Article # 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article # 1 - Essay Example There has been a need by health care providers to eliminate duplication, reduce hospitalizations and improve coordination; this has also played a role in escalating cost of financing health care operations. Introduction of point-of-care management case has been crucial in lowering the operational cost in health care facilities as there are few hospital readmissions. Anna (2012) indicates that the strategy has given solid return on investments. Health care providers with strong market heft can negotiate better on high physician services, unlike independent doctors. Despite efforts to conserve energy, there is still a high rate of energy consumption by health care providers, this leads to escalating operational cost because energy is a necessity in the provision of health care (Anna, 2012). Making a personal opinion, the health care facilities will cut down their operational cost by changing their business model to accommodate the changes in technology and the high patient rate. On a rather positive note, there has been a downwards forecast on the spending of Medicare, and this trend will continue for life sciences. Health care operations costs have been on the hike rating the increase at about 50 percent. Partnering by the health care providers would help lower costs and the quality of services (Anna,

Religions (two traditions) and the Modern World Essay

Religions (two traditions) and the Modern World - Essay Example However, almost all religions look for the spread of peace, justice, equality and freedom of thought and action for the sustenance of order in the world, as well as for the moral and spiritual uplift of the humans. Abrahamic religions enjoy very respectable status among the long list of prevailing faiths, which include Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Since all these three faiths regard Abraham as their ancestor and the source of spiritual guidance and inspiration, they are generally called Abrahamic faiths. (Hemeyer, 222) The fundamental set of belief, concept of the Creator, His angels, prophets and heaven and hell-fire etc are almost same in these religions, which distinguish them from the rests of the faiths of the world. Judaism is the oldest of these three faiths, while Islam is the last one among the three. Islam is the second largest religion of the present world, which seeks its origin in the Middle East like its predecessor Abrahamic religions. It has its unique ideology, teachings, methods and manners of worship and basic set of belief. Being the monotheistic faith, Islam vehemently lays stress upon worshipping of One God, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and each and everything existing in it. (Hemeyer, 224) Since God has created humans for His worship, declaring other gods as similar to Allah as well as worthy of adoration is the greatest sin according to Islamic thought. Islamic teachings command the followers of the religion to have unabated and unconditional belief in the Oneness of God, and revering the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the Seal of all the prophets sent by the Lord time and again for the guidance and welfare of humanity. Hence, belief in the Oneness of God, praying to God five times a day, keeping fast, paying Zakat (tax according t o the income), and performing of the pilgrimage of the Sacred House of God (Al-Haraam Mosque situated in the city of Makkah)

Uses and Consequences of the Self Fulfilling Prophecy Essay -- Educati

Uses and Consequences of the Self Fulfilling Prophecy Abstract The Self Fulfilling Prophecy is a concept that should be quite familiar in the classroom, yet is still a mystery to many teachers today. Learning to properly use this idea will ultimately result in higher student scores directly, and on a higher level, will cause students to model the expectations of the teacher and expect much of themselves. This will set students up for highly successful autonomous learning. However, ignorance or improper use of the SFP does not stimulate learning, but may inhibit accomplishment. Teachers must strive to achieve a better understanding of this â€Å"Pygmalion Effect† to create a powerful learning environment. Uses and Consequences of the Self Fulfilling Prophecy The concept of the self-fulfilling-prophecy, renowned as the Pygmalion Effect, is known throughout the education world, but its principles can often be confused, misused, or ignored altogether (Tauber, 1998). If handled wisely, the self-fulfilling-prophecy (SFP) can be a teacher’s most potent tool in constructing success in his/her students. To the same ends, though, it can be an overwhelming suppressor to potentially great talent. Therefore, teachers must strive to find a better understanding of the SFP, shed their inhibiting methods of stereotyping, and begin to use SFP to produce positive effects for all their students, setting them on the road to autonomous learning. Before teachers can do anything to utilize the idea of SFP, they must truly understand it. Study of the topic combined with reflection on personal experience will hone their understanding. Standard research will give teachers a powerful theoretical base from which they can move. Backgro... ...t is due. When it is properly used, it presides over all other areas of education, because the students will find within themselves the motivation to strive to achieve anything set before them. Works Cited: Tauber, Robert T. (1998). Good or Bad, What Teachers Expect from Students They Generally Get! Washington, D.C.: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 426 985) The Pygmalion Effect. Retrieved April 4, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.caritas-corkeryhouse.com/art18.htm Rhem, James (1999). Pygmalion in the Classroom. Retrieved April 4, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9902/pygm_1.htm Churchward, Budd (1986). 11 Techniques for Better Classroom Discipline. Retrieved April 2, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.honorlevel.com/techniques.html

Toy Recall

Mattel is multinational toy company that has been beleaguered by problems involving massive toy recall. Indeed, the company has been announcing product recalls and providing details about them since 1998. In 2007, wooden toys were ordered recalled by the state Department of Consumer Protection because the toys were found to have high lead content. Moreover, the excessive amount of lead found in the toys was considered violations of the federal prohibition on the use of lead paint on children’s toys (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2007). Apparently, the toy was already sold in several stores. Thus, the Department of Consumer Protection instructed customers to return the purchased items to stores for a cash refund (Krechevsky, 2007). Mattel is taking a beating with the repeated product recalls of Chinese-made toys, due to excessive levels of magnet and lead content. The staggering number alone of the toys recalled, coupled with the frequency and short duration in between recalls, is sure to cause damage to the company’s credibility and financial performance (Microsoft, 2008). Reports would show that in the previous year, Mattel recalled 1.5 million Fisher-Price infant toys to be sold all over the world. A few weeks later, Mattel announced another recall order of 9 million toys, such as Polly Pocket dolls, â€Å"Cars† movie souvenir products, and Barbie dolls. Other popular toys that are included in the toy recall are Tanner play sets and action figures of Batman and One Piece Triple Slash Zolo Roronoa action figures. These toys, which were all manufactured in China, are feared for having lead-paint and small magnets that could be swallowed (Microsoft, 2008). Several injuries related to the recalled toys had been reported in the United States, which include the death of one child and the surgery of 19 children since 2003, as a result of the swallowing of little magnets found in the toys. Children who swallow more than one magnet are in danger of intestinal perforation, blockage, or infection caused by the magnet’s attachment to each other. Intestinal perforation requires surgery, and could be fatal (Microsoft, 2008). On the other hand, the high levels of lead content in China-made toys present a different risk. It is not necessarily dangerous for children’s toys to have lead paint. However, there is a limit to the lead content of toys because there should only be a maximum of 0.6 percent of lead that is accessible to users. Children who are exposed to more than 0.6 percent of lead could ingest the toxic substance (Microsoft, 2008). These frequent and massive toy recalls would create a huge dent on the company’s credibility among consumers, specifically parents. This would easily translate into huge losses in terms of profit. Thus, Mattel is trying very hard to convince parents not to lose trust in the company. The company is undertaking campaigns such as full page ads at popular newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times, in order to convince parents that they should still be trusted to provide entertaining and safe toys for children (Microsoft, 2008). Officials of the company say that they started investigating as soon as they learned of potential problems with the toys in late July of the previous year. Bob Eckert, the chief executive of Mattel, declared in a press conference that the company is exerting effort to beef up its oversight and testing procedures in its production processes. Thus, they expect to recall more toys to protect the public. Testing in the high levels as the company is currently doing, it cannot be guaranteed that there would be no more recalls this year. In order to help consumers who may have concerns and questions about toy recalls, Mattel set up an online site where such concerns could be ventilated (Microsoft, 2008). The company’s response to the toy recalls is to counteract the damage done. Thus, they spent resources in printing huge and expensive ads in popular newspapers in order to reach out to their primary consumers, or the parents. They try to convince parents that their foremost priority is the safety of the consumers’ children, and the toy recalls are steps in the right direction towards protecting children. Mattel’s lack of objection, and instead, full cooperation and support for the toy recalls shows that the company is taking full responsibility for the situation, and that they are not shirking from their responsibility to the consumers. The company’s actions send a strong message that they know that something is wrong, but they are doing all that are necessary to address the problem. Moreover, the establishment of a hotline and a website that would provide relevant information to all concerned is a responsible initiative that shows how serious Mattel is in helping out consumers. In the given situation, Mattel could not have handled the situation in a better manner. An irresponsible manager would try to keep the controversy under wraps in order to avoid humiliation and damage to the company’s reputation. However, it is better to address the issue head-on in order for the company to maintain the customers’ trust and confidence. If I were an official for Mattel, I would put more vigor to the campaign and marketing of Mattel products. I would not stop at newspaper advertisements and appeal to the intellect of parents; rather, I would again tap into the interests of children so that they would want Mattel’s products. This way, parents would feel pressure from children to reconsider Mattel as a toy producer. Before Mattel took a definite course of action, it was possible that they considered to keep the controversy a secret. They could have taken a risk in not recalling products and simply hope that no injury would result. They could have chosen to be irresponsible. However, such alternative action would have resulted in more damage in the credibility of the company. If such act were discovered, it would make the company appear greedy and selfish, without regard for the health and safety of its consumers. Therefore, Mattel’s strategy of coming out in the open, supporting the recalls, and providing support to consumers, is the best strategy possible in the given circumstances. References Customer Expectations. The Business Information Revolution, 65-77. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   February 8, 2008, from jsessum.com/samples/WP-enterpulse.pdf Krechevsky, D. (2007). State recalls robot toy due to lead levels. American-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Republican Inc. Retrieved February 8, 2006 Mattel Inc. (2007). Product Recalls. Retrieved February 8, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp Microsoft. (2008). Mattel issues new massive China toy recall. Retrieved February 8,    2008, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20254745/ U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2007). Fisher Price Recalls Go Diego Go   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boat Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard. Retrieved February 8, 2008                                                   

