Parole and Truth in Sentencing Paper

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Manchurian Candidate – Film Theory Paper

The Manchurian Candidate, adapted from Richard Condon’s novel of the same title, was released in 1962, and directed by John Frankenheimer. Brief Plot Summary The central concept of the film is that the son of a prominent, right-wing political family has been brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy Thesis Statement The Manchurian Candidate was noted for its breakthrough in cinematography, as the scenes were shot in a creative manner that was new and different in that era.It also made use of different editing techniques to seamlessly piece the story together, along with the use of certain recurring Motifs to effectively deliver the story to the audience. This paper would examine how the groundbreaking use of cinematography, editing help to bring across the theme of surrealism, and delivers a thrilling effect while the motifs help bridge the Theme of The Manchurian Candidate with the use of visual elements. Cinematography The Manchurian Cand idate made use of several different brilliant cinematography aspects to bring forward the theme of surrealism and thrill to the audience.According to the Dictionary, the term â€Å"surrealism† refers to â€Å"an avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, characterized by the evocative juxtaposition of incongruous images in order to include unconscious and dream elements. † This theme was highlighted in several scenes in the film. Particularly in a scene where Major Marco was having a nightmare, the camera tracked from the end of Marco’s bedroom towards Marco, who was lying on the bed sleeping.The tracking shot ended with a close up of Marco’s face, with his brows furrowed as he began to experience his recurring nightmare. The close up shot of Marco’s troubled face was then superimposed onto his nightmare shot. From the tracking to close up shot, it creates a sense of mystery and suspense, which intrigues the audience and builds up the anticipation. After which it would lead up to the film’s most noted scene- the Ladies in Garden Club scene.In this scene, the director made use of a 360 degrees panning shot to showcase three different points of view- the â€Å"Reality†, the â€Å"brainwashed white man’s imagination† and the â€Å"brainwashed black man’s imagination†. These three different points of view in a dream add up to one big surrealistic nightmare scene. It is also important to note that this scene was considered to be â€Å"notorious† (Chung, 2006, p. 129) during that era, for its unconventional use of camera work. During and after the 1950s, there is an â€Å"increase in the number of dark, provocative and original films. (Mann, 2008, p. 12) and The Manchurian Candidate was one of them. It was â€Å"stylistically ambitious† (Mann, 2008, p. 12) and can be considered a breakthrough in cinematogr aphy during that era. This scene alone had to be shot 3 different times, as each individual point of view comprised of different elements and actors. The platoon was captured and brainwashed into thinking they were attending a ladies horticulture club meeting, when in fact they were present and sitting in a Communist meeting. The camera then does a 360 degrees slow panning shot from the lady speaking, Mrs.Whittaker, to everyone present in the scene, listening to the talk. However, as the camera makes a full round and returns to the start, gone was Mrs. Whittaker, and in her place stood an East Asian doctor giving the Russian and Chinese generals a speech about the brainwashed American soldiers. This panning shot builds up suspense, as the camera slowly pans around the venue, showing that there were only ladies present. It delivered a shock to the audience, who expected to see Mrs. Whittaker after the camera makes a full round, to find out that the lady was gone and replaced by a man instead.This slow panning movement also gave the scene a dream-like quality, which is a characteristic often associated with the theme of surrealism. The scene with the doctor and Communist generals reflected the â€Å"reality† of which the soldiers are unaware of, as they were brainwashed. The camera used a low-angle shot to reveal the amphitheatre filled with Communists. It was positioned behind the soldiers, as if they were looking up to those seated. This is to show that the American soldiers caught were at the mercy of those Generals present, to show authority from those seated above and around the amphitheatre.Even though they are under the mercy of the Communists, the soldiers showed no sign of fear as they were brainwashed into thinking they were facing a group of women instead. Hence the use of camera angle here provides a sort of contradiction to reality, it showed Communist authority even though the soldiers displayed no fear. Another groundbreaking use of cinemat ography can be found in the scene where Johnny Iselin was confronting the Secretary about the â€Å"number of Communists in the Defense department† with Eleanor Iselin manipulating her husband.In this scene, the Secretary was giving a press conference and Johnny Iselin stood up, and demanded to know why are there communists present in the Defense department. The scene was constructed such that the Secretary was at one end of the room, while Johnny was the other end. Yet they were able to appear in one frame, with the use of juxtaposition. As the press conference was broadcasted live, the confrontation between both parties were filmed and showed on television screen.Whenever the Secretary is in frame, Johnny Iselin would appear on the screen of a small television at the corner of the frame, thus making both parties visible onscreen even though technically, they are at different ends of the room. This use of framing and juxtapose imagery echo them theme of â€Å"surrealismâ₠¬ . Surrealism often uses incongruous juxtapositions to highlight conflicts (Strom, 2003). In one particular scene, the mastermind of this confrontation, Eleanor Iselin, appeared in the foreground, with Johnny in the background, and the Secretary reacting angrily on the small little television screen at the corner of the frame.Every action was combined in one frame capturing the whole shot, filled with conflict and movement. This framing brought the tension of the film up a few notches and audiences were able to feel the impending explosion of anger between the characters. The unconventional use of cinematography aspects in this film successfully brings forward the theme of Surrealism, with its â€Å"unusual framings and camera movements† (Strom, 2003, p. 8), which are styles indebted to Surrealism. Editing The different use of editing was also one of the most noted aspects of The Manchurian Candidate.According to Carroll (2003), â€Å"editing, or montage, was generally cel ebrated as the most important, essential characteristic of cinema† (p. 153). Hence the right choice of editing technique would set the pace and coherency of the film. This would bring us to the editing pace of the film- the long takes versus the accelerated montage. The scene that showcased a long take, happened when in Major Marco’s train ride from Washington to New York. Marco was feeling jittery and nervous, thus he decided to leave his train seat and go to the back of the train for some fresh air.He arrived at the last carriage, and stood with his back leaning against the wall. A woman followed Marco and entered the same carriage. She had observed Marco from before, and decided to follow him into the back. Marco and the woman began to strike up a conversation, with random small talks that made no sense. This whole scene involved no cuts at all, all shot at one go and thus showcasing the aspect of a â€Å"long take†. The long take builds on the tension between the meeting of two strangers, showing the entire conversation between Marco and the woman, despite it being nonsensical and weird.The audience took in the scene at one go, after which it leaves them wondering â€Å"what lies underneath this exchange of words between the Major and this woman? † The long take establishes a fact that this scene is important, as it â€Å"intensifies† a shot (Goldberg, n. d), contradictory to the fact that the content of the scene is random and consist of small talks only. As opposed to a long take, which consists of virtually no cuts, an accelerated montage consists of shots with increasingly shorter lengths.With regards to The Manchurian Candidate, the