Alive in Souls essays

Alive in Souls essays Rockn Roll is still alive!! It is belived that it died by the end of 1960s but it wasnt. The feelings, the ideas that Rockn Roll was representing are still living in peoples souls. Like freedom and sex. But it is hard to say that it is living as a type of music. Sounds of music changed too much from 1960s to nowadays. To understand Rockn Roll era, we have to define what is music. Music is the arrangement of sounds in pleasant tunes. But not only the well-combined tunes, it also has big effects on peoples minds, emotions and even on physical bodies. And this is the reason why the music is so important and effective on peoples lifes. Music represents so many ideas that have direct effects on peoples minds. Love, hate, war, peace, sex, freedom, religion... And I think it is the most important thing about music. It can easily affect people and it is the best way to do it. As a result music is more and more powerful and important than it seems. This makes sense why the music market is so huge and productive and why there is an evil race between the music companies to gain power of music in order to have more money, and America is the heart of this business from past to today. The America of fifties and sixties was too complicated. After the Second World War, America developed too fast as a victorious country. People who returned from war wanted a peaceful life. As a result monotonous life period started in America. Everything was same, ordinary and under control by state, entertainment, church and capitalism. People were sleeping like sheeps and saw a perfect America dream. And the powers, which controlled the society, never wanted something or somebody awaken them. But some people were in opposition to this life. They wanted something more exciting and freer. Due to that they started to look for their real personal identities. In this point music had a big role. Music, Rock ...

Difference of American foreign policy during WWII & Vietnam essays

Difference of American foreign policy during WWII & Vietnam essays In the early twentieth century, America experienced big, but different type of wars: Second World War and the Vietnam War. Although in both wars America tried to use its super power to achieve the worlds f peace, its specific policies and what they got as a result were totally different. One of them got world fs brilliant reputation, but the other became one of the most hated memories among American. Strategically, however, the U.S. foreign policy after WWI did not basically change: they took neutral position, always only at the beginning. WWII started in 1939 as Germany invaded Poland because of their frustration and humiliation by the Treaty of Versailles, which was also called slave-treaty. Soon, this war expanded through whole Europe, but the U.S. involvement didn ft occur immediately following the beginning of the war. If the U.S. intervened the war, it broke the Neutrality Act of 1935, which prohibits the U.S. from giving assistance to any nation that is involved in foreign conflicts. Also, the policy called Lend-Lease Act guaranteed that the U.S. stayed out of war. At the beginning of the war, Franklin D. Roosevelt followed that policy, and American national security was not in jeopardy at that moment. On December 7th in 1941, the situation dramatically changed. Japanese army surprisingly attacked the American navy at Pearl Harbor and declared war to the U.S. Considering about this serious situation and the effect of the Great Depression, the U.S. started to involve the war by breaking their neutral position. In addition, in Truman Doctrine, he expressed his fear of a revived isolationism and the communist expansion to European countries. Truman fs plan to assist European countries at the request of the government followed the American foreign policy of humanitarianism as the government would not allow a country to be overtaken by another country without U.S. intervention. As the war came close to the end, the go...

History and Theory of New Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History and Theory of New Media - Essay Example The emergence of software began after the Second World War (Alisa 34). Televisions are also part of the media that give visual images to the viewer. The frequencies used from one channel to another are controlled by the satellite. Historically, they were used by the military in monitoring their activities, observing scientific features and for education. Broadcasting directly via the satellite is symbolized by a sphere. This shows that the entire globe relies on the satellite for wave transmission. There had been outstanding advancement in televisual development, ranging from the 1960’s when echoes were used. In the modern, world almost every household has a satellite dish to capture diverse frequencies. Culture in orbits described the origin, significance and the various uses of the satellite. They range from social, political and economic uses (Alisa 56). It is during the Second World War that most machines were invented. This was to facilitate the war and make it a modern war. The creation of cinemas and films were gaining popularity at that time and thus a machine to enable their view to the audience emerged. A mechanical analog computer and a gun control were the main form of technology. As a result of the war, many citizens were displaced, among them the Whitney brothers who dropped from school and went back home. This situation triggered them to invent many machines for the military, photograph and aircraft industry. They further produced a different version of music where the sound and images were appropriately linked. Camera obscura the first model, used to capture images used the functioning of the human eye (Holt 65). In one way or another, all methods of technology are extensions of the human body. The function of the machine gives it its meaning to human life. Electricity light is a medium without a message, but it gives a clearance to visual images. This is a characteristic of media where the content of the speech

Project management as a process of planning, arranging, motivating, Essay

Project management as a process of planning, arranging, motivating, and controlling resources - Essay Example Change management takes into consideration the critical analysis on dimensions of change, Kotter 8 stages model, psychology of change, personal and structural power, need of planning and what are the reasons for the failure of the change management. Risk management deals with managing the risk which is associated with project. This paper will mainly focus on identifying different types of risk and the key factors in managing risk, different ways to manage risk and describing the risk management process. In terms of team building, the main focus will be on the process of team building, identifying the different roles required in a team and identifying the methods of team management. All these approaches will lead to project management in order to accomplish a successful project and therefore to produce a specific result in the organisation. Change Management Organisational change management is a framework for administrating the effect of new business processes and the change in the or ganizational structure within an enterprise. It is an approach to shift teams and individuals from present to required future state. It refers to part of project management process where project changes are formally introduced and accepted. The goal change management is maximisation of benefits and minimisation of impact of change on workforce without distraction (Sharma, 2006, pp.23-30). The process of change management can be summarised from the following change management diagram, (Source: Sourcingmag, 2012) Critical Analysis of Dimensions of Change There are two dimensions of change management namely organisational dimensions and individual dimensions. Organisational change is motivated by business survival, potential competitive advantage, improved efficiency and external factors. The external factor like introduction of new policies or economic downturn might compel a company to change from existing state. Most of the organisational changes are created internally. All level of managers can initiate change. For instance, middle level manager can plan to reduce cost, frontline managers may apply new technology and senior managers may amalgamate the company with other organisation. Individual resistance to change depends on the organisational culture, security, economic factors and individual characteristics such as personalities, perceptions and needs. People with high need for security resist change because it intimidates secured feeling. Changes in job tasks create fear in workers when their pay is linked to productivity. They also have fear of not being able to learn a particular task. Such fear is known as the fear of the unknown (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2007, p.459). Kotter’s 8 Stage Model Kotter eight stage model provides eight processes to evade common problems that trouble even simple change efforts in an organization. Skipping a step or making a crucial mistake within the step can have a crippling effect on the success of change initiative. The eight stages can be summarised as follows: (Source: Ivey Business Journal, 2008) Establishing a