The Unnatural Act of Leadership, Book Review Essay

Odilia Bergh, Peachtree City Police Department Human Resource Management and Development The Unnatural Act of Management February 26, 2013 I began this book like most books, with great anticipation that it was going to be amazing, why else would a qualified instructor assign it. I assumed that it would be a shining example of the finest managerial principals in existence all compacted into a simple to read text with plenty of graphs and helpful handouts. I was certain that I would be a more effective leader for having read it.I spent time strategizing how I would write my paper with great enthusiasm. Then, I read the book. In the first few pages I found myself so caught up with the character development that I quickly lost sight of the big picture. I mean how could I be expected to believe that any one person could accurately describe an entire management team with such accuracy. Richard Thompkins’ descriptions and predictions were almost humorous. His intuition into his co-wo rkers was uncanny. From their personal relationships to the weaknesses in one fail swoop. I wanted to meet Richard myself.As the story developed I later appreciated the lack of filler material as the characters were introduced and it also made for a quick refresher when I was trying to predict who was going to be effected next by Brent’s plans. I quickly became invested in the ninety day project. I could recognize this was a process being explained with the assistance of a story, or a true manager refusing to have an editor alter his vision. Regardless, I decided to step back and focus on the big picture, the actual process of examining an existing managerial team and operations to evaluating its effectiveness through strong managerial principals.Off we went. Learning about the people you are working with, their qualifications and personality traits is imperative. Understanding how they’re perceived by their peers is critical. Richard Thompkins’ descriptions wer e no more than his perception regardless how accurate they might have been. The second part of the equation is the one on one interaction with individuals to develop our own opinions and â€Å"assumptions†. As I began to understand the characters I couldn’t help but begin to assign them new names, names associated with people I work with even myself at times.For the sake of this paper I’ll make up names and rank. Moving into the early chapters I found that my Chief aligns himself strongly with many of the theories and practices that Brent spoke of from conducting effective meetings to managing work stress effectively. Unfortunately prior to his arrival our organization struggled to follow some basic principles that are imperative for success. Basics like â€Å"Read, Listen, Discuss, Observe, or Think. † As police officers, â€Å"read† stands out as an exceptional oddity. The term â€Å"assumptions† was also introduced early in the book and I felt it needed to be developed in more detail.In retrospect, I believe I struggled with the actual term used as â€Å"assumptions† as it has always had a negative connotation to me. Who hasn’t heard the phrase, â€Å"When you assume you make and ass out of you and me? † Regardless, I did recognize that assumptions as introduced are made through communication, making it imperative that effective communication occur to reach valid â€Å"assumptions†. As with any ideas or assumptions they can be altered rather quickly by a number of factors that arise. Understanding this and managing them closely will avoid mistakes to having any major or lasting impact.As employees grow and learn, regardless of rank or title, our assumptions of their abilities might lag or be clouded unless we are constantly communicating. I feel that managing by assumptions can be more effective if you understand who you are dealing with, regardless if you like them personally or not. I a lso recognize that assumptions can easily be influenced by emotions if it’s not monitored properly. I can recognize my growth as manager significantly in this area. I pride myself on making good assumptions based on factual information available to me.I value the decision making process more now that I align myself more clearly with upper management than the mind set of line officers. As a first line supervisor I fill in the blanks when the plans and processes have been identified. I recognize the overall need to establish goals and objectives that are clear and measurable but as a first line supervisor I usually find myself making suggestions and providing raw data which is manipulated and interpreted above my position. Chapter six, I read the title and got excited, What is Management and When Are You Managing?Yes, now we are getting somewhere! I found some truth early on, kind of†¦ Stanley had the position that you learn to be a good manager by managing not by going to school. Before I was promoted years ago I had already obtained my four year degree in Business Management and Organizational Leadership so I felt somewhat prepared. Denial is a nice zip code. Within months of being promoted to Sergeant I was escorted to private meeting room by the two senior officers on my newly appointed team. Truly I don’t remember what they said, but the feeling resonates to this day.YOU KNOW NOTHING, BE QUIET, LISTEN, LEARN AND THEN MAYBE WE WILL LET YOU LEAD. I felt humbled, they had been respectful but firm and the message was clear†¦this was going to be much harder than I thought. I agree that it is very unnatural to decide to produce results through others, especially if we’re better qualified to produce them. I had been a â€Å"go getter- kick ass and tell my backup to take names† kind of officer. As a supervisor the concept that others were going to produce results for me was foreign, I didn’t even know it existed. Educati on would have been beneficial at that point but I didn’t learn that in college.So for that continuing education would have been welcomed, however I may have not been ready to learn the lesson regardless if I had heard it. I loved the management term given in this book. â€Å"Management is a mental process of establishing, and then indirectly achieving the right objectives in the right priority sequence and with sufficient resources. † I have got to admit I felt like that was right on. Over the years I have worked on some level of this definition, but found that at times my priorities were off, or my resources were insufficient or simply the sequence was just not right.I have absolutely no problem in making a decision, with haste. Now I can’t guarantee that it will be a correct decision but as the years pass and the management process becomes more clear my assumptions become more accurate. Of course we should all be tweaking assumptions constantly. Recently our o rganization has been revamping tons of policies, to streamline and make things more efficient. One policy stands out when I think if this management term. As a patrol division we now have a written policy that says that no team can drop below the minimum staffing requirement of six officers.As a patrol supervisor my current team only has seven officers assigned with one deployed over seas. Immediately the problem should be apparent. Each officer is required to flex four hours each pay period, attend training, mange overtime, and ensure vacation time is not carried over. I constantly hear other sergeants complaining that they are below staffing and that they can not operate their teams effectively. They constantly deny leave and training requests which only discourages the officers and causes dissent.I strive not to bring any attention to my team’s situation because if you provide a problem to another manager they are going to solve it, but probably not to your liking. I simpl y flex my team out in the early hours of the morning when there’s minimal, to no call load, and they’re tired anyway. I communicate with the traffic unit supervisor to supplement traffic officers to allow my officers time to attend training. Rarely does a traffic officer have to pick up a call but it allows me not to violate the policy intentionally.I understand that resources are limited and I know my commanders are aware of the problem so reiterating it to them seems counter productive and unnecessary because I feel that we have sufficient resources. I was pleased to read the general rule that said, â€Å"the better the manager, the fewer resources required to be sufficient. † Amen. I believe my organization has shifted the mindset to that of one that measures a good manager/supervisor by the results that are being produced indirectly through our managerial resources.Being encouraged to show ownership while expected to shoulder the responsibility is a welcomed change. I agree that a good manager can manage anything. The next section spoke of determining the difference between stubbornness and persistence; I have to admit I began to sweat. Make no mistake I know that I can be stubborn and quite persistent and no one likes to look in the mirror in the morning. But as I read on I breathed a bit of a sigh. I quickly felt safe, knowing that when I make set an objective that I can’t obtain I will not let it ruin me, and I will bow out, gracefully if possible.I attribute this to an older brother that beat me at EVERYTHING my whole life. As for persistence, I think the word I use is â€Å"heart†. If a person has â€Å"heart† they can overcome almost any other deficiencies, from talent to skill and almost common sense (almost). I think of a wonderful officer I had the privilege of supervising right out of the academy. I seem to get the â€Å"tough ones† but being that I thrive when challenged, and lavish in chaos, I wa s pressed to perform. This officer arrived and with a thick accent and introduced himself.Apparently English was his third language, being from Thailand he struggled with the most basic cultural rituals we enjoy. Even Google was a foreign term. Each night we all worked to help him with everything from his radio traffic to his very poor sense of directions. He would fail, miss the mark, slip, forget, get lost, get made fun of, but he never gave up. He arrived early each night and left late every morning. He smiled, thanked those who helped him graciously, smiled at those who hurt him, smiled at those who he could help and had more heart than any other officer I had ever worked with.He constantly asked questions, never fell into despair and with his determination made everyone respect him. His fortitude was impressive. He says I was his mentor and I taught him so much but I can’t take credit for making him successful because to be honest he taught me every bit as much. He made my need to learn patience rewarding. Under other circumstances I would have resented someone that needed so much assistance to simply function as a first responder. He showed me it was worth the time and effort to give people all you can to help lift them up.He made that lesson for me digestible, even enjoyable. I am proud of the officer he is today, so proud I’m writing about him years later while working on a ten page college paper on management. So as the book progresses Brent is starting to show his managers that he can make good assumptions. He values and encourages communications. He strives to include and share his thought process with his staff. Now this is certainly a new concept at my organization. Initially when my Chief would begin to explain his thought process I would grimace thinking that when he finished he was going to yell, â€Å"There ya happy! But he never did instead, he looked at me and would ask what I thought. I remember having to condition myself to be prepared to actually participate in the process instead of simply walking away wondering what in God’s good name is rolling around in that little mans beady little mind. I thought that very thing quite frequently under my old Chief. I on the other hand had been chastised for explaining myself too much and giving too much information to my officers. Apparently just