [teacher education] students do not share the same ethnic, social, racial and linguistic backgrounds as their students may lead to cultural incongruencies in the classroom which can mediate against educational effectiveness( Griffin, 2006). It is Griffin’s belief that these incompatibilities between the black students and their predominantly white teachers results in a complex to be maladaptive, in a way that is very evident. These incompatibilities are evident in value orientation, behavioral norms and expectations and styles, social interactions, self presentation, communication and cognitive processing (Griffin, 2006). Griffin’s article proves that even the system through which these students are studied for the purpose of better improving their achievement is a vicious cycle itself filled with misunderstandings and blatant neglect of the methods that may actually be successful, specifically teaching methods like andragogy and reflective learning. Androgogy and reflective learning are two educational forms that have become very prevalent at the collegiate level. They are considered to be the two best teaching methods in educating adults. This has been found to be specifically true for pre-med and science majors in college, due to andragogy’s focus on authentic assessment (Kolb 2001, p. 1975). Authentic assessment is the direct evaluation of student performance through tasks that exercise their intellect. These evaluations tend to exercise their: creativity, listening and comprehension skills, experimental research in science, speaking and discussion skills and historical inquiry. It largely corresponds with standardized testing (Kolb 2001, p. 1975). Authentic assessment asks that students acquire knowledge and be able to practice logic as apposed to just being able to regurgitate pre-fed facts. The main characteristics of these evaluations, is that they apply standardized test curriculum to real life circumstances. Authentic assessment is the product of a reform in education. This shift is to make standardized testing less drill oriented and applicable to what is expected will be necessary in the students’ adult life. These tests hold students to higher standards as well as create a growing body of accurate awareness pertaining to student learning. This way the teacher learns from the student as well. The key argument these test pose is that for the traditional testing method, the right answers are not rationales. This basically acknowledges that the level of logic required for traditional standardized tests is lacking. This is due to a relationship that involves test takers who simply cram for their tests, and instructors who feel the tests have no relevance to their teaching ability. This is a common occurrence that has resulted in resentment for traditional standardized testing on the behalf of both parties involved. Authentic assessment is a genuine push towards the implementation of more authentic tasks. Instructors find it easier to apply these tasks to their curriculum and students find it easier to assess what is expected of them. It is considered a form of improving overall performance, in a testing system traditionally structured solely to monitor it. This fault in western education is the main catalyst for shifts in standardized testing that focus more on authentic assessment and experiential learning. Medical students and students pursuing the sciences, like psychology or sociology, are expected to have certain skills appropriate for the practice of their profession. This requires a form of learning that can assesses curriculum and then apply it to real life situations. As well as the medical and science field, andragogy and reflective learning is being used to enhance the productivity of multimillion dollar corporations. Experiential learning thus involves a, ‘direct encounter with the phenomena being studied rather than merely thinking about the encounter, or only considering the possibility of doing something about it. (Borzak 1981: 9 quoted in Brookfield 1983). This sort of learning is sponsored by an institution and might be used on training programmes for professions such as social work and teaching or in field study programmes such as those for social administration or geography courses. Kolb, David A. , ‘david a. kolb on experiential learning’ Kolb breaks down understanding of experiential learning into an understanding of the American educational systems use of the field trip and project based learning (Kolb 2001, p. 1975). While project based learning is considered to be one of the best methods of learning for all individuals because it promotes authentic assessment, and thus provides young black students especially to expand their understanding of the Western culture from which they have been systematically alienated, it is also very expensive to organize. Anyon discovers that the majority of contemporary textbook instruction is designed for the working class. PBL programs are usually not supported in public schools because of the amount of funding they require. This discrepancy is usually applicable to public schools and whether one is located near high income housing or low income housing. Jonathan Kozol describes the discrepancies between these two types of schooling in his interview with Marge Scherer. In the interview titled, On Savage Inequalities: A Conversation with Jonathan Kozol, he talks about his experience in St. Louis and how the schools in low income areas, which are predominantly black, barely have money for water, while the schools near by in the wealthier districts could buy advanced school supplies as well as carryout project based learning, such as field trips. Kozol credits this problem to the use of property tax to fund schools in low income areas. He states: we ought to finance the education of every child in America equitably, with adjustments made only for the greater or lesser needs of certain children. And that funding should all come from the collective wealth of our society, mainly from a steeply graduated progressive income tax. (Kozol) This particular tax could make project based learning more affordable, which would be the most influential step to improving classroom education. The most common contemporary example of PBL is dissecting insects and animals. It has become an American tradition and almost a right of passage in high school. Project Based Management has a very beneficial influence on the education of our country. One might wonder why it’s not the only curriculum used. The use of chaperones, instructional tools, and methods of transportation are often required and considered expensive. The benefit is that people tend to remember more from their field trips than textbook lessons and many of these labs require authentic assessment, which is good considering the new shift in standardized testing. The downfall is in the fact that authentic assessment is dependent on the student’s past experiences. This allows for some projects to result in the isolation of certain students. The inner city children are deprived because their school systems can’t afford implementing PBL curriculums. Chairperson of the Department of Education at Rutgers University, in her essay From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work Jean Anyon analyzes the nature of underprivileged education. Anyon argues that depending on their social class, different levels of educations are available to young people. This mostly applies to schools in different districts and social communities and it can particularly be seen in the difference between private and public schooling. To make the concept clear, she further applies this to a description of a kind of mental segregation happening within the classroom; in which, students sitting next to one another are rewarded differently solely based on their socioeconomic standing in the community. She does this by pointing out that, students in different social-class backgrounds are rewarded for classroom behaviors that correspond to personality traits allegedly rewarded in the different occupational strata – the working classes for docility and obedience, the managerial classes for initiative and personal assertiveness. (Anyon) This is the key ideal of Anyon’s theory. An example of the theory at work can be seen in research that finds project based learning prepares students for more abstract assessment, and prepares them to handle real world situations, as opposed to those in the textbook. PBL is most prevalent in private and high income community public schools. This creates a system where the students taught in the private schools are taught to think independently in a rational but unconfined way, while the lower income children are only taught to follow instructions. These differing perspectives on education have had a controversial and conflicting history in America. Gary Colombo based much of his research on this conflict. Gary Colombo argues that the majority of the Founding Fathers were wealthy conservatives who were honestly opposed to democracy. This signifies them as an elitist class constructing laws that will better maintain their control of the government. Their initial goal was to keep power in the hands of the wealthy, and prevent the majority from realizing their strength. One major modern day justifications for this elitist view is that, these framers were the same men who risked their lives for the good of others by signing the declaration of independence, and they are getting what is owed to them. It is Garry Colombo’s view that these patriots did not intend to revolutionize democracy, but that their sole intention was to gain independence from Britain in order to get the country out of their pockets. Aware that the Constitution would be opposed by the working class, who made up the majority of the people, the construction of the deceleration and its signing were held in private. The media was used conceal the constitution’s actual goal, while at the same time to persuade people in its favor. Along with a literate media Colombo points out that the American government found it necessary, particularly during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, to promote and finance a literate working class. It is Colombo’s view that the sole purpose of their education was to develop individuals who would maintain the nation. These educated individuals were viewed as secondary to their task. This is the first sign in American history of education being used to exploit people for the benefit of the government. By identifying the failure of Thomas Jefferson to educate the Native American people, Colombo shows that American education was initially designed with absolutely no regard for the people. He best displays this conflict when he cites a letter written by a Native American to the President. our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same with yours†¦several of our young people were formerly brought up at the college of the northern provinces they were instructed in all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad runners; ignorant of every means of living in the woods; unable to bear either cold or hunger; knew neither how to build a cabin, take a deer, or kill an enemy†¦they were totally good for nothing. (Colombo) Here Colombo identifies that, quality in education is deemed only as good as its ability to assimilate one into the culture in which they live. This assimilation is not one that produces equal opportunity for its participants. As previously proven by Anyon, socioeconomic conditions impede this dream dramatically from coming into fruition. In sum, Anyon argues that today’s working class curriculums center more on teaching black students to follow instructions rather than teaching them how to authentically assess problems. She undeniably proves that the children of higher income families are not taught in this fashion, and they are steered more towards developing skills in problem solving and decision making. Ebonics only further expands this gap between classes, considering the level of stereotypes that come along with its practice and the powerfully influential stigma that blacks are subject to as a result. If students are subject to the exact same nationwide testing, it would only be just that they receive the same educational curriculums. By using Ebonics in the school system, the nation is alienating blacks from the main stream through both class and race. Lower income students are being herded into remedial work, while the upper class students are being prepared for executive positions. This is an immoral practice, but there are risks that can occur if Anyon’s elitist curriculum is equally distributed throughout the country. Everyone can not manage the corporation some have to toil for the sake of the company. The working class may potentially have a better understanding of executive duties, if Anyon’s curriculum is implemented. With a greater appreciation for the business structure, working class employees may be educated enough to demand more benefits from their companies. The end result of implementing Anyon’s theory is that there will be a more diverse group of qualified candidates from which corporations select. This makes the face of corporate America as cultured as the nation it’s in, and it eliminates much of the disadvantaging prejudice that comes with elitism. This is proof that it is wise to utilize Anyon’s elite curriculum throughout all school systems. Every income scale should be accessible among all races and nationalities, but to assume that the children of high income families will work remedial jobs so the poor can be executives is irrational. Anyon’s curriculum must be set into action with the hope that it levels the playing field, and Ebonics needs to be abolished as a credible English vernacular.

