Jesus's Self Understanding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Jesus's Self Understanding - Essay Example This paper also attempts to answer the question, "Who is Jesus" along with a short background of his childhood, His Obedience to his heavenly Father and his Death. The third part tells about Jesus' Ministry, his disciples and his Teachings. It also tells us of birth of Christianity. This is an exploratory essay, and so the highlight of this paper is in the last part, where his obedience to his Father's will be discussed. Nonetheless, all parts of this paper have equal significance, as it contributes to the whole scheme of thought. The Bible tells us the story of Creation which explains the existence of everything living on Earth. The story of Adam and Eve is not only a story of Creation but an account of the Disobedience of Man,3 also known as the " Fall of Man". Then came the story of Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve; is a narrative of the first crime of murder committed. There is a long list what was said to be the " Wickedness of Man"4. The Bible though, is not only about the evil that man can do, also tells of the gifts the Lord has given to man. Abraham has made a covenant with the Lord; Moses received the Ten Commandments that will ensure the man's salvation. As long list of kings has fought in the name of the Lord waiting for the promise of the Redeemer5 that was given to Adam and Eve after the Fall. RELIGIOUS PRACTICES The most common religious practices before Jesus' time were Paganism and Idolatry. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller, rustic") is the blanket term given to describe religions and spiritual practices of pre-Christian Europe, and by extension a term for polytheistictraditions or folk religionworldwide seen from a Western or Christian viewpoint. The term has various different meanings, though, from a Western perspective, it has modern connotations of a faith that has polytheistic, spiritualist, animistic or shamanic practices, such as a folk religion, historical polytheistic or neopagan religion6. Idolatry, defined as worship of any cult image, idea, or object, as opposed to the worship of a monotheistic God. It is considered a major sin in the Abrahamic religions whereas in religions where such activity is not considered as sin, the term "idolatry" itself is absent. Which images, ideas, and objects, constitute idolatry, and which constitute reasonable worship, is a matter of contention with some religious authorities and groups using the term to describe certain other religions apart from their own (sometimes resulting in iconoclasm)7. THE PREPARATION OF THE COMING OF CHRIST The promise found in the Old testament, " Out of the fullness of his grace, he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after the another. God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.8 " The Bible is tattered with many announcement of the coming of the Messiah. In Isaiah 7:14-15, " therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will

Building an Ethical Organization Essay Example for Free

Building an Ethical Organization Essay The human service organization that I have become a director for is an addiction clinic. The clinic will be providing treatment for people within the community that have addiction problems. There will be programs available for people to receive treatment to meet each individuals needs. The goal will be for the patients to receive the best care available to be able to beat addiction. This clinic’s goal will be provide resources to better the community in which it serves. Each employee will be held to high standard and will have the appropriate training needed to each client to the best of their ability. The clinic wants to help the community by serving the people who suffer from addiction and providing them with the best care possible. Treatment for drug, alcohol, gambling, smoking, and other addictions are all services provided from this clinic. There will be different programs available to meet each person’s different needs. There are several different types of addiction. Every person who has a problem with addiction is different so the clinic will meet all the needs for each. Each program will have different steps for each client to help beat their addiction. The clientele for this clinic will be people who suffer problems with addiction and children whose parents have suffered addiction problems. The clinic will have counseling for families with children so the children can understand what is going on with their parents. The counseling will help the children know how to help their parents and to also make sure that the child is not in a hostile environment. The clinic wants to help families who have suffered addiction to be able to work through their situations and work on their family. Children have suffered because of the addiction problem their parents have. The clinic wants to help counsel the children to help them understand and move forward in a positive direction. Any person who suffers from addiction will be able to come to the clinic to receive the help they need. This clinic is a non-profit clinic. Donations are accepted to help fund each program that is offered. The clinic has fundraisers to help raise money to help keep the clinic open. All the money that is raised goes toward  the programs, staff salaries, building expenses, and all other expenses that help keep the clinic running to the highest standards. Any donation is recognized through the clinic. We take pride in our excellence and want to recognize anyone that helps us in funding the clinic so we can keep achieving our goals. The community is encouraged to be a part of making the clinic better. The clinic wants feedback from the community so we can better serve our clients. The mission statement for the addiction clinic is, to improve a person’s life by providing diverse care for patients who have different addiction problems within the community. The mission statement will support the ethical system because it states that the clinic wants to provide diverse care for patients with different addiction problems. The goal for the clinic is to provide care for the patients that meet their different needs. Every person that comes to the clinic will be different and so there has to be programs available to meet those needs. The mission statement’s sends a positive message to the community because it tells them that the clinic is there to help with addiction problems within the community. Addiction is a problem in every community so the statement tells the community members that there is help available for this problem. The addiction clinic’s value statements are, for all patients to receive quality prevention, treatment, recovery, and support services so they can reach the goal of staying clean from illegal drugs and alcohol abuse. The value statement for this clinic inspires action because it tells people with addiction in the community that there is support for them to reach the goal of staying clean from illegal drugs and alcohol abuse. This value relates to the clinic’s mission statement because they both are stating that they want to help people with addiction. They both state that the clinic want to provide care for the different types of addiction and that they want the best for the patients who received treatment from the clinic. The ethical principles that guide our work are the product of broad-based consultation, are drafted by representatives of professional bodies and organizations, and exist in the form of guidelines and proposed codes of conduct (Gruskin Dickens, 2006). The codes of ethics for this clinic are the following: 1. Work in a manner that supports the clinics mission, goals, and value statement. 2. Uphold the code of ethics to human service professionals. 3. Protect the confidentiality of clients according to the rules and  regulations of HIPPA. 4. Staff must take appropriate steps to unethical behavior of colleagues. 5. Unethical behavior of staff is not acceptable. 6. Staff must follow commitment to the clinic. 7. Staff must be aware of issues that affect clients from diverse backgrounds. 8. Staff must respect the integrity and welfare of each client. 9. Staff must treat clients with acceptance and respect. 10. Sexual relations with clients and or staff members are prohibited. 11. If suspicion of danger or harm may occur, staff must protect the safety of the client, clinic, and employees by following appropriate steps. 12. Staff must stay up on training and classes offered to improve the care given to clients. 13. Discrimination toward clients, staff, and community is not accepted. 14. Sexual misconduct toward clients, staff, and community is not accepted. 15. Sexual harassment toward clients, staff, and community is not accepted. The code of ethics listed above gives employees a list of appropriate behavior while employed with the clinic. Each employee must follow every ethic that is listed to ensure that the employees of the clinic are giving the best care to the clients that is expected. The code of ethics is related to the mission and values of the clinic because it helps the staff give the best care available to the clients in the community with helping with the problem of addiction. According to the Healthcare Leadership Alliance (HLA), the professionalism competency is the ability to align personal and organizational conduct with ethical and professional standards that include a responsibility to the patient and community, a service orientation, and a commitment to lifelong learning and improvement (Garman, Evans, Drouse, Anfossi, 2006). The values of the clinic are very important. Each employee should be aware and know them by memory. This way each employee knows what is expected out of them from the clinic. Each employee is held to a high standard and should be aware of the values and ethics of the clinic. The clinic uses tangible cultural forms. I want to promote ethics and values in the everyday work  environment. This form allows the staff to hear and use the ethics and values everyday so they stay fresh in their minds and they stay cautious of their actions. If the employees are reminded everyday of the ethics and values of the clinic then they will be no reason for the employees to not follow them. Shared values are hung throughout the clinic that shows the clinic’s values. This keeps the staff aware of the values by reminding them as they walk through the hallways of the clinic. Meetings are held each month that allows the staff and the directors meet and go over feedback from the community. During these meeting the values and ethics are discussed with the staff so they are reminded of what is expected. This allows the staff to give feedback on the values and ethics. As a leader in this type of clinic there are several moral responsibilities that I have. I not only have moral responsibilities toward the clients that the clinic serves but also to the employees. I have moral responsibility for each client because they reaching out for help. I want to offer them every possible resource so they can get out of their situation. If the shelter fails on doing so then the clients could return to their addiction and possibly end up in a worse situation. I am morally responsible for the employees because they have to know how to handle these types of situations. As leaders, it is our responsibility to be catalysts and role models for our professional colleagues by both retaining and communicating a profound sense of optimism regarding the future of the law, health care, and our respective organizations (Gragnolati Stupak, 2002). I want the employees of the clinic to lead by example. I hold myself with high standards and follow each rule. I go to training when they are offered to ensure that I stay educated on any issues so I can better serve the clinic, staff, and clients. My goal as the leader is to have a staff that holds themselves to the same standards as I use. This way each employee keeps the same goals and wants the same for the clinic and the clients. For this clinic I use transformation leadership. I want my employees to trust me as their leader. I think that with this type of leader, the employees are comforted because they know that the leader is just as much invested to fixing any problem that arises. The employees have to have the proper training so they know how to counsel the clients and know what resources to offer them. If the employees fail in doing so then as a leader I also fail. Each staff member must go through training to ensure  that they give the best care to each client. They must keep up on certifications if needed. Each staff member has an evaluation done every 3 months to ensure that they are giving the best care to the clients and to make sure that the employee is following the code of ethics, mission, and values. Appropriate steps are taken if the employee fails to follow the rules and termination may occur if needed. The clinic does not tolerate employees who are not loyal to the clinic, clients, and the staff. The clinic wants employees who are there that can follow the rules and ethics of the clinic. Each client takes a feedback survey so the clinic can evaluate the programs and employees. We want each program offered to be the best it can to help serve the clients. Feedback from the clients helps the clinic know what areas of each program are working and which ones are not. This way the programs can be fixed to help meet the needs of the clie nts. This clinic will provide different care for patients battling addiction. Each patient will be in programs that best fits their needs. The clinic will have qualified workers to help meet the needs of each patient. The mission and value statement both send positive messages to the community because it tells them that the clinic is there to help with the problems of addiction within the community. These statements also state that the clinic wants the patients to receive the best treatment to help with the addiction problem. There are fifteen codes of ethics that each employee of the clinic must know and follow. The ethics makes the employee aware of what is expected of them as an employee of the clinic. Each employee should be aware of all twelve codes of ethics and should follow them accordingly. Tangible cultural forms are used in the clinic. This allows the clinic to promote the values and ethics through the work environment. The clinic holds high standards for the employee. Each employee has evaluations done to make sure the employees are giving the best care for each client. This keeps employees aware of issues that they need to work on so they can become better with the care that they give. The clinic strives to help each client meet the goal in recovery. With all the steps the clinic makes to achieve this goal, an ethical organization has been built. References Garman, A. N., Evans, R., Drouse, M. K., Anfossi, J. (2006, July / Aug). Professionalism. Journal of Healthcare Management, 51(), 219. http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/pqdweb?index=62did=1092901951SrchMode=1sid=9Fmt=4VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1289765094clientId=13118 Gragnolati, B. A., Stupak, R. J. (2002, Summer). Life and Liberty: The power of positive purpose. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 25(), 75. http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/pqdweb?index=3did=677546611SrchMode=1sid=2Fmt=3VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1289762787clientId=13118 Gruskin, S., Dickens, B. (2006, November). Human rights and ethics in public health. American Journal of Public Health, 96(11), 1903. http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/pqdweb?index=35did=1159402191SrchMode=1sid=2Fmt=3VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1289763672clientId=13118

