Graduating from High School Essay

Most grade-schoolers dream about the day they will walk across the stage on beginning day and receive their diplomas. They are under the impression they will be free from all work in their life, and be able to finally live. A person graduating from high school can take many directions in life; most graduates also go to dorm at college, travel to college, or start working. First, many graduates run from their parents and desire to go to college as far away from home as possible. When students move away, they get their first feel of living away from home. Which brings everyday jobs like Cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry are a few examples of how college students have to learn to give for themselves. Also, earning a college degree gives a person greater earning like the ability to work in the field of their choice. Going away to college can be a wonderful time for a person to grown-up and start their adult life. Another decision a person may choose after graduating high school is commute to a college. Traveling is not a possibility for everyone graduating high school because of location, but can be a great chance for those who are in drivable distance to a college. Living with parents and driving to college can save college student money because they do not have to pay to dorm. Staying with parents means mom is still around to give home cooked meals and life does not change from high school. Commuting to college can be a great way to save money, while still earning a college degree. Last, many high school students decide not to go to a college and join the work force right after high school. This means they will not be able to pay back expensive school loans and will be able to have more financial freedom in the short term. A person joining the work has the ability to stay in touch with friends in the area they live in and a few years after graduating or find their own place to reside. Joining the work force out of high school is a great option for some people who choose to do so but is not the best plan for those who want to more education. A person’s decision about what they will do after high school, weather it is going away to college, commuting to college or joining the work force, will affect them the rest of their life. A lot of thought and prayer should go into any decision, especially those which will affect a person for the rest of their life. In the end, if a person they believe God wants them to does it will end up the way God wants it.

How to Write a Research Paper Essay

â€Å"This should be sent to a journal† â€Å"Very good work, but I’m not sure why Alan Bundy hasn’t written this? † Anonymous review: â€Å"Clearly the author fails to understands Walsh’s previous work on this topic† †¢ 1st Lesson †¢ Don’t lose heart †¢ Even if you do everything right, reviewing is imperfect Good papers will be rejected But try to learn from your knock-backs! †¢ †¢ Why you? †¢ Academic career †¢ Publish or perish †¢ Have an impact †¢ †¢ Communicate your results Many have not had the impact they deserve for being bad writers †¢ Writing is fun! Outline †¢ How to get your paper rejected †¢ There are many traps even experienced researchers make Myself very much included †¢ †¢ Hints about how to write a paper †¢ Writing is a craft not a science! How to be rejected †¢ Submit over-length †¢ Blind man: send in 7 pages even though the instructions clearly say 5 Once they see quality of work, they’ll be pleased you sent in more material †¢ How to be rejected Submit over-length †¢ †¢ Diplomatic immunity: put extra 2 pages in appendix Appendices clearly don’t count Similarly, bibliography doesn’t count †¢ †¢ How to be rejected †¢ Submit over-length †¢ LaTeX hacker: †¢ †¢ †¢ change from 11 to 9 point font squeeze inter-line space †¦ †¢ No one will ever notice How to be rejected †¢ Submit late †¢ †¢ †¢ Deadlines are meant for everyone else Review schedules have plenty of slack Your paper is worth the wait! How to be rejected †¢ You don’t have room for space wasters like: †¢ Motivation, Background, Related work †¢ Why do review forms always have these on them anyway? How to be rejected †¢ Annoy reader/reviewer †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Proof is trivial, when it isn’t Prove the trivial Fail to cite their work Only cite yourself How to be rejected †¢ Annoy reader/reviewer †¢ Don’t bother to spell check †¢ What do computers know about spelling anyway? †¢ Use all the old cliches †¢ â€Å"There has been a lot of interest recently in global constraints. † How to be rejected †¢ Annoy reader/reviewer †¢ Be pompous, boring, †¦ †¢ This is science not literature guys, who said it should be fun? †¢ Be overly formal †¢ Theorems and formulas add weight How to be rejected †¢ Annoy reader/reviewer †¢ Make them really work †¢ After all, these are dif? cult concepts and it took you some time †¦ †¢ Ignore reviews †¢ Just keep sending paper in, eventually it will be accepted How to write a paper †¢ Hints about how to write †¢ †¢ †¢ Preparation Writing itself Ethics Preparation †¢ Read, read, read! †¢ To learn how to write, read a lot †¢ I spend over 20% of my time reading †¢ 1 day/week in library Read, Read, Read †¢ Related literature †¢ †¢ †¢ So you can cite it So you don’t re-invent wheels So you know what others think are important research questions Read, Read, Read †¢ Other conference/journal papers where you intend to publish †¢ †¢ So you learn the â€Å"house† style So you can place your work within the bigger picture So you learn how to ask good questions †¢ Read, Read, Read †¢ Any sort of literature †¢ Magazines, novels, biographies, †¦ †¢ Writing is a skill, learn from others †¢ I read approx one novel/week as a way of trying to learn how to write And I have the luxury of writing in my own language! †¢ Review, Review, Review †¢ Review as much as you can †¢ †¢ †¢ So you see good/bad writing So you see the newest results (but see ethics) So you ask yourself good questions †¢ What is the contribution here? What are the weaknesses? †¦ Write, Write, Write †¢ The best preparation to writing is to write †¢ †¢ Writing gets easier the more you do it Writing is easier if you’ve drafted much of what you already need Writing is the best way to organize your thoughts Writing is a good way to record what you have done. †¢ †¢ Writing †¢ Work out the timetable †¢ †¢ †¢ Rushed papers frequently rejected Late papers are almost always rejected If you always write to deadlines, writing will seem more painful than it is Writing †¢ Work out the message †¢ You should be able to convey this in one sentence †¢ â€Å"We propose a new global constraint, provide a ? ltering algorithm and show it useful on some standard benchmarks† Writing †¢ Work out the message †¢ You should be able to convey this in one sentence †¢ â€Å"We identify an important class of symmetry, and show how to break it† †¢ Write to the message! Writing †¢ Distribute the work †¢ †¢ Play to your strengths If you have a native speaker, have them write intro/conclusion †¦ †¢ Write to length †¢ Brutally cut papers are frequently rejected Writing †¢ †¢ Structure paper before you write it I write template for paper with sections and subsection headings ? rst †¢ Intro, Background, Theoretical results, Empirical results, Related work, Conclusions Writing †¢ †¢ Start where you are most happy Often write from the middle outwards †¢ Theoretical results, Experiments, †¦ , Conclusions, Introduction, Abstract Writing †¢ †¢ Rule of Three Say everything 3 times! †¢ †¢ †¢ Introduce idea (introduction) Develop idea (body of paper) Summarize result (conclusions) †¢ But don’t copy verbatim the same text! Title †¢ Make it meaningful and brief †¢ †¢ Don’t make a joke Remember someone reading reference needs to be able to work out likely contents Good: the TSP phase transition Bad: Easy Problems are sometimes Hard †¢ †¢ Abstract †¢ Executive summary †¢ Try for one sentence or so on: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Motivation Method Key result Conclusions Introduction †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What is the problem? Why is it interesting? What are your contributions? What is the outline of what you will show? Introduction †¢ Lure the reader in a with a good ? rst sentence †¢ Bad: There has been a lot of work recently on phase transition behaviour†¦ Good: Global constraints are central to the success of constraint programming†¦ †¢ Background †¢ Often need to set scene †¢ †¢ †¢ De? ne formalism Get reader up to speed Identify research problem Body of Paper †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Derive theoretical results Propose new algorithm Describe system engineered †¦ Results †¢ Bullet proof paper †¢ Theoretical results †¢ Experiments only provide a limited view †¢ Experimental results †¢ Theory doesn’t show if results are useful in practice. Related work †¢ Has many purposes †¢ †¢ †¢ You give proper credit to prior work You are not re-inventing wheel You can compare what you do with what has been done before Conclusions †¢ †¢ Remind reader of what you have done Place work in wider context †¢ â€Å"What general lessons might be learnt from this study? † †¢ Flag all the exciting open research directions Acknowledgements †¢ Thank all who have helped you †¢ Provided code, data sets, †¦ †¢ Thank ? nancial sponsors Writing †¢ Keep it simple! †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Active, not passive Present, not past or future Long words Short sentences Writing †¢ Avoid temptation to include every result you have †¢ †¢ †¢ Paper needs to be coherent Paper needs to be understandable Many papers are rejected for having too many results! Ethics of Writing †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Authorship Citation Submission Publication Authorship †¢ Who should be an author? †¢ Anyone who has made a signi? cant contribution May not have written any text! Always err on the side of caution †¢ †¢ Authorship †¢ Who should be an author? †¢ †¢ †¢ Ask! You’ll be surprised how often people refuse You can be sure they’ll not work with you again if they feel they should be Authorship †¢ Should my advisor be an author? †¢ †¢ †¢ In ? rst few years of thesis, probably yes .. Once you graduate, you should (be able to) write papers on your own Again, ask! †¢ Citation †¢ Cite all relevant work †¢ †¢ †¢ Reviews always ask about Related Work You’ll want them to cite you It’s central to the scienti? c method †¢ We stand on the shoulders of others Citation †¢ Do I cite myself for a blind review? †¢ †¢ †¢ Yes! You must credit all previous work Either cite [Author, 2004] Or write â€Å"As Walsh has shown previously [Walsh 2004] †¦ † Submission †¢ Can I submit to multiple conferences? †¢ What’s the deal with the disclaimer (†This paper is not under review ..†)? †¢ Can I submit to a journal immediately? †¢ †¢ No hard and fast rules My rule, once reviews are back and paper is effectively in press †¦ Publication †¢ Can I publish my conference paper as it is in a journal? †¢ Probably not, even though conference is not archival Most journals ask you to extend conference paper substantially †¢ †¢ Proofs, more experiments, †¦ Final words †¢ It takes time to learn how to write †¢ Don’t be put off if at ? rst your have papers rejected All of us have papers rejected †¢ †¢ Spend time learning how to write †¢ It will be worth the investment.