accelerated montage editing aspect occurs during the â€Å"Convention† scene, where Raymond Shaw was sent on a mission to assassinate the President. In this particular scene, Sergeant Raymond Shaw was instructed by his mother to shoot the newly elected President at the Madison Squar e Garden, with Major Marco scrambling to stop Shaw from accomplishing his mission. The establishing shot of Madison Square Garden showed Raymond walking through rows and rows of empty tiered seats, arriving at a small room high above the arena.He positioned his rifle as he prepares for his mission to assassinate the elected President while he was giving his speech. As crowds filled the arena, Major Marco struggles to locate Shaw in hopes of stopping him. The whole sequence was edited with the cross-cutting technique. Through cross-cutting, it helps to create tension and delivers the sense of thrill when the audience sees Shaw preparing to fire his rifle, as Marco runs frantically to stop him. From the first few shots of Shaw preparing his rifle and locating his target to Marco searching frantically for Shaw, was edited with shots and cuts that got shorter and shorter.It adopted the technique of Accelerated Montage, which serves to create tension and keep the audience at the edge of their seats. As this is the climax of the film, by using cross-cutting and accelerated montage, the film manages to capture the audience’s attention and builds a highly thrilling and exciting sequence. Motifs The Manchurian Candidate makes use of several motifs in this film to drive home its message and to develop its theme. One of the most glaring motifs used in this film would be the Red Queen, or the Queen of Diamonds.The Queen of Diamonds card had appeared several times in the film, particularly during scenes that involved Raymond Shaw being brainwashed. In this film, the Communists had conditioned Shaw’s brain into receiving commands and fulfilling them like a robot would. However, this brainwash condition can only be activated when Shaw hears the line â€Å"Why don’t you pass the time by playing a little game of solitaire? † After which, Shaw would proceed to take out a stack of cards robotically and began playing.As he plays the game, he would even tually draw out the Queen of Diamonds card, and upon seeing the card it would fully activate Shaw’s brainwashed condition. At first glance, it may seem that the Queen of Diamonds motif is played out to trigger Shaw’s mental condition. However, as the film progresses, the intent of using the Queen of Diamonds began to clear up- that the Queen of Diamonds was linked to Shaw’s mother, Eleanor Iselin and later in the film, his soon-to-be wife, Jocie (Blakesly, 2007).According to Blakesly (2007), the Queen of Diamonds card represented â€Å"an adamant woman, his mother, someone Raymond would rather not see†. During the first few scenes, Shaw admitted that he â€Å"despised and loathed his mother†. It was eventually revealed that Shaw’s mother was also part of the Communist conspiracy, and a woman hungry for political power. Hence, the card that would trigger Shaw’s mental condition was picked out to be the Queen of Diamonds, which signifie s his mother and hinted that his mother had a connection with the Communists. As mentioned above, the Queen of Diamonds is also known as the Red Queen.In this case, it represented Communism as this film was shot and based on the Cold War, which was ongoing during that time. Blakesly’s analysis surmises that: Another triggering device for Raymond’s conditioning is when he looks upon the Queen of Diamonds, the Red Queen, with the concomitant relationship of â€Å"red† to the â€Å"Red scare†, the communism from which the left in North America, with rare exceptions, still recoils. (p. 218) Besides being a figure representation of Shaw’s mother, the Queen of Diamonds also took on the representation of Communism.Hence it would make sense to why Shaw would fall into a state of â€Å"brainwashed condition† upon seeing the Queen of Diamonds card- he was being controlled by the Communists, with the card serving as a reminder that Communism took over his mind. Other than the Queen of Diamonds motif, the film also adopted Abraham Lincoln as a motif. The use of Abraham Lincoln ranges from obvious pictures of Lincoln himself, hanging in the Iselin house to a more subtle form, where Johnny Iselin dresses up at Abraham Lincoln in a masquerade party.The Iselins were from the Right-Wing, or Republican party. The use of Lincoln signifies the stand that the Iselins take within political context and also to serve as a kind of contradiction between right and wrong. Abraham Lincoln was a prominent leader of the Republican Party. According to Redding (2008), the film was â€Å"mediating symbolically on the political heritage of Lincoln’s republic among a corrupted public sphere†. Lincoln was used a symbol to represent America, and the director’s portrayal of the Iselins served as a satire of the America politics during that time.Johnny Iselin, the Senator, was portrayed as a drunk, impulsive and rash person. He often con fronted the government with issues concerning the communist, when in fact; he is also part of the communist conspiracy to take over the American government. This is a parody of â€Å"McCarthy†, who was a rash and impulsive Senator from the Republican Party. During the time he acted as a Senator, he often appeared drunk and caused a lot of controversy. Thus the portrayal of Johnny Iselin based on McCarthy, and the images of Lincoln all served to fuel the director’s satire on the political situation.During the masquerade party scene, Johnny Iselin dressed up as Abraham Lincoln, a contradiction as he is working with the communists whereas Lincoln was regarded as a righteous politician in the past. To further highlight the contradiction, Johnny’s wife, Eleanor Iselin dressed up as Bo Peep, a character which symbolizes innocence and naivety. However, as mentioned previously, Eleanor was anything but innocent. She worked hand in hand with the communists in order to ga in political foothold. Thus, this portrayal also serves to show a contradiction between right and wrong, righteous and evil.Portraits of Abraham Lincoln decorated the Iselin house, and in a particular scene, where Eleanor was confronting Raymond about his love interest with the daughter of a Senator from an opposition party, Lincoln was â€Å"staring† down at the confrontation. This is yet another example of contradiction between right and wrong, the mother being an evil influence was threatening Raymond to give up his love and Lincoln’s portrait in the background serves to remind us light will prevail, as the portrait was hung above of Eleanor as she speaks.The different motifs of this film helped shaped the entire plot and provided audience with clues; when they see the Queen of Diamonds they immediately would know that Raymond Shaw would be brainwashed. It also helped to bridge certain morals or theme of the story with visual elements, like the battle of right and e vil was shown through the portayal of the Iselins versus Abraham Lincoln iconography. Conclusion This paper discussed how use of cinematography, editing helped bring across the theme of surrealism, and delivered a thrilling effect while the motifs helped bridge the Theme of The Manchurian Candidate with the use of visual elements.In conclusion, The Manchurian Candidate made use of highly unconventional cinematography and editing aspects that successfully showcased the theme of â€Å"surrealism† and effectively created tension and thrill, for the audience. Not forgetting the effective use of motifs, which helped developed the main theme with the use of visual elements and provoked thought from the audience as they watch the film, while trying to piece the puzzles together.Bibliography * Blakesly, David (2007) The Terministic Screen: Rhetorical Perspectives on Film. Illinois: SIU Press * Carroll, Noel (2003) Engaging the Moving Image. USA: Yale University Press * Chung, H. S. ( 2006) Hollywood Asian: Philip Ahn and the Politics of Cross-Ethnic Performance. USA: Temple University Press * Goldberg, * Mann, Denise (2008) Hollywood Independents: The Postwar Talent Takeover. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press * Redding, A. F. (2008) Turncoats, traitors, and fellow travelers: culture and politics of the early Cold War. USA: University Press of Mississippi * Strom, Kristen (2003) Resurrecting the Stylite Simon: Bunuel’s Surrealist Film. P. 8