Career Development Course Project- Resume Essay

Career Development Course Project- Resume - Essay Example I have participated in management duties including human resource activities. With my experience in service and management duties, as well as my education, I have prepared myself to be a valuable leader at a corporate structured restaurant. OBJECTIVE: I intend to continue my career in the restaurant business, my education contributing to my work experience in such a way as to provide my employer with the best possible background to have a high achievement. Through a position in management, it is my intention to continue to offer the highest quality customer service to the patrons of the restaurant or bar that I manage. QUALIFICATIONS: I have experienced most entry level positions in the food and beverage industry. I have also had experience in aspects of management, taking on the responsibility of management duties which have included human resource management. I have managed a bar which has included the experience of managing a staff, inventory, and customer relations. As well, I have experienced the planning and execution of catering both on and off site. SKILLS: Able to do scheduling; training bartenders and servers; able to make 10 drinks in a minute; able to do inventory for bars and restaurants; able to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Outlook and Access. The ultimate goal of my career will be to enter into the business world as the owner of a bar. To get to this place in my life, so that I have prepared myself for the experience and have the best possible chance at success, I have worked in the restaurant business, primarily behind the bar, and have pursued an education towards this goal. My primary joy in being in the food and beverage industry is in the interactions that I have with my customers. I believe that owning my own bar will give me the opportunity to give my patrons the kind of experience that I think they will most enjoy. Through creating a business venture that is designed to the way that I think customers

The difference between leadership and management techniques and their Essay

The difference between leadership and management techniques and their influences on the organizational structure - Essay Example This study looks into leadership and management that both are needed to maintain all business processes successfully. The basic difference between management and leadership is that of notions they possess about the strategic tools and effectiveness of the proposed methods. The difference between their perceptions observed by the research includes viewpoints about changes in the organization such as; managers believe change would bring various challenges and threats for the company. However, leaders think that change provides an opportunity to the professionals to avail competitive advantage. At other side, when it comes to handle the change managers attempt to deal with it through strategic plans, but leaders aim to address such issues, through mind. Other differences between their approaches include managers` methodology of utilizing power through balanced activities. Managers, intend to understand and consider all aspects of the threats and try to concentrate on short-term plans. T hey follow their self-made views and examine self-performance to practice substantial and perform job accordingly. On the contrary, thoughts and practices of leaders involve a use of heart and mind logistics. Leaders possess capabilities to sense all possible facilities, which help them plan long-term strategic methods; they do intend to follow their viewpoints. They are flexible enough to alter or create new vision with the demands of the time. They simply do not focus to perform assigned duties in control like the managers` approaches, but they struggle for their dreams along with inspiration and self-motivation. In general, managers are looked as administrators not as leaders. Concept of managers as leaders emphasize on the fact that managers while performing as leaders are expected to promote new approaches. Managers can only perform as effective leaders, when they show interest towards executing proposed strategies of achieving goals. Additionally, they should have some qualiti es to inspire their followers and workers performing under their observations. A manager can inspire people like leaders by utilizing technical strategic tools (Adeniyi 2007). For example, if a manager intends to lead and manage things at the same time quietly, he/she can perform far much better than a cheerful leader. Most importantly bridging the gap between the basic difference in managers and leaders` functions can help managers to perform as efficient leaders (Adeniyi 2007). For example, leaders bring up new ideas and managers regulate the existing ideas, thus at this point it is vital that managers should understand the importance of taking up challenges, through changed strategies and modernized approaches. For the managers to perform as effective leaders it is vital to understand the demands of the position and fundamental requirements for being a good leaders otherwise, the whole organization has to suffer (Adeniyi 2007). F

Diversity Management, a New Organizational Paradigm for Equality Essay - 2

Diversity Management, a New Organizational Paradigm for Equality Policy-Making - Essay Example The researcher states that the different diversity can be categorized into two, the social allied and the individual allied. In the social diversity, it is further subdivided into what is referred to as the six strands of diversity, which includes; ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender, age, and religion. In the individual differences, they can be classified into the following castes; personality, lifestyle, appearance, work style and education. The equal opportunity tends to downplay the aspect of discrimination based on the diversity factor. It is hinged on the emphasis of equal treatment of the individuals regardless of their social groups. The equal opportunity aspect is anti-discrimination program intended to provide relative social justice in the process of individual selection. Most of the human resource managers in the organization today appreciates the need to embrace diversity in the human resource and they have realized that if taken positively, the diversity a spect can make an organization realize its goals in the most efficient and predictable way. The tolerance for counterparts in the workplace is highly encouraged and any discrimination unfairly advanced to anybody be it on a social or individual level is taken seriously sometimes to the legal redress. The realization of the dangers of discrimination based on diversity led to the consideration of what is referred to as Equal Opportunity. In the equal opportunity aspect, politics have gotten into it and there are several schools of thoughts, other arguing that it is like a basket of fruits -this it to mean that even though there are equal treatment and opportunity for all, individual differences can still be recognized and be used in their reference. The other school of thought is that equal opportunity is like a melting pot, it assumes that under equal opportunity there is no recognizable difference among those to be considered.