Race and Ethnicity in South Africa

Race and Ethnicity in South Africa The apartheid government believed that South Africa should be represented predominantly by the beliefs and cultures of the white race group, diminishing the others. Tutus speech directly challenges this by saying that the South African nation is a rainbow nation, with its national identity involving the different cultures, religions and beliefs of any and every group. This goes against the apartheid belief of a white supremacist state, saying that South Africa is a home to a diverse population, all of which share equal rights. It clearly states that, as a rainbow nation, South Africa embraces diversity in any form, whether it is racial, cultural, religious or ethnic. This means that anyone can be anything they desire and still be considered an equal citizen with equal rights. At the same time, however, it says that the countries people will rally together against any opposition, united by the common understanding that we are all South Africans. This one common plateau is what makes South Africa a unified nation, while at the same time celebrating its diversity in its people. No, he says the something completely different. He clearly says that different cultural groups must exist, but that there must be a common and mutual tolerance and respect for each group. This differences in society need to remain, and a mans views must stay intact, but people need to understand that we all fall under the title of South African, and it is this that will unite us and make us a peaceful and tolerant nation. If this understanding can be spread, according to Sparks, this is what will inspire our national identity. Rainbow nation is the concept that South Africa accepts all races and beliefs, viewing them as equal under a legal constitution, thus making South Africa a nation of many colours, with the identity of a diverse country, i.e. a rainbow nation. Mosaic society is a metaphor that compares the national identity of South Africa with a mosaic, a piece of art (usually a picture) made up of many differently shaped and coloured pieces of slate, slotted together. In the same way, each different culture, belief, religion, ethnicity, etc. must be accepted as part of society, but be separate from other groups (like the slate pieces). Melting pot refers to the opposite of what is considered to be the national identity. It suggests that like a pot in which ingredients are melted together into one entity, so is the South African society brining in its diverse people to be melted together to become the same, with the same beliefs and understandings. According to Source C, the hope was that a new South Africa would bring about racial integration and the enjoyment of wealth by all, as seen by looking at the image provided by the advertisement. This is clearly a false representation of reality, as today it is well known that those who were oppressed by apartheid (mainly black people, but also Indians and coloured people) found it hard to recover in terms of education and finance after apartheid ended, resulting in the persisting divides we see in this country today, in which the vast majority of wealthy people are white and therefore live separate from the economically underprivileged. This proves that the idea of a national identity provided by the source is completely artificial. Source D also explains to us an important fact; that the divides created by apartheid, across religion, race, ethnicity and gender, meant that people experienced very different ways of living during the apartheid era. These differences and divided experi ences are not something that can be broken down over years, let alone over night, resulting in what has previously been explained as different groups preferring to exist in their own comfort zones of society, making the notion of a national identity almost absurd. Finally, Source E shows us that the concept of a national identity is one that belongs to the starry-eyed idealists, i.e. not something that could happen in reality. It also provides another take on this, by suggesting that South Africa was never really a unified country, but rather the product of hundreds of years of colonialism, meaning that because this land was influenced so drastically by the external imperial powers, that the groups and social divides created by this influence resulted in the present idea of a unified and nationalistic South Africa being non-existent. A national symbol needs to be at least one of the following three things. Firstly, it must be created from the hearts of the people, from something that they feel strongly about and can therefore rally behind. Secondly, it needs to be created with regard to the experiences and suffering of those it will represent, as people who need to back this symbol must feel that it stands for everything they have gone through in order to make it possible to have such a symbol. Lastly, it must be something that people identify with, something easily recognisable and universally accepted so as to appeal to a diverse population. I would support the third approach, which says that a national symbol should be something that every person can identify with fully, as this encompasses the other two approaches. In order for someone to identify with a representational symbol, they must accept it into their hearts, as it needs to be something that they feel close to and that reaches them on a emotional and personal level, while still standing for their political persuasion. As well as this, it needs to be something that represents the experiences and suffering that one has been through in order to insure the creation of the symbol itself. This means that it must reach them on an external, physical level, as well as a personal one. Therefore, we understand that in order for something to be identifiable to a person, it needs to encompass all the three approaches mentioned above, which are brought together by the third approach. The fact that Thabo Mbeki implies that every group in our culturally diverse country stems from the same source and should therefore have the same belief and understanding of a national identity that represents every South African. This is most definitely not the case, and hence completely idealistic. To claim that every black man and women has the same interpretation of what it means to be South Africa as the average white South African is absurd, as the formative experiences of these different groups during both the apartheid and post-apartheid eras are, the vast majority of the time, completely different. This idealistic and hyperbolic tone of the speech also emphasises its forced nature. It almost seems as if he is trying to convince both himself and others of his preferred reality rather than affirm what the true reality. This speech was made during the creation of the South African Constitution, widely considered to be the best in the world on an idealistic level, while being difficult to uphold in practise. This means that the speech fits with the constitution in terms of the belief that all South Africans feel united by the common nationhood, but also falls in line with the constitution in terms of being unrealistic. In other words, the context of the speech emphasises the idealistic nature of the content. It reveals that heritage is constructed from the history. While history is the historical fact of what happened and how it happened, heritage is not as straight. It is built on the basis of history, but on a more subjective and interpretive level. An example is given by the speech, by how Thabo Mbeki chose to use certain historical facts as a foundation for his construction of a so-called common South African heritage, also implying that heritage can be about choice, what you want to be and how you want it to be. Therefore, while history is about the compilation of factual events, heritage is about the creation of what we feel represents us from our past. Source K suggests that the problem with the use of the term African as a form of national identity is that nobody seems to know what they it truly stands for, whether its blacks, people born in Africa or those committed to the African continent. This is a well identified problem, as it is not possible to use a term to unify a country when one cannot clearly define those who the term represents. It is not possible to allow anyone to create a definition, neither a person nor a government, as this may conflict with the definition of another person or group and it will be impossible to compromise. It therefore stands to reason that Source L should bring up the argument that those who choose to bestow Africanness on others are out of place and should first try to come to terms with what it means before labelling it as an honorary title and using it to create a national identity. It also brings up the fact that the continual use of the term as a means of national identification will only l ead to further confusion of those who dont understand its significance (if any). If we look at the holidays celebrated during the apartheid year of 1986, we clearly see that they are predominantly white/Afrikaner, Christian holidays. There is nothing that celebrates any kind of equality or democracy, nothing to commemorate the anti-apartheid struggle. However, when we look at post-apartheid 1996, we immediately see the change. There are now days that celebrate human rights, freedom, workers, women, heritage, etc. and days such as 16 June that remember those who died to bring about the end of apartheid. Therefore, the types of holidays celebrated changed drastically over the decades, between 1986 and 1996. The change in holidays shown between 1986 and 1996 also shows us the change in national identity in South Africa. The identity starts in 1986 being clearly white, Christian, Afrikaner, promoting only the beliefs that one would expect from such a person. This shows the narrow-mindedness of the apartheid identity, which neglects the cultures and rights of other racial, religious and cultural groups. Then in 1996, it changes to incorporate the celebration in womens rights, freedom, human rights, workers rights, etc. therefore showing us a more diverse cultural, religious and political identity that fits closer with the post-apartheid South Africa. The day that most resembles independence day from 1986 is Republic Day, as this celebrate the day South Africa became a republic and hence a independent country, and from 1996 is Freedom Day, a celebration of South Africas first non-racial elections and thus of a new kind of liberation and independence emerging, as well as a new South African identity. Therefore, we can say that the most important thing, the one aspect that has been preserved over the decade, is the feeling of independence from external forces, whether it is your own government or that of another country. The eight episodes referenced refer to pivotal areas of South Africas history. They are all conflicts which shaped the nature of the future South Africa and as such need to be given a place in the celebrating of a freedom that is supposed to be at the core of modern South Africa. Their commonality is illustrated by the fact that each one of these events is characterised by violence stemming from injustice of one sort or another, be it racially charged as in Genocide and slavery or politically and nationalistically motivated as in the Anglo-Boer and world Wars. In each of these there is the fight for freedom from some threatened or real form of repression. They differ in the nature of their fights- some are internal fights for freedom dividing people within borders- Slavery, Wars of resistance, The struggle for liberation and some are external, usually uniting different people within the country against a common enemy as in the World Wars. Together they represent an opportunity to pul l people together by inspiring a common sense of pride and identity by emphasising that the country as a whole has defeated so many forms of brutality and repression to ultimately gain its freedom and as such the freedom of each and every one of its citizens across all ethnic barriers. The Freedom park was created for one specific purpose, as stated in the source: to help South Africans reconnect with the lost spirits that died in war, who fell for South Africa, in the way that their culture dictates, i.e. a ground for the mutual respect of the dead by all South Africans, regardless of cultural belief. Therefore, according to the logic provided by the source, it stands to reason that such a place would be perceived to play an important part in the restoration and rejuvenation of the indigenous, South African cultures that were diminished by the apartheid area, not to mention helping to rebuild the bridges between culture burnt away during the long years of apartheid separation. The 2 sources discuss the purpose of Freedom Park, that is the need to create a place of remembrance which will allow people to remember the fallen, those that have shaped the country, and therefore inspire a deeper feeling of commitment to building it in the future. In doing this they show how invaluable it is to delve into the complex cultural belief systems of different groups within the country. If one honours these appropriately e.g. by fastidiously allowing the visiting of the places of death and carrying out relevant rituals and therefore ensuring the return of the spirits of dead combatants, the experience of the living is resolved and completed and their ability to have a positive outlook on a South African future restored. It is therefore vital that one have a deep understanding and sensitivity towards each different groups particular understanding and rituals surrounding death and remembrance, as if you validate and honour these individually you allow each group dignity an d this will in turn foster respect of each other and a common wish to build a country where the future can be shared by all.