Women and Advertising

2AHIFA? JELAI It’s the Image that Is Imperfect Advertising and Its Impact on Women Advertisements and media images have a stronger impact on shaping gender images than books on feminism and scholarly experiments on gender equality. Stereotypes and generalisations in ads continue to objectify women, and place stress solely on their appearance, thus devaluing their innate worth. INDHU RAJAGOPAL, JENNIFER GALES Prologue I n examining higher education, there is a tendency to assume that all students have equal opportunities and only merit matters. There are, however, some unique factors that mitigate chances for qual treatment for all groups because of different ascriptive characteristics of students who wish to access, and achieve merit in, higher education. Gender is one such ascriptive characteristic that blocks girls and women both socially and academically from realising their fullest potential. In this paper, we will examine how gender-based social images that are transmitte d through the media act as barriers to realising students’ full potential in their life. Could higher education intervene in and vitiate these media images? As far as gender issues are concerned, it can be proven that the power of advertisements nd media images has a stronger impact in shaping gender images than what books on feminism and scholarly experiments have on gender equality. On the assumption that education shapes our intellect, we proceed to explore in this paper how media shape the images, especially those of girls and women. The Image-Making As we sit here watching the new Levi’s commercial – yes, the one with the catchy tune with the singing belly buttons – we find ourselves becoming a victim to the Economic and Political Weekly power of advertising. We were thinking how good these jeans would be especially for someone with my body type as we hum he song and do the dance. Then it hit us we are turning into the advertiser’s best friend – the one who believes anything they say. Furthermore, we are getting ready to tell our friends about the new ‘item’ on the market and how there are jeans to fit women with the wide hip too! The power that advertisements carry with them is sensational. They have the ability to change and shape people’s opinions of themselves with one picture of an image that is technologically modified to represent the advertiser’s perspective of what is seen as perfect by viewers. The key word is advertiser’s perspective because often he person who has created what she or he deems as the ideal image has also created the model. Often advertisements do not correctly represent the majority of society or even a small percentage of how women actually look. This analysis is intended to enlighten readers on the effect advertisements carry with them, specifically on women. First the discussion will expand on the societal milieu that ads hold, and then continue to e xplain the effects consumerism and promotional messages on this group of individuals. By looking at advertisements, and at theoretical and scholarly literature as well as popular culture material on the topic, this nalysis will show how the images advertisements allude to can influence and shape a woman’s perspective of herself. Matlin (1987) explains how the media’s misrepresentation of women in advertise- August 10, 2002 ments has created plenty of stereotypical representations of women. She lists seven empirically documented stereotypes that have been created by advertisements. Matlin’s1 sixth stereotype states that women’s bodies are used differently from men’s bodies in advertisements [Matlin 1987: 43]. In advertisements, men are shown accompanying the female and looking directly into the camera whereas females are portrayed with their eyes ooking away from the camera. Women are often shown in a sexual or vulnerable position in order to sell t he product, whether it is an advertisement for shaving cream or alcoholic beverage, for instance, Edge Shaving Cream, Pepsi-Cola or Absolute Vodka. Is this a reasonable representation of how women act and dress? No, it is not; but these types of ads are able to change what women think they should look like. When magazines feature pages on â€Å"make your butt look good in every outfit†, you have to wonder whether your butt does not look good now. You think: â€Å"I must have had a problem all along and I never noticed! Then, as you read on, you see some skinny and obviously attractive woman is advertising this article, which makes you think, â€Å"I will benefit and look like her if I read this article and buy the product†! Matlin illustrates how, when women look at advertisements showing beautiful female models, they tend to be less satisfied with their own attractiveness [Matlin 1987:44]. It is evident that the media will be the catalyst for these women to have body image problems. But do you blame them? Anyone would be self-conscious of his/her image after looking through a magazine filled with attractive women who portray unattainable images.Matlin describes how the medium is an important force in shaping reality [Matlin 1987: 43]. It is these stereotyped representations that help to shape womens’ opinions of what they should look like. Often girls and women forget that, and become sensitised by advertisements. They do not realise that they are conforming to what the ads show by reading the magazine ad’s prescription that will help them look like the woman in the ad in just three weeks! Realistically, these gender stereotypes only create more barriers for women. By creating 3333 these unrealistic images of women both genders are affected by these unreasonable nd often unattainable expectations and goals. The power of ads shapes men’s expectations for finding women who are over five feet and six inches tall, but still wei ghing less than 100 pounds, who look great in tight clothes, and demure and submissive. This is not a practical or reasonable expectation. In real life situations, it creates a downward spiral of disappointment and disillusionment. We live in a world where the goal of many North American women is to look like the next model in the Victoria’s Secret advertisements, which is one of the few catalogues a man generally grabs from the mail pile nd eagerly reads. Kang tries to answer the question: what messages do magazine advertisements on women transmit to society (1997: 979)? Following closely on Erving Goffman’s original study on gender analysis, the findings in this article are quite similar to the original survey that not much of a change has occurred over the years in the way women’s roles are portrayed. Advertisements have consistently confined women to the traditional role of a mother, or beauty, or sex symbol, and these do not represent women’s diversi ty [Kang 1997: 981]. This is similar to what Matlin refers to as gender stereotypes in ads.Ads use women not as humans but as objects. Stereotypes and generalisations in ads continue to objectify women, and place stress solely on their appearance, thus devaluing their innate worth. Kilbourne (1995) points out that a picture ad by only looking at one part of the body, for instance, the breasts, dismembers the woman’s body and objectifies her. This effect is demonstrated in alcohol or beverages or perfume ads that use a women’s body as the bottle. Ads seem to show more often skinny women cleaning the bathroom, making dinner or even worse putting on make-up; the women in these pictures are never heavy or even verage in size. The ads are made to portray unrealistic and over-exaggerated images. Women may indeed be engaged in such tasks; but how many women at home are organising their husband’s clothes and dusting antiques, wearing the latest makeup collection or the newest and trendiest outfit? These ads are so reminiscent of the 1950s image of June Cleaver waiting for her husband Ward to come home, while she cooks dinner and waters the plants wearing her pearl necklace. Again, we 3334 see the emphasis on the woman being attractive, no matter what role she plays. Once more, we see that advertisements ranslate and portray attractiveness as being tall, skinny and with flawless skin to condition the onlookers and attract them to such representations made in the ad. Kilbourne is a pioneering researcher on the topic of misrepresentation of women in advertisements. She is an avid lecturer, and has produced many videos on the topic of her lectures. Her most recent book Can’t Buy My Love (1999) talks about the way advertising can influence women and mould their opinions. Just as we are more vulnerable to the glory and heartbreak of romantic love than we will ever be again, at no time are we more vulnerable to the eductive power of advertising an d of addiction than we are in our adolescence [Kilbourne 1999: 129]. Thus, we are shown how a woman is actually influenced by ads and can end up physically trying to change to fit what she sees as acceptable because the advertisers show her that she needs to be skinny. In her video ‘Killing us Softly 3’, Kilbourne continues to look at magazine advertisements and the images they promote. She looks carefully at what Goffman outlines as his â€Å"categories† to analyse advertisements. 2 Kilbourne’s mandate is to make people take ads seriously because they do have an effect on humans and specially marginalised groups in this case, women. In her video, she touches on the obvious, but often forgotten, fact that technology plays a part in what we view as the perfect-looking person [Kilbourne 2000]. It is impossible to remove every line or blemish to create the illusion we viewers try to create. That is why I feel that ads are not healthy for women because they gi ve that fond hope that we could look like that person if we just, do/use ‘this’ and take ‘that’. What many viewers do not realise, as Kilbourne so quickly pointed out, is that often what we see are advertisements that have been air-brushed or created from a atabase of physical parts of various attractive human beings [Kilbourne 1995]. So Kilbourne asks the real question: when only 5 per cent of women can look like models why do we rush around to look like something we cannot be? [Kilbourne 2000]. Kilbourne’s research proves that young girls are easily influenced by these ads and will do anything to create the look granted as attractive. Cultivating a thinner body offers some hope of control and success to young women with a poor self- image [Kilbourne 1999: 132]. The image of beauty in thinness is often the only body type ever advertised, and therefore shown to women.Marilyn Monroe was a national sex symbol, but was a size 12! [Kilbourne 2000]. It wa s originally thought that the extra skinny women would wear clothes well for a designer, and that way the audience would only see the outfit not the body because there was not much to see. Unfortunately, that plan backfired and the media had a field day with stressing the beauty of the women under the supposed item in question, the outfit. In the past, women who were skinny were not attractive, and were even thought of to be living a povertystricken life because they were so thin. In the present day, many young girls do not ee that these images of being thin are unattainable, and turn to being anorexic or bulimic [Stemple and Tyler 1974: 272]. Having advertisers choose what is sexy is not correct or healthy for a society. Girls live day by day on what is cool or not because the latest issue of Cosmopolitan dictates what is cool. Their life revolves around the new ‘get fit diet’, or around the top that makes them look like they have extra big breasts. The advertisement i n the Martha Stewart magazine (January 2002) is an example of how women of all ages can become the new target audience. It would be logical o assume that ‘Billi Jo’ can be seen as a middle-aged person (shown in the picture of herself in the inset before she lost weight). Following her use of the Jenny Craig Ultimate Choice Program, she was able to lose weight and feel good again. Keep in mind that it does state that results are not typical, but still the persuasive language and attractive picture only assist in making the advertisement truthful. The advertisement was featured in the prestigious Martha Stewart magazine. This magazine personifies a specific image of good taste and sophistication, which is another way to promote these ad images s acceptable. Kilbourne talks about the objectification of women. This is a common advertising tactic often used. â€Å"Many ads feature just a part of a woman’s body – a derriere, a headless torso† [Kilbourne 1 999:258]. An article in Newsweek explored the truth of stereotypes and how these stereotypes affect the genders. In the eyes of Cross (1996), this can be seen as gender typing: the process by which we identify not only people, but also vocabulary and speech patterns, gestures and behaviours, objects Economic and Political Weekly August 10, 2002 and activities as either masculine or feminine [Cross 1996: 94].By allowing this to happen, stereotypes are formed and perpetuated by the people who believe in these gender stereotypes. Claude Steele, a Stanford University psychologist, showed something more important – the impact on targets of a stereotype whose behaviour is most powerfully affected by it. A stereotype that pervades the culture the way ‘ditzy blondes’ and ‘forgetful seniors’ do, makes people painfully aware of how society views them – so painfully aware, in fact, that knowledge of stereotypes can affect how well they do on intellectual and other tasks [Begley 2000: 66]. This in turn emonstrates the truth of how gender stereotyping contributes to this problem and sustains its existence. Generalisations of this nature can be seen to have a role in advertising campaigns. Either they are the ads that create the gender stereotype or sustain it through pictures and catchy slogans, such as ‘you’ve come a long way, baby’. The ad for Victoria’s Secrets shows a woman, but all you see is her body with a caption of ‘all you see is curves’. This model’s gestures and behaviour are portrayed as feminine, and she only helps to further the idea of women as objects and more so as merely shadows in the dark.Another example of how popular culture material only encourages the stereotypes to exist is e-mail that defines what are seen to be the differences in male and female vocabulary patterns; this is a demonstration of what Cross defines as gender typing. Stemple and Tyler (1974) are ab le to give a brief synopsis of the historical changes of women in advertisements, ultimately showing how the portrayal of women has not changed very much over time. There is still the emphasis placed in the ads on what we should be, but not what we are. The ever so prominent theme still jumps out to the reader of how advertising elped to create an obsession with a woman’s physical appearance. The obsession became so deeply imbedded in women in a short span of time that they began to believe that if they did not work to look like the women in the advertisements – beautiful and youthful – they would never get or keep a man [Stemple and Tyler 1974: 272]. The most surprising aspect of this article was the survey conducted on how 30 college women interpreted these advertisements. Stemple and Tyler found that these women were not affected by the images the ads showed and felt no real Economic and Political Weekly negativity.These results were questionable, but still u seful in showing the different assumptions that can be made on this topic. Not knowing the criteria or specifics of these individuals, I speculate that the sample that saw these ads was small, and maybe these women have been exposed to this type of ad so often that they are immune to the message and image from these ads. As mentioned earlier in this paper, Kilbourne talks about how ads need to be taken seriously and not disregarded because there is a larger picture that results out of the message the advertisements give off; the idea of ‘perfection’ for women.She has shown how women’s obsession with body image has been nurtured by the advertising industry, and how historically this has not changed the idea that only skinny and pretty women live on earth. Women have to remember that it is the image that is imperfect, not the body [Wrinkler 1994: 231]. Sullivan and O’Connor give you an idea of alternative bias on the topic of advertisements influencing what women think. Results indicate that current advertisements in some ways reflect more acutely the true diversity of women’s social and occupational roles than did those of earlier time periods (1988: 181). This is not to say that hanges have not occurred in the area of advertising. We have seen an increase in the appearance of males in magazines, but they are still not being degraded in the same manner as women are usually portrayed. This is an extreme limitation to a controversial argument that ads create an unrealistic image of what women should look like and in turn causes women to feel a large sense of insecurity about themselves. One reason for the findings could be that this article did take its conclusions from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. On the contrary, the earlier article by Stemple and Tyler (1974) concluded that not much as changed in the way women are shown in ads. Sullivan and O’Connor looked specifically at the connection between social changes and the way in which the media has reflected these changes in advertisements since 1910. These authors are able to argue that ads have gone against what they have been stereotyped to do; show women in the home, needing the help of a male, and as decorative pieces. They feel that those responsible for the creation of magazine advertising have begun to recognise the increasing economic and social status of women in America [Sullivan and O’Connor 1988: 188]. The reasons for August 10, 2002 hese assumptions could range from their choice of magazines analysed to the nature of sample group they