Trinidad and Tobabgo independence day Research Paper

Trinidad and Tobabgo independence day - Research Paper Example He spent a lot of his early life living with his grandparents. He was brought up in a humble background of a middle-class family. His dream job was being a fireman, but he ended up firing racism instead. The activities that his father was involved in inspired him to being an activist for equality rights. His father campaigned for equal wages for the blacks and the whites. His father and grandfather were very religious, and they preached the social gospel always. Being in such a family, martin believed in equality of all people, and it inspired him to fighting for the rights of the blacks. He became a pastor of Ebenezer church where he served for over 4 4 years. Besides starting a religious career, he was more concerned with real life issues such as segregation and poverty. He graduated with a sociology degree at the age of 19. He continued his studies and achieved a doctorate in theology in 1951. He believed in the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi on freedom and non-violence and he used it to gain the rights of the oppressed African Americans. He got married to Coretta, had four children together, before dying after only 15 years of marriage (King and Carson 123). Martin is remembered for the famous Montgomery bus boycott which occurred in 1954. Although he did not have a mission to fight for civil rights on Montgomery, the arrest for Rosa parks for refusing to relinquish her bus seat for a white man proved his feeling. He and other clergymen organized a bus boycott until the desegregation in the transit system ended. He organized for distributions of leaflets asking African Americans not to ride in the buses on December 5th. His call was heard, and more than 20000 blacks did not ride the buses on December 5, 1955 (King, and Ayres 29). After the success of this boycott, king called for a long-term bus boycott that lasted for 381 days. This boycott was the beginning of martin’s fight for

Film Analysis-Holes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analysis-Holes - Essay Example The Warden assigns the daily chore of digging holes five feet deep, in the dry lake on a daily basis. She dominates everyone involved in the camp, inflicting pain on the assistant warden and threatening the patient counselor, Pendanski. It is evident that she is in control of her surroundings and those she interacts with. The empty lipstick tube with the initials KB, found by one of the boys during their daily digging of the holes, appears to hold special meaning for the warden. After the tube is brought to her, the warden becomes seemingly more powerful, inflicting her wounds and passing judgment on the others, with the exception of Stanley. The lipstick tube represents feminine control, power and intuition. The tube bears the initials of ‘Kissin Kate.’ This is a woman who, one hundred years prior, predicted doom for the people of Green Lake, after they killed a black man, Sam, for sharing a kiss with her. Katherine Barlow’s prediction of â€Å"punishment 2 from God† (Davis) does occur as the lake dries up and all vegetation disappears. The lipstick tubes seems to almost transfer the feminine intuitive powers from Kissin Kate to the warden. She seems to favor Stanley, as if she knows he is not the criminal he is reported to be, almost as if she knows the other boy took the case from Stanley to earn favor with her. Her special sense about Stanley is similar to that of Kate, about Sam. In both Green Lake settings, it is the women who possess the control and power, or matriarchic determinism.

Three Metaphors, the Birth Rate, and Solutions Research Paper

Three Metaphors, the Birth Rate, and Solutions - Research Paper Example In a bid to solve its own problems, the self-contained village in Ireland closes the doors for any possible aid from foreign quarters. It is aimed at ensuring that the region’s internal problems are given a local solution through the cooperation of the haves and the have-nots. To consolidate its resolve, the region has developed a five-step solution that demonstrates the manner in which the locked region plagued with severe poverty could do if the rich and poor people really collaborate to achieve the desired emancipation of the poor: â€Å"I do not, of course, want to dispute the contention that governments of affluent nations should be giving many times the amount of genuine, no-strings-attached aid that they are giving nowI agree, too, that giving privately is not enough, and that we ought to be campaigning actively for entirely new standards for both public and private contributions to famine relief† (Singer 402-13). If this should be the case and the poor should be made part and parcel of the developed solution, then essential moral or proper Christian assistance will not be dissipated on producing inadvertent consequences like diseases, population explosion, famine, environmental corrosion, and hunger among others. Basically, the five-point solution involves the following initiatives: taxing absentee landlords; purchasing furniture and clothes produced only in Ireland; averting lavishness and conspicuous consumption to boost one’s discretionary income available for charity; prevailing upon landlords to be merciful to their tenants; and, finally, the working poor, once they become modest shopkeepers, have an obligation to remain modest merchants, regardless of the meagerness of their income.

Income Inequality and Economic Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Income Inequality and Economic Growth - Essay Example In an attempt to achieve income equality, there are various approaches that may be applicable. One is the redistribution of income through progressive tax regimes where the rich are heavily taxed and the poor are exempted from taxation, thus, increasing their disposable income. Another way may be to invest in activities that create employment and wealth for the poor such as infrastructural development and education (Alam 46). Another way to promote equality is by encouraging high-income earners to invest their excess incomes in projects that create employment for low-income earners. This can be achievable by making luxury items unattractive to buy and making investment opportunities very attractive. It is imperative to assert that attainment of equality is never free. Therefore, the opportunity cost of enjoying luxurious items or investing in other sectors should not provide incentives for the low-income earners. Economies should aim to reduce the economic burden on the poor through income redistribution, which eventually leads to

Divorce and Children Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Divorce and Children Issue - Essay Example There is a significant consensus among academic publications that divorce as an event has a net negative effect on children’s experience of wellbeing, but different authors differ significantly as to the reasons why such differences might exist and the long term psychological impact on children of divorce. Public opinion, however, is nearly unanimous in believing that divorce is damaging for children, though some argue that the long term impact might be better. In interviews, people generally state ideas that they have consumed from media (both news and popular) about divorce – essentially saying that the odds are that divorce will be harmful, but significant steps can be taken to reduce or mitigate that harm. Overall, the sources are in remarkable agreement about the effect of divorce on children of divorce. ... gely tried to make sense out of former research: â€Å"we know that adults and children from divorced families, as a group, score lower than their counterparts in married-couple families on a variety of indicators of wellbeing.† This essentially mirrors statements made in each of the other articles; in fact, the other two articles treat the idea that damage is done during the process of divorce as a known fact, for instance McGuiness simply quipping that â€Å"obviously, divorce reverberates in a child’s life for many years,† (2006, 20), and stating that the fundamental â€Å"truth† is that â€Å"marriage offers substantial benefits to children† (McGuiness, 2006, pg. 17). Hetherington’s research also largely concurred, indicating that almost any measure of wellbeing was worse amongst children of divorce than children who were not from divorced households. These researchers differed significantly, however, in their interpretation of why childr en of divorce performed worse than ones who marry. Though each researcher made reference to the tempting notion that there was some sort of selection bias in play (IE that children of divorce were less happy because the family situation of parents who decide to get divorced is likely to have problems that filter down to affecting the child), none of the researches were convinced that this process amounted to the primary reason for the apparent negative impact of divorce. Amato (2000, pg. 1287) even, in his survey of recent research, found that when largely controlling for variables such as family situation and so forth, divorce itself seemed to be problematic, that is that two children in exactly the same circumstance would have differing levels of success based on whether or not their parents were married. Given that selection