History of Psychology Time Line Essay examples -- essays research pap

Time Line The history of psychology just might be the greatest type of history to explore. From 387 B.C Plato?s Academy of Athens, where his metaphysics, epistemology, and social philosophy found expression and came to pervade Western thought. Plato was a dualist, separating the physical world from the world of true form. His assertion that reality is known through reason was not challenged until the rise of empiricism, to the Supreme Courts ruling on April 30, 1979. In Addinton v. Texas, ruled that a person may not be civilly committed to a mental institution unless the state presents ?clear and convincing? evidence they require hospitalization. This standard of evidence is greater than the ?preponderance of evidence? rule for civil cases but not strong as the ?beyond reasonable doubt? rule for criminal cases. These two examples are to show the wide range of history Psychology has to offer. In my project I chose to focus on Industrial Organizational Psychology. (I/O Psychology) This area of Psychology interests me the most and I feel by concentrating on I/O Psychology I can learn more and keep my idea?s organized to one field of Psychology. ? *February 24, 1409 the founding of the world?s first mental hospital was inspired. One this day in Valencia, Spain, Father Juan Gilabert Joffre came upon a crowd harassing a ?madman. ? Wealthy citizens responded to a sermon calling for a hospital for the insane. The hospital de Nuestra Dona Santa Maria de los Inocentes was founded later in the year and is still in operation. ? 1690 John Locke outlined the philosophical justification. Later manifested in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which in effect, advocates participatory management in his argument that ... ...f psychiatric hospitals to employee placement at the average fast food restaurant, Industrial Psychology holds an important place in history. ? Not I/O Psychology, but I felt these dates were important to note. Work Cite Kane, J. N. (1981). Famous first facts: A record of first happenings, discoveries and Inventions in American History (4th ed.). New York: H. W. Wilson. Ridenour, N. A. (1961). Mental health in the United States: A fifty-year history. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Street, R.W. (1994). A Chronology of Noteworthy Events in American psychology: Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. Riggio, R. E. (2000). Introduction to industrial/organizational psychology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

