Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Assignment Application Of Organizational Behavior

Module 1: Application of Organizational Behavior There are many reasons individuals are grouped to share in a common purpose. These can be informal and short in duration, or formal relationships that may span a lifetime. The attitudes and actions of individuals toward one another have an impact on the relationships and performance when they are interacting. Observing the interactions for things such as; participation, decision making ability, managing conflict, and leadership are part of group process. Developing strategies for effectively working together to overcome challenges in problem solving, allows members to function at their best, as an individual, and places the highest potential for the group to succeed. The Applied Organizational Leadership (AOL) group #248, has begun a journey of discovery for new knowledge that will highlight their current level of ability as well as explore developmental opportunities within each member for successful working in group. Group Behavior Themes The diverse backgrounds and internal motivators for each group member have a heavy impact on the level that they participate and are accepted by the other group members. Further understanding of how individuals respond to leadership power and their perceptions about conflict play a role in decision making situations. The ability to contribute to a group will influence an individual’s reputation for leading others and their ability to be led in group settings. Leadership PowerShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Behavior1284 Words   |  6 PagesBachelor of Business Administration (Hons) Course Title : Organizational Behavior Course Code : BUS 250 Year of Study : 2 Number of Credits : 3 credits Duration in Weeks : 12 weeks Contact Hours Per Week : 3 hours Pre-requisite Course(s) : BUS 120 Principles and Practice of Management Course Aims The course provides students with a conceptual and a pragmatic approach to understand the employees’ behavior in the organization. This course equips students with the knowledgeRead MoreOrganizational Ethics934 Words   |  4 PagesWeek Three Managerial Ethics †¢ Identify typical ethical problems of managers. †¢ Recognize differences in ethical behavior and responsibility between an employee and a manager. Course Assignments 4. Readings †¢ Read Ch. 6 7 of Managing Business Ethics. †¢ Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. 5. Learning Team Instructions †¢ Begin preparing for the Ethics in the Workplace Case Study Action Plan Presentation due in Week Five by reading one of the following case studiesRead MoreBmal 500 Syllabus889 Words   |  4 PagesBMAL Course Syllabus BMAL 500 Organizational Behavior Course Description This course discusses managerial competence in understanding the human output of organizations from the viewpoints of individual, group, and organizational systems levels. Emphasis is given to assessing one’s personality and values and to applying course material to one’s work environment. (Formerly BUSI 500) Rationale Without wise application of organizational behavior, no manager can consistently manageRead MoreOrganizational Excellence And Change At Pepsico850 Words   |  4 Pages Unit 3: Assignment 1- PepsiCo Michelle Kinyungu GM504-01 Organizational Excellence and Change June 14,2016 Dr.: Barbara-Leigh Tonelli Introduction Open systems approach is a gave a rise to a general model can guide the diagnosis of entire an organization ( Harrison,2004, p.27) .Open systems are made of several components that will impact an organization during the diagnosis process. The two systems components that is directly association with PepsiCo are organizational processes andRead Moreorganizational behaviour1261 Words   |  6 Pages Organizational Behavior MG6013 The exploration of the theories, research and practices that allow a better understanding of human behavior in organizations. Topics include motivation and job satisfaction; decision making; group dynamics; work teams; leadership; communication; power, politics and conflict; organization culture, structure and design; impact of technology; management of work stress; organizational change andRead MoreLearning Team Deliverable Week 3 1055 Words   |  5 PagesLatrina Taylor, and Suzane Tenorio University of Phoenix HRM/552-Organizational Training and Development Sherri Johnson December 1, 2014 Learning Team Deliverable- Week 3 The assignment for this week focuses on the team’s understanding of the goals and objectives of training program development and delivery. Team C summarizes the following highlights of this week’s discussions: determining organizational development theories and applications; differentiating between mentoring and executive coaching;Read MoreLsi