used. Even though they were able to state that changes had occurred on the image and the way women are used, they still felt that there was room for improvement. How many ads realistically depict women in their true form? The argument would seem to centre on whether advertisements have changed to realistically portray women or that there is no change in their portrayal. But both sides will agree that there can always be more improvement in this area. The true goal of advertisers is to create an image hat will generate profits for the product they are selling. The question remains whether these advertising executives are conscious of the societal problems created by them or whether they have intentionally created them as part of their selling strategy. We will never be told. We do know is that they do profit from advertisements that encourage girls to want something more, something difficult to attain/achieve in the context of where they are now. Looking through various current magazines, it was apparent that the stereotypes are evident, but maybe not to the extent that we have seen in the past. Could a hange be taking place? Sullivan and O’Connor feel that advertisements are changing with time. Women should be better represented, and not as Matlin would say, stereotyped characters. Kilbourne disagrees with this so-called change, and feels that much larger problems h ave been created by advertisements. Her research has shown that women’s selfesteem goes down at adolescence due to advertisements that portray a fake reality of women to these susceptible teenage minds [Kilbourne 2000]. This is not to say that men are left out of this process of stereotyping. They are stereotyped too, but men are usually generalised as being too ld or extremely wealthy [Kilbourne 2000]. Advertisements for men often do not degrade them by comparing them to objects, or focus on their thighs being too large and hence needing the new cream to create longer legs in four days or less! Advertisements and Their Impact A recent article in a York University student newspaper, Excalibur (January 2002) illustrates the feeling the university student experiences with advertisements and the allure of new products. The caption defiantly uses gender-specific terms to only 3335 emphasis the stress of being a woman these days. If people do not ‘smooth their wrinkles or im prove their pigment’, they ay not feel like a woman or even a person. This ad seems to carry plenty of sarcastic overtones of hate for this type of environment at York University. It seems that institutions such as a university are a focal point for advertisers to market their new ideas and watch if the trends take off. Another article in the university newspaper contributes to this materialistic critique of the university environment. The title, ‘You are What You Wear’, sums up the basic point of how the York students feel that clothes, and in a larger sense looks and appearance, shape the views of others. The interesting point of the article is that t is written from a black woman’s point of view on the topic of ‘label’ dressers. The author seems to be more embarrassed that black students follow the trends and sport the labels because, â€Å"wearing these name brands gives the wearer an elevated status† [Barnes 2002:8]. Her argument s eems to be similar to mine, that if you know yourself, then you may not be caught up in this fashion trend. But when looking at university students and this fashion environment, I cannot help but question whether this is a problem only for this age group. Advertisements have now changed their target towards multi-audiences with ne ad. Why would we think that this label issue affects only our demographics? Well it does not, and the message sent through ads is that everyone should be a part of this cultural trend of dressing well. Advertisements have the power to make the poor, rich, fat or skinny students feel insecure about their selves. If they did not, then what good would these ads be? The insecurity created by pictures ensures that the consumer will be spending or trying something to fix their appearance. Labels are just another area where advertisers use a name to target the audience. A name goes a long way, especially when ttractive individuals wear the advertised clothes. Kle in (2000) attacks this problem created by advertisers. A major reason why these advertisements are placed in schools is due to one basic fact. The advertising agencies are aware that students form their opinions in this environment, and take them with them wherever they go. Is it not better to start at this easy, impressionable age and have students edified into believing what the advertisements preach? They want conformity and lack of decision on 3336 the consumer’s part. That is what I see as so ironic, we are in an institution to learn and form our own views and not try to be haped by others. Oddly enough, in a university or college, there is an effort made in using other people’s views, and then shaping our own, for example, to learn about Freud’s or Erikson’s theories on child socialisation and then creating your own point of view. The use of popular cultural material creates a vehicle that makes it a lot easier to shape a person’s point of vi ew. This is second nature to the advertisers producing this abundance of ads in magazines. The university is seen as an ideal starting point. Klein focuses on the university as a tool/ venue used by brand-name companies to establish themselves.For example, many universities will turn to the scientific community for funding of new university building and locations, such as the University of Western Ontario’s 3M Centre devoted to research in the sports medicine field. Or they will accept donations placing these company names before the university name on the large sign that greets students before they enter their new learning environment. Klein concludes by saying how, â€Å"university campus in particular with their residences, libraries, green spaces and common standards for open and respectful discourse play a crucial, if now largely symbolic, role: they are the one lace left where young people can see a genuine public life being lived† [Klein 2000: 105]. This seems t o be ideal but not evident from our conversation on advertisements and the power they hold to possess individuals to create unrealistic goals for themselves. Universities are filled with logos – ideals and images to follow which only create a larger plain of unrealistic pictures of what women should be like. The difference between viewing an image and hearing or imagining is that ones imagination can create an unrealistic image in a person’s mind. Itamar Marcus is the Canadian director of the Palestinian MediaWatch, which is a privately funded organisation that monitors the media’s influence on the citizens of that country. Through his presentation on the topic of media and the powerful influences they create, he demonstrates the power pictures and words have. He explains that the media has shaped the lives and views of these people. People believe what they have been told, and furthermore what the specially edited books tell them [Marcus 2002]. In this case, Ma rcus shows how the school books have been rearranged to teach the youth a history different from what is taught elsewhere in the world. The Palestinian ids learn that Israel is not a country, and they are told that cities like Jaffa are a part of their land. By viewing these distorted maps or pictures they believe what they are told even more. This shows the power that words carry and the effect that images have on a group of people. Another example is the manner in which the youth of Palestine are taught to hate westerners. With pictures of westerners raping and killing their people, they are made to believe what they are told to be the truth about the western world. Marcus points out how images such as these are so â€Å"powerful† that the youth are socialised to become martyrs or their country because they see it as the right way to act. The government is using its power to create images that are not necessarily true. Verbal or written images will coerce individuals to use their own reference to imagine the truth, but pictures show exactly what they want us to believe. This is a situation illustrating how the way an image when projected with design has power and an undeniable appeal and validity. In North America, the advertisers use their power to create unrealistic images for whatever products they are hired to advertise. These images have the power to create an impression, a desire and a reality that ay not always be true. By creating a possibility, a hope and a dream, women are made to hear and then see pictures of other attractive women achieving these goals through using or having these products. These images have a strong and somewhat subliminal effect on them. It is easy to forget that we need to celebrate the differences among human beings and the uniqueness of each. We are not ‘transformer toys’ or ‘robots’ that can change body parts with a snap of the wrist and a new outfit. Advertisers hope that we will buy into these changes. Unfortunately, this misconception is perpetuated by the advertising industry.The more that women and even men realise that it is all right to listen and read the ads as long as you realise it is not a way to judge yourself by their standards that you will survive in the advertising war of pictures and words. It seems hard not to be concerned with your appearance when there is such an emphasis to look good, right or wrong. Essentially, this paper has been looking at various literature and current advertise- Economic and Political Weekly August 10, 2002 ments to speculate what effect advertisements have on women’s self-images. There still is another facet of the topic that has roubled me: is it not a question of socialisation? Does the way a woman is socialised as a child maturing into adolescence determine the likelihood of her being affected by the media’s depiction of women? If a young girl is taught to be confident and happy with her own self, would sh e still be influenced by advertisements? Why should the advertisements have the final say on beauty? The simple answer is that we let them. Can girls be properly taught that these pictures and images are not always truthful and that they should not use them as a mirror? Could self-confidence be the proper tool for teenaged girls to overcome he messages from the advertisements? As Marshall McLuhan said, the medium is the message. We need to teach girls how to deal with the message. The message will continue to be strong and distorted. Instead of fighting the images, we should teach girls that these ideals are unattainable and that they should not literally kill themselves to try to look like something that is impossible to achieve. Possibly these young women have been socialised into a pattern of insecurity or worthlessness even before they view advertisements. When they see these images on paper, the images reinforce what they already assumed about their role and omen’s roles in society. It has been stated, however, that since the early 1900s advertisements have depicted women in an insulting and often degrading manner. Hypothetically if the women who grew up during these periods are now mothers, then most likely they taught these norms to their daughters as well. Then the next generation is influenced by these advertising stereotypes, and in turn transfer these ideals to its youth. It believes in what was shown because it was not taught any better. Socialisation is a lifelong process, but it does not guarantee that a person can change or has the tools to change.With presentday slogans of ‘girl power’ from the Spice Girls, it seems hard to take them seriously when the same girls preaching girl power are wearing close to nothing on stage and over-made up with exaggerated cosmetics and costumes. Stemple and Tyler touch on how the women’s liberation movement has been devalued. The authors showed, however, that ads are a blatant co-optin g of the women’s movement; the offensive ‘baby’ in ‘you’ve come along way, baby’ clearly indicates we have not [Stemple and Economic and Political Weekly Tyler 1974: 273]. It has been shown that advertisements create a vicious cycle that emands an audience to become engulfed with an idea in order to create a profit for their clients. These advertisements and social ideas, rather than education that teaches you to be objective and critical, have been engraved in one’s culture and in the psyche of the general population. It seems to be illogical and naive on the part of any women who feel they need to starve themselves or throw up their food in order to look ‘good’. It is obvious to see how these girls feel that this is what they are supposed to do to deal with societal pressures of looking a specific way. It is difficult to accept, but women have been ingrained with hese pseudo-images. In turn, women and girls buy into this fantasy in the hope of fulfilling their desires and dreams. -29 Notes 1 Margaret Matlin outlines what she views as ‘stereotyped representations’. She states, â€Å"Hundreds of studies have been conducted in the representation of women in the media. From these resources we can draw the following conclusions†. She continues on to outline seven stereotypes that target women these are: 1) Women are relatively invisible; 2) Women are relatively inaudible; 3) Although most women are employed they are seldom shown working outside the home; 4) Women are shown oing housework; 5) Women and men are represented differently; 6) Women’s bodies are used differently from men’s bodies in advertisements; 7) Women of colour – when they are shown at all – are often represented in a particularly biased way [Matlin 1987: 43-44]. Her conclusions are helpful in deciphering the reality of how women are affected by advertisements. It was very useful to have the se stereotyped representations to add a sense of soundness to the conclusions made on the advertisements and the societal situation that has been created. 2 Kang, Mee-Eun, ‘The Portrayal of Women’s Images in Magazine Advertisements: Goffman’sGender Analysis Revisited’ Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 37 11/12 (1997): 979-996. pp 984985: The following theoretical definitions in Goffman’s Gender Advertisements are utilised in this study: (1) Relative size: One way in which social weight (eg, power, authority, rank, office, and renown) is echoed expressively in social situations is through relative size, especially height. The male’s usual superiority of status over the female will be expressible in his greater girth and height. It is assumed that differences in size will correlate with differences in social weight. (2) Feminine touch: Women, more than men, re pictured using their fingers and hands to trace outlines of an object or to cradle it or to caress its surface or to effect a â€Å"just barely touching†. This ritualistic touching is to August 10, 2002 distinguish from the utilitarian kind that grasps, manipulates, or holds. (3) Function ranking: When a man and a woman collaborate face – to face in an undertaking, the man is likely to perform the executive role. This hierarchy of functions is pictured either within an occupational frame or outside of occupational specialisations. (4) Ritualisation of subordination: A classic stereotype of deference is that of lowering oneself hysically in some form or other of prostration. Correspondingly, holding the body erect and the head high is stereotypically a mark of unashamedness, superiority, and disdain. The configurations of canting postures can be read as an acceptance of subordination, an expression of ingratiation, submisssiveness, and appeasement. (5) Licensed withdrawal: Women more than men are pictured engaged in involvements which remove them psychol ogically from the social situation at large, leaving them unoriented in it and to it, and dependent on the protectiveness of others who are present. Turning one’s gaze away rom another’s can be seen as having the consequence of withdrawing from the current thrust of communication (p 62). The individual can also withdraw his/her gaze from the scene at large, and be psychologically â€Å"away† from the scene. References Barnes, Alicia (2002): ‘You are What You Wear’ Excalibur, February 1. Begley, Sharon (2000): ‘The Stereotype Trap: from ‘white men can’t jump’ to ‘girls can’t do math,’ negative images that are pervasive in the culture can make us choke during test of ability’, Newsweek, November 6, p 66, downloaded from: Gale Group Database, January 30, 2002. Cross, Mary (1996): Advertising and Culture:Theoretical Perspectives, Praeger Publishers, Westport, CT. Kang, Mee-Eun (1997): ‘The Portr ayal of Women’s Images in Magazine Advertisements: Goffman’s Gender Analysis Revisited’, Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 37, 11/12, 979-96. Kilbourne, Jean (1995): ‘Slim Hopes: Advertising and Obsession with Thinness’, videotape, Cambridge Documentary Films. – (1999): Can’t Buy My Love, Touchstone, New York: Simon and Schuster. – (2000): ‘Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women’, Videotape, Cambridge Documentary Films. Klein, Naomi (2000): No Logo, Random House, Toronto. Matlin, Margaret W (1987): The Psychology ofWomen, Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace and Company, pp 41-45,461-70. Marcus, Itamar (2002): The Encouragement of Suicide Bombers and Terrorists in the Official Palestinian Authority Newspapers (a speech) January 22. Stemple, Diane and Jane E Tyler (1988): ‘Sexism in Advertising’, The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 34. 1, pp 271-73. Sullivan, Gary L and P J O’Conn or (1988): ‘Women’s Role Portrayals in Magazine Advertising: 1958-1983’, Sex Roles: Journal of Research, 18. 3/4, pp 181-88. Winkler, Mary G (1994): ‘The Model Body’, The Good Body: Asceticism in Contemporary Culture, Yale University, Connecticut. 3337