How to Communicate Bad News Effectively Essay

Communication is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior. Communication requires a sender, a message, and a recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender’s intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the message of the sender. Feedback is critical to effective communication between participants. A business can flourish when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the people of the organization must be able to convey their message properly. Business communication is the process of establishing a common understanding between or among people within a business environment. Business communication is any communication used to build partnerships, intellectual resources, to promote an idea, a product, and service, with the objective of creating value for your business. Business communication involves constant flow of information. Business communication here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the organization. There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinators in an organization, between organization and society at large it is essential for success and growth of an organization. Communication gaps should not occur in any organization. Business communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be communicated to people  within and outside the organization. Business communication is regulated by certain rules and norms . Effective communication helps in building goodwill of an organization. Importance of business communication to managers Business managers should be able to communicate in number style. -Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their performance if it is not up to mark. -Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-making process as it helps in identifying and assessing alternative course of actions. -Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individuals attitudes, i.e. a well-informed individual will have better attitude than a less –informed individual. -Communication also helps in socializing: in today’s life the only presence of another individual fosters communication. The flow of communication in an organization The flow of communication in an organization can be in the form of : Downward Communication – flow of information from higher level in an organization to a lower level in an organization. In other words, communication from a superior to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward communication is used by managers for providing feedback on employees’ performance, giving job instructions, Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees. Upward Communication – flow of information from lower authority to higher authority. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors. The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and ideas and to participate in the decision making process. Upward  communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisors and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improved things. Horizontal Communication – flow of information among peers within the same work unit. This is the communication between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontal equivalent organizational members. Cross-Channel Communication – exchange of information among employees in different work units who are neither subordinates nor superior to one another. Negative /Bad message Bad message – â€Å"†¦situations where there is either a feeling of no hope, a threat to a person’s mental or physical well-being, a risk of upsetting an established lifestyle, or where a message is given which conveys to an individual fewer choices in his or her life.† Both of the downward and cross channel communication can be related to the concept of relating bad message to an employee. It can be said that how you communicate that bad message will have a significant impact on your organization and its reputation. Bad message can be in any form, it can be i.Termination of appointment ii.Laying off employees iii.Failure in an interview iv.Dealing with bad performance v.Communicating a bad financial situation vi.Rejection of a proposal, among others Communicating bad message is the most difficult information to convey. To those it affects though, it is the most important communication of all. Delivering bad news can be the worst part of the job for any manager. That’s not because the truth, on its face, is difficult to convey. It’s the anxiety of the possibility of handling it poorly and knowing that doing so can worsen the impact on your employees, their productivity, and your whole  company. Any communication can be challenging even when the news being delivered is positive, but when delivered is negative is known as bad message. In business a letter, memo or email that conveys negative or unpleasant information- information that is likely to disappoint, upset, or even anger a reader. Bad messages include rejections (in response to job applications, promotion requests, and the like) negative evaluations, and announcements of policy changes that don’t benefit the reader. What constitutes bad message Bad message is a fact of life for all business professionals, from rejecting job applicants to downturn speaking invitations. Bad message means the reader or the person receiving the news will not be able to accomplish his/her goals. Bad message directly can often be very damaging and unnecessarily hurtful. Goals of communicating bad message Goals are clearly needed a lot to accomplish in one message. These are some of the goals you can develop negative/bad messages that reduce the stress for everyone involved and improve the effectiveness of your communication efforts. There are two goals in communicating bad news we have the primary and secondary goal. Primary goals i. Make the receiver understand the bad news. ii. Help the receiver accept the bad news. iii. Maintain a positive image of you and your organization. Secondary goals i. Reduce bad feelings ii. Convey fairness iii. Eliminate future correspondence iv. Avoid creating legal liability or responsibility for you or your organization. v. Choose appropriate tone and organization Using the 3 writing process Step 1: Plan Your Message When planning your message, you can’t avoid the fact that your audience does not want to hear what you have to say. To minimize the damage to business relationships and to encourage the acceptance of your message, analyze the situation carefully to better understand the context in which the recipient will process your message. Be sure to consider your purpose thoroughly whether it’s straightforward or of more complicated (such as creating a negative performance review, in which you not only give the employee feedback on past performance but also help the person develop a plan to improve future performance.) Similarly, your receiver profile can be simple and obvious in some situations and far more complex in others (such as telling a business partner that you’ve decided to terminate the partnership.) With a clear purpose and your audience’s needs in mind, identify and gather the information your audience will need in order to understand and accept your message. Bad messages can be intensely personal to the recipient, and in many cases recipients have a right to expect a thorough explanation of your answer. Selecting the right medium is critical when delivering bad messages. For example, you might badly damage a business relationship if you use voice mail to reject a long-time employee’s request for a promotion. Since the employee would surely have some important questions to ask, and you would certainly want to soothe hurt feelings, a face-to-face meeting would be the best choice for this situation. Step 2: Write Your Message When conveying a bad message to your colleague, every aspect of effective, diplomatic writing is amplified; after all, the audience does not want to hear a bafd message and might disagree strongly with you. Be sure to maintain the you-attitude, and strive for polite language that emphasizes the positive whenever appropriate. If your credibility hasn’t already been established with an audience, lay out your qualifications for making the decision in question. Recipients of bad messages who don’t think you are credible are more likely to challenge your decision. That’s why, for example, messages related to late payments are often signed by a higher executive. And as always, projecting and protecting your company’s image is a prime concern. If you’re not careful, a negative answer could spin out of control into negative feelings about your company. When you use language that conveys respect and avoids an accusing tone, you protect your audience’s pride. In addition, you can ease the sense of disappointment by using positive words rather than negative ones. Chances are you’ll spend more time on word, sentence, and paragraph choices for negative/bad messages than for any other type of business writing. People who receive bad message often look for subtle shares of meaning, seeking flaws in your reasoning or other ways to challenge the decision. By writing clearly and sensitively, you can take some of the sting out of the bad message and sensitively, you can take some of the sting out of bad news and help your reader to accept your decision and to move on. Step 3: Complete Your Message Your need for carefully pay attention to detail continues as you complete your message. Revise your content to make sure everything is clear, complete, and concise – bearing in mind that even small flaws are magnified as listeners react to your negative news. Produce clear, professional documents, and proofread carefully to eliminate mistakes. Finally, be especially sure that your negative messages are delivered promptly and successfully. Waiting for bad message is hard enough without wondering whether a message was lost. CHOOSING THE BEST APPROACH Conveying bad message to a colleague is never a pleasant task but breaking it at the wrong time or in the wrong way can be the worse, so it’s important  to know the best approaches to breaking bad news. When writing bad message, you will need to choose the direct or indirect approach; however, there are no clear guidelines to help you choose in every case. Ask yourself the following questions to guide your message: i. Will the bad news come as a shock? ii. Does the recipient prefer short messages that get right to the point? iii. How important is this news to the recipient? iv. Do you need to maintain a close working relationship with the recipient? v. Do you need to get the recipient’s attention? vi. What is your organization’s preferred style? vii. How much follow-up communication do you want? CHOOSING POSITIVE WORDS Examples of negative phrasings| Positive alternatives| Your request does not make any sense| Please clarify your request| Due to unforeseen circumstances: I won’t be able to attend your meeting| Because my flight has been delayed I will miss for your meeting.| Unfortunately we haven’t received your payment.| Your payment hasn’t arrived yet.| The enclosed signature is wrong| Please recheck the enclosed signature.| | | | APPROACHES TO DELIVERING BAD MESSAGE The direct approach and the indirect approach Effective bad news messages convey the negative information the receiver must receive with an eye toward keeping future business. Without even thinking about it, you’ve probably been using both the direct and indirect approaches to deliver bad news your entire life. When you come right out and tell somebody some bad news, you’re using a direct approach. When you try to soften the impact by easing your way into the conversation before delivering the bad news, you’re using an indirect approach. Chances are that you’ve already developed an instinctive feel for which approach to use in many situations. In conveying your message, you will need to make a similar choice whenever you deliver bad news; however, there are no clear guidelines to help you choose in every case. Most bad news messages will be better accepted by our listeners if we use the indirect approach. The care we take to soften the blow will result in effective messages that consider the readers’ feelings and keeping their business. The direct approach We use the direct message when the receiver i. Prefers bad news first ii. Is emotionally uninvolved iii. Will be unaffected by the bad news The Indirect Approach for bad Messages The indirect approach helps recipient prepare for the bad message by presenting the reasons for the bad message first. When done right, it doesn’t obscure bad message, delay it, or limits your responsibility. Rather, the indirect approach eases the blow and help recipient accept the situation. 1. Open with a buffer A buffer expresses your appreciation for being thought of, assures the reader of your attention to the request, compliments the recipient, or indicates your understanding of the recipient’s needs. A buffer must not insult the audience with insincere flattery or self-promoting blather. Because it sets the stage for the bad news to follow, it must be both sincere and relevant so that readers don’t feel they are being set up. The first step in using the indirect approach is to start with a buffer, a neutral, non-controversial statement that is closely related to the point of the message. A buffer establishes common ground with your listener; moreover, if you’re responding to a request, a buffer validates that request. Some critics believe that using a buffer is manipulative and unethical, even dishonest. However, buffers are unethical only if they’re insincere or deceptive. Showing consideration for the feelings of others is never dishonest. Here are several types of effective buffers you could use to tactfully open a bad message. viii. Appreciation (Thank you for applying for a change of duties). ix. Agreement (We both know how hard it is to make a profit in this industry). x. Cooperation xi. Understanding xii. Praise Here are some other things to avoid when using a buffer to open a bad message: xiii. Avoid saying â€Å"no.† xiv. Avoid using a know-it-all tone. xv. Avoid wordy and irrelevant phrases and sentences. xvi. Avoid apologizing. xvii. Avoid using a buffer that is too long 2. Provide Reasons: By giving your reasons effectively, you help maintain focus on the issues at hand and defuse the emotions that always accompany significantly bad news. As you lay out your reasons, guide your readers’ responses by starting with the most positive point’s first and moving forward to increasingly negative ones. Provide enough detail for the receiver to understand your reasons, but be concise; a long, roundabout explanation will just make your audience impatient. Your reasons need to convince your receiver that your decision is justified, fair, and logical. 3. Continue with a Clear Statement of the Bad News: First, de-emphasize the bad message: Minimize the space or time devoted to the bad news—without trivializing it or withholding any important information. Subordinate bad news in a complex or compound sentence (â€Å"My department is already shorthanded, so I’ll need all my staff for at least the next two months†) This construction pushes the bad news into the middle of the sentence, the point of least emphasis. Embed bad news in the middle of a paragraph or use parenthetical expression (â€Å"Our profits, which are down, are only part of the picture†). However, keep in mind that it’s possible to abuse de-emphasis. For instance,  if the primary point of your message is that profits are down, it would be inappropriate to marginalize that news by burying it in the middle of a sentence. Second, use a conditional (if or when) statement to imply that the audience could have received, or might someday receive, a favorable answer (â€Å"When you have more managerial experience, you are welcome to reapply†). Such a statement could motivate applicants to improve their qualifications. Third, emphasize what you can do or have done, rather than what you cannot do. (â€Å"The five positions currently open have been filled with people whose qualification match those uncovered in our research†). By focusing on the positive and implying the bad news, you make the impact less personal. When implying bad news, be sure your audience understands the entire message – including the bad news. Withholding negative information or overemphasizing positive information is unethical and unfair to your reader. If an implied message might lead to uncertainty, state your decision in direct terms. Just be sure to avoid overly blunt statements that are likely to cause pain and anger. TECHNIQUES FOR CUSHIONING THE BAD MESSAGE i. Position the bad news strategically, avoid the spotlight: Put the bad news in the middle of a paragraph halfway through the message ii. Use a long sentence: Don’t put the bad news in a short, simple sentence. iii. Place the bad message in a subordinate clause: Although we have no opening for an individual with your qualifications at this time, we are pleased that you thought of us when you started your job search. iv. Be clear but not overly graphic v. Imply the refusal vi. Suggest a compromise or an alternative vii. Consider using the passive voice: Passive-voice verbs focus attention on actions rather than on personalities. They are useful in being tactful. COMMUNICATING BAD MESSAGE EFFECTIVELY 5CS Once you have carefully choosing the approach you would use to communicate effectively using these techniques you should know that the objective of a bad message is to convey the bad news without bruising the reader’s feelings. 5Cs to communicate bad message effectively i. Cutbacks: Avoid statements that might involve the company in legal actions. One thing that won’t be appreciated right now is sugar coating. Don’t wrap the news in pretty paper or dance around it. Plainly specify who, what, where, and how. ii. Context: Explain the reasons for the problem don’t be out of context be on point and give reasons, do not deviate from the reason to please the listener. iii. Compassion: Try as much as possible not to blame anyone around the resulting condition. Respect and proactively acknowledge natural emotions. iv. Candor: Candor means the quality of being open and honest in expression. The truth may hurt, but any attempt to mislead is unforgiveable. v. Consistency: Conform yourself in conveying the news for the sake of accuracy and fairness. Everything communicates avoid saying one thing and doing another. ELEMENTS /TIP OF BAD MESSAGE OF COMMUNICATION i. Set the stage: When framing your delivery of the message, first try to get into their heads and think about what’s important to them. Think about how the news will impact the audience and also think about how it impacts you. Then relay that information. By revealing your personal feelings about the situation, you can build a rapport and practice empathy that can help to fend off the audience’s natural reactions which may be anger, resentment or any number of other feelings. ii. Be direct: Avoid talking too much and clouding the issues. It’s important to succinctly explain the situation and the steps that must be taken. Don’t try to sugar coat the message because you’ll likely end up confusing your audience. iii. Acknowledge the problem: When bad news has to be delivered despite the hard work and efforts of the team, it is imperative that you acknowledge and recognize their efforts and then carefully explain the decision along with the plan for turning things around. iv. Know what you want the audience to feel, think or do after they hear your news. Then, as you’re framing your delivery, be sure to communicate the facts, the steps that are being taken, and what you need them to do. v. Practice: As with just about anything, practice makes perfect. By rehearsing the conversation, you’ll become more comfortable and confident about what needs to be said. And, when you deliver the news with confidence, your audience is much more likely to not only respect you, but also be able to accept that the bad news is out there and you’re now doing everything you can to make things right. vi. Stay on topic: When having to deliver bad news, it’s very easy to take an off-ramp and become side-tracked as a way to avoid the inevitable. By doing this, you’re only making the task harder for yourself and more confusing for your audience. vii. Don’t let your audience steer the conversation: Bad news can make people emotional, particularly when it involves performance feedback or the need to terminate employment. Acknowledge the other person’s feelings, give them a minute (or 10) to collect themselves, and move forward with the conversation. Putting it off for another day doesn’t help anyone in the long run. viii. Provide alternatives: When it’s necessary to provide critical feedback, it’s necessary to also provide alternative actions as well as a timeline for completion. While you may have some concrete ideas for actions that need to be taken, you’ll be better served by following the next two steps before firming up your plan. ix. Ask for feedback: Ask your audience open-ended questions that are directly related to the issue at hand and do what you can to make the environment safe enough to allow the person or people to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. x. Listen. : By not speaking and trying to fill in the gaps in the conversation, you are opening the door for the other person to provide feedback and to communicate what they really think. In addition, make sure you’re actively listening to what they have to say rather than thinking about how great it will be when the conversation is finally over. By listening, you’ll be much better able to work with the person or team to move beyond the bad message and begin the work that needs to be done to rectify the situation. DON’TS IN COMMUNICATING BAD MESSAGE i. Do not make promises about the future that may not hold true. ii. Do not overreact. iii. Do not try to protect others from bad news or yourself from sharing it. iv. Don’t make initial statement or announcement through emails. v. Don’t flout company policy if you want to share something you have been asked not to. vi. Don’t let the receiver hear the news outside. vii. Don’t communicate bad news through text messages. viii. Don’t hide behind company policy.

