Monday, September 30, 2019
Project Risk Identification
Identification of risks ascertains the risks with the potential of having effect on project as well as documenting the characteristics of risk. It begins after plan of risk management is constructed and continues through out the execution of project. It involves the identification of events or items that may have significant negative effect on a project. Identification of risk may be done through checklists, project participantââ¬â¢s reports, and comparison of historical data as well as through the contingency planning.Two criteria can be used in the process of identifying project risks that are not originally identified and include the analysis of risk as well as the prioritization of risk. Risk analysis employs cost risk analysis, decision analysis, schedule analysis, reliability analysis as well as other similar models and techniques in analyzing the identified risks. There are several methods that can be used in this analysis and one of them includes brain storming.Brainstormi ng may be important in identifying risks and especially those which had not been identified before since risks are shared instantly among the members the moment they notice them in the project. Brain storming can further bring a lot of results in very short time and thus the members in a project can bring out risks, which had not been discussed or identified before and decide on ideas and ways of solving them.Prioritization of risk employs quantification of risk as well as risk exposure and even using decision mechanisms that is statistically based. This process may involve the use of consulting experts who may have independent view in several fields that may involve risk and also identify risks which may not have been identified before. The advantage of using consulting experts is because they have knowledge and experience which is not in a certain company and they can identify risks that may have not been identified before.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Doctrine of Frustration Essay
ACCORDING to Section 56, an agreement to do an act impossible in itself is void (for example, an agreement to discover treasure by magic). Supervening impossibility or illegality refers to the intrusion or occurrence of an unexpected event or change of circumstances beyond the contemplation of the parties; such event or change of circumstances must be so fundamental as to be regarded by law as striking at the root of contract as a whole or the basis of the contract no longer exists. Subsequent impossibility in the UK is referred to as Doctrine of Frustration. A contract is deemed to have become impossible of performance and, thus, void under the following circumstances: a) Destruction of the subject matter of the contract; b) By death or permanent incapacity of the parties (like insanity) where the contract is personal in nature; c) Supervening impossibility or illegality, involving actions contrary to law or public policy; d) Outbreak of war, war restrictions (avoidance of trading with alien enemy, and so on); e) Imposition of government restriction or orders or acquisition by government; and f) Non-existence or non-occurrence of a particular state of things. Apart from the above circumstances, impossibility does not discharge a person from the contract. He who agrees to do an act should do it unless impossibility arises in any of the ways mentioned above. . FRUSTRATION ââ¬â MEANING, SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY Section 56 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 stipulates: ââ¬Å"Agreement to do impossible act: An agreement to do an act impossible in itself is void. Contract to do act afterwards becoming impossible or unlawful: A contract to do an act which, after the contract is made, becomes impossible, or, by reason of some event which the promisor could not prevent, unlawful, becomes void when the act becomes impossible or unlawful. Compensation for loss through non-performance of act known to be impossible or unlawful: Where one person has promised to do something which he knew, or, with reasonable diligence, might have known, and which the promisee did not know, to be impossible or unlawful, such promisor must make compensation to such promisee for any loss which such promisee sustains through the non-performance of the promise.â⬠Frustration may be defined as the occurrence of an intervening event or change of circumstances so fundamental as to be regarded by the law both striking at the root of the agreement, and as entirely beyond what was contemplated by the parties when they entered into the agreement. If an event which could not be foreseen by both parties supervenes, frustration would apply. Section 56 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 does not deal with the cases in which an event, the parties took it for granted will never happen does happen and makes the performance of the contract impossible. If it be held that this Section is exhaustive, no relief can be granted to any of the parties on the happening of such an event, but this would be against the very principle underlying the Section. (16) If the inability to perform the contract is due to the fault of one of the parties, he cannot successfully plead frustration. It is also true that if the parties expressly contract with reference to the occurrence of the supervening events, frustration is inapplicable. But there is another type of case outside these rules. The parties when they made the contract, may have foreseen the supervening event as probable, but may have made no express provision with respect to it. Here, if such event occurs, frustration can be pleaded. (17) LORD RADCLIFF has succinctly summarized the law relating to frustration of contracts as under: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦.frustration occurs whenever the law recognizes that without default of either party, a contractual obligation has become inapplicable of being performed because the circumstances in which the performance is called for would render it a thing radically different from that which was undertaken by the contract.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ ¦.It was not this that I promised to do.ââ¬â¢ There is, however, no uncertainty as to the materials upon which the Court must proceed. ââ¬ËThe data for decision, on the one hand, the terms and conditions of the contract, read in the light of the then circumstances and, on the other hand, the events which have occurred.ââ¬â¢ In the nature of thing there is often no need for any elaborate enquiry. The Court must act upon a general impression of what its rule requires. It is for that reason that special importance is necessarily attached to the occurrence of an unexpected event that, as it were, changes the face of the things. But even so, it is not hardship or inconvenience or material loss itself which calls the principle of frustration into play.â⬠(18) IMPOSSIBILITY OF PERFORMANCE AMOUNTS TO FRUSTRATION A man can be expected to do what is humanly possible but he cannot be expected morally or legally to do what is not physically possible. It cannot be disputed that when a thing is beyond the human control it cannot be expected from the party which had undertaken to do the work to suffer the consequences of not proceeding with the contract work and in such a situation both the parties are relieved from their contractual responsibilities. The word ââ¬Å"impossibleâ⬠in Section 56 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 has not been used in the sense of physical or literal impossibility. The performance of an act may not be literally impossible, but it may be impracticable and unless from the point of view of the object and which the parties had in view; and if an untoward event or change of circumstances totally upsets the very foundation upon which the parties rested their bargain, it can very well be said that the promisor finds it impossible to do the act which he promised to do. (21) If the performance of a contract becomes impracticable or useless having regard to the object and purpose the parties had in view then it must be held that the performance of the contract has become impossible. But the supervening event should take away the basis of the contract and it should be of such a character that it strikes at the root of the contract. (22) The essential principles on which the doctrine of frustration is based on the impossibility, or, rather, the impracticability in law or fact of the performance of a contract brought about by an unforeseen or unforeseeable sweeping change in the circumstances intervening after the contract was made. In other words, while the contract was properly entered into in the context of certain circumstances which existed at the time it fell to be made, the situation becomes so radically changed subsequently that the very foundation which subsisted underneath the contract as it were gets shaken, nay, the change of circumstances is so fundamental that it strikes at the very root of the contract, then the principle of frustration steps in and the parties are excused from or relieved of the responsibility of performing the contract which otherwise lay upon them.(23) HAPPENING OF UNPRECEDENTED EVENTS CAUSES FRUSTRATION To attract the plea of frustration, it must be shown that the situation has changed so drastically and so radically that neither party to the contract could have at all foreseen that because of something happening at another place which may be a foreign country would result in execution of the contract almost as good as an impossibility. The impact which the market receives due to an event happening elsewhere in the guiding factor for determining whether or not frustration has occurred. Where after the firm price contract for supply of transformers there was a subsequent 400% rise in price of transformer oil due to the war, there was frustration of contract. The abnormal increase in price due to war condition was an untoward event or change of circumstances which ââ¬Å"totally upset the very foundation upon which the parties rested their bargain.â⬠Therefore, supplier could be said to be finding itself impossible to supply the transformers which it promised to do. (25) The parties to an executory contract are often faced, in the course of carrying it out, with a turn of event which they did not at all anticipate ââ¬â a wholly abnormal rise or fall in prices, a sudden depreciation of currency, an unexpected obstacle to execution, or the like. Yet this does not in itself affect the bargain they have made. If, on the other hand, a consideration of the terms of the contract, in the light of the circums.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Crown Cork & Seal in 1989 Business strategy Case Study
Crown Cork & Seal in 1989 Business strategy - Case Study Example The economic analysis deals with the opportunity costs of resources being used along with attempting to measure the social and private costs as well as benefits in monetary terms of a project to the economy. The Crown Cork and Seal attempted to locate its business towards the areas that were closer to the customers. For the purpose of forecasting of the transportation costs of the company, the distance of about 150 to 300 miles was considered to be economical between the location of customers and the placement of plant. In addition to this, the company managed to decrease its transportation cost that was roughly estimated to be 7.5%. In addition to this, the company changed its ingredient of making cans from the use of steel to aluminium. This resulted in decreasing the weight of the cans along with reduction in the shipment cost of these cans relative to the cans produced before by the company. Furthermore, due to the shipment of steel cans in the international markets, the company suffered uneconomical circumstances due to the increase in shipment costs. For this reason, the company attempted to make joint ventures in terms of affiliation with US can manufacturers, foreign subsidiaries as well as local foreign firms in order to cater the foreign markets (Bradley S., 2005). Political: Political environment can be referred to as an immediate impact of the political parties possessing authority, representing the popular perceptions given by the citizens of the area (Export Help). It has been seen that the developments of legislations were unfavorable for metal can industry in USA (Bradley S., 2005). Social Cultural Environment: In this case, the chief executive officer attempted to bring together two companies possessing distinctive cultural and social backgrounds irrespective of the fact that the past mergers were undoubtedly unsuccessful. This impossible challenge was accepted by Avery in order to capture the markets of Canada and to expand its operations furt her. Moreover, there were numerous
Friday, September 27, 2019
Determining the truth value of a statement Essay
