Monday, September 30, 2019

Involving others in assessments Essay

The assessment process in a beauty college involves many different people. Starting with the students that need to be assessed and who need be told the criteria which they are being assessed against so that they can try meet these needs. The teachers of the students need to be provided with a curriculum to teach and have access to various forms of information related to their subject matter so they can draw on these for course notes or offer extra material for students to give them a broader understanding of the subject. The assessors themselves need to know what facilities the college has with regards to where the tests are obtained from, what time frame is allocated, what different forms of assessment need to be conducted, what setting is in place be it a classroom or practical room or a simulation of a salon with a member of public coming in to be the client. They need to know who else in the college is qualified to assess should they have any questions and who the internal verifiers are to report to. Employers at the college need to provide assessment opportunities and find ways of networking with the staff through newsletters or internal meetings to identify good practice in assessing across the board and to maintain consistency throughout the staff. The internal verifiers are there to check the quality of assessing and to measure and improve further quality of assessments. External verifiers are needed to check that the internal verifiers are doing their job properly and check the quality of the work being done. They are usually given a selection of pre assessed papers so they can re-assess them to check for accuracy in assessing and to be able to check the standard of a college and report back to the awarding body that a college is able to claim certification for their students, or if the college needs to amend certain criteria before claiming certification. So in my college experience I was taught my course material by various teachers, assessed by teachers by written tests or projects or in the practical classroom. The teachers had to report to the principal of the college for our results and the principal often came into the assessing rooms while we were busy with class or doing tests. An external examining body from the international guild of beauty therapy was asked to do our final assessments and we were given lists stating what the examiner would be looking for. We were assessed according to the international level set by the beauty guild and only if we passed with a stipulated percentage were we awarded our qualification. Peer and Self assessment: Self assessment allows the student to work out their own strengths and weaknesses and tailor their own learning plan to best suit themselves. This works well when you have a motivated student who is willing to admit their own setbacks to themselves and strive to address these and move forward in the right direction with a better sense of what they want to achieve and how to do that. Peer assessment can be very helpful in that students get to go over their own knowledge of the subject being assessed while they assess their peer therefore doing revision and also being more aware of what they may not know or of how their peer does something better than they would have done and learning from them. I find self and peer evaluation very helpful in a beauty college especially as it is such a practical course and a lot of time is spent practicing treatments on your peers or being the client to be practiced on. When a student is being the therapist they can carry out a treatment and assess themselves on how well they have learnt the procedure and where they get stuck and need help. They will be more confident in asking their peer for help or to give them feedback about their treatment and in-turn be able to use this feedback to modify their work and learn from this. When a student is being the client this is a great opportunity for them to really feel what different types of pressure feel like and what feel good and what doesn’t and use that to adapt their own techniques. They learn what it feels like to be on the therapy bed and be aware of the sounds around them that the student therapist makes or the questions they ask and what makes sense and works and what doesn’t. This is an invaluable way that students can improve themselves and be able to help their peers improve by giving them accurate feedback. How assessment arrangements can be adapted to learners: Students learn best in slightly different ways depending on what approach works best for them. A widely used model of learning style is Flemmings’ s (2001) Visual Auditory Kinesthetic (VAK) model. If students are visual learners, they prefer to use images, pictures, colors, and maps to organize information and communicate with others. They work well from worksheets and the whiteboard and do their best on more theory based assessments like short questions, multiple choice, true and false or essays. In their practical assessments they will do well when needing to chart information the client has told them and write up skin diagnosis or plan future care appointments. If they are auditory learners they are the students who retain information better when the information is reinforced through sound. So they prefer class lectures rather than being given textbooks to read. These students do much better when their assessment are asked with short oral questions during class or explaining to an examiner why they are performing a certain treatment or using a certain method to perform a task. Being able to read their questions out aloud to themselves will also help them registered better what is required from them in the assessment. If they are kinesthetic learners then they prefer to be involved in activities. They learn through applying their knowledge practically by writing out notes during lectures or telling another person what they have learnt or performing practical treatments. Studying beauty therapy is a great choice for kinesthetic learns as much of the course involves taking part and learning through movement and a big part of your grading comes from performing treatments and demonstrating your skills to the assessors. For these learners doing theory assessments they can be kept motivated by doing diagrams or plotting graphs or doing oral reports so they are fulfilling their need for movement in learning.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Culture and cultural objects Essay

Culture and cultural objects influence every aspect of our daily lives. In fact, cultures can be â€Å"understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another. † (Vaughn and Rotney, 2006) A very important aspect of our cultural lives lies within music, literature, sculpture and other arts, traditions, cinema, and theater. UNESCO (2002) described culture as â€Å"†¦set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs. † This leads us to conclusion that culture, in its ultimate form, is a set of theoretical and physical objects which symbolize and thus influence every aspect of our daily lives. I have long thought about what these objects might be in the United States of America. As we are a very diverse society and pretty much a melting pot of other nations, there was a wide variety of cultural objects from comic strips to hip hop music that came to my mind. However, I have chosen the cinema of the United States as the topic of my paper. Inmy opinion, our cinema has not only a local but also a global cultural impact which can not be ignored. I will research the history of cinema in the United States and provide specific information in reference to that industry and some of the people who made it a cultural phenomenom in the United States and worldwide. The focus will be on the work of Walt Disney. History of American Cinema American filmmakers have a huge domestic and international audience. As a matter of fact, the United States of America are considered to be a film-making superpower along with a very few other countries worldwide. The main segments in film-making history in United States include the silent film era, the Classical Hollywood era, and the New Hollywood era. In the United States first films were made in New York City, which very fast developed into a movie production center. However, due to relatively high expanses associated with that geographical area, many movie producers began moving west. Due to the fact that sunlight was available almost all year, many of them chose Soutern California as their final destination. During this period movie production peaked and the American public could view the first movies by ways of traveling theaters and storefornt teaters. Only later was the concept of a commercial movie theater as we know it today developed. The first movies were basically low quality pictures with no sound, as the sound was not introduced to the motion picture business until the 1920’s. In the 1920’s began the golden age of motion picture. This is a period of time when movie production peaked and when some of the most famous movies ever have been shot. This happened especially during World War II. Motion Picture studios of that time began creating patriotic movies which had a bonding effect on Americans. This was very usefull during those dangerous and challenging times. One such movie is the now famous picture â€Å"Sargeant York† which presents a typical american farm boy who is called to service and consequently becomes a war hero. The positive conclusions of these movies left the audiances in good mood, longing for more of the same. At the same time, these movies formed a culture which identified itself with the main characters of the particular movie by believing in the patriotic message that they sent. Following World War II many technological developments ensured that the quality and sound of the motion picture became significantly better. The fact that the United States became a global power with military and civilians stationed all over the world also helped with exporting and introducing into new cultures some of the movie products which were produced. Very fast, the United States began developing into an entertainment superpower. American movies and music were sought after all over the world. Over the next few decades we would see movies which had huge impact on culture in United States and elsewhere. Characters such as John Wayne and music stars like Elvis Presley became famous and idolized mainly because of how they were portrayed in the motion picture. Perhaps one of the best known examples is the Star Wars collection of movies. These films are considered to have set the largest cultural bench mark in the film industry. â€Å"Star Wars references are deeply embedded in popular culture; references to the main characters and themes of Star Wars are casually made in American society with the assumption that others will understand the reference. † (Brooker, 2002) Star Wars was one of the productions which entered lives of their fans on an unpresedented scale and in unpresedented ways. It went as far as becoming a religion to some fans in the United Kingdom. In addition to Star Wars and similar movies, people like Walt Disney have created characters and whole industries which affect our culture on a daily basis. Recent history and current developments in the American film industry continue to reinforce the fact that this is one of the most influental industries in respect to the development and expension of American culture. Going to the theater with the whole family still remains one of the most popular activities and a variety of productions ranging from comedies to drama and action movies are available. This implies that this form of entertainment will continue to grow and prosper in United States. But, who are the people who made all this possible and how do they think? The famous and and their effect on culture One of the most famous people in the entertainment world is Walt Disney. Many kids know the names of his characters long before they learn the names of their extended family members. â€Å"Walt Disney was born to Elias Disney an Irish-Canadian, and his mother, Flora Call Disney, who was of German-American descent. His father moved to the United States from Canada after his parents failed at farming there. † (Thomas, 1976) He began his career in Kansas City as an independent cartoonist. Following a fairly successful start he moved to Hollywood where he and his brother opened up a studio and began producing motion pictures. Some of his work from that era includes Alice Comedies and Mickey Mouse. During his career he received multiple Academy Awards as a recognition for his work and dedication. Walt Disney and his work are one of the prime examples of how film (in this case cartoons) can have cultural impact on a domestic as well as international level. The geniality behind Disney’s characters has made them popular all over the world. Even during the hights of cold war, when any contact with the West was forbidden, the children and grown ups in the eastern countries such as Russia knew and enjoyed Walt Disney’s work. â€Å"The popularity of Disney’s products and characters was instantaneous and unmistakable, not only in the U. S. but in other countries. Because of the international distribution of Disney films and the merchandising efforts that accompanied them, the Disney Company developed a reputation that was magnified far beyond the relatively small company’s resources. And that reputation has continued. † (Wasko, 2000) Thanks to motion picture, Disney Company has grown and developed into a giant that operates in several industries including theme parks, hotels, travel, film productions, and TV. Even today, many years after his death, we can see the impacts of his work. Literally everybody know about Mickey Mouse and other of his characters and it is very common that today’s grand parents have enjoyed the same cartoons when they were children as their grandchildren today. This is the extent of cultural impact and legacy that people like Walt Disney have left us through filmmaking. This is visible through his companies’ success. â€Å"As of 2007, the company has annual revenue of over U. S. $35 billion. † (Walt Disney Company, 2008) The ability to effectively tell stories is one of the most crucial gifts that a film producer has to have. Depending what kind of film is being produced, the message can be different. This is why it becomes increasingly important to understand what this message and convey through picture to the public. This is equally important to success of comedies such as Shreck or to success of more serious movies portraying accurate historical facts. In addition to being an effective story teller, technology plays a huge role in todays movies. We can see plane crashes, car accidents, war scenes, as well as animated movies which appear extremely real. This is largely possible due to significant advances which were achieved in computer technology and robotics. Many of these innovations can be seen and reviewed in various theme parks and movie studios. In recent years a new form of film has been breaking through – and that fairly successfully. Movies such as Shreck, Cars, and other animated features are setting new standards. â€Å"Relevant data show that the annual output value of animation products and their derivative products in the United States, the largest exporter of entertainment products in the world at present, has amounted to over US$5 billion. † (Fang, 2008) However, not only new movies are popular. Thanks to animation, we have seen the rebirth of old classics in ways that are hard to believe. Conclusion Film making industry in the United States of America has left a lasting cultural impact, not only on the United States but also on the rest of the world. As a main exporter of entertainment we have created a cuture that feeds and grows on excellent made movies of all genres as well as traditional cartoons such as those of Walt Disney. As a matter of fact, people with visions, such as Walt Disney, have created a cultural revolution in the United States and worldwide. Children and grown ups across the world are familiar with American characters such as Mickey Mouse to the point that they have adopted this amerian icon as their own. The characters of these movies are having huge impacts on other industruies as well. It is a well known fact that once apopular movie such as for example â€Å"Spiderman† comes out, T-shirts, shoes, lunch boxes, bysicles, and other items with character imprints will follow in order to profit from the popularity of the movie characters. This also indiactes that film has as much impact on our overall economy as it had on our culture. Today’s trends are indicating tha this will continue. We hear almost on a monthly basis about new blockbusters which bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in the offices. Another indirect impact that the movie-making industry has on us is through the actors. Some of the actors are extremely popular and many people lkisten tow hat they have to say in reference to current politics and all other issues worldwide. This has created a very powerfull tool for the film industry as the owners and actors can have significant effect on public opinion. This has been demonstrated very recently in San Francisco, California during the demonstrations against the Chinese human rights violations in Tibet. The famous actor Rishard Gere was one of the initiators of the very successful protests. Other examples include many actors such as Arnold Swarzeneger who entered public service after Hollywood and became quite succesful, largely thanks to their fame. One could easily say that by being part of the film-making industry in United States, one becomes a part of the most powerful propaganda machine in the world. References Findley, Carther Vaughn and John Alexander Rothney (2006). Twentieth-century World. Sixth edition, p. 14. UNESCO. 2002. Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. Information retrieved on April, 25th 2008 from http://portal. unesco. org/ Brooker, Will (2002). Using the Force: Creativity, Community, and Star Wars Fans, Continuum International Publishing Group Wasko, Jean (2000). How Mickey Converged on America. Information retrieved on April, 25th 2008 from http://flash. uoregon. edu/W00/mickey. html Thomas, Bob (1976,1994). Walt Disney: An American Original. New York: Hyperion Walt Disney Company (2008). Financial Information. Walt Disney Corporate Website. Information retrieved on April 25th, 2008 from http://corporate. disney. go. com Ai Fang and Wang Xiao (2008). China making breakthrough advances in animation industry. Information retrieved from China Economic Net Website http://en. ce. cn/Insight/200804/17/t20080417_15183331. shtml