Microsoft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Microsoft - Essay Example The product’s analysis will also be conducted considering its attributes as well as diffusion. The paper will then describe its pricing strategies, the channels of distribution and the strategies of promotion that is proposed to enable it have a larger market especially for students and the teachers. Promotion analysis will involve conducting an analysis to determine the promotion strategies that Microsoft office 365 should use. The target market focused in this analysis is tertiary students and the teachers. Promotion will ensure that the potential as well as current customers are made aware of the availability of Microsoft office 365. The customers through promotion will also be persuaded to see that Microsoft office 365 is the best product compared to google apps and think free office. In determining the best promotion method, there is need to consider several factors including nature of the product, competition, target market, nature of the product and the stage of the product in the lifecycle. The different promotion methods that Microsoft office 365 might consider using are advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotion and direct marketing (Pride et al, 445). The first step will include the determination of the most appropriate promotion mix. This will include the various methods of promotion that the will be appropriate. The promotion mix for Microsoft office 365 will include advertising and public relations. Advertising will include creating awareness of the Microsoft office 365 product through the media. This will help to create the product’s awareness to both the existing and potential customers and in this case the targeted group being students in the tertiary level and the teachers. It will involve some budget allocation to ensure that the advertising process is well financed. Considering that the target market for this product is students in