Determining the truth value of a statement - Essay Example In this light, meaning is not limited to the reference of a term; rather, it involves the aspects of both sense and reference. Furthermore, Frege claims that in the context of a sentence, the sense is its ââ¬Å"thoughtâ⬠while the reference is its ââ¬Å"truth-value.â⬠Herein, Frege clarifies how the sense of a given term should relate to its reference. Frege claims that a term that has a reference necessarily has a sense, but a term that has a sense need not have a reference. Hence, phrases such as the ââ¬Å"King of Franceâ⬠are still meaningful, for they do have a sense. However, Frege contends that in the context of a sentence, such as ââ¬Å"The present King of France is Bald,â⬠it does not have a truth-value, i.e. it is neither true nor false. But doesnââ¬â¢t this manner of explicating non-referring terms lead to a rejection of the law of excluded middle? Russellââ¬â¢s Theory of Definite Descriptions Unlike Frege, Russell basically maintains a referen tial theory of meaning, for he believes that the difficulties attributed to this theory are results of the failure to distinguish between the grammatical structure and the logical structure of language. According to Russellââ¬â¢s theory, a linguistic expression, because of its grammatical form, may be taken as a referring expression. And because it is so taken, we may think that for it to be meaningful, it is necessary that it should have a reference, such that if that reference cannot be found in this world, it must be of another world. The point of Russell is that this referring expression, once analyzed logically, may not turn out to be a referring expression at all; and being such, the necessity of attributing a reference to it, to account for its meaning, simply vanishes. Definite descriptions are linguistic expressions that are taken as referring expressions in their grammatical form, but in their logical form, they are predicate expressions. They are of the form ââ¬Å"the so and so;â⬠they begin with the definite article ââ¬Å"theâ⬠which makes them identify one and only one entity in the world. Moreover, Russell analyzes certain logical puzzles to show that ordinary grammar is a poor guide when it comes to determining what exists in the world. In this essay I shall discuss one of the puzzles raised by Russell. The Puzzle: The Present King of France is Bald? The puzzle concerns the following statement: ââ¬Å"The present King of France is bald.â⬠If we ask whether this sentence is true or false, since there is at present no King of France, the most natural thing to say is that it is false. But supposing we negate it; thus: ââ¬Å"The present King of France is not bald.â⬠Still this is false by virtue of the fact that there is at present no such ââ¬Å"King of France.â⬠But how can a statement and its negation both be false at the same time? Consider another statement, ââ¬Å"The cat is on the mat.â⬠If this is false, t hen surely its negation, ââ¬Å"The cat is not on the mat,â⬠is true. But it seems that this does not work in the former statement. If we translate the original statement ââ¬Å"The present King of France is baldâ⬠into its logical form; thus: ââ¬Å"There is at least one x, such that x is the present King of France, and X is bald,â⬠we can clearly see that we can negate the statement in the following manner: ââ¬Å"There is at lea
Thursday, September 26, 2019
International Influences to Democratization Essay
International Influences to Democratization - Essay Example It is a government by the people and for the people. As opposed to authoritative regimes, a democratic government is more open and more responsive to the needs of the people. It is a government in which the cities are involved in the process of democratization. The process of achieving a democratic regime is not that smooth and sometimes it may even involved shedding of blood. Democracy cannot take place overnight and that is why it has taken many countries in the world a lot of time to come up with a democratic regieme. There is also a factor of the vested individual interest in every regime which makes it hard to achieve opening in a government. In may cases democracy has been achieved throngs the influence of the internals community and not from the process of internal democratization. Although internal democratization unconsidered to be the best form democratization, sometimes it is hard to achieve due to the clout of few individual who want to maintain their vested interest in the governments that they are running. That is why the process of democratization has remained to be different in different parts of the world depending on the influence of the international community. (Keane 2000, p. 39) As the wave of globalization brings that world to a global village, there are more openings in the government which has been enabled by the increased flow of information from one place to another, government have become more exposed to the scrutiny of the world and they have been gauged by the way they are having open regimes. One of the critical issues of democracy in nations has been the respect of human rights. In this case there have been class for the need to observe international human rights. Democracy has been marked by some key factors which are concerns of human nature. For example the respect of human rights has been used as one of the most important gauge to measure the level of democracy in a nation. Presence of free and fair poll which elect leaders of the country has been used as another gauge of democracy. The electoral process and the ability to meet the needs of the citizens is one of the most important factor that signify how open and democratic the country is rules. (Currain 2006, p. 69) Democracy is based on institutions. Therefore its the way a country formulate institution that will help it uphold the above said principles of democracy that will determine how it will be able to have democratic regime. This is one of the reasons why the process of democracy takes a long time to achieve and why it may need the influence of the international community. Institution like the election commission or any other body which is free from the executive or the legislative arm of the government is very important to ensure that a democratic regime is put in place. A democratic regime should also be able to uphold the principles of rule of law. This means that it should have a constitution in place the will effectively serve the needs of the people. A condition is the most important tool or institution as is used to uphold the principles of democracy in a country. The judicially system should be fair and free from the influence of the executive which will help it to rule the count ry according to the principles of the rule of law. (Rita 2000, p. 64) Comparative democratization in
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Types of Newspapers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Types of Newspapers - Essay Example There are different types of newspapers and they can be classified in different ways. Classification based on frequency The frequency of the newspaper being published is one of the most common ways of classifying the newspaper. Based on the frequency of its publications newspapers can be classified into: Daily Newspapers This is the most common type of newspapers. Daily newspapers are published everyday and cover important news from the previous day. It also carries information regarding the current day. Daily newspapers are the most circulated and read in the whole world. Normally it is published aiming to reach the reader everyday morning. The target audience of a daily newspaper is vas. They target every market segments which includes all demographic profile. But there are also afternoon and evening newspapers that carry breaking news from the current day and are aimed at office workers and commuters (Ric Publications, 1993). Examples of daily newspapers are New York Times, New Yo rk Post, Washington Post, etc. Bi-Weekly Newspapers Bi-Weekly newspapers are published twice a week and can be general or content specific newspaper. These papers in most cases interpret or put forward the news in a different way. They do an in-depth coverage of general news when compared to daily newspapers and style of reporting is also different. The target audience may vary depending on what the paper is covering. Bi-weekly papers can be community or a group specific newspaper which only concentrate on the news related to the community or the group. The Dartmouth Review is an example of a bi-weekly newspaper which is published twice a week at Dartmouth College. It concentrates on news related to the college. The Jewish Journal is another example of a bi-weekly newspaper which is a community sponsored newspaper and covers news related to the Jewish community. Weekly Newspaper Weekly newspapers are published once in a week. These have smaller circulation than daily newspapers. The y mainly cover local news and community based news. They are usually based and limited smaller areas such as towns and cities. There are very less national level weekly newspapers. They adopt a niche strategy and target a specific market. For example a weekly newspaper may target only sports, advertising (free ads), etc. Examples of weekly newspapers are Florida weekly, Honolulu Weekly, etc. Classification based on the news covered Newspapers can also be classified based on the news that they cover. They can be mainly classified into: National Newspapers National newspaper is one which circulates through out the country. Each country has newspapers that have their presence in the entire country. They mainly cover the national news and the international news. The .local news is also covered but not in detail. News of national importance is given primary importance and makes up for the majority of the news covered. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are examples of nationa l newspapers. International Newspapers There are not many newspapers that can be categorised as international newspapers. To be an international newspaper the paper must concentrate primarily on international news which not many newspapers do. International Herald Tribune is one of the newspapers that can be categorised. Also there are some national newspapers who release the international editions of their papers. Regional/local Newspapers Regional or local newspapers target regional news
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Human Resource Management---How might organizational culture be Essay
Human Resource Management---How might organizational culture be related to the job satisfaction of the employees - Essay Example Wilton (2011) defines organization culture as knowledge and standards that have been combined together by employees in understanding the environment of the organization (Wilton, 2011). The founder of Wal-Mart Sam Walton showed concerns and respected its staff members since the beginning of the company which developed an air of trust which persists to the current day. The founder used to call staff with their first name and encouraged them to perform better which developed trust. Southwest Airlines is known for its relaxed culture which encourages informality at work. Employees are motivated to help each other which reduced the turnover rate of the company as compared to the industry average. This culture was influenced by unconventional CEO Herb Kelleher (McIntosh & Doherty, 2010). Similarly, Virgin Airways culture allows every single person to participate in coming up with innovative ideas for the company. Microsoft considers its employees their assets and they try to make innovatio ns in compensation packages to make their employees satisfied. Toyota is another example that has highest job satisfaction rate recorded because it applies to the procedure of implementing employee morale surveys in a certain period of time (Gilmore & Williams, 2009). These organization cultures are related to job satisfaction of employees which has made these companies successful over the years. A satisfied employee is able to bring revolution inside a company which can transform it into better ways (McIntosh & Doherty, 2010). The people who govern the organization, provides rules and regulations to maintain ethical behavior inside organizations for the perspective of controlling the act of employees. However, too many rules and strict policies can have a negative impact on the satisfaction level of employees and would ultimately result in lower productivity (Sempane et al., 2002). In case of Southwest Airlines, the casualness of a culture provided the company to reduce turnover ra te. Similar with the case of Toyota which performed employee surveys to check their satisfaction rate and make changes accordingly in organization culture. The company monitors the morale rate and find out reasons for employee dissatisfaction and makes changes (Swart et al., 2005). The company that has supportive environment and supervisors tend to support friendly mentoring of their subordinates then it would lead a better career development and would help in decreasing turnover rate (Knights & Hugh, 2007). The culture of organization and their working styles highly impact the performance of employees. A motivated employee who is highly compensated for better performance and is being provided with rewards, tend to have high morale and they strive to exceed expectations for higher growth (Egan et al., 2004). Walters (2010) describes that productivity of an employee is directly proportional to incentives that are provided by the company (Walters & Walters, 2010). The culture of an or ganization determines policies to handle employeesââ¬â¢ compensation packages and treatment of employees over their performance (Roos & Eeden, 2008). A company that tends to provide various facilities, attractive packages and fair treatment, are bound to increase job satisfaction. (Greene, 2011). Microsoft introduced a culture of providing good compensation packages for employees which made them satisfied (Herzberg, 2003). Organizational culture is deeply embedded in the organization and it is how