Short answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short answer - Essay Example A deep understanding of the theory of international systems is therefore relevant to determine what are the policies enforced in conflict situation that may ran counter with domestic politics (Karns and Mingst, 2009). Spatial models for international disputes and theoretical concepts that could be key for cooperative resolution of issues (Bueno de Mesquita, 2010; Karns and Mingst, 2009). War causes devastation of properties and loss of untold number of lives; it costs billions of money in a territorial dispute, resource utilization, and due to revolution waged by people who wanted to change and democratize the system (Karns and Mingst, 2009). War in itself is a mirage of injustices and human rights violations as innocent civilians are stripped and subjected to indignity in the evacuation centers and in a perpetual flight for security and safety (Karns and Mingst, 2009). Experiences bared how war violated the fundamental and constitutional rights of all human beings. In a Hegelian doctrine of dialectics, the sad and traumatic experiences of war inspire people, and advocates from states and non-states for collaborative peace work to intercede for conflict resolution through meaningful dialogues and adoption of humanitarian principles for peace-building and conciliation efforts (Karns and Mingst, 2009). The peace-building efforts will include the need for accountabilit y and effective global governance (Karns and Mingst, 2009). The global economy is characterized by the interdependency of nations in the maximization of resources through liberalized trading and exchanges of goods based on the purchasing power of nations. International commerce and liberalization of economy, as initiated by the Group of Twenty (G20) paved for a peaceful era when territorial expansion done through war in the medieval era is replaced with economic trading and commerce as the alternate economic-politics (Goldstein and Pevehouse, 2012).

The Regulation of International Capital Doctrine Dissertation

The Regulation of International Capital Doctrine - Dissertation Example There is support for the view that the evolving standard of fair and equitable treatment is living up to its predictions and expectations. It can therefore be argued that contrary to popular belief in the literature, the standard for fair and equitable treatment in international investment treaties has evolved around a lot of uncertainty and inconsistencies. The uncertainty attending the application and interpretation of the doctrine of fair and equitable treatment is further compromised by whether or not there is a universally accepted standard relative to the minimum standard of treatment under customary international law. This research study proposes to rebut the argument that the doctrine of fair and equitable treatment standard has the potential to create a cohesive body of customary international law relative to the movement of foreign investment via BITs. This research study essentially aims to provide a critical analysis of the literature relative to existence and interpretat ion of the minimum standard treatment under customary international law, its consequences for the evolving concept of fair and equitable treatment standard as well as its development. It is argued that the number of treaties, the lack of a uniform standard under customary law, the need for protecting foreign investors and the need for resolving disputes give way to two opposing factors. First, a standard is necessary for sustaining the movement of capital across borders in an increasingly interconnected, but diverse world.