Different Social Ecological Perspectives Sociology Essay

Different Social Ecological Perspectives Sociology Essay Social ecological perspective is a discipline which tries to look into various results and correlation of social factors in the environment. It also examines the interaction among people within a certain natural environment and the challenges on the important affordances for knowledge which are provided by the very environment. Generally it provides the insight on how people in a certain environment influence one another in a way (Naess, 1989). This way, ecology is both reactive and creative; it also makes people contemplate on the changes within the system and around the environment. Social ecological systems go beyond an individual, since the world we live in have a greater impact on how we live. Bronfenbrenner (1979) argues that it is not only the environment which affects the person directly, but there are some other layers factors. According to his research which basically began with thesis equations Bronfenbrenner states that behavior depends on the environment and the person. Bronfenbrenner (1979) also considered; community, individual, culture and environment as nestled factors. This is clearly illustrated in Charles dawn book on web of life. There are several outcomes which results from cross-level influences and interactions between and within levels that social ecology perspectives address. Interactions are parallels or discontinuities and cross-level effects according to (Rousseau House 1994). Therefore this paper is going to provide a comprehensive overview on the theoretical concepts and constructs relating to social ecological perspectives, review on discrimination and inequality in relationship to this topic and then conclude by highlighting on how to achieve a better social perspective. Levels of influence comprises of; Individual, interpersonal, organizational, community and public policies. The social ecological perspective looks into correlated relationship which occurs between individual and environment they live in. In individual levels people are mandated to implement and enhance the lifestyle fluctuations to minimize risk and have better health. Family history, personal attitudes, beliefs all contribute to individual influence. They can be eliminated by encouraging good beliefs, behavior and attitude. Individuals who habitually engage In many unhealthy and dangerous behavior, for example intake of saturated fats, irregular sleep, lack of frequent physical exercises, alcoholism, high level of frequent stresses, live unhealthy lifestyles which can be controlled at individual level. The change of single pattern of unhealthy behavior can be modified. This can be archived through social influence patters like modification of an individuals behavior, attitude and thoughts in terms of actions and the way others feel. Some of the ways in which to achieve social influence is; cognitive change where there is modification of individuals opinions and how he/she feels. Behavior modification entails individ uals change on how he or she views the surrounding and effective modification with a shift with ones assessment of entities. Interpersonal levels are a collection factors which raises risk as a result of relationship with family, peers and intimate partners. These are seen to modify behavior and experiences. These can be eliminated by promoting peer programs that educate on equality, trust and mutual respect among others. These interpersonal attributes are strong on how an individual perceives oneself. These qualities and factors can be learned, like in membership of a group, but many are ingrained (e.g., ethnicity, gender). In the interpersonal sphere, there are also many components of the individual, including psychological and cognitive factors, like personality, knowledge and beliefs (Gregson, 2001). Gregson continues by stating that; The individual in his or her own micro system is constantly shaped, not only by the environment, but by any encounter or other individual they come in contact with. This shaping is well explored in child development, as it would be unreasonable to believe a child is solely a product of the societal environment. There are multiple, simultaneous influences in child behavior and learning including culture, school, teacher, parental support and education level, involvement in extracurricular activities, etc. Examples of Microsystems outside the self also include groups of friends, family, unorganized athletics, or social clubs (Gregson, 2001) The community level factor depends on an individuals experiences and how he/she interacts with community in general involves social environment for example a neighborhood, schools and work places. This can be promoted through social and norm campaigns based on trust, respect among others. A clear illustration is overweight and obesity where people normally believe that it is an individuals responsibility which is correct to some degree (David, 2001). The community also plays a crucial role for example where work places, schools food stores or restaurants do not provide healthy food options, in the neighborhood and where there are no fields for jogging, places for exercises, safe and accessible facilities for children to play, no proper healthy facilities and where physical education is not offered in school. All this are community responsibilities. According to David (2001) the community can promote healthy behavior through implementation of policies and environmental factors such as healthy cafeteria meals, Incentives for bicycles and pedestrian commuters, smoke free workplaces, sidewalks and bike paths, insurance cover for preventive services like tobacco cessation and work site wellness programs. These can lower the risks of diseases like stroke, diabetes, cancer and other heart diseases. The barriers to healthy behaviors are interwoven among the community in general. When these barriers are eliminated or lowered, behavior change will be achieved. Behavior change will then become more sustainable, this is according to James (2003). According to Gregson (2001) on the other hand these aspects can be rules, policies, and acceptable business etiquette within a more formal organization. He further argues that there are some organizations that foster entirely different atmospheres than other corporations giving an example of Google, where employees may wear pajamas to the office. The organizational component is especially influential with younger, more impressiona ble employees, as it helps to shape the ethics and expectations of a typical organization for these individuals. Examples include schools, companies, churches, and sports teams (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Bronfenbrenner also claimed that the richer the medium for communication in this system, the more influential it is on the micro system. Societal levels are larger things that influence individual behavior, they include; religion, gender, societal norms, cultural beliefs and societal policies. This can be prevented by working in conjunction with social bodies associated with policies, mutual respect, social norms, gender equality, mutual respect, trust, and foster intimate relationship. These influences are more easily seen than the other factors, mainly due to the magnitude of the impact. Examples of significant intercultural effects include Communism, Western culture, Military, Islam, and Christianity. For instance, the macro system of Communism is a Marxist philosophy that believes that wealth should be shared in the macro system. A Communist country, such as Cuba (exo), governs and regulates the environment within which corporations (meso) and society or individuals (micro) exist. Media plays a significant role on all levels, as it communicates information and assists in the development of expectations for all individuals in the respective culture (Bronfenbrenner 1979) The best way of achieving healthy behavior is put in to consideration of factors at all level which are; interpersonal, organizational, individual, public and individual. By so doing, behavior change will be implemented and sustained. In the corporate scenario a lot of disagreements are understandable others while others are explicit. In these scenarios there are stakeholders who are workers, clients, shareholders and managers who normally raise conflicts. Interactive and cross-level consequences while observing from a different angle are seen, this is because a lot of companies think they only have the duty of creating monetary value for the stakeholders whilst upholding responsibilities to their customers. In some organizations, it is usually hard to tell events where devotion is taken too far towards owners and workers at the expense of the clients. Directions of influence Isomorphisms are parallels that cause impact on one level then the resulting impact affects other levels (Rinderle 2006). People carrying out Researcher on isomorphic models are required to see an equal impact on both the magnitude and direction in cases where at least one cause changes in level shifts. Discontinuities are basically antonyms of isomorphism. They cause effect one level or group hence producing an unequal, potentially in the opposite direction, they cause impact on at least one or more groups. Top-down effects are most prominent of any social ecological component, according to5 (MCLeroy 1996) the environmental outcomes shapes the persons behavior. The nested factors are basics which react while in crisis situations (Rinderle 2006). OK-FIRST is a program that alienates people on how to help others respond to whether related dangers in a better way (Oetz 2006). Historical interactions also shape peoples conflict behavior. This is clearly illustrated in several situations as observed in the many conflicts of the society. Media also plays an important role in strengthening these issues. Bottom-up effects illustrate how people or society affect the upper levels, as in how people form coalitions to achieve their goals 7(Rinderle 2006). There are also effects on cultures as a result of global corporations existence in some countries. For example, china has raised the accessibility of news to reach a larger audience in a Communist nation. 