Paper1065 Words   |  5 PagesWeek 1: Introducing Organizational Behavior and Individual Differences - LSI LSI Assignment Guidelines Developing a willingness and ability to engage in self-reflection is a critical leadership skill that is not easily learned yet which reaps many rewards. The LSI enables you to examine your own unique way of thinking and how it influences your behavior. Your Assignment: Complete (on your own) the LSI according to the procedure outlined here, so that you end up with your Life Styles CircumplexRead MoreThe Negative Leadership Experience794 Words   |  3 Pagesdistinguish one leader from another. Some leaders possess positive and motivating behaviors whereas other leaders possess behaviors that are more negative. Negative behaviors can affect creativity deficiencies and alter employee morale. A positive behavior, however, will encourage bringing out the best in others. By doing so, the leader endorses a positive culture that permeates confidence and motivation. The behavior, positive or negative, is the catalyst that drives employee morale and professionalRead MoreMotivation Research : Curiosity And Career Related962 Words   |  4 Pages Assignment Paper 1 My motivation to do research is both curiosity and career related. I like the idea of living life by asking questions and figuring out why things work the way they do. I feel like it is more beneficial to me to ask clarifying and probing questions; to be content with the state of a problem is to stop looking for more. In a career setting, I recognize the importance of research to a psychology graduate program. Graduate school is centered around a large-scale research project.Read MoreResearch On Japanese Organizational Behavior890 Words   |  4 PagesOrganization behavior studies how the employees interact within the teams/groups. As per Kalnbach, Organizational behavior is the study of human behavior within an organization. He further added that I sometimes tell people that it is the application of psychology in the workplace or any organization. Remember that the organizational behavior is a very important aspect of any business. The individual and group dynamics are known as mic ro organizational behavior while macro organizational behavior deals

Monday, December 23, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Minimum Wage - 513 Words

The minimum wage has many positives and negatives. Some advantages are that it provides employees a minimum income to be able to pay bills and meet basic needs; it prevents companies from taking advantage of the labor market, and it makes sure companies share their wealth with the employees who assisted in generating it. Some disadvantages are that it leads to job outsourcing; it is harmful to non-profit organizations, and foreign companies have an advantage over domestic companies. The first benefit is that it provides employees a minimum income to pay bills and meet basic needs. People will always need to buy essential things to be able to live. These include making a monthly house or rent payment, paying utilities, buying food, and making car payments. If people weren’t paid a minimum wage, then they wouldn’t be able to meet those needs and therefore be unable to work. Another benefit is that companies can’t take advantage of the labor market. This is one of the reasons that labor unions came into existence. In theory, if companies could pay low wages, most probably would. The minimum wage provides a fair starting wage that should be paid to all workers regardless of skill. The last benefit of the minimum wage is that it requires companies to share the wealth with employees. Without front line employees, most companies wouldn’t be able to produce their goods or services. Do executives really need that multi-million dollar bonus for another yacht or vacation home? TheShow MoreRelatedThe Advantages and Disadvantages of Minimum Wage2231 Words   |  9 PagesThis essay will give an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the minimum wage. There are many different opinions about whether a national minimum wage is a good or a bad thing for our economy and people individually and by looking into various different resources and researching thoroughly, a conclusion will be drawn to hopefully provide a fair and unbiased review. In the UK, there are 3 different bands when it comes to minimum wage, if you are between 16 and 17 years old you are entitledRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Minimum Wage In Taiwan1541 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Nowadays, minimum wage is very important for workers in this world. In addition, minimum wage is also a core element of public policy in lots of countries. For example, minimum wage has become a hot topic in Taiwan recently. The Taiwanese complained that the