telling them to do something was suppose to be sufficient since they were being compensated so heavily financially.I felt that if your subordinates and supervisors for that matter, knew your frame of mind and your thought process they could better manage their â€Å"assumptions† (hope you’re proud of me for using the term properly). In turn they could predict your decisions more quickly and learn to make better ones themselves as a result. Span of control was a relevant topic that I found mid way through. Recently our organization was restructured, removing three captains from the top of our command structure. As a first line supervisor I was not effected drastically however my supervisor has shifted completely away from his prior position.With no lieutenants on the patrol shift I find myself with more span of control, unfortunately I feel my support is all but gone. I report to someone I rarely see and no longer have immediate feedback. I recognize the change was necessary and I am striving to find a balance. As for Brent by this point he’s gotten the managers in his corner, he‘s taking calculated risks, or should I say managing effectively by assumptions. His leadership has been almost too perfect in my opinion. No big blunders he never misspoke and was always right. After supervising for twelve years I’m going to call the flag.I recognize that my Chief is a good manager because he says that everyone makes mistakes and all you have to do is sit down and watch for a while and you’ll see one. Maximizing Your Leverage with Direct Producers seemed like a lofty way to say, get your people to work for you. The title was a little pretentious but the chapter was actually one of my favorites. As first line supervisors I’ve grown to simply accept that many direct producers (patrol officers) will never develop a good understanding of management so I work towards building the relationship between them and myself to bridge the gap.I have always excelled and developing loyal relationships based on mutual trust. Unfortunately when trust, the foundation for me is missing, the relationship is essentially doomed. It will be superficial and dysfunctional. For this reason I hold honesty, trust, and moral fortitude in the highest regards as I develop relationships with my co-workers. I feel these three ingredients are our water, oxygen and food we need to survive. Regardless if subordinates understand why your asking them to perform a task, they will perform it for no other reason than you have demonstrated your dedicated to their survival .I have learned over the years that I am not responsible for their happiness that is their responsibility. There was a very interesting couple of paragraphs that outlined the differences between supervisors and managers and he hit the nail on the head when he discussed the first line producers view of the two. It is like the twilight zone. I know that my officers see the sergeants as part of the command staff, however, command staff see sergeants more aligned with the officers. This does pose a difficult position for sergeants who are continuously left out of the communication loop.I always say if you want me to manage your rumors you have to feed me some valid information. Without that, I’m forced to manage rumors by more misinformation. At least I can mange my own rumors better than those of others. As a first line manager I have finally figured out that my primary duty is to make my officers feel important. I think that could have summed up that chapter. Considering I have a few pages left I’ll expound a bit since I feel this is where my forte lies. Again, twelve years ago I was clueless; I thought if I could show the guys how great I was they would want to follow me.Instead I learned that if I show them how great they are they will follow me. The biggest compliment I got was when an officer said, in shift change, that he would run into a brick wall if I asked him to. He added that he figured the wall would fall because why else would I order him to go. I was flattered that he would blindly follow my order, however he also indicated that he respected how I make assumptions (I used it again, gotta be worth 10 points). As an inexperienced supervisor I was concerned about each person liking me, the person they were interacting with. I would adjust for each individual subordinate accordingly.I reflect back and can say that that it was not in the way of a servant leader but more of a teenager who wanted to be liked and accepted. With the years I le arned that I was more effective when I was myself. I am a Christian, wife, mother of four, who happens to hold a position at an organization that requires me to guide, teach, and hold myself and others accountable for our actions. That simplified life drastically. I stay enthusiastic about my career, usually. I never ask anyone to do something I’m not prepared to do myself and I accept responsibility when I make mistakes.I respect those who handle my mistake effectively and use them for what they are, chances to learn. I find disciplining subordinates exciting and challenging. Nothing satisfies me more than to handle a discipline session so effectively that the subordinate still wants to engage me in a personal conversation. The Motivation of Inspiration, deep. I mentioned that our organization went though a drastic structure change recently. I also mentioned that I don’t have the luxury of a lieutenant working with me. On weekends I am alone and during the peak hours of 4:30pm to 7:30pm I have no assistance.The lieutenants developed their own hours and selected 7:00am-3:00pm and 7:00pm to 3:00am. However with the limited supervisors their schedules are constantly changing. Upon returning from a 6 weeks recovery from a foot operation I attempted to meet with my lieutenant on several occasions. I wanted to get an official update on how my team had done along with an update on what was going on with the organization. I had been away from work and had developed some doubts about my current career path. After a few days my lieutenant learned that I was meeting with someone above his rank.He came to me and I confirmed that he had not made me a priority. Frustrated and betrayed he told me that making me â€Å"happy was not his job†. I corrected him and assured him he was not responsible for my happiness but was responsible for my career development. I asked him what he felt his priorities were and he wiggled his finger towards the sky in a circl e and said, â€Å"this†. Not clear on his term I asked him to define it. He again said, this, the organization. I asked him to define who he felt made up the organization. He got even more frustrated and raised his voice.I asked him to lower his voice and improve his argument. He said he didn’t know what I wanted from him, adding that I was a sergeant he knew could handle anything. I explained it like this to him. My job is to check and fill my guys’ gas tanks as needed each shift. His job, was to fill mine, and I was running on fumes. I conceded that I was a hybrid and could go farther than others but eventually would need fuel. Now, that doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with my vehicle it just needs to be maintained. I think he understood and we both agreed to keep working on communicating with each other.I also believe that people will rise to our expectations of them, another key element in motivating others. I have seen officers that struggle with other supervisors arrive on my shift defeated, ready to continue their struggles. I like to immediately empower them with some responsibilities. Certainly something they can succeed at, and then shower them with praise. The cycle then continues, elevating their tasks and responsibilities exponentially until they believe in the person I have told them I see. I had an officer who struggled with making decisions and his self esteem was shattered with all the discipline he’d received.Being a very emotional person, he took discipline from his prior supervisor as a personal attack. I immediately gave him the responsibility to inspect vehicles when he arrived on my shift. At first he called with question after question. I encouraged him to complete all his inspections and upon completion we would address any questions he had. Inevitably in meeting with the other seven officers on his team many of his questions were resolved and he arrived with few questions and the completed inspec tions. I praised his resourcefulness and assigned him the task for the upcoming month.He was excited to have a leadership role and began to act accordingly. With time he grew to be confident his decision making abilities and learned to accept discipline sessions from me as learning opportunities. Now this leads me into the marginal employee. They are out there and what a pain! I have learned much when dealing with this mess. For years I had a marginal employee working under me. She was not only marginal but she was high maintenance. Now to correct that statement, she was capable of working hard if she was â€Å"happy†. So what did the under educated but highly experienced supervisor that I was do, that’s right I kept her â€Å"happy†.I managed her emotionally to motivate her professionally. Sounds easy enough huh? Unfortunately maintaining her happiness was utterly draining and was a daily time consuming venture. But I felt that proving that I could get impressi ve results out of a marginal employee would validate my ability to supervise. Boy was I dead wrong. I remember Brent giving the lesson in the book that brought it all back. Put those problems right back on them he explained, remove that unnecessary stress from yourself. I was moved away from that officer and she tanked with the next supervisor.Of course she blamed him but I knew better. In the last month the teams were again moved around and after two years she would be reassigned to me. Believing that I could save her from her impending termination, if she could not turn it around, she began our first conversation with how happy she was to be working with me again, blaming her last supervisors for all her problems. She then admitted that she was upset with me because I had not accepted her Facebook request. I took that very moment to make the path ahead very clear to her. I told her in no uncertain terms that I would not be managing her happiness.I would however be holding her acco untable for her actions. I also told her that my Facebook was not a topic for discussion. She chose to become insulted instead of enlightened. Within three weeks of being reassigned to my shift she resigned after sixteen years. I know I was not the reason, but I also feel she lost the comfort she was envisioning on my team. I must say that although personally I liked this person, as I supervisor I was ecstatic she chose to leave the organization. Conveniently a few chapters later I came across a section to deal with problem employees.I felt enamored with the comment that marginal employees are the greatest waste of time, money and opportunities within an organization. I have learned that first hand. Being that I have reached ten pages and don’t want to be too much of an overachiever I want to focus the criticizing of others and termination of employees. I was very surprised when I read that Barbara was scared to fire Chuck. Barbara’s character development didn’t foreshadow that insecurity. Regardless Brent knew exactly what to say and was able to convince Barbara to handle a situation immediately after their pep talk.Now I can go on and on about several other topics that arose in the latter pages (especially Stress Transfer) but I’m going to close with this, I enjoyed the lessons shared in this book. However I wouldn’t recommend anyone read this book unless they are borrowing it from me. My book has received full scrutiny and I have highlighted all the pertinent lessons, motivational quotes, managerial theories and terms so there is no need to read all the filler. By the way, I truly think that Brent wears Superman underwear everyday.