Monday, September 23, 2019
Positive Impacts on Tourism during the Fifa 208 in Russia in Coursework
Positive Impacts on Tourism during the Fifa 208 in Russia in hospitality businesses - Coursework Example A 2018 world cup benefit the hospitality industry of Russia Russia is one of those countries benefiting from the tourism industry and in 2018 FIFA world cup, it will experience abnormal returns in its hospitality industry because it is expected to record the highest number of tourists ever (Kusluvan, 2003). Therefore, Russia will benefit in such ways as, it will end up with 15 world-class stadiums after the event; more than one hundred hotels are currently under construction implying growth of the hospitality industry and increase of revenue, which will finally boost the GDP of the country. Letââ¬â¢s go through what took place in Brazil during the 2014 FIFA world cup. Brazil hospitality industry recorded increases in its hotel revenues (Siobhan, 2014). The total spending hit records in Brazil when international travellers spent US$188M on Visa accounts. This was a 152 percent increase year over year meaning the number of fans also increased compared to the previous figure of 2010 FIFA world cup in south Africa (Du & Maennig, 2011). There was a triple-digit rise in spending in various host cities compared to the previous period. Much of these increments were recorded by hotels, hospitals and other human-caring facilities. For instance, the number of tourists who arrived in Brazil in 2012 was 5.7 million but it was projected that the number would be 10.2 million with a 3% increase for Rio 2014. Therefore, given the average e.g. room rate of $461 during the months of June & July, it is estimated that about $4.7022 revenue will be collected. For sure, hotels greatly benefit when the number of tourists in a given country goes up. This is because it is inevitable to eat and find a good resting place to spend the night while awaiting the following dayââ¬â¢s activities. Rio de Janeiro, one of the FIFA hosting cities in Brazil, recorded handsome hospitality revenues in its history thanks to holding the FIFA world cup final match. Accommodation turned out being a problem
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Biochemistry Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Biochemistry - Lab Report Example The gels were visualized by coomassie staining. The restriction digestion of recombinant DNA yielded the predicted band sizes upon electrophoresis, confirming the presence of the pGLO plasmid in the transformants. The presence of a single neat band at the expected size range upon immunoblotting indicates the successful isolation of the purified GFP protein. Initially obtained from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria/Aequorea aequorea/Aequorea forskalea, the Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is composed of 238 amino acids with a molar mass of 26.9 kDa. Its typical three dimensional structure facilitates a specific set of cyclization reactions inside the protein giving rise to the tripeptide Ser65-Tyr66-Gly67 which forms the fluorophore, the fluorescent component of the protein, present on the alpha helix. This helix is actively shielded from the surrounding environment by the beta sheets, hence contributing to the use of the GFP gene as a reporter of gene expression or cellular protein localization. In the present experiment, the GFP gene has been used to understand the mechanism of molecular cloning and subsequent protein purification procedures. The molecular cloning was carried out by transforming the pGLO plasmid vector with the GFP gene insert into the bacterial host E.coli strain HB101. ... After appropriate incubation, the colonies were observed under normal light, followed by U.V light. Under normal light all the plates except plate with LB+Amp had growth Lack of plasmid DNA on Plate with LB+Amp-pGLO might have rendered the colonies susceptible to the antibiotic ampicillin, due to absence of genes required to deactivate ampicillin. Flourescence was observed in plates 3 and 4 under U.V light indicating the transformation of the plasmid DNA into the E.coli host. Plate 3, inspite of having ampicillin showed growth due to the presence of B-lactamase gene which can inactivate ampicillin. Plate 4 had the maximum number of colonies compared to the other plates. This could be attributed to the addition of arabinose into the medium which selectively enhances the activity of the arabinose operon in which the GFP gene has been inserted, thus increasing the GFP protein which has the unique quality of fluorescence. To confirm the insertion of the pGLO plasmid into the colonies on plates 3 and 4, the DNA from these colonies was purified using QAI kit method and subjected to restriction digestion using EcoRV and Hind III followed by electrophoresis, wherein an electric field was applied to the gel matrix. DNA molecules move towards the anode due to negativity of the charged phosphates along its backbone. The rate of migration of a particular DNA fragment is inversely proportional to its molecular weight; hence the fragments with the highest weight have the least mobility. Post electrophoresis, the ethidium bromide stained gel was visualized under UV light (Figure 1). A single restriction site specific to EcoRV is present on
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Cosmetic Surgery Essay Example for Free
Cosmetic Surgery Essay Introduction The development of plastic surgery in recent years has opened larger opportunities for health care professionals to offer a wide range of services to its customers, while the growing popularity and high demand on the services of plastic surgeons stimulated the rapid development of this field of medicine worldwide. according to Thompson (2011). In fact, he continued nowadays, plastic surgery becomes accessible to a larger number of people and, instead of the elitist surgery available to only a limited number of people, plastic surgery become accessible to large number of patients. This means that cosmetic surgery becomes more popular and available for people in developing and developed countries to be able to have those kind of services for their desires. On the one hand, cosmetic surgery brings happiness to people who have the right cosmetic surgery. On the other hand, it also influences many negative results from those actions. Many people take the advantages from this to satisfy their demand but they are totally wrong decisions to do that. Negative results to teenagers Teenagers are not allowed to do cosmetic surgery as they are not growing up properly. There were 174,851 cosmetic surgeries done on teenagers that were 18 years old or younger in 2005 a study from Harvard University wrote about Teenagers with Cosmetic Surgery in 2010. This number shows that teenagers trend to get a beautiful body. Parents should pay more attention to their children and be their consultant for them before they have operation. The writer also claimed that: I believe that cosmetic surgery should not be the ultimate answer for teenagers. I agree with the critics of cosmetic surgery that say teenagers are not old enough to make such a mature decision and that there needs to be more guidelines that will help stop most of them from making a wrong decision.(Teens and Cosmetic Surgery). Health Risks People who have cosmetic surgery, may die if they go with wrong doctors or lack of information before their operations. According to Alpert (2006), People have risked and lost their lives and limbs, and suffered devastating disfigurement and scarring as a result of plastic surgery gone wrong. The worst outcomes are rare, but risk is nonetheless a reality. After the cosmetic surgery, patientss healths will be affected. Moreover they may have risks to get some disease of blood, heart attacks Psychology issues How do you feel if your friends or neighbors keep gossip about your comestic surgery? And what do you think if your boyfriend or girlfriend get jealous or upset with the attraction from you to people? John, an psychologist expert from University of Washington indicated that: Depression, increased stress, feelings of disappointment, shame, or embarrassment can become issues when a cosmetic procedure fails to resolve the issues that motivated the individual to have the procedure. It is important to understand that while cosmetic surgery can bring you some rewards, it will not change your life, your problem or your relationship. There is nothing called physical perfection. Unsatisfactory Results Based on the research from Stanford University in 2008, not every surgery is successful. The unsuccessful surgery is very subjective. Unsatisfactory results may leave pain or patients may think about the next cosmetic surgery operation. Conclusion In conclusion, cosmetic surgery leads to many problems in the future that could affect you physically and mentally. Let think very carefully and consider about the negative results you may have before you get the cosmetic surgery. In my opinion, a happy life can not come from the cosmetic surgery. People will respect you from your inner beauty. Be you are and be yourself. Let try to have a healthy life by improving yourself, learn how to treat people well, do exercises and enrich your knowledge about society and the world. For sure you will have a wonderful life then
Friday, September 20, 2019
Pros and Cons of Mixed Methods Research
Pros and Cons of Mixed Methods Research For every job or task there is a specific tool befitting such work. Similarly, every researcher after having identified the scope of their research needs to apply a particular method of research in order to attain the best results. Interestingly, there are some methods of research that when applied or used together the acquired results will be forthcoming. Hence the concept of mixed methods in research, it refers to application of both quantitative and qualitative techniques in a single study. Currently, the fundamental study techniques which are widely used are quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Qualitative study involves evaluation of data, like different interviews, videos, pictures and objects such as artifacts. It is the descriptive data from observation or interviews which are not structured (Taylor, 2009). Quantitative study, on the other hand, is the analytical progression of figurative data from different fields. The disjointing of into quantitative and qualitative is a very common difference; the tendency has been due to the desire to link quantitative methods with a natural science (positivist) and qualitative methods with a social science (interpretivist) (Mingers, 2006). Nevertheless, the simple distinction has not gone down well with a lot of researchers, many researchers basing their differences on the lack of clarity on the issues of validity and accuracy. According to Yin (2007), the distinction between quantitative and qualitative methods applies to data and not so much into the methodology. Other researchers believe that the underlying paradigms are incompatible. Mixed method is the mixture of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies; it is the third research paradigm after qualitative and quantitative. The argument to use both quantitative and qualitative modes in one study has been based on over theoretical approach to research within the social sciences. (Jones, 2004) According to Fieldman (2005), in the comparison of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the attributes of the latter have been misidentified. The argument has been premised on the fact that the relationship between positivist paradigm and quantitative research have been blown out of proportion. Glaser and Strauss (2007) believe that the association of qualitative research with grounded theory is an excellent example of such misunderstanding. On the other hand, there has been the use of the exploratory factor analysis in the quantitative research. This has caused a lot of arguments within researchers and hence the outcry