working hours are too long, and the wages are too low. Because of that reason, workers in Taiwan have come forward to protest this policy. Therefore, according to this example, minimum wage has become an issue that cannot be ignoredRead MoreEffects of Increasing Minimum Wage Essay988 Words   |  4 Pagesfederal minimum wage is a good one. The idea is to protect low and unskilled workers from discrimination and allow all workers to earn a living wage. The recent debate on the floor, though, is whether or not to raise the minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour up to $10.10 per hour. President Barack Obama made this proposal during his annual State of the Union Address on January 28, and following this there were many hot de bates about it. The debates focused not only on the advantages and theRead MoreEffects of Increasing Minimum Wage794 Words   |  3 Pagesa federal minimum wage is a good one. The idea is to protect low and unskilled workers and allow workers to earn a living wage. The recent debate on the floor, though, is whether or not to raise the minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour up to $10.10. President Barack Obama made this proposal during his annual State of the Union Address, and after this there were many hot debates about it. The debates focused not only on the pro side and the con side of increasing the minimum wage, but alsoRead MoreEssay On Learning Activity Worksheet859 Words   |  4 PagesFor each section, a minimum of one fully-developed paragraph is required. A fully developed paragraph should be a minimum of 5-7 sentences in length. Each paragraph should include at least one in-text APA citation that provides support for the topic. At least two scholarly sources from the Ashford University library (not including your textbook) with in-text citations utilized within your paragraphs are required. Two new sources should be utilized each week to meet the minimum of eight requiredRead Morebusiness organisation has adapted its working arrangements to accommodate legislation relating to rights and responsibilities of employees and employers.1198 Words   |  5 Pagesresponsibilities of employees and employers. INTRODUCTION Minimum wage, flexible working provision, disability provisions and holiday entitlement are procedures which are taken into consideration with legislation to rights and responsibility. I am going to evaluate these two and state what NHS did in relation to these right and responsibilities laws. MINIMUM WAGE The minimum wage requires employers to pay their employees a minimum amount of money which is based on the current version of theRead MoreThe Minimum Wage766 Words   |  4 Pageswhether or not the minimum wage should be raised. Minimum wage can produce an impact on everyday life more than most may think. It is not just about more money in a person’s pocket; it can affect the economy in multiple ways. Many people think it would be a good idea to raise the average minimum wage, but they do not understand or take the time to think of the disadvantages. The minimum wage is the least amount a worker can be paid at a job, by federal law. The present minimum wage is set at sevenRead More America Needs a Variable Minimum Wage Essay1468 Words   |  6 Pages Minimum wage is the least amount of money that an employer is legally required to pay an employee. It is something that all people in the American workforce know about. It was made to prevent the employer from taking advantage of employees. It is what creates the bare minimum standard of living for the 73.9 million hourly wage workers in the United States. However, there are many different jobs with varying amount of skills that are needed for those jobs. This is where the problem arises becauseRead MoreThe Syna-Green Government Case Study958 Words   |  4 Pagesworker’s wages and support opportunities for worker training by preventing delinquent payments that is a growing issue in the construction industry. Minimum Wage This section applies to both Victoria and Edmonton, as both provinces are looking at implementing a 15-dollar minimum wage over the next few years. This will have advantages and disadvantages for an EMBERS expansion in both cities. Advantages: Raising the minimum wage will likely result in the loss of jobs for minimum wage workers. ThisRead MoreEssay on We Must Raise the Minimum Wage1615 Words   |  7 Pages Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can pay their employees. There is a Federal minimum wage and in some cases a State Minimum wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25. An employee who makes $7.25 an hour and works 40 hours a week, will earn about $14,000 per year. The Federal government deemed that the poverty line is anyone who makes less than $17,000 a year (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). Therefore anyone that makes minimum wage lives below the poverty line. As president Obama