How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play Essay Example

How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play Essay Example How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play Paper How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play Paper Essay Topic: A Streetcar Named Desire Literature Williams uses many dramatic devices to develop the play as a tragedy including: symbolism, stage directions and sounds. A Streetcar Named Desire can be seen as a modern domestic tragedy as the characters are not of noble birth and the play has specific focus on a female protagonist and anti-heroine, in this case Blanche. Blanche is often difficult to have an affinity with as she can come across as snobbish and over dramatising however, her fragility leads her to be a truly tragic figure much like that of Ophelia in Hamlet. Both characters are destroyed by the death of their loved ones and both suffer deaths themselves; albeit, in different ways. Williams uses symbolism to great effect within the play. In scene 1 the stage directions describe Blanche as â€Å"a moth†. William’s uses stage directions as a crucial dramatic device, making them highly detailed so when performed on stage it could be exactly as described; they became a signature of his. Instantly, a scene of tragedy is set as a moth is fragile however essentially a creature of self destruction, in its quest towards light it often ends up destroying itself. This sense of foreshadowing intensifies the tragedy from the very beginning, suggesting no matter what Blanche does, or how hopeful things are the outcome will not be pleasant. Blanches journey on the streetcar is an important metaphor. ‘They told me to take a street- car named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields’ This journey represents her life, used therefore is a type of foreshadowing, highlighting the inevitability of her descent into madness. The ‘street-car name Desire’ signifies her life at Belle Reve, her desire led her to her advances on the seventeen year old student and prostitution which forced her out, her â€Å"desire† being her hamartia. ‘Cemeteries’ has obvious connotations of death, of which Blanche has witnessed many: ‘The long parade of the graveyard! Father, mother’, it could perhaps represent the death of her old self. Elysian Fields is a reference to Greek Mythology; the place where worthy mortals rested after death. Because Blanches ‘old’ self died in Laurel she travels here to find her Elysium, however it is not found. Fate is also shown in this journey when Stanley says â€Å"her future is mapped out for her† suggests that she can’t change paths. This is backed up by Stella â€Å"In the first place, Blanche wouldn’t go on a bus† it is implied that whereas a bus is free to go wherever, a Streetcar has one destination. Blanche takes the Streetcar to Elysian Fields and so cements her downfall. This idea of inevitability links directly to Aristotle and Hegel’s theories of tragedy in which Aristotle talks about its necessity and Hegel too for the drama to attain tragic status and ‘arouse pity or fear in the spectators’ and by doing so ‘purge those emotions’ at the end, otherwise known as catharsis. The symbol of â€Å"light† is among the most significant aspects of the play. In Scene 1 Blanche says â€Å"Turn that over-light off†¦ I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare†. This idea of shying away from the light is carried on, with Blanche covering a naked bulb with a paper lantern in Scene 3 stating â€Å"I can’t stand a naked light bulb any more than I can a rude remark or vulgar action†. This action of covering the light so she is in part darkness suggests that she is hiding implying that Blanche would rather hide behind polite phrases and false pretences, rather than accept truth and reality. Blanche lives in a world of delusions. In scene six she says â€Å"I don’t want realism†¦I want magic†. She doesn’t want to face the truth; she’d rather stay in her world of fantasy, in the dark. In a more literal way, Blanche’s avoidance of the light is due to her fear of people seeing her clearly, in terms of age. The paper lantern is a flimsy thing which cannot last; merely cast a romantic glow temporarily while keeping the truth in shadow, however eventually it will be removed. This symbol is used as foreshadowing. The lantern protects her from the harsh realities of her life and when Stanley rips it off in the final scene she â€Å"cries out† as Stanley has stripped her metaphorically and she is forced into the light, into destruction. Though it is not a literal death it is a death of a sort, perhaps more tragic than that of a literal one. Williams knew personally about death of the mind, as his sister Rose suffered severe mental issues and was later given a full frontal lobotomy. Williams was in fact first going to end the play with Blanche throwing herself under a train, so perhaps he thought that her descent into total madness was more relevant tragedy for a modern age. Blanche is symbolic of illusions whereas Stanley of the truth and realism, these differences causes constant conflict between the two characters as they vie for Stella’s affections, the two cultures can be seen as the metaphor for the play and the battle between the old South and the new industrialising America. Blanche’s desperation for people to believe her lies causes the audience to feel distinct pity towards her whereas before it might have been annoyance at her snobbish attitudes. She seems entirely deluded at this point and almost a pathetic and tragic figure. Williams also uses dramatic irony in scene seven where Blanche sings Paper Moons in the bath suggesting her hope in a future with Mitch rests on him believing in her illusions however, the audience are then allowed revelations about her past from Stanley. He reveals her past and then divulges that he has also informed Mitch of the information; which Blanche does not know, creating a scene of dramatic irony as the audience listen to Blanche fantasise about a future that will never become reality. Blanche has lost any hope of a secure future. The fact that the audience are able to witness more than Blanche herself causes a dramatic tension within the audience. Blanche recedes into complete madness and illusion. As she can no longer deal with reality, she is sent to a mental asylum. Stella is essentially doing the same thing, she cannot believe Blanche’s story so ignores it. The audience have seen Blanche lie and even admit to it, and it is tragic that at the point she tells the truth and acknowledged reality no one believes her. Blanche’s decent into madness could be linked to Hamlet perceived madness as initially it was caused by the death of those around her at Belle Reve and Hamlets due to the death of his father, following this Blanche then had to battle for her sisters affections like Hamlet had to battle for his mothers. Both characters were damaged by the ones they loved in some way or another. Finally, Tennyson uses much music in the play, one of the most obvious examples of this being Blanches song in scene 7. She sings â€Å"Its only a paper moon, Just as phony as it can be. But it wouldnt be make-believe If you believe in me. † Blanche is almost admitting to her lies in a way, acknowledging her stories and herself as â€Å"phony† however, suggests that if enough people believe it and in her they can become true. The lyrics of the actual song explain how love turns the world into a fictitious fantasy. The speaker sings of how if both lovers believe in their fantasy then it will no longer be ‘make-believe’; reflecting how Blanche leads her life, she sees her lie as merely a means of living a more enjoyable life and as harmless †I don’t tell the truth. I tell what ought to be the truth†. Ophelia’s madness in Hamlet is similar to this as it is represented through songs and a close association with flowers, this is similar to Blanche’s repetition of the polka and the song of the Spanish woman selling â€Å"flowers for the dead†. The Varsouviana Polka was the song Blanche was dancing to with her husband just before he committed suicide, and it is heard- by Blanche only – at points in the play when she is feeling remorse for his death. It is first heard in scene one after Stanley asks about her husband, then in scene two it is heard when Blanche tells the story of her ill-fated marriage to Mitch. Later on in the play she says that the music only stops after she hears the gunshot. As Blanche descends into madness the polka plays more and more frequently to symbolise this tragic descent. The polka and the moment it represents are a symbol of Blanche’s loss of innocence, Greys suicide was what prompted her mental decline and since then she hears the tune whenever she begins to slip into illusion and lose grip on reality, hence it playing more often towards the end of the play. Contrastingly, Stanley is represented by the music of New Orleans; Jazz. These different types of music are representative of the respective characters, also of the social and historical situation at the time in that Blanche represents a fading Southern belle, and fading morals whereas, Stanley the ‘American Dream’. The play finishes with ‘the swelling music of the blue piano’ rather than Blanche’s polka; showing how this new America is the future. The same message is embodied in the rape. Together these devices make a truly moving and tragic play in which a descent into madness is the â€Å"death† required in tragedy as a genre. Music emphasises important moments in the play and allows the audience insight into the mind of Blanche. Williams use of symbols is also significant in stressing the tragedy of the play as they foreshadow the unpleasant ending and Blanche’s downfall.

Use Modal Verbs With Care

Use Modal Verbs With Care Use Modal Verbs With Care Use Modal Verbs With Care By Maeve Maddox English, like other Germanic languages, makes use of a special class of verbs called modals: can, dare, may, must , need, ought, shall, will. Modals serve useful functions in expressing various tenses, moods, and conditions, but they can have an insidious effect on ones writing. The topics I write about mostEnglish usage and educationare modal minefields. Its difficult to express opinions about these topics without falling prey to words like must, should, need, and ought. Ex. Politicians must do this. Teachers ought to do that. Speakers should say this. Modals tend to cut off discussion. They close the subject. They create resentment and hostility. Consciously or unconsciously the reader wonders, Why must I? Why should I? Why ought I? Few people enjoy being told what to do in an imperious manner. Modals leap onto the page when we feel strongly about a subject. The challenge to the writer is to find words that will convey the importance of an idea without hitting the reader over the head with modals. Instead of telling your readers what they ought to do, look for words that lead them to embrace the ideas you are presenting. Conclusion: Writers should avoid modal verbs in their writing. OOPS! Writers achieve greater clarity and offend fewer readers by avoiding modal verbs in their writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational Writing40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Wood vs. Wooden

Building Positive Relationships in Children Essay Example for Free

Building Positive Relationships in Children Essay To help your child understand feelings you could do a feeling chart or make a feeling tree in your home. To make a feelings chart just draw out faces with how there expression might be when they are feeling that way an do the expressions yourself when showing them. This will give your child a better understanding of their feelings and how they can express them through facial expressions. For a feeling tree its much the same idea as a feeling card but you just take in a branch from a tree and stick the faces with the expressions on it. this will help a child express themselves when they can’t do it through facial expressions. Buy them some books with plenty of colourful pictures with the theme of friendship and them to them.this will help show them how nice it is to have friends and how to make them and keep them. It is only after the age of three that children can incorperate other children into their playtime activities so at around this age ask other parents if they would like to make a playdate for their child and yours n a regular basis.this will get your child used to other childrens company.you can also talk about what they did together at dinner or quiet time alone and encourage them to do it again. To help your child with communication you need to be a good example to them.talk to them as much as you can about your day and ask how theirs was.even talking about their favourite tv programme would be good as they will be more likely to talk about something that they’re interested in. To teach them about respect you need to set a good example for this as well. Giving them boundaries will also help and treating them with respect will encourage them to do the same to you. Factors that impact/Motivate children Tou tourself have a major impact on your child.they learn from how you react to situations and other peaople and will use this as a guide for themselves. Also the tv programmes that they watch will make an impact on them and can also motivate them to try new things that they wouldn’t of thought of themselves. . Building Positive Relationships in Children. (2016, Dec 08). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Leadership & Change Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership & Change - Coursework Example An argument against this point of view that I think is important is the fact that in most cases the manager and the leaders who are in the organization’s higher positions are the drivers of change. These are people who can analyze think and develop the behavioral changes that can influence the individuals who bring the resistance to change (Mullins, 2010, pg.31). I believe it is the role the managers to changes in an effective way. They have to develop some individual management skills. They should be sense maker and sense giver. Through effective communication, they can translate the changes. They can also minimize the anxiety of the employees through sharing the information and discussing the needs and the advantages of the change (Rubin, et al.2010, pg.217-9). A leadership style that is democratic can reduce the opposition and assist to in getting an easy acceptance. Whenever empathy is displayed by the leader, those employees who are scared of change will embrace the change process voluntarily. The industries such as advertisement, PR and media require a constant change. And for the globalised competition survival, the other industries have to bring in some change. I would recommend the Lewi’s Change Management model because many people prefer and work within given zones of safety. The model is also is easy to use, and a lot of organizations use this model to implement major changes (Ibarra & Hansen, 2011,pg.69-70). It has three stages; 2. Translation – Immediately change has been initiated, the company goes to the translation period, and this may take some time. Efficient leadership and reassurance is important for this process to succeed. The General Electrics managed some important changes its work culture at the time of transformational leadership tenure. Charles Handy’s framework was utilized to identify the cons of autocratic culture in its organizational