The situation of African Americans Essay Example for Free

The situation of African Americans Essay Throughout Americas history, African-Americans have suffered from racism, segregation, and persecution. Considering they were brought over on slave ships extremely filled not knowing weather they would live or die and forced to do labor, they have come a long way. To be where they are currently is obviously a major milestone. Today, African-Americans are more prosperous and motivated than ever. There is less poverty, more education, and better family lives among blacks than ever before! Slaves had everything important to them viciously taken. Stripped from their families, their homes, and their peaceful lives, they were placed in a world where they were powerless in society. As horrific as these memories are, they cant be overlooked. The thoughts and images that go hand and hand with these atrocious events must be used as the will, the want, and the motivation for success. After all, understanding the past is the key to unlocking the future! Education is a crucial factor in success. Today, 79 percent of African-Americans age 25 and over have at least completed high school, a record high. This is more than double the percent in 1970. Also, 86 percent of those ages 25 to 29 have earned a high school diploma, which is triple the percent thirty years prior. Seventeen percent of blacks 25 and above have even obtained a bachelors degree. Statistics are higher than theyve been in the past. No matter how disturbing the past is a person never knows what the future holds. Therefore, one must hold on to the past because it is the key to motivation. Motivation has led to success. The poverty rate among African-Americans, 23.6 percent, is the lowest ever recorded. $27,910 is the average income for an African-American household. And 700,000 fewer blacks were poor in 1999 than in 1998. In the past, an outcome such as this would have never been possible in the dominated world everyone knew. When a person looks back and sees how far theyve come, it is most definitely something to be proud of. Proud and prosperous, African-Americans are not only succeeding. They are getting together and staying together. Out of the 8.7 million African-American families, just under half were married. And these families are larger than any other ethnic group. Twenty-one percent of the families have at least five or more members. Only ten percent of males and ten percent of females have been divorced. Although their ancestors were ripped from their homes and torn apart from their family, today is a brave new world. As suppressed as the people were, all of the struggles and the hardships are ultimately what gave them the will and the desire to overcome the devastation. It has been long, hard road, but their past has led to prosperity. Unwilling to lose the never-ending battle, the fight continues constantly, unlocking doors to a successful future.

Does race affect treatment within CJS?

Does race affect treatment within CJS? For this assignment I am going to explain how differences in race can affect the treatment and experience a person can receive within the criminal justice system. I will use research, legislation, policy and statistics to help answer the question. I will look into the different Criminal Justice Systems and analyse how race affects a persons treatment, I will also backup my findings through case studies which show the differences. Racism and race differences can occur within the police force, courts, probation and prisons. Because of race differences people from ethnic minorities are treated differently and unfairly in each of the Criminal Justice Systems. A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. (HMPS, 2007). The first part of the Criminal Justice System where an offender experiences race differences is the police force. The police have been known to be institutionally racist, In the criminal justice system it has become apparent that different ethnic groups are treated unequally, a recent report called Race and the Criminal Justice System showed that members of the Black community are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched, three and a half times more likely to be arrested, and five times more likely to be in prison then members of the White community, the same report also shows that Black communities are over represented and there is an under representation for Asian communities(Justice, 2007) . After the Brixton riots in 1981 lord Scarman produced a report into the factors causing the riots. The report showed that different factors such as political, social and economic factors created the trigger for the protest. After the riots confidence and mistrust in the police and th eir methods were lost, before the protest there was no communication or liaison between the police or the community. The report outlined that necessary changes such as more ethnic minority officers needed to be employed and more training needed to be given. The report highlighted that institutional racism did not occur but there was racial discrimination and racial disadvantage towards the black community (BBC, 2004). Since the Macpherson report the Equality and Human rights commission presented a report as to whether there had been changes in the police force in terms of racial discrimination and equality. The first part of the report looked into employment, Statistics show that 8% of the total police force is made up of ethnic minorities, in all the different statistics there has been a steadily but slow increase in ethnic minorities, however it does also show that ethnic minority officers have a high resignation rate, especially within the first 6 months of service (Justice, 2007 ). Many police officers that deal with counter terrorism, firearms and robbery consist mainly of white middle aged men who discriminate against Blacks and Asians, many Asians and Black officers have difficulty getting into the specialist squads, and feel as if it a closed shop for ethnic minorities. The second part of the report looked into stop and search, black members were seven times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police, and from the seven, only one was worthy enough for an arrest (Justice, 2007), this shows that there is still a disproportionate figure and that unnecessarily they were being searched, this particular problem is common in police forces across the UK. For every 1000 Black people in England, there was an average of 102 stops for drug searches, the Metropolitan police carried out 75% of searches on Black people (Justice, 2007) , Since the July 7 bombings, there was an increase in the number of Asians being stopped and searched. All statistics that ar e used for stop and search have a higher figure of minority ethnics, this shows that ethnic minorities are treated unfairly and are more likely to be searched then white people, this manner of stopping and searching on suspicion is being used excessively against Black and Asians. Members of the Black community are being regularly stopped for weapons such as knives and guns, and members of the Asian community are being stopped for terrorist related charges, both Black and Asian communities experience race differences