Obama Health Care Reform Essay Example

Obama Health Care Reform Essay Example Obama Health Care Reform Essay Obama Health Care Reform Essay Obama Health Care Reform-NO!! When it comes to our health care system, most of us agree that America is ready for a change. We need a system that delivers accessible, high quality care, but we can’t achieve this goal with government policies that attack the foundation of our current health care system which is employer sponsored health insurance. The Obama administration and members of congress are pushing legislation to set up a government run health care system. This government run system would operate in competition with private health insurance that is commonly provided by many employers to employees and their families. Employer sponsored health insurance is the backbone of our nation’s health care system and if this health insurance is banished this would affect 160 million Americans. Do you want the future of health care be in the hands of a few politicians, the same politicians that are making themselves exempt from their own policies? This trillion dollar takeover of health care will just make things worse for us Americans. This plan will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit. It would also mean new taxes and a huge backdoor premium that will make health care costs even higher, not lower. Businesses and taxpayers will be stuck paying for a government run plan through higher taxes, these costs we cannot afford at this time when our economy is facing real challenges. This new health care reform will cover fewer medical procedures and each American will have long waiting periods before they can get the medical care they seriously need. Under this plan if you need surgery or a transplant it may take so long for the government to O. K. the medical procedure you need that you may die before your treatment is approved. Other countries with this same government run plan has put price tags on the lives of their citizens. This health plan oversees your care and it makes the ill patients wait for the critical care they need to survive. Sadly, some people don’t survive long enough to see the government approve their medical care. For example, in Massachusetts, which in 2006 provided everyone with health insurance, their patients have to wait up to 63 days to get an appointment to see their doctor, could you wait that long to see your doctor if you was ill? As you can see a government run health care system won’t fix our health care system. America doesn’t need a one-size fits all government health care plan. We have to eep in mind the famous words of President Harry Truman, â€Å"Healthy citizens constitute our greatest national resource, and that welfare and security of our Nation demand that the opportunity for good health be made available to all. † He recognized the need for a better health care plan system that would be able to accommodate all Americans and treat any hea lth problems they may have. We need to work together as Americans to find a solution for a health care reform that lowers costs and expands access to private health care coverage that all Americans can afford, not a massive government takeover that puts a price tag on our lives!

Terrorism

Terrorism Terrorism The problem of definition of terrorism has raised myriads of interests from various states, international organizations and even ordinary citizens. However, there is no an agreed definition of terrorism that can be used globally to describe various heinous acts as terrorism. Some have described terrorism as an act of using violence and threats for the purpose of intimidating or coercing people for political reasons. Terrorism has also been defined as a constant use of violence towards people in a certain region or country in order to create an atmosphere of fear for the purpose of achievement certain political goals. According to historical data, terrorism has been used by various political organizations in order to destabilize and overthrow the existing political institutions (Griset Mahan, 2002). However, terrorism has also been used by various ruling authorities against its own people, for example, in the Soviet Union, under leadership of Stalin. In the current global environment that is characterized by technological improvements in weapons and ability of the media to disseminate information instantaneously, terrorism has developed to become sophisticated and even more complicated, for example, the 9/11 attack. The UN Security Council has defined terrorism as any criminal acts against civilians, which are committed with an intention of causing death, serious injuries and taking hostages aiming at provoking a state of terror to citizens in a state,group of people, or a person with the purpose of compelling the government or an international institution to abstain or do certain acts (Whittaker, 2012). Terrorism has changed overtime with the current insurgence of various terrorist groups, primarily from Islamic countries fighting for religious and political reasons. They also use various symbols in terms of flags graffiti and communiqus to deepen their unity, create an appeal to likeminded individuals and impose fear on those who oppose the group (Dingley Kirk-Smith, 2002). Financing of terrorist activities has been among the daunting tasks facing the insurgent groups since they are very poor in logistics. Committing a terrorist activity requires a lot of resources in terms of money. Terroristic training camps are located in the segregated areas far from people, where they have to engage in numerous corrupt activities that require high operating costs (Miguel Gomez, 2010). Transfer of funds is another major fuss for the organization, as the funds need to be transferred to their associates in various countries of their target. In conclusion, definition of terrorism has attracted diverse views from various states, international organizations, and individuals. However, there is still no agreement on the generally accepted definition. Complexity and sophistication of terrorism has increased overtime, especially with the development of technology. Financing of terrorist activities has also been a daunting task for the insurgent groups since they require a lot of resources. In addition, it was not easy to transfer illegal funds across the globe.