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 15

Project Management - Essay Example This can be embraced to improve the look and feel of the hotel. The main aim of this project is to redesign Hotel Sun Beach to give it a modern look yet at the same time preserving its cultural historical look to enable it maintain its status as the main tourist attraction in the region. This will only be achieved by focusing on different areas of the hotel that finally makes it up as a whole. Since time in memorial, Hotel Sun Beach has been the main tourist attraction in the region. This has enabled it offer exceptional services which are being financed from its own income from tourists. To maintain its status and offer even better services, it has become vital to improve its image both from the inside and the outside, something that can only be achieved from a carefully planned process focused to make it maintain a position second to none. This project is directed towards achieving exactly that. The success of any project is always determined by how well tasks have been planned and executed to achieve the overall objective set for the project as a whole. The extent to which these activities and tasks can be executed within a project is what is termed as the project scope. In order for one to ensure that they remain within the project scope throughout the project life, it is important for them to adopt a predetermined sequence of events each of which is directed towards achieving a predetermined deliverable or project milestone. This series of predetermined events within a project is called a project methodology. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, (USDA FSA, 2009), a project lifetime processes can be grouped into five (5) groups which can be executed multiple times throughout the life of the project. The five groups which have been extracted from the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Methodology are: To ensure that the project does not deviate away from its objectives, PRINCE2 project

STRATEGIC SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT Essay

STRATEGIC SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT - Essay Example p.141.). An organization with strong supply chain integration can easily achieve competitive advantage resulting in efficient performance of the operational activities. According to Dolgui and Proth, â€Å"a supply chain is a global network of organizations that cooperate to improve the flaws of material and information between suppliers and customers at the lowest cost with the highest speed† (Dolgui and Proth, (2010), p.113). The primary objective of supply chain management is to provide high satisfaction to the customer group through effective operational processes. The task of managing efficient supply chain for meeting its objectives is known as supply chain management (SCM). Monezka and colleagues defined SCM as a concept â€Å"whose primary objective is to integrate and manage the sourcing, flow, and control of materials using a total system perspective across multiple functions and multiple tiers of suppliers† (Mentzer, 2001, p.8). Retail market is a service industry where finished goods are sold to the final consumers. The core operational activity of a retailer is to provide service to customers by selling products manufactured by different organizations. Therefore, in retailing business, the activities related to supply chain are of paramount importance. Hence, managing supply chain in retail business is more challenging as it determines the level of consumer satisfaction. The primary objective of this paper is to analyze the supply chain related issues of the supermarket and to develop a relevant and valid supply chain management for retailing business. The SWOT analysis of supermarket will help to realize its current position for framing its supply chain model. In order to support the proposal, two relevant research papers related to supply chain will be explained. Finally, the paper will be concluded by offering valid recommendations on the basis of the analyses and

How Virgin Atlantic Advertise itself in the UK and Los Angeles Essay

How Virgin Atlantic Advertise itself in the UK and Los Angeles - Essay Example For a large and successful organization like Virgin Atlantic, the company uses various modes of advertising depending on the location or place where it tries to target. The type of advertisements or promotional strategies used depends on the consideration of the cultural barriers, language, attitudes of people towards such factors like advertising, advertising regulations and media infrastructures. In Los Angeles, Virgin Atlantic mainly advertises through the radio, print advertisements and publications. The following figure shows some of the print advertisements used in USA by the company. Figure 1: Print Advertisements in USA (Source: Virgin Atlantic, â€Å"Print Advertisements†) The company has recently launched its second phase of its global advertising campaign in Los Angeles. This has been titled as ‘Get Local’. This campaign targeted the ‘out of home’ advertisements which included bill boards, train shelters, buses, etc that runs in the top gat eways in the US. This primary includes Los Angeles along with New York, Washington D C, San Francisco and Boston. This is a perfect picture of an adaptation strategy by the company as it not only highlights particular aspects of the upper classes flying experiences but also tailored to present certain nuances that resonate in the city in which they appear. The following is an example of an advertisement of Virgin Atlantic in Los Angeles. Figure 2: Example of advertisement of Virgin Atlantic in Los Angeles (Source: Virgin Atlantic-b, â€Å"GET LOCAL CAMPAIGN†) Following is an example of an advertisement used by Virgin Atlantic in UK. Figure 3: Print Advertisement in UK (Source: Virgin Atlantic-a, â€Å"UK Advertisements†) In 2003, Virgin Atlantic used e-mail marketing for the creation of a new standard of upper class air travel which had lie-down beds along with personal services in the upper class cabins. E-mail alerts were sent to the air travellers having a hypertext which directed them to the website of Virgin Atlantic. Under this system customers were able to take a complete look at the cabins which were introduced, the ticket options available and the check routes also. The idea was to attract the upper classes of passengers to pay for the premium prices by the exclusivity and comfort that the new cabins provided. Virgin Atlantics’ integrated communication schemes used membership schemes with benefits that enhanced the name of the brand considerably and helped in increasing the happiness and satisfaction of the customers also (Hackley, p.128). There are certain standardized marketing elements used by the airline for all places. These global marketing elements include its logo, brand value and distinctive airplanes. The brand value of the airline as â€Å"caring, honest, value, fun, innovative†, is found in all its communication and strategies. However, certain adaptive formats are evident in its accompanying international adver tisements where it tries to translate its brand themes in certain culturally specific ways and at the same time tries to retain its international image. For example, it tries to draw passengers from Los Angeles through its bright, luxurious and

What gendered relationship(s) does your cultural role or practice Essay

What gendered relationship(s) does your cultural role or practice encourage - Essay Example Basically, gender is developed under the influence of culture. Male or female gender roles have been shaped in certain social and national contexts. Therefore, culture depends on gender roles and gender roles depend on culture. If we try to speak figuratively, a dilemma of culture-gender relationship interdependence may be compared with a chicken and egg riddle. Gender role and culture relationship In the context of a given situation on the example taken from Bangladesh and Cambodian cultures, we would further claim that gender role and culture interdependence has been currently interpreted from a different perspective: i.e. with the cultural changes in these countries, gender roles have been also gradually changed. Situation 1 In Bangladesh, like in many other countries, there have always existed differences between â€Å"women’s/men’s work†. With the growth of garment trade policies in this country, many women became a part of a labor force. The norms of purdah (female seclusion) have been changed and women became employees in this field of activity. Moreover, earlier women were not greatly visible in the city of Dhaka, but there is much more women in the streets than earlier. Consequently, we can suppose that there is a consequent shift in women’s roles in their families and at work. We can explain this change of gender role as the result of socio-economical situation in the country. Further on, these changes were borrowed by culture and finally, they were reflected on women’s gender roles. Situation 2 The following changes of gender roles shown on the example of Cambodian culture had different triggers. It is possible to illustrate gender role change in Cambodia by the following saying: â€Å"men are a piece of gold, and women are a piece of cloth. The piece of gold, when it is dropped in mud, is still a piece of gold. But a piece of cloth, once it’s stained, it’s stained forever† (Questions about Culture). Currently, modern Cambodian women do not want to live their lives in accordance with this saying. They consider it to be unfair and irrelevant. There is a need for social justice and equal attitude to men and women. For example, male criminals cannot be considered â€Å"a piece of gold† and widows should have a chance to put a virginal piece of cloth on them. As far as we can see, political, social and economical triggers have launched gender role-cultural accents shift in Cambodia. Therefore, from a modern westerner’s point of view, it is relevant to claim that gender role principles explained by Virginia Woolf are not relevant to the greatest extent. Bangladesh or Cambodia does not have enough money, but their women are on their road to fight for their renovated and reinterpreted gender roles. The ideas of Brady, Pollitt and Tannen may be foun d more relevant in the modern context. Social stereotypes, political, social and economical changes have reached the minds of contemporaries and have triggered changes in gender roles. Therefore, in order to encourage equal and fair opportunities for further development of self-identities, personal professionalism directed on favorable social interactions between men and women, it is relevant to introduce political, social and economical changes internationally. Moreover, a western position concerning equal relationships between men and women is on the way of implementation in the countries of the Third World. Thus, it should be noted that gender role perception in the

Pizza Hut in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Pizza Hut in the UK - Essay Example 2002 Tricon Global becomes YUM! Brands Inc. The Quad Pizza is launched in the UK. Pizza Hut opens its 500th restaurant. A & W and Long John Silver’s join the Yum brand. 2001 Pizza Hut begins a franchising programme with its delivery stores 2000 Pizza Hut introduces The Edge, a thin pizza with toppings all the way round the edge 1999 Pizza Hut has over 400 restaurants, employing 14000 people. The Italian Pizza is launched in the UK 1998 Pan Pizza is relaunched as Grand Pan in the UK 1997 PepsiCo decided to focus on their (sic) drinks business. As a result, Tricon Global Restaurants is born, creating the largest restaurant brand in the World. Tricon became the partner company with Whitbread. The Sicilian Pizza is launched in the UK. There are 277 restaurants and 100 delivery stores in the UK 1995 Stuffed Crust is launched in the UK 1994 10,000 Pizza Huts are open world-wide 1993 There are 300 restaurants and delivery stores in the UK 1992 There are 9000 restaurants in 84 countri es 1990 Pizza Hut reaches Russia. In the UK there are now 200 restaurants 1989 The first restaurant is converted into a Restaurant Based Delivery store 1988 The UK’s first delivery unit opens in Kingsbury, London 1987 An average of one restaurant opened each week in the UK 1986 100 restaurants in the UK and 5000 world wide 1984 50 restaurants so far in the UK 1982 UK joint venture commences between PepsiCo and Whitbread 1980 Pan Pizza Introduced 1977 PepsiCo buys Pizza Hut 1973 Pizza Hut goes international with restaurants in Japan, Canada & England. The first UK Pizza Hut opens in Islington, London 1972 1000 restaurants are open throughout the USA 1958 Frank and Dan Carney open the first Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (www.pizzahut.co.uk). As part of a consortium, Yum! Brands,... From this essay it is clear that  Pizza Hut began in 1958 when brothers, Frank and Dan Carney, established the first store in Wichita, Kansas. With room for only 25 seats, the first Pizza Hut restaurant was very small. For the origin of the name, Frank and Dan had a restaurant sign which only had space for nine letters, so they put ‘Pizza’ in the name, with the remaining space for 3 more letters. In addition, because the building resembled a hut, the name Pizza Hut was tagged. The first store in the United Kingdom opened fifteen years later. Now, the company has flourished to the extent that it is the largest pizza company in the world. As the dominant pizza and delivery chain in the UK, it has 697 outlets in the nation. It is part of Yum Restaurants International.As the paper highlights  brands, Inc., Pizza Hut constitutes one of the most successful restaurant franchises in the world with its famous pizza, pasta and wing dishes. It is an international company with o ver 6,000 restaurants in the United States and in excess in 5,600 restaurants in 94 other nations and regions across the globe. Yum!, its parent company, constitutes the biggest restaurant company in the world in regards to its over 37,000 locations in   120 countries and regions and its over one million associates.  The topic is investigated in the following steps: planning, organizing, and scheduling the project. In regards to the planning, several hours every day was spent researching and writing the project.

