Professions for Women Essay

1. According to Virginia Woolf, what are two main obstacles to women’s professional identity? Are these still the two main obstacles, or does the contemporary women face different hurdles? Explain. The two main obstacles to women’s professional identify is the expectations of society and the expectations she has for herself. These obstacles still exist today but to a certain degree. In 1930 society’s expectation for women was to stay home to cook and clean, now women are still seen to do this but are also seen to have a job. Women also give themselves high expectations for many things as they did in the 1930’s. 2. What is the Origin of the â€Å"Angel in the House† (para. 3)? Consult the Language of Composition Web site for background information: .Why is this an appropriate or effective frame of reference for Woolf? The origin of the â€Å"Angel in the House† came from a poem written in the 1900’s about self sacrificing heroine which represents the ideal Victorian women; a woman who was sympathetic, very charming, and unselfish. Including the â€Å"Angel in the House† is appropriate because she talks about killing this phantom which meant she was free to express herself, which inspired many women. 3. What do you think Woolf means in paragraph 5 when she asserts that â€Å"a novelist’s chief desire is to be as unconscious as possible†? Do you agree that someone who writes fiction should be â€Å"unconscious†? Why do you think a novelist would want to be â€Å"unconscious† or would benefit from being â€Å"unconscious†? I think what Woolf means by â€Å"a novelist’s chief desire is to be unconscious as possible† (paragraph 5). Is that when a writer begins to write they disappear into their own words and continue to write without stopping. I agree that someone who writes fiction should be â€Å"unconscious† because it helps them describe the character they are portraying better. 4. In paragraph 5 and 6, Woolf explores the consequences of being unable to tell â€Å"the truth† about her own â€Å"experiences as a body.† What does she mean† Why does she believe that surmounting this obstacle is more difficult – perhaps impossible at the time she was writing – that â€Å"killing the Angel in the House†? Woolf means that women still have to hide behind lies, like a fake  name, to have a book published. She believes the surmounting this obstacle is more difficult because women were not seen as equals in the 1930’s they were more seen as property of the husband or father.

Classification Essay on Love

Eros is the type of love that is repeatedly displayed in Hollywood productions. The influence of this mass media too often distorts the societal image of what exactly love is (Cellulose). Eros is the most common kind of love, as it is the most common to be taken out of context. This type of love is what God intended and restricted to a one-man, one-woman kind of relationship within the bound of marriage, but society has warped and perverted it into something that most are brain-washed into believing is more enjoyable (Newton).These perversions include fornication, adultery, and same-sex marriage (â€Å"Kinds of Love†). The love that one has within friendships is known as Philae (Cellulose). Philae is to have a special interest in someone or something, frequently with focus on close association; have affection for, like, consider someone a friend (â€Å"Four Kinds of Love†). It is a love of the affections – one that comes and goes with intensity (Newton). It is us ually fun and carefree which is why it is easy for it to dissolve at the first sight of something going wrong.Imagine that one's best friend is dating a boy who Is a Jerk ND treats her like dirt, but she likes him so much that she excuses the way he acts and has convinced herself that she can change his ways. In reality, one might know that he's not going to change, so because of the love one has for their friend, they try to convince her that she needs to end the relationship. The favored scenario would be that she trusts their opinion and Is able to see the truth. However, If she mistakes that love for her safety as something such as Jealousy, the friendship can be destroyed along with the people love that was once there.Storage, the love that naturally occurs between parents and children, can exist between siblings and is present between husbands and wives in a good marriage (â€Å"Four Kinds of Love†). It is supportive and caring and is shown in deed and in truth (Newton) . It's not limited to only humans; storage is also applicable to pets and objects as well. There are several scenarios in which it is common to see storage in action – ten time AT teat or velocity, ten time AT Taller or success, ten time AT slackness or In good health, the time of sadness or Joy, and the time of achievement or spottiness's (â€Å"Kinds of Love†).In a marriage, there are multiple types of love required for it to be healthy, with storage being at the top of the list. The most powerful of loves is agape. It is the love for which God gave up his son to save all of humanity and the love with which Jesus died on the cross to liberate mankind from sin and death (Newton). Though most people have their staple few that they say they would lay their lives down for, Jesus did it for all mankind. What is even more amazing is that He did it without even personally knowing many of us.It did not matter to Him that we were stumbling in sin and self-pity. He loves us so much that he accomplished the impossible. That is why agape is known as the supreme love, for it covers a multitude of sins (â€Å"Four Kinds of Love†). The love that lasts longer than dinner and the movie is a healthy blend of Eros, the physical attraction; storage, the total support and care; Philae, the friendship; and agape, the unconditional commitment (â€Å"Four Kinds of Love†). In order to have a balanced love life, all four must be existent.

Nursing assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing assessment - Essay Example Having noted all the foregoing findings, the three immediate nursing actions for Miss Jones would be: 1) To assess causative and precipitating factors, 2) to evaluate degree of excess fluids and 3) to promote mobilization/elimination of excess fluids (Doenges, Marilyn E., Moorhouse, Mary Frances, pp. 224-225. Assessing the causative and precipitating factors will involve the anticipation of cardiac failure, so it is essential to regularly monitor her breathing along with oxygen level infusion. Aside from this, the fact that a rapid infusion of IV fluids could transpire, the drip rate of the patient’s IV fluids must be checked constantly and adjusted to normal limits (Olsen, June Looby, Giangrasso, A.P., 2000). All fluid intakes must be noted as to its source and volume. Similarly, the amount of sodium and potassium intake must be observed and noted in relation to ingested food, drugs and IV infusion. The second immediate nursing intervention is: to evaluate degree of excess fluids present within the individual. This second nursing action requires constant monitoring of vital signs (Medline Plus, 2007) to observe whether a change has occurred from the last charting schedule. of any related complications that may occur. In relation to this, the present weight of Monica Jones must be compared to previous stated or admission weight since increase of weight could indicate that fluid is being retained in the body. Regular auscultation of the lungs for the presence of crackles must be done and charted during this phase of intervention to see whether the crackling sounds that were previously heard have increased or diminished. Recording the occurrence of dyspnoea is equally essential within this secondary phase of nursing intervention, to note whether hard labour breathing is continuous or takes place only when triggered by an environmental stimuli. In accordance with

P5 SCI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

P5 SCI - Essay Example In the last part of the 20th century, modern investigations have led to the evidence of sea-floor spreading or the diversion of ocean floor from the mod-ocean ridges. Under geometric continental reconstructions evidence, Wegener proposed that the coastline geography of the continents on either side of the Atlantic Ocean have pattern and can be fitted back together like a jigsaw puzzle. Example of which are the coastlines of western Africa and eastern South America (Rogers, 2008). In addition, Wegener reiterated it is the end of the submerged continental shelf that marks the line of the originally joined continents and not the coastline-fit misconception. Geological match and continuity of structure evidence explained how there are similar rock types, succession of strata or igneous bodies which have unique characteristics were found on either side of the ocean. This evidence was observed in the similarities of the rock strata and geological structures of the Appalachian and Caledonian mountain belts of eastern USA and northwestern Europe, as well as the Precambrian rocks and geological structures similarity observed between South America and Africa (Rogers, 2008). The third evidence is the climate, sediment and mismatch of sedimentary deposits, which explained that the nature and style of rock weathering and erosion varies among Earth climate belts. This explained why sand dunes are formed in hot, dry desserts, cool and sandstone succession in tropical swamps and river deltas, and boulder clay deposits and U-shaped valleys in ice sheets and glaciers areas (Rogers, 2008). The modern evidence gathered during the latter part of the 20th century, which has made the continental drift theory acceptable, is the sea-floor spreading evidence. Modern geologists had explained the inaccessible ocean floor in Wegener’s theory and discovered stri ped patterns of magnetic

Men should be allowed to have more than one wife. Agree or disagree Essay

Men should be allowed to have more than one wife. Agree or disagree - Essay Example The main reason why men prefer polygamy is mainly due to greater wealth and resources than any other in the society. Cultural acts influenced polygamy where it outnumbers the monogamous ones by quite a large number. There is a behavior commonly practiced in the western countries where by men divorce and later remarry. This is termed as a serial polygamy. Many anthropologists refer that habit as monogamy because no one gets married to more than one woman at once. In this essay, I will disagree with polygamous marriage, which could either be a married man having an affair with several women, or officially marrying several women. Polygamous family has many negative effects as compared to the monogamous family. First, it consumes a lot of the family’s money or wealth to cater for their daily needs of the large number of wives and children. The daily upkeep of women and children is more expensive. Polygamy leads to the man having many children in a short period. Again, clashes duri ng the distribution of wealth especially when the head of the family dies increase. Distribution of wealth brings forward chaos and may lead to death to some members of the family. Problems come forward, war takes its course between the wives and even the children, and usually the last married wives face problems in distribution. When the man dies before educating all his children, it may lead to some of the children involved in crimes and drug abuse in order to sustain their living. On the side of monogamous family, there is no problem because the family is small and manageable and there is a written will showing the wealth distribution (Zeitzen, 2008). In a monogamous family, it is hard for one to get a sexually transmitted disease outside wedlock, caused by either one of them. Many monogamous families are stable because they can cope with their daily life. On the other hand, due to the cause of not satisfied fully, one may go outside the wedlock and infected and the disease can w ipe them all. Polygamy is an outdated way of living leading to women die of childbirth and children die of diseases. Again, in polygamous families, jealousy is a problem and they do not mingle outside their families. Monogamous family utilizes the minimal wealth for the family needs where the expenses are minimal (Anonymous, 2004). Polygamy is an act, passed on by time, and people should try to avoid it because it has many effects to the society. If a man goes contrary to the wishes of one wife, or they disagree on a certain issue, the wife may react abnormally hence causing damages. Again, it has led to young children getting married when they are young. A person may be five times older than one of his wives. This in most cases is perceived as an act of exploitation. Those who are in abject poverty commonly practice this habit (Milton, 2009). Parents should look forward, open their eyes, and avoid this in the future and educate their own children. In addition, the rich exploit the poor by grabbing their piece of land and because of money the poor lacks justice. Further, I do support monogamous family because whenever an issue arises, both of them can sit down and solve the issue in the right way. In addition, they practice family planning and produce fewer children whom they can take care of well and in the right way. Most monogamous famili