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Master in Finance Admissions Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Master in Finance Admissions Essays - Essay Example In the Department of Corporate Research at Unilever, I grasped how research projects are chosen and financed based on customer preferences. I also understood the importance of saving time & money while doing research. During my research assistantship at IIT Bombay, I worked on the optimization of chemical processes involved in the death of cancer cells triggered by intravenous delivery current platinum-based drugs. At IIT Bombay (IITB), I was exposed to various technological & social issues. My internships and studies at Unilever, University of Oklahoma, IITB, and the University of Cambridge, provided me opportunities to interact with people from diverse cultures. This immensely broadened my vision and knowledge base and enabled me to incorporate different perspectives and viewpoints. I have always been fascinated to work in interdisciplinary work environments, like the one at Unilever, because it draws in combined knowledge of experts from various fields, thus giving valuable experience of collaborating with various teams. I believe that MPhil in Finance offers an opportunity to combine finance and economics with mathematics and help me develop a strong background for a career integrating chemical engineering and finance. I plan to work in a field that would integrate chemical engineering and finance, and help promote industry growth in high-technology-related areas. The lectures by experts a t IIT Bombay, especially by Dr. Muhammad Yunus have helped me become aware of the issues that often affect society. I have been motivated to do something for solving the problem of malnutrition and growing environmental pollution in developing countries, like my own, by helping develop investment instruments to hedge against risks. This would facilitate the growth of new industries using funds drawn from international capital markets. This includes the manufacturing of nutritional foods with longer shelf lives, at the lowest possible costs, and making the foods available at affordable prices, while manufacturing those products using energy-efficient and cost-effective technologies.

Friday, September 27, 2019

In the news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

In the news - Essay Example tensive research on the native tribes around the area at that time aside from everything else about the American Revolution to keep the story as realistic as possible (Frum). This focus on keeping the history accurate is what sets this game apart from other games. Aside from providing entertainment, they also aim to let people experience history in a way that exceeds that of a book or a lecture. The enhanced storytelling provided by interactivity enriches the experience and brings history to life. Knowledge about marketing tells us that setting your product apart from others is a good way to attract customers. By delving into the history and making it interesting, the game becomes more than just playable; it also becomes memorable and encourages the consumers to talk about the product to other people. By making it interesting, people will buy the product and will talk about it, encouraging other people to buy the product. It just goes to show that in marketing, even the smallest attention to details can be significant in selling a product. If they had not hired a historian, the game would have lost its uniqueness of being relatable to

Thursday, September 26, 2019

New Strategy Related to Cost-cutting Assignment

New Strategy Related to Cost-cutting - Assignment Example This paper analyses as well as provide recommendations for reducing the quality standard issue of management and for improving the performance of the Brisbane branch along with the justification of the analysis. In the Brisbane branch, the managerial issue is one of the major management issues that have an adverse impact on the performance of the organization. The branch is identified to be facing the managerial issue in relation to the creativity of subordinates and lack of technical knowledge to enhance the quality of products as well as services. The management should support the subordinates, so that they can perform their work effectively and can improve the quality in terms of products and services, as in the present day context, customers focus on the quality of products and/or services. The management implementing the cost-cutting strategy relating to the replacement of personnel with technology has been identified to face complexities relating to resistance, skepticism and outright hostility from the end of the employees. If the management implements new strategy related to cost-cutting to improve the quality of products, then the management is able to meet the satisfaction level of the customers and accordingly may mitigate the quality problem. In this regard, the branch facing resistance and skepticism have an adverse effect on sale figure and performance of the organization as a whole. The quality of products and/or services depends on consistency as well as durability of products and/or services.