through this. Race patterns are also frequent within the fingerprint and DNA samples, 40% of all black males are on the system, compared with 13% of Asians and 9% of whites (Justice, 2007). DNA samples of Black members are kept regardless of whether the person has committed a crime or not, this stereotypes towards Black men because they are always prime suspects in certain crimes because of their high figures of samples. Racial incidents was another factor the report loo ked into, since the Stephen Lawrence case there have been many improvements into the way race crime is dealt, police officers are being trained in culture and diversity and are now taking into account how serious race crimes are, and how serious they can become if they are not dealt with as soon as possible. The mother of Stephen Lawrence states that The police made mistakes then, but they learned their lesson and theyve not made the same mistake twice (BBC, 2005). In areas such as recruitment, training and tackling race crime, the police force is making clear progress, the statistics also back this up and there are many examples which show this also. However there are still issues and concerns that have been ignored such as the DNA database and stop and search differences, and mainly that black members are mostly seen as suspects in all crimes. Once a defendant has been charged, the police then seek charging advice from the CPS, the Crown Prosecution Service then decides what charge or sentence the defendant should receive. The courts take many factors into consideration before making a decision, firstly they look at the nature of the offence, the plea, the offenders previous criminal history, mitigating or aggravating circumstances. A study showed that Black defendants were more likely to be sentenced to custody then White defendants, and Asian defendants were less likely to be sentenced, the study also showed that Black and Asian offenders were given considerably larger sentences then White offenders. In other sentences such as fines and conditional discharges, Black offenders were more likely to be fined and less likely to be discharged compared to White offenders and also both Black and Asian offenders were more likely to receive community sentence then white offenders (Sharp, 2005). A black magistrate claimed that blac k defendants received harsh remarks, severe sentencing, disregard for personal mitigation, easy findings of guilt irrespective of evidence, most likely to refuse bail, most likely to be sentenced to prison and general unfair practices (Bird, 2009). From this we can see that people from ethnic minorities are treated unfairly and they often experience a difference in sentencing from the CPS An offender can be sentenced to attend probation by the CPS, the probation supervises the offenders behaviour and produces a report, the report is essential in the courts deciding the sentence. A recent report carried out on the probation service revealed that the probation service was infected by racism (Travis, 2000). The home office minister stated that There has been a systematic failure to address issues of race and racial discrimination in an adequate but appropriate way(Travis, 2000) The report outlined that white officers were uncomfortable when dealing with black offenders, they feared accusations of being racist, the report also showed that pre sentence reports for ethnic minorities had been of a poorer quality than those of the white offenders, these reports are very crucial in determining what the courts decide in what sentence to pass, if the probation officer writes a poor report because of the offenders ethnic background this could lead them to getting a severe punishm ent, that they do not deserve. Another reason why ethnic minority offenders are getting harsher penalties then white offenders could be down to the quality of the pre sentence report. The final part of the criminal justice system where an offender can receive different type of treatment is the prisons. In the past ten years the number of ethnic minority prisoners has increased considerably, ethnic minority prisoners needs are not always met and they are not given an equal amount of support as other prisoners, ethnic minority prisoners are frequently treated with disrespect and often receive racial abuse. The commission for racial equality made a report into racial discrimination in the prisons, after the murder of Zahid Mubarek who was murdered in HMYOI Feltham and was believed to be racially motivated. Statistics show that racial incidents are on the increase, during 2006-2008 there was increase of 25% of complaints of racism, staff on prisoner racism increased by 13% (Guardian, 2010). Racial stereotyping is a main factor in prisons, black inmates were more likely to be targeted for drugs testing then white cellmates, and that locking a prisoner in a cell for pun ishment was used unreasonably towards ethnic minority prisoners (BBC, 2003). The prison service does not have a strategy to deal with Minority ethnic prisoners. In March 2009, a Muslim inmate at Glen Parva institute in Leicester was verbally abused by staff, one man said Ive been called a terrorist just because I grow my beard or stupid Muslim.I had so many problems in this joint I cant tell you. This is the worst prison Ive been too more racist than others the same person also states that when a complaint is made, nothing is done about it (BBC, 2009). From this interview we can see that racism is still common in prisons. Ethnic minority prisoners tend to be treated differently than the white prisoners, they regularly experience a difference in all factors such as black inmates targeted for drugs testing, they often receive racial abuse and they are treated unfairly. Labelling theory was developed by Howard Becker in 1963, it is known as the theory of deviance that views deviance as a label given to behaviours or attitudes by figures of influence, and this means that a person or an action is not deviant unless made by society. This theory relates to race and the criminal justice system because many people from all different races can carry out the same crime but only certain races are given a label or called deviant. This theory can be used for examples such as all black people deal in drugs and that youth in hoodies have ASBOs, although drug dealers can be from any background, society, police and people in authority in general have stereotyped drug dealers as being from black communities.(Miller, 2009). Conclusion: For this assignment I have explained how differences in race affect the treatment and experience a person can receive within the criminal justice system. I have looked into the different Criminal Justice Systems and analysed how race affects a persons treatment, I have used case studies and peoples experiences to backup my findings which show the differences. I have started in the order that the CJS takes place, firstly I have explained how the police force are racist and how this can affect an offender, then I have gone on to explain how the CPS decision is influenced by the ethnicity of the offender, and finally if an offender is sentenced to prison, what differences they experience and how they are treated differently from others.