United States trade conflict with China Term Paper

United States trade conflict with China - Term Paper Example The U.S. Chinese trade is in great favor of China. The continued trade war between the countries is unhealthy not only for the two nations, but also to the world economy. China cannot be ignored as an economic powerhouse.The international relation between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America is often referred to as Sino-American relations. Since the beginning of the cold war to date, the relation between the two countries has been pretty cyclical. In fact, many analysts find the relationship not only complex, but also multi-faceted. The two countries cannot be considered enemies by any standards, but yoking them as allies could also be questioned. For a long time, the two countries have had a stable relationship. However, this relationship is threatened by competition and trade policies that have continued to stir controversy. The United States and China have the largest economies in the world. Therefore, any tension between them spills over to other countries and regions consequently affecting the entire world. China has the world’s largest population, while the United States has the world’s largest economy. This makes the two countries to be the largest trading partners in the world. Moreover, the bilateral relationship qualifies to be the most essential one in the 21st century. The two countries are the world’s economic giants and their united efforts towards attaining world peace and economic stability can yield unimaginable results. Amidst the trade tensions, the United States and China have a common stand in many fronts... For instance, while other economists think the United States benefit more from its trade with China and imposing taxes on Chinese products is unjustified, others think the trade has destroyed the United States and its high time the United States took a bold step towards saving its local businesses and citizens from Chinese firms. According to Feigenbaum, the Sino-American trade wars will not end soon. However, the wars will be broadly manageable (Feigenbaum). Schuman, The Time business reporter, takes a rather interesting approach to the issue. He holds that resolving the war between the United States’ government and China will not be an easy one (Schuman). He cites the reluctance of both governments to drop their demands as the major hindrance to striking a consensus. Both governments, for instance, insist on fulfilling public demands, which have been a hindrance to a smooth trade. While the United States insist on preserving local jobs, the Chinese government is interested i n finding market for locally produced products and an avenue for investment. A research by the Queensland University Staff on the probable effects of the United States’ regulation of Chinese imports favored the introduction of strict measures to control Chinese imports (126). The research concluded that setting such measures was inevitable and would be to the advantage of the United States government (126). It further stated that the United States â€Å"pressure should continue† (Queensland University Staff, 126). A sour trade relation between the United States and China is evidently destructive. All the countries stand to lose. The world’s economy is already threatened by this unhealthy competition and rivalry, and it could even get worse. If not resolved, the rivalry will result in

Social media for business communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Social media for business communication - Essay Example This year the amount generated on the single day is $816 million becoming the heaviest online sales volume received in a single day (Diers, 2012, p. 23). The overall U.S. retail e-commerce spending for the month has increased by 15 percent. There is greater access to online shopping on Cyber Monday. This is a marketing term developed in 2005 by online retailers that define the increase of online shopping activities on Monday. Approximately 50 million Americans visited online retail sites on a black Friday representing a 35 percent increase from the previous year. The number of customers accessing the top five retail sites namely: Amazon, Walmart, BestBuy, Target, and Apple increased by double digits. This result shows that multichannel retailers recorded strong growth in visitors’ access. The increased use of online retailing has greater marketing implications to marketing principles. The need for change in the marketing strategy to absorb the increasing online visitors is ess ential for any firm because it leads to greater sales volume. The success for any company lately is based on the focus on the customer and commitment to market change. Globalization affects marketing in a drastic way by affecting marketing. Use of World Wide Web in marketing and online shopping is the next revolution. The data obtained for visitors to the online sites depict the success attainable by venturing in it. Consequently, the need for strategizing and formulating of online strategy in ensuring increase in sales volume is essential. Product innovation is powered by the consumers. Therefore, marketing of the products must ensure correct feedback is obtained from consumers to facilitate understanding of new product development. Driven by the need of simplicity, consumers need must be catered for. For instance, online shopping is a product

Cultural Perspectives from another Country - Pakistan Essay

Cultural Perspectives from another Country - Pakistan - Essay Example (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan) The second most populous Muslim country was formed on the 14th of August 1947. Before Pakistan gained independence, the country was under the rule of the British Empire. The British entered the Subcontinent as the British East India Company, a private trading company, when the Mughals had Jehangir as an Emperor. Slowly and gradually the huge Mughal Empire began to crumble because the emperors and nobles alike had grown so accustomed to living a life of pure pleasure with the wealth their ancestors had accumulated. Many historians blame Aurangzeb, the Emperor Shah Jehan's son for sowing the seeds of decline, as it was after he started ruling that the kingdom began to fall apart. Aurangzeb couldn't rule very well, his administration left a lot to be desired. The nobles were often power hungry and the consequence of the lack of supervision was that they became highly powerful at court and the emperors couldn't control them. The empire was huge and when rebellions broke out it took the emperor months to take decisive decision to end them. The cost of maintaining a huge army to continuously quell these rebellions and that wasn't the only cost. When an emperor died, the succession dispute resulted in a waste of huge sums of money. When riddled with such... In the beginning The East India Company only had a few bases along the coast of the Subcontinent but then they started expanding and spread out to Bombay (Mumbai), Calcutta (Kolkata) and Madras (Chennai). The EIC were good at fighting and protected India from other European countries such as France, Portugal and Denmark. After the battle of Plassey and the exploitation of Bengal the British government decided that the misgovernment of India had to be stopped. So they passed the India Act in 1784 in which the British government took direct control of Indian possessions and appointed a Governor-General. From then on the British influence could be seen everywhere. However things weren't made a 100% percent official until the 1857 War of Independence (as the Indians called it) or the 1857 Mutiny (as the British called it). The Indians, the Indian army in particular rose in revolt against the British and they were crushed. The British government took complete control of India and a member of the British cabinet, the Secretary of State for India. The Governor -General was now called Viceroy and in 1877 the British Queen Victoria became the Empress of India. Gradually the Muslims in India began to become aware of their individuality and cultural identity. They were of the opinion that they could not live together with the Hindus and under the regime of the British. They wanted an independent country of their own. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was one of the earliest pioneers of the independence movement. His "Two-Nation-Theory" was later supported by people like Allama Muhammed Iqbal and Chaudri Rehmat Ali Kahn. Both Allama Muhammed Iqbal and Chaudri Rehmat Ali Kahn had studied in Britain and when they came back they both believed that a

Economic Factors That Influence Manager Decision Essay

Economic Factors That Influence Manager Decision - Essay Example As the paper explores it is important to understand that economic factors refer to the changes that take place in cost and prices of commodities, the exchange rates, inflation rate, and interest rates among others. In simple terms, they hamper the ability of an organization to generate profits thus often require to be monitored closely. According to the report findings organizations look at their budgets before setting out to start a project. This is because it will be able to give them an overview of the finances they have to carry out the project. However, there have been instances where organizations did not look at the resources they have due to myopic vision. Most of these leaders were driven by the interests that had been forecast if the project succeeds but did not want to look on the other side of what happens to the organization when the project fails. Take the case of Apple Inc in the 1990s when it was on the brink of bankruptcy because of the decisions that were being made by the management. It forced the board of members to employ back Steve Jobs who had parted ways with the organization. Therefore, this is just but an illustration of the importance of an organization working within its budgets in relation to the resources available. The aim of any business entity is to make profits, and if this does not take place, then there is no need of operating because it will mean that losses will be frequently incurred. This does not mean that the organization forgets there is a need to have a balance between maximization of profits and minimization of costs