8 Guerrero (2006) shows emotions are as a result of feelings which includes anger, jealousy, greed, guilt among others and the feelings affects the events likely to happen. Interactive effects are interdependent variables and taking place simultaneously in many groups 10(Rousseau House 1994). For example in Italy where culturally different workgroups, conflicts among group members may occur. This deters relationship impacts in accomplishing the goal of group members for an organization and learning at the personal level. Thus technology also plays an important role in community, cultures, interpersonal conflict and organization (Rousseau House 1994). Political conflict The role of politics is in the making up of decisions. Politics encompasses the appeasing of all stakeholders towards realizing an ultimate objective, decision may be required of an individual, organization, community, or country. A decision a congressman makes affects anyone in his or her jurisdiction. If one makes decision not to vote for the President of the United States, one has given oneself no voice in the 15election (Ungar, 2002). If a lot other people decide not to put in their efforts to vote, they would have unintentionally permitted a greater part of others to carry the day on their behalf. Internationally if the administration of a country like America decides to inhabit another nation say in the Middle East, this will not only have an influence on the administration of that country but it will also have an effect on American soldiers and the whole environment where they come from. Another thing is that when America uses funds on conflicts that are political in nature, t he value of the U.S. currency may be negatively affected. This shows that many cross-level and interactive consequences of a decision can arise. An example of this is like the act of a terrorist could possibly interrupt with the lives of soldiers, the lives of people close to them and the country at large. Economics Basically, from a top-down view point, the physical environment determines a considerable extend to the lifestyle of a person and the country as whole. If the area is hilly or very dry and there is limited land for agricultural activities, the nation generally will not grow compared to other countries. The general, human habits, cultural characteristics and economics are shaped by geography and output is determined by natural resources, technology and human resources. Entrepreneurial mind has an impact on technology. These indicates that there exits bottom-up effects on economics. Health Peoples efforts to modify their own healthy practices are mostly dictated by social, economic and cultural setbacks. Poor educational status, time and money, energy and chronic exposure to neighborhood violent and proximity to friends and family members who often exhibit healthy threatening behavior are some of situation factors that can affect peoples best efforts that and intentions to improve their health practices. There are several ecological variables that can improve or stop danger to individuals healthy physically. To eliminate diseases, an individual should keep off from an environment in which they may be more exposed to virus or where there body defense system would be compromised. This also entails possibly avoiding workgroup if they are breathing or inhalation dangers or keeping off from a sick work mate. Some environments are good for health benefits. Staying around people who are physically fit will encourage you to be active, good diet and physical exercises in general. The state putting a ban on saturated fats manufacture may add value to top-down effect on individuals health in a country. Efforts to persuade a person to adopt health practices can be unfruitful if the person is not ready to embrace the suggested behavior. This can also be limited by exposure to environmental toxins and safety hazards (Haekel, 2003). The current research studied predictors of health-related social influence tactic use in close relationships. According to the social ecological perspective, predictors were grouped as reflecting characteristics of the agent of social influence, characteristics of the target of social influence, characteristics of the agent and targets relationship, and characteristics of the social influence situation. One hundred and nine spouses reported on situations in which each partner was attempting to influence his or her spouse to change a health-related behavior. Using the actor-partner interdependence analysis approach, results revealed only actor effects for characteristics of the agent, primarily partner effects for characteristics of the target, and both acto r and partner effects for characteristics of the situation when predicting health-related tactic use. Effects for relationship characteristics only emerged in interactions with respondent sex. These results indicate that social influence in marriage involves reciprocity and interdependence. Physical and social environment can serve as a media for disease transmit ion; waterborne and airborne diseases. The environment can also act as a stressor exerting detrimental effects on peoples mood, performance and physiology as a result of their exposure to uncontrollable demands such as noise, political upheaval or interpersonal relationship. The environment can act as source of safety or danger; residing in an area contaminated by chemicals, geographically unsafe, or socially violent.tne environment can also serve as an enabler of healthier behavior exemplified by inhalation of safety devices in motor vehicles, proximity of physical fitness devices to work place or home and exposure to interpersonal modeling or cultural practices that foster health behavior. The environment can act as provider of health resources such effective communication sanitation systems, public health services and legislation ensuring citizens access to health insurance and primary care. Risk communication In event of a natural disaster or hazard, there are ways of ensuring that people who are affected are safe. SEM can be required in helping one analyze when information and receivers and those involved. These conditions are environmental influences which are far reaching. The persons level of education, understanding, and privileged circumstances may determine the kind of information the person receives and the mediums through which the information is conveyed. If the information received is altered through the mode of communication, there would be a bottom-up effect on the people involved. In general MCLeroy (1996) points out that: The social perspectives try to, eliminate obstacles on healthy risks, generate conditions favorable for individuals well being plus all people around, creates a positive reception on how people be at vary, facilitates individuals interdependence, coexistence and interrelationships that are found among other individuals and the society as a whole, they try to show in which way; broader physical, social, political, economical, ethnical and cultural context and histories influence the ways in which individuals( and other people) make meaning out of observation and experience and it embraces the sense of care and concern for others (MCLeroy 1996). Other things that social perspectives accomplish are; they help in the recognition of competitive interests, access to resources and relationship with authority which is seen to manipulate peoples abilities, societies and countries to gain stability. These perspectives also assist in the reflection of self and thinking critically that eventually ends in positive actions, encourages social justice, helps learners to counter the ever shifting world, and enables youthful people to look past their selves while working towards expectations and a future encouraging people in taking necessary actions where appropriate in order to develop better healthy practices. Bullying and Victimization The idea of a multiple society influencing an entity is not a new concept. In fact much has been researched on the interplay between the individual, family, peer group, school, community and culture. This reciprocal interplay between individuals involved in the bully/victim continuum can be clearly illustrated, the social ecological perspective can be applied to the conceptualization of bullying behavior. According to Dolls (2001), in a nut shell, bullying does not occur in isolation. This phenomena is encouraged/or incited as a result of complex relationship between the individual, family, peer group, school community and culture. The individual is the centre of his/her social ecology. The individual involved ion bullying may be involved as a bully, bully victim, victim or by stander. Individual factors will influence participation in bullying. Ecological systems theory purports that all individuals are part of the interrelated systems that locate an individual at the centre and move out of the centre to include all the systems that affect the individuall Bronfenbrenner (1977). According to his theory, a child is inseparable part of social network comprising of four interrelated systems: Microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems and Microsystems. The child is at the centre of and actively involved with this interplay of systems. The micro system involves the childs relationship with one system; home, classroom or playground. The Microsystems depicts he the childs immediate interaction with others, and including others reaction towards bullying behavior. This conceptualization of Microsystems also includes the status of the child along the bully/victim continuum. Thus the bully, bully victim, victim or bystander interact with others in his or her social environment, and this interaction either exacerbates or mitigate bullying and/or victimization behavior. The mesosystem includes the interrelationship between system in the childs life; home and school. The mesosystems depicts the congruence between two or more environments such as congruence between and home and school in regard to bullying behavior. The exosystems includes influences from other context, such as the effects of a schools district anti bully policy or parental i nvolvement in the school system. Finally, the macro system is the influence of cultural mores, such as societal attitude towards bullying behavior. The social ecology that encompasses the daily life of youth dictates the engagement and non engagement in bullying and/or victimization behaviors. 19Simons (2000) because individual are affected by their surroundings, it logically follows that intervention the environment in which youth function. Interventions that do not follow the target multiple environments in which youth exists are likely to be fewer effectives than interventions that address social ecology. This assertion is related to consistent findings that the youth who are involved in aggressive behavior experience problems in multiple area including the family, peer group, school, and community. It is important to determine whether or not an intervention is effective in preventing and /or eliminating bullying behavior. Thus assessment of bullying phenomena must utilize multiple methods of assessments, use multiple informants and include assessments across the context. While this can be a daunting task, best practices demands that we asses all the social ecological if we are to accurately determine the effects bullying prevention and intervention programming. An example of this type of best practice is reflected in schema proposed and implemented by Simons (2000) these studies state that data should be collected across all settings (home, school, community, laboratory and others), by multiple informants, observers, children peers, parents, teachers and using multiple methods home observations, lab tasks, classroom, playground questionnaires, records among others. Conclusion We can conclude that a better social perspective can be achieved by putting into consideration of factors at all level which are; interpersonal, organizational, public and individual. Behavior modification entails individuals change on how he or she views the surrounding and effective modification with a shift with ones assessment of entities. By so doing, behavior change will be implemented and sustained.