Effects of Sexualisation of Culture on the Media

Effects of Sexualisation of Culture on the Media â€Å"Raunch culture isn’t about opening our minds to the possibilities and mysteries of sexuality. It’s about endlessly reiterating one particular – and particularly commercial – shorthand for sexiness† (Levy 2006: 30). With reference to your own examples, discuss the sexualisation of culture and its effects on media production. When we look at examples of how the sexualisation of culture, in particular women, has risen over the past decade we turn to things such as ‘raunch’ culture. It is all tied to the discourses of consumerism, empowerment and individualism. The significance of sex in culture has been brought more into light of late as an interest in the mainstreaming of sex or ‘striptease’ culture has risen. Mainstream sexualisation has become a way of describing how sex has become a bigger part and more visible part of contemporary western cultures. As things such as pornography and other explicit materials become easier to access by more people, many just being a click away. In many ways the pornographic industry has entered the mainstream world as porn stars are becoming celebrities and the pornographic ‘style ‘is becoming a commonplace in many industries, including advertising, Television, film and music videos. It is normal now to see scantily clad women in ice cream adverts and rap videos, but it is not only in the media that this is normal now, it is also common to see such things on the streets. Ariel Levy’s book on ‘Raunch’ culture describes sexualisation as ‘a desperate stab at free-wheeling eroticism in a time and place characterised by intense anxiety’ (Levy, 2005: 199) suggesting that the increase of sexualisation in the mainstrea m media does more harm than it does good. Britain in particular has a longstanding culture of sexual explicitness of women in the mainstream media mostly starting at the turn of the millennium. However this is no longer passive, a contemporary image of femininity is now likely to be enunciated as being ‘active, recreational, material, independent [and] consumerist’ (Evans, 1993: 41). Contemporary British culture has been sexualised in part by a neo-liberal bombast of choice and self-determination, which in turn has created a femininity with and ‘up for it’ and active personality. The shift in public discourse from a heterosexual female who is passive and has less sexual prowess than her male counterpart to an active female has been created by this mainstreaming of the explicit material. But it is not only in women we see this cultural shift as men have also been given an image that the must conform to in order to be the ideal heterosexual man. For both sexes it is clear that the change in sexuality in modern culture has had an effect on what it means to be desirable. If we look at Film as an example of how much sexual propriety has changed. â€Å"It’s a Wonderful Life† is an excellent example of how innocence and passivity were coveted in the 1940s, when the film was released. Donna Reed who plays Mary Hatch is the ideal image of youthful innocence, she is well spoken, young, beautiful and most of all quite passive and naà ¯ve in her sexuality. All we have to do it look at the original Disney princesses and the ones we have now to see how much the ideal passive love struck woman has changed into one of independent mind and sexuality. Where in the past we can see clearly that women were objects to be desired but not to desire themselves, whereas now there are many examples of sexually aware and advanced women in film. ‘Friends with Benefits’, a comedy starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, is about two friends who engage in sex without being married or in a relationship. This film in itself can show how sexuality ha s become less of something to happen in private, as it would have in older films, where the camera would usually fade into the distance or look away, and more something to be broadcasted. Mila Kunis in the film embodies what it means to be a free thinking, sexually independent, heterosexual women, she is beautiful and fierce. Radner (1999: 15) states, ‘the task of the Single Girl is to embody heterosexuality through the disciplined use of makeup, clothing, exercise, and cosmetic surgery, linking femininity, consumer culture and heterosexuality’. His statement shows us how the sexualisation of culture is having a profound effect on the media, where there was once naivety and innocence there is now cleavage and sex. Showing the â€Å"shift from sexual objectification to sexual subjectification† (Gill: 2008, 41). Concerns have been raised over this shift in discourse as not only raises the sexual subjectivity of women but it also excludes many people who do not fit the narrow, homogenised quota of what is means to be feminine and beautiful – young, heterosexual, Caucasian. (Gill, 2009; McRobbie, 2009, Orchbach, 2009) Though some see this as a negative, it can also be seen as an opportunity for which women can now be free to express their sexuality without distain or outrage. If we look at female icons like Lady Gaga or Katy Perry we can see how they use their own sexuality to empower themselves and inspire others. Though there is a fine line between sexual empowerment and sexism. It can be both sexist and empowering to show cleavage, where on one hand it is the women showing she is sexually independent, it can also be seen as sexist because she has to use her sexuality to get the places instead of using other means. If we look at the cultural changes in youth culture we can see how much sexualisation has changed over time and how it has affected the media. Shows like ‘Toddles in Tiaras’ and those like it show how the shift in sexuality has changed how we view the young. It has become almost normal for children to dress sexually, in short skirts and tank tops and covered in make-up. ‘Toddles in Tiaras’ is an example of just how extreme the change in the sexualisation of children has been. In it there a children as young as 4 dressed like they are 30 dancing around the stage. Gill (2007a: 72) contends that ‘[f]or young women today in postfeminist cultures, the display of a certain kind of sexual knowledge, sexual practice and sexual agency has become normative – indeed, a ‘technology of sexiness’ has replaced ‘innocence’ or ‘virtue’’ (p. 72). Even advertising has changed to mirror this new sexualisation of childre n. Toy companies and even lingerie companies have started releasing more sexual merchandise aimed toward the young. Jours Aprà ¨s Lunes launched a Loungerie Line for young girls, the advertising for it consisted of pre-teens dressed in their underwear. The shift in cultural sexualisation has made it a social norm to see young girls flaunting their sexuality. 10-year-old French model Thylane Loubry Blondeau ended up making news headlines when she appeared on the cover of Vogue France in a high-fashion pose many though was too mature and sexual for her age, yet images like this continue to be shown. This is due to the endless bombardment of sexual imagery that is shown to children making them want to look like adults and to look sexy in order to be women. More of print and advertising has become sexualised as we can see when we analyse the covers of the magazine Cosmopolitan. If we look at the cover for the 1894 edition, there isn’t actually an image for the consumer to look at, instead just text detailing what will be in the magazine, much of which is informative and formal. As we move up to 1896 we start to see women being present on the cover, she is dressed formally and again the text shown is not explicit or suggestive in any way. Yet as we move into the 1940s we start to see more idolised images of women, on the cover of 1941 is a beautiful blonde woman with a small amount of shoulder showing, though this can be seen as sexual it is not sexual in a sense that she is showing sexual prowess. The model looks more innocent with baby blue eyes and rosy cheeks inferring innocence, as was desired prior to this decade. Now into the 70s the images and style of the magazine have changed completely, sexual culture has started to shi ft more towards objectification of sexuality as opposed to innocence. Moreover the language on the cover has changed a lot to what it once was, the words are more suggestive of sexuality. The images are becoming â€Å"Less regulated, more commercialized, and more pluralistic sexual culture† (McNair 2002: 11). What we see when we reach the current decade is a clear and obvious indicator as to how much the ideas of what is considered sexual and sexualisation of culture has changed over time and its profound effect on the media. The images are of beautiful women flaunting their beauty while showing off a lot of skin, moreover the text around the images is much blunter and to the point about being sexual. The work ‘Sexy’ is capitalised across the cover of the December 2012 edition and on the March 2013 edition the words ‘your best sex ever’ are captioned along the top. As we can see through the progression of these covers the effect that the change in th e sexualisation of culture has actually had on the media. The constant advertising of this one type of image as the ideal sexually confident woman can be seen ‘as consumers in pursuit of their own pleasures’ (Juffer, 1998:147). Overall we can see that culture, generally, has always been quite sexual in the sense that we have always coveted sex in an intimate way. Yet it has not always been so open and obvious, especially in the media. What we can say is that sexuality has always been present in our society in one form or another whether it be beautiful innocence in the movies or picturesque models on magazines. The major change that we have seen is that instead of it being about sexuality, it has become more about sex itself. With the help of the media sex and sexual behaviour has become a norm in society where once it was a private act. We see it more in the movies and on the covers or magazine and it has become even easier to access online. Our culture is no longer looking for just the image of sexuality in men and women but about the act itself. Magazines and movies are no longer selling the sexy looking models and actors, they are selling sex, and be it in advice columns, perfume adverts or sex scenes i n the movies. Sex sells and the media knows it. Despite the regulations in place to stop the endless flow of sexual images reaching the public, it has become a social norm to be a sexualised person and that is mostly due to the media jumping on the band wagon that is the cultural change in what it means to be sexual and sexy. Bibliography Ariel Levy, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, Free Press, 2005 Cosmopolitan March 1894: Cover. Print. Cosmopolitan May 1896: Cover. Print. Cosmopolitan November 1941: Cover. Print. Cosmopolitan February 1970: Cover. Print. Cosmopolitan December 2012: Cover. Print. Cosmopolitan March 2013: Cover. Print. Evans, D.T. (1993) Sexual Citizenship: The Material Construction of Sexualities. London: Routledge. Gill, R. (2007a) ‘Critical Respect: The Difficulties and Dilemmas of Agency and â€Å"Choice† for Feminism: A Reply to Duits and van Zoonen’, European Journal of Women’s Studies 14(1): 69–80. Gill, Rosalind. (2008). Empowerment/Sexism: Figuring Female Sexual Agency in Contemporary Advertising. Feminine and Psychology. 18 (35), 41. Gill, R. (2009) ‘Beyond the â€Å"Sexualisation of Culture† Thesis: An Intersectional Analysis of â€Å"Six-packs†, â€Å"Midriffs† and â€Å"Hot Lesbians† in Advertising’, Sexualities 12(2): 137– 60 Juffer, Jane (1998) At Home with Pornography: Women, Sex and Everyday Life. New York London: New York University Press. McNair, B, 2002. Striptease Culture: Sex, Media and the Democratization of Desire. 11: Routledge. McRobbie, A. (2009) the Aftermath of Feminism: Gender, Culture and Social Change. London: Sage. Orbach, S. (2009) Bodies. London: Profile Books Radner, H. (1999) ‘Introduction: Queering the Girl’, in H. Radner and M. Luckett (Eds) Swinging Single: Representing Sexuality in the 1960s. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press