Dick Spencer Case Essay Example for Free

Dick Spencer Case Essay Spencer was a plant manager of Modrow Company, a Canadian Branch of the Tri-American Corporation. Tri-American was a major producer of primary aluminum with integrated operations ranging from mining of bauxite through the processing to fabrication of aluminum into variety of products. The company had also made and sold refractories and industrial chemicals. The parent company had wholly owned subsidiaries in five separate United States locations and had foreign affiliates in fifteen different countries. Tri-American employed approximately 22,000 employees in the total organization. The company was governed by a board of directors. The board set general policy, which was then interpreted and applied by the various plant managers. This decentralization in organizational structure increased the freedom and authority of the plant managers, but increase the pressure for profitability. Spencer started his career in Tri-American Corporation as salesman and he succeeded. After two years of successful work as salesman, he became the symbol of what salesman have to be. In his career in Tri-American, he had worked as salesman, troubleshooter, assistant plant manager in English branch in London UK, plant manager in Birmingham in UK and his last position was plant manager of Modrow company in Canada. It was another challenging position in his career and he had faced few problems regarding to management, organization culture, organization conflict and organization innovation. †¢ Spencer was a plant manager of Modrow Company, a Canadian Branch of the Tri-American Corporation. †¢ Tri-American was a major producer of primary aluminum with integrated operations ranging from the mining of bauxite through the processing to fabrication of aluminum into a variety of products. The company had also made and sold refractories and industrial chemicals. The parent company had wholly owned subsidiaries in five separated US locations and had foreign affiliates in 15 different countries. Tri-American employed approximately 22,000 employees in the total organization. The company was governed by a board of directors, which included chairman, vice chairman, president and 12 vice presidents. Subsidiaries and branches are organized as independent companies and decisions are decentralized. †¢ The Modrow Branch was located in a border town in Canada. The total work force in Modrow was 1,000. This Canadian subsidiary was primarily a fabricating unit. Its main products were foil and building products such as roofing and siding. Problem: 1. Resistance to change by employees, this problem shows when Dick as the plant manager asked the worker why he was using the saw when the material could easily be bent fifted into the barrels, resulting in saving time and equipment. And then the worker said â€Å"We’ve never done it that way, sir. We’ve always cut it†. After all the power saw are removed from the scalp area in order to adjust new method of bending rather than cutting. A few day later Dick find out that workmen using hand shears to cut each strip to cut. 2. Process of Production Problems. In his new position as Plant Manager at Modrow, he found that construction was slower in completion than originally planned; equipment arrived before the building was finished, employees were upset about the extent of change expected in their work routines with the installation of additional machinery, and in general morale was at low ebb. 3. Culture Change Problem; there is the difference between American and British philosophy and performance within the plant. Here, he also found that his power and authority were less than those of his superiors, so he constantly found himself in the position of having to soft pedal or withhold suggestions that he would have liked to make, or innovations that he would have liked to introduce. After a frustrating year and a half, Dick was suddenly made plant manager of an old British company which had just been purchased by Tri-American. He left his first English assignments with mixed and moved from London to Birmingham. In Birmingham, he become a plant manager and operated much as he had in his troubleshooting job for the first couple of years of his change from sales to administration. He did some changes in Birmingham. Training and reduction programs were instituted for all supervisors and managers who survive the initial purge. He tried to focus/ control on relationship between production and the needs from sales by simplifying and redesign in order to increase profit. Later the company showed a small profit for the first time in many years. For this successfulness, then he requested transferred back to United States. 4. Cost Reduction Problem, by the end of his first year at Modrow, the building program had been completed, although behind schedule, the new equipment had been installed, and some revamping of cost procedures had been incorporated. But, the financial picture at this time showed as a loss. Later, all managers of the various divisions had worked closely with their supervisors and accountants in planning the budget for the following year. 5. Human Relations/ Interaction Problems When he worked through his first year as plant manager, Dick developed the habit of strolling around the organization. He was apt to leave his office and appear anywhere on the plant floor, in the design office and at the plant cafeteria rather than in the executive dining room, or wherever there was activity concerned with Modrow. At first his presence disturbed those who noted him coming and going, but later, the workers came to accept his presence and continue their usual activities. Supervisors, managers, and foreman, however, did not feel as comfortable when they saw him in the area. 6. Different corporate culture in Canada, even though Canada is located in same geopolitical areas, geographically and nationally Canada is different country and corporate culture is bit different from USA. And Dick Spencer is American manager who started his career in USA. As we can see from the case, Dick Spencer is basically very stunning to adapt different corporate culture in different countries such as UK and Canada plant career. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ In recalling his first year at Modrow, Dick had felt constantly pressured and badgered. He always sensed that the Canadians he worked with resented his presence since he has brought in over the heads of the operating staff’. At the same time he felt this subtle resistance from his Canadian work force†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. 7. Organization conflict in Modrow plant, there was an obvious conflict between workers and Dick Spencer. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ In recalling his first year at Modrow, Dick had felt constantly pressured and badgered. He always sensed that the Canadians he worked with resented his presence since he has brought in over the heads of the operating staff †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. In the other words, other workers couldn’t live up with Dick’s arrival in the company. 8. Corporate innovation management, at the time of Dick Spencer’s arrival in the Modrow Branch, there was a lack of good corporate innovation management. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ Prior to Dick’s appointment as plant manager at Modrow, extensive plans for plant expansion and improvement had been approved and started. Altough he had not been in on the original discussions and plans, he inherited all the problems that accompany large-scale changes in any organization. Construction was slower in completion than originally planned, equipment arrived before the building was finished, employees were upset about the extent of change expected in their work routines with installation of additional machinery, and, in general, morale was a low ebb†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 9. Decentralization, basically this is American organization type and American one is more formalistic than European. Decentralization is basically increase the pressure from parent company management. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ This decentralization in organizational structure increased the freedom and authority of the plant managers, but increased the pressure for profitability†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 10. Lack of leadership for Dick Spencer, in terms of organization leader Dick Spencer shouldn’t include the all the works in the organization. He tried to do it by himself every single things and he aimed to attend every action. In terms of HRM, this is not good character for the good Leader. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ As he worked through his first year as plant manager, Dick developed the habit of strolling around the organization†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. This created the conflict between him and workers. Also this creates dis-approvement from workers. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦Supervisors, managers and foreman, however didn’t feel as comfortable when they saw him in the area†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 11. Lack of knowledge in Human resource and accounting knowledge, these two courses were disadvantage for Dick Spencer in this study in MBA and these two are very important for any organization. In the other way, he can find and hire someone who can do his unknowledgeable fields such as accounting and HR. 12. Too high expectation from management made pressure, we can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦he believed that the president and his friends in the home office were constantly on the alert, waiting for Dick to prove himself or fail flat on his face†¦

Historical background of the company Milkpak

Historical background of the company Milkpak Milkpak was part of a family group of businesses, known as the Ali Group, which also operated businesses in textile industry, had major holdings in the vegetable and soap industries among others. One of the Ali Groups leading companies was called Packages Limited, established in Lahore in 1956. This company supplied packaging materials to a variety of industries and also provided technical assistance to packaging plants overseas. In 1976 a review of Packages Ltd showed that one of its machines, the Tetra Laminator, was very under utilized. This machine was designed for making packaging material for long-life milk or UHT milk. Milk packaged in this way had a shelf life of up to three months without refrigeration. Thus, following this review, Milkpak was established to create a market for the packaging materials produced by Packages Ltd. The company then found one milk plant in Pakistan which was suited to produce sterilized milk. It leased the plant and launched a pilot project, which turned out to be a success. Milkpak was therefore incorporated in January 1979 and began commercial production in November 1981. In 1984 Milkpak started marketing the Frost line of fruit juices which had been introduced a few years earlier by Packages Ltd. Soon after, Milkpak bought the Frost brand name from Packages and in 1986 it accounted for 9% of Milkpaks total sales. In 1985 the company launched its own butter, and in 1986 it launched a sterilized cream product called balai and also a cooking oil called Desi Ghee. These products were sold under the brand name of Milkpak. Situation Analysis The environment in which businesses operate is dynamic, never static, that is it keeps changing. It is increasingly turbulent due to the era of change and uncertainty in which we live and is never stable. The pace of these changes is accelerating, which requires continual response from the business organization. In this section we will discuss some of the external factors and internal factors that influenced Milk Pak operations: Vision Statement of Milkpak The strategic priorities of Nestle Milkpak are focused on delivering shareholder value through the achievement of sustainable, capital efficient and profitable long term growth. Improvements in profitability will be achieved while respecting quality and safety standards. In line with this objective, Nestle Milkpak envisions to grow in the shortest possible time into the number one food company in Pakistan with the unique ability to meet the needs of consumers of every age group from infancy to old age, for nutrition and pleasure, through development of a large variety of food categories of the highest quality. Nestle Milkpak envisions the company to develop an extremely motivated and professionally trained work force, which would drive growth through innovation and renovation. It aspires, as a respected corporate citizen, to continue playing a significant role in the social and environmental sectors of the country. SWOT Analysis When making decisions it is very important for the business to consider the external environment as well as the firms existing resources. The SWOT analysis helps the management to set objectives and make plans to build up on the strengths, rectify the weaknesses, avail the opportunities and counter the threats. Strengths Milkpak had a high market share. Milkpak Ltd product line included diversified products. The strength of Milkpak is its identity. Extensive and continuous supply of milk from different sources. Milkpak distribution network grew rapidly between 1981- 1986. Within few years of its establishment it had sales offices in major cities of Pakistan. Milkpak had a reputation for consistent high quality for both consumers and the trade. Milkpak limited was owned by one of the leading industrialist of Pakistan i.e. Ali Group. Milkpak had a shell life of up to 3 months and did not require refrigeration. Milkpak also catered to low income consumers. Milkpak taught it suppliers scientific methods of livestock care and breeding. This made it milk supplies more reliable and of high quality. Weaknesses The total processing cost was around 25% of the total product cost. Packaging material which were heavily taxed by the government lead for another 26%of Milkpak production cost. Milkpak limited lacked required technical knowledge and expertise to expand the business. New brick pak was introduced in 1986, this required extra packaging material and therefore lead to an increase in Milkpak cost. Opportunities Government fostered the UHT milk industry by removing duties on import of machinery for dairy products. An opportunity of a joint venture with a foreign company. Training of Milkpak employees if Milkpak had a joint venture with Nestle or Friesland. Threats Government sanctioned a number of additional plants which lead to the possibility of substantial overcapacity in the market. Chaudhri Industries entered the market in 1986 with a competitive advantage i.e. brick packaging. Because the industry risked facing overcapacity, it was important for Milkpak to increase its market share. If it did not, its competitors could have dominated the market. Many companies were planning to enter the dairy industry. Between 1960- 1970, 23 dairy processing plants were establish out of which at least 15 plants closed due to lack of poor management and infrastructure, lack of milk supply and extensive refrigeration requirement. A joint venture with a large multinational might dominate Strategy of Milkpack In Pakistan, one of the major problems facing all milk producers and distributors was the discrepancy between the demand and supply of milk. There was a marked seasonal demand for milk, which peaked during the summer and slowed during the winter months. In contrast, the production of milk was highest during the winter months i.e. December to May, also known as the flush season and was lowest during the lean season, i.e. from May to August. To alleviate the problems brought about by the seasonal mismatch between supply and demand for milk during summer, the Pakistani government adopted liberal policies toward the import of milk products. This meant that Milkpak now had to compete with foreign markets alongside local milkmen who supplied raw milk. Milk powder became a popular import and by 1986 was making up 30% of all milk supplies in Karachi. The problem of seasonality meant that during the lean season Milkpak faced a shortage in demand, and during the flush season the company had to refuse milk supplies. The company needed to gain some knowledge and insight regarding how to operate in an environment where demand and supply were so seasonal. Furthermore, Milkpak marketing managers were reluctant to promote Milkpak heavily during the flush season for fear of creating demand in the lean season which they would not be able to satisfy. Although they were committed to increasing UHT milk sales, the UHT business was a very high volume and low margin business, where the technology for manufacturing UHT milk was considered very expensive. To counter the problem of milk shortages during the lean season it was possible to add milk powder to increase overall output volume. However, since the milk powder itself would be imported, this was an expensive option which also resulted in providing competitors with business. Milkpak also encountered some difficulties in marketing its product. A major challenge which the company faced was in positioning the milk. It was difficult to introduce the idea of long-life milk to their target market, especially since this milk did not require any refrigeration. At that time the market was mainly accustomed to buying small amounts of raw milk on a frequent basis, which needed to be stored in cool conditions. Another concern which consumers had was that the Milkpak brand contained preservatives, or were perhaps not genuine because it contained no cream. Milkpaks success with UHT milk encouraged a number of other competitors to enter the market. Some of these competitors were short lived and left the market soon after facing financial difficulties. Others were more sustained, such as Milko, Pakistan Dairies and Chaudhuri Dairies. All these competitors had some advantages over Milkpak, either in terms of more experience, better distribution networks, or more convenient packaging. Furthermore, the government was now encouraging companies to enter the market by making exemptions on the import of machinery for dairy plants and by providing low cost financing by several government agencies. The government had also sanctioned a number of additional plants which would be in working condition soon. The concern now was that the UHT milk industry would be facing a substantial overcapacity. It was thus decided that finding an appropriate joint venture partner would be a viable solution to the problem of growth for Milkpak. As it would provide Milkpak with the opportunity to obtain new capacity, expertise and technological knowledge which was very much required. And also that Joint venture with any of the competing firms would possibly wipe off the competition from the market. In assessing Nestle as a joint venture partner, there were many advantages to both Milkpak and to the Pakistani industry as a whole. However, the company still faced certain drawbacks. Both companies were likely to be concerned about management control of the operation. Another point which needed to be settled was what products were to be manufactured and where they would be produced. Mission statement Nestlà ©s mission is to provide the best food to people throughout the world. Objectives and core values Lead a dynamic motivated and professional workforce proud of its heritage and bullish about the future.  · Meet the nutritional needs of consumers of all age groups from infancy to old age, from nutrition to pleasure, through an innovative portfolio of branded food and beverage products of the highest quality.  · Deliver shareholder value through profitable long-term growth, while continuing to play a significant and responsible role in the social, economic and environmental sectors of the country. Development of strategy There are many models for the development of strategy i.e. Potters generic strategies. There are 3 generic strategies of potter Cost leadership Differentiation Focus Anssoff Matrix Provides the basis for an organizations objective setting and sets the foundation of directional policy for its future (Bennett, 1994). The best selection for Milk pack is cost leadership. For this purpose Milk pack needs to outsource it non core activities. The major risk of outsourcing is that you may not be building the value of your company in terms of personnel, in-house knowledge, and infrastructure. In this case, the value of an outsourcing agreement with a provider will be less effective than an internal department. Implementation plan for strategy Strategy making needs person with vision whereas strategy implementation needs a person with administrative ability The implementation plan can be divided into many parts Project Implementation requires the management to have a firm grasp of the strategy to be implemented. Project management involves recognition of critical success path. With all the activities lying in the critical success path will then be given significant importance. If a project needs to be implemented in time, then all the activities lying on the critical success of must be performed on time. Procedural Implementation means that milk pack has to bring change in its value chain. The value chain describes all the core activities of the business. After all the core activities of the business have been recognized, support activities can be removed or restructured. Resource Allocation is the most important part of the strategy. If proper allocation of the resources is not made the strategy might not be implemented. Before choosing a strategy for implementation the company carefully analyses all its resources and then allocates some resources for implementation of the strategy. For the strategy of outsourcing to work it is necessary that Milkpak is able to find a suitable company to outsource. This requires a lot of time and effort, appropriate resources and time allocation needs to be made. Structural Implementation is necessary if the company requires a change in structure to support the strategy. Without the proper structure for the strategy, the strategy is bound to fail. Functional Implementation means the division of objectives of strategy into functional achievable and goals i.e. budgets. This is the implementation of the strategy at grass root level. Behavioral Implementation suggests a change in the culture of the organization. The people of the organization need to accept the change in strategy. If the people are working hard to implement the strategy then there is a good chance that the strategy will be successfull Conclusion This case study shows how a relatively small company in a developing country made an error by choosing a wrong strategy and powerful and aggressive joint venture partner. Milkpak wanted to retain control and majority ownership of the joint venture but Nestle, although having an initial stake of only 49%, managed to increase it by forcing new technologies and acquisitions into the partnership. The Ali Group could not keep up with these expenses and Nestle thus raised its participation to 67%, relegating the Ali family to the role of spectators. Friesland would have been a much better partner due to its smaller size. They efficiently co-operate with local companies in many countries, letting them to conduct the operations without trying to take over their partner. Unfortunately, they committed some important mistakes during the negotiations, like not allowing the Milkpak management to see their milk powder factory, thus leading Milkpak to believe that they were trying to hide technolog y from them. On the other hand, Nestle swiftly sent one of its vice presidents to Pakistan, showing respect for Milkpak. This senior executive proved to be very familiar with this kind of operations and he flattered Milkpak, admiring the quality of their products. Thanks to this smart negotiation, both emphasizing their experience in operating milk powder factories in Asia and showing deference to Milkpak, Nestle won the deal. This shows how much it is important to know the culture of the persons you are negotiating with, in order to be able to adapt. Failure to do so may lead to an unfortunate outcome.