for the need to adopt the use of mixed research method. Glaser (2009) has further blurred the idea by stating that the grounded theory emanated from quantitative work and that it is some sort of general methodology for use on both qualitative and quantitative work. Tashakori and Teddie (2008) believe that the distinction between qualitative and quantitative methods of research is largely artificial. The view that is quite clear is that there is need some sort of paradigm wars over the adoption of the methodologies used in explaining the two methods of research. Pragmatism plays a pivotal role in the comprehension of mixed method as a research method. (Howe, 2009) The compatibility thesis postulates that both quantitative and qualitative methods are actually compatible, meaning that the two can be used within a single study. Pragmatism on the other hand, was started by Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewy promulgated that researchers should apply or use a mixture of approaches that co-ordinate best in a real-life situation. Therefore, what works best in a particular situation should always be used in that scenario regardless of any assumptions that can arise in relation to that particular situation. Nowadays researchers apply a fundamental principle of mixed research. This fundamental principle requires from the researcher to use a mixture or combination of methods that have some level of complementary pros and cons both of which are overlapping. In order to understand the mixed method research it is imperative to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Qualitative research Strengths Qualitative research has a lot of strengths which explain why it is still a favorite option for many researchers to use. Firstly, it focuses the data collected on the participants groups of explaining or expounding the particular meaning within the study. Secondly, a lot of researchers have heaped accolades on this method of research owing to its suitability for the study of a minimum number of cases in depth. Thirdly, in as far as describing complex phenomena is concerned; it is the best methodology for the job. Fourthly, at the point where the researcher needs to explain a particular area of the study by dissecting individual case information, qualitative research method offers a better clarification point than other methods of research. Fifthly, it is excellent in as far as conducting cross-case assessment and analysis is concerned. Sixthly, it provides a better focal point in as far as providing an understanding and description of peoples personal experiences of certain phenomena that happened to them. Seventhly, it can be used to describe a rich and well articulated as it is specifically situated and located within local contexts. Eighthly, by adopting qualitative method of research the user can study dynamic processes or assist in the documentation of sequential patterns and change. Nine, the researcher can use the qualitative method of grounded theory to inductively produce a tentative but descriptive theory about an occurrence. Ten, it is used to determine how the participants of the study interpret self-esteem, I Q and so on. Also, the data collected under this method of research is done so in naturalistic settings. In addition, the approaches adopted within this method of research are especially responsive to the numerous changes that usually occur within a study, mainly if the study requires a lot of extensive fieldwork, and it assists to shift the focus back to the study. Furthermore, qualitative data in the words and categories of participants lend themselves to exploring how and why particular occurrences happen. Also, owing to its variant intrinsic attributes the researcher can use an important case to clearly demonstrate phenomena to the general audience and more particularly the readers of the final report. Finally, qualitative research aids in the determination of idiographic causation or the determination of causes of particular proceedings. Weaknesses Sadly despite so many positive highlights, qualitative research also fails in its quest for a perfect research method. To begin with, the information produced from research conducted on the foundation of qualitative methodology might not generalize to other people or other settings. This is because some factors will remain unique from one individual to the next. Secondly, researchers who use this method usually find it difficult to make quantitative predictions. Further, since qualitative research ahs its tenets premised within large pools of participants, it makes it very difficult to test hypotheses and theories generated from the study. In addition, some commissioners of certain programs and administrators find qualitative research method to have low levels of credibility. Also, compared to its counterpart, quantitative research method, it is more time consuming when it comes to the collection of data. The same scenario applies when it comes to data analysis. Finally, due to its requirements of researcher and personal involvement, the data gathers is mainly plagued with biasness and idiosyncrasies. Quantitative Research In line with Denscobe (2007) the quantitative study is all about the quantifying relationships between variables. In the social sciences, quantitative study is the systematic empirical study of the quantitative properties and their relationships. Mathematical models, theories and other different hypotheses are employed in the process. The dimension progression is central in the process, as it provides the fundamental connection between the empirical observation and the mathematical expression of all the quantitative relationships. In the spheres of psychology, anthropology, sociology and political science the quantitative study method is employed regularly. In the sphere of mathematics and physics which are quantitative by the definition it is used, but the term is different in the context. In the case of the social sciences, the term is related to direct and empirical methods, and most crucial it deals in both philosophical positivism and arithmetical findings, and in many ways it is a direct contrast with the qualitative study methods. The qualitative techniques produce the data of the particular case studies that are assigned to the study and all other hypotheses are nothing but general conclusions. The techniques can be used to verify in different aspects (Denscobe, 2007). Strengths Many researchers find quantitative research methods better in application to their particular studies because it allows them to validate and test already constructed theories about how and why some occurrences happen. Also, it gives the researcher some edge in the actual research because they can test the hypotheses that are constructed before the actual data is collected. Moreover, researchers are in a better position to simplify research findings when the data is founded on arbitrary samples of sufficient mass. In addition, researchers are better off when they use quantitative methodology because of its ability to allow them to simplify research findings when it has been used and repeated on so many different populations and sub-populations. Unlike qualitative research method the data collected can be used for purposes of quantitative predictions. Also, the researcher, under quantitative format of research, has the ability to construct a situation that eliminates the bewildering sway of many variables, allowing one or more plausibly recognized cause-and-effect relations. Furthermore, in as far as pace is concerned; data collected under this method of research is a lot faster than qualitative methodology. More so, the data collected is more precise, concise and of course quantitative. As earlier highlighted, analysis of data under this method of research is a lot less time consuming. Unlike qualitative data, this method of research allows the results gathered to be more independent of the researcher and hence they are of statistical significance. Further, in as far as individuals in power are concerned; data gathered under quantitative research method can find favor and liking to such individuals who fund the study programs. Briefly, it is applicable in the study of masses. Weaknesses Similarly, quantitative research methodology also falls short in as far as being fully credible in the research world. Mainly, researchers find that the categories they use do not usually reflect local constituencies understandings. In addition, the theories propagated by researcher operating under this method of research might not as well reflect the local constituencies understandings. Furthermore, owing to the requirement of a lot of focus on the theory and hypotheses generation, researchers usually miss out on the happening of particular occurrences. Finally, the information gathered under this method of research might be too theoretical and general for direct appliance to particular real-life situations, contexts and individuals. Mixed Method Research Qualitative study is a type of scientific research. Generally speaking, in any According to Hesse-Biber (2010), there is basically an investigation which seeks answer of a specific question. The examiners systematically use a pre defined set of procedures to find the closest answer of the question. Collecting evidences and more crucially different kinds of data are two very crucial aspect of the research. Finally, a qualitative study aims to produce different findings that were not generally determined in advance, and also the finding can be applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the study (Hesse-Biber, 2010). In addition to all these the qualitative study techniques tries to understand a given study problem or topic from the perspective of the general population with whom the study is mainly involved. The qualitative study method is very effective in obtaining the specific cultural data about the values, opinions, behaviors and other different social contexts (Hesse-Biber, 2010) of a specific population. Creswell (2009) indicated that when the results of qualitative study are combined with quantitative techniques it helps to interpret and better understand the complex reality of any given situation, along with the implications of quantitative data (Creswell, 2009). The findings from the qualitative study can often be extended to people with characteristics which are quite similar to those in the study population, which gains a rich and complex understanding of a specific social context or phenomenon, which typically takes precedence over eliciting data that can be really generalized to other geographical areas. In that light it is clear that qualitative study is slightly different from the scientific study progression in general (Nachmias-Frankfort Nachmias 2008). Strengths The third and more preferred method of research has an array of strengths that appeal to many researchers. To begin with, the combined strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research can be found when using this method of research. Further, terms, pictures and narratives can be used to add connotation to numbers. In addition, while using mixed methods of research, researchers have the advantage of using numbers to add precision to words, pictures, and narratives. Another advantage of applying the mixed method in research is that researchers can generate and actually test a grounded theory. Applying the mixed method of research allows the researcher to tackle a broader and a more complete range of research questions owing to the fact that the researcher is not confined within the tenets of a particular method of research. In addition, researchers have the ability to use the strength of one method of research to counter or overcome the weaknesses in another method. In other words it incorporates the concept of complementarity. In the advent of a researcher conjuring up a conclusion under this method of research, they are in a better position to provide stronger evidence in the conclusion bit through convergence and collaboration of findings. Furthermore, the method of research allows the researcher to add insights and methods that might be omitted when only a single method is adopted. Similarly, the method allows the researcher to simplify to increase the simplicity of the results. Finally, since the mixed methods of research is all about the incorporation of both qualitative and quantitative methods of research, the researcher can produce more complete knowledge necessary to inform theory and practice. Weaknesses Unfortunately, this method of research also has a few shortcomings despite its overwhelming support from researchers. Firstly, owing to its duplicity content, the application of the mixed methodology in one study can prove difficult to handle by any one single researcher. This is the case especially when the researcher has two apply two or more approaches concurrently. Furthermore, a researcher choosing to rely on this method of research has to learn about multiple methods and approaches