What gendered relationship(s) does your cultural role or practice Essay

What gendered relationship(s) does your cultural role or practice encourage - Essay Example Basically, gender is developed under the influence of culture. Male or female gender roles have been shaped in certain social and national contexts. Therefore, culture depends on gender roles and gender roles depend on culture. If we try to speak figuratively, a dilemma of culture-gender relationship interdependence may be compared with a chicken and egg riddle. Gender role and culture relationship In the context of a given situation on the example taken from Bangladesh and Cambodian cultures, we would further claim that gender role and culture interdependence has been currently interpreted from a different perspective: i.e. with the cultural changes in these countries, gender roles have been also gradually changed. Situation 1 In Bangladesh, like in many other countries, there have always existed differences between â€Å"women’s/men’s work†. With the growth of garment trade policies in this country, many women became a part of a labor force. The norms of purdah (female seclusion) have been changed and women became employees in this field of activity. Moreover, earlier women were not greatly visible in the city of Dhaka, but there is much more women in the streets than earlier. Consequently, we can suppose that there is a consequent shift in women’s roles in their families and at work. We can explain this change of gender role as the result of socio-economical situation in the country. Further on, these changes were borrowed by culture and finally, they were reflected on women’s gender roles. Situation 2 The following changes of gender roles shown on the example of Cambodian culture had different triggers. It is possible to illustrate gender role change in Cambodia by the following saying: â€Å"men are a piece of gold, and women are a piece of cloth. The piece of gold, when it is dropped in mud, is still a piece of gold. But a piece of cloth, once it’s stained, it’s stained forever† (Questions about Culture). Currently, modern Cambodian women do not want to live their lives in accordance with this saying. They consider it to be unfair and irrelevant. There is a need for social justice and equal attitude to men and women. For example, male criminals cannot be considered â€Å"a piece of gold† and widows should have a chance to put a virginal piece of cloth on them. As far as we can see, political, social and economical triggers have launched gender role-cultural accents shift in Cambodia. Therefore, from a modern westerner’s point of view, it is relevant to claim that gender role principles explained by Virginia Woolf are not relevant to the greatest extent. Bangladesh or Cambodia does not have enough money, but their women are on their road to fight for their renovated and reinterpreted gender roles. The ideas of Brady, Pollitt and Tannen may be foun d more relevant in the modern context. Social stereotypes, political, social and economical changes have reached the minds of contemporaries and have triggered changes in gender roles. Therefore, in order to encourage equal and fair opportunities for further development of self-identities, personal professionalism directed on favorable social interactions between men and women, it is relevant to introduce political, social and economical changes internationally. Moreover, a western position concerning equal relationships between men and women is on the way of implementation in the countries of the Third World. Thus, it should be noted that gender role perception in the

A Streetcar Named Desire Film Analysis Essay Example for Free

A Streetcar Named Desire Film Analysis Essay These actors take on the difficult task of bringing two complex, emotional characters onto the silver screen. With spot-on reactions to each others theatrical advances, the pair create an experience that is both enjoyable and expressively coherant. Vivian Leigh was cast for the role of Blanch DuBois for various reasons. She was white, slender, beautiful and had already acted in several other films. Tennessee Williams, the author of the original play, saw Leighs performances in plays such as â€Å"The School for Scandal† and â€Å"Antigone†, and decided that she was perfect for the role. All that Leigh needed to change was the color of her hair, which was originally black. Leigh does a splendid job of portraying Blanches ascending insanity by seamlessly transitioning from melodramatic anguish into her signature faux semblants, or pretense. An example of this is the scene where Blanche sits alone in Stellas apartment crying until a delivery man comes to the door. Blanche is then quickly transformed into a mysterious temptress who seduces the young man into kissing her. Leighs uncommon ability to switch from such extreme emotions brings a refreshing distinction to the film. Blanches eccentric and offbeat personality requires a talented actress to be be fully realized. Leighs acting style works well with the other actors, and expresses a coherence so profound that one might often forget that she is acting. The role of Harold Mitchell was one that needed to be fulfilled in order for the script to make sense. Mitch is described as being two hundred and seven pounds, six foot one and having â€Å"a massive bone structure†. His physique is an important aspect of his character, thus making it imperative for the actor to meet these conditions to be casted for the role. Karl Malden is tall and bulky, with a large nose and a receding hairline. These traits accenuate Mitchs awkward demeanor and informs the audience of how lonely he is without him having to say it. Malden also shares Leighs ability to transition between emotional extremes. For instance, in the beginning of the scene where Mitch confronts Blanche about her lies, he is silent. Though after hearing more of her absurd grip on reality, he snaps into an aggressive brute who pins Blanche to the wall. Maldens on-screen chemistry with Leigh is apparent throughout the film, and is believable the entire time. Vivian Leigh and Karl Maldens performances perfectly depicted the tragic twosome that is Blanche and Mitch. With Leighs seamless transitions of polar-opposite emotions and Maldens angry yet passsionate fits of rage, the two give what are easily the best performances of the film. From their intriguing introductionto their dreadful departure, no purer chemistry has been captured so passionately.

Nutritional Benefits of Beans

Nutritional Benefits of Beans Beans are a great source of nutrients, beans are sometimes known as legumes. In a normal persons diet beans are one of the most important part because of their nutritional value. The most important nutrient in the bean is protein, which is made in the plant thanks to a bacteria called rhizobium. This bacterium places its self in the roots of the plant to change the nitrogen in to a form that is able to be converted in to amino acids. This is the beginning of protein in the bean. Nutrients are very important to the human diet. They are what keep you healthy and able to grow and learn. The most common nutrients in beans are iron, folic acid, and protein. These are all helpful to your body. Iron helps to carry oxygen in your blood; it also improves energy levels and your immune system to stay strong. Folic acids are especially important to women, because it is able to prevent spinal problems and birth defects during the first few weeks of pregnancy. It is also been proven to lower the risk of heart problems when you are older and finally protein which is needed for growth and repair of your body and its tissues. Most beans, with the exception of soybeans and peanuts, are made up primarily of protein and starch. The nutrients are stored inside the bean seed in a part of the bean called the cotyledon, as shown in Figure 1. The two cotyledons are completely surrounded by a tough seed coat, except for the point at which the bean has a little dimple. That is where there is a break in the seed coat and youll find a little hole or pore called the hilum. The hilum is where the bean seed was attached to the living plant before it was picked and dried. Initially, when placed in water, the dried bean seeds can only absorb water through their hilums. After about 30-60 minutes, though, the seed coats expand and become hydrated. At that point, water can move into the bean through the hilum and the entire seed coat surface (sciencebuddies.org). Unfortunately most people experience discomfort after eating portions of beans. This is because they are full of complex sugar and fiber. The discomfort is felt because your body is forced to work extra hard to degust the sugar. Thankfully one is able to teach your body to deal with those things by just consuming vary small portions of the beans often. The cooking of the bean is very important. Cooking dried beans in liquid is completely necessary to loosen the shell of the bean and to drake down the starchy granules that are built up inside the bean when it is dried. The amount of water used is also very important. If you use to much the bean will absorb it and produce a weaker flavor. But if not enough water is used the bean will remain hard and will make foe a bad cooking experience. Also important is the ways they are cooked do not hard boil them. The movement of the water will damage the seed coat causing the bean to break apart. A gentle simmer is best. At a temperature of 180 to 200 degrees farenheight the bean should be perfectly cooked and gently treated. During my experiment I will be testing liquids containing acids, sugars, and calcium. These will slow the process of softening. I am looking for which of the slowing additives is fastest. Even thought fast softening is not always desirable. Expectedly the acid will work in the cell walls. It will make hemicelluloses which will soften the walls and make it less likely to dissolve. The sugar will work by causing the cell walls to harden and by slowing swelling of the starches in the cotyledons. And finally calcium will again work in the walls of the cell, but it will cause strengthening by cross-linking the pectin. One way the softening process can be sped up is by adding baking soda. This, in the water, causes the water to become alkaline. Using just very small amounts of the baking soda can cut down baking time by 75%. The baking soda works by pushing out the magnesium which is caused by the pectin. It also works by dissolving the hemicelluloses in the water. This process is not desirable because the soda will leave the finished product slippery and with a soapy feeling and taste. Cooking beans is usually fairly easy. The time needed to cook really depends on what kind of bean you are using and how you cook them. A few types of beans are completely safe to eat raw such as peas and bean sprouts. Most kinds of beans are best roasted or steamed. For this experiment dried mature beans will be necessary because of the amount of time needed to cook and the need for liquids to soften them. The kind of dried beans that will be used are lima beans. The lima beans will be soaked overnight in cold water. One group will be the control group, having just beans and water. The second will just have table salt added to it. The third and fourth groups will have lemon juice and lemon juice with chopped tomatoes. The fifth group will have just milk, and finally, the sixth group will have molasses added. The materials are an extremely important part of an experiment. Lima beans will be soaked and then dried. To prepare the beans, one bag will be opened and poured into an airtight container. Just enough water will be added to cover the top of the beans. Once it is full, a lid will be placed on the container and then set on the kitchen counter overnight, which is approximately ten hours. Then the prepared beans will be divided into six groups and the different items will be added.