Language and Structure in the novel When I Whistle by Shusaku Endo Essay

Language and Structure in the novel When I Whistle by Shusaku Endo - Essay Example Here he encounters a person who seems vaguely familiar but whom he cannot quite place. This man turns out to have been a fellow student at Nada Middle School some forty years before. Their brief conversation provokes an extended reminiscence that transports Ozu back to a simpler, more serene time in his life. Upon seeing boats on the lake, he conjures up his schoolboy friend, Flatfish, and their adventures together in an idyllic time before World War II, when the Japanese educational system sought to inculcate the virtues of pride and industriousness. While his stern teacher tried to build character, Ozu spent his school hours daydreaming about the young women he and his best friend, the unsophisticated but endearing Flatfish, would pursue, literally, once the school day had ended. (Allen 530-531; Updike 94-102) The romance and innocence of his adolescence is captured for Ozu in the enduring image of Flatfish's "tiny head being tossed about by the waves as he swam desperately for the open sea" in pursuit of a girl, Aiko, whom he had met by chance and with whom both were madly in love. While militarism gripped their nation, Ozu and Flatfish preferred the frivolous joys of childish classroom pranks and chasing girls. In When I Whistle , Endo is concerned to draw a number of disturbing contrasts between wartime and present-day Japan while scrupulously avoiding, in translator Van C. Gessel's words, "painting either period in a romantic light." What, Endo asks, is the legacy of the war generation, what kind of Japan has resulted from the devastation of World War II Part of his answer is seen in the life-style of Eiichi, the ruthless young surgeon of When I Whistle; unaffected by the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and unable to see his patients as anything but specimens for his own experiments, he extends the imperialistic impulse of prewar Japan by ignoring the past and worshipping the present. (King 23-24) The accumulation of material possessions is the only source of meaning for the new generation. This striking thematic element in When I Whistle is made more powerful by its pervasive medical and hospital imagery. (Cunningham 527) Chronic heart and lung problems have plagued Endo throughout his adult life and consequently he has spent much time in hospitals; in the early 1960's, Endo underwent a series of major surgical procedures, resulting in the removal of one lung. Japan emerges in When I Whistle as one large cancer ward, the malignancy of rampant materialism uncurable, the placebo of success a momentary distraction in the face of a godless eternity. As a Christian, Endo is an apologist for a set of values he believes is indigenous to the West but foreign to Japanese soil. A convert who recognizes the irony that Japan has become less spiritual as it has become more Westernized, Endo constructs themes which generally revolve around a protagonist confronted with the ruins of a native culture to which he is drawn and by which he is repulsed. Ozu is thus an exemplar of Endo's despairing vision of the postwar era-an open-hearted Japanese seeking answers and finding only the echoes of the past. Endo wrote When I Whistle between his two more celebrated historical novels set in the seventeenth century, Chimmoku (1966; Silence , 1969) and Samurai (1980; The Samurai , 1982). In

Incarnation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Incarnation - Research Paper Example Thus, in the earliest state of Christianity, the Evangelists did neither elaborate on Jesus’s words â€Å"The Father and I are one†3 nor expound on the baptizing formula â€Å"in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit†4; which, according to Dibb, indicates that they were more concerned with the message of salvation, rather than with the theological detail.5 On the other hand, identifying Jesus as Christ and linking Him to the Father (Lord), the New Testament writers not just suggested the fulfillment of Jewish expectations of the Messiah, but also His divine status – the latter being considered the central point that has made the uniqueness of Christianity6. All in all, the whole Christian tradition could be considered as â€Å"recording and interpreting various collective and individual experiences of Jesus†7; while the experiential knowledge of Jesus, in turn, became more or less the basis of ‘philosophy’ in the context of Christology89. ... This paper is focused on the central concept in Christology, namely the incarnation, which actually represents the greatest challenge faced by theologians, philosophers and apologists concerned with the Christian faith and worship. The following sections explore the concept of incarnation as viewed by representatives of different schools of thought and traditions within the Christian Church, as well as by contemporary theologians and researchers in the field. Thus, the paper traces the development of this concept over the centuries and attempts to address its acceptability nowadays. Early Christian Writers – Views of the Nature of God The relationship between the human and the divine, the finite and infinite, in the person of Jesus, appeared an issue that increasingly required further articulation. St Ignatius, who became the Bishop of Antioch in 69 AD and was sentenced to death in about 107 AD, wrote a series of Epistles to the Christians, in which Jesus Christ is depicted as â€Å"God becoming visible†, â€Å"God existing in flesh, true life in death†, representing the mind of the Father12. Ignatius had philosophically described a progression â€Å"from divinity to humanity†, where Jesus Christ is not considered a separate being but a part of the progression whereby the mind of God had become flesh, and the â€Å"doorway to the Father†13. However, according to Ignatius, the human and divine in Christ does not interfere with the unity of God14. One of the earliest Christian writers, St Irenaeus of Lyons (120 – 202 AD), who served at Lyons as a presbyter to Polycarp, wrote his magnum opus – Against Heretics – at about 180 AD15. In this work, having exposed the errors of Gnosticism, Irenaeus set forth

Global marketing - entering a new country with new product Term Paper - 1

Global marketing - entering a new country with new product - Term Paper Example The demographic profile of India also appears propitious for Costco to enter the country. India boasts of a young population and burgeoning middle class. The communication systems in the country are well developed and the government is committed to develop other infrastructural facilities in the country. When India gained independence in 1947, the country’s leaders adopted an inward-focused, socialist-style, economic framework. The economic goals were elaborated and pursued through the five-year plans. The banks were nationalized and their lending policies were aimed to meet the government targets with regard to priority sector lending. Private enterprises had little autonomy, to say the least. India remained a state-controlled  economy till the early 1990s (The Economist, 2011). The government-led Indian economy landed in deep trouble and faced a balance-of-payments crisis in 1991. The crisis provided the impetus for change and India embarked on the policy of liberalization, privatization and globalization. Since then, India has slowly but surely implemented reforms and has become a market driven economy (Wilson & Keim, 2006). India is the second most populous country of the world next only to China (See Appendix Figure 2-A: Population Pyramid). The total population of India is estimated to be more than 1.2 billion (CIA, 2014). The infant mortality rate in India is 43.19 deaths per 1,000 live births. The life expectancy at birth is 67.8 years. The population growth rate in India is expected to be 1.25 percent in 2014. India is likely to overtake China to become the most populous country of the world by 2030 (Haub & Sharma, 2006). The demographic profile of India is really attractive. India boasts of a pretty young population as 28.5 percent of the people living in the country are less than 14 years of age. 18.1 percent of the population is aged between 15 and 24 years. The

ELECTRONIC PACKAGING AND ASSEMBLY Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ELECTRONIC PACKAGING AND ASSEMBLY - Lab Report Example The figure below shows the High Performance Lead Frame Electronic Package. I selected the concept on the basis of its power management applications in the electronics engineering field. The leads in the extended area of the design increase current competence leading to required power rating. The electronic applications in the recent years find a reduction of per transistor power rate along with higher current and power rating accompanied by better performance and speed constraints. The lead frame technology keeps these requirements to much efficient position. I have analyzed the various design considerations made in the electronics packaging sector in order to determine the actual and worth design for the potential package of electronic modules. It is known to all that the electronic package is not just outer coverings of component or assembly of components but the substrate, interconnections and covering are also included in it. The lead frame was made which comprises of a layer of conductor of electricity, a die paddle and a plurality of leads which are remote from each other and are partly bare at the base of the package. This provides a platform for fitting various components of the circuit to be built. The semiconductor chips include the bond pads which are mounted on the die plane interconnected by the wires between them and plurality of leads. There exists a minimum of two wires connected between a minimum of two bond pads and a plurality of leads with single lead. Each single lead has an extended portion required for higher perfo rmance. My study of the electronic packaging techniques revealed that they have flourished from the primitive blown and shaped slip metal packaging to the trail assemblage in print. The electronics field determines the packaging as a significant area of engineering. The overall performance of a circuit assembly can be increased by utilizing