and understand how to appropriately mix them. Similarly, a lot of researchers are of the view that any one researcher should work within either the qualitative or the quantitative method. Moreover, the mixed method of research is more expensive and time consuming than any other method of research due to its duplicity content. Finally, since it is a mixture of two relatively different methods of research, a lot of researchers and methodologists have as yet to fully workout problems of interpreting conflicting results, quantitative data and the paradigm mixing. Justification of combining qualitative and quantitative methods The paradigm war of the two methods of research has created so much chaos. On each side of the argument are proponents of one particular type of research method, well armed with reason and examples why it is better than the other research method. Such arguments caused the creation of some sort of middle ground, combining the two types of research methods, the result, mixed methods research. So what is the justification for amalgamating the two types of research methods? The rationale for the creation of a common ground was concretized and coded. The coding mirrored each sides legitimate views and by so doing the weakness of each side was revealed. A scheme was created to tabulate the justifications for the need to join the two methods of research. First, triangulation: which promulgated that there was need for some sort of convergence or corroboration since by so doing the emphasis would be shifted from the differences and moved towards the amalgamation of the research methodologies. Secondly, complementarity: which seeks the elaboration or the results acquired from one method with the results of another method. Thirdly, development: which highlights the need to use the results acquired from one method to either inform or develop the contrasting method. Fourthly, initiation: it seeks the unearthing of irony and incongruity, the remolding of questions from results gotten from one method with the replica of the other method of research. Fifthly, expansion: This seeks to increase the span and variety of enquiry by adopting different methods for different inquiry components. (Niglas, 2004) Design within the mixed methods Researchers usually face a daunting task while constructing a model design that will be suitable for their study. Nevertheless, it is imperative to point out that model designs do not exhaust the rationale of possibilities. (Creswell, 2003) However, their requirement and classification append to the thoroughness of mixed methods designs in primary care research. Instrument Design Model Under this design the priority is given to quantitative data collection and analysis. Implementation is premised in a two-phase project that starts with qualitative data collection and analysis and proceeds to quantitative device design and testing. Incorporation happens at the data analysis phase, then after researchers dissect the qualitative data and use this information to develop a device for information collection. The main use for this model is to come up with a device that is embedded in the views of the participants, instead of using an instrument that might not actually reflect the opinions of the participants. The approach used makes the use of the instrument design model logical and easier to carry out. Nevertheless, a lot of expertise is required to not only code the qualitative data but to also analyze it. In addition a psychometrically sound instrument is ultimately developed. (Kutner et al, 2008) Triangulation Design Model This particular type of design model is used mainly in primary care research. However, it is more difficult to incorporate compared to the sequential instrument design model due to the need to not only reconcile but to also bring back quantitative and qualitative information. The core use of this type of design model is to triangulate or rather bring both qualitative and quantitative methodologies simultaneously, and to incorporate the two paradigms of research in order to best comprehend the research situation at hand (Tashakori A. Teddie C., 2008). Concisely, this particular type of design model creates an equal platform for both qualitative and quantitative methods of research, both of which in other formats of research are usually found in separate columns which may or may not be set on equal footing. Furthermore, the triangulation design model usually integrates the information gathered from both the qualitative and quantitative methodologies into one final comprehensive and all-inclusive report. It is important to note that the same can either be summarized one conclusion, interpretation or results phase. The triangulation design model is structured in a manner that accommodates both qualitative and quantitative data albeit in different sections. The same format will apply for the analysis results for the two methodologies. This is then followed by an in-depth discussion of both data results which is summarized under neo conclusion heading. It is no wonder that he researchers adopting this type of design model present both results under different methodologies as conflicting evidence for results. Alternatively, the researchers can also convert one form of data under a particular methodology into another form in an attempt to conglomerate the results gathered. (Baskerville et al, 2007 and McVea et al, 2009) Data Transformation Design Model This type of design model is specifically preferred by the primary care researcher since it incorporates co-relational designs. Observational designs that are usually found under this type of design model are studies on retrospect, prevalence and prospective matters. It is imperative to note that this type of design model usually favors qualitative data over quantitative data. It allows the investigator collect qualitative information; dissect in attempts to understand codes and themes underlining it. All this is done in line with a predetermined code book or conceptual outline. In addition, the codes and themes there under are counted numerically. The foregoing notwithstanding, the design model can be formatted to also favor quantitative data compilation and analysis. The incorporation of the results is concurrent and the assimilation of the same happens at the data analysis phase. (Mcllvain, 2008). The above three models of design bring about the possibility of having mixed methods models within the framework of primary care. Moreover, it is important to highlight the fact that the three models do not in any way exhaust all the model designs available. Others not dealt with are the explanatory design model and the nested design model. In the former a pioneer quantitative stage is conducted in order to gather empirical or statistical results. (Creswell, 2006) The second stage is for the researcher to collect qualitative information that he will use to expound or explain the quantitative results. (Tashakori A. Teddie C., 2008). The nested design model is different from the explanatory method in that, a lesser qualitative information gathering phase is assimilated or contained within a larger quantitative interference trial. In as much as this type of model matches the criteria for a synchronized and quantitative design, it still represents to some extent, a disparity in which the bigger component addresses one issue and for the lesser components another issue. Using a mixed models method, which is inculcated into a rigorous design structure, makes one assume that the research has all the proper know how required in understanding a particular study. Such expertise is important when conducting research on a certain study. Further, it assists the researcher in knowing which design will best suit the study. Using mixed methods research is not only time consuming but also it is very tasking on the individual conducting the research. This is the case because mixed methods apply multiple variants in its data format and collection. (Goering PN, 2007) Grounded theory Sociologists Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss (1967) have comprehensively articulated the grounded theory on the background of social science. The main purpose of grounded theory is to come with theories about social phenomena, meaning, to develop some level of comprehending which is more grounded in systematic data. The grounded theory is the most all-inclusive qualitative research methodology available. Grounded is viewed by many researchers and methodologists as a problem-solving endeavor concerned with understanding action from the perspective of the human agent. It is an approach to applying qualitative research, in that its procedures are neither numerical, nor quantitative in some other manner. It initiates its progress by targeting a particular area of study and collects information from numerous sources, for instance personal interviews and field observations. Grounded theory is more suitable when one is dealing with social interact s or experiences which are driven to explain a process. After collection of the needed data, the same is analyzed using coding hypothetical sampling measures. Then after theories are borne from the results garnered and interpretive procedures, having concluded that part everything is concretized and presented. Glaser and Strauss view grounded theory as a general theory of scientific method concerned with the generation, elaboration, and eventual validation of social science supposition. They further believe that grounded theory should meet the accepted canons for doing good science. However, the main reason for applying grounded theory in ones research is to construct theories in order to understand occurrences. The key features of this theory are that it must have an iterative study format, purposive sampling and a scheme analysis. An iterative study design encompasses cycles of simultaneous information collection and analysis. A good grounded theory must meet the following conditions; it must be inductively derived from data, subjected to hypothetical amplification and judged sufficient to its area with bearing in mind a number of evaluative criteria. (Kennedy, 2006) Purposive approach Under this approach which is extremely favorable in the docket of quantitative research. The issues or topics for research are chosen based on similar characteristics that they portray. The method it uses is quite simple, when taking a part of the sample, reject or ignore the participants who do not fit the required profile for the study. This approach usually starts with a rationale in mind, the sample is designed to include the people who fit the criteria of the research and exclude those participants who fail to achieve this target. This method is popular with researchers who use quantitative methodology because it offers results that are more concise and precise. However, since it is subject to non-probability it is susceptible to partiality and inaccuracy. For instance, marketing investigators adopt this line of approach when they are in quest of support for their new product. They will obviously start with persons in the streets, first approaching only likely suspects and then move on onto excluding individuals who do not match their particular criteria. Conclusion This paper has highlighted and dissected the tenets that determine the realm of the research domain. Initially, there used to be only two methods of research, namely qualitative method and quantitative method. However, over time, the proponents of either side so the need to combine the two in an attempt to strengthen each others weaknesses. The result was the mixed methods research. The latter is a research design encompassing a method and a methodology. As a methodology, it entails collecting, analyzing and amalgamating quantitative and qualitative methods from the initial to the conclusion stages of both. As a method, it deals with the collection, analyzing and joining qualitative and quantitative information into one study. This mode of research methodology highlights and encourages the gathering of more in-depth evidence for research problems. Furthermore, it assists in the answering of questions that could not previously be answered under either qualitative or quantitative methods. In addition, it does away with any form of adversarial relationships that previously existed between the two modes of research. Mixed methods approach is more favorable because it aids in multiple world views, besides, many researchers have deemed it more practical and easier to apply in research. Moreover, it is applicable to the research situations of today seeing that they are more complex and intricate. Its practical nature assists in exemplifying issues to larger audiences. It has grown through a number of phases: a formative stage, a paradigm contest, the procedural phase and the evolving interest in federal endowment, journals, disciplines, and unique workshops.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Alpine Skiing :: essays research papers