Role of social media for business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Role of social media for business - Essay Example All this information is of great value to websites that we visit. Social networks operate on the development of tools to help marketers reach their goals through a time where people spend a significant penalty of their time in the use of these sites as Facebook Twitter Instagram etc. To begin with, social media helps to know the target customers, such as data that put by them in Facebook, such as age, nationality, geographical location, educational attainment, and tastes in entertainment choices and brands Favorites. All of these data allows marketers to get close to their customers and more than enable companies marketing their products easily. An example of this is the oil companies, Apple, television channels, magazines and newspapers companies, perfumes, makeup health tools, medicines and slimming products. Moreover, Social networking sites help to improve the quality because it can compare each company between its products and products of other companies and read peoples opinions and comments on networking sites. For example comparisons between Smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung. Not only the major companies that will promote itself through social networking sites, but also ordinary people who have small businesses or working from inside their homes and who cannot afford to pay huge amounts of money for advertising about their companies or do not have sufficient funds to support their business, So social media is a very effective tool for them. To support this fact I would like to share my own example. Two years back I started working as freelancer for cake decoration. I did not have enough sources to run my freelancing work but at that time social media helped me to reach at the people and I generated so many customers online for me. I started promoting my work on Instagram I open an account and I added some photographs of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Role of Remittances in Financial Market Development in The Countries Thesis Proposal

Role of Remittances in Financial Market Development in The Countries of The Gulf Cooperation Council - Thesis Proposal Example ess has been undertaken by the GCC countries and whether consistent and increased remittances outflow from these countries effectively contribute towards the financial development of the region. More specifically, this research aims to achieve following objectives: 1. To evaluate the overall process of financial market development in the GCC region. 2. Dependence of financial market development process on oil & other resources 3. Dependence of financial market development on the remittances. 4. How remittances can improve the financial development process within the region. The overall objective therefore is to comprehensively understand the process of financial market development, how oil resources are supporting it and what role remittances can play to strengthen and quicken the process of financial development within the region. This research study will also undertake a systematic historical review of the financial market development process also. Literature Review This literature review is divided into three parts i.e. first part will discuss the relationship between financial markets and economic growth, second part will explore the relationships between financial market development and remittances and finally a review of financial market development process in GCC will be discussed. Most of the existing literature on the topic is focused upon understanding the impact of remittances on the recipient countries however; very little emphasis has been placed on the impact on the host countries. Though literature have comprehensively covered the impact of immigrants on the host countries macroeconomic environment however, how the immigrant remittances are going to affect the macro-economy as well as financial market development still need to be explored in systematic... This research will focus upon exploring and understanding the link between remittances and financial market development in GCC region. Research studies suggest that the remittances can have an impact on the development of financial markets of host countries. Specifically, remittances can result into increase in competitiveness as well as reduction in the transaction costs for the consumers. By assisting institutions to become competitive by facilitating remitters through innovative product design and low costs, financial institutions can actually improve their own efficiency and develop in more sophisticated manner. With the introduction of technology, cost of sending remittances has reduced thus providing incentives to the remitters to use formal channels for the purpose of remitting money. GCC region is an oil rich region and its financial market development is necessary for its development and growth in long run. It is making development towards strengthening its financial markets by implementing common currency, monetary union as well as integration of its stock exchanges. Recently, remittances have formed one of the significant portions of the international capital flows. Financial liberalization has resulted into better capital flows with expat easily sending funds to their home countries. It is critical to understand that for developing countries especially remittances form a significant part of the international capital flows and is also one of the most important sources of foreign exchange for developing countries.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interview - Essay Example All three of them were from different places. John was from Arizona while William was from Sydney and Martin from London. A number of topics such as their early life, school life, interests, hobbies, jobs, experiences etc were discussed with them. Their answers have changed my perception about the senior citizens. They are the role models for the younger generation. Early life A peep into the early life of these senior citizens was a refreshing experience. They always used to live together with the entire family which gives an excellent image of their lifestyle. Their parents had always thought them to value the relations. Young children along with their grandparents and parents made up for the perfect family. Stories of children playing together with each other, fighting for toys were a refreshing feeling. All the vacations to the farm, the celebrations, birthday parties with all the brothers and sisters are enough to prove the bonding which they had with each other. The best part o f their life has been the way their bonding has been carried out for years. They never miss out on any opportunity to meet on occasions. This bonding has been carried out over the years and has been passed on to their children as well. Interview with them also gave insights about their first home. Though they were not able to recollect all the information as to where their first house was, most of them said that their first home was somewhere near the valley. They played with their friends, brothers and sisters in the lawn which was a part of their first home. The most exciting part of their life was that most of them used to play with the cattle while they took them for grazing. I am a part of a generation which expects students to create advanced gadgets. But after knowing about the life of these senior citizens, I have realized that I have missed out something in life. John was born in the state of Arizona, during the Second World War. Though it was the time of war where thousand s of soldiers and sailors were sunk by the Japanese warplanes, their families always stayed together. They explained how their parents made sure that their children were not affected by the war and gave them all the values to be a good citizen. This picture of their family tells us the sense of bonding they had with each other. The love, bonding and care has been carried out over the years and something which everyone should learn from them. A lot was learnt about these senior citizens and their early life. It changed my thinking about the bonding between the brothers and sisters. My perception on them was that everyone during their growing up had forgotten each other and got along with life. They have proved my view on them wrong. Even after years, they have maintained the same love and bonding with each other. It is a lesson for most of us in the younger generation who are in the race to win and succeed. It has changed my perspective towards life. Everyone should grow like them. H appiness is not about just achieving ones personal goals; it is about being lovable towards the ones who care for you. Though they have not grown with the most advanced of technologies around, they have experienced the smallest of happiness in life. Living, sharing and creating happiness with their loved ones has enriched their life. It is the path which they have left for us and we

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Institutional Racism Impact on Education, Employment, and Health Essay

Institutional Racism Impact on Education, Employment, and Health - Essay Example As Ibrahim states "in spite of the attempts to equalize educational opportunity for all groups, research on immigrant children's successful intergration into the education system shows that there is a high drop-out rate among these students."(Ibrahim, insert page number here) For this reason the Second National Institute-Conference hold in Miami, Florida in 1974, took a penetrating look at Institutional Racism and the Impact on Health Care Delivery through in-depth focus on institutional racism. Some Black nurses interacted together in examining and exploring its impact on the health status of the Black consumer followed by planning and developing strategies for affirmative action approaches designed to make a meaningful impact toward change. As for in the sector of employment it has been seen time and again that there is a system working as an open secret that discriminate colored or immigrants with job opportunity and salary. This discrimination is based on not only color or political distinction but also is depended upon other factors like class, creed, cast, religion, sex and even ideology. Everything that has been stated above is a part of an ideology that the racist believe to be of ultimate truth.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Case Assignment Essay Example for Free

Case Assignment Essay a. How did data analysis enable agility/flexibility? Conducting analysis provided SEJ with the opportunity to strategize locations of stores and deliveries of the right products at the right times. b. How did data analysis reduce leftover goods that were perishable? Through the identification of product type, time and frequency, SEJ was able to reduce leftover goods that were perishable. Also, considering weather, local area events, and holidays they were able to adjust their ordering. c. How did electronic data acquisition reduce ordering/delivery lead times? The orders were instantly sent and received by the vendor so the turn-around time was reduced. Trending these orders also allowed the vendors to be prepared with the items. d. What statistics did Seven-Eleven find that determined the success of a new store? They used several data points including, demographics for age, population, income etc. They considered local foot traffic, nearby schools, buildings and subways. They also balanced it with impacts of other local stores. e. How did Seven-Eleven share data electronically with its supply chain partners? They used their handheld terminals in each store to order directly through to the vendors. This data was also captured for analysis and transportation. 3. If you were to design an analogous information and data analysis system for DCMA to oversee contractors and subcontractors: a. What would the goals of that system be? For me trending issues with sub-tier suppliers should be addressed. Currently we are very poor at sharing information within our offices and across the organization. A large scale supply chain mapping, rating and tracking system with feedback from all employees would help in being predictive about potential delivery and quality issues. b. What data would you want to collect and how would you want to â€Å"data mine† it, or analyze the data to improve the performance of the contractor network and become aware of problems earlier? I would include both subjective and objective observations. Tracking delayed deliveries, their reasoning, CARs, Supplier CARs and supplier ratings or actions against their sub-tier would be the first step. I would also include subjective analysis by supply chain specialist to identify other areas of potential concern that may not have developed to the point of SCARs or delays.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Comparative Analysis of British and Chinese Culture management