Aboriginal Quality of Life in Canada Essay Example for Free

Aboriginal Quality of Life in Canada Essay The state of health and health care for Canadian Aboriginal people is currently not improving, â€Å"Canadian Aboriginals tend to bear a disproportionate burden of illness; an outcome linked to their economic and social conditions [and] oppression† (Newbold 1998). European contact would forever change the course of life for the Aboriginals and their communities in Canada. It was only after the encounter between the old world and new world that two completely separate ecosystems had interaction between each other. Both worlds changed in radical ways through people, plants, animals, varmints and pathogens, this is known today as the â€Å"Columbian Exchange†. The New pathogens introduced to the Indigenous people who had no immunity, caused major depopulation up to 80 90% during the 1500’s. See more: Recruitment and selection process essay This completely changed the Indigenous people and posed as a massive threat to extinction of their population and culture. Contact between the Canadian Aboriginals and European voyagers brought in a mass amount of deadly and infectious diseases. Some of the diseases included smallpox, typhoid, the bubonic plague, influenza, mumps, measles, whooping cough, and later on cholera, malaria, and scarlet fever. Smallpox was a virgin soil epidemic, meaning that it was the first outbreak ever to the population that has had no previous experience with it. The Aborigines of the new world had no immunity to smallpox and the entire population was in danger of extinction. At around that time smallpox had a very high mortality rate which broke down the Aboriginal communities social mechanisms. This brought forth the break down of social the devices which were built within the Aboriginal culture, because the people were unable to hunt and gather food for the elders. This caused great knowledge loss as the elders in the Aboriginal community would perish from the disease. The greatest example of this is when Spanish explorer Cortez defeated the Moctezuma at Tenochtitlan. Cortez, had only 500 soldiers going up against the Aztec population of 200,000. When the battle began Cortez surely should have been defeated but it was not the strength of his army but the diseases they had brought with them that defeated the Moctezuma. Smallpox and the other various diseases brought over from the old world to the new world contributed to millions of deaths, severely diminishing communities, and it some cases erasing populations and communities completely. The disease was not controlled until the 1870’s when vaccination campaigns were introduced and implemented. After the epidemic of contagious diseases had slowed the Canadian Aboriginals were in the midst of assimilation, residential schools were established in the mid 1850’s to the 1990’s. Residential school were implemented by the Canadian government to assimilate Aboriginal people into the dominant society. The Aboriginal children removed from their communities and placed in the Residential schools. â€Å"Children as young as three to age eighteen were removed from their homes, mostly forcibly, and placed in boarding schools, where they stayed isolated from their family, community, culture, and the rest of Canadian society† (Barton, Sylvia S., Thommasen, Harvey V.,Tallio, Bill ,Zhang, William, Michalos, Alex C. 2001 pg. 295). Residential schools assimilated Aboriginal populations, however in doing so drastically reduced the health of the children being forced to attend these schools. Children were beaten, raped and starved while attending these schools leaving them p hysically and mentally scarred for life. â€Å"Children who attended these schools, in particular, suffered from the loss of culture, identity, and language as residential school life altered the traditional ways of Aboriginal peoples and broke up traditional ways of Aboriginal family life. In addition to physical, sexual, mental, emotional, and spiritual abuse, many children who attended residential schools were exposed to unhealthy environmental conditions, as well as malnutrition. Low self-esteem and self-concept problems emerged as children were taught that their own culture was inferior and uncivilized, and it is believed that as a result, many residential school survivors suffer from low self-respect, and long-term emo- tional and psychological effects† (Barton, Sylvia S., Thommasen, Harvey V.,Tallio, Bill ,Zhang, William, Michalos, Alex C. 2001 pg. 296). The main aspect of the Residential schools was to make the children abandon their heritage and traditions taught to them by their Aboriginal communities. This is the most significant reason why today’s Aboriginal youth is confused about their culture and heritage. If the children were not separated from these traditions the Aboriginal youth may not have been so vulnerable to substance abuse and other from of health constraints. Canada in its present day does not have diseases like smallpox to destroy. Aboriginal populations, also Residential school have been eliminated and no longer assimilate the Aboriginal youth. Still, the deteriorating health conditions for the Aboriginal community are dangerously high. This is mainly because of poor quality of living conditions, very limited access to doctors or healthcare centers, and the major diseases that affect the modern world today. The Aboriginals that live in highly populated urban areas still have poor quality living standards. Nearly two thirds of the Aboriginal population lives in the western part of Canada, the majority being in 4 or 5 cities. The issues that are considered social detriments to Aboriginals in these regions are education, health care, employment, Aboriginal status, social exclusion, unemployment rates and job security. Society’s negative attitude towards Aboriginal people has been a significant link between their living conditions and the overall quality of life. As stated by Hanselmann â€Å"In spite of the size of the urban Aboriginal population†¦[the] discussion about treaties, self-government, finance, housing, and other issues focus exclusively on First Nation communities and rural areas†. This is a problem because the majority of the Aboriginal population is left out of the equation, â€Å"it ignores the urban realities†¦ [and] an acute public policy [should] therefore exist for broadening of perspectives to include not just on-reserve Aboriginal communities but also urban communities† (Hanselmann 2001 pg. 1). The Canadian Aboriginal populations living in urban areas have been exposed to worse living conditions, also â€Å"aboriginal families are over twice as likely to be lone parent families, and more likely to experience domestic violence† (Hanselmann 2001 pg. 4). Lone parents tend to have lower living conditions, therefore lowering the quality of health for Aboriginals. Emotional stress and poverty are common factors among single parent families; these cause children to have lower social capital because they are unable to be active to develop social skills. Consequently, children with a single parent will likely be subject to psychiatric disorders, social problems, and academic difficulties, which all can lead to further health problems and issues. Another major aspect regarding health and the quality of life of Canadian Aboriginal communities is education. In a study done by Michael Mendelson he states â€Å"The category â€Å"less than high school†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the Aboriginal population fared much worse than the total population, with at least 54 percent failing to complete high school compared to 35 percent in the population as a whole† (Mendelson 2006 pg. 10). Urban populations of Aboriginals have more individual without the education of grade 12 then the rest of the country. Education is important to the quality of life for Aboriginal communities because â€Å"Aboriginal males and females contingent on whether or not they earn a high school diploma, attend technical school or go to university†¦results show that an Aboriginal male who drops out gives up over $0.5 million†¦[and a] female can earn over $1 million by obtaining a high school diploma† (Mendelson 2006 pg. 8-9). This can better the quality of living for Aboriginals through better health care and living conditions . Living conditions as stated before can severely decrease the health and quality of life of Aboriginal communities, but it is not the only factor. Aboriginal people have a high susceptibility to chronic diseases and HIV/AIDS causing a higher mortality rate, higher suicide rate, and the reason for high alcohol and drug abuse. The Aboriginal people of Canada â€Å"bear a disproportionately larger burden of disease and die a decade earlier than the average population†. This is a shocking reality but not more then knowing the mortality rate for children of Aboriginal decent, â€Å"the infant mortality rate for Aboriginals is double the national average†¦they experience high rates of infections, diabetes, substance abuse, renal disease, mental illness, and suicide† (Sin, D., Wells, H., Svenson, L., Man, P. 2002) . The two leading diseases that are currently affecting the Aboriginal population are cardiovascular disease/tuberculosis and diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases like tuberculosis among Aboriginal people are â€Å"more at risk than other Canadians of getting [a tuberculosis] infection. Some of the root causes are related to poor socio-economic conditions where they live† (Health Canada 2010). This is because Aboriginal people have significantly higher rates of smoking, glucose intolerance and obesity. Type 2 diabetes is a major problem among the Aboriginal youth and is increasing at a rapid rate. Health Canada says, â€Å"First Nations on reserve(s) have a rate of diabetes three to five times higher than that of other Canadians. Rates of diabetes among the Inuit are expected to rise significantly in the future given that risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, and unhealthy eating patterns are high† (Health Canada 2011). A reason for the high levels of diabetes in Aboriginal communities is because there is low participation in physical activities and traditional food is not consumed as much. Cardiovascular/Tuberculosis disease and diabetes considerably decrease the health and quality of life of the Aboriginal population. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are a very dangerous and major health concern for the Aboriginal population. HIV if left untreated will cause AIDS. HIV attacks the immune system, as the illness progresses it results in chronic and deadly infections. Health Canada states â€Å"HIV severely weakens the immune system, leaving people vulnerable to many different types of infections and diseases. HIV is transmitted through: unprotected sexual intercourse, needle-sharing and pregnancy/delivery through birth† (Health Canada 2010). Due to the lower level living conditions, low grade incomes, and under developed education are more probable to be exposed to HIV/AIDS. Aboriginal women in Canada are at higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS â€Å"Aboriginal women constituted 49.6 percent of newly diagnosed HIV cases among Aboriginal people while Non-Aboriginal women comprise 20 percent of newly diagnosed† (Ship, Norton 2001 pg. 25). Injection of drugs is the major contributor to contracting HIV/AIDS for Aboriginal women, which stages the affects of drug use and disease and how it negatively affects the Aboriginal populations health. Substance abuse, such as drugs and alcohol, has been documented as having harmful affects to the human body. Aboriginal communities have been exposed to the addiction of these substances and have cause significant deterioration of the individual’s health and social attributes, ruining relationships within their families and community. As more and more Canadian Aboriginals become addicted to the substances the more the degradation of the community and weakening of the quality of life within the community. Aboriginals are more exposed to substance abuse then others. This puts them at risk of being introduced at a young age and taught it is a social norm. â€Å"My father was a chronic alcoholic. His parents had seven children and five died of alcoholism, including my father. My mom drank also and I started drinking at age eight. I was in and out of group homes and foster care and by the age of fifteen I was ordered to attend AA. I started on IV drugs at sixteen† (Chansonneuve, Deborah 2007). With the combination of alcohol, drugs, and smoking the Aboriginal population is seemly wasting away. The leading issue occurring today is the age at which Aboriginal youth are beginning to abuse substances. The use of these substances only enhances chance that youth will not complete their high school diploma, will be at greater risk for criminal offences, and will only get lower grade incomes. Aboriginals being highly vulnerable to disease as mention before (Tuberculosis/CVD, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS) add with the substance abuse, the Aboriginal population have greater health care needs then that of the Non-Aboriginal population. Bruce Newbold explains the greater need to access physicians for healthcare and needs for greater funding. â€Å"Analysis reveals that geographic location, as compared with Aboriginal identity, appears to have a large impact with respect to health status and use of physician services. On-reserve Aboriginals, for example, reported a lower likelihood of having seen a physician and were more likely to rank their health as fair or poor. Location also influenced perceived community health problems and solutions. Self-identified problems included drugs, cancer and arthritis, while corresponding solutions included education, counseling and service access. Although the problems and solutions were relatively consistent across space, they too varied in their importance. In general, the results tend to reinforce the determinants of health framework, suggesting that the provision of health services is insufficient to remove health disparities on its own. Instead, broader social-welfare provisions must be considered.† (Newbold 1998 pg. 59) It seems that Aboriginals who consider themselves of good health are considered to be actually of low health by the rest of society. From a Geographically view, Canadian Aboriginals on reserves do not have the same access to physicians as urban communities do. This causes Aboriginals on reserves to travel, which reduces the chance of them using a physician. The quality of proper health care is out of reach for most Aboriginal communities, mostly because of geographical isolation, cultural barriers and jurisdiction disputes by the federal and provincial government. Improving health conditions and the quality of life for Aboriginal people of Canadian current issue that solutions are being reviewed and implemented annually. The task is not easy because of the substance abuse and low education levels of the Aboriginal youth. Government politics play a huge role in the funding and improving the health care system for the Aboriginal communities, but over time the aboriginal people will have to look to themselves to improve their quality of life. Both Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal people need to be more educated of the health risks concerning the Canadian Aboriginal population. The health of Aboriginals has not been treated in the proper manner Bruce Newbold explains â€Å"past attempts to improve aboriginal health status have tended to focus upon a narrow definition of health as the absence of disease or illness†¦this focus neglects a much broader range of determinants, including poverty, living conditions and education†. The government needs to put into prospective that â€Å"Improvements in health will likely depend on the improvements in the socioeconomic conditions faced by Aboriginals†¦by the direct participation of Aboriginals in the health reform process† (Newbold 1998 pg. 70). Therefore, to improve health condition in Canada for the Aboriginal population the people and the government cannot be narrow minded, every aspect that being social, financial or physical must be addressed. The major improvement of the Aboriginal financial economy and social conditions is needed to repair the deteriorating health and quality of life of the Aboriginal population. Aboriginal Health in Canada has drastically deteriorated since the first contact with European decedents. The early contagious diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis have threated to destroy Aboriginal populations and now have become chronic diseases like CVD, diabetes and HIV/AIDS for existing Aboriginal communities. Substance abuse among youth and seniors mixed with low level education and poor living conditions are advancing the decline for the quality of life in Aboriginal communities in Canada. The Government and Aboriginal communities must work together and not have a narrow mind when solving these issues and implementing them in society. Improving the socioeconomic conditions in the regions of Aboriginal communities along with health care issues is the start to improve the quality of life for Aboriginals in Canada.