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Evidence-Based Practice Paper and Intervention Presentation on Diabetes (Benchmark Assessment) - Essay Example Primarily, DM diagnosis relies on the measurement of plasma glucose levels. This diagnostic mode is effective in detecting diabetics and pre-diabetics, but it does not offer a clear mode of assessing resultant complications, which often start in the vascular system. The diagnosis therefore, only tests tolerance to glucose, and not the associated risks such as the vascular risks (Pavri, 2001). The further assessment of risk may be necessary in monitoring the condition and administration of treatment, but it has not been available. However, a recent research by Zampetaki and others has led to the discovery of biomarkers that can be used in diagnosing and monitoring type II diabetes and its associated risk (Zampetaki et al., 2010). Description of Diagnostic Tool The new diagnostic tool uses microarray screening and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) processes to monitor MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which have been positively associated with the development of the condition and its progres sion. This new tool offers significant prognostic ability to predict and monitor type II DM. The miRNAs are small group of RNAs not involved in coding. They instead work as repressors in translation (Zampetaki et al., 2010). The miRNAs bind to complementing sites by base pairing on untranslated portions of the target mRNA. They are responsible for directing repression or degradation of the transcripts. Research has shown that miRNAs influence stress responses, oncogenesis, development and angiogenesis. They also play a significant role in endothelial cell functioning as well as the regulation of angiogenic potential and inflammations. The study found that miRNAs change prior to the start of type II DM (Zampetaki et al., 2010). The changes were narrowed to miRNA-126, which was found to profoundly change with type II DM (Larkin, 2010). This provided proof for a plasma Micro-RNA signature for patients with type II DM, thus suggesting a possible prognostic value in monitoring and diagno sing DM (Zampetaki et al., 2010). Summary of Research The study on miRNAs and DM was part of a wider Italy-based Bruneck Research on various conditions including cardiovascular diseases. The study was initiated in 1990 by â€Å"King’s College London British Heart Foundation Centre (Larkin, 2010).† The researchers sampled and measured miRNAs from a total of 822 participants. Some of the participants had type II DM, whereas; others were controls. The measurements were conducted in five phases on an annual basis from 1990 to 2005. The use of microarray screening and real-time PCR identified 700 miRNAs. The researchers then used miRNA relevance network inference technique to understand the miRNAs regulatory networks. The technique revealed changes in the levels of some five miRNAs prior to the start of type II DM. Notably, miRNA-126 was found to show a consistent decline, which was correlated to the incidence and prevalence of type II DM (Zampetaki et al., 2010). The fact that miRNA-126 is significant in wound repair and vessel health implies that its decline is an indicator of vascular risk levels associated with DM. miRNA-126 is rich in normally functioning endothelial cells and its decline associated with DM may be an indicator of the progression of deterioration caused by DM, which increases vascular risk (Zampetaki et al., 2010). As such, miRNA can be a significant prognostic tool in monitoring DM and associated risks (Larkin, 2010). The study

'Discuss the geochemical cycle of the element sulfur' Essay

'Discuss the geochemical cycle of the element sulfur' - Essay Example Sulfur occurs in nature and it is also present in coal, crude oil, natural gas, oil shale and many other minerals. The most abundant of all sulfur is a compound of sulfur and iron called pyrite. Sulfur cycle is a major biogeochemical cycle of significance to climate and life on the planet earth. Living things require certain safe, low levels of this nutrient. It is an essential component of proteins and amino acids. All plants and animals require small amounts of sulfur to live. Plants obtain sulfur form soil. Many foods from plants including cabbage, onion, and soybean flour are rich in sulfur. Methionine a substance required in the human diet also contains sulfur. It is also present in the foods such as eggs, dairy products and meats. In nature sulfur exists in various forms such as elemental sulfur, sulfides, sulfites, sulfates, oxides of sulfur, etc. However the majority mainly occurs in the form of elemental sulfur, sulfides and sulfates. Early earth ecosystems with well developed sulfur cycles thriving in environments receiving reduced sulfur gases (and H2) from the mantle. Such environments might include recirculating hydrothermal systems as found in areas of ocean crust formation and places of active terrestrial volcanism. These environments were likely thermophilic to hyperthermophilic with primary production occurring by anaerobic photosynthesis when light was available. In the absence of light, organic matter production occurred by chemolithoautotrophic metabolisms utilizing H2 as the electron donor and oxidized species such as elemental sulfur (forming H2S) or carbon dioxide (forming methane) as the electron acceptors. Organic compounds were oxidized by the reduction of elemental sulfur and sulfate (chemoheterotrophic metabolisms), as well as by the fermentation of acetate, producing methane. Elemental sulfur was produced by the reaction between H2S and SO2, while anaerobic photosynthesis was an important source of sulfate. The evolution of