Contrast between Sam and Hallys Father in Athol Fugards Master Harold

Contrast between Sam and Hally's Father in Athol Fugard's "Master Harold" . . . and the Boys "Any white man is a master of all black men"; "the black society is primitive"- these are some of the ideas that have been nursed to Hally in South Africa's apartheid society. The question is: are those bigoted stereotypes true? Of course they are false! In the play Master Harold and the Boys, Sam is a black man, and Hally's father is a white man. However, Sam's superiority over Hally's father is obvious through the contrast between their relationships with Hally. Ironically, it is evident that, most of the time, the relationship between Hally and Sam is closer to a father-son relationship than that between Hally and his father. One of the most important things that a father can te...

Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” Essay

At first glance, it would appear that Henry James’ â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† and Tim Burton’s â€Å"Edward Scissorhands† have only one thing in common: they are both from the gothic genre. But upon looking closer, one will notice that there are a number of other similar traits between the two. There are noticeable similarities between Edward and the Governess, as well as similarities between Edward and the two children in The Turn of the Screw, Miles and Flora. There are also general themes which the two share – images of a â€Å"perfect† society, as well as onlookers who have no control over the situation. Both â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† and â€Å"Edward Scissorhands† have many traditional features of the gothic genre. However, when compared to each other, it is found that â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† has more of the ‘traditional’ gothic elements. These include things such as the mysterious setting; an atmosphere of mystery and suspense that is present throughout the entire novel; visions, which are a regular occurrence for the Governess; supernatural events – such as the ‘ghosts’ and the ‘possessions’ of the children; high emotion; women threatened by males, which is found on the many occasions in which the Governess feels threatened by Quint; and there are many instances in which the women of the novel are in distress. In spite of this, a number of these elements can also be found in Edward Scissorhands, if not to a lesser extent. These include elements such as the setting – while the entire movie does not take place in a ‘gothic setting’, there are times where the viewer is able to see Edward’s original home – a mysterious, gloomy castle; an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, which is an underlying theme throughout the movie; visions – to some extent – experienced by the Boggs’ neighbour; and supernatural events – largely, the overall creation of Edward. Other elements that are similar between the two are women in distress – in Edward Scissorhands, this is largely Kim; and women threatened by males – shown in scenes with Kim and her threatening boyfriend, Jim. There are not only similarities between the overall genre of The Turn of the Screw and Edward Scissorhands, but between the characters as well. There are striking similarities between the Governess, the narrator of the book, and Edward, the main character of the movie. One of the most prominent is that  neither of these lead characters have much experience in the ‘real world’, as is evident through their actions and words. However, the Governess and Edward deal with this in different ways. Edward is generally dazed and confused about everything. Nevertheless, Edward is willing to learn, and is open to being taught. In contrast, the Governess reacts to her lack of experience by acting as though she is knowledgeable. She is unwilling to try other methods, and refuses to listen to others who might know better. Both characters were also taught the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. Edward is taught this by the inventor, while the Governess is taught this through both her upbringing, and by her father. Both Edward and the Governess are taught this in theory, but have never experienced it in practice – that is, they have never been able to apply the idea of right and wrong to the real world. Additionally, there are a number of similarities between Edward, and the two children, Miles and Flora. Both have overbearing female or ‘mother’ figures in their lives. In Edward’s case, this is his ‘foster’ mother, Peg, who tends to be more caring towards him, and looks out for him. In the children’s case, this is the Governess. However, unlike Peg, the Governess coddles the children, spending all her time with them and not letting them out of her sight. Both of them are also blamed for something which they didn’t do, or which never happened. Edward is framed for the robbery and murder, which had the potential to get him in trouble with the law. This was a deliberate blame and set up. On the other hand, Miles and Flora were accused of seeing ghosts, and lying about it. However, in contrast to Edward’s situation, we never know whether this actually happened – but either way, it wasn’t a deliberate setup. There are even more similarities between Edward and the two children. Both of these characters are abandoned by their ‘father figure’. In Edward’s case, this is in the death of his inventor. Because of this, Edward has to learn to cope for himself, and as a result, is confused about how to act correctly. This differs to Miles and Flora – though their parents die, and their uncle effectively abandons him, they still have people who are willing to look after them, such as Mrs Grose and the Governess. They are also both  idealised by the people around them. The community idealises Edward – he is treated as a phase, the latest craze. They have preconceived notions of him, but don’t take the time to get to know him and see if they’re actually true. In the children’s case, this is where the Governess idealises Miles and Flora. She imagines them to be so perfect and innocent, but she doesn’t take the time to get to know them. Because of this, when they act differently to the behaviour she expects of them, she thinks something is wrong. Edward and Miles are both seen to have ‘dangerous’ characters, and because of this they eventually become shunned or kicked out – though the extent to which this happen differs. Miles is seen as a ‘danger’ to the other children, and is kicked out of his school, but he is not rejected or shunned overall, just from one place. In contrast, Edward is eventually shunned by society as a whole because they don’t understand him. As a result of this, he is rejected by society, and becomes an outcast. The narrative structure of the two texts is also quite similar. Both of them are told by a female, and in the first person. This viewpoint makes the story seem more personal, as it gives the reader or the viewer a better insight into what really took place. Both stories also start off in the present tense, with someone talking about the events which had previously taken place, before going into an account of the story. However, in The Turn of the Screw, we never go back to the original setting, whereas in Edward Scissorhands we are taken back to the original storyteller to finish the story. In both instances, it also gives the feel of the storyteller holding onto the secret, and waiting for the right time and place to finally tell their story to a willing audience. There are a number of general things which are common in both the texts. One of these is that both The Turn of the Screw and Edward Scissorhands have onlookers that have no control over the story, and don’t fully understand what is going on. In Edward Scissorhands, the onlooker is Kim – Peg’s daughter – who is a silent observer, and unsure as to what is happening. In The Turn of the Screw, this onlooker is Mrs Grose. Mrs Grose has no control over the actions of any of the other characters, and is forced to sit back and watch as the events take place around her, not fully knowing what is  going on. Another theme common in both texts, as well as being common in the gothic genre, is the idea of a woman being threatened by a powerful, impulsive, controlling male. In The Turn of the Screw, this is Quint, who, though dead, makes the Governess feel threatened. In Edward Scissorhands, the male is Jim – Kim’s boyfriend. She feels threatened by his actions, and especially at his reaction to Edward. But the most obvious similarity between the two texts is that both have a â€Å"perfect society†, which slowly falls away, leaving the reader with an image of a very tainted place. In Edward Scissorhands, the community that he lives in is regarded as perfect, with everyone being accepting of him. However, as the story progresses, the perfect image falls away and we are left with a community that is biased and judgemental. In The Turn of the Screw, it first appears as though everything is perfect – particularly the beauty of Bly, and the children’s characters, but we soon learn that it isn’t. Overall, while there are some aspects of the texts which are entirely different, there are too many similarities for one to say that they are not alike in some way. These similarities are shown in a number of areas – in the genre, the narrative structure, the character’s actions and thoughts, as well as the overall themes and ideas which are introduced. However, whether The Turn of the Screw and Edward Scissorhands are similar or entirely different, they are both classic examples of the gothic genre of fiction.