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 15 Free Essays

The doctors at the hospital said Seth’s survival was a miracle. Which, of course, it was. The police officers who talked to all of us believed Seth’s actions had been rash – but also admirable. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 15 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Defending a fair maiden tends to elicit that reaction, and since Seth hadn’t been killed, no one else viewed his gallant defense quite the same as I did. Because honestly? I thought it was stupid. I thought it was so stupid, and I was furious. Beyond furious. I’d surpassed it and moved into an uncharted area of enragement. What had he been thinking? â€Å"I wasn’t thinking,† he told me in a low voice, when I questioned him in the ER. The others had stepped out for a moment, busy with other things, and it was just the two of us. Seth lay on the bed, face still pale, but otherwise alive and well. â€Å"That guy had a gun. You were in his line of fire.† I opened my mouth to argue the poor logic there, but one of the doctors stepped back inside. She needed to check Seth, and I backed out of the room before I said something I’d regret. Seth might have acted like an idiot, but he was in the hospital with a major injury. Blowing up right now probably wasn’t the most appropriate course of action for the healing process. Instead, I sought out Vincent. After his interview with the police, he’d stationed himself down the hall, back against the wall and hands stuffed into his pockets. He tilted his head back, face staring miserably up at the ceiling. â€Å"Hey,† I said, careful to keep a safe space between us. He glanced down at me. â€Å"Hey. How is he?† â€Å"Fine – considering everything. The doctors are amazed the bullet ‘missed.'† Vincent turned away and gazed blankly down the hall. He stayed silent. I didn’t know what to say. So†¦you’re a nephilim. How’s that working out? Frankly, I could guess how that was working out. Horribly. Nephilim were the offspring of angels and humans. Those angels were now demons, of course. You couldn’t sleep around with hot humans and still play for heaven’s team – as I’d noted with Yasmine. It was why Jerome had fallen. In what had to be the most unfair deal in the world, many nephilim had been hunted and killed by angels and demons – even their own parents. Heaven and Hell viewed nephilim as dangerous abominations. The fact that nephilim tended to have unruly natures and poor impulse control didn’t really help their reputation. As a result of their persecution, nephilim usually walked the earth disguised, hiding the full brunt of their power – which rivaled their parents’ – as well as the immortal signatures that could give them away. And while I felt bad for them, they nonetheless scared the hell out of me. Many of them held grudges against angels, demons, and anyone else immortal. Jerome’s son Roman was like that. He had come to Seattle a few months ago and embarked on a revenge killing spree. Looking at Vincent now, I wondered if I was dealing with the same sort of thing. â€Å"Does†¦Yasmine know?† I asked after several more awkward moments. His eyes flicked back to me. â€Å"Of course.† He said it with the same matter-of-fact tone he’d used when we’d talked about their relationship. It was a tone that implied how could she not know? Like it was absurd that he would keep anything from the woman he loved. â€Å"It kills her,† he said with a sigh. â€Å"It’s eating her up inside.† â€Å"Because†¦of†¦what you are†¦?† â€Å"No.† His eyes were so sad that I almost forgot he came from a race of uber-powerful psychopaths. â€Å"She doesn’t care about that part. What she can’t stand is that it’s a secret. That she has to hide everything. You know they can’t lie†¦but she’s not exactly telling the truth either. It’s deceitful, and she hates that. And I hate that she hates it. I’ve tried to end our†¦thing a couple of times, but she won’t do it because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because she loves you,† I finished. Vincent shrugged and looked away from me again. â€Å"I’m sorry,† I told him at last. And I was. How horrible. Yasmine loving anyone was dangerous enough, but for her to love one of the most despised creatures in our world†¦well, yeah. That took it to an entirely different level. An angel should have been reporting Vincent’s existence, not hiding it. Vincent turned his attention back to me. â€Å"Who will you tell? Carter? Jerome?† I stared into those dark, dark eyes, those eyes filled with so much sorrow and so much love. I stopped being afraid of him. He wasn’t Roman. â€Å"No one,† I said quietly. â€Å"I’m not going to tell anyone.