George Orwells Animal Farm essays

George Orwell's Animal Farm essays George Orwell was chiefly interested in justice and equality. He was a deeply pessimistic man who had powers of imagination which few of his contemporaries dreamed one man could have. Orwells character and writing style was so deep that qualities that were and still are manifest in his work, did not reveal themselves in his life (Scott-Kilvert 273). In his short life, Orwell distinguished himself as a novelist, journalist, essayist, literary critic, and political polemicist. In his writings, Orwell used a personalized blend of moral commitment and social commentary to distinguish himself as a major spokesman for his generation (Beacham 1084). Animal Farm was one of the first real attempts to use a beast fable to satirize communism. The novel is quoted to be a struggle about farm animals that have driven out their human exploiter, to create a free and equal community. In doing this, Animal Farm takes the form of a mast ingeniously worked-out recapitulation of the history of Sov iet Russia from 1917 up to the Teheran Conference. George Orwell uses the events of the Russian in his political satire Animal Farm to express the main theme, Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Animal Farm is a frivolous form of the animal tale that conveys with immense power a profoundly bitter message (Williams 107). George Orwells travels to Spain to cover the Spanish Civil War had a profound impact on Animal Farm. Because of his travels to Spain, Orwell developed disillusionment with the Communist party and convinced himself of the impending treat of totalitarianism on the survival of intellectual freedom (Beacham 1082). In Animal Farm Orwell shows and expresses his opposition of the doctrine of imperialism which fosters aristocratic privilege at the expense of the poor and disadvantaged (1082). For example, shortly after the Revolution in Animal Farm, everyone from the pigs to the horses are consi...

Sam 342 unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sam 342 unit 5 - Essay Example Its functions from division I to division III vary in nature although the core values of the organization remain the same. At a young age players can be exploited and their focus can shift from education to sports only, hence they might become successful sportspersons but in long run they might fail to become an educated and contributing citizen. To regulate and keep a check on practices prevailing in al three divisions, the role of NCAA has gathered much importance in the past few decades. The core values of other professional sports association or clubs are more oriented towards their own set of beliefs, history and achievements. The basic principals they operate through are more aligned towards profitability, success in results, commitment to sports and the courage that can bring victories to the club or the association. In comparison with NCAA the core values of professional clubs or associations are more centric towards commercialism while NCAA plays a more philanthropic role and strives for safeguarding the interests and ensuring betterment of young sports person from grass root level to university level moving towards a successful career in the selected professional

The role of slavery in secession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The role of slavery in secession - Essay Example Indeed, even before the war was over, researchers in the North and South started to investigate and decipher the explanations for the carnage. The Secession of Southern States prompted the foundation of the Confederacy and at last the Civil War. It was the most genuine Secession development in the United States and was vanquished when the Union armed forces crushed the Confederate armed forces in the Civil War. Before the Civil War, the nation was separating in the middle of North and South. Issues included States Rights and contradictions over taxes yet the best partition was on the issue of subjugation, which was lawful in the South yet had bit by bit been banned by states north of the Mason-Dixon Line. As the US obtained new regions in the west, astringent open deliberations ejected about whether or not subjugation would be allowed in those domains. Southerners dreaded it was just a matter of time before the expansion of new non-slaveholding states however no new slaveholding states would give control of the administration to abolitionists, and the organization of subjection would be prohibited totally. They additionally despised the thought that a northern industrialist could secure plants, or some other business, in the new domains however agrarian Southern slave-proprietors couldnt move into regions where subjugation was restricted in light of the fact that their slaves would then be free. With the race in 1860 of Abraham Lincoln, who ran on a message of containing subjection to where it at present existed, and the accomplishment of the Republican Party to which he had a place – the first completely territorial gathering in US history – in that decision, South Carolina withdrew on December 20, 1860, the first state to ever formally withdraw from the United States. After four months, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana withdrew too. Later Virginia (aside from its

Streetcar marketing communication and Marketing mix Case Study

Streetcar marketing communication and Marketing mix - Case Study Example The strategy used by the streetcar company is very exceptional as it also works in a way to preserve the environment. The advocates for a greener environment have affirmed that indeed there is no need to have many cars on the road and having a business that offers car sharing and car rental services is very effective way of ensuring that the emissions are reduced. The elements that are involved in the marketing of any company are not conclusive since there are a variety of them. Insight to the buyer behaviour and their decision making process is entrenched in the core marketing concepts. Currently, marketers have been able to develop theories and prove them scientifically to explain the stable rules that apply to the marketing sectors and business communication. The major concern is addressing the observable features that are similar among all or most consumers and try to understand them vividly. It is very difficult for one to ascertain that marketing has a theory and that it is justifiable on the basis that it is logic and consistent. In the modern market regimen, the core concepts include the market strategy, eCommunication and eCommerce. Different methods of communication are involved by different companies to market themselves as this is the first process that will initiate the eagerness in customers to buy. When customers become aware of a certain product, it evokes a curiosity. Streetcar has established good strategy that incorporates eCommerce and eCommunication. These concepts are important in marketing because the strategy for marketing will enable a company to come up with a better marketing plan which is cost effective and successful. The understanding of human behaviour can enable streetcar to meet their marketing objectives which can be evaluated by certain aspects that are practical and measurable for instance the amount of sales, the profits, the market share and the ROI- return of investment. Objectives and Strategies The main objective of implementing communication strategies in a business is to increase the sales of the business and as a result increase its profits. The success of the marketing strategy will depend on the appropriate coordination and implementation of all the elements of a marketing mix which include pricing, promotions, place and the product. Business success is achieved by the realization of the business objective. The communication style in marketing is to give answers to the following questions about customers; who How When Where And why do they buy The streetcar company has integrated all the answers to the above questions and has established a strong customer base in the UK (Pelsmacker et al 2007). Evaluation of the market, control systems and use of direct communication allows interactive exchange of information and effective marketing of the products offered (Fill 2006). Streetcar is one of the biggest car sharing and car rental clubs in the United Kingdom and it was est ablished in 2004. The customers are mainly the people who do not have personal cars and those who don't use their cars regularly. Currently, the clubs has over 40,000 members all over the country and it is operating in seven cities with seven

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

Rewrite - Essay Example It is sponsored by the Pegem Akademi YayÄ ±ncÄ ±lÄ ±k EÄŸitim DanÄ ±Ã…ŸmanlÄ ±k Hizmetleri Tic. Ltd., located in Ankara, Turkey. Its stated aim is â€Å"to serve the needs of researchers and experts in educational sciences and specifically in educational administration, policy, planning, supervision and economics of education† (EÄŸitim Yà ¶netimine, 2012). The source is therefore credible. The second source selected for the topic of Social Media is an article by Rebecca Walker Naylor, Cait Poynor Lamberton and Patricia M. West. It is titled Beyond the "Like" Button: The Impact of Mere Virtual Presence on Brand Evaluations and Purchase Intentions in Social Media Settings, and it was published in the Journal of Marketing in 2012. This source is credible because the journal is long established (for more than 7 decades); it is stated to be a recognized leader in the field, and it is a â€Å"premier, broad-based, scholarly journal of the marketing discipline that focuses on substantive issues in marketing and marketing management† (AMA, 2012). The third source selected for the topic of Work Shop is an article by Haiyan Huang and Zheng Wang. It is titled Solving coupled task assignment and capacity planning problems for a job shop by using a concurrent genetic algorithm, and it was published in the International Journal of Production Research in 2010. This journal is published for researchers around the world interested in production systems and processes (IFPR, 2012). The organisation behind it is The International Foundation for Production Research (IFPR), which has been holding conferences every two years since 1971, and which was founded by a former head of the Production Engineering Department at the University of Birmingham in England. The source is therefore credible. The use of credible sources is very important for academic and professional research because it determines its likelihood of reliability, validity, reputability, and

Expansion On Authur Millers Death Of A salesman Essay

Expansion On Authur Millers Death Of A salesman - Essay Example man, such as an ancient version of Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s play â€Å"Death of a Salesman,† would be no more shocking or dramatic than fish going bad. However, a modern audience has a much more difficult time relating to the sanctity of the mighty. It is much easier for them to expect downfalls of their leaders and more shocking to them when they see someone more like them, a common man, fail due to his own mistaken beliefs. Thus, in modern times, Miller’s ‘low man’ Willy is the quintessential classic tragic hero of the modern age. Although the tragic hero was a character in ancient Greek plays long before Aristotle codified the term, they all shared these same characteristics that Aristotle identified. As has been mentioned, in ancient times, these ideas were reserved for men who had the potential to reach greatness of some kind – usually men with a claim to nobility. Despite their greatness, they become destined to fail because of some tragic flaw in their character. This tragic flaw is typically, but not always, the flaw of excessive pride in one’s own abilities. No matter what the flaw is, it is always tied strongly to the reasons for their success and is therefore something the individual is justifiably proud to exercise (Aristotle, 1998). According to Zarro (2001), â€Å"the tragic effect will be stronger if the hero is ‘better than we are’, in that he is of higher than ordinary moral worth. Such a man is shown as suffering a change in fortune from happiness to misery because of a mistaken act, to which he is led by his hamartia (his ‘effort of judgment’) or, as it is often literally translated, his tragic flaw.† Society has shifted since then in such a way that today, we consider the common man as having a greater chance of higher than ordinary moral worth in his dedication to making an honest living for modest goals. Today’s tragic hero cycle focuses more on the three events than the noble status. The social