Zen and the Way of the Sword: Arming the Samurai Psyche

Winston L. King is a known Buddhist writer who has mainly presented the different issues of Buddhism in a well versed manner that it could be assessed as a major practice of discipline that could be applied to different activities in the society today. In this particular reading, Buddhism has been noted to assist in the process of using meditation as a matter of increasing concentration among samurai practitioners to make their activity a more efficient and applicable practice of defense and art. About the Book As mentioned earlier, the book further discusses the major issues that relate Zen meditation to the practices of Samurai. More than just the relation of Zen to Samurai practice, the book further notes the needed thought that provokes the possibilities of making the Zen meditation as a major source of discipline among different practices of martial arts and self defense among several enthusiasts of the said practice. Content and Summary Zen is a sect of Buddhism that emphasizes religious meditation. It was a belief introduced in China in 520 by Bodhidharma. It has mainly two branches both concentrating on meditation practices on different aspects. One is the za-zen which is plain meditation while the koan is a meditation problem with no logical solution. Other forms of meditation, which were not discussed in this part of the discussion, could well be described as simple forms of medical advancement to deal with stress. But still, many others rooted out from religious beliefs and practices such as the Yoga and the Zen practice. Still regarding meditation, a Neurologist, James H. Austin M. D. talks about the Zen meditation and its relation to the brain. For him it is more than just a religious practice. Zen, according to him has a reasonable biological explanation behind all the practices it promotes. As he has written in his book, he shows that chemical messengers (hormones) are affected by the sensory input, also he points out how the brain is wired and how are its parts like the Thalamus acts as a sensory gate. It also includes the fact that the olfactory system bypasses the thalamus and acts directly on the mid-brain and affects the chemical signals. With regards to these details, Austin makes it clear how the Zen meditation practice works for a person as it directly involves how the brain along with its parts and functions help in making the Zen practice a successful one. Reaction and Critique It is through this reading that the Zen practice is noted as a major source of discipline for individuals practicing the art of self defense. Although it cold be noted that the author prepared a much effective way in presenting the said meditation in more positive view, he at least forgot, or might as well said overlooked the fact that there are certain spiritual elements of the people practicing the said meditation that might be affected by the belief that Zen practice itself suggests. Moreover, being a Buddhist himself, King may have better presented his claims and explanations about the Zen practice in a more general perspective that could assist in making the procedures of discipline much applicable for all other groups of people. Considerably, the manner by which samurai practitioners apply Zen in their way of living could also be used by other non=samurai individuals who are simply wanting to have an idea of how the meditation actually works. This way, the book would not only be able to cater to samurai enthusiasts but also to other people who are simply wanting to know something about the Zen meditation. Undeniably though, the book of King could be considered a fine read for those who are wanting to appreciate the benefits of personal discipline through the different approaches of meditation.