Comparative Analysis of British and Chinese Culture management A Comparative Analysis of British and Chinese Culture and Identification of Management Strategies for Chinese Cultural Environments Introduction The United Kingdom and China at first glance seem very different cultures, they have very contrasting histories. Chinese culture has been influenced by thousands of years of similar social structures and is heavily influenced by Confucianism, putting emphasis on family and relationships. UK culture on the other hand has been influenced by more liberal economical developments such as market deregulations resulting in more short term profit seeking and individualism. As organisations become multinational, they encounter the effects that culture has over business and are faced with problems such as how best they can operate in these cultures. Comparative analysis of British and Chinese culture When examining British culture under the lens of Hofstedes dimensions the UK shows cultural traits that are similar to its north American counterpart the USA, Yet very dissimilar to Chinese culture. The UK scored 35 in the Power Distance Index, which is well below the world average of 55 (iTim International, 2009). This shows us that power is distributed more equally than the majority of other countries. Groschla and Doherty (2005) accredit the low power distance score to Britains democratic organisational and societal structures. An example of low power distance existing in British culture is visible from Keren More and Shay Tzafrirs (2009) study investigation employees trust in their superiors. They highlighted the procedural justice routes available for UK employees for holding their supervisors and superiors accountable for there actions, a trait which is not evident in high power distance cultures where authority and trust from superiors is unchallenged. This is very different from Chinas extremely high Power Distance score of 80. This score indicates, unlike in the UK, power is distributed much less unequally. Reasons for this high score could be the effect of Chinas paternalistic culture (Bhasin, 2007) or perhaps due to inaccessible private networks or Quanzi (Liu and Porter, 2010). This large difference in Power Index score may prove a culture shock to British managers when they are first introduced to authoritarian management environments with hierarchical structures. British managers will encounter problems that they might not have encountered back in their home culture such as little feedback from subordinates (Hurn, 2011). Hofstedes IBM survey exposes UK culture as being predisposed to a high level of individualism scoring 89, a very above the average score of 43 (iTim International, 2009). In individualist societies more emphasis on the pursuit of individual interests with more emphasis on independent actions. Andrew Barron (2010) cites Randlesomes (1995) research in confirming British individualism through UK citizens ethos of individual freedom and democracy. China on the other hand scored one of the lowest scores at 20, on par with a number of other east Asian countries such as South Korea, 18, and Bangladesh, 20. Balbir Bhasin (2007) states that there is no place for individualism in China, due to China being a collectivist society that has roots going back through the countries history dominated with family hierarchical structures. Nations that have been heavily influenced by British culture historically all have a disposition for high levels of individualism, this may have been due to a diaspora of British culture over the centuries. Evidence for this is in Hofstedes survey results: USA scored 91, Australia scored 90, Canada scored 80 and New Zealand scored 79 which are all above average and comprise the majority of highly individualised countries. When operating in a collectivist society, British managers would have to integrate well with in-groups to gain rapport with Chinese colleagues, which is paramount (Dong and Liu, 2010). Other barriers, complications and differences a manager might encounter due to this collectivist culture is group participation. Culture has been seen to be reinforced through education (Hurn, 2011), the methods and differences in education has resulted in differences being displayed by students at university level. Hurn (2011) continues by explaining that British education reinforces monochromatic behaviours such as punctuality and regulations. He contrasts this with Chinese students who experience more home education systems which neglects developing theyre critical skills and group interactions. This lack of criticising other peoples ideas could lead to problems in developing group projects and improving ideas as there is an unwillingness for employees to pitch in their views. UK has a slightly higher than average masculinity score of 66 compared to the worlds average of 50 scoring (iTim International, 2009). This indicates that British culture is very competitive in nature and its people generally more assertive that other countries. This aspect of British culture is very similar to Chinese culture which is also predisposed to competitiveness and achievements, their masculinity scores were identical. From an initial management perspective, a UK manager may not feel that they would need to alter their management strategy concerning competition or achievement elements, however the identical use of deadlines in a Chinese cultural environment may come across complications. These complications could stem from British culture being monochronic contrasting Chinese polychronic view on time (Bhasin, 2007). A British manager in China may wish to address this issue by becoming more flexible to allow for changes and to maintain strong relationships with colleagues to assure people are committed to achieving the deadlines. Another similar trait of British and Chinese culture is the way they approach uncertainty, both scoring below the world average in Hofstedes IBM survey (iTim International, 2009). This perhaps, meaning these cultures are both adept at accepting risk in business. Andrew Barron (2010) cites Perlitz and Seger (2004) highlighting proof of British culture being capable of handling uncertainty by examining the legislative aspect of the nation, finding fewer written laws when compared to other countries. [Such as France for example] Rodrigues and Kaplans (1998) research suggests that there is a trend that countries with low uncertainty avoidance scores consist of low formalised organisations. They continue by explaining that these organisations would have more lenient rules, laws and regulations. This would have implications of management practices operated in the UK and China, managerial decisions are more reliant on the mangers discretion rather than following procedure or protocol. [I disagree, there are still a lot of rules governing how managers and employees act à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Human resources initiatives, health and safety practices etc] Criticising this analysis, the use of Hofstedes work which includes many assumptions may not provide a an accurate due to changes cultures, Bhasin (2007) notices a change in individualism in the new generation of Chinese people. Hofstedes concepts have stopped being further researched and are simply accepted as fact on further cultural studies (Dorfman and Howell, 1988; cited by Swierczek, 1994). Further more, there is a risk of stereotyping nations when addressing culture. However, Fons Trompenaars (Lloyd and Trompenaars, 1994) believes that stereotyping is not bad, as long as negative connotations are avoided and the user of the stereotypes has the knowledge to use them correctly. Management Strategies in Chinese Cultural Environment When dealing in Chinese cultural environment, a manager must understand the concept of guanxi. Liu and Porter (2010) explain that personal networks exist in Chinese cultures, individuals in these networks have guanxi or relationships. Developing guanxi with colleagues is crucial for managers to gain contacts and to improve their working relationship. Due to personal relationships are needed to succeed in China, developing these personal ties are needed for nationals and expatriates to do business (Bhasin, 2007). This brings the question of how managers could develop guanxi with their Chinese counterparts; Yanxia Zhu et al (2007) demonstrates that effective negotiations always start with preliminary meetings before the actual negotiation begins. Therefore, by having preliminary meetings and networking a manager could overcome barriers such as information exchange and accelerating decision making procedures (Dong and Liu 2010). Following on from guanxi is the managerial need to address the concept of quanzi. Whilst guanxi relates to two peoples relationship, quanzi relates to personal networks of many of these relationships. These personal networks can form irregular organisational and hierarchical structures that differ from western organisation structures (Liu and Porter, 2010). Liu and Porter continue by advising the introduction of incentives by organisations to stop this practice such as elevating cooperative staff and by introducing industry best practices. Their study concludes that an organisation must change the culture of its employees, however trying to change peoples predispositions due to culture could seem an unattainable goal. Liu and Porters (2010) statements could be seen as contradictory to Natale et als (1994) view that successful cross cultural management involves realistic objectives, which changing employees culture may well be. Natale et als (1994) state that the issue of communication is fundamental in managing a different culture. This brings into debate which communication strategy is best used in workplaces with Chinese cultural environments. Using a Tell communication style would be appropriate in this instance, when taking in consideration several characteristics of Chinese culture. Their high power index score indicates that there is little dialogue or feedback from subordinates when taking business decisions. Conclusion British and Chinese culture displays very different key traits, however under further scrutiny there can be many similarities prevalent: These two cultures share competitive and risk taking attitudes to business that managers from each culture can appreciate when working in the others environment. Major differences in management techniques exists, partly due to the paternalistic Chinese culture of hierarchy that puts excess respect on age and status and the more equally distributed power distance in the UK. The cross cultural strategies, such as overcoming guanxi and quanzi problems are specifically aimed at combating these in-groups and cliques. However there are many small changes managers can make in their strategies, such as changing their style of communication and the way the personally behave in their counterpart culture.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Franz Kafkas Judgement :: Kafka Judgement Essays

Franz Kafka's Judgement    This short story of Franz Kafka is really a challenging one to interpret but apparently there are some contextual clues that enables us to draw some logical conclusions out of the story. Firstly, we should handle this story in terms of human relationships; there are 3 kind of relationships represented in the story. The first is the relationship between George (the main character of the story) and his friend in Russia; the second is George's relationship with his fiancà ©e and the third is his relationship with his father. Each exposition of these relationships contradicts with the persons involved in. That is, while George is devoted to writing to a friend whom he hasn't seen for 3 years, he doesn't write about important events. George tracks himself as a lonely character throughout the story so he may be trying to share his loneliness with a friend, but he has his fiancà ©e near him as well. However, we aren't informed enough about how close their relationship is in th at they are engaged only for a month. Then, we witness an extraordinary relationship of a father and a son. George and his father are like strangers to one another partly because his father is like a brutal shadow on him limiting his life. Only after her mom is dead that his father becomes less aggressive and gives him chance at their family business to put forward new plans and expand the business.    Then we should handle the problem of the judgement. What kind of a judgemant is this? The judgement of the father to sentence his son to death or George's own judgement to free himself from the burden of such a restricted life with a dreadful and unloving father left behind after his mom's death though his life standards are high. Here, we should take a look at the characters in depth to better interpret the story. There is round characterization of George who is represented as the main figure in the story. He is a young merchant running a family business with his widowed father. He and his father must be living in a wealthy neighborhood as it says in the story that they live in a graceful house along the bank of a river with maids in it.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

William Shakespeares Othello and The Tragic Hero :: William Shakespeare Othello Hero Essays