† He turned incredulous. â€Å"Why? You know what I am. You know you could get in trouble for hiding me. Why wouldn’t you tell?† I thought about it. â€Å"Because the system is fucked up.† I went back to Seth’s room after that, and when I stepped out into the hall later, Vincent was gone. He wasn’t at my apartment when I returned home that night. Seth was released the following morning, and I stayed home from work with him. â€Å"I don’t need to be coddled, Thetis,† he told me gently – though I could swear there was the tiniest hint of annoyance in his voice. â€Å"I’m fine. I won’t break.† We were sitting in his living room, side by side on the couch. He had his laptop, and I had a novel. I folded a corner of the page I was on and shut the book. I wanted to tell Seth that he would break, that that’s what it meant to be mortal. I wanted to tell him a thousand things, just like I’d wanted to in the hospital, but once more I swallowed my feelings. â€Å"You just need to take it easy,† I said. â€Å"And I want to make sure you don’t do anything too crazy.† â€Å"Right. Because my usual lifestyle is so physically vigorous.† He had a point. Most of his days were spent sitting and writing. He wasn’t too likely to burst another artery that way. â€Å"I just want you to be careful,† I said obstinately. â€Å"You were shot last night, remember? That’s not the same as falling on the ice.† â€Å"You overreacted to that too.† â€Å"Is it so wrong to care about you?† He sighed and returned to his work. I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one biting back angry words. We spent most of the day like that, talking little. Whenever he expressed any interest in something – food, drink, etc. – I was quick to jump up and get it for him. I was the perfect nurse/servant. Finally, around dinnertime, he looked like he was nearing a breaking point. â€Å"Arent your friends doing something tonight?† he asked stiffly. â€Å"Are you trying to get rid of me?† â€Å"Just asking.† â€Å"They’re having a card game.† â€Å"You aren’t going?† â€Å"No, I’ll stay here with you.† â€Å"You should go.† â€Å"I don’t want to leave you. In case you need something.† â€Å"Then take me with you.† â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. â€Å"But you need to – â€Å" † – take it easy, rest, not strain myself. I know, I know. But look, I’m kind of getting cabin fever here, and honestly, I think you’d benefit from a little distraction.† â€Å"Seth – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina,† he interrupted. â€Å"It won’t be much different than this. More sitting around, except with – â€Å" â€Å"Better company?† â€Å"That’s not what I mean,† he said. We went back and forth, and as we did, I wondered when we’d reached this point in our relationship. Hitherto everything had been giddy and sentimental with us. How had we crossed the line into nagging? When had we started getting on each other’s nerves? In movies, life-threatening experiences are supposed to bring people together. I finally relented, and we went over to Peter and Cody’s place. The gang – consisting of Hugh, Peter, Cody, and Carter tonight – was surprised to see us since Seth often avoided immortal social events. But socially inept or no, Seth liked playing cards. It was the kind of analytical activity he enjoyed, and he could often get by without talking very much. Just before the game started, Niphon showed up. He and I exchanged brief glares and then proceeded to ignore each other. Inevitably, Seth getting shot came up in conversation. â€Å"You threw yourself in front of a gun for her?† asked Peter, clearly impressed. â€Å"Well,† said Seth, a little uncomfortable at all those eyes on him. â€Å"Mostly I tried to jostle it away.† â€Å"You mean, disarm him?† â€Å"Well†¦no. More like†¦jostle. I don’t really know how to ‘disarm’ anyone.† â€Å"I figured maybe you took combat classes in order to write those fight scenes in your books,† explained Peter. Seth shook his head. â€Å"Never been in a fight in my life. Until last night.† â€Å"That’s awesome,† said Cody. â€Å"Risking your life in the name of love.† I stared at the vampires disbelievingly while they babbled on about how amazing Seth’s feat had been. They peppered him with more questions about the attack, and the anger I’d been trying to squelch since last night kept building and building. Across the table, Niphon listened with a smirk. Carter, in his usual way, concealed his feelings. I wanted to know why he wasn’t out with the other angels, but the Seth thing was taking precedence over my curiosity. One thing struck me as odd. Hugh, listening quietly, seemed as angry as I did. I would have expected him to jump right in with the vampires, blithely pestering Seth for action-packed details and waxing on about how cool Seth’s heroics had been. But the imp’s face looked dark and stony, his eyes fixed pointedly on his cards. â€Å"The guy was probably high,† remarked Peter. â€Å"Never know what that might bring out. You jumping in like that was pretty ballsy when you think about it.