Madness and Fear in Assignation, Cask of Admontillado, Fall of the Hous

Madness and Fear in Assignation, Cask of Admontillado, Fall of the House of Usher, and Masque of the Red Death Poe’s madmen are all obsessed with death. Existence within reality eventually becomes impossible. Poe usually places his madmen within a room or other enclosure, but they are rarely ever outside. When we do come across an exterior, nature does its best to repress, confine and enclose the man. The protagonist in Poe’s â€Å"The Assignation† sums up the combination of time and space within Poe’s stories and says, â€Å"I have †¦ framed for myself †¦ a bower of dreams. Properties of place, and especially of time, are the bugbears which terrify mankind from the contemplation of the magnificent† (301). The mental state of the character produces the setting and atmosphere, which usually results in the manifestation of that which is feared. The character manipulates his environment and uses tangible buildings and their contents as talismans or charms to outwit death. However, while the madman may try to circumvent death, it is actually the experi ence of dying that he fears, and despite his best intentions, death comes anyway. â€Å"The Cask of Admontillado† features the madman Montressor who seeks relief from his tormentor, and plans the perfect crime, â€Å"to punish with impunity† (274). Montressor painstakingly formulates the plan to rid himself of Fortunato, his tactless and unsuspecting friend. The fact that the crime is detailed meticulously in â€Å"Cask† is odd considering the narrator’s obsession with planning the perfect crime and his equal obsession with the absence of detection. Does the anxious tone in the confession-like story indicate that Montressor falls victim to his own perfect crime and awaits execution? In his confession, Mo... ...sity Press, 1987. 177-214. Kinkead-Weekes, Mark. â€Å"Reflections On, and In ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’† Edgar Allan Poe: The Design of Order. Ed. A Robert Lee. New Jersey: Barnes & Noble Books, 1987. 17-65. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Assignation.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 293-302. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Cask of Admontillado.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 274-79. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 231-45. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 269-73.

Legally Blonde 2 and De Tocqueville Essay -- Character Analysis, Elle

What do you do when no one wants to change something that you see as a problem? In Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde, Elle Woods decides to change the problem of animal testing when no one else will. Elle takes the initiative after looking for the mother of her chihuahua, Bruiser, so she could invite her to Elle’s wedding. She finds out that Bruiser's mom is trapped at the V.E.R.S.A.C.E. company as a test animal. Instead of planning her wedding, which is what she was currently involved in, Elle goes to Washington D.C. and presents a bill to end animal testing as she stands up for what she knows is right. This movie which presents an important issue in a light-hearted movie is a great example of a melodramatic film. Legally Blonde 2 follows the structure of victim, villain, and hero of melodramas. In this case Bruiser’s mom, along with all other test animals, the V.E.R.S.A.C.E company, along with the adversity that Elle receives in congress, especially Rep. Victo ria Rudd who goes behind Elle’s back to counter her bill, and of course Elle woods is the hero. This movie shows how one person can make a difference in democracy. The idea that â€Å"society governs itself for itself† (De Tocqueville, 51) is called popular sovereignty and was created by Alexis De Tocqueville. In his book, Democracy in America, De Tocqueville describes how America had the perfect democracy in the mid 19th century, when he wrote this book. He explains how true democracy uses popular sovereignty to create an ideal political system free of tyranny. Over time this government system has changed in practice, as can be seen by the lackluster workers in congress that are spotlighted in Legally Blonde 2. However in cinema justice still prevails in US democracy. L... ...ially young females. One teenage-girl’s reaction was just that. Carrie Dean, of Wisconsin walked out of the movie theatre and gave Legally Blonde 2 her own personal spin for a way for her to get involved herself. Carrie wanted to emulate Elle in her hometown by saving the animals in her town from euthanization at SPCA shelters. Along with Small Dogs Paradise, an interest group who also was looking to stop harmful treatment of dogs. Carrie ended up getting an internship in their office and is in the process of writing her own bill. Who knows how far Carrie will get but if a ‘chick-flick’ can have this kind of impact on the youth, then there needs to be more of them. If more people, especially young people, follow Carrie’s example and get involved in what is going on with our government, then maybe we could one day reach a version of De Tocqueville’s ideal democracy.

To what extent have the goals of feminism been achieved?

In simple terms feminism can be defined as the belief in equality between the sexes, based on the idea that gender should not affect a persons social identity, or socio-political or economic rights, and complete equality regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or identity. (Wikipedia, 2006) Complete equality between the men and women can be further broken down into three main categories; social, economic and political equality. In my essay I will assess the extent that the goals of each individual category have been accomplished. However as feminism is a very broad doctrine, and some feminists are much more hard line than others, deciding to what extent goals have been achieved is dependent on whose definition of the goals you use. The first area I would like to discuss is that of social equality between men and women. One of feminists' main social aims is to eliminate the double standards that occur between men and women in all aspects of life, varying from women being expected to take maternity leave instead of men, to sexual equality between intimate partners. Ward Crowe 1981) This idea is at the heart of the whole feminist ideology and so is very important, however like almost all-feminist goals, the extent to which it is complete depends on which feminist you speak to. Although this is the case there is little argument between feminists that double standards between the sexes have been reduced dramatically in the last one hundred years, and most would say that this goal has almost been achieved. Another major social goal for the feminist movement is the equal treatment of women in the media, including an end to media and advertising exploitation of women's bodies. This has always been seen as a crucial area by feminists, as sex-role theory states that men and women will mirror the characters they see in the media, meaning that they will continue with sexist stereotypes that are being shown to them. (Craig 1994) As the media is an area that has traditionally been totally dominated by males, they stereotypes used often to be prejudice against women, and even when they weren't, the mere fact that no women read news or did any other presenting jobs left its own sub-conscious message in the populous. Although the feminist movement has been successful in wrestling some of the power away from the predominantly male industry, the media is an area where there is still plenty of work to be done before there goals are complete. Although in the modern world female presenters are considered the norm, and women are not just portrayed as doting mothers, the issue of the media, especially advertising exploiting women's bodies is still huge. In my opinion feminists will find it very hard to change this fact simply because there will always be women willing to do it and it will always increase sales. As I said, I think the feminist movement has managed to improve the treatment of women in the media, but will never be able to find complete equality with men in this arena. Getting rid of the acceptance of misogynist language and derogatory terms for women is another of the feminists' main social goals. This is a difficult area for the feminist movement to make progress because terms that are considered derogatory for women such as, ‘the missus' to refer to ones wife are massively widespread and not considered to be sexist by most of those who use them. Therefore the only way that feminists can try and prevent these terms remaining in everyday language forever is through educational policies. As many of the people who accept this misogynistic language are not interested in being educated against it, it becomes very hard to find a way to change the situation. Having said this, slowly as time goes on and people become more understanding, the situation has been slowly improving although I think only the most liberal feminist would claim that linguistic equality has been anywhere near achieved. The last important social goal that I want to look at is the acceptance of women in history. This is an interesting area, as some feminists don't see it as a major issue, while others reckon it is crucial to establishing total equality between the sexes. As historically the world was based on a much more patriarchal system and men controlled almost all the power, there are few examples of women playing significant roles in history. Whether this is because they didn't have the chance to or because their deeds weren't recorded is the focus of much debate, but most feminists would say it was the second. However even if this is the case it is very hard to give women credit for un-recorded deeds and so feminists have been fighting an up-hill battle to try and get these ladies their recognition. The second main aspect of the feminist ideology is the economic equality of men and women in all areas of their lives, this is crucial to feminism as economic equality moves women away from being stereotyped as house-wives. The first economic goal that I want to look at is the idea of equal pay for equal work. The main thrust of this agenda is the removal off the gap in wages that occurs between men and women doing the same jobs. The removal of this difference, known as the ‘wage-gap' has been one of the major rallying points for the feminist movements as since women entered the work-place they have been paid significantly less than men for the same work. Although the wage gap still occurs today it has been reduced by up to 15% since 1970 according to some estimates (Wellington 1993) and other say it may well disappear entirely within the next ten to fifteen years. Although feminists have not at this point in time eliminated the wage gap, they have managed to reduce it massively and it looks to keep getting smaller, so most feminists would say that this goal is on it way to being completed. Coupled with this idea of equal pay for equal work is another of feminism's main economic goals; equality between the sexes in the hiring promotion and treatment of employees. There are employees who are less willing to hire women as they risk losing them after they have children, and will have to pay for maternity leave. The feminist movement had tried to address this through a series of legislation, which to a certain extent has helped although the problem definitely still occurs. They have encountered similar problems with promotions as although at lower levels promotions of men and women have become a lot less bias than they were in the past at higher levels a ‘glass ceiling' still seems to remain in place. This term refers mainly to the business world where although women can gain promotion up through the company they still seem to find it very hard to reach the very highest levels, and men still massively dominate the boardroom. Although this problem has started being addressed by companies in recent times, removing it further is still one of feminism's main goals. The goal of equal treatment of employees ties in with the idea of lookism, once again especially in the business world. Lookism is the discrimination against people based on the way they look or dress, and although it does occur to men in is mostly a female problem. Although the situation has improved it is still the case that it is much easier for a woman to find employment in the business sector if she is comely. Feminists have been working hard to try and stop this discrimination for example, by eliminating dress codes which could exploit women's bodies. However it is very hard as there are many other factors which could effect employees decision on who to hire, making it almost impossible for feminists to confirm when it has taken place. The third area that feminists have focused on trying to obtain equality is politically, as without this equality in the other two sectors will not make the difference it should. One of the main things that they strive to achieve in this area is that men and women should have equal rights under the law. Although it seems amazing now up until 1918 women were not allowed to vote in Britain, and not until 1928 was the voting age lowered to twenty-one in line with men. (Holten 1986, p134) Since then many more improvements have been made in making the sexes more politically equal, with women allowed to represent in the House of Commons, however hard-line feminists would say that even now we are not politically equal in Britain, as men still dominate the House of Lords. Although in Britain women have succeeded in gaining almost equal political rights, in other parts of the world women are still much more oppressed. In Kuwait for example, the parliament just rejected a bill that would have given women the right to vote and stand in parliament, and so the feminists' have not nearly achieved their worldwide goals. Another major political goal for the feminist movement is that abortions should be legal, accessible and affordable, without parental or spousal consent laws. Feminists feel this is important as they feel all women should have the right to their individual choice whatever the circumstances. In Britain feminists have come some way to achieving these goals, although abortion is still not technically legal, the abortions act of 1967 has made it legally defensible to have an abortion in certain circumstances, and there is much less stigma against abortions than there used to be. However feminists would say much more should be done, feeling that re-cooperation services should be available and that more open law should be put in place. Feminists also believe that women should be allowed to serve in the military as well as men, and that men should not be drafted ahead of women in times of war. Once again in Britain they have come some way to achieving these aims with women now allowed to work in all sectors of the military except the front line. Although feminists try to campaign for this to furthered to include women being allowed to serve in the front-line I do not think this will occur for some time, if ever, as women and men cannot serve in the same units. In other parts of the world, again the political system is less relaxed on this issue, and women are not allowed o hold any positions in the military establishment, so as a goal of feminism it has not come close to being achieved. Overall I think that socially and politically many of the goals of feminism have been achieved, at least to a large extent, whereas economically women are still disadvantaged compared to men, especially in the business sector where many things work against them. However I feel that in Britain, all three areas that feminists are fighting for equality in are improving, and there is no area where the levels of inequality are rising. On a global scale on the other hand the scene is not nearly so positive, with many nations still giving their women no political or economic power and forcing them through social customs to leave education early and follow their mothers into early marriages and house-keeping. In my opinion the feminist movement would be well advised to stop worrying so much about supposed inequality in the West and instead focus their attention on the very real problems faced by women in the third world.