Part of the Neuron Affected, Inhibitory or Excitatory Potential Changes

Part of the Neuron Affected, Inhibitory or Excitatory Potential Changes and Ion Channels Affected by Psilocybin Psilocybin belongs to the classification of drugs called hallucinogens. Hallucinogens typically act by stimulating serotonin receptors at different times or for longer durations than serotonin itself would (Kalat 2004). When psilocybin enters the brain, the enzyme alkaline breaks down one of its phosphate groups through hydrolysis. It then becomes psilocin, an even stronger hallucinogen (Psilocybin 2003). It is particularly potent due to the position of its hydroxyl group (Jacobs 1984). Psilocin is a postsynaptic serotonin receptor agonist. In other words, its similar structure allows it to mimic serotonin, fitting into some types of serotonin receptors and producing the same effect as endogenous serotonin (Merriam Webster 2003). Specifically, psilocin activates the 5HT2A and 5HT1A receptors. Stimulation of 5HT1 receptors is associated with an inhibitory response while stimulation of the 5HT2 receptors is associated with an excitatory response. Soma of the serotonergic neurons are located in the midline raphe nuclei of the pons and in the medulla oblongata. Axons extend to the basal ganglia, hypothalamus, limbic forebrain, parts of the cerebral cortex, and to the spinal cord (Kruk and Pycock 1979). Functions believed to be moderated by serotonin include sleep, mood, arousal, control of motor activity, hunger, thermoregulation, and some neuroendocrine control mechanisms in the hypothalamus. (Powell 2004, Kruk and Pycock 1979). One theory states that effects caused by psilocin result from stimulation of receptors in the raphe nuclei. According to this theory, the... ...ocal Net Common Molecule. (2003) Reciprocal Net Site Network. http://www.reciprocalnet.org/recipnet/showsample.jsp?sampleId=27 344568 Rabin, Richard A., Regina, Meridith, and Doat, Mirielle J.C. 5- HT2A Receptor-stimulated Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis in the Stimulus Effects of Hallucinogens. (2001) Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. Volume 72, 2002. (pp 29-37) Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY. Vollenweider, Franz X, M.D., Vontobel, Peter, PhD., Hell, Daniel, M.D., and Leenders, Klaus, M.D. (1998) 5HT Modulation of Dopamine Release in Basal Ganglia in Psilocybin Induced Psychosis in Man: A PET Study with [11C]raclopride. Neuropsychopharmacology 1999, Volume 20, Number 5. (pp 424-431) New York, New York: Elsevier Science Inc.

Contemporary Music and the Effects It Has on Youth Essay -- Essays Pap

Contemporary Music and the Effects It Has on Youth In a book written on Abraham Lincoln, the author states, "Who writes the Nation’s songs shapes the nation’s souls." (1) This statement is true. A quick look back at the music of the 1960's and 70's and the effects it had on society proves the statement. The question then arises, how does contemporary music effect modern society? More importantly how does it effect the most easily influenced group, the youth? There is no doubt that much of the popular music in 90’s culture has a negative message. The rise of rap, especially gangster rap and the continual popularity of heavy metal are major contributors to the negative message. The message in turn has a very negative effect on children. The language and actions described in this music gives kids a false perception of what the world is truly like. It also portrays to them that the actions are socially acceptable or good. Youths of the present have a much more difficult path to adulthood then the youth of the past. On a regular basis they are subjected to violence, drugs, and sex. Often times they are faced with making a decision for or against one of these vices. The majority of children will do what they think people they look up to will do. Often times the people they look up to are celebrities in music who send out a negative message. These celebrities often glorify sexism, violence, and drug use. 2-Live Crew was one of the first controversial rap groups to integrate itself into the public eye. Their lyrics, which are tame by today’sstandards, are sexually explicit and objectify women. "Their lyrics not only fail to satirize the myth of the hypersexual black, they also commit the moral blunder of sexualizing the vi... ... End Notes and Bibliography 1.)U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Subcommitte on Oversight of Governmental Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia. Music Violence: How Does it Affect Our Children. 105th Congress, 1st Session, 6 November 1997. Pg. 1 2.)Epstein, Johnathon S. ed. Adolescents and Their Music: If It's Too Loud, You're Too Old. New York: Garland Publishing, 1994. Pg. 172 3.)Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press, 1994. Pg 128-129 4.)See Epstein, Pg. 175 5.)See Congress, Pg. 1 Additional Works Potter, Russell. Spectacular Vernaculars. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995. Ro, Ronin. Gangsta. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996.