The Strategy of Economic Development and World Trade Via Free Markets Essay

The Strategy of Economic Development and World Trade Via Free Markets - Essay Example Patriotic consumption is brought out by the author as it becomes clear following a terrorist act that occurred in 2001. Due to the event, there were many claims by the public figures that the individuals were patriotic in spending their money in the place to stimulate the economy of the country. Due to the event that occurred, the people would be much concerned with personal and family affairs without the observation of the economic objectives of the country. it was noted that Americans had rationales to shopping before the attack occurred but this reduced as there were other new considerations when they did their shopping. According to Murray, preppies are the ones that can be used in the context to bring about linking of the roles. The link comes as the students are able to develop some moderate amount of discipline. Most successful students in their studies are those that have developed discipline and work extra hard in their studies. The students should find time out of class by getting themselves involved in recreational activities such as fine arts or enjoying a beautiful scene. This allows them to show knowledge and appreciation to the scenes. Partying is viewed as an event that enables one to forget about some factors though the event should be restricted to weekends only. Additional self-indulgence is required in activities that are daily carried out and they should be combined with self-discipline. When these practices are considered, there is taking the form of displaying better quality in the activities and goods that one uses (Milner, 78).

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

Rewrite - Essay Example It is sponsored by the Pegem Akademi YayÄ ±ncÄ ±lÄ ±k EÄŸitim DanÄ ±Ã…ŸmanlÄ ±k Hizmetleri Tic. Ltd., located in Ankara, Turkey. Its stated aim is â€Å"to serve the needs of researchers and experts in educational sciences and specifically in educational administration, policy, planning, supervision and economics of education† (EÄŸitim Yà ¶netimine, 2012). The source is therefore credible. The second source selected for the topic of Social Media is an article by Rebecca Walker Naylor, Cait Poynor Lamberton and Patricia M. West. It is titled Beyond the "Like" Button: The Impact of Mere Virtual Presence on Brand Evaluations and Purchase Intentions in Social Media Settings, and it was published in the Journal of Marketing in 2012. This source is credible because the journal is long established (for more than 7 decades); it is stated to be a recognized leader in the field, and it is a â€Å"premier, broad-based, scholarly journal of the marketing discipline that focuses on substantive issues in marketing and marketing management† (AMA, 2012). The third source selected for the topic of Work Shop is an article by Haiyan Huang and Zheng Wang. It is titled Solving coupled task assignment and capacity planning problems for a job shop by using a concurrent genetic algorithm, and it was published in the International Journal of Production Research in 2010. This journal is published for researchers around the world interested in production systems and processes (IFPR, 2012). The organisation behind it is The International Foundation for Production Research (IFPR), which has been holding conferences every two years since 1971, and which was founded by a former head of the Production Engineering Department at the University of Birmingham in England. The source is therefore credible. The use of credible sources is very important for academic and professional research because it determines its likelihood of reliability, validity, reputability, and

The Strategy of Economic Development and World Trade Via Free Markets Essay

The Strategy of Economic Development and World Trade Via Free Markets - Essay Example Patriotic consumption is brought out by the author as it becomes clear following a terrorist act that occurred in 2001. Due to the event, there were many claims by the public figures that the individuals were patriotic in spending their money in the place to stimulate the economy of the country. Due to the event that occurred, the people would be much concerned with personal and family affairs without the observation of the economic objectives of the country. it was noted that Americans had rationales to shopping before the attack occurred but this reduced as there were other new considerations when they did their shopping. According to Murray, preppies are the ones that can be used in the context to bring about linking of the roles. The link comes as the students are able to develop some moderate amount of discipline. Most successful students in their studies are those that have developed discipline and work extra hard in their studies. The students should find time out of class by getting themselves involved in recreational activities such as fine arts or enjoying a beautiful scene. This allows them to show knowledge and appreciation to the scenes. Partying is viewed as an event that enables one to forget about some factors though the event should be restricted to weekends only. Additional self-indulgence is required in activities that are daily carried out and they should be combined with self-discipline. When these practices are considered, there is taking the form of displaying better quality in the activities and goods that one uses (Milner, 78).

Visual Arts Essay Example for Free

Visual Arts Essay Every human being has a significant innate characteristic of being artistic in nature originating from his or her humanistic aspect. In this concept, every single individual has the ability to express him or herself through any form of artistic manifestations and on the other hand, also has the ability to view and recognize different forms of artistic expression. This idea is mainly because the very essence of existing as a human being is fully realizing their innate human behaviors of emotional manifestations and expression. Thus, the concept of humanistic art form as a means of expressions and communication of expression is born. In the general course of humanistic art form, the aspect of visual arts commonly roused much enthusiasm and recognition. The aspect of visual art expression usually manifest in the style of appealing to the basic humanistic senses of the human society particularly the sense of sight wherein one uses a concrete way of expressing him or herself to the society. In this form of artistic expression, the visual artist contemplate and transform his or her personal abstract emotions into a concrete form to captivate the interest and emotions of the public enabling them to realize the humanistic and artistic beauty in any chosen specific events. This concept commonly expressed in different fields such as through painting, music, theater, dance and others. In each of the mentioned visual art discipline, each one of them has their own mode of expression significantly characterized by the general theme of their respective discipline. For the field of painting, visual artists use expression mediums such as the most common namely the oil painting wherein the artist use oil-based ink or dye to create an art piece. Another is through using watercolor, which is basically similar to the oil-based medium but only cheaper and more accessible. Other uses spray painting medium employing either or both of the previously mentioned mediums. In addition, another style that is common is using charcoal, which produces sketches of monochromatic color. In this discipline, different mediums of expression are used to bearing similar elements of the said discipline namely color, shade, perspective, hue, contrast, texture, and others, which are all important in emphasizing the thematic aspect of the artwork. For the discipline of music, several styles are commonly used such as the classical that is in relation to the socio-cultural aspect. Another is the ballad or romantic theme, which is more focused on the emotional aspect of the art. In addition, there is the discipline of the jazz and blues manifesting more on the emotional and smooth music for relaxation. In the modern discipline comes the rock music employing contemporary musical instruments and some traditional. In this field, the artistic impression is basically based on three general elements namely the pitch, rhythm, and quality. Pitch which is through melody and harmony, rhythm through meter and tempo, and sound quality through texture, dynamics, articulation, and timbre. For the drama or the theatrical visual art is presented in different styles or genre. One of which is the musical theatre employing musical and dance elements in the presentation. Another is pantomime, which manifest in different forms and characteristic namely puppetry, slapstick and melodrama. Another is the tragedy, which presents the sorrowful and terrible events in a social icon’s life wherein the moral value of the experience is highlighted in the one. In addition, the drama also comes in the form of the opera, which is generally presented through singing. In this discipline, different important elements are used to create a thematic artistic presentation. Some of these elements are the character, plot, theme, dialogue, convention, genre, audience, design, and the stagecraft or the props. The discipline of dance also has its own mediums of artistic expression namely the interpretative employing visual presentation with relative musical attributes. The folk dance which is related to traditional dance methods. The ballet dance, which is focused on the gracefulness of the expression to symbolize its theme. In addition, the modern dance which represents the present society and their contemporary culture. In this discipline, artists employ several elements in their artistic expression namely the tempo or speed of the dance, the gracefulness or the texture of the movements, choreography, and the uniformity for group presentation. Thus, visual art is generally expression of humanistic emotions manifested through using different forms of disciplines. In each of these disciplines, the visual artists employ a particular style of mode of expression to emphasize the main theme or the particular idea of their artistic visual presentation thus capturing better the enthusiasm and emotional interest of their general audience. In employing a particular mode of expression style, the target audience can also better understand and realize the main theme of the presented visual art through relating it to the discipline used and the particular expression style that is applied. Through applying the mentioned visual art elements, the aspect of communication between the artist and the general audience can be bridged significantly promoting the thematic expression between the two. Bibliography Levi, Albert Smith, Ralph (1991). Art Education: Disciplines of Art Education, Context of Understanding. University of Illinois, USA. ISBN-10: 0252061853.