Religion and Filipino Mothers Essay

Rizal’s Reminders on Equality, Self – Respect and True Spirit of Religion 1. The tyranny of some is possible only through cowardice and negligence on the part of others. 2. What makes one contemptible is lack of dignity and abject fear of one who holds one in contempt. 3. Ignorance is servitude, because as a man thinks, so he is; a man who does not think for himself and allows himself to be guided by the thought of another is like a beast led by a halter, 4. He who loves his independence must first aid his fellowman, because he who refuses protection to others will find himself without it. 5. If the Filipina will not change her mode of being, let her rear no more children, let her merely give birth to them. She must cease to be the mistress of the home, otherwise she will unconsciously betray husband, child, native, land and all. 6. All men are born equal, naked, without bonds. God did not create man to be a slave; nor did he endow him with intelligence to have him hoodwinked or adorn him with reason to have deceived by others. 7. Consider well what kind of religion they are teaching you. See whether it is the will of God or according to the teachings of Christ that the poor be succored and those who suffer alleviated. In summary, Rizal ‘s Letter To the Young Women of Malolos focused on five major points (Zaide & Zaide, 1999) 1. Filipino mothers should teach their children love of God, country and fellowman. 2. Filipino mothers should be glad and honored, like Spartan mothers to offer their sons in defense of their country. 3. Filipino women should know how to protect their dignity and honor. 4. Filipino women should educate themselves aside from retaining their good radical values. 5. Faith is not merely reciting prayers and wearing religious pictures. It is living the real Christian way with good morals and manners.

Disney vs. The Future of Men

Thesis: The constructs of masculinity found in most Disney movies create an environment of images that shape and define what young boys view as masculinity. By presenting sexist relationships, physical expectations, and violence and dominance to represent power, young boys are left feeling emotionally unattached and physically inadequate. How many Disney movies did you see as a child? How many of those movies did you watch over and over again? And how many of the songs you so lovingly watched over and over again can you still sing today?The Walt Disney Company has been a powerful force in creating childhood culture all around the world. Disney’s massive success is based on images of innocence, magic and fun. Its animated films in particular are praised as wholesome family entertainment. These movies are endorsed by teachers and parents, and are obviously immensely popular with children. The fun and innocence may have its value, but it is important to understand how these movie s are representing the moral characteristics that the children viewing them will eventually grow up to represent themselves.Most alarmingly is the representation of masculinity throughout many classic Disney movies such as Mulan, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. These movies are presenting masculine complexes to young boys all over the world, giving them distorted images of what it means to be a man, and also how to relate to women. What is most dangerous about the way Disney movies represent masculinity is that the process is not a quick one. The means in which the media influences the way we think is less immediate, and has a much less straight forward impact on the way we think.Disney movies in particular create a certain environment of images that we grow up with and eventually become used to. An example of such a group of images is the constant representation of the male body in Disney movies as buff, and chiseled. After a while these images begin to shape what young bo ys know and what they understand about the world around them. This is not an immediate effect, but instead a slow accumulative effect that is much more subtle than we are aware of.One of the biggest problems with this process is that the Disney conglomerate has spanned over nearly five generations, so no one thinks to challenge the idea that an animated Disney movie is a great way to entertain children while simultaneously sharing with them a piece of traditional culture. One of the most destructive ways in which classic animated Disney movies are providing young boys with false and distorted images of masculinity, are the ways in which men are shown in relationship to women. Most Disney movies revolve around a heterosexual relationship containing a hero and heroine.Feminists have studied what these characters tell girls about themselves, but it is just as important if not more important to understand what these movies are telling boys about how real men interact with and treat wome n. Often the message to boys both explicitly and implicitly is that men should view women as objects of pleasure or as servants to please them. A perfect example of this misrepresentation is in the movie Mulan. In Mulan, and entire song called â€Å"A Girl Worth Fighting For†, explains what a man is looking for in a woman.Some of these traits include cooking, cleaning, and looking beautiful for her husband. This quote from the song shows exactly what type of sexist characteristics are represented in Mulan. â€Å"I want her paler than the moon, with eyes that shine like stars, my girl will marvel at my strength, adore my battle scars. I could care less what she’ll wear or look like, it all depends on what she cooks like† Another highly destructive construct that Disney movies present to young boys is the representation of the male body.Disney movies glorify one particular body type above all others. Chiseled abs, a barrel chest and massive arms are typical of a m ale Disney character. Men with any other body type are generally viewed as outcasts, weak or subservient. One of the most extreme examples can be found in â€Å"Beauty and the Beast†, where the contrast between the powerful male heroine figure, Gaston and his sidekick, LeFou is undeniable. The song entitled simply, â€Å"Gaston† is entirely dedicated to glorifying Gaston’s manly physique and strength.In contrast to this, LeFou is shown as short, chubby, and bucktoothed. In â€Å"Mulan†, when Mulan attempts to join the Japanese army by passing as a man, she is taught very quickly that masculinity is defined by strength and physical ability alone. In the song, â€Å"I’ll Make a Man Out of You† Mulan is taught that in order to achieve true manhood she must overcome strictly physical obstacles and challenges as opposed to any emotional ones. Other movies such as â€Å"Hercules† and â€Å"Tarzan† depict their main characters as buff , muscular men, with almost super human strength and ability.While Tarzan surfs tree branches and swings from vine to vine with ease that can be compared to an Olympic gold medalist, Hercules lifts giant boulders, and sleighs a three-headed mythological beast. Though the aspect of fantasy plays a role in these movies, the take home message is that characters like Tarzan and Hercules are men to be admired, imitated and idealized. Not only do most Disney movies glorify their characters bodies but also the level of violence and dominance they exhibit. Masculinity in relation to violence and dominance is very clear in most Disney films.Not only is the victory of a battle glorified, the unwillingness of a character to fight is often shown as pitiful or weak. An example of such an instance is in the animated movie, Beauty and the Beast. In a scene where Gaston has beaten the beast to the ground he exclaims, â€Å"What’s the matter beast? Too kind and gentle to fight back? † This is prime example of how movies such as these are teaching boys that violence is the answer, and that any challenge to that idea is thought of as weak or emasculating. The climactic scene in most films is a battle between two men.A violent battle to win the love of a woman or maintain pride and status is the most important scene in establishing which of these characters is the â€Å"better† man. There are two major problems with this idea. First, that boys are being taught that dominance and violence is something to strive for and respect. Second, that these types of behaviors are necessary if not mandatory in gaining the acceptance and love of a woman. Never in a Disney animated movie will you see the losing character of a battle win the woman in the end.Because a lot of the most popular animated Disney movies were created in the mid to late 1900’s a lot of the themes shown in them are completely sexist and have no validity in current society. So basically, as lon g as parents continuing showing their sons Disney movies in which a character has to achieve some physical task instead of showing affection, or an emotional connection, men will continue to have no idea what women want. Because we as Americans feel such a deep, loving connection to theDisney movies we grew up with, it is only natural that we sit our children down in front of the television in an attempt to share with them a piece of our own childhoods. However as much as Disney has become embedded in our subconscious as wholesome and magical, today the world is a different place with different people and different ideas. The harmful effects of showing a child a Disney movie, especially a young boy can leave a dangerous mark. From body distortion, to dysfunctional relationship issues, the potential these movies have to alter a child future is certainly enough to switch off the Disney channel and turn on Lifetime.