William Shakespeare's Othello and The Tragic Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If one reads Shakespeare's Othello, they can come to the conclusion that it might be one of the his most tragic plays ever written by Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet, is probably the most famous of his tragic plays, but Othello, has characteristics that, I think make it even more tragic than his other plays, and therefore for that reason, you can say that Othello is the most tragic hero.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Othello is a noble man, one who has grace with the ladies but also possesses all the virtues of a military leader that he is. He is a general that is experienced in battle. He has shown that he is reliable and well known in the military and is well respected. His valiant personality, is what draws people to him, as it does for Desdemona. The senators value him and hear what he says when he speaks. This is shown here by one of the senators. "Here comes Barbantio and the valiant Moor", (Act I scene 3, 47) . This is an example of the many comments which shows Othello's character and personality as a person and an officer. They say he is one of the great leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only does he posses great character and courage, but also dignity. He keeps his control even when he is being accused of witchcraft during the first encounter with the senators when Desdemona's father confronts him about see his daughter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Most potent, grave, and reverend signors,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My very noble and approved good masters;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is most true; true I have married her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The very head and front of my offending   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hath the extent, no more. Rude I am in my speech,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace;" (I, iii, 91)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an example of how Othello deals with style and grace under fire, when he is accused of witch craft, by marrying Desdemona. He neither, yells or screams, but explains in a manner that captivates his audience, and draws them in to listen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A major sign that Othello shows his rage and jealousy occurs in Act III, scene 3, when Iago is talking with Othello and tells him that Desdemona is a whore. Othello's breakdown, almost to choke Iago, simply asks Iago   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore, Be sure if it. Give me the ocular proof. Or by the worth of mine eternal soul, thou hadst been better have been born a dog. Than answer my waked wrath." (Act III, scene 3) This a point in the play where Iago starts unveil his malicious plan.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Characterization in Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin Essays

Characterization in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin Either they deny the Negro's humanity and feel no cause to measure his actions against civilized norms; or they protect themselves from their guilt in the Negro's condition and from their fear...by attributing to them a superhuman capacity for love, kindliness and forgiveness.   Nor does this any way contradict their stereotyped conviction that all Negroes are given to the most animal behavior. - Ralph Ellison (Litwack   3) The above quote by Ralph Ellison, author of The Invisible Man, is a good starting point for an analysis on the characterization within Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.   For many modern critics and readers alike, both black and white, harshly criticize the author for her stereotypical depiction of a black man as only being noble if he possesses a "superhuman capacity for love, kindliness and forgiveness," like her most noble and humane character in the work, Uncle Tom.   However, a deeper analysis of character will demonstrate that to Stowe's Christian framework, the sacrifices and nobility of Uncle Tom are not ones of defeat and subjugation, rather they are his only option from a moral point of view-and Tom is of the highest moral character possible, some would say a level that is unrealistic in the face of his real abuses.   This analysis will show how Stowe uses such characterizations to depict the horrendous nature of slavery in an attempt to change public opinion regarding the once sacredly held American institution.   A conclusion will discuss how my own thinking has been affected by the work. The character of Ophelia is used to contrast the North and the South.   Ophelia is an abolitionist who finds the atrocities of slavery ho... ...braham Lincoln would have been more than won over by this type of characterization, one so adept at pointing out the weaknesses of the white mentality and injustices while extolling the highest virtues as ones possessed more typically by blacks.   The same thing could be done with the Jews who were held in Bondage by the Egyptians, even though today the sufferings Moses and his people endured would more than likely make most readers who do not consider the period and ideology of the society in which a work is created scoff at the humility with which they tolerated their bondage. Works Cited Litwack, L.   Been In The Storm So Long:   The Aftermath of Slavery.   Alfred A. Knopf, New York:   1979. Stowe, H.B.   Uncle Tom's Cabin.   Houghton Mifflin Co., NY:   1948. Sundquist, E.J. (ed.)   New Essays on Uncle Tom's Cabin.  Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge:   1986.

A Case of Digital Divide in Bangladesh Essay

A case of Digital Divide in Bangladesh Anisur Rahman Senior Asst. Director and Head Library and Information Division Northern University Bangladesh Anisur Rahman, â€Å"Access to Global Information—A case of Digital Divide in Bangladesh. † Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences. Paper 25. http://docs. lib. purdue. edu/iatul/2007/papers/25 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact epubs@purdue. edu for additional information. Access to Global Information—A case of Digital Divide in Bangladesh Md. Anisur Rahman Senior Asst. Director and Head Library and Information Division Northern University Bangladesh 3/18 Iqbal Road, Asad Avenue Mohammadpur, Dhaka 1207 Bangladesh Email: anisdacca@gmail. com Abstract. ICTs can reduce communication costs and break down geographical borders. In the developed nations government policies are being established which attempt to ensure that all citizens will get the opportunity to access the effective use of ICTs in order to enable them to participate in the educational, social and economic activities and democratic processes. Developed countries are getting much benefit from the advancement of ICTs. There is digital divide between developed and developing countries. The term digital divide has been applied to the gap that exists in most countries between those with ready access to the tools of ICTs, and those without such access or skills. In other words, it is the gap between the have’s and the have not’s. The digital divide around the world is usually measured through statistical indices such as the number of telephone lines, personal computers, websites and Internet users and their ratio to the total population. This paper reviews the papers on issues related to digital divide that are affecting so many citizen in developing countries especially in Bangladesh and the factors that alienate people from enjoying the benefits of ICTs. The author recommends possible strategies that can be implemented in developing countries to reverse the widening gap of digital divide. Keywords: Digital divide, ICT, Internet, Bangladesh 1. Introduction Computers, modern telecommunication and the Internet all reduce communication costs and break down geographical borders. Information and communication technologies serve as powerful tools for empowering people, benefit business and virtually link people around the world to share their views, ideas and innovation. 2. Concept of Information Technology Information technology today handles information in every conceivable form, whether music, video, graphics, speech, data, text. It also embraces an increasing range of technologies. Information technology is the use of modern technology to aid the capture, processing, storage and retrieval, and communication of information, whether in the form of numerical data, text, sound, or image. IT has a great impact on the societies. IT has impact on employment, education and training, commerce, at home, arts (music, animation and visual effects, writing, games), and all aspects of public administration and national defense. 3. Digitization The globalization and localization of information and cultural values are basically predicated on digital technology. The invention of e-mail and the WWW leading to digital transmission 1 is the certainly the second digital revolution. Digital scanners and cameras can now be used to capture digital images for importation into computer systems. In the current information revolution, almost everything is digital TV, radio, air-conditioned, cars, airplane, refrigerators, industrial plants and telecommunication systems. 4. Digital divide This digital revolution has created a brand new economic sector that simply did not exist before. Computers, modern telecommunication and the Internet all reduce communication costs and break down geographical borders. In addition, ICT can be an important driver in poverty reduction and assure sustained conomic growth, better public welfare, and strong social solidity and democratic forms of government. In the developed nations government policies are being established which attempts to ensure that all citizens will get opportunity to access the effective use of ICTs in order to enable them to participate in the educational, social and economic activities and democratic process. Developed countries are getting much benefit from the advancement of ICT. So, there is a digital divide between deve loped and developing countries. The concept of the digital divide has been used to highlight difference in electronic access to information based on economic, race, ethnic or social group and/or geographical location. The term digital divide has been applied to the gap that exists in most countries between those with ready access to the tools of ICTs, and those without such access or skills. It is â€Å"a gap, which tends to deepen, is produced between those individuals that can access new information and communication tools such as phones, TV sets or the Internet, and those who are too poor to get them between the have’s and the have nots† (de Munster, 2004). Population residing in developing countries or in low-income countries may be unable to gain access to IT because of the inability to purchase the required equipment, Internet provider service or other necessary resources. It may not be possible to bridge the divide, but it is important to prevent it from deepening, as a minimum, and to attempt to narrow it as much as possible. According to Reuter’s reports at Berlin on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 â€Å"the digital divide is narrowing as citizens in emerging markets get online via computers and mobile phones, with some regions now on a par with developed nations† (Reuters, 2006). Peter korsten, European director at IBM’s Institute for Business value said â€Å"within China and India, regions like Shanghai and Bangalore have almost the same level of Internet and mobile phone connections as developed nations† (Reuters, 2006). 5. ICT status in Bangladesh The ICT status of Bangladesh is not remarkable without some favorable initiatives by the Government and by private entrepreneurs. Computer use in Bangladesh started with a mainframe computer in 1964.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Parental Filters on the Internet Essay