† I couldn’t take it anymore. â€Å"It was stupid!† I cried. Everyone’s heads jerked in my direction. I ignored them, my eyes on Seth. â€Å"It was foolish and idiotic and, and – † I couldn’t think of any more synonyms, so I let it go. â€Å"You shouldn’t have done it. He couldn’t have hurt me. He couldn’t have killed me. You should have let me handle it!† I knew that Seth despised being the center of a commotion like this, but he returned my gaze with a surprisingly fierce one. â€Å"Georgina, there was a man with a gun in a dark alley. You were in front of him. Do you really think I was running through all sorts of logical scenarios at the time? ‘Oh, let’s see. She’s immortal, so even if she gets shot, there’s nothing to worry about.'† â€Å"Yes,† I growled. â€Å"That is what you should have been thinking.† â€Å"What I was thinking was ‘The woman I love is in danger, and I would rather die myself than see anything happen to her.'† â€Å"But nothing would have happened to me!† â€Å"It’s a basic human instinct to protect the ones you love. Even if they’re immortal.† â€Å"That doesn’t make any sense.† â€Å"That’s because it’s been too long since you were human,† he snapped. It was like being hit. I shot up from my chair and stalked off to the bathroom. Angry tears were welling up in my eyes, and I refused to let them show in front of my friends. Leaning my forehead against the mirror, I tried to do all the standard tricks for calming down. Deep breathing. Counting to ten. None of it worked. I didn’t get it. I just didn’t get it. And apparently, Seth didn’t either. Why couldn’t he understand? Getting shot – in my head, in my heart, whatever – would fucking hurt. The pain would be excruciating. But in a day or so, I’d recover. I’d go on. But Seth wouldn’t. Why did he not see how serious this was? Death was forever. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to block out the image of Seth dead. Cold. Still. No more spark in those brown eyes. No more warm hand to hold mine. A sob built up in me, and I forced it away. After more deep breathing, I finally felt like I could return to the others. But as I stepped out of the bathroom and started to round the corner back to the kitchen, I heard more shouting. Hugh. â€Å"It was brave, okay? Noble. Gallant. Worthy of a gold star. But she’s right. It was stupid. It was so fucking stupid, and you’re even more fucking stupid for not realizing it.† â€Å"I get it,† said Seth. I could hear the weariness and exasperation in his voice. â€Å"I could have died. I know, okay? But I wasn’t thinking about the larger workings of the universe. I was thinking about her.† â€Å"No,† said Hugh. â€Å"You weren’t. I am so goddamned tired of hearing everyone talk about how hard it is to be you. They all go on and on about how amazing it is that you can handle this relationship with her. But, Christ. Really, what’s hard about it? You have this beautiful, brilliant girlfriend who doesn’t fucking age. She loves you. I know you can’t have sex, and everyone acts like that’s the end of the world, but come on. She’s given you the green light to go get it somewhere else. I don’t really see you suffering that much.† â€Å"What’s your point?† asked Seth. â€Å"My point is that she’s the one who suffers. She knows your life is a ticking time bomb. What have you got, another fifty years maybe? And that’s if disease or an accident doesn’t take you first. Fifty years, and you’re gone. She has to live with that every day, knowing that in one breath, your life could be snuffed out like that.† I heard Hugh’s fingers snap. â€Å"Not hurt. Not injured. Gone. She is going to watch you age, watch you gray and wither away, and when you do finally die, it’s going to destroy her.† There was a moment’s silence, then I heard Seth say uncertainly, â€Å"Fifty years isn’t anything compared to the scope of her life. She’ll get over me. As everyone keeps reminding me, she’s immortal.† â€Å"All that means is that she has more time to mourn. If you had any fucking regard for her, you would have ended this stupid romance a long time ago. You would have never gotten involved. She was uncertain at first, but now she’s in. She isn’t going to give you up. You could turn into the world’s biggest asshole, and she still wouldn’t do it – not with all these romantic ideals she has now. She loves too easily – and gets hurt too easily.