Race and Gender Schemas Essay Example for Free

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

Domestic Violence in the LGBT Community Reflection

Domestic Violence in the LGBT Community Reflection On June 12, 1997. This day was started out like any other day. But later this tragedy would change the direction of my life forever. A domestic shooting took place and I was the victim. The offender and I were close friends. We were sharing an apartment together. Most of the people in the community would see us together on a daily basis, some of the neighbors would make it their mission to watch us, maybe because we did not pose a threat, and we would always speak. My roommate also had children, 2 girls, and boy ages 14,13 and 9. They lived with their grandparents at the time. The shooting happening because my roommate accuses me of cheating and it escalated from there. She had driven out to my job earlier that day and confronting me with a shirt that had lipsticks stains on the collar. Of course, I denied the aggregation. When I returned home from work she was their still anger from earlier. We started yelling at one another back and forth and she grabs my pistol. The pistol that was used was a 22 caliber it was purchased from a friend it was not registered. We often get into heated arguments with each other and they usually cool down. But this time it was different, it was something more underneath the surface. The bullets were just purchased for that pistol a week ago before the shooting, I did not think it was loaded. When she fired the weapon, I was setting on the edge of the bed, when my head flew back on the bed and blood starting running out of the side of my mouth. We were both in shock me not knowing the severity of the gunshot wound and her standing frozen in denial and frantic that my famiIly was going to kill her. She yelling at me to sit up and I could not without help, she comes over and helps me up, now blood is running faster out of my mouth, and I am trying quietly to whisper to her to call 911, reassuring her that she did not mean to shoot me. At this time everyone nearby in the apartment complex heard the commotion and start ed to stand around outside as the Police and EMS arrived. The landlord knew my mother, and I whisper to her not to let my mother know what had happened. Because she would have been devasted. I also told the police that I was not going to press charges, the officers looks at me and shakes his head. She had a family and, I did not want to see her children suffer, because of the mistake that she had made. They transported me to Cape Fear Valley hospital. I was reluctant to give out any information to them concerning contacting my family. My worries were my family, especially my mother, I could not take my family through this ordeal. They were notified, by who, I am not sure, I passed out at that time. We all know that domestic violence has been around for decades even centuries, mainly among heterosexual, now it has entered into the LBGQT community. Most of the time heavy drinking plays a role, in domestic violence, such as, in my situation, we were both heavy drinkers, and she had been drinking at the time of the shooting. Men and Women are now experienced abuse and violence in relationships with their partners. Law enforcement, government agencies, and the general population acknowledge that domestic violence is a serious public health problem (Domestic Violence in the LGBT Community, 2011). Researcher has acknowledged that domestic violence among same-sex couples is similar to heterosexual couples. But because of certain laws, domestic violence victims in same-sex relationships are not identified as heterosexual relationships they can not get the help they need. This is due to the lack of legal recognition of same-sex relationships, law enforcements failure to identify and properly handle domestic violence cases involving people of the same sex, and the shortage of resources available to victims of same-sex partner domestic abuse (Domestic Violence in the LGBT Community, 2011). In most situation, shelters can not provide a safe place of care for gay men and lesbian because of certain legalities in our courts systems. During my process with my battle back from my shooting. I would not identifies us as a couple. The shooting was due to an argument among friends. The shame of being label as lesbians and getting shot by your lover was not good in an African America family and cultural not for me. My family was concern about my ability to function normally, physical and financially after this had happened. We had worked out an agreement between the two of us that she would pay my car payments until I was able to return back to work. She started out for a while and then stop. If it is not documented by the courts you really do not have a legal right or obligation for the offender to comply with the agreement. References DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER RELATIONSHIPS. (2006). Retrieved from National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/ncadv_lgbt_fact_sheet.pdf Domestic Violence in the LGBT Community. (2011, June 14). Retrieved from Center For American Progress: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/news/2011/06/14/9850/domestic-violence-in-the-lgbt-community/ al., M. e. (2016). Violence Against Women in Selected Areas of the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 2156-2166. Shwayder, M. (2013, November 5). A Same-Sex Domestic Violence Epidemic Is Silent. Retrieved from The Atlantic Monthly Group: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/a-same-sex-domestic-violence-epidemic-is-silent/281131/

Essay on the Growth of Nora and Kristina Linde in Ibsens A Dolls Hous

The Growth of Nora and Kristina Linde in A Doll's House      Ã‚  Ã‚   A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, is a play that was written ahead of its time. In this play Ibsen tackles prevailing social norms by presenting two strong-willed women. Both Kristina and Nora chose the men they married by an intellectual rather than an emotional process: Kristina gave up the man she loved (Nils Krogstad) to provide economic security for her mother and her two younger brothers; Nora married Torvald Helmer at a time when he could have prosecuted her father for financial activities which were wrong if not simply illegal.1 Whether she married him out of thankfulness or to influence him during the time of decision is not clear, but one doubts that this timing was mere coincidence; if Nora married Torvald Helmer to save her father, we have reason to doubt that she was ever as empty-headed a "doll" as she claimed to be.    Neither woman knew how to convey her thoughts and feelings to the man she loved: When Kristina broke off with Nils Krogstad, she believed she would spare him grief by ending the relationship ruthlessly and, necessarily, crushing the love he bore her. She was badly mistaken. In making him believe that she had thrown him over for a richer man, she drove him into crime. When she comes to visit Nora she has been on her own for three years and learned how to support herself. Moreover, she has become so aware of her own motivations and such an understanding of his that she comes to the town with the deliberate intent of speaking with her now-widowed lover, and she is so beyond society's concept of what a woman should do and say in a courtship that she can begin the discussion of love and marriage with him. The audience can see that ha... ... 2. The best description of this subplot and love story is Davies (1982:33-34).    Works Cited and Consulted: Brandes, Georg. 1964. Henrik Ibsen. A Critical Study. New York: Benjamin Blom. Reprint of 1899 edition. Clurman, Harold. 1977. Ibsen. New York: Macmillan. Davies, H. Neville. 1982. "Not just a bang and a whimper: the inconclusiveness of Ibsen's A Doll's House." Critical Quarterly 24:33-34. Heiberg, Hans. 1967. Ibsen. A Portrait of the Artist. Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami. Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House. Dover Thrift Edition, 1992 Koht, Halvdan. 1971. Life of Ibsen. New York: Benjamin Blom. Meyer, Michael. 1971. Ibsen. A Biography. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Company. Northam, John. 1965. "Ibsen's Search for the Hero." Ibsen. A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

The Joy Luck Club :: essays research papers

-The Sisters of Misunderstanding-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parents always want what is best for their children, regardless of culture or ethnicity. In The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, and in â€Å"Life With Father† by Itabari Njeri, the parents express their parental methods upon their daughters. Children will all react differently to their parent’s methods, as do Waverly, June, and Itabari, but they still share a common resentment for their parents. It is shown in the two stories how parental methods expressed to children can be misinterpreted, thus influencing the child’s behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  June’s mother wants her to become a successful piano player. The problem with this is that June possesses no talent or determination to do so, so she doesn’t practice. Her mother cleans an old deaf piano teacher’s apartment in exchange for June to be taught piano, but the teacher can’t correct June when she makes a mistake, because he cant hear. June’s mother encouraged her to practice and would always brag about how good she was to everyone. June’s mother enjoyed having pride in her daughter, as she thought her daughter was a representation of how successful she was herself. June did not appreciate this at all. After making a fool of herself at the talent show she vowed to never play piano again. Her mother’s wishes for her success were mistaken for her mother’s selfishness. June thought her mother was only pushing her to find something in her daughter that was not in herself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waverly was the same as June, in that her mother also wanted her to become great at something. Waverly’s mother saw her being a child prodigy of chess. Once she saw that Waverly was good at it, she encouraged her to play. Waverly enjoyed chess and took it upon herself to get good at chess. June could possibly have been successful with the piano, but she would not embrace her mother’s hopes to that degree. It seemed that Waverly had an ability inherited from her mother to conceal feelings and strategies, much like what is needed to win a chess match. Waverly got along better with her mother than June did, but June’s mother pushed her in a direction she didn’t want to go in, rather than taking credit for success. Both actions were misconceived however.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waverly has the ability to humiliate June, as she did at the New Year’s dinner. Those with self-confidence such as Waverly easily insult June.