Technology, often defined as the application of science, was basically the crafts practiced by unschooled artisans (McClellan, 2006). Technologies had tangibly affected the people’s way of living, since these are made to improve their quality of life. Its existence was completely evident on how our ancestors developed simple choppers into fine blades, and later on, discovered the utilization of fire. One of the present discoveries was the Internet, which gradually diminished the barrier between communications. It served as a gateway of people all over the globe into the social scene. As perceived by Gralla (1998), Internet is the purest form of electronic democracy—where no single person, group or organization runs the Internet. It was made possible through computers interconnected with each other, sharing common information. These computers range from personal to government-owned databases, both local and international, to academic and business-oriented computers. A telephone, a modem, and a computer of course, are needed in able to connect to the Internet. Once you are connected to the Internet, your computer becomes an extension: another linkage on the Internet. Though the Internet was first used as a defense project of the United States, the Internet had evolved into being the newest kind of media. And eventually, it was used in schools, workplaces and businesses as well. It was able to help students in their home works, or catch up with the lessons they missed, and everybody’s favorite—social networking. As for professionals, the Internet enabled them to conduct video conferences, giving people who aren’t able to attend a certain meeting at ease. The Internet helped entrepreneurs as well, in finding the best products the community wants today, as well as providing on-line service with its customers. However, despite of all these good application of Internet, we cannot deny the fact that there are people who upload gore, violence and other explicit content. Though every information shared over the Internet has its own target audiences, parents should be literate enough to regulate and filter information their children are about to view. Parents, in the first place, are the one who thought their children to speak and communicate. Internet is the one that thought students to communicate and explore beyond extent. But parents are parents; they own their child and internet doesn’t. Internet can change someone but their parents can still control them. But still, as members of the society, we have to be responsible of what we access on the Internet, concerning especially the children. Kids these days spend more time on the Internet as much as our age does, which is very alarming, since this triggers children in accessing restricted material. Even social networking sites are surrounded with pedophiles and sexual predators, waiting for its prey to be devoured. Assuming that majority of the respondents control and filter their children’s use of the Internet, this study seeks to answer the forms of mechanisms utilized by every parent in a particular household, and its significance to child protection. Background of the Study As what Anne Frank stated, â€Å"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.† In this quote, it is evident that parents are meant to support their children in forming their personalities in any aspect of his life. In the Philippine context, it is believed that if a person possesses good traits, it was because he was raised by his parents well. A parent may vary from another parent in raising a child, but the main point in here is that, every single parent shapes their children in the way they wanted them to be. Diana Baumrind, a clinical psychologist, conducted a research study in 1960’s on the linkages of parenting styles, and its effects on 100 preschool-aged children. Using naturalistic observation, parental interviews and other research methods, she had identified four important dimensions of parenting (Cherry, 2011) namely: Authoritarian Parenting, Authoritative Pare nting, Permissive Parenting and lastly, Uninvolved Parenting. Among the four parenting styles Baumrind had identified, Authoritarian Parenting has high regards of their children, as well as their expectations. When these expectations aren’t met, punishment is likely to be followed. Children raised this way tend to be more furious outdoors, or lack self-esteem. Contrary to that, Authoritative Parenting still has its own rules to follow, but the difference is that, no punishment is inflicted, and thus nurtured instead. While Permissive Parenting practices no disciplinary actions at all, thus creating an environment filled with love. However, children raised this way, more often than not, are stubborn in nature. Uninvolved Parenting means no parenting at all, meaning they do not support them through their endeavors, but strictly comply with their needs. Children have the tendency to be more anxious than the usual, and exhibit more delinquency or drug abuse. (Cherry, 2011) In relation to our study, parenting plays the vital role in shaping their children, not only in their behaviors, but also within the context of Internet dilemmas. Indeed, the Internet can be both good and bad in general. It can help children in doing their researches and improve their knowledge within a particular lesson, but at the same time, there will be a tendency that they will depend too much on what Internet has to offer—which is unhealthy, since not all information shared over the internet are true and reliable. It can reconnect their long lost friends, and discover new friends through social networking, but it could also expose them to the danger of meeting strange new people online. Since the Internet has a wide array of information, it can satisfy one’s curiosity regarding a certain topic, but into what extent? Internet, in this modern day, serves as a key or a portal through everything that this world has. People recognize its use in a good and bad way. In a recent study conducted by Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication from February to April year 2009, it showed that 74% have access to the Internet. Most of the respondents came from Visayas and Metro Manila. The respondents include grade school pupils 10-12 old, and high school students 13-17 old. The children in both subgroups basically use the Internet for email, connecting with friends, participating in e-groups and social networks. Though these types of activities are considered ‘safe’, it is actually not. Cyber-bullying has been rampant in the airwaves, as well as pornography and other explicit content. Pornography can be generally defined as erotic depictions intended to provoke a sexual response (Casanova, 2000). It can exist in many forms, including videos, films, stills, and even comics. High school students are definitely aware of this at a young age, it is because their minds are preoccupied with curiosity thus, filling their satisfaction to know and explore through the world of internet. However, with proper guidance and regulation of parents on how their children utilize the Internet, we can still shape these children the way they should be. To keep them safe from the detrimental effects Internet has to bring upon. Be it physically, mentally, socially, sexually, psychologically or even spiritually. Media, especially social media, has gradually changed the youth’s social and emotional cognition to its environment. How a child interacts with the people around him is greatly affected with his exposure with the media (Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, 2010). In a study conducted by Kraut (1998), the social effect of the Internet is a bit similar with television, but greater use of the Internet is statistically significant into declining of social involvement. It greatly affects the social circle he belongs to, his social contact, and social communication. Another is that, Liwag (2007) stated that Internet has the capacity to erode authority structures. This means that children might be accepting parental authority. Getting into the physical context, children that are more exposed to Internet use, had a great impact on their lifestyles. Children sleep well beforehand, but since they got hooked with the Internet, their daily routine had tangibly changed. Liwag (2007) explained that many adolescents are into health-compromising habits and sedentary lifestyle. (Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, 2010) With the cases mentioned above, we, the researchers remain persistent in knowing what Filipino parents do, and have to do in order to diminish these cases for them not to experience. Theoretical Framework The study being proposed will adapt two mass communication theories. The first one is the Elaboration Likelihood by created by Richard E Petty and John T Cacioppo and the second one is the Social Judgment Theory that was developed by Muzafer Sherif and Carl Hovland. Elaboration Likelihood A popular model used as a principle in persuasion work is the Elaboration Likelihood Model created by Richard E Petty and John T Cacioppo. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) states that there are two routes through which persuasive messages are processed: the central route and the peripheral route. Developed in 1980, this relatively new persuasion model attempts to â€Å"explain how a persuasive message works to change the attitude of the receiver† (Moore, 2001). Central and peripheral routes: both are effective styles of persuasion techniques, but each one has strategies and guiding principles to make it more effective. Understanding the two routes of persuasion discussed in the Elaboration Likelihood Model is vital to the persuasion process. Messages sent via the central route of persuasion must be straight-forward and complete. The central route consists of â€Å"thoughtful consideration of the arguments (ideas, content) in the message† (Benoit et al., 2001). The receiver carefully scrutinizes the message and evaluates the subject matter of the idea. Messages sent through this route must possess a high level of receiver involvement, that is, the receiver must actually care about and be related to the subject. Because it is of importance to them, the message will be evaluated thoroughly. Central route messages must be strong. The message is going to be dissected and analyzed from every angle, so it had better have some substance to it. The peripheral route of persuasion is successful for messages with low receiver involvement, low receiver motivation, and weak messages. Unlike the central route persuasion, messages sent via the peripheral route are not processed cognitively. Rather, the peripheral route states that â€Å"if a person is unable to elaborate on a message extensively, then she may still be persuaded by factors that have nothing to do with the actual content of the message itself† (Moore, 2001). According to Professors Dean Kruckeberg and Ken Starck, â€Å"the dominant public view of public relations, in fact, is one of persuasive communication actions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wilcox et al., 2003, p.214). It is suggested that attitudes formed under high elaboration, the central route, are stronger than those formed under low elaboration. This means that this level of persuasion is stable over time and is less susceptible to decay or any type of counter-persuasion. Attitudes formed under low elaboration, the peripheral route, are more likely to cause a short term attitude change. The ELM is based on the idea that attitudes are important because attitudes guide decisions and other behaviors. While attitudes can result from a number of things, persuasion is a primary source. Model Social Judgment Theory This theory of attitude change was developed by Muzafer Sherif and Carl Hovland and later by Carolyn Sherif. As its name suggests, it is a model of judgment, which means that it declares that the audience interprets (judges) a message. Specifically, a listener judges how much the message agrees or disagrees with his or her own attitude. Second, Social Judgment theory holds that a listener’s involvement in the topic of the persuasive message – that is, how important a topic is to a listener – is an important factor in attitude change. Given a range of possible positions about given subject, people may have a range of opinions, but will have an anchor position. As this is often tied to people’s sense of identity, it is seldom possible to change it. The latitude of acceptance are those positions which are acceptable. The latitude of non-commitment are those positions which are neither accepted nor rejected. The latitude of rejection are positions which will be actively opposed. We can observe that one person can think a summer day is hot while another believes it is only pleasantly warm. Two friends can see the same movie and one will like it and the other will hate it. And two people can hear the same persuasive message but have quite different reactions to it. Social Judgment theory explains how two people can react so differently to the very same message. The reason why people gave different answers is that they had different comparison points or anchors and also because of their ego involvement. Each listener or reader judges the main idea of the message, how much it agrees or disagrees with him or her, by comparing the message with his or her anchor point, which in Social Judgment theory is his or her existing attitude on the message topic. Model: Conceptual Framework Elaboration Likelihood The researchers formulated a model of dual routes of persuasion to explain the situation being studied. The illustration shows the how, the what, and the predicted outcome of parents’ response to control their children’s internet access. The model will start from message that will be coming from the parents. Then the message will proceed to the audience factor—which is the children. There are two possibilities from which the message might flow. There will be a possibility of having high motivation and ability to think of the message or possess low motivation and ability to think of the message. In that process, it will show the parents to think of the control mechanism they will be using whether it could be a high or a low factor. Then the third process will be the processing approach which will show the style of approach the parents can be used. The last part of the process would be the persuasion outcome. Through that process we can infer if the outcome the parents had executed to control their children’s access had been a persuasive message in changing the children’s access to internet. In that case, the parents are expected to research and apply these mechanisms in controlling their children’s internet access. Eventually, there will be an element of dissatisfaction that will trigger their train of thought to try all of control mechanisms if possible. Each control mechanism has its own style that could or could not be persuasive or effective. Just like in the adopted theory of Elaboration Likelihood, that there are two techniques of persuasion and both of it are effective styles, but each one has strategies and guiding principles to make it more effective. Understanding the two routes of persuasion discussed in the Elaboration Likelihood Model is vital to the persuasion process. Conceptual Model: Social Judgment The Social Judgment theory in this study will focus on the children’s response or their involvement in the control mechanisms of their parents. Whether they will accept it, reject it or there is no potential commitment. As the conceptual model illustrates, it will start to the parent’s control mechanism. Afterwards, children will assess it depending on their level of ego-involvement and on their own anchor points. Lastly, it is their choice if they will accept it, reject it or just don’t commit at it. Not all children will have the same involvement because of their different attitudes or their ego involvement and anchor points. Conceptual Model: Statement of the Problem What are the mechanisms utilized by parents in controlling their children’s access to the internet and its significance to child protection? Objectives of the Study 1. To present the profile of the respondents in terms of: a. Demographic b. Economic 2. To know the different Internet sites that children usually view. 3. To identify the different control mechanisms used by parents in controlling their children’s internet access. 4. To determine the factors affecting the parents to control children’s access in the internet. 5. To determine if controlling children’s Internet usage will change their behavior towards Internet. Significance of the Study: To Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) With the collaboration of parents and teachers, this study would help them discuss with each other the action they should do if ever they will make a project plan regarding internet and children. They could be able to make different programs and seminars of how to handle their children and what to do in order to control children’s internet access. To the parents In accordance to the result of this study, parents will become attentive of what tends their children to visit such sites. If that happens, they could determine and counter-attack those factors with the proper and effective way of controlling their children’s internet access. They could also change their old mechanism in filtering their child’s internet use at least to refrain their child’s exposure on restricted sites. To the teachers Since teachers are correlated and influential with the shaping of the knowledge of students, with this study, they could serve as a bridge on the proper way of introducing internet world as an educational tool especially computer teachers. They should explain to students the main purpose of internet, the proper attitude towards internet access—their limitations, do’s and don’ts, To children, to students With the result of the study, children are hoped to see internet as a purposeful and educational one. They would gradually decrease their access on the internet abusively especially restricted sites. And to be able to understand that there is always a right time for everything. To the researchers and future researchers With the instrumentation, recommendations, conclusions and the study as whole, future researchers wanting to pursue a study like this would be a big help in producing another research or study in line with the topic. Their study could be an action towards the guidelines on filtering internet. Hypotheses: With the study, the following hypotheses are used: 1. With the objectives of the study, researchers expect the following: a. Parents in the lower class family are those who aren’t knowledgeable about the internet b. Parents in the middle class family are those who quite knowledgeable about internet c. Parents who are in the higher class family are those who are more knowledgeable about the internet. 2. The following sites are what children’s usually visit on the internet (in random order): Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Youtube and Multiply d. Online games e. Restricted and malicious sites f. Sites for educational purposes such as ebooks, forums, online classrooms 3. Parents usually control their children’s internet access with the set of rules and regulations given on them such as time limitations, reminding them the proper use of internet, securing their child by filtering the internet etc. 4. Bad effects children affecting their scholastic records, children’s nasty view of real world, effects of unwanted websites inappropriate of children’s age such as pornographic sites, print and broadcast media and hearsays of internet’s harm to children are the factors affecting parents to control children’s access on the internet. 5. Children become more at ease, curious and the more they are controlled, the more they are spending long duration of time on their use of internet. Limitations of the Study This study entitled, â€Å"PARENTAL FILTERS ON THE INTERNET: THE MECHANISMS UTILIZED BY PARENTS IN CONTROLLING THEIR CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO INTERNET†, concentrates on the practices, tools or guidelines used by parents in controlling and protecting their children with the potential harms that internet contains. This study focuses only in Manila, in which the researchers systematically selected four High Schools from the locality. The schools, those researchers had chosen, are Malate High School, St. Anthony School, Dona Teodora Alonzo High School, and Villamor High School. The parents will be the main respondents of the study, coming from the Parents and Teachers Association or PTA in the selected schools respectively. The researchers are limited to take 100 respondents from all the parents in those selected four schools. These 100 respondents will be coming from the PTA members. Due to lack of resources, we would trim down the number of the PTA population to 100. The age bracket of students in the chosen high schools is roughly from twelve years old to sixteen years old. These students are the source where we can gather information from the parent. Considering these students have basic knowledge on computer and browsing internet—same goes with parents. This research study is only limited on the students, as it should, who use computer and access internet. This entails the effects getting or absorbing by the students, whether it’s good or bad. The bad effects of internet to students can be in physical and in mental condition. Operational Definition This part contains words with corresponding definition used by the researchers throughout their understanding and limitation. This serves as the researchers’ own dictionary only in important and primary terms. This also serves as the guiding tool to better understanding to this study. Students Students refer to the students who are enrolled and studying on the systematically selected four schools in Manila. These are the students who have, at least, basic knowledge in using computer and accessing and browsing the internet.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Metropolis and Nineteen Eighty-Four Essay