Alpine skiing derives its name from the mountain range, The Alps in Europe, where the sport developed in the late 1800ââ¬â¢s as a means of moving down snow-covered slopes. Skiing spread to other parts of the world and is now done primarily at ski resorts on specially cut trails. The most common lift in North America is the chairlift, which is a series of seats suspended from a motor-driven cable that pulls the seats up the mountain. Various surface lifts which pull skiers up the hill while they remain standing on skis include rope-tows, T-bars, and J-bars. Many larger areas have enclosed aerial lifts, such as gondolas or trams, which allow skiers to take off their skis and ride up the mountain inside specially designed cars suspended from cables. In Europe, cog railways and funiculars (cable railways) are also used to carry skiers up a slope. à à à à à Almost all ski resorts have equipment to make snow artificially when there is not enough natural snow to support the sport. Snowmaking equipment combines air and water with special additives and then sprays the mixture at very high pressure onto the slopes. Grooming machines smooth out the slopes and ensure that the snow has a uniform consistency. à à à à à The components of fitness include mostly cardiovascular and a lot of muscular strength in the legs, particularly in the thighs and quads. Because skiing involves riding the chairlift to the top of the mountain after each run, a cool-down is not necessary because you get a consistent break the entire workout. A warm-up, however, could include swinging your legs to stretch out your leg muscles. A workout of skiing could last anywhere from a few hours, to an entire day depending on your stamina and ability. To progress to greater abilities in skiing, one would not want to stay on the ââ¬Å"bunny slopeâ⬠every day, but instead progress to harder and perhaps steeper trails.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Madeleine Neveus Epistle To My Daughter :: Neveu Epistle Daughter Essays
Madeleine Neveu's "Epistle To My Daughter" Madeleine Neveu eloquently gives words of wisdom to her daughter Catherine in her piece entitled, "Epistle to My Daughter." Madeleine is quite aware of the attitude surrounding educated women in her time period. Yet, she abandons those opinions to express her own for her daughter. Her epistle embraces the need for a woman to be true to herself and to stand on her own two feet, as opposed to relying on a man to hold her up. Madeleineââ¬â¢s epistle is quite straightforward. Her message to her daughter is very sincere. She starts her epistle by referring to traditional views on how one should live their life. "Ancient lovers of learning, / Said that to God one must do oneââ¬â¢s duty, / Then to oneââ¬â¢s country, and a third to oneââ¬â¢s lineage" (ll.1-3). But Madeleine is quick to refute those opinions. She then states that while she does honor God, she is completely helpless when it comes to public service affairs on the other hand because men have all the power. "I revere the Lord God; as for my country, I lack all power, / Men have full authority" (ll. 7-8). It is here that Madeleine refers to the Salic Law, the law that excludes women from the throne. But Madeleineââ¬â¢s duty to her "lineage" or daughter is taken much more seriously. Since Madeleine has no control over Salic Law, she takes control of the matters she has a say in. Her daughter is under her control. She feels the need to provide the best life for her daughter as possible. And thus she writes this piece as a guide for her. After Madeline refutes the ideas of the old, she presents ideas for the future. The piece seems to pause just before she focuses solely on her daughter. The tone of the first nine lines is snobbish almost. Madeleine seems to be raising her nose to ideas of the old. But as she begins to focus on her daughter, the tone changes. The snobbish tone becomes softer, gentler, as if sheââ¬â¢s raising her daughterââ¬â¢s chin to meet her gaze and speak to her: But as concerns you, my daughter, who are so dear to me / I would be liable to great blame and reproach / If I were to lead you on the beaten path, / Seeing that your heart is born into virtue.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Comparing Stanley Kowalski in Williams A Streetcar and Iago of Shakespeares Othello :: comparison compare contrast essays
Iago and Stanley of Othello and A Street Car Named Desire In these two pieces of literature, both Iago and Stanley plan a tragic scheme to draw the main characters, Othello and Blanche to their "downfall". Iago is absolutely inhuman being while Stanley showed his little conscience. They are both the master and are brilliant. Nevertheless Iago seem to be much smarter than Stanley in comparison. Iago and Stanley plan a tragic scheme to draw Othello and Blanche to their downfall because Othello promotes Cassio to lieutenancy, a position that he wants and it causes him to plan a tragic plan. Othello has supposed affair to Emilia who is Iago's wife. Thus, Iago constructs a plan to revenge. Stanley hates Blanche because she destroys the good relationship between him and his wife, Stella. He thinks that she has sold the Belle Reve which he thinks it's a part of partly him, but she does not give him any money. The most important one, he "assumes" that Blanche describes him as "common" and bestial. Thus, he plots a plan to revenge. In all, both Iago and Stanley start tragic plan their hatred. Iago is absolutely inhuman while Stanley has little consciences in his heart. In order to achieve the target, Iago does everything that will benefit himself even killing others. He kills Roderigo who helps him a lot in his plan. He persuades Othello to kill his Desdemona. Furthermore he kills his wife at the end. Stanley has not yet totally lost his humanity. Although he has raped Blanche, he does not kill her or other people. Moreover, at the end of the play he settles her into an asylum, but he does not just forsakes her. This reveals that someone will look after her in the future, and she will not be living alone. In short, Stanley still has little emotions of love in her heart, but Iago is absolutely inhuman, these two villains have a different level at different period. As the villains in their plays, Iago and Stanley are both brilliant, but Iago's tragic plan is almost perfect. He is able to use other character's "flaw" in his well-constructed plan. The smartest thing he does is that able to hide his identify from others. He appears to be "noble" to others, but in fact, he is evil "under worth". Thus, he can gain other characterââ¬â¢s trust.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Marketing Make Up
There are several marketing approaches that can be used to launch a new product in the market. However, there are also some advantages and disadvantages which can be incurred while putting a definite advertising strategy into action. One type of marketing is called the USP or the Unique Selling Proposition. This aims to present the uniqueness of the product which other commodities do not have. The main advantage of such process can be attributed by setting apart the make up brandââ¬â¢s features and effects to oneââ¬â¢s visual appeal. An additional or breakthrough substance can be realized for marketing attraction. However, the main disadvantage is that the productââ¬â¢s effect can vary from person to person. It is possible that there will be a group of consumers who will not be able to acquire the brandââ¬â¢s promise and may end up tarnishing the credibility of the brand. Another type of advertising technique is called Comparative Advertising. The process involves the acquisition of another brand name with the same product line up and comparing its quality and features side by side with the brand being advertised. This can be a very good approach in catching the attention of the consumers since the ready made features of the products can be observed in a form of testing. However, there can also be issues wherein consumers may realize that if they are getting the same characteristics of the product, then most likely brand will not be a factor but consequently the market price. Fear appeal is commonly used in relaying the consequential pattern of events if no reliable product is available. Because of such effect, the consumers will be forced to purchase a marketed item because of their anxiety experiences as pictured in the advertisement. The major attribute here is to arouse the consciousness of the viewers to change their attitude in buying and divert their attention to the brand being advertised (Associated Content, 2007). On the negative aspect, the advertiser will not have any clue whether the consumers will alternatively change their buying habits in favor of the brand. Since different perception and individual opinions will be involved, it can be very difficult to identify whether the people who will see the advertisement will get the intended message. Using a celebrity endorsement can also be one of the most effective ways to advertise a make up brand. Apparently, celebrities can easily attract buyers because of their reputation status in the entertainment industry. The more popular the actress is, the higher the probability that the masses will believe her position in using the make up brand. One grave consequence of this however can be on the part of investment cost. Since these individuals will require an enormous talent fee, a huge decision making process should be implemented by the advertiser. A slice of life ad is a technique in which situations with problems are presented to be solved using the product. Usually, these ads are too dramatic that audiences will be able to impart and relate their personal experiences (Answers, 2007). This can help the brand name to completely interact on the personal feelings of the consumers. One possible negative effect can be realized due to the limitation of the scope. Of course, not all people will be able to consider the situations presented in the advertisement to be factually true. The form of advertising in the essence of sex appeal is also used for many cosmetic and personal care brands. Since the make up industry primarily targets the female populace, different strategies of projecting the highest levels of sex appeal are instrumented. One good approach is to present and ad which focuses on the physical characteristic of the model. This will become the standard of the viewing consumers which will help in making them buy the item. However, giving them (consumers) the idea of involving sex appeal considerations can easily lure them to purchase other product lines which may use more appealing models. Lastly, the humor approach in advertising can be used. In some cases, humorous advertising can make it very light for the viewers to accept the main advantages of using the product being advertised. However, it can also project a certain form of apathy since the advertisers or the brand itself may project non-professionalism which may affect their credibility. References Answers Corporation. 2007. Slice of Life. Answers.com. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/topic/slice-of-life-advertisement?cat=biz-fin. Associated Content. 2007. Fear Appeal Messages and their Effectiveness in Advertising-Severin and Tankard. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/27813/fear_appeal_messages_and_their
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Ife, Efe, and Space Matrix of Coca-Cola Essay