Frank Sinatra Essay -- essays research papers

Many people in show business are viewed as role models in our society. Many of these people are just regular men and women that are placed high on a pedestal simply because they can sing or act, hence, becoming all the more famous. Although he was famous and popular in the entertainment world for almost four decades, Frank Sinatra was a singer and actor that had a side to him that not everyone knew. He hid behind the facade of an entirely happy, successful performer, when, in reality, he had many problems that the public was not even aware of. Some of these problems are the same that the average person faces day to day, but many went far deeper than trivial troubles. Some of these specific quandaries had to do with hidden aspects of his personal relationships, hidden connections with criminal elements, and other unknown aspects of his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before even attempting to understand any of this, however, some background information on Sinatra and his family would be helpful. Sinatra came from a family of orthodox Italian heritage. His mother and father were the first of his family to move from Sicily to America and settle down in the “land of the free';. After arriving in the United States, they ended up making their home in Hoboken, New Jersey, a very poor area where people resided with those of their own ethnic background. Their history was very important to the Sinatra family, and good moral values, as well as the importance of a good education, were instilled in all their children. Frank’s parents could barely read or write; that’s why good schooling was a priority to them. Sinatra’s parents looked down on the entertainment business, and with little success, did everything to lure Frank away from his attraction to the glitz and glamour of show business (Sinatra 15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sinatra’s early years were spent in Hoboken, dreaming of a “better life';. Francis A. Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Being members of the Catholic faith, he was not baptized until April 2, 1916. He faced adversity as soon as he was born, nearly dying of birth complications that left him scarred for three months after he was conceived. As, a result of this, he was often bantered by members of his class and children of his neighborhood, who called ... ...e of tribulations throughout life, dealing with his personal relationships, his involvement with criminals, and other aspects of his personal life. Whether he had moral values and good ethics is still debated, but where he is now is not for us to say. He may have had a rough life, one that was not completely honorable to God, but people are not the ones that should be judging Sinatra; that is His job. All sin is the same in the eyes of God, and everyone has the chance to repent and be baptized and forgiven of those sins. Whether or not Sinatra was a Christian, no one really knows, except for God. Sinatra did represent a strong role model to those that thought that they were too poor to become successful in show business. Much to everyone’s belief, he beat the odds and came out on top. He was in the entertainment industry for over forty years, and survived the changes that came and went with the times. He was called “The Voice';, “Chairman of the Board';, and  220;Ol’ Blue Eyes';. People of America dubbed him a legend, and that’s the way he will remain in the hearts and minds of those who appreciated his extraordinary talents. Frank Sinatra Essay -- essays research papers Many people in show business are viewed as role models in our society. Many of these people are just regular men and women that are placed high on a pedestal simply because they can sing or act, hence, becoming all the more famous. Although he was famous and popular in the entertainment world for almost four decades, Frank Sinatra was a singer and actor that had a side to him that not everyone knew. He hid behind the facade of an entirely happy, successful performer, when, in reality, he had many problems that the public was not even aware of. Some of these problems are the same that the average person faces day to day, but many went far deeper than trivial troubles. Some of these specific quandaries had to do with hidden aspects of his personal relationships, hidden connections with criminal elements, and other unknown aspects of his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before even attempting to understand any of this, however, some background information on Sinatra and his family would be helpful. Sinatra came from a family of orthodox Italian heritage. His mother and father were the first of his family to move from Sicily to America and settle down in the “land of the free';. After arriving in the United States, they ended up making their home in Hoboken, New Jersey, a very poor area where people resided with those of their own ethnic background. Their history was very important to the Sinatra family, and good moral values, as well as the importance of a good education, were instilled in all their children. Frank’s parents could barely read or write; that’s why good schooling was a priority to them. Sinatra’s parents looked down on the entertainment business, and with little success, did everything to lure Frank away from his attraction to the glitz and glamour of show business (Sinatra 15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sinatra’s early years were spent in Hoboken, dreaming of a “better life';. Francis A. Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Being members of the Catholic faith, he was not baptized until April 2, 1916. He faced adversity as soon as he was born, nearly dying of birth complications that left him scarred for three months after he was conceived. As, a result of this, he was often bantered by members of his class and children of his neighborhood, who called ... ...e of tribulations throughout life, dealing with his personal relationships, his involvement with criminals, and other aspects of his personal life. Whether he had moral values and good ethics is still debated, but where he is now is not for us to say. He may have had a rough life, one that was not completely honorable to God, but people are not the ones that should be judging Sinatra; that is His job. All sin is the same in the eyes of God, and everyone has the chance to repent and be baptized and forgiven of those sins. Whether or not Sinatra was a Christian, no one really knows, except for God. Sinatra did represent a strong role model to those that thought that they were too poor to become successful in show business. Much to everyone’s belief, he beat the odds and came out on top. He was in the entertainment industry for over forty years, and survived the changes that came and went with the times. He was called “The Voice';, “Chairman of the Board';, and  220;Ol’ Blue Eyes';. People of America dubbed him a legend, and that’s the way he will remain in the hearts and minds of those who appreciated his extraordinary talents.

The Impact of Technology on a Home Schooled Education Essay -- essays

The Impact of Technology on a Home Schooled Education The field of technology is constantly improving, expanding, and changing. Over the past decade, Internet use and web-based communication have sky rocketed, enabling businesses, families, schools, and students to communicate more efficiently. An abundance of information is now available, literally, at the â€Å"click of a button.† This decade-long expansion of technology has had a remarkable impact on the effectiveness of home schooling, making sources available in seconds and instilling valuable life skills in each student that are vital for a successful future in this world of technological growth. The purpose of this research paper is to illustrate the positive impact of emerging technologies on home-schooled children, to demonstrate how technology is improving the effectiveness of these learning environments, and to display the augmentation of educational possibilities for students. The impact of the Internet and the great quantity of its use in public and home schools has grown tremendously over the past decade. Now, many children have the luxury of logging onto an instant messenger program to chat with friends instantaneously or sign into their personal email accounts to check new messages. Years ago, the idea of email was unheard of and unknown of to most. Suddenly it seemed that practically overnight, everyone had a personal email account. With this came the words â€Å"You’ve got mail,† and there began a new era. Email gave home-schooled students the advantage of being able to connect with others students easily. It connected students who live next door to each other to students who live in a complete different country. Email has facilitated the process of ... ...ademic Search/EBSCO database. Eichenlaub, N. (1999, November 28). E-Home Schooling: The Impact of the Internet on Home Schooling. Retrieved March 10 from the World Wide Web: http://www.slais.ubc.ca/people/students/student-projects/N_Eichenlaub/500-WWW/references.htm Strauss, Howard. (1999). The Future of the Web, Intelligent Devices, and Education. Educom Review, Volume 34 Number 4. Retrieved April 15, 2003 from the EDUCAUSE database on the World Wide Web: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/erm9944.html Shemitz, J. (2002, December 29). Jon's Home school Page. Retrieved April 10, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.midnightbeach.com/hs/ Rutkowski, Kathleen. (1998, May/June). Home school Pioneers on the Web. Voices of the Web. Retrieved April 9,. 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/may98/voic0598.htm