Marketing Plan for Dell Inc

1. Introduction Today computer industry has become one of the most attractive industries both in terms of growth and viability. It is also considered as one of those industries where it is so hard to survive for the companies in it. The prevalence of the likes of HP, Dell Inc. and IBM has resulted in the fierce competition in this industry. These abovementioned companies struggle to win more market share or to be the best player in the industry. These report analysis situation analysis, SWOT analysis of Dell Inc. long with the environmental factors which could be potential influence on its current and future business operations. . It also illustrates the company’s future objectives and also marketing strategies set to achieve those objectives and to ensure that the company is one of the industry leaders. 2. Background It was initially named as â€Å"PCs Limited†, and then converted into the Dell Company which was named after the Michael Dell, who founded the company in 1984, when he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin.That’s Michael Dell who came up first with the idea or belief that selling personal computer systems directly to customers enables them to better understand customers’ needs and helps them to offer the best solutions to meet those needs. It was in 1985 when M. Dell’s company first manufactured their initial computer which was sold for US $795. Dell’s â€Å"PCs Limited† company would assemble computer units based each individual’s needs, orders or selections. That would give customers pretty much affordable price and more convenience than having to assemble those components on their own.Despite the fact that it wasn’t the first company to apply this method, it was almost the first to accomplish it. Even in its first year of trading, the company managed to reach pretty much admirable sales, approximately amounted to $73 million. In 1988, the company was given the name of t he Dell, founder of the company. Following 2 years, they decided to phase out their direct selling method, and start using warehouse clubs or computer stores to sell their computers. Realizing that it didn’t bring any success, they got back to their more effective direct-to-consumer model.In 1996, the customers were offered another convenience, which is a website through which consumers could buy the company’s products virtually. In 2002, the company expanded through entering the other markets such as television, audio players and printers. Since 2003, the company has been operating under the name of Dell Inc. (Michael Dell, 2012) 3. Current situation and business performance Since its emergence in 1984, the company has not just struggled to survive in competitive computer market but also been able to dominate the market to some extent.Now it’s not just a company with $ 1000 capital as it used to be initially, but has turned into a huge multinational computer te chnology corporation which is currently producing top-quality lap-tops, netbooks, PCs, printers, scanners and other computer-related products. Dell Inc. has been growing remarkably in terms of both customerbase and acquisitions. Atpresent it employs approximately 105000 people around the world. The CAO of the company is Michael Dell, American businessman. Dell Company is famous mainly for its ability to apply direct-sales model and its â€Å"configure to order† approach.Specifically, it can configure individual PCs based on customer specifications or order. (Michael Dell, 2012) 4. Marketing Environmental Analysis of Dell Marketing environment refers to the outside factors that can be influence on the company’s ability to develop and maintain successful customer relationships with their target market. Those forces include competitors, demographics, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological and global ones. 4. 1Competitors Prevalence of tough competitors su ch as HP Company, IBM Corporation, and Apple Inc. have always struggled with Dell Inc. or capturing customers and securing more market share. (Michael Dell, 2012) Hewlett Packard Company leads in the industry based on its market share with 27. 3 %. The second place belongs to Dell Inc. with slightly lower percentage, 26. 3 %. The other competitors, IBM and Apple Inc. have 14. 9 % and 8. 5 % market shares respectively. (Lord, R. , 2005)They all offer massive capabilities and are financially fit. This can affect the Dell’s ability to operate its business successfully. 4. 2Demographics Dell Inc. ’s products are currently sold in every corner of the world. That is why; the company has diversity of customers.Its products are mainly tailored and offered to business professionals, doctors and others who might need multiple computers. The reason why the company put more emphasis on this segment is because 40% of its overall sales come from this segment. Dell Inc. ’s pro ducts have mostly been purchased by women for the last decade. This trend is soaring. Those women are mainly the owners of small businesses or work in management positions. 4. 3 Economic Economic factors are also considered as a crucial part of marketing environment that could influence on the level businesses or industry operates. Market and DemandSelling prices, economic situation, disposable household income, product advancements and availability of substitute products are considered as the determinants of demand. Statistics say that the demand for computer industry has been declining in the last 5 years by 3. 2% annually. (IBIS World 2010) However, this trend is estimated or predicted to shift into a positive side. According to the speculations, the global industry is forecasted to grow by 6. 2% annually at average. 4. 4 Political/ Legal Like any other industries, computer industry is also under the control of political and legal regulations.Those radio frequency emissions regul atory, the anti-trust regulatory, the import-export regulatory agencies are in charge of regulating each single activity in computer industry. 4. 5Sociocultural Societal trends are continuously shifting in this computer industry. Consumers have switched to laptops from desktop computers which were in high demand few years ago. Yet, the Emergence of I-pods and other computer type systems are going to bring about another societal trend in the industry. Another changing trend is that most businesses are shifting to green marketing which involves producing more environmentally conscious products.Computer industry has also not been exception to that change. To reinforce this statement, we can take Dell Inc. ’s recycle model. The company offers recycling old computers thereby contribute to environmental welfare. Another example would be HP’s new model of computers that would consume much lower energies than the rest of the typical computers. 4. 6Technological Admittedly, com puter industry experienced considerable developments. Constant innovations and changes on products are being made by the companies in the computer industry. It is unquestionably crucial for Dell Inc. o keep up with technological shifts so as to survive in the competitive industry. Wildly usage of e-commerce generating great loads of sales shows the importance of keeping track of technological innovations. 5. Target Audience In today’s world, businesses are facing numerous challenges because of the harsh competition caused by the development of globalization. Thus, it has become very tough task for companies to survive or to be the best player in their industries. At present businesses are required to be competent in all spheres of their operations.Targeting the right market segment has also become one of the key factors for any sort of business. Therefore most companies are putting a lot of stress on considering their target market. Dell Inc. is also one of those companies. I ts target market incorporates 4 segments. 1)Home and home offices 2)Small and medium businesses 3)Large businesses 4)Governmental and educational institutions, namely: †¢Home and home offices segment consists of individual customers who want to buy computers or other related peripherals for the use at home. These groups of customers are not price conscious.They mostly focus on the word of mouth when considering specific products. Approximately 10% of the Dell’s overall sales come from this segment. †¢Small and medium business Companies employing 1 to 3500 people are called medium or small businesses. Dell Inc. is not keen on serving these customer groups. Hence, only 10% of its overall sales are grossed from this segment. †¢Large businesses are companies employing more than 3500 people, are the main target customers Dell usually serves. Therefore, the company grabs almost 75% of its total sales from large businesses.Obviously, the company has already establishe d solid relationships with large companies. †¢Dell Inc. doesn’t put a lot of stress on serving governmental and educational institutions. Hence, only 5% of its overall sales come from this customer group. (Fawcett, S. B. , Paine-Andrews, A. , Francisco, V. , Richter, K. P. , Lewis, R. K. , Williams, E. L. , Harris, K. J. , Winter-Green, K. , in collaboration with Bradley, B. and Copple, J. (2001) 6. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the business 6. 