† I finally forced myself to move in the ensuing silence. Everyone looked away from me, except Niphon. He was obviously enjoying all of this. I sat back down, and the card game commenced. None of us were really into it, though. The atmosphere was stiff, the conversation forced and halting. It was the proverbial elephant in the room situation. When Peter awkwardly said he was getting tired, the rest of us practically flew out of our seats to leave. As I was putting on my coat, Carter strolled over to me. â€Å"Seth makes his own choices, as is his right,† Carter said softly. The angel was regarding me in that way that always sent chills down my spine. Someone wearing such an ugly baseball cap really shouldn’t have that kind of ability. Honestly, how did his hats always get so dirty? â€Å"You can rage all you want, but in the end, mortals live their lives the way they decide to. It’s not our place to interfere with that.† â€Å"Of course it is,† I said. â€Å"It’s what you guys do. It’s what we all do. That’s the whole point of the Heaven and Hell battle – we purposely interfere with people’s lives.† â€Å"Yes, but this is different.† â€Å"No, it’s not.† Beyond him, I saw Niphon saying something to Seth. Great. The imp was probably trying to buy his soul. That was so not what I needed right now. I turned back to Carter. â€Å"Look, I’ve got to go. Say hi to the Get Along Gang when you see them.† I dragged Seth away from Niphon, and we headed home. I hadn’t thought things between us could be any more uncomfortable than they had been at Peter’s, but the car ride proved me wrong. Earlier, Seth and I had discussed him staying over at my place, but as I merged onto I-5, he asked, â€Å"I’d kind of like to get some more work done. Do you mind if I just go home?† The elephant had apparently joined us in the car now. I smiled tightly and kept my eyes on the road. â€Å"Sure. No problem.† How to cite Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 15, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Supply And Demand of Nike company Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Supply And Demand of Nike company. Answer: Introduction In this paper, we are looking forward to open the online showroom for the Nike shoe industry to increase prosperity and the profit of the company. The success of the Nike online showroom depends on the analysis of the marketing strategies, promotional activities, analysis of the competitors, and analysis of the target audience. Creativity and additional functional module in the web portal helps in attracting larger amount of customers towards the company. Analysis of the company The Nike company is becoming one of the top brand in the sale of sports footwear and other accessories. The aim of the company is to provide best services to their customers. In the modern world of internet, the company decided to open the online showroom for their customers so that they can get home based shopping experience. Issues The innovation in the trends and technology due to the increasing growth of internet has restricted the growth of the company (Zlatanova, 2012). The customers are attracted towards the online shopping centre. The owner of the company wants to change their marketing strategy plan. Analysis of the competitors Adidas is the main competitor of the Nike company. The Adidas has increased their profit with the development of web portal for their business. The marketing momentum of the Adidas company got a failure due to the delivery of poor quality shoes to the customers at their door step. The other major competitor of Nike is Reebok. The development of web portal has completely transformed the working criteria of the company during the early stage but later on the customer get distracted due to the delay in the delivery of the product. Competitive analysis Adidas Reebok Strategy Increased distribution and sale through the development of online stores Reebok has increased their operating cost to provide good quality shows to the customers Target audience Men, women, and children Men and Women Brand Recognition of the brand is improved Recognition of the brand is decreased due to improper management of online showroom New design Provide similar design Working on providing new design of shows with extra features Target market The target audience of the company are the people who belong to the age between 18 to 40 years of age. Achieving fitness and the body shape is the major aim of the people (The Internet marketing academy, 2014). The daily physical activity program of the people requires a comfortable pair of shoes which are breathable. The addition of extra features in the development of the shoes according to the requirement of the consumers helps in attracting new customers towards the business (Millanyani, 2012). The study of target audience helps in increasing the profit and the revenue generated by the company. Project objective The objective of the company is to gain financial profit by expanding the marketing area of the company with the development of web application. The company is looking forward to enter the foot step in the online global market. The company