INTRODUCTION Coca-Cola, the product that has given the world its best known taste was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 8, 1886. Coca-Cola Company is the worldââ¬â¢s leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, used to produce nearly 400 beverage brands. They have a strong management and marketing team, and they produce products that people want and in some cases need. Examples of well-known brands they own include Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Vitamin Water, Minute Maid, Bonaqua and Powerade. Although, even a successful company can come tumbling down, and in order to stay ahead of the competition and to continue revenue growth, we would advise the company to seek out additional business strategies in which will explain in depth in the following sections (our company, 2014). CURRENT MISSION, GOALS AND STRATGIES: Cokeââ¬â¢s mission is to, ââ¬Å"refresh the world, inspire moments of optimism and happiness, and to create value and make a difference.â⬠Coca-Cola believe that they main responsibility is providing customers with refreshing beverages including soft drinks, water, energy drinks, juice and tea to fit any occasion in their daily lives. Coca-Cola signature product, Coke, is a favorite around the world and a wide variety of products are sold in over 200 countries. They use the only the most sophisticated equipment to process and make the products to ensure each glass of coke product it as good as always. Besides, employees are fairly compensated and we practice fair trade in all markets we compete. Coca-Cola values their responsibility to all communities to serve and support many educational programs. Furthermore, The Companyââ¬â¢s goals include maximizing growth and profitability to increase shareholdersââ¬â¢ wealth and to be globally known as a business that conducts business responsibility and ethically and to accelerate sustainable growth to operate in tomorrowââ¬â¢s world. The strategies that The Coca-Cola Company is currently pursuing to achieve these goals include: product innovation; creating well planned packaging and pricing schemes; and increasing operating efficiencies. The Company often reviews and evaluates their business plans and performance to improve their earnings and analyze theirà competitive positioning the market. They make decisions in realigning their business models to match the objectives of the Company by using strategies and tactics in the analysis of their performance (our company, 2014). INTERNAL ANALYSIS: (See attached IFEM) The Coca-Cola Company has an IFEM score of 2.82, which is an indication of a strong internal position. It can also be observed that there are much more internal strengths than the weakness which is why also the company has a strong internal position. FINANCE: Coca-Cola has consistent financial operating results and compared to their competition, they are much better financial shape. For the year ending 2013, the company generated a whopping $48 billion in revenue, an increase over the past two years. According to the companyââ¬â¢s 2013 Income Statement, net income, operating income, and gross profit resulted in a positive year-over-year percent change. Coca-Cola has a Quick Ratio of 0.92% and a Current Ratio of 1.03%, thus having a low projected risk of delinquency and a low risk of failure. Coca-Cola has the total debt to asset ratio of 41.17 and profit margin of 18.22%. The company meets its goal of maximizing shareholdersââ¬â¢ wealth as the companyââ¬â¢s stock (KO) price plus reinvested dividends continue to trend upwards. MANAGEMENT: There are a lot to say for a company that is been in business for 127 years and itââ¬â¢s evident that the management structure is strong, the company also has a global employee workforce of 150,900 that contributes to the overall success of the organization. The company strives to make a positive impact in the world and intends for their core values to display not only inward but also outward toward the customer. Some of those core values are: diversity, collaboration, passion, accountability, and integrity. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: With the proper qualitative research, the company can gauge what type of beverage the consumers want and whether or not their products taste good to the consumer. The company offers over 91 products worldwide, but in order to stay ahead of competition, the development of new products, product packaging, and product diversification is essential. MARKETING: Coca-Cola is a marketing giant, which proves to be an internal strength for the organization. Through effective marketing strategies, 98% of the worldââ¬â¢s population recognizes the famous white and red Coca-Cola logo. Over the years, Coca-Cola has had many creative slogans such as ââ¬Å"Open Happinessâ⬠andà ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s the real thingâ⬠. Consumers also enjoy the yearly Coca-Cola Super Bowl commercials that often promote happiness with the Clydesdale horses or Polar Bears. In addition, Coca-Cola is taking advantage of social media sites to communicate with their customers. In summary, The Coca-Cola Company yielded a positive internal analysis. The company is in good financial shape and continues to improve and produce positive year-over-year profits. As long as the company can keep its debt under control, they will continue to be in good financial health. The management team and global workforce at Coca-Cola are strong and their core values reflect positively though their commitment to social responsibility. The company should continue to research what type of beverages best suit consumerââ¬â¢s needs in order to stay ahead of the competition. Lastly, the company excels with their marketing campaigns and should continue with aggressive and creative marketing to maintain market share. EXTERNAL ANALYSIS (See attached EFEM) Company Coca-Cola appears to be competing in a hostile environment as indicated by the EFEM score of 2.39. It can be seen in the External Factor Evaluation matrix that the industry is facing more threats than the opportunities and the priority of the threats are also more than the opportunities. This means that the industry is more vulnerable to the effects of threats than opportunities. DEMOGRAPHIC: Coca-Cola is the most well-known product throughout the world. The demographics used to segment those users of Coca-Cola located in the United States are as follows: age, race, income, education, employment, household size, gender and lifestyle. Coca-Cola was originally created as syrup to be sold to soda fountains, where it would be mixed with soda water and served to patrons, typically teenagers and young adults. And just as it was created for the younger generation, thatââ¬â¢s where itââ¬â¢s popularity has remained, with the 18-24 year-old age demographic. However, Coca-Colaââ¬â¢s volume potential is highest for 25-34 year-olds. In the adult population, Coca-Cola is most popular among men, and more specifically, single men. However, there is significant volume potential for married persons, and Coca-Cola could therefore prospectively increase their sales volume by marketing more towards married persons ages 25-34. COMPETITION: Existing Rivalry in the soft drinksà industry is between Coca Cola PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple. However, Coca Col a remains to be the market leader and has maintained the leadership through its intensive marketing campaigns, innovation in introducing brands which captures the evolving customer needs and the wider presence of its brands in many countries across the world. This combined by the significant market experience for the many years the business has been in the industry gives the Coca Cola a competitive edge over competitors. New entrantââ¬â¢s new entrants: Coca cola as the leading soft drink sel ler in the industry has a large network which gives it economies of scale and wide presence all over the world. The economies of scale makes Coca Colaââ¬â¢s average cost to be too low for new entrants to be able to enter the market since they cannot afford to produce at such low cost hence the market has low entrant. The cost of entering the soft drinks industry is also high due to the much research needed for the brands development, equipment and expertise involved which also keeps away many potential entrants in the market. This gives Coca Cola a competitive edge against any potential entrants. ECONOMIC: Inflation rate rise which is the general rise of the price level reduces the consumerââ¬â¢s purchasing power reducing demand for the businessââ¬â¢s products while its reduction increases purchasing power increasing demand. Next, Emerging markets are increasing business operations in international market l. This can be demonstrated by the significant performance of the company with the earnings before interest in markets outside US representing 80% of the company earnings. Interest r ate determines the cost of borrowing for investors in the market. Thus a rise of the rate increases the cost of investment which reduces competition in the market while a fall of the rate reduces the cost of capital increasing competition in the market. Unemployment rise affects the amount of disposable income available to the consumers with its rise reducing the income hence reducing demand. On the contrary, an increase in employment increases the disposable income increasing demand for goods boosting the business performance. Economic growth rate and performance determines the level of income in the economy which determines the aggregate demand in the market. Thus a positive economic growth increases demand in the market while a negative growth reduces demand. SOCIAL: Lifestyle change in the market changes demand for products, calling for the business to introduce products that meet the newà demand while phasing out the old products with no demand; this has promoted innovation of the company in introducing relevant products like the diet brands and low or Zero calories brands. Aging population and population composition change and diversified products preference in the market as different age groups have different tastes and preferences, with the elderly becoming more concerned with their health hence having their demand change to healthy products reducing demand for some of the businesses products. The consumers health concern and age preferences has resulted to Carbonated drinks being much preferred by and commanding a large youthful market segment who care less about carbon health effect which has been the concern. There has also been a significant growth of healthier soft drinks due to their branding image that they are natural but the carbonated brands consumption among the children and the adults has reduced. STRATEGIC OPTION ANALYSIS: See the I/E, SPACE, TOWS and QSPM I/E MATRIX: The I&E Matrix plot depicts a strategy area of 2.56 which indicates that the company should ââ¬Å"hold and maintain. Suggested strategies for this position on the I&E Matrix are market penetration, market development, and product development. This is not a large problem for the company as they are in a very strong financial position to hold and maintain the current market position. Elimination of the major problems of Coca-Cola in term of production and marketing will strengthen the company internally and facilitate the adoption of a broader range of strategies. Coca-Cola must also consider to creating products for market niches in order to make it less vulnerable to competition (Product Development).One of the threat in the market is customer are changing health-consciousness attitude, the company have to develop products that can satisfy the need of customer and that are perceived as being clearly superior to the competition. SPACE MATRIX: The SPACE matrix shows a borderline plot in the AGGRESSIVE quadrant, which correlates with the result from the IE matrix as well. The plot ensure the companyââ¬â¢s strong financial position (FS+5) with a great competitive advantage (CA-1.50). The industry itself is strong (IP+5.2) but the Coca-Cola finds itself in an unfavourable environment (CP-1.80). Due toà these factors, it is best that Coca-Cola be aggressive and cautious at the same time. The plot suggests that Coca-Cola needs to use their internal strengths to develop a market penetration and market development strategies to stay ahead of the competition. Some of the factors that afforded Coca-Cola with a competitive rating are their large percentage of market share, consumer loyalty to the brand, and their high-quality product offerings. TOWS MATRIX: The TOWS Matrix Yielded Ten Strategies. Two of the strategies were functional strategies and the remaining eight were Business/Corporate strategies. These functional strategies deal with the organization structure and sales force of Coca-Cola. Ten distinct B/C strategies were identified to include product development, concentric diversification, market penetration, horizontal integration, management, market development and joint venture. The QSPM and the QSPM score Summary Sheet: The eight distinct B/C strategies were evaluated by the QSPM. The tentative priorities established in the analysis of the BMS matrix were somewhat revised based on QSPM scores. All scores were at least moderate-above 50% of Max Possible Score (MPS) overall. Strategy #2 had a high overall score- 80% with an extremely high external argument score of 79%. It appears that the strategic thrust inferred in the I/E and BMS analyses and their supporting strategies are generally sustained by the QSPM analysis. RECOMMENDED STRATEGIC THRUST AND SUPPORTING STRATEGIES Coca-Cola should adopt a strategic thrust, which is aimed at positioning the company as a company that owns the innovative products. Aside from that, Coca-Cola should become a creative and memorable leader in the food and beverage industry. Coca-Cola should seek to at least maintain, but preferably increase its market share. Major emphasis should be placed on further penetrating foreign markets, with emphases on our marketing which able to tap into the psyche of the public, especially the teenagers (Hoistein, 2014). It should, as soon as possible, enter the teenagers marketà by bringing the wonderful products that could catch the teenagerââ¬â¢s mind. Coca-Cola must make its products more attractive and tasty to fulfill the customerââ¬â¢s expectation. FUNCTIONAL STRATEGIES The following functional strategies should be carried out in the time frames indicated. F/MG: Create new department to research and develop nutrition products. Product life cycles are shortening because