Big MAck :: essays research papers

Sunday Night Match – up: Big Mac vs. Whopper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By reading that comparison of the Big Mac and the Whopper, many pros and cons came to mind. For every good thing the Big Mac has, the Whopper doesn’t, and for every good thing the Whopper has, the Big Mac doesn’t. For instance, the Whopper has only one beef patty that is only slightly larger than one of the Big Mac’s 2 beef patties. Both of thee hamburgers are relatively the same price, yet both have different things to offer. The Big Mac’s beef patties are fried, and the Whoppers patties are broiled. The broiled beef patties are better for you healthwise then the fried patties are. The Big Mac still offers more to the customer for the same price though. Or does it? The Whopper only uses 2 slices of bread, while the Big Mac uses 3. The Whopper seems to be better for your health than the Big Mac. Even though it doesn’t offer as much food, the nutritional value would be better for the human consumption. The whopper has brolied beef, which is healthier than the Big Macs Fried beef. The slices of onion that are on top of the Whopper could very possibly add up to be more onion on top of the Big Mac, which would give the consumer more nutrition, and worse breath. Once again the Whopper offers 2-3 slices of tomato while the Big Mac offers lettuce. 2-3 slices of tomato is proven to have better nutrition than 1slice of lettuce. Both ketchup and Mayonnaise are used as toppings on the Whopper. While only â€Å"sauce† is used on the Big Mac. For all we know the Big Mac special sauce could be ground up rat meat

Computer Information Systems Brief Essay

In order for the company to continue to thrive, consideration of growth opportunities will also be analyzed. In addition, the threats that Kudler may encounter if changes are not implemented will also be discussed throughout this evaluation. The owner of Kudler Fine Food stores offer gourmet foods and fine wines all within one location. All store locations offer baked goods, meat, seafood, produce, cheese, dairy products, and wine with little or no preservatives added. The success of Kudler Fine Foods is in part from the systems that the stores have in place. For example, the current computer system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the owner provides training to all employees and is, therefore, understood by all employees. This understanding of the computer system enables the daily operations of the business to thrive as sales increase. As the company moves forward and introduces changes with technological advances, continued employee training is a must with the installation of new hardware and software programs. The number of products that must be accounted for, on a daily basis, at the Kudler locations is extensive. Presently, Kudler’s accounting data is collected by point-of-sale (POS) terminals in each store. The terminals are used as cash registers when customers check-out. The POS system records all sales, items, quantities, prices, taxes and totals for all transactions. â€Å"These intelligent terminals use keypads, touch screens, bar code scanners, and other input methods to capture data and interact with end users during a transaction, while relying on servers or other computers in the network for further transaction processing† (O’Brien & Marakas, 2008, p. 81). Furthermore, functions are available for various types of sales reports to be created with the current system. However, the current system does not meet the needs of the business as the computer system is outdated. Furthermore, the founder of the company, Kathy Kudler, is having great difficulty with monitoring the needs of the three stores and the situation will soon become overwhelming with further expansion. Ms. Kudler needs a computer system that will accommodate her current and future needs for her growing gourmet food business. Currently, each of locations operates with a stand-alone POS system. Ms. Kudler must travel between stores to ensure the managers are meeting her high standards and creates a substantial loss in productivity. The lack of remote access also presents an issue for the future expansion plans for the business. With no way to access accounting, inventory, and sales information, successful expansion will not be possible. Ms. Kudler’s presence is a daily requirement at each location to manage the operations, inventory, sales, etc. and without updated computer technology the company cannot see any further growth. Not only is the company facing limited expansion possibilities, but current security measures are not sufficient. Although Kudler’s present system is password protected and has backup capability, financial information may be in jeopardy. With the implementation of a new system can easily remedy this situation giving added security to the company. In addition to the company’s financial information, protection to the company’s customer base should also be of great concern. In particular, the customer’s credit card information is at high risk. Additional security measures addressing such concerns as passwords, employee identification numbers, and restricting employee personal use must be applied. For example, a proxy server can limit the employee’s internet access to approved websites (Bargranoff, Simkin, & Strand, 2008). Not only will a proxy server prevent counterproductive activity from employees, but it will also limit the exposure to threats from viruses, theft, and internet hackers. There are both strengths and weaknesses with Kudler’s Fine Foods current computer technology practices. Kudler Fine Foods uses the POS system to record sales, items, quantities, prices, taxes and totals for all transactions. However a continuous challenge Ms. Kudler faces is the purchasing of additional inventory. The company uses forecasting, which allows the company to replenish its inventory based upon historical sales information. For the company to monitor its supply, a system must be implemented that will track individual items and allow managers to re-order necessary inventory from this information. The issue with a forecasting inventory system is that the decisions are based upon past performance, 2 to 3 years old. Unfortunately, sales do not follow the same pattern from year to year. In addition, sales from holidays, birthdays, weddings, and the like are not accounted for under the forecasting system. Every year orders will continue to change depending on the economic stability of the state. Furthermore, holidays will not always be on the same day and will subsequently affect the forecasting information. In the event that too much inventory is order, the excess is donated to charity if in good condition, if not the excess is thrown away. Inventory management is crucial due to the perishing potential of the inventory items. It is a delicate balance because to satisfy customers, there must be enough on hand merchandise to avoid sales losses. It is imperative that Kudler Fine Foods increase the use of technology, if the company is to continue to grow and thrive. Most importantly that is a definite need for a network to assist Ms. Kudler with her communication needs between her stores and add updated software to handle the company’s inventory needs. To implement the new technology, funding and training will be required. The procurement of new software will be required for Ms. Kudler and her employees to run effectively and efficiently.

Ethical Non-Objectivism Essay

According to A. J. Ayers, the honorable nouss argon non cognitive in nature and atomic number 18 based on specificity to a granted situation. These discretions can not be evaluated in absolute terms as dead on target or false besides rather on the basis of hardihood or applicability to a given situation. A moral judgement, according to him, is pondering of emotions aroused by a peculiar(prenominal) situation and can hence be classified as valid or invalid rather than as true or false. These judgements are not physical object propositions but they express emotions and are not verifiable.An phone line about the truth or inconstancy of a moral judgement is actually the interpretation based on trial-and-error observations to specific cases thereby constituting a non-objective reality. The validity or the truth and falsity of good judgements can not be found because they are dependent on spirit-experiences and they do not categorically chafe statements but rather give wizards biased opinion towards the situation. The ethical and moral judgements are thus rigorously emotional.Persuasive arguments for moral objectivism do not constitute a proposition since they are based on normative unrestrained reactions and earlier moral conditioning. His key argument against moral objectivism is thus this emotive rejoinder because even if an adversary agrees to facts in a given situation, he might unchanging differ on his moral judgement with the two parties accusing each other of having a distorted moral sense whereas in reality each whitethorn be justified in having their judgements from their emotive experiences.Hence, the takes of moral objectivists on the correctness of their moral evaluations can not be sustain in absolute terms as a propositional claim. Any such claim carries with it a certain emotive case or a sense-experience and so these do not come under the eyeshot of being right or violate as the moral objectivists proclaim. A to a greate r extent sound treatment of these value judgements, Ayer believes is an come near that takes into view an individuals or a groups empirical viewpoints.ReferencesJules Ayer, Alfred. (1952). Language, truth, and logic. Dover Publications.