The Movie Industry

The Movie Industry Introduction The movie industry refers to the businesses that primarily deal with the exhibition of movies. It comprises of the film festival exhibitors, cinemas, outdoor and drive-in movie theaters. The PESTLE comprises of the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors. Both PESTLE forces and the Porter’s forces affect the performance of the movie industry.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Movie Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The paper will discuss the forces as well as evaluate the main strategic issues affecting the movie theatres. In addition, strategic initiatives that can help exhibitors in handling the strategic issues will be evaluated (Katkin 6). PESTLE Forces The meaning of the PESTLE analysis entails evaluating each of the PESTLE components and the way in which they influence the movie industry. Political factors The government plays a major role i n the way the movie industry operates. Some governments protect intellectual rights and patents for the movie industry. The protection of intellectual properties helps in preventing the copying of technological processes that negatively affects the company profits, sales and product prices. Government’s role in the release of films affects the industry (Katkin 6). Some jurisdictions control the release of films by protecting morals and culture, banning movies regarded as highly sexual and with violent subject matter and regulating the content of each movie. This is associated with the uncertainty regarding the date of the release of the movies. In addition, the movie industry is subject to the FCC, as well as the regulations imposed upon it. This affects the production of film and TV due to the fines imposed by the FCC (Slamanig 1). Economic Factors The industry is extremely expensive, which makes it very valuable to capture a small portion of the market share. The movie indu stry has a high cost of capital that makes it difficult for new firms to enter the industry (Slamanig 2). This is due to the high cost of production associated with movie products.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economic forces such as the recession and high unemployment rates negatively affect movie attendance. This occurs when theatre owners charge higher ticket prices in order to maintain the sales for box office (Slamanig 2). Technological Factors There are several technological changes taking place in the movie industry over time. The use of internet platforms to facilitate entertainment has led to the growth of the industry in meeting advertisers concerns on the reduction in advertising opportunities due to piracy (Slamanig 4). In addition, the use of mobile devices and the introduction of the new video format shows the level at which advancement in tec hnology has propelled the movie industry to achieving higher quality. It is therefore essential for companies to adapt to the new technology that deals with online streaming in order to remain relevant in the industry (Slamanig 4). Legal Factors The movie industry has set a line between what it may or may not produce. There are different regulators who monitor the operation of the industry. Companies that engage in activities not allowed by the law, faces litigations that attract huge fines and penalties (Katkin 4). The legal environment has recently allowed the companies in the movie industry to buy phone companies as part of their franchise. This can help the movie industry in integrating into other fields, thereby creating bundles for generating more customer loyalty as well as the ability to raise switching costs, hence creating a barrier to entry (Partridge 76). Social Factors The frequent changes in moviegoers in different age groups affect the performance of the movie industr y. Movie and film venues that cater for the older group get higher real revenue in the short and long run. These moviegoers often drive the industry. The increased use of websites by customers affects the movie industry (Partridge 76). Theatres currently compete with other movie viewing options such as cell phones, televisions and computers. This has made theatres to become one of the many options available for consumers to watch a film. As a result, several theatre chains have gone bankrupt and eventually closed. The movie industry is also highly affected by piracy over the internet as well as the physical copies (Slamanig 3).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Movie Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Environmental Factors Environment plays a role during the production process and the climate and location may either lower or raise costs. The rise in the environmental concerns of individuals all over th e globe influences the movie industry to some degree. The movie industry must address issues related to noise pollution and global (Katkin 7). Porter’s Forces Analysis of the porter’s factor model demonstrates the way in which they influence the whole movie industry. One of the forces is the competitive rivalry. This involves the level of rivalry that exists between companies in the movie industry. The bigger companies in the industry represent a large portion of the market share making it difficult for smaller firms to compete effectively (Katkin 2). This is the main reason the industry has high profitability due to the existing competition between the large companies. This has led to the high competitive landscape in the industry (Katkin 2). The other Porters force is the threat of new entrants. This force has been on the rise recently. Media streaming has attracted a high demand, thereby raising the threat of new entry. The increase in licensing agreements in the in dustry affects or rather puts the providers of entertainment at risk (Katkin 2). The increase in the number of new entrants in the industry who are able to produce programming increases the levels of competition in the market. High costs of productions acts as a barrier of entry to new entrants. Most of the existing firms’ use economies of scale in their production. This reduces production costs while making it very costly for new entrants (Cheverton 30). The customers bargaining power is moderate in the movie the industry. Customers are able to choose among the several available companies providing the movie services on which to spend their money. There are several products in the industry from which customers can make a choice. The choice of the consumers creates impact on the ratings, which, in turn, affects the expenditure of advertising (Cheverton 30). When companies fail to produce high quality products, then customers bargaining power comes into play by switching, ther eby reducing the advertising expenditure making it possible for competitors to capture it. There are now different segments of consumers in the industry due to growth of delivery methods. Companies that satisfy all the segments remain competitive in the market (Hill and Gareth 43).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the movie industry, the suppliers bargaining power is low. Most of the suppliers in the movie industry are easily controlled by the movie companies. This makes it difficult for the suppliers to act freely and they are thereby, left at the will of the industry (Katkin 4). Threat of substitutes is the other Porter’s force. Competitors in the industry together with new entrants both also act as substitutes of products in the business. There are increased entertainment substitutes in the industry in addition to theatre, TV and film (Katkin 4). These substitutes have taken steps that have made them more competitive in the industry. For instance, the showing of movies in plays has recently increased in popularity, which acts as a substitute for other forms of entertainment. The advancement in technology has increased the availability of different substitutes in the industry (Katkin 4). Profitability model The movie tickets purchased by movie watchers highly determines the profit ability model of the movie industry. Additionally, movie theatres sell other items such as popcorns to those who attend the movies. This refers to as the concession sales. Some studies indicate that concession sales represent almost 40 percent of the total net income of movie theatres (Katkin 4). The markup generated from the sale of tickets is small as compared to that of concession sales. Those who operate the movie theatres charge low prices for tickets in order to attract a large volume of viewers. The viewers thereby end up purchasing concessions that are highly priced. This in turn increases the company profitability. The current attendance is at lower levels and in order for the theatre operators to compensate for the reduced ticket sales, they have increased the prices of the tickets, but more significant is the highly increased prices of secondary items such as popcorns (Silver 3). Strategic Issues Digital technology is one of the strategic issues affecting the movie theatr e industry. New technologies affect different media verticals including video games, TV, film and music. This in turn affects the advertising industry, the management of digital rights and management of customer relationships. The emergence of these digital markets will therefore affect the volume of sales and overall profitability of the movie industry since most consumers will turn to digital technologies instead of attending movie theatres (Silver 3). Strategic Actions The changes in the digital technology when well analyzed can create opportunities that come up with them that yield success in the business. Content owners can therefore deploy multi-format contents of delivery platforms so that they may be able to utilize or rather maximize the revenue opportunities that accrue from the use of the new digital markets (Silver 3). Recommendations Personally, I would recommend that companies adapt to the new technology that deals with online streaming in order to remain relevant in t he industry. Firms must use internet platforms and other mobile devices as well as introducing new video formats in order for them to achieve higher quality. This will also ensure that the movie industry remains relevant in the market (Silver 3). Conclusion In summary, the paper has critically analyzed the Porter’s and the PESTLE forces in relation to the movie industry. Different forces affects and impacts on the movie industry in different ways. Technological advancement in form of digital technology is one of the main strategic issues that affect the movie industry. The adoption of the new technology by movie theatres can facilitate in accessing various opportunities related to the business. Cheverton, Peter. Key Account Management in Financial Services: Tools and Techniques for Building Strong Relationships with Major Clients. London [u.a.: Kogan Page, 2004. Print. Hill, Charles W. L, and Gareth R. Jones. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. Boston, MA: H oughton Mifflin, 2010. Print. Katkin, Michael 2013, External Analysis of Time Warner Inc. in The Entertainment and Film Industry. PDF file. Web. Partridge, Lesley. Strategic Management. London: Financial Times Management, 1999. Print. Silver, Jon n.d., Are Movie Theatres Doomed? Do Exhibitors See The Big Picture As Theatres Lose Their Competitive Advantage, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. PDF file. Web. Slamanig, Markus. Pest Analysis Hungary: Country Evaluation and Selection of Hungary. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH, 2012. Internet resource. Web. Appendix Appendix A Â  Porter’s Forces Threat of Rivalry Very high threat of rivalry Difficult to gain customer loyalty Competition based on advertising and product, expenditure Threat of Substitutes Moderate Different substitutes are readily available due to new technologies Availability of different entertainment outlets in addition to TV and Film entertainment Threat of Buyers Switching costs are relatively low for consumers The threat is low Opportunities for profits are driven by viewer ratings Threat of Suppliers The supply exceeds demand Low supplier threat Threat of Entry Entry and exit costs are very high Low threat of entry Appendix B Â  PESTLE Forces Political Government and other regulatory bodies such as FCC affects production aspects Affects production costs Economic Cost of capital is high Production costs are high Entry and exit costs are high Legal Fines and costs affect profits Reputation is affected by litigations Social What viewers enjoy is influenced by changes in cultural trends Technological Increased use of mobile devices and online for movie viewing New formats of video Production equipment Environmental Production location affects costs Appendix C Barriers to Entry checklist Level Competition High Technological Change High Industry Assistance Medium Concentration Medium Life Cycle Stage Growth Regulation Policy Light Capital Intensity Medium Appendix D