Pace Leisurewear Ltd Case Study

Pace Leisurewear Ltd Case Study An integrated approach with effective administration, adequate financing and capable human resource may lead a business organisation towards the path of goal attainment. Disintegration among these elements may lead towards its own demise sooner or later. Pace Leisurewear Ltd is a company that designs and manufactures the casual and leisure clothes aimed particularly at the younger, higher-income market. It was established by Jill Dempsey and Mike Greaves, who are the Managing Director and Production Manager of the company respectively. By observing the case study of this company, we know that the company is in trouble because the letter from the companys bank was asking it for the reduction in the overdraft. This letter from the bank has made them worried because if they cant keep up the overdraft, they will not be able to fulfil the big order by Arena, which was one of the several national chains of casual and sportswear stores that was placing substantial orders with Pace. It shows that they were facing liquidity problem. A general outlook of the case study putting aside the financial statements provides us with some other difficulties that the company was facing. Trading of the company during the recession period was a problem. Moreover, recession itself was a problem for the company. Though it was a big company, the production director Mike was looking after the financial matters. There was no one within the company who had any great financial expertise. When there was a problem, the companys auditors were normally asked for advice. The company is facing poor cash situation as conveyed by Mike Greaves which might be result of their spending on fixed assets like plant. Declaration of no further investment in the company by the largest shareholder Keeble States also came as a shock to the company when there was a hope that Keeble States would invest money and they would be able to issue overdraft. Also, an indifference of the largest shareholder in the affair of the company can be regarded as a problem. Such indifference directly affects the operation of company that ultimately, has the effect on financial situation of the company. Breaching of the overdraft limit over the past few years by the company functioned as a proof of their dishonesty. Also, we can identify that the company was running along with the conflict between the largest shareholder Keeble brothers and the other board members. The other board members were bringing forth the idea of introducing another major shareholder, which was against the wish of Keeble brothers. So, the company was facing the problem in decision making. A quick look upon the balance sheet of the company, gives us the information that there is a massive increment in the non-current assets. Though investment in the non-current assets is good for the company in the long run, it may cause problem to the company in its day to day operation. It may create an inadequacy of working capital which is necessary for daily activities. The amount of trade receivables has increased which indicates that the goods are being sold on credit. Calculation and Interpretation of Financial Ratios The income statement and balance sheet are the traditional basic financial statements of a business enterprise. They do not give all the information related to the financial operations of a firm. Still, they provide some extremely useful information to the extent that balance sheet mirrors the financial position on a particular date in terms of structures of assets, liabilities and owners equity and others and profit and loss account shows the results operations during a certain period of time in terms of revenues obtained and the cost incurred during the year. In depth analysis of financial statements is supported with ratio-analysis. It is the most widely used technique of financial statement analysis. Ratio analysis is a systematic use of ratio to interpret the financial statements so that the strengths and weaknesses of a firm as well as its historical performance and current financial condition can be determined. Ratios are relative figures reflecting the relationship between variables. A single figure by itself has no meaning but when expressed in terms of related figure, it yields significant inferences. Ratios can be divided into profitability ratio, liquidity ratio and activity ratio. To analyse the financial statement and condition of the Pace Leisurewear Ltd, the method of ratio analysis is used as a major tool. Here, return on capital employed, return on equity (shareholders fund), gross profit margin, net profit margin, inventory holding period, average collection period for trade receivables, sales to capital employed ratio, current ratio, quick assets (liquid or acid test) ratio and gearing ratio are used as major tools for the interpretation of business condition and financial statements, though there are other tools for the interpretation. Calculation and interpretation of these ratios provide us with the information about liquidity, profitability and efficiency of the company. The calculation and interpretation of the ratios can be shown as below: Calculation S.N. Description Formulas Year before last Last Year a) Return on Capital Employed =20.05% =29.60% b) Return on Equity =18.15% =32.51% c) Gross Profit Margin =46.48% =48.16% d) Net Profit Margin =14.99% =20.61% e) Inventory Holding Period =117.74 days =182.84 days f) Average Collection Period =42.10 days =60.98% g) Sales to Capital Employed =1.34 times =1.44 times h) Current Ratio =1.76 times =1.13 times i) Acid Test Ratio =.78 times =0.47 times j) Gearing Ratio =34.40% =42.30% Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) ROCE ratio tells us how much profit we earn from the investment the shareholders have made in their company. If the company has low ROCE ratio, it is using its resources inefficiently, even if its profit margin is high. The higher the ratio the more efficient is the use of capital employed. In context of the Pace Leisurewear Ltd, ROCE ratio was increased in the last year than the year before last. From the calculation, we got, it was 30% in the last year whereas it was 20% in the year before last. So, we can say that the company had better performance in the last year than the year before last. Return on Equity This ratio indicates the profitability to the shareholders of the firm with deduction of all expenses and taxes. In context of this company, the return on equity ratio was increased which is good for the company. It was 32.5% in the last year and 18% in the year before last. Gross Profit Margin It indicates the efficiency of operations and firms pricing policies. The larger the gross profit margin, the better for the company. It looks at how well a company controls the cost of its inventory and manufacturing of its products and subsequently pass on the cost to its customers. From the calculation we found that the gross profit margin ratio was increased. It was 46.16% in the year before last and 48.16% in the last year which is good for the company. Net Profit Margin This ratio measures the relationship between net profit and sales of a firm. A high net profit margin in ratio is an indicative of adequate return to the owners as well as enables a firm to withstand adverse economic conditions. A low net profit margin ratio has the opposite implications. From the calculation, we found that the net profit margin ratio was increased. It was 8.91% in the year before last and 13.10% in the last year. It shows that the company was selling well which is good for the company. Inventory Holding Period A high number of days inventory indicates that there is lack of demand for the product being sold whereas a low days inventory holding period may indicate that the company is not keeping enough stock on hand to meet the demands. It is known from the above calculation that the inventory holding period for the company in the year before last was 63 days and for the last year it was 95 days. So, this extension in the inventory holding period is a problem for the company which obstructs the path of cash generating. Average Collection Period of Trade Receivables This ratio indicates the speed with which debtors/accounts receivables are being collected. A short, collection period implies prompt payment by the debtors. It reduces the chance of bad debts. Similarly, a longer collection period implies too liberal and inefficient credit collection performance. From the calculation, we found that, the collection period for the debtors/accounts receivables for the year before last was 42 days whereas for the last year it was 61 days. So, it indicates that the company was inefficient in its credit collection performance. This delay in the collection of receivables, may have adverse effect in the liquidity position and also there lies possibility of accounts receivables being bad debts. Sales to Capital Employed Ratio It is the ratio which indicates the relationship between the capital employed and sales revenue. The higher the ratio the higher is the revenue, the lower the ratio the lower the revenue. From the calculation, we found that the ratio of capital employed in the year before last was 1.34 times and for the last year it was 1.44 times. It indicates that the Pace Leisurewear Ltd was generating more revenue. Current Ratio The ratio of total current assets to total liabilities is current ratio. It measures the short term solvency, that is, its ability to meet short term obligations. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. A ratio under 1 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they come due at that point. From the calculation, we found that the current ratio for Pace Leisurewear Ltd in the year before last was 1.76:1 and for the last year it was 1.44:1. This ratio indicates that the short-term solvency of the company was getting poorer. Quick Assets ( liquid or acid test) Ratio It is the ratio between quick current assets and current liabilities. It shows a firms ability to meet current liabilities with its most liquid assets. Companies with the ratio less than 1, are supposed to be in vulnerable condition. Such companies are unable to pay their current liabilities, which show the dependency of current assets on inventory. In case of this company, it was found that quick assets ratio was getting weaker. It was 0.78:1 in the year before last and 0.47:1 in the last year. It indicates that the company was in difficulty of paying current liabilities. It was even weaker in the last year than the year before last. Gearing Ratio The higher the gearing, the higher the dependence on borrowing and long term finance. The lower the gearing ratio, the higher the dependence on equity financing. Here, in case of this company, the gearing ratio for the last year was 42.3% and 34.4% for the year before last. It shows that the company had a reliance on sources of long term loan. Conclusion and Recommendation From the above calculation and interpretation of the ratio and its analysis based on the two years financial statement of the Pace Leisurewear Ltd, we came to know that the company was facing mainly a liquidity problem. In order to get rid of such financial problem, assuming myself as a member of Drake Management Consultants, would like to recommend that the company should issue the shares, increase the cash sales rather than credit sales, collect the trade receivables promptly, decrease the long term liabilities and not exceed the limit of overdraft. Beside this, it needs to employ a financial expert and develop an environment of mutual understanding and trust among the shareholders and board of directors.