Jazz Music In The 1920s

Jazz Music In The 1920s Thesis: The 1920s brought much advancement to todays society especially in technology the most important of which was music. Is music important to you? Music doesnt repel to everyone. Music has a huge impact on society even beginning with the Harlem Renaissance to today. Music is the universal language and thats why its important to some people. Music is important to teenagers as well as adults. It is a way to escape from their problems. There are many different styles of music. The 20s were known as the Jazz Age. This decade was known as the Jazz Age because jazz was very popular and just started showing off the skills in jazz music. Jazz is a popular term to be described as miscellaneous events in life. In the 1920s jazz was entertainment. Jazz also represents rebellious behavior and biracial culture. The 1920s was the time of Prohibition. The Prohibition Amendment of the 1920s was ineffective because it was unenforceable, it caused explosive growth of crime, and it increased the amount of alcohol consumption. The crime rate increased because the Prohibition destroyed legal jobs, created black market violence, diverted resources from enforcement of other laws and increased prices people had to pay for prohibited goods. Jazz was not just music; it was a form of communal expression. Jazz was different because it broke the rules-musical and social. It featured improvisation over traditional structure. The advent of Prohibition in 1920 brought into gangster runs night-clubs. In the 1920s jazz music provided a freedom of expression, musical individuality, and cultural freedom. Jazz music lead to new dances in the 1920s like the One Step. Jazz originally came from New Orleans. New Orleans jazz is a style of music. Almost any song can be jazzed up with a New Orleans beat. Jazz is music for dancing, not listening. Something that sets jazz apart from the music that preceded it is the way musicians improvisedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it was a vehicle for personal expression. Jazz recordings allowed the music to reach beyond night clubs. In the 1920s the black arts movement was known as the Harlem renaissance. Jazz was an important part of this movement. As music shifted in the 1920s to urban areas job opportunities increased. Along with this was an increase in spending power for black Americans. Jazz was also said to be having a caststrophobic impact on the national character. Jazz was also condemned because of its origins. It was originally the accompaniment of the voodoo dances. Jazz music came to seem nor merely an annoyance but a threat. Jazz simply became synonymous with noise. The first great rebellion against jazz music and such dances as the toddle. Realizing the evil influence of this type of music and dancing the National Dancing Masteous Association at their last session adopted a rule. Another proof that jazz is recognized as producing an evil effect is the fact that in almost every big industry where music has been instituted it has been found necessarily to discontinue jazz because of its demoralizing effect upon the workers. This was noticed in an unsteadiness and lack of evenness in the workmanship of the product after a period when the workmen had indulged in jazz music. Jazz is an influence for evils also felt by a number of the biggest country club, which have forbidden the corset check room. Black musicians were opening doors, Harlems Cotton Club, the most popular New York jazz club of the 1920s and 1930s, featured Black entertainers but seated only white patrons. In the first decades of the twentieth century its emotional rhythms moved north with the Great Migration, a mass movement of Blacks from the South to urban areas seeking better opportunities and attempting to escape from rigid Jim Crow laws that held them in a state of virtual slavery. This distinctly American music, with an emphasis on improvisation, captured the spirit of the nation. The radio and phonograph had a major impact on Jazzs popularity as improvisation and the spontaneity that typified the music was better conveyed through sound than sheet music. Another genre or style of music is known as the music that was forced underground. The music shifted emphasis from dancing to listening. Bebop reflected the resentment black musicians felt over the rewards and benefits reaped by white big bands from swing developed by blacks. Bebop was known as modern jazz that developed after WWII. Bebop artist developed their own style of dress with berets and grew goatees. They would perform with their backs to the audience. They developed scat singing a type of nonsense syllable singing. Bebop musicians of note were Lester Young, Charles Parker, and Miles Davis. Lester Young was one of the musicians who began the shift to bebop. Miles Davis is a very serious trumpet performer of the bop/cool era who got his start with Parker. Charles Parker is the leader of the bop movement. Charles is a tremendously talented saxophonist from Kansas City. The first popular musical trend in the United States produced by this African-European synthesis was Ragtime. Ragtime musicians often used what are called ragged rhymes. Ragtime musicians also occasionally used what were called blue harmonious and notes. The 1920s ragtime was considered old hat. Ragtime continued to be performed and recorded, and it clearly had a major influence on early jazz greats such as Jelly Roll Morton. Ragtime continues to be popular with both musicians and audiences and at last gained widespread respect and recognition. Louis Satchemo Armstrong was a person who helped change the music of the 1920s. Louis not only changed music, but also made one of his famous recordings. His recordings and show tours marked jazz musics shift from a regionally-rooted out form to a national production. In conclusion, the 1920s music had a tremendous change to society today. There were also many artists that tried to change jazz music. Even though music doesnt repel to everyone. Music has many different styles. The jazz age is what has an impact on society today. The jazz age was very popular and continues to be popular. Today people still listen to jazz music.

Physics and the Olympics :: Sport Sports Olympic Competition

The Olympics are fabled to have originated from a Greek myth, in which Hercules won a race at Olympia, a plain in the small state of Elis, and then decreed that the race should be enacted every four years. The more likely story is that the Olympic festival was a local religious event until 884 BC, when Iphitus, the king of Elis, decided to turn it into a broader festival. To accomplish that, he entered into a temporary truce with other rulers, allowing athletes and others to travel peacefully to Olympia while the festival was going on. In 776 BC, the Greeks based their chronology on four-year periods, called Olympiads, and the Olympic festival marked the beginning of each Olympiad. Today, the Olympics are still held every four years, and advanced in technology and fitness training have enhanced world records to the absolute maximum. All Olympic sports have experienced major changes over the years, but here I will discuss a few of the more famous Olympic events; the 100-meter dash, the javelin throw, and the pole vault. The Greeks actually had a sprint of about 190 metres called the stadion in the ancient Olympics, which was a sprint down a straight track and back again. The technology of the day consisted of nothing more than a wooden post at one end to help the runner on his return back up the track. Races originally began with the athletes standing upright, with their toes resting in grooves in a stone starting sill - hence the expression "toe the line". False starts were punished by flogging from a judge standing behind the athletes. Later it seems that a starting gate (called the husplex) was used, much like that used in horse-racing today. In the modern Olympics, sprinters start from a crouching position, pushing against starting blocks to help them accelerate. Blocks were introduced in the late 1920s and were first used at the 1948 Olympic games in London. Instrumented starting blocks appeared in the early 1980s, and consisted of a spring plate and a microswitch. In the late 1980s units based on strain gauges emerged, although they were very sensitive to the push of the athlete against them and caused many wrong false starts in competitive races. An improved strain-gauge version that worked quite well was introduced in about 1993, and two years later an "intelligent" version was developed.

Its Time to Abolish Speed Limits Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Es

It's Time to Abolish Speed Limits It is 8:45 and Paul has just gotten on the interstate to make his normal commute to Longview from Tyler. About halfway there, Paul notices a state trooper right behind him. He frantically checks his speed! Too late!!!!!! The state trooper turns on his lights. Not only was Paul speeding, but now he will be late to a very important meeting at work. The problem here is that Paul was just driving to work. He was not intentionally speeding just to get away with it. Neither was he driving reckless. He was just carrying on with his life. Every day people go through this very scenario. They are ticketed for driving safely although faster than the speed limit, and minding their own business. The freeways should be a place that people can move about more freely and quickly. The government needs to raise the speed limits on the interstates outside city limits so that people can go about their lives at a more productive pace. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, â€Å" †¦motorists have ignored unreasonable speed limits.†(Effects of Raising and Lowering the Speed Limits pg.3) The problem is inevitable; it is human nature to want to push the limits given, and when they are unreasonable to start with why should people follow them? Another issue at hand is also time people spend traveling. Being late to everything is uncouth. Every day people get fired or lose their jobs due to being late. Yes, it is their responsibility to plan ahead, but there are always those days when something is forgotten. If everyone could go the speed limit they like, then we would not have as many late persons running about. This issue, as we can see, affects millions of people. On the other hand, having a set speed l... ...bit faster than normal. What should drivers do? Well, there is something we can do that would allow for us to be able to raise the speed limits. We can write to our local representatives and let them know the need for raising the speed limits. Provide good research and valuable information that will help them to make the best possible decision. Of course, we must obey the law until the speed limits are changed. God has commanded us to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. (Bible) This was used not only in the aspect of money but also in the aspect of all of Caesar’s laws. The urge is very real to want to break the law, but think about others before yourself. According to Terry Turner we need to think of the why before the how. Basically ask yourself, why do I need to speed? Then after careful consideration of all factors, decide how fast to drive your automobile. 1

Race and Gender Schemas Essay

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