1 Strengths The Dell Inc. is one of the most popular and strongest companies in the world.Its strengths over the competitors enable the company to maintain successful business operations. Some of those strengths will be stated below: -Dell Inc. is the largest PC maker throughout the world, which is why it has strong brand equity. In turn, the strong brand equity would serve the company as a good assistance to attract and capture new customers more easily. (Michael Dell, 2012) -One of the greatest strengths of the c ompany is that it owns expertise on applying direct to consumer model which has unquestionably been the key for the company’s current sustainable position in the computer industry. (Wolf, T. , 1990).The company achieves cost reduction through not including middlemen or retailers during the process of getting the products to the customers. Through this approach, the company manages to better understand customer needs, wants and to deliver superior customer value. Moreover, it enables the company to win the trust and loyalty from customers and to maintain long-term relationships with them. Another strength of the Dell Inc. is that it achieves cost reduction through maintaining sound relationship with its suppliers. This lowered cost will make it easier for the company to capture more customers, thereby increase its market share. Fawcett, S. B. , Paine-Andrews, A. , Francisco, V. , Richter, K. P. , Lewis, R. K. , Williams, E. L. , Harris, K. J. , Winter-Green, K. , in collaborat ion with Bradley, B. and Copple, J. , 2001) -Another great thing about the Dell Inc. is that it offers free repair and technical support. -It uses Internet as it applies direct model which gives customers convenience in terms of lower cost and saved time. This certainly does entail customer’s add-value which is incredibly important in retaining customers. Finally, Dell Inc. has been able to establish sound relationships with large companies could be potential buyers of its products.Statistics say that its 75% sales are geared form the large business organizations. 6. 2 Weaknesses As an each business has certain weak point, so does Dell Inc. One of them would be its dependency on its suppliers. Dell Inc. usuallybuys the components from large suppliers which constitute very few numbers all over the world. That makes it just impossible for Dell Inc. to switch its suppliers. (Berkowitz, W. R. , 1999). -Another weakness of the company would be the fact that it doesn’t usual ly set links with retailers or middlemen as it mainly uses direct to consumer model. Another weak point of the Dell Inc. s that it doesn’t usually put enough stress on serving college students as only 5% of its sales are grossed from this segment. The company needs to establish better relationships with educational institutions son as to increase its market share. (Michael Dell, 2012) The other weak point of the Dell Inc. is that it doesn’t enable its customers to physically touch or see the product they want to purchase. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) Customers can not just go to the retail store and come back home with a lap-top in a single trip.They are going have to have to wait for some days before their computers are customized to their needs. (Berkowitz, W. R. ,1999). 6. 3 Opportunities Dell Inc. is becoming one of the dominant companies in the industry with higher level of opportunities than its competitors do . Diversification strategy initiated by Michael Dell, CAO of Dell Inc. , has improved the company’s opportunities to make a growth in sales, to capture much more customers than it used to. The strategy was applied by adding different sorts of computer-related products into its range. Those would be printers, scanners and other products.Furthermore, demand for PCs is continuously increasing. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) This means that the company has pretty good chance of succeeding in the industry. It’s worthwhile to mention that internet has been playing the most crucial role in the Dell Inc. ’s current achievements in its business performance. Internet is crucial as it’s become an interface between the company and customers. It enables customers to make orders to the company virtually without having to go to the retail stores, wasting their time, effort and money. (Berkowitz, W. R. , 1999). . 4 Thre ats Porter’s five forces model illustrates possible threats for Dell Inc. According to Michael Dell, it has been very tough task for the computer companies to stay in a strong position for long. The development of wireless networks, the influence of internet has changed the competitive landscape of the industry. He says: â€Å"one of the biggest threats is the changing computing model. These forces might be influence on the company’s ability to serve its customers and gear profits. They are the following forces: -Threat of new entrants -Threat of substitute products or services -Threat of competitive rivalry Threats of new entrants The fact that computer industry has been yielding admirable returns is the key reason why new firms are attracted to it. The entrants tend to share the profits in the industry. This means that they are real threats for the companies within the industry. (Lord, R. ,2005)However extensive capital outlay required for entering into the computer industry prevents possible new entrants from even considering this industry. That’s why Dell Inc. doesn’t have to worry about the threats of new entrants. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) †¢Threats of SubstitutionPrevalence of many substitute products can pose very big threat to any company. Dell Inc. has also to think about coping with substitute products’ possible effects on its business performance. Emergence of phones which can replace computers is currently one of the biggest threats for computer companies including Dell Inc. At present most people prefer to have IPhones or other sort of phones rather than carrying lap-tops. The fact that modernphones can perform virtually all computer functions makes customers want to have them even more. Specifically, at present most phones can be used for internet, e-mail, and social media.This is more likely to cause uncertainty in the future of the likes of Dell I nc. †¢Threats from Competitors Clearly competitors also pose big threats to the Dell Inc. HP, IBM Inc. are examples for those main competitors of the Dell Inc. They always fight to secure greater market share through cost reductions, economies of scale or strategic business partnership. This tough competition makes it even harder for the Dell Inc. to stay alive or to be the best player in the industry. (Lord, R. , 2005) The objectives: -To increase its market share by 25% within 1 year -To turn the company into the best player To increase the consumers’ awareness on the company’s brand (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). As any sort of company has specific objectives, Dell Inc. has also certain objectives set forth so as to maintain and build sustainable and viable business operations. One of the most primary objectives of the company is to achieve more market share in the following year. It is planning to attain 25% more market share than its current state. E ven though it is clear that the main objective of any company is to capture more market share, attaining this goal will come with challenges. (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994).The company has to offer much better quality products and services at relatively low cost than the competitors do. The company is also planning to be the best player in the computer industry. This objective is interrelated to the previous one. Specifically, gaining more market share than any other competitors enables the company to turn into the best player in the Industry. (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). Increasing the consumers’ brand awareness is unquestionably the most crucial objective that must be achieved by any company, because without gaining high levels of brand awareness, the company cannot generate enough sales. Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). In other words only higher level of brand awareness can entail greater market share which in turn can enable the company to be one of the leading players in the computer Industry. 7. Marketing strategy Any company regardless of its position in its industry should continually update its marketing strategies so as to maintain long-term successful business operations and to attain a competitive edge which is unquestionably crucial in today’s business world. Dell Inc. lso has to employ marketing strategies in order to enhance its competitiveness and maintain its long-term leadership in the computer industry. (IBIS World, 2010). Usually, marketing strategies are of assistance for companies which want to achieve their organizational goals such as reaching more market share and higher customers’ brand awareness. Dell Inc. ’s marketing strategy also helps it to achieve its objectives such as being the low cost leader of computer products and also differentiating its offerings. (Michael Dell, 2012) Dell Inc. employs different types of marketing strategies which will be mentioned further.Dell capita lizes on differentiation strategy. To be more specific, it differentiates its offerings to various market segments based on the needs and wants of those customer groups. For example, computers designed for large businesses may vary from those designed for home users or educational institutions. (Barry, B. W. , 1998) 8. Positioning strategy Dell Inc. has been able to position itself in the computer industry. Its position strategy is based on its competence to sell its products directly to customers rather than involving retailers or other intermediaries in this process.This position strategy can help the company to achieve the following things: -Building the most efficient bridge to the customers -Becoming low-cost leader -Develop build-to-order efficiencies Relationship management strategy Dell capitalizes on information technologies when utilizing its relationship marketing strategy. It uses both customer relationship management (CRM) and partner relationship management(PRM). These strategies help the company to better understand customer needs and wants and deliver offerings accordingly. It also helps the company to achieve cost reduction through maintaining good relationships with its suppliers.This in turn allows the Dell Inc. to capture more customers more easily. (Wolf, T. , 1990). 9. Conclusion To sum up, at present, the world is witnessing remarkable development and growth in the computer industry. Companies are doing their best to offer the best quality products at reasonably lower costs. This has made it very difficult task for them to stay alive in their harsh industry. They have to establish the right strategies to attain their goals, to capitalize on their opportunities and to cope with the threats. The report summarized the Dell Inc. ’s objectives and strategies which could help the company to attain its goals.