Damage on Aerospace Composites and Metals Investigation

Damage on Aerospace Composites and Metals Investigation

Role of the College Dining Commons in Gaining the Freshman Fifteen Essa

Role of the College Dining Commons in Gaining the Freshman Fifteen Introduction: When beginning college, many freshmen, or first years, have to adjust to the different aspects of college life: the environment, the rigorous academics, the various clubs and activities to be involved in and the new friendships to be made. If one is living in the dorms, another area of adjustment to be made is the food. At UC Davis, the dining commons, more commonly known as the â€Å"DC,† are the main sources of food for freshmen (and a few transfer students) living on campus. While Sodhexo, the company that runs the dining commons, claims to promote a healthy variety of food to choose from, quite a few students disagree with Sodhexo’s claim, insisting that there are not enough adequate healthy foods to eat. This paper will explore and evaluate the food at the dining commons, from both a personal and nutritional standpoint, as well as determine if the food served can be linked to the â€Å"freshman fifteen.† The Dining Commons Diet: The following is a typical menu at the DC: At lunch, chicken nuggets, vegetarian cheese lasagna, sandwiches, Vegetarian Parmesan Panini, Vegan 5 Bean Salad with pita chips and Vegan cheesecake are offered. Dinner choices include: Salisbury steak and steamed potatoes, lemon ginger stir fry in a noodle bowl, vegetarian linguine parmesan, an array of pizzas at the pizza bar, Mongolian-style wok and Vegan Santa Fe chili and Jasmine rice. Of course, the dining commons also offers soups – such as vegetarian garden vegetable or turkey noodle, along with the Aggie grill, which includes hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, grilled-cheese sandwiches, both grilled and breaded chicken breast patties and French fries... ...rect.com. Jones, Amy L. and Melody A. Graham â€Å"Freshman 15: valid theory or harmful myth?† Journal of American College Health. (January 2002). V50: 171. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infotrac.galegroup.com. Keeling, Richard P. â€Å"Fear, shame, and health promotion.† Journal of American College Health. (January 2002) V50: 149-152. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infortrac.galegroup.com. Kelly, Katy. â€Å"The ‘Freshman 15’. (weight gain by college freshmen).† U.S. News and World Report, Inc. 11 August 2003. V135: 54. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infotrac.galegroup.com. Willett, M.D., Walter C. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. New York: Free Press, 2001. Worthington, Janet. â€Å"Surviving The Everyday Stuff.† Careers and Colleges. (March 2000) V20: p30. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infotrac.galegroup.com.

Disarmament of Paramilitary Groups in the Former Yugoslavia :: Political Science

Disarmament of Paramilitary Groups in the Former Yugoslavia The Committee on Disarmament and International Security has taken upon the task of disarming paramilitary groups in Yugoslavia. It is important that we examine states' policies toward disarmament and prevention of the proliferation of light weapons. While states generally support active and forceful disarmament of paramilitary groups, it is important to note that some nations have a stronger commitment to the containment of the small arms. Two separate views have emerged regarding the cause of the war in Yugoslavia, each of them drawing their conclusions from a different set of historical facts. One interpretation claims that the war is the result of an act of Serbian aggression instigated by an nationalistic leader, Slobodan Milosevic. The other side holds that his is a civil war based on the revival of ancient ethnic conflicts in the region that erupted after the fall of communism, States in the international community have aligned according to their interpretation of the history of the region. Argentina does not have a major role on this topic, but has strong trade ties with the United States and will side with them on the issue. The United States adopts a different interpretation on the issue than the rest of the world. Most of Europe, except Great Britain, was extremely critical of the actions the United States took in the bombing in Yugoslavia. The leaders believed that the campaign would only make a bad situation worse. Russian government criticized the Clinton Administration for it's actions. China also disagreed with the United States, saying they had no right to intervene in the international affairs of Yugoslavia, regardless of the actions taken by Milosevic. Argentina will side with the United States unless they propose an idea to make all the countries pay for an active and forceful disarmament of paramilitary groups.

Environmental Proposal

Baderman Island Resort The Baderman Island Resort is a luxury style resort whom depends on its elite location, all-inclusive accommodations, and cultural attractions to catch the attention of its guests. Boardman Management Group is responsible for the operations of three hotels, several restaurants, two gift shops, a golf pro shop, and a spa. Baderman Island Resort attracts events such as company retreats, conventions, expositions, and family or couple vacations; which happen to be the key of growth for the resort.To assure the attraction and maintain revenue, the resort in combination with its staff must be able to provide a luxurious environment for its recreational guests and a world-class environment for its business clientele. This paper will present recommendations to improve the environment at Baderman Island Resort. Creating Alliance Baderman Island knows that their internal and external stakeholders; their employees and their guests, are the most valuable people for keeping their business a success.There are always ways to improve a business and they understand that. So the first strategy recommended for Baderman Island would be to reduce workplace stressors. Role stressors, workload, work-family conflict, job insecurity, and organizational constraints are a few workplace stressors. Some specific stressors for Baderman Island employees could be that they feel overwhelmed since there is so much future development being planned, as well as never having a quiet calm workplace since tourists are always visiting.There are ways to reduce stressors though. â€Å"Organizational efforts to reduce the impact of job-related stressors generally take one of five forms: (1) stress management training, (2) reduction of stressors, (3) alternative work schedules and telecommuting, (4) family-friendly benefits, and (5) health and fitness programs† (Jex, 2008, p. x). Having a stress management program would be very helpful for Baderman Island employees, so they c an be educated in the nature of stress and its effects.Since this is a resort destination, the company could offer family-friendly benefits by offering a weekend where employees and their families are invited to enjoy the island and its amenities together at no cost. Health and fitness programs are another reducer of stressors, so Baderman Island could offer the golf course and spa at discounted rates to their employees. Offering the Hot Stone Massage for $50 rather than $115 could definitely benefit the employees.A second strategy recommended to Baderman Island to create alliances between the company and their employees and customers would be to motivate employees with different types of goals. The goals would have to do with the customers. For example, Baderman Island could start sending out surveys when people depart from the island asking for feedback and the goal would be to receive a certain amount of high customer satisfaction. This would not only assure that the customers ar e enjoying their time on the island, but also motivating the employees to be hard and helpful workers.Jex (2008) explains the three main reasons that goals have motivational value: Directs employee’s attention and effort in a particular direction, avoid being sidetracked by maintaining task persistence, and facilitate the development of task strategies, which could mean employees coming up with innovative ideas to reach the goals (p. x). Meaning this is a win-win situation for Baderman Island, its employees, and the guests. Leadership versus management differences A leader is a person who leads whereas a manager is on who manages. A leader is to motivate people.Manager is given powers by the company and the subordinates and they have to do as they are told. There is a difference within them both. Managers think incrementally, leaders think radically. Managers tend to do everything by the book and with leaders the just go with the flow. BMG hire managers that are experienced i n their field. They also look and hire people that have new ideas and the visions for the island, that way they don’t have the necessary experience. The resort is managed by the Boardman Management Group (BMG) who is responsible for various strategic functions.The CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board of Resort Management, and works closely with the Resort Board of Directors and supervises the relationship between Baderman Island Resort and the Boardman Resort Management Boardman Management Group (BMG) is responsible for handling the following departments resort-wide: †¢ Regulatory †¢ Finance/Accounting (Consolidated Statements) †¢ Legal †¢ Marketing †¢ IT Services Each unit is headed by a General Manager that reports to the Vice President, that handles all locations within their specified areas. Lodging: Main Hotel, The Tenney, Melancon Convention Hotel †¢ Convention: Convention center building and meeting rooms. †¢ Food Services: All re staurants and kiosks †¢ Merchandising: All hotel shops and visitor center shops †¢ Recreation and Activities: Visitor center, golf, pro shop, beach activities, botanical garden. †¢ Engineering/Transportation: Maintenance and repair, housekeeping, transportation, building upkeep, ferry, train Each unit is considered a profit center, except for Engineering and Transportation, and is responsible for their own budget and overall profitability and growth.Each SBU is charged back for the service utilized from Engineering/Transportation. With in the Baderman Island Resorts the managers of each area can also be good leaders to lead their employees to perform the highest customer service. They would also have to appoint some one as a crew leader. A manager needs to be formal authority or management to be really effective. Having a set crew leader for each area of the resort that way the employees have someone to come to with issues instead of going directly to the manager.If t he leader isn’t able to help or answer their questions or problems then the leader would have to go to the manager for management response. Environmental Proposal Baderman Island resort and spa has created a destination desired by worldwide travelers. The vacation atmosphere is visually created by the brick and mortar presence of the lighthouse, hotel, botanical gardens, and island. The vacation experience is created by Baderman Island employees.Baderman Island management wants to create a corporate environment that acculturates supportive team function and learning while empowering sustainable innovation and creativity. To promote team-oriented behavior throughout the Baderman Island corporate culture several recommendations are presented. Each department within the organization will be considered a team. To begin, create recognition and reward systems highlighting and promoting the team. Suggestions and recommendations to innovate, develop, and improve services and systems throughout the organization will be recognized at the team evel. If a team’s suggestion results in an implemented policy or program, it will be named after the team that made the suggestion. The rationale for naming the policy or program after the proposing team is the elevated sense of contribution to the organization’s core function bestowed upon the team. Teams will enjoy worldwide recognition for suggestions implemented to improve organizational relations with the local community, organic farmers, or botanical organizations.To create an environment that encourages and rewards innovation and creativity, any team suggestion implemented that create corporate efficiencies that can be calculated as a savings will be remunerated as a spiff to the suggesting team members as long as they are with the organization. The spiff will be 2% of the corporate savings to the team up to $50,000 annually, and 1% of corporate saving to the team if the spiff exceeds $50,000 with no max imum. To encourage individuals’ participation within team structures each team will be able to put individual members on probation, with cause.Management will be required to review team members put on probation to make a move or remove determination. Teams will collectively have the discretion for individuals’ movement between teams to empower teams to elevate morale. The corporation’s international customers will be better serviced by employees who know French and Spanish. Employees will be encouraged to expand their individual repertoire and receive a $500 spiff for learning French or Spanish and pass a language test. Team participation will be encouraged with a $10,000 team spiff when all team members learn French and Spanish and pass a language test.To build corporate buy-in and develop employee knowledge a $500 spiff will be given to employees learning two sister teams’ role, function, and responsibilities and passing a test. To encourage intra-team collaboration a $10,000 team spiff will be awarded when all team members learn two sister teams’ role, function, and responsibilities. Conclusion The alliance created between Baderman Island Resort, the employee, and their clientele are the key to success for the all-inclusive, luxury resort.Baderman Island Resort will prosper in growth and revenues as a result of the satisfaction of all entities responsible. Throughout the recommendations, job satisfaction and customer satisfaction are the basis for success. When the entities believe they are a key to the success, they are more willing to participate in the recommendations. We have made several recommendations on how to improve the environment of Baderman Island Resort and these recommendations now lie within the decisions of the management team.