CIMA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

CIMA - Essay Example (Brian 2003, p. 68) Outsourcing can be defined as the process of transferring responsibilities of a specific business functions from an â€Å"employee group† to a â€Å"non-employee group.† simply it is the transfer of functions from their function center in the organization to a function center outside the organization. It is integrated in many business strategies due to it’s seemingly benefit of cutting down cost through economies of scale. One of the most important features of outsourcing is the transfer of control. The buyer or the non-employee group doest not retain the power to instruct the supplier or the company on how the task is to be performed. Outsourcing differs from other forms of business control in that the company retains the power to dictate how it wants the whole process to be carried out. Both parties makes agreement on how the whole process will be carried out and what the process is supposed to achieve at the end of the exercise. (Thomas 1996, p. 15) It is based on mutual agreement which may be carried out physically or through other medium of communication. Outsourcing has been taking place across continents with companies moving to areas with low labour laws in a bid to exploit the benefits of cost reduction. However the concept of outsourcing has been claimed as not efficient by many people though many companies has reportedly adopted the benefits they have seen in the process. This paper will look closely into the aspect of outsourcing, it benefits and whether companies which have adopted the concept have achieved the benefit. (Mitchell 2007, p. 23) Many companies carry out outsourcing to meet the objectives that are drafted in its strategies. The motivation to outsource comes from the experience that a company had but the whole concept is implemented with an aim of achieving multiple benefits. At a glance most

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Dissertation

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises - Dissertation Example 5.0 Analysis 63 5.1 Organisation Effectiveness 64 5.2 Entrepreneurial Orientation 65 5.3 Market Orientation 68 5.4 Sales Force Performance 70 5.5 Sales Organization Effectiveness 74 6.0 - Conclusion 80 Bibliography 84 TABLES AND FIGURES TABLE Table 1 - Features of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods 15 FIGURES Figure 1 - Hypothesized Model of Venture Capital FirmPerformance with Regard to Selected EntrepreneurialOrientation Dimensions 33 Figure 2 - Market Orientation Matrix 37 Figure 3 - Top Business Objectives Stemming from Sales 41 Figure 4 - Sales Representative Time Allocation 44 Figure 5 - Average Sell Cycle Length... According to the paper findings in order to better understand the rationale of the preceding statement, the definition of organization is integral. The basic definition describes an organization as â€Å"†¦a group of people intentionally organized to accomplish an overall, common goal or set of goals†. As the discussion declares the preceding offers a mental as well as visual conception that is expounded upon by another definition that states that an organization is a â€Å"non-random arrangement of components or parts interconnected in a manner as to constitute a system identifiable as unit†. The second definition offered by the BusinessDictionary provides an even clearer picture of the workings of organizations in that it states that they are a â€Å"Sequential or spatial (or both) from in which a body of knowledge, data, people, things, or other elements is purposefully arranged†. The organizational unit represents a grouping of people that are brought together to achieve goals, through combined efforts. The foregoing have been brought forth to indicate the complex as well as synergistic relationships that exist in organizations of all sizes, which is even more important in SMEs, due to their size and thus lack of resources to absorb mistakes and problem issues in the highly competitive business arena. Entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, and sales force performance represent the areas that shall be explored in this study, which shall also seek to address the nature of these relationships, and their impacts in SMEs.