of the peopleââ¬â¢s preference and trends are changing rapidly. Develop a ââ¬Å"Market needâ⬠products for consumers in order to compete with other competitor. For instance, Coca-Cola must develop the right pricing and packaging, with small packs, large packs, or take-home packs (Hoistein, 2011). This need is pressing and paramount. SHORT RANGE, but will be an ongoing need. F/MG: Develop talent human capital in sales team. The organizationââ¬â¢s structure must be redesigned to be more responsive to the field and unpredictable nature of the competitive environment. A talented sale leaded is needed to lead their team in order to provide the best in town services for the customers. SHORT-MID-LONG RANGES. B/C (BUSINESS/CORPORATE STRATEGIES) SHORT RANGE-INITIATE IMMEDIATELY AND IN PRIORITY: Strategy #2 and #3 ââ¬â Research and development to create innovative products that appeal to the health conscious consumers and Capitalize on their strong brand name and expand operations to include food (SO) and (WO): Coca-Cola should employ more creative and innovative worker and gain several new attractions for the products Hire more creative and innovative worker able to generate more new ideas for Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola could increase the level of satisfaction of customers. For instance, Coca-Cola must understand the culture of every country before enter into the international market in order to increase the competitive advantage. For example, Coca-Cola has announced plans to launch a new version of its best-selling soft drink with a third less sugar and a third fewer calories in the market (Smithers, 2014). New green cans and bottle labels will feature alongside its range of drinks from the iconic 330ml red tins with 139 calories to Coke Light and Zero with no calories (Sayid, 2014). It can help Coca-Cola increase theà market share. Both strategies have the highest priority. Strategy #4 ââ¬â Increase marketing efforts for bottled drinks (WO): Coca-Cola should do research on the bottled drinks. Coca-Cola has to make the bottled drinks that the customer feels attractive and purchase us. According to Fox (2014) Coca-Cola will personalize its bottled drinks with 250 of the nationââ¬â¢s most popular names among teens and millennial. Nowadays, most of the people likes fresh and new the products, which able to grab their attention. This trend had brought an opportunity for Coca-Cola to generate more customers. MID RANGE ââ¬â BEGIN PLANNING IMMEDIATELY FOR IMPLEMENTATYION IN 2 TO 3 YEARS Strategy #1 ââ¬â Improve environment awareness with community involvement (SO): To achieve environmental awareness Coca-Cola should organize seminars for the public in order to share the information and knowledge of the company. Aside from that, every bottled drink should print the information about environmental awareness to remind the customer regards the crucial of it. LONG RANGE-BEGIN PLANNING NOW FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN 4 TO 5 YEARS. Strategy #5 Increase advertising to maintain competitive edge (ST): Concentrate on every single advertisement able to maintain a competitive edge. Coca-Cola should target all audiences when advertise for its products. If the advertisement able to grab the attentions of consumer it means the advertisement was a good advertisement. Zmuda (2014) said increase the effectiveness of our marketing investment by transforming our marketing and commercial model to redeploy resources into more consumer facing marketing investments to accelerate growth. It proves that a good marketing will plan a good advertisement and it could maintain the competitive advantage. Strategy #6 ââ¬â Acquire Golden Enterprises (GLDC) to help diversify the product line (ST): Coca-Cola should diversify its product line for market development and GLDC is required for this strategy. Coca-Cola must do research and development to achieve this goal. NOT RECOMMENDED: Strategy #8 ââ¬â Advertising on encourages consumers to lead a healthy lifestyle (WT): Coca-Cola should not advertise a healthy lifestyle advertisement, products of Coca-Cola not a drink that can drink for healthy purpose. Ità seems to increase the risk of failure if advertise healthy lifestyle advertisement. References (2014), Our Company. Retrieved from http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/ David, F. (2013). Strategic Management A Competitive Advantage Approach. 14th ed Pearson Education, Inc. Fox. (2014). Why you may see your name on a bottle of Coca-Cola. Retrieved from http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/25742524/why-you-may-see-your-name-on-a-bottle-of-coca-cola Hoistein, W. J. (2011). How Coca-Cola Manages 90 Emerging Markets. Retrieved from http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00093?pg=all Ruddick, G. (2014). Coca-Cola to launch new stevia-flavored drink. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10890702/Coca-Cola-to-launch-new-stevia-flavoured-drink.html Sayid, R. (2014). Coca-Cola Life to launch in UK as new low calorie alternative to classic brand. Retrieved from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coca-cola-life-launch-uk-3672697 Smithers, R. (2014). Coca-Cola Life: Coke with fewer calories and less sugar to tackle obesity. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/11/coca-cola-fewer-calories-less-sugar Zmuda, N. (2014). Coca-Cola Boosts Media Spending as Demand Slows, CEO Muhtar Kent Defends the Importance of Marketing. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/news/coca-cola-boosts-marketing-spend-demand-slows/291747/
Age and sex discrimination Essay
The terms ageism and sexism were coined about the same time (1969 and 1970, respectively), but sexism has become more widely used than ageism (Schick, 2006:7). Almost everyone has heard of sexism. Until recently, few people had heard of ageism. Both concepts refer to prejudice or discrimination against a category of people: sexism is usually directed against women, and ageism is usually directed against the aged. However, sometimes sexism is directed against men (by some extreme feminists), and ageism is sometimes directed against younger people (ââ¬Å"positive ageism,â⬠Palmore, 1990: 44). Prejudice is a negative attitude toward a category of people that is inaccurate and resistant to change. Discrimination is an inappropriate treatment of a category of people, usually based on prejudice (Atchley, 2001:17). Sexism and ageism combine in all possible ways: a few areas show neither one, more areas are affected by one but not the other, but most areas are affected by both. There may be some areas with neither ageism nor sexism, although it is hard to think of any area completely free of such prejudice. In some areas there is sexism with little or no ageism. For example, it is generally believed that women of any age should not marry men younger than themselves, but it is all right for men to marry women younger than themselves. This is a main reason why there are over five times as many widows as widowers over 65. On the other hand, in some areas there is ageism but little or no sexism. For example, many people believe that most old people are feeble or senile, regardless of gender. The fact is that the majority of people over 65 are neither feeble nor senile. In most areas both ageism and sexism combine to intensify the problems of older women. For example, women of all ages tend to have lower incomes than men (sexism), but older women also tend to have even lower incomes than younger women (ageism). This situation is often called ââ¬Å"double jeopardyâ⬠because of the combined effects (Schick, 2006: 99). Sontag (1972) coined the term ââ¬Å"double standard of aging. â⬠This refers to the combination of sexism and ageism that multiplies the effects of both, more than would be expected on the basis of simply adding the two effects. For example, being physically attractive is more important in most womenââ¬â¢s lives than in menââ¬â¢s (sexism); and there is a common belief that older persons are generally not as attractive as young people (ageism). However, womenââ¬â¢s grey hair, wrinkles, bulges, and stooped bodies receive harsher judgment than those of men. For many women, aging means a ââ¬Å"humiliating process of gradual sexual disqualificationâ⬠(Sontag, 1972: 30-35), while many men enjoy more romantic success later in life because they have more status, money, and power than they had earlier. As a result, being a ââ¬Å"spinsterâ⬠or ââ¬Å"old maidâ⬠is considered a pitiful status, while being an older bachelor is not so bad. Notice that there is no male equivalent of ââ¬Å"old maid. â⬠It may be objected that many older women do not mind this ââ¬Å"sexual disqualificationâ⬠and adjust to it by renouncing all interest in sexual activities or by becoming lesbians. This is true, but beside the point. The point is that sexism combined with ageism tends to enforce this ââ¬Å"sexual disqualificationâ⬠whether or not the woman likes it (Levin and Levin, 2000:210). There are many sources of ageism: individual, social, and cultural (Palmore, 1990:51). The individual sources include authoritarian personalities, frustration and aggression, selective perception, rationalization, and death anxiety. The social sources include modernization, competition, obsolescence, segregation, and selffulfilling prophecies. The cultural sources include the process of blaming the victim, differing value orientations, language, humor, songs, art, literature, television, and cultural lag. There are probably just as many sources of sexism that have been documented and analyzed elsewhere (Friedan, 1963: 107). The most popular sources of sexism that seem to increase in old age are humor and language. Negative jokes about women of all ages are common. However, jokes about old women seem to be relatively more frequent and more negative than those about younger women (Palmore, 1990:53). As any student of racism or sexism knows, negative humor is one of the most common and effective ways to perpetuate negative stereotypes about a minority group. One reason negative humor about a group is so common and effective is that it is passed off as ââ¬Å"just a jokeâ⬠or ââ¬Å"harmless humor. â⬠In fact, negative humor is rarely harmless and is especially insidious because its viciousness is masked by its overt ââ¬Å"funniness. â⬠Thus the age-concealment jokes reinforce the stereotype that all older women are ashamed of their age, while older men are not. It may well be that somewhat more old women are ashamed of their age than are old men (because of the ââ¬Å"double standard of agingâ⬠), but that is beside the point. Similarly, the status of old maid is generally considered more negative than that of old bachelor, but that too is beside the point. The point is that such negative humor reinforces prejudice against older women. One of the most subtle but pervasive influences of culture on our attitudes is our language: the words we use to identify or describe a person or group; the derivations, definitions, and connotations of the words; their synonyms and antonyms; and the context in which they are used. Our language often supports ageism in all of these ways (Palmore, 1990:57). In addition, two analyses of words for elders have found that many of them also reflect sexism. Covey (1998) found that terms for old women have a much longer history of negative connotations than those for old men, because women not only faced a long history of ageism, but also sexism and religious persecution (as in witch hunts) (Covey, 1998:291). How can this malevolent combination of sexism and ageism be combatted? In general, most of the strategies that have been successful in reducing racism and sexism in general could be used to reduce the combination of sexism and ageism. Individuals can take the following actions to reduce prejudice and discrimination against older women: 1. Inform yourself so you have the facts to combat the misconceptions and stereotypes. 2. Examine your own attitudes and actions and try to eliminate those that reflect sexism and ageism. 3. Inform your relatives, friends, and colleagues about the facts, especially when some prejudice is expressed or implied. 4. Do not tell ageist or sexist jokes and refuse to laugh when you hear one. (Try converting the joke to an age- and sex-neutral joke by not specifying age or sex. ) References Atchley R. 2001. Social forces and aging. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Covey H. 1998. ââ¬Å"Historical terminology used to represent older peopleâ⬠. Gerontologist, 28. Friedan B. 1963. The feminine mystique. New York: Norton. Levin J. , & Levin W. 2000. Ageism: Prejudice and discrimination against the elderly. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Palmore E. 1990. Ageism: Negative and positive. New York: Springer. Schick F. (Ed. ) 2006. Statistical handbook on aging Americans. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. Sontag S. 1972. ââ¬Å"The double standard of agingâ⬠. Saturday Review, 55 (39).
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