The question (adapted from 2014 HSC) Rebellion and revolution are ideas which connect Metropolis and Nineteen Eighty-Four. How do these two texts from different contexts reflect changing perspectives on this idea? What it requires Both texts are connected by an exploration of rebellion and revolution that have direct relevance to the composers and their audiences. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences of the way each text portrays rebellion and revolution, taking into account context, audience, language and textual form. Prescribed texts: Metropolis (1929), directed by Fritz Lang (film) Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell (novel) Introduction begins with broader positioning of thesis, then introduces text followed by thesis statement which suggests contextual links When distribution of power in a society is too unevenly distributed, or when one group abuses their power too greatly to the detriment of others, then the oppressed often find a way to rebel or even initiate revolution. In Metropolis and Nineteen Eighty-Four we see depictions of dystopian societies that provoke rebellion or revolution, though as each text was produced during or shortly after significantly different periods of conflict and upheaval, we ultimately see two different attitudes presented, with very different expectations for the outcome of such actions. Topic sentence links to question Direct reference to context Analysis of images & sequences from the text with comparison of examples from text to reinforce topic sentence Concluding statement links back to thesis and introduces next paragraph Throughout history, the most common social structure to provoke revolution is one with hierarchical social classes. Lang’s depiction of divided social classes in a film encouraging sympathy for the lower class has parallels with its time, being produced shortly after the German revolution in which the imperial government was replaced by a form of representative democracy (the Weimar Republic). Lang uses expressionistic imagery, and the strong contrast of light and shade characteristic of German Expressionist Cinema to distinguish the two classes inhabiting the futuristic city. The workers are depicted in uniform black, trudging in synchronised columns into a dark tunnel to their work with the machines. Exiting, they walk at a slower pace suggesting work draws the life out of them, while montages of gears and heavy machinery construct them as part of the machine. This opening sequence is juxtaposed with the light shades and open spaces of the upper city, particularly the Eternal Garden. While workers trudge into dark tunnels, Freder, the protagonist and other sons of Metropolis’ elite run freely in leisure activities beneath towering walls and statues. This clear social divide establishes the familiar pattern for the revolution that is to come. Connects texts with comparative phrase ‘more complex’ Contextual difference between texts Brief summary of text links to topic sentence. Analysis of narrative style continues line of argument Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four explores the more complex scenario of an oppressive regime that maintains power through propaganda, subtle behavioural controls, and fear. Written 20 years after the production of Metropolis, and after the world had already seen the extremes of fascism and totalitarian regimes such as Hitler’s Nazi Party and Stalin’s regime in  Russia, Orwell creates a dystopian society of satirical extremes in which every aspect of an individual’s life, including their thoughts, are the subject of control strategies implemented in the name of the oppressive figurehead known as Big Brother. The close-framed narrative allows the reader to get inside the head of protagonist Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party of the English Socialist Party in decaying post-revolutionary London, now part of the mega-state of Oceania. His main occupation of rewriting historical records to reflect current party policy represents one extreme manifestation of totalitarian control. Through this activity, Winston introduces us to Doublethink, the ability to hold two contradictory ideas in your head while guiding yourself to believe the one that best fits the principles of Ingsoc, the party doctrine. To even doubt or question Ingsoc is dubbed ‘thoughtcrime’, and pursued ruthlessly by the thought police. Contextual links reinforce thesis Comparison of set texts and concluding statement link back to thesis In a policy reminiscent of the great purges of Stalinist Russia or the Night of the Long Knives in Hitler’s Nazi Party, anyone accused of thoughtcrime is ‘disappeared’ in the night and presumed executed or vaporised. Unlike the clearly divided social classes of Metropolis, the climate of fear in totalitarian London, coupled with the ever-present eye of Big Brother through the telescreens and the slogan ‘Big Brother is Watching You’, encourages people to oppress themselves, as people live in fear of being accused, falsely or otherwise, and executed. Topic sentence establishes commonality between texts before focusing on specific text Brief synopsis, introducing biblical allusions Detailed analysis of imagery and symbolism showing different perspectives linked to thesis Concluding statement links to next paragraph While both texts explore the idea of rebellion and revolution against such oppressive regimes, neither provides a single-sided view of the issue. In Metropolis, the revolution is initiated as a foolhardy act of manipulation by the ruling class. Joh Fredersen and his mad scientist companion, Rotwang, kidnap Maria, the Madonna-like figure who first entices Freder to learn the plight of the workers. After seeing Maria preaching to the workers using the oft-repeated phrase that ‘the mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart’ Frederson and Rotwang replace her with a robotic doppelganger to stir up dissent and rebellion in the workers so that Fredersen can be justified in using greater force against them. The workers who rise to robot-Maria’s call to destroy the machines are depicted as foolhardy, as they unknowingly leave their children behind in peril when their rampage causes flooding. This action symbolises the dangers of revolution, suggesting that in taking control of the present, then the future that the children represent may be sacrificed. Further folly is committed when the workers ignore the warnings of one of their own, Grot, and destroy the heart machine of Metropolis, symbolically rendering the city lifeless and in essence destroying the thing they may have hoped to claim. The epic scale of this revolution, however, is in strong contrast to the nature of rebellion in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Compares texts with ‘instead’ Developing argument with textual references and analysis of motif Analysis of symbolism links to topic sentence Concluding statement includes contextual links Instead of an epic revolution, Winston’s rebellion against the party is ironic in that his rebellion is to pursue acts associated with a ‘normal’ life. Once the audience understands the concepts of thoughtcrime and doublethink, then it becomes apparent how his continued questioning of the  official party story is a dangerous and rebellious act. A key motif that represents Winston’s rebellion is the repetition of the line ‘two plus two equals four’, which the audience recognises as a factual statement, but which comes to symbolise the power of the party’s control mechanisms that they might persuade someone to believe that two plus to equals five. In this way, all of Winston’s rebellions take the form of ordinary activities for the reader – a love affair, consuming real coffee and chocolate – yet the fact they are rebellious defines another aspect of life that the party has coerced and perverted as part of their driv e for power. Winston’s rebellion celebrates life and his actions serve as Orwell’s warning against any system of authority in which everyday actions might be seen as questionable. Directly compares texts with brief analysis of plot and   concluding link to thesis It is in the resolution of the acts of rebellion and revolution that the key differences between the texts emerge. Where Metropolis ends with a sense of hope (the liberated Maria unites Grot and Federsen through the empathic figure of Freder), Nineteen Eighty-Four’s final line in which Winston proclaims his love for Big Brother is seen as a final, crushing defeat that suggests no hope exists in such a system of power. Conclusion summarises how the question has been answered, with suggestions for further lines of inquiry arising from this essay In conclusion, it is possible to view these two texts as counterpoints to each other. While still recognising the dangers of revolution, Metropolis reflects the sense of hope that is ultimately represented by such an action while Nineteen Eighty-Four shows what such hopes can easily become. It is not insignificant then that Orwell wrote his novel after fighting directly against the fascists that would arise out of the German experience, and that he throws into question the value of the revolutionary spirit and whether or not it has ever produced an ideal, long-term outcome.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Chamonix in the French Alps Essay