Eagle Boys Pizza Report Essay

Founded by a young baker in his mum’s garage in 1987, Eagle Boys now operates more than 335 stores throughout all states of Australia. It is one hundred per cent Australian owned and operated and delivers pizzas to hungry families across Australia – from metropolitan inner city areas to small remote towns. With over 8,000 team members nationally, Eagle Boys makes just under 18 million pizzas a year and generates an annual turnover of more than $200 million. Focused on delivering real taste, real size and real value to pizza lovers across Australia, Eagle Boys is customer-focused and continually examines ways to improve its customer satisfaction and service. Eagle Boys ensures pizza lovers across Australia receive tasty meals and exceptional service every time by training its franchises to commit 110% to customers’ satisfaction. Explanation of its legal structure Eagle Boys pizza is a Proprietary company, meaning that it is private. The shareholders of Eagle Boys Pizza Pty Ltd, have limited liability protection, which means that the most money they can lose is the amount they paid for their shares. Eagle Boys began as a family business, as it was founded by Tom Potter and his mum in 1989. It is an incorporated business, meaning that the business is a separate legal entity from the owners. This allowed the business to be sold and still be operated, in 2007 to Todd Clayton who is now the CEO and managing director of Eagle Boys Pizza. The fact that it is a separate legal entity, allows the company to sue, be sued, buy or sell property and also have perpetual succession. Identification of the current stage of the business life cycle the business is currently in and give reasons for your views Eagle Boys pizza is currently at the maturity stage of the business cycle. Its goal is to maintain profits at pre-existing levels. Recently, in February 2011, Eagle Boys responded to the growing sophistication of Australians’ pizza palate by unveiling its new Gourmet Pizza Range featuring ingredients such as, Roasted Potato, Salmon Steaks and Tandoori Chicken. Eagle Boys is also the only Australian pizza maker to offer Ready 2 Go! â„ ¢, which allows customers to get their hands on some of their favourite pizzas without phoning beforehand or waiting between 5. 30pm and 8pm daily. Since Eagle Boys was purchased by private equity firm NBC Capital and the current executive team in 2007, Network store numbers have grown by 63% which is the highest period of growth in the company’s 24-year history. Eagle Boys saw sales grow 15. 4% during the 12 months up to June 2010, bringing total sales growth during the past three years to 43. 2%. The company expects the strong double digit growth to continue with the opening of additional stores and the launch of new products. Identification of one business law and one regulatory body in relation to this business – explain how this business complies An example of a business law of the Eagle Boys pizza is a privacy law. Eagle Boys is subject to Privacy Legislation, including the National Privacy Principles (â€Å"NPPs†) under the Privacy Act 1988, The Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (1988) and contractual requirements relating to Privacy pursuant to a number of State and Territory Government Licence Agreements. Eagle Boys Pizza complies with this law by collecting information by either specifying or letting the reason be apparent at the time the information is collected. It is not Eagle Boys’ general practice to collect sensitive information and they will only collect sensitive information with the persons consent. A regulatory body that Eagle Boys Pizza complies with is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Eagle Boys applied for notification of conduct whereby it would grant franchises on condition that franchisees acquire goods and services from specified suppliers. That notification was lodged on 13 August 2009 and allowed to stand on 21 September 2009. Eagle Boys complies by ensuring product safety and liability and does not provide any false or misleading advertising. Identification of two significant challenges for management in the business life cycle – one challenge management has faced prior to 2011 and one they will face in the future (ensure you state which stage of the life cycle the business experienced /will experience this challenge). A significant challenge that Eagle Boys pizza management has faced prior to 2011 is responding to the growing amount of different pizza businesses, in competition with Eagle Boys, and the need to introduce new ranges and varieties of products to satisfy the needs of consumers. They had been challenged to introduce new products such as gourmet pizzas, desserts, and sides such as pastas, chicken wings, garlic bread etc. This challenge was experienced during the growth stage of the business cycle. A significant challenge that Eagle Boys pizza management will face in the future is decline, in the Recession stage of the business life cycle. As the business would have been running for a while now, it will have become a high-risk business. Products may become obsolete, leaving the business with unsold stock. Another factor influencing decline is well qualified employees beginning to leave and seek better job opportunities. Due to the ongoing introduction of new businesses in the same field, Eagle Boys will be affected by consumers no longer buying the businesses products, resulting in a large dent in the cash flow. Consequently, profits will also decline. Identification of the business environmental influences, both internal and external, that have impacted upon this business Internal environmental influences that have impacted Eagle Boys Pizza include product influences such as the range of menus that it provides as well as services provided. E. g. Delivery services. Location influences also have a large effect on the business. The location of franchises is vital as a prime location means the business will attract higher numbers of customers as it is convenient and visible. The proximity to customers, suppliers and support services is also essential in determining the location of the business. Another internal influence is resources. Employees, being the main asset to the business are an extremely important resource. Other important resources include cooking and servicing equipment and machinery as well as raw materials that allow the business to create and sell their products. Management influences control the workers and help to provide a more organised structure and easy way of communication and co-operation. External environmental influences that have impacted Eagle Boys Pizza include Legal influences such as increasing legal obligations and business requirements. Political and institutional influences include taxation, employee superannuation, approval of new development and alteration applications. These influences have a strong impact on how and where the business is run. Another external influence is financial influences. Financial influences create changes in the financial market which can cause risk for the business. Geographical influences heavily impact the opportunities for the business. Demographic factors such as population, age, and income control the popularity of the business. Explanation and critical analyses of how management has responded to the above range of challenges and influences The first Eagle Boys Pizza opened in Albury, New South Wales. Eagle Boys advertised their products as semi-gourmet pizzas that quite unique to the larger chains, yet cheaper due to the high production output. This successful idea caught on, and the first store in Albury was quickly creating a generous profit. Within less than a year, Eagle Boys opened up two more stores in the neighbouring cities of Wagga Wagga and Dubbo. As the company sustained its growth, it put a lot of energy into researching ways to meet consumer demands in different regions. With stores opening up in rural, suburban and urban areas throughout Australia, the company became very popular due to operating in areas that other large fast food businesses would often ignore. One particularly successful store model was the development of a drive-thru pizza store in 1999, a concept which was unheard of at the time. Australia’s first drive-thru pizza store demonstrated to be immensely popular, as it was easy and convenient. Expanding on this quick pizza delivery system, the company launched the Eagle Boys Pizza Express Store shortly after, which was designed to provide quick service pizza out of a small location in highly populated foot traffic areas. This express system proved to be very popular, and new locations started to spring up at airports, shopping malls and pedestrian malls around the country. Many locations were now generating up to forty precent of their sales. As the company started to experience increased competition, it had to do something to differentiate its express pizza service from other companies offering similar products. Eagle Boys eventually developed a popular offshoot menu for Eagle Express stores: â€Å"Ready, Fresh Go! † in 2008. This idea meant that while it is an express delivery system, the pizzas are made fresh and held in specially-designed slow-cook ovens that ensure their freshness. The company’s dedication to research and response to consumer trends and the development of new, quality products quality concluded in the largest reformation of the Eagle Boys menu in its history. Launched in early 2010, the new menu featured a variety of new items. Apart from new pizzas, new items such as a chocolate fudge mousse dessert, pasta dishes, additional side dishes and drinks were introduced. Customers have responded with a resounding satisfaction, and throughout 2010 Eagle Boys enjoyed one of its biggest increases in sales in company history. Eagle Boys continues to develop new and accessible ways to respond to challenges and internal and external influences. Creating innovative and unique products is what has propelled the company to success, and it continues to be a mainstay of Eagle Boys’ activities today.

Kit Kat analysis Essay

Introduction Nestle has won, after 7 years, trademark battle against Cadbury over the four-fingered shape of the Nestle product – KitKat. Nestle is the Swiss multinational company in snack food, health-related goods industry. Nestle is the largest food company in the world by its revenue. Their products include baby food, bottle water, cereals, coffee, chocolate bars and many others. The most popular products are Nespresso, Nescafe, KitKat, Maggi and Nesquick. Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s largest competitors are Kraft Foods, Unilever and Mars incorporated. Cadbury is a British company and best known for its confectionary products. Cadbury was established as retailer of tea, coffee and drinking chocolate. The most popular products are Dairy Milk chocolate, the Crà ¨me Egg and Roses selection box. Cadbury`s main competitors are Jacobs Suchard, Nestle and Mars Incorporated. Kit Kat is one of the Nestle popular products which was invented in 18th century by Rowntree`s of York (than was acquired by Nestle). Kit Kat has unique four-fingered shape, which makes it recognizable as the product of Nestle. The following case is all about Kit Kat`s shape and weather Nestle can have a trademark on the shape (not the name – which is more common). Nestle and Cadbury were involved in a lawsuit over the four finger KitkKat`s shape. Nestle -the world’s biggest food company, has succeeded in stopping rivals from copying the shape of the four-fingered bar after a seven-year legal battle.1 Neste had registered shape of KitKat as a trademark in 2006 but Cadbury appealed against this application. In my paper I will discuss claim over trademark between Nestle and Cadbury, and the case status. This case is unusual in the way of concerns; the focus is not on the trademark name, but a trademark shape. By implying that we would not see an infringement in the case, but trademark ruling. KitKat  shape The case of KiKat, as mentioned above, is an unusual trademark wrangle between Cadbury and Nestle over shape of chocolate bar. Neste had introduced Kit Kat in 1935 and had registered KitKats shape in 2006. Cadbury applied to invalidate the registration on the basis of shape, since one company cannot monopolize shape. The office of harmonization of the Internal Market, which registers EU Community Trade Marks, allowed 3d – shape trademarks2 for sweets, bakery, biscuits, cakes and waffles in 2006, but lacked in application for chocolate, candy and confectionery. Few years later Cadbury disputed Nestle trademark to Cancellation Committee because of the mark was for a 3d-shape rather than over a name. The Cancellation Committee declared the Nestle trademark invalid. Originally, Cadbury had won its claim. Nestle had appealed and trademark regulators overturned decision after. Regulators reached new decision: as the four-fingered shape Kit Kat was exclusively associating as Nestle product. Nestle had provided evidence of using that shape for long period of time and had provided evidence of KitKat shape was exclusively associated with Nestle across the world and had gathered enough evidence to proof that Nestle had educated the public that chocolate bar with fingered shape is originated by Nestle. Case in flash In 2007 Cadbury filed a declaration of invalidity against Nestle, the request was directed against all the good covered by Nestle. Cadbury had thought that trademarking shape of the chocolate bar is a limitation of choice for consumers. In the proceedings parties submitted their observations and supporting documents. Nestle had submitted the following evidence to proof the KitKats shape was exclusively associated with them3: Overview of the worldwide sales volume, turnover and advertising cost for the 1995-2007 years; Set of documents related for a Kit Kat consumption in the United Kingdom; Promotional leaflet in which history of KitKat presented ; Compilation of the launch dates of the four fingered chocolate bar in the European Union (Uk 1937, Italy 1960, Austria 1988 and etc.); Marketing research, concerning market share; List of commercial and CD (containing examples); Nestle internal financial figures, market share, advertising expenses . Even though trademark is commonly the mark, motto or device, the shape of a product is considered trademark too, because consumers can identify the source of were the product originated. By submitting above evidence it was clear that trademark elements had been met: Kit Kat`s shape is distinctive – sufficient for consumers to identify manufacturer, suggestive – its clear for consumers that four-fingers shape is KitKat taste and even fanciful – Kit Kat had been massively invented by Nestle. Conclusion: Cadbury now has to decide whether or not it wants to appeal against the decision. The latest ruling over KitKat`s shape will prevent similar companies from producing similar bars of chocolate; it is now exclusively associated with Nestle. It was significant win for Nestle, since the four-finger shape became synonymous with its product. Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s case follows history of legal battles between the two companies. In 2012 Cadbury secured trademark rights to the purple color used on its packaging. Intellectual property office had awarded particular shade of purple to chocolate bars and drinking chocolate to Cadbury. Nowadays a lot of trademark cases are existing. Analyzing the importance of trademark, we can conclude that companies are very concerned of being exclusive and protecting its intellectual property. A lot of trademark cases exist because of technology progress, it is so much easier today to advertise online, have the market research done online, surveying the product satisfaction and etc. Since multimedia is our everyday routine, rivals can easily caught the consumer’s attention (by using already existing trademark) or converse the existing relationship with the product. References: 1. Office for Harmonization in the internal market http://www.ie-forum.nl/backoffice/uploads/file/IEForum%20OHIM%20Board%20of%20Appeal%2011%20december%202012,%20zaak%20R%20513_2011-2%20(Nestlà ©%20tegen%20Cadbury%20Holdings%20Limited).pdf 2. Cadbury thwarted over KitKat design as Nestlà © wins battle to prevent rivals copying four-fingered bar – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2256648/Cadbury-thwarted-KitKat-desig

Ezra Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro” Essay

Ezra Pound first published this poem in 1913, at a time when writers of poetry were trying to break from the traditional pentameters associated with their craft. This piece is an excellent example of Imagism, in which poets, instead of describing an image in detail , tried to use a minimal amount of words, and evoke an image by use of a well-written phrase. Pound uses haiku style of poetry in this piece which contains only 14 words- a stark contrast to the 20-30 lines from previous era of Victorianism. Pound once explained that he did not wish the heart of the poem to be in the first or second line- but to be the thought process that connects them. While this is a concept used in Imagism, it is more like the latter form he embraced- Vorticism. This categorization comes from the endeavor of the author to treat the poem as a piece of graphic art. Upon examination of the poem itself, it is interesting to note that no verbs are used in the poem, yet it conveys a sense of movement. His choice of the word â€Å"apparition† automatically makes the reader conjure images of mysticism and spirits, thus he begins his contrasts between the real and the unreal; the beautiful and the ugly; the mundane and the exotic. His contrast of nature versus man-made and the quick transition he makes is very typical of the Japanese haiku style. Interestingly he uses â€Å"petals† instead of flowers, giving it a softer, more feminine quality; thus the dark masculinity of the black bough is doubled. The comparison of these two is simultaneous with what the poet has seen on the railway platform- opposites that not only are extremes but that compliment each other. There is continued debate among scholars as to the true meaning of this poem and what Pound intended to convey when he wrote it. Nevertheless, they all have to agree that he did what he set out to do- transcend traditional form and make an eye-opening statement to his readers. References â€Å"Pound’s ‘In A Station of the Metro’: A Textual Note. † English Language Notes 8. 4 (June 1971). retrieved on June 16, 2009, from http://www. english. illinois. edu/ Maps/poets/m_r/pound/metro. htm Hishikawa, Eiichi â€Å"Ezra Pound† published by Kobe Univesity April 2004 retrieved on June 16, 2009 from http://www. lit. kobe-u. ac. jp/~hishika/pound. htm

Forensic Science Unit Two Text Questions Essay

1. What is a questioned document? Describe at least one example of something that might be a questioned document. – A questioned document is when a handwritten or any other type written document is questioned by its authenticity. A great example would be a passport. 2. What is an exemplar? What are the best types of exemplars? -Exemplars are samples that are authentic that are compared with the document that’s questioned. 3. What are natural variations? Describe how these may happen. -They are small differences that appear repeated samples of someones handwriting. Overtime our handwriting changes because every time we write something our hand changes the way we write. 4. How are stamped signatures different from written signatures? -Stamped signatures are always the same and written signatures change every time that you write them. 5. What are some of the typescript machines that document examiners may have to investigate? Choose one of these machines and describe what document examiners may look for when comparing the machine to a questioned document. Some of the typescript machines are called the Daisy Wheel Printer and the Dox Matrix Printer. A Daisy Wheel Printer is very similar to a ball-head typerwriter. They may look for a disc which is either made up of Plastic or Metal, thats where characters stand out. 1. Why are questioned documents important in forensic science? What is one example of a situation where a questioned document might be an important part of a criminal case? – Questioned Documents are important in Forensic Science because it can help figure out if a signature is Forged or not. For example if somebody steals money through a check, they can check the signature and see if the signature is forged or not which will help know if the check is real or not. 2. What are some of the ways that a document examiner might try to match a questioned document to a specific typewriter? What aspects might they look at? – Some of the ways that a documented examiner might try to match a  questioned document to a specific typewriter would be to match the handwriting,they could also look at different changes made in the handwriting. 3. Imagine that you have been asked to determine whether a signature on a check is authentic or a forgery. What steps would you take in doing this? What aspects would you examine? I would first examine the signature and get a hold of any papers that were signed by the same person and see how many similarities they have and how many differences they have. I would examine every little change that happens. 4. Imagine that you have been asked to determine whether a will written fifty years ago is authentic or a modern-day forgery. How would you go about doing this? What aspects would you examine to help you make your determination? -I would examine the handwriting and I would also use a Daisy Wheel Printer to figure out all of the information. 5. A law enforcement agent is in charge of getting a writing sample from an uncooperative suspect. The agent puts the suspect in a comfortable room and has the person choose from a bunch of pencils and ink pens. The agent takes the questioned document and dictates the information to the suspect, having the suspect write down what she says as she reads from the questioned document. After several paragraphs, the agent stops and has the suspect rewrite the material two more times. What did the agent do wrong in this situation? What did the agent do right? – What the agent did wrong is that he made him write it two or more times because every time that he writes it over again the handwriting changes. What he did do write was make him write everything he says as he dictates the information to the suspect. That way they can see whether the handwriting matches it or not.

Fast Food and Obesity Essay

People know that fast food is not good for them, but how bad is really and how much do people really know about the bad effects of fast food on their bodies? Most people have seen the â€Å"Super Size Me† documentary; yes Morgan Spurlock ate McDonalds for every meal for 30 days. Most people would gain weight from eating McDonalds for 30 days in a row, but even just eating McDonalds three times a week can have an impact on the body without people realizing it. And today according to The Center for Disease Control the childhood obesity rate grows every day from lack of exercising and a poor diet which leads to other health risks as well (Center for Disease Control, Atlanta 2010-2012). When Morgan Spurlock did the â€Å"Super Size Me† documentary, here he planned to eat at McDonalds for every meal for 30 days in a row and then would go to the physician periodically throughout the 30 days to see the side effects of eating fast food. Now given he did eat it for every meal for 30 days, most people figured there would be major side effects, but he wanted to prove to the public that even eating fast food a few times a week will make a difference on the body. And he proved that quite easily. Morgan Spurlock found many interesting facts about how bad fast food is on the body. Here are curios few: â€Å"McDonald’s feeds more than 46 million people a day – more than the entire population of Spain† there is no reason any fast food company should be feeding more people than the entire population of a country. In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food – today we spend more than $110 billion† if people spent the amount of money they do on other things besides fast food less people would be in debt. That money spent on fast food adds up quicker than people think. â€Å"Left unabated, obesity will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America† and there is no reason that an obesity rate should pass preventable death by smoking. All of these facts as well as many others should be enough warning about how bad fast food really is, unfortunately it’s not. (Spurlock 2011. Childhood obesity these days has become somewhat the norm. People look around and see all of these overweight children and wonder how they got like that. Fast food and lack of exercise is more than likely to blame. When children become obese early in life that puts them at risk for health problems like diabetes, heart problems, bone loss, and many other health risks that children should not have at an early age. If parents helped them become more educated about the benefits of exercising regularly and eating right, the obesity rate in children might not be as high. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA says that â€Å"Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years (CDC Atlanta 2010-2012). This alone should be a wakeup call to parents about educating their children on the bad effects of fast food and the benefits of regular exercise. No parent should ever want a child to be a statistic. There are so many benefits to regular exercise, like looking good and feeling good about the way the body feels after exercising. It can make a great start to the day, it builds healthy muscle and builds strong bones and it is also burning all those calories from one too many fast food restaurant visits. If people eat fast food even just one to three times a week, regular exercise might also be a good idea to consider doing one to three times a week. When eating unhealthy food and not exercising, the body just holds onto all of the unhealthy fat, calories and carbohydrates, which is why exercising is so important when people eat fast food on a regular basis. The Mayo Clinic says that â€Å"Many fast food menu items are extremely high in calories and would take lengthy and intense sessions of physical exercise to burn off. When you want to lose weight, eliminate fast food and eat a low-calorie diet made up of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fat-free dairy products† (Wood 2011). Several fast food items can go well over 1,000 calories. Like Big Mac meals and Quarter Pounder meals. That many calories in one item is never good for the body. Studies say that the body would have to run for 7 hours to burn off one double cheese burger from a local fast food restaurant, those 7 hours do not even include the fries that were ordered, or that super-sized soft drink, and then the possible dessert snack that was ordered as well. So in reality the body would be running for over 10 hours. If the body is exercising regularly (more that 1-3 times a week) then yes, the occasional cheese burger is okay. Eating fast food is never a healthy option. Even the healthy looking salad on the menu at Chik-Fil-A is not healthy, it has more than over 800 calories. There are short term and long term health effects from eating fast food and not exercising along with it. Some short term effects are fatigue, a suppressed immune system, weight gain, skin problems and dehydration. Some long term effects are when the body eats fast food most of it contains antibiotics, hormones and steroids, consuming these things over a long period of time can cause a boost in weight gain and make the body more prone to consuming bacteria that can be harmful to the body (Snider 2012). The antibiotics the body consumes in fast food will make the body resistant to antibiotics when it is sick. Antibiotics being in the fast food will also cause obesity, and intestinal discomfort happening more often than it should. Fast food also contains polyunsaturated vegetable oils Consuming this over a long period of time has been linked to cancer, blood clots, inflammation, elevated blood pressure, digestion problems, compromised immunity, reproductive damage, and weight gain, and can lead to an imbalance of essential fatty acids that the body needs. Eating fast food can cause high cholesterol which leads to a higher risk for stroke or heart attack. It can also cause the body to have a clogged colon, and processed meats have been proven at the Live Strong health facilities to increase the risk of colon cancer by 36% if the body is consuming fast food 3-5 times a week. There are always healthier choices than fast food, but if the body is craving fast food keep in mind possible things to stay away from like heavy salad dressings, breaded or fried meat, french fries, mayonnaise, large portions, double meat, white bread, thick crusts and low fat desserts. Remember these things and when the body is craving that fast food it now has a more educated view on what to eat. Snider 2012) If all Americans could somehow be educated on the bad side effects of fast food and the benefits of regular exercise, I think that the obesity epidemic could diminish tremendously. I know from experience that it feels so good to be healthy. Working out at the gym or taking a walk in the park makes me feel so good about myself and makes my body healthier and eating right does the same thing. Instead of having that greasy biscuit at the local fast food restaurant, try trading it for a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit and a glass of orange juice in the morning. The body will notice differences like not aving to feel bad for that biscuit it ate, it is also going to feel more awake and have more energy, rather than feeling tired from eating that greasy breakfast. Just remember exercise is always important, whether the body consumes fast food or not, exercise is always good for anyone and everyone. Moderation is key. If the body must have that fast food try limiting the fast food to once or twice a month, rather than once or twice a week like most people are used to. The best part in my opinion of not eating fast food as often or not at all is it saves me a ton of money!

Charles dickens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Charles dickens - Essay Example Dickens’ uses the setting communicate Nell’s emotions to the reader. Nell’s mood is reflected by the streets and rooftops of London. As Nell keeps her anxious vigil, the window serves as Nell’s peephole into the life of the outside world. The lonely child has no lively companions of her own age and no parents. She spends most of her time waiting for her grandfather’s return form his trips outside the shop. As she gazes on the windows of the houses facing her, she wonders about the lives which go on in those rooms. Nell projects her loneliness on to the setting and wonders â€Å"whether those rooms were as lonesome as that in which she sat.† Her loneliness is further emphasized by her perception that the people living in those rooms do not want her company, as she sees â€Å"them look out and draw in their heads again.† She interprets their failure to communicate with her as a sign of their rejection. In spite of this rejection, the str eet is Nell’s only glimpse of life and she is sorry when night falls and her tableaux of the world comes to an end. She is forced to return to the â€Å"dull† room, in which â€Å"everything was in its place and hadn't moved.† Here again, the room’s setting is used by Dickens to communicate the unchanging routine and boredom of the little girl’s days. ... As Nell looks at the â€Å"crooked stack of chimneys on one of the roofs,† she sees in her imagination the â€Å"ugly faces that were frowning over at her and trying to peer into the room.† This is an example of Dickens’ powerful imagery in his settings. The image of the ugly faces staring disapprovingly at Nell is a metaphor for the threat of bankruptcy and evil hovering over her life in the guise of Daniel Quilp. Dickens also uses the sombre setting to convey to the reader his characteristic criticism of the poor living quarters and the squalid environment of London. In this context, the evil-looking chimney stacks may be seen as a metaphor for the smoke-spewing monster of industrialization. Dickens’ attitude is reflected in Nell’s plea to her grandfather to exchange life in London with a life in the country where they can â€Å"walk through country places, and sleep in fields and under trees† and â€Å"work in open roads or fields.† The dark and gloomy streets of London outside Nell’s window symbolize the dark side of city life. Dickens’ setting in this passage connects to the next chapter in the novel. In the shadows of the street below, Kit lingers, standing guard over his precious Nell. His attention is totally focused on her window. As Nell keeps anxious vigil at her window, Kit keep his own vigil over her. Nell â€Å"is sitting alone at that window,† while Kit remains â€Å"watching in the open street for fear any harm should come to her† (Dickens, Chapter 10). This is a very poignant depiction of Kit’s love for Nell. Dickens cleverly links his setting in this passage in Chapter 9 with the following chapter to move

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 18

Assignment - Essay Example ?The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education† and â€Å"School and Society† were the most critical readings.The books served to introduce the contexts of how schools served to promote social values. This paper will present a reflection of the critical things I learned throughout the course. The first chapter of â€Å"The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education† introduced an interesting concept that helped me to understand the purposes for the different systems of organizations evident in schools today. For a long time, I had been wondering why American schools have adopted the modern system of organization. Chapter 2 of the same book helped me to recognize the structures and dynamics of schools that qualify them to be social organizations. Worth noting is the fact that students from different backgrounds have an opportunity to interact freely with the school systems. In addition, the school content covers certain critical social concepts that shape the perception of the students. It emerged to me that schools are critical social organizations explaining why it is important to develop an effective curriculum for the American schools. In the third chapter of the book, I gained familiarity with the social impact that schools have on children. Notabl y, the interactions between different children in the school setting lead to an exchange of social and cultural values. For many students, it is impossible to resist the social impact experienced in schools. Therefore, there is a salient need for teachers to promote positive socialization within the school system in an effort to avoid negative social impact. From a personal experience, schools can affect an individual in different ways. During my early school days, I gained familiarity with different cultural aspects. For this reason, I have first-hand experience that schools have a critical social impact on students. The content discussed in the school system also served to shape my social

Electrical and electroinc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electrical and electroinc - Essay Example It provides high gain in signal process. Despite this, positive feedback is prone to oscillations, poor frequency response, prone to more distortion and prone to more drift. This is where the feedback signal is 1800 out of phase with the input signal. In this scenario, the feedback is in such a way that it opposes the input signal. In negative feedback circuit, the feedback signal is connected in such a way that it is out of phase with the input signal. As a result, the feedback signal subtracts from the input resulting in lower amplitude output signal as compared to what could have been in the absence of the amplifier. 1. Gain stability. This is because the general gain of feedback amplifier is independent of internal gain and only is dependent on the feedback ratio. Also, the feedback ratio solely depends on passive elements which include resistors and amplifiers. Oscillation occurs when the feedback system is unable to find a stable steady state since the transfer function can’t be satisfied considering this scenario, the system becomes unstable when 1+AÃŽ ² = 0. Crystal oscillators are advantageous over other type of oscillators. This is because in case excitement, they oscillate at precise frequency because of the mechanical make associated with it. When compare to an electronic oscillator, its frequency can be made to shift with

The Health and Safety Laws in the USA Assignment

The Health and Safety Laws in the USA - Assignment Example Consultation Paper on Civil Liability for Unsafe Products presented by The Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong, Product Liability sub-committee (1998) under 2.10 states, â€Å"Provided the consumer has a direct contractual nexus with the seller, the consumer is entitled to damages if the other party has broken an express or implied term of the contract.† In the present case, though the assurance of Edward, â€Å"rich people from the PRC had a plan to purchase classical oil paintings from Hong Kong in the near future for resale in the PRC† was not included in the agreement, it is implied that the oil painting is of merchantable quality. According to section 11(2) of the Control of Exemption Clauses Ordnance, even the liability for breach of implied condition of merchantable quality cannot be excluded or restricted by a contract term. Edward further said that there would be a very great demand for this particular classical oil painting owned by him and thus an appreciation of at least three times in value within 6 months. Eventually, no rich people from the PRC purchased the classical oil painting. The classical oil painting in fact depreciated in value. Therefore, there is a case for liability for breach of implied condition of merchantable quality. Also, Edward has induced Fred to buy the oil painting through his assurance and forecast which could be construed as negligence in giving assurance or forecasting appreciation in the value of the oil paintings.   In addition to the implied condition of merchantable quality, the Control of Exemption Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 71) also deals with liability in tort for negligence.

International Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

International Finance - Essay Example The first section highlights how General Electric suffered adversely because of the 2011 crisis in Japan that involved an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear radiation. The second section of the paper involves calculations on covered interest arbitrage in order to investigate the amount of profit achieved and the amount of loss achieved by a corporate foreign investor.This paper stresses that The common characteristics of multinational enterprises include huge capital outlay, which contribute to the massive investments usually made by the MNEs. MNEs also have wide market presence in form of retail stores in numerous countries or subsidiary companies in numerous countries, a big workforce, and huge sales volume because of the wide market presence, wide and highly decentralized organisational structure. Lastly, MNEs have cultural diversity within their organisational setting. General Electric decides to venture into Japan through other subsidiaries such as Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Limite d because of the country’s robust economy, which is ranked third Worldwide in terms of gross domestic product after the United States and China. This essay has identified that for a foreign company to decide to venture into another local market or country, the local market has to be endowed with various factors that make it a conducive business environment. Such an environment is most likely to favour the business operations of the foreign company, give it an opportunity to growth further, and increase it profitability level.

The Rise of the Soloist documentary from MyMusicLab Term Paper

The Rise of the Soloist documentary from MyMusicLab - Term Paper Example Rarely in popular music does one see a group performing without highlighting the work of one performer. Most often, the vocalist drives the music, expressing himself through the lyrics and the sound. As well, one can see the break away of the drum, guitar, or bass soloist as they create an interlude between the verses. If one thinks about it, most music is now created from the advent of this rise in popularity of solo performers. The many pieces from the period reflect this shift, but the way in which most music is created in modern popularity has the soloist focus so that the emotional content is given to the audience through focus on one person. The instrumental background becomes secondary to the focus that the audience puts on the work of the soloist. After all, when Elvis hit the stage, who was cheering for the band? In many ways, this shift in focus could signify the single most significant change that influenced modern music. Creating expressive music through the use of the point of view of one individual is the core of the modern sound. While a soloist was not new, the idea of a freely emotional expression from a single person did seem to form during this time. Period. The use of the voice, or any other instrument, as a focal point that set the tone, mood, and tempo, slowing and speeding up as his or her interpretation allowed has allowed the audience to go on the journey that the soloist creates. This journey is a far more personal event with the freedoms that were discovered in the Baroque