is focusing towards to increase the revenue up to 50% of the companys profit. The major aim is to develop new online market for the business. Project strategy The Owner of the Nike organization is looking forward to develop the project strategy by the analysis of core competitors such as Reebok and Adidas. The analysis of the competitors marketing plan helps in delivering high quality product to the door step of the customers on demand without making any delay in the delivery time of the product (Flynn, 2015). The study of target audience helps in knowing the actual requirement of the customers. The recognition of the customer needs help in developing the product according to their requirement. The requirement of the customers should be clearly analysed for the designing and addition of the new features to the product to make it unique from the product of the competitors. This study is advantageous in maintaining the supply and demand of the product in the competitive market (Soles, 2013). The SWOT analysis of the company is helpful in knowing restriction and constraints in the success of the companys reputation. Strength Weaknesses Opportunity Threats Clear understanding of the target audience requirement Online and offline promotional activities Lack of awareness in the customers about the online portal of the Nike showroom Clear understanding of the customers requirement help in adding new features to the existing product Addition of new marketing trends in the web portal of the marketing competito Implementation plan The implementation of the web portal for Nike organization should be indulged with the promotional program to make customers aware about the entrance of the industry into the world of online global market (Efrimidi, 2015). The social media platform is the best suitable for undergoing promotional activities for the company because the social media is the point of attraction for the age of people between 18 to 40 years which is the target audience of the firm. The attractive images of the shoes and their extra features should be highlighted so that it can be predicted by the newer generation. The highlighted product should be equipped with the direct link of the company at the bottom of the image so that the customers can directly go to that link and purchase the item of their own choice from the online showroom of the company. After the purchase of the product, the customers should be asked for rating the web portal (Davies, 2013). The achievement of five star rating helps in attracting new customers towards the website because the highly rated website is the preferred choice of the customers. The posting of the advertisement on the Instagram portal is the most effective one for the popularity of the product and the web portal. The customers should be provided with the cash on delivery option also which helps in building trust of them on the website. Recommendation It is recommended that high quality product should be delivered to the door step of the customers on demand without making any delay in the delivery time of the product. The supply and demand of the shoes stock should be maintained at the warehouse of the company. The social media platform should be used for making the customers aware about the availability of the online showroom of the Nike organization with the clear description about the payment options, new extra features of the product, addition of attractive images, and etc. Conclusion From the research, it has been concluded that the analysis of the target audience and the pitfalls of the marketing competitors helps in the development of the successful online portal for the company. References: Davies, T. (2013). Marketing Research and developing a marketing plan. Retrieved from https://www.regionalbusiness.ca/images/pdfs/market_research_guide.pdf Efrimidi, K. (2015). Marketing plan for developing and promoting sport shoes online shop life shoes. Retrieved from https://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/64464/1/TFG-ADE-Efrimidi-Ksenia-febrer15.pdf Flynn, P. (2015). Nike marketing strategy: A company to imitate. Retrieved from https://www.albany.edu/honorscollege/files/Flynn_Honors_Thesis_(5-11-15).docx Millanyani, H. (2012). Online Marketing strategy of Cibaduyut footwear industry in Bandung: An effort to face global hyper competitor. Retrieved from https://www.sibresearch.org/uploads/2/7/9/9/2799227/riber2012-158_150-162.pdf Soles, P. (2013). Women shoe store marketing plan. Retrieved from https://www.mplans.com/womens_shoe_store_marketing_plan/marketing_strategy_fc.php The internet marketing Academy. (2014). Developing an internet marketing strategy. Retrieved from https://web.ftvs.cuni.cz/hendl/metodologie/developing-an-internet-marketing-strategy.pdf Zlatanova, R. (2012). Data management in the footwear