Show how Mary Shelley achieves effects through the skilful use of settings in â€Å"Frankenstein†.  I am going to explore how Mary Shelley uses settings and locations to great effect in her novel Frankenstein.  Mary Shelley was born in 1797 and was an only child. Her father was a novelist and her mother was a feminist. However her mother died only ten days after she was born. This meant Mary did not receive much emotional support or nurture as a child. In her teens Mary ran away with the poet Percy Shelley across Europe. They visited Switzerland and stayed at the Villa Diodati near Lake Geneva, the home of poet Lord Byron. Whilst there it rained constantly and many storms passed by with lots of thunder and lightening. The occupants decided to have a competition to write a story and this is where Mary Shelley began to write â€Å"Frankenstein†, aged only 19. The book begins with the explorer Robert Walton and his crew trying to find a passage through the North Pole. He then discovers a despaired Victor Frankenstein on the ice sheets. After being rescued, Victor begins to tell his story. His story starts with his childhood in Geneva, then going to university in Ingoldstadt and making the creature there. Then he talks of escaping it by going to Chamonix in the French Alps. The book ends with Victor chasing the creature to the North Pole where Victor meets Walton.  I think the inclusion of the North Pole at the start of the book works well because it fits well with the creature that Frankenstein creates. The North Pole and the creature are both mysterious and isolated. Additionally Walton is trying to overcome the North Pole just like Victor is trying to cope with the creature. The use of Robert Waltons’ letters also make the story seem more plausible Victor Frankensteins’ house in Geneva, where he grew up, is almost the complete opposite of the North Pole. His house has a happy and friendly atmosphere. It is also a spacious and relaxing. The description of ‘blue laked and snow clad mountains’ and ‘scene so beautiful and heavenly’ must have been so welcoming to Victor after spending time studying at university in Ingoldstadt where he created the creature in his lab. When Victor tries to escape from the horror of his creature and its actions he runs off to Chamonix, in the French Alps. However the creature follows him here and tells his story. I think Chamonix is a clever location for this part of the book because it fits in well with feelings of the characters. For example Victor is isolated and defenceless just like the baron landscape and the Creature is angry and aggressive like the hostile environment. Also it is described as ‘rising like the waves of a troubled sea’ which shows also that Victor is still troubled by what might happen. This is another example of sympathetic background, when the characters mood is reflected in the setting. The book ends with Victor pursuing the creature across Europe, Russia and eventually back to the North Pole where they meet Robert Walton. This is a fitting end to the book because it brings the book full circle back to the beginning. It is also the extreme conditions of the North Pole that finally force Victor to his death. They also destroy the moral of Waltons’ crew so much they force him to turn around. The North Pole defeats all the people there.  In conclusion I think that Mary Shelley uses sympathetic background as a key effect in the book in order to make the book more interesting realistic. Also she drew on her own experiences of life and where she had been to add to the vivid detail in order to enhance the book further.

Friday, September 13, 2019

MKT301A-Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MKT301A-Homework - Essay Example By 2013, the world’s Internet population was estimated at 2.4 billion users (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2013). This implies that two-fifth of the world’s population is online. In this regard, both the videos and textbook are of the opinion that Internet advertising can reach a wider customer base at once, since anyone who is online across the globe can access information. They also point out that web-based advertising is used in almost all the industry sectors. One of the most important and obvious benefit of online business marketing is convenience and flexibility something which both the videos by and the book Marketing by Grewal and Levy agree with. With Internet availability, one can sell and order products globally, thus driving brand awareness. Both the print and electronic information sources on Internet marketing posit that social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn), video-sharing sites (YouTube), micro-blogging sites (Twitter), and photo sharing (Instagram), among many others increase product awareness and enhance customer rapport, allowing for an increase in sales as well as customer’s loyalty. The other similarity between information in the videos and information in the textbook is that the use internet advertising is much cheaper than the traditional promotional and advertising activities. The textbook clearly shows the link between the benefits of using social networks to any business enterprise. On the other hand, the videos on internet marketing do not outline how web-based marketing strategies allow a firm to take advantage of social media, for instance, Facebook, My Space, LinkedIn, and Twitter to market its product. While the videos do not mention anything about the cost, the textbook argues that the Internet is a versatile and highly flexible advertising medium because changes can be made to the ads without incurring much additional cost. The other difference is that while the videos start by giving a background information about online