Case study of 2007 Mattel toy recall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case study of 2007 Mattel toy recall - Essay Example The result was that the company had to recall the major part of its production as the toys manufactured by the contractors contained toxic components. For instance, its toy Sarge contained high levels of lead, and some other items such as Batman, Polly Pocket and Doggie Daycare contained powerful magnets that could be easily swallowed by children. This paper will analyze to what extent Mattel Inc demonstrated its legal and ethical responsibility while responding to the issue. It will also discuss the role of other parties involved. Finally, the paper will suggest an essential approach for the society to ensure that their children are protected from harmful toys. 1. Evidently, Mattel acted in a responsible way by performing a series of product recalls in 2007. Although the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Mattel’s five initial recalls on August 14, subsequently, on 4th September, Mattel announced the recall of other items that contained lead and harmful magnets (Case study). This was the real indication of the firm’s ethical and social responsibility toward the entire world. At the same time, the incident shows that Mattel must reconsider its outsourcing or international business strategies. Evidently, Mattel did not clearly analyze the risk factors associated with outsourcing business in China. It also failed to forecast the likeliness of â€Å"quality compromise† while choosing Chinese contractors. These strategic flaws cause people to doubt the ethical accountability of the firm as well as the effectiveness of current regulations. Although Mattel’s strategic decision on producing toys in China flawed, the way the firm responded to the 2007 issue was very substantial. Mattel has been very keen on maintaining its public transparency despite certain issues such as that of the 2007 recall. As Lawrence and Weber (2010) point out, in 1997 Mattel developed its own detailed code of conduct and since then, it added i ts genuine effort to comply with the code in every aspect with the extended help from ICCA, an independent audit firm. For instance, the issue associated with Mexican plants, where workers complained that they had to â€Å"stand without a break for eight hours a day,† was immediately addressed by the company in a very reasonable way (p. 104). As per the SICCA report, Mattel Inc in 1997 defined its â€Å"global code of conduct (Global Manufacturing Principles) for its production facilities and contract manufactures†; and the GMP â€Å"covers such issues as wages and hours, child labor, forced labor, discrimination, freedom of association, legal and ethical business practices, health and safety, protection of the environment, and respect for local culture, values, and traditions† (SICCA, 2010). Again, as the case study states, in China itself Mattel had its own facilities and special test labs for testing the quality of the products; and the company had its own sp ecific standards with regard to the levels of lead in paint. Undoubtedly, the company initiated an extensive investigation in â€Å"July after a European retailer found that paint on a Mattel product† (Case study). Moreover, the company never wanted to hide its fault and instead, informed the world that it was earnestly trying to resolve the issue in union with the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the United States and other

How are fashion and appearance central to the construction of social identities Essay Example for Free

How are fashion and appearance central to the construction of social identities Essay We live in a world were physical appearance is the measurement of our self-worth. Media advertisements more often than not show how people can improve their appearance and why it is important. From job interviews to social events, how people look and dress determine other people’s impression. In this age of increased self-consciousness, fashion and appearance play a crucial role in establishing the social identity of a person. Fashion, as defined by many books and other resources, can be defined as the prevalent style and custom at a certain point in time and the word may also mean the study of this certain fashion trends. Even though there are many things that can be considered prevalent at a certain time, fashion more often than not points more to clothing or clothing style. Different periods of time have different fashion. There is no other applied art which affects the everyday lives of the people other than fashion. Fashion design is responsible for the clothing that we wear since the ancient times. Clothing does not only help us keep warm but it also shapes us in the psychological and social aspect. Basically, clothing forms a basis of a person’s social identity. Fashion has become a part of the culture since the early times. Different ethnic groups have different clothes which reflect their culture. Fashion based on some researches done by cultural scientists played a role in social and cultural structure, social differentiation and social integration (Davis, 1994, p. 16). Social identity is the way people are categorized or label themselves. This can be in forms of their race or ethnicity. This can also be defined as how people associate or identify themselves into certain groups which serve to heighten their self esteem because they have the same social identities. Since people are social animals, sociologists deemed that social identity is an important aspect of a person. People want to be assured that they belong to one group or they positively compare with other group of people. When talking about social identity in terms of fashion, it is more than how majority of sociologist in the world restrict the concept as mere social class or status. Social identity includes how people communicate with others through symbolic means such as the way they dress or through clothing. It is also the configuration of attributes and attitudes which people seek to attain and discuss about themselves. Fashion contributes to the redefinition and reconstruction of a certain social identity by continually adding something new to cultural artifacts. Everything undergoes evolution and perhaps fashion is one thing that changes fast it is fashion. People change the way they dress when the weather changes. People change the way they carry their clothes when something in their environment shifts. Studies and researchers which were geared towards understanding the culture of a certain society more often than not focus on artifacts which are evidences of the past and present culture of a place. The woven pieces of clothing are often considered as indicators of social customs and social hierarchies. Anthropologists consider clothing as less prone to changes done by the capitalist market and are therefore richer or more stable indicators of sociological and cultural truths. Because of this, anthropologists invested far more energy and resources in investigating and examining the significance of the structure, form, and pattern of clothing than other cultural artifacts. For an instance, the way American Indians wear their clothes which were originally made from animal skin is still the same as before. Emergence of new ways of clothing did not change their original culture (Breward, 2003, p. 64). Fashion and its effect on nineteenth century Attempts to reform the way people dress first appeared during the nineteenth century. The people were starting to get tired of the constricting features of clothing and the too elaborate features of dresses. Women who were fighting for their rights such as Elizabeth Stanton, Elizabeth Miller and Amelia Bloomer were the women who designed the then very famous bloomer dress which was consisted of an uncorseted mid-calf dress which was set over pantaloons (Stearns, 1994, p. 12). Many improvements were made since then to people’s clothing. Different eras reflected different styles of clothing and are more often than not also reflective of the prevalent social identity. For example, during the Victorian era it can be said that the clothing of the people were like straitjackets which aimed to constrict the movements and manners of people. Women during the Victorian era were expected by the society to move and behave only when instructed by their male counterpart. Another example of how clothing or fashion plays a role in the construction of social identity is the wearing of uniforms of the military, police or religious personas. The wearing of uniforms based on social researches done impose an aura of confidence and authority so that they can make the people around them follow their orders either willingly or unwillingly (Crane, 2001, p. 3). Clothing also affected the way people measure their social status or whether they were rich or poor during the early nineteenth century. Clothes were generally considered as one of the most valuable possessions during this time. During the Industrial Revolution, clothes were started to be manufactured by machines or in factories and these clothes cost more than average. Newly made clothes were not available to the poor because of the cost and they were left to use hand-me-downs or used clothing. Clothes were very expensive that it was even considered a form of currency by the rich and often replaced gold as means of payment. Fashion and clothing are also means in which people differentiate themselves from others. Rare fashion finds such as antique clothes are used by people who want to express their uniqueness from others. They may wear it as everyday clothing or on special occasion. Regardless of when they will wear it, these kinds of clothing are worn by people to establish an identity which is different from others (Barnard, 2002, p. 61). Another example of how clothing constructs social identities was when large immigrants arrived in the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century. The immigrants who arrived immediately disposed their new clothing and used the new clothes available in the country. Through this method, anthropologists were able to deduce that the people wanted to start a new social identity so they immediately dropped their old ways of clothing. Hats were also famous article of clothing during the nineteenth century and it played the most important role in distinguishing the social status of a person. The bowler hat which was designed in England in 1850 was originally made as an occupational hat but was soon adopted by the people from the upper class for sports. It was not too long until people from all social strata adopted the bowler hat for everyday use. Another example, the cap with visor which was mainly used by military officers, was also adopted by the working class by the middle of the nineteenth century. The visor cap, then known as the peaked cap was considered to be the most common head covering for the working man. Fashion and its effect on the twenty-first century In the recent years, especially the twenty-first century, clothes were not deemed with the same economic importance unlike in the previous centuries. Because of the cheap ready-made clothes that were made available to all social classes, clothes were not used as replacement for gold unlike before. Even though the economic value of clothes was not as significant as before, their symbolic value remained as important as before. The availability of clothes to all social classes made it possible for those who are not so very affluent to still express their individualities and own cultures. Another example of how clothes changed the way people perceive their social identities is if before women were not allowed to wear tight clothes or those which confine their body. Today women can wear tight clothes such as leotards and spandex whenever they like because of their liberalization. Women of today are not expected to conform much to how the society expects them to behave or to act. They are also not forced to stay at home anymore but women are now doing what the men do. Indeed, the gender equality experienced in this century is reflected in the way women dress. Cross-dressing or the wearing of clothing that is associated with a different gender, is also another way of how fashion reconstructed the social identity of people (Bullough, 1993, p. ). Homosexuals before were forced to follow the prescribed way of dressing for their gender. Unlike today where in homosexuals are free to dress the way they want, without being afraid of other people and punishments. They can wear women’s clothing and express their identities freely unlike before. Teenagers or adolescents also use fashion to set their own social identity from their parents or those fro m an older generation. If we turn on the television or visit a high school, we can see teenagers strutting outrageous clothes such as those with bright colors or elaborate designs. If people from an older generation prefer simpler designs of clothes, teenagers prefer those with dramatic effects to highlight the generation difference (Sloan, 2009). Perhaps this is how the youth of today’s generation set their social identity. If ever we see an old person dressing up the way the teenagers do, these persons are often considered out of the ordinary. This social identity is somehow embedded in the minds of the people and teenagers are now remembered this way. People who prefer work than leisure or vice versa can also be determined by the way they dress. During they first years of the twentieth century, the three-piece business suit was considered by many to be the epitome of the high social class and are often worn during important events. Though some wear the business suit as everyday apparel, others still consider it as a social class distinction. There were also strict regulations as to how a business should be worn and made. There were exact measurements for the lapels, collars and sleeves. The strict regulations about business suits were deemed as a factor in how people will achieve success. The use of the popular T-Shirt was associated with leisure. Because of its availability and cheap cost, majority of the public during the early twentieth century prefer shirts over the business suits. As time passed, t-shirts were used by people to set off political agendas such as imprinting political statements on t-shirts or other humorous statements. No matter what social class people belong in, rich or poor, t-shirts are favored by these people. Fashion transmitted by popular culture or music come and go very rapidly. Clothes designed because of the effect of the popular culture and the entertainment media are often highly androgynous. There are people who call themselves gothic and they are identified socially by their gloomy appearance and wearing of black colored clothes. Established rock groups also affect the fashion scene by popularizing leather clothes. Rap musicians like rock groups popularized the baggy clothes worn by some teenagers today. Indeed fashion drew a line between different genres of music and avid fans of the different music genres also follow this fashion therefore setting a social identity for them. Fashion undoubtedly constructs and affects the social identity of a person in more ways than one. Fashion and all the attributes it entails are a vast reservoir of meanings and culture of a certain society. From fashion magazines to television advertisements, fashion is a way of introducing something new to the public. Because of what they see in these popular advertisements, the people’s way of thinking is affected. People also depend on clothes and trend of fashion to express themselves and their uniqueness. Without this part of our culture, people will have lesser chances of expressing themselves and their individuality.