Home Test: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

1. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are best friends that have many things in common and many things that are not in common. Tom is better at using his imagination. In the beginning of the Adventures of Huck Finn Tom makes a robber band with the neighborhood boys. Huck soon decides that it is boring because they were not doing anything that Tom promised they would. Huck could not pretend that they were doing what Tom said they were doing. This is again illustrated in the end when Tom and Huck are trying to free Jim and Huck simply cannot see the use of what Tom is doing with all his talk about rope ladders and messages on the walls. Huck is wiser, more sensible, and more grown up. He thinks that Tom is rather silly and nonsensical because he is talking about matters that are not important in the plot of rescuing Jim. Huck understands that the topics that Tom is talking about are not of use. Tom is more daring, civilized, and pushy than Huck. Tom lives with his aunt Polly and wears store bought clothes. He can make Huck do what he wants him to do. Tom is daring enough to help Huck steal Jim and Tom spearheads the mission and he adds all the extra effects. Both Huck and Tom are loyal friends. They did not give each other away when they were living with Aunt Sally. They both knew Jim and they helped him escape from his prison hut. Neither of them are afraid to lie, in fact, most of the book is contains at least one of them lying. 2. Yes, Twain portrays Jim very realistically for that time period. Back in those days, black people did not go to church. They fell back on superstition because they were uneducated. Education was rare among white people and even rarer among blacks. Jim is very loyal. Black people were loyal to kind masters and people who helped them. The way Jim is portrayed is not demeaning. He is not portrayed as stupid, just as uneducated. 3. The role of the river is simply that it the mode of transportation that Huck and Jim are using to get to Ohio. No, it is not a character. It is not animate and it cannot talk to Huck or Jim. It cannot make decisions that change or forward the plot. It can take Huck and Jim to places where the plot is forwarded, but a horse and carriage could do that. It cannot take Huck and Jim anywhere that it would not take anybody else. 4. Superstition fuels parts of the book. It becomes a motive for important actions. 7. Over all Twain’s attitude is rather hostile. He does not really like it and enjoys making fun of it. He shows that he thinks it is just another type of superstition. Huck gives up praying in the very beginning and thinks that it is stupid. He also does not like to learn about the Bible particularly the people because as he said â€Å"I don’t take no stock in dead people [sic]†. He thinks Christians are pathetic and easily fooled. He illustrates this when the King swindles a whole church out of almost a hundred dollars by pretending to be a pirate who had reformed and was going to be a missionary to reform other pirates. He shows it as ineffective and as an unnecessary tradition that everybody had simply because it was tradition. This is well exemplified when the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons go to church with their guns and sit through a sermon about brotherly love then go right back to feuding. Mark Twain did not like Christianity. 8. No, I do not agree that it is a racist novel. Racism is when someone is demeaning because someone else has a different shade or color of skin. Jim, the main example, is not portrayed as stupid, just uneducated and superstitious, like Huck. Jim is not portrayed as less than human. He is Huck’s best friend. Racism is looked down upon in this book. When the King and the Duke are cruel to black people, the moral tone is that their cruelty is bad. Those who think blacks are property are not depicted well in that respect. Miss Watson, when she is going to sell Jim, is not represented well character wise. Black people are also considered property for parts of the book simply because that is how it was in those times. To say Adventures of Huck Finn is racist would be to say that everyone in those times was racist. 9. Huck Finn did not know too much. He had gone to school for at least a small period of time and could read at least a little bit. When Huck is trapped in his dad’s cabin and he escapes, that is just ingenuity and street-smarts. Huck knew about traps and ways of catching animals but he picked that up from his dad. Most people tend to pick up things off the streets. By listening hard enough Huck could have figured out where Cairo was. When Huck is talking about the kings, he had a book and he could read so he was most likely reading out of the book. Besides he was making up a lot of what he said or it was superstition. Most of what Huck knew was common knowledge or now unlikely that he would know because he was a young man. Most of the time when Huck is talking about â€Å"educated† things, they are not true. This is demonstrated when Huck is talking to Joanna, the hare-lip about England. Almost all of Huck’s educated conversations are bluffs, superstitions, or not true. The others may be true but Huck could have learned the information in school or through a book. 10. 11. The end of the book is no different than the rest of the book. It completely fits Twain’s plot of two mischievous boys having a bit of fun and adventure. It is just like Tom and Huck to devise a roguish plan to free a slave. It is completely within character for Tom not to tell Huck that Jim was already free so he could have some fun. The only thing that I could see as wanting criticism is the two boys had an unrealistic amount of influence over everyone. Even someone as uneducated as Jim would not trust those two boys so implicitly. 12. The central irony is that both overarching conflicts have been resolved. Huck is running away from his dad because he is abused by him and Huck does not want to give his dad all his money. But in the very beginning of the book, when Huck and Jim are about to go down the river, they find a floating house with a dead man in it. The dead man was Huck’s father. The other conflict of Jim running away from Miss Watson because he does not want to be sold is resolved because Miss Watson dies shortly after Huck and Jim leave. In her will she sets Jim free. Neither of them have any reason to be running away. 13. This irony is that the river is taking Huck and Jim further into the slave states when they are trying to set Jim free. During this time the United States was divided into two parts. The free states were in the north and the slaves states were in the south. The Mississippi River has a current that runs to the south, not the north. To set Jim free they are going further into the slave states. This makes no sense because they are trying to set Jim free and are going in the wrong direction. 14. My favorite minor character was Emmeline Grangerford. She is hilarious. She is obsessed with death and separation of lovers. Emmeline wrote comical poems that were obituaries and she was good at it. The people always went to her so she could write her â€Å"tributes. † It is surmised that she died because someone went to undertaker before they went to her. Twain is making fun of the literature and art of that period with her character. 15. My favorite part of the book is when Huck escapes from his father’s cabin. He shows himself to be a genius young man. He displays great ingenuity and plays a brilliant practical joke. I like this part because I wish I was that talented and could play practical jokes like that. It is also humorous and I like to be entertained. 16. Adventures of Huck Finn’s greatest strength is that it is highly ironic and makes fun of everything and everybody. The book makes fun of the literature of the period with Emmeline Grangerford. It also makes fun of the art of that period with Emmeline Grangerford’s art. Mark Twain pokes fun at feuding with the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons. They end up killing everyone in each other’s families (except Harney and Sophia) over something they do not even remember the cause for. Twain ridicules Christianity as is shown by the King and his sob story, Huck’s â€Å"praying† and his attitude about learning the Bible, and the Grangerford’s and Shepherdson’s church service. He mocks Shakespeare with the speech given by the King. He laughs at the state of education with all his characters, especially the state of education about foreign countries and kings. These are just a few of the ironic and funny parts. Anyone could read this and laugh till their sides split. 17. The book’s greatest weakness is the way it is written. The grammar and spelling is awful. It makes it hard to understand what Twain is saying. Twain wrote it that way on purpose but he could have produced the same effect by using proper English and grammar. It would have been better if Twain had just written the dialogue in the dialects he uses and wrote the majority of the text in proper English. It would have saved me and many others from a bad headache.

Assessment and Individual Learning Record Essay

Everyone has someone in their life that they will remember for the rest of their life. A memorable person can be someone you look up to or someone that has had an influence in your life. That person could be a family member, a friend, a firefighter, cop or anyone that has influenced your life at all. My grandpa is a memorable person to me because he was a war hero, always there for me, and a hard worker. One reason Grandpa was a memorable person to me is because he was a war hero. For example, he fought in World War II and the Vietnam War when he was younger. Growing up he would tell me stories of his time in war and how times were really tough. Grandpa would not elaborate on too much of it because I think it hurt him to remember all the bad times and how harsh battle actually was. He will always be my hero because I know he served our country so that I could be free and everyone else can be free. Grandpa is and always will be a memorable person to me because, he was always there for me. To illustrate, the times I remember most with him was when I was little he would take me out to this little pond and we would go fishing. see more:propose improvements to address gaps or shortfalls in systems and processes He would put the worm on the hook for me because I was scared of the worms at that time. He and I would sit out there for hours fishing and just talking about how our day and week was going. I loved getting to sit out there with him and talk, fish, and listen to the water as it splashed against the bank. I could sit out there forever if I could just so I could spend more time with him. Grandpa always will be a memorable person to me because he was a very hard worker. For instance, grandpa was a hard worker all the way up to the day that he passed away and would still be one if he was here today. He worked so he could support his family and make sure everyone had what they needed and wanted in life. Also, he worked because he enjoyed what he did, even if it was just something little he was doing like; gardening, cooking, or cleaning up the yard. My Grandpa is my memorable person in my life. He taught me to support our troops, always be there for the ones you love, and to work hard for what you have. Even though he isn’t around today he is someone I look up to and always will. I know even though he isn’t here he is still looking down on me so he will be my hero till the day I die no matter who comes and goes from my life. 1. Summarise key aspects of legislation, regulatory requirements and code of practice relating to own role and responsibilities 2. Explain own responsibilities for promoting equality and valuing diversity 3. Explain own role and responsibilities in lifelong learning 4. Explain own role and responsibilities in identifying and meeting the needs of learners. 5.  Explain the boundaries between the teaching role and other professional bodies 6. Describe points of referral to meet the needs of learners 7. Summarise own responsibilities in relation to other professionals 8. Explain own responsibilities in maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment 9. Explain ways to promote appropriate behaviour and respect others Understanding Inclusive Learning & Teaching in Lifelong Learning Candidates should understand learning and teaching strategies and approaches in lifelong learning and how to use them to meet the needs of students: 1.  Summarise learning and teaching strategies used in own specialism 2. Explain how approaches to learning and teaching in own specialism meet the needs of learners 3. Describe aspects of inclusive learning 4. Explain how to select inclusive learning and teaching techniques 5. Explain how to select resources to meet that needs of learners 6. Explain how to create assessment opportunities to meet needs of learners 7. Explain how to provide opportunities for learners to practice their literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills 8. Explain ways to engage and motivate learners in an inclusive learning environment 9. Summarise ways to establish ground rules with learners to promote respect for others 10. Explain ways to give constructive feedback that motivates learners Principles of Assessment in the lifelong Learning Candidates should understand the types and methods of assessment used in lifelong learning, ways to involve students in the assessment process and the requirement to keep assessment records: 1. Explain the types of assessment used in lifelong learning 2. Explain the use of methods of assessment in lifelong learning 3. Compare the strengths and limitations of assessment methods to meet individual learner needs 4. Explain ways to involve the learner in the assessment process 5. Explain the role of peer and self-assessment in the assessment process 6. Explain the need for keeping records of assessment of learning 7. Summarise the requirements for keeping records of assessment in an organisation

Market Potential Index Essay

What are the indicators used in developing this index? Market Potential Index was developed to help companies compare emerging market with each other so they can determine which market to enter and the appropriate marketing strategies for those countries. Eight dimensions were used to create the index; each measured using different indicators (Global EDGE). Market size is measured using indicators such as urban population and electricity consumption. Market growth rate is measured using Average annual growth rate of primary energy use and Real GDP growth rate. Growing markets will show increase demand for products. Market intensity is measured using GNI per capita and private consumption as a percentage of GDP. Market Consumption Capacity is measured using Percentage share of middle-class in consumption/income. Commercial Infrastructure is measured using indicators like Cellular mobile subscribers, Main Telephone lines, Number of PC’s bought, number of internet users, Paved road density, percentage of household with TV and population per retail outlet. Economic freedom relates to the degree of economic and political freedom residents enjoy. It is measured using indicators such as economic freedom index and political freedom index. Market Receptivity related to amount of imports a country consumes and the willingness to try forging products. It is measured using Per capita imports from US and Trade as a percentage of GDP from country trade data. Country risk is measured using the indicator country risk rating from country risk survey Which of the indicators, in your opinion, would have a greater impact for a company that markets laptop computers? I think the dimension of Commercial Infrastructure would have a greater impact for a company that markets laptop computer because it is measured using a very relevant indicator of number of Pcs (per 1000 habitants). This dimension also created using indicators such as number of cellular mobile subscribers, main telephone lines and number of internet users. All these indicators are very useful in determining if the market is favorable to enter because if the market has high number of internet users or telephone  and PC owners, it might show the company that the market has already been tapped by other companies and maybe prompt them to look at other markets, where commercial infrastructure is moderate or low. Using the MPI, which countries would be ideal for this company to enter? Why? I think that China would be ideal for the laptop company to enter because it has a high market size and market growth rate but a moderate to low commercial infrastructure. The way I am reading the MPI, It means that china has room to grow in the commercial infrastructure area and a laptop company could capitalize on this great opportunity. Whereas, Hong Kong, Czech Republic and South Korea are rated high for commercial infrastructure, which could means that those markets might have well established laptop companies and not worth it for this company to enter and compete. On the other hand, you also have to take into account other seven dimensions because a market might have low commercial infrastructure and potential to grow but also have very high country risk, low economic growth and market size for this laptop company to enter. Using the same logic and taking into account other seven indicators, I think some other ideal countries for this company to enter along would China would be Turkey, India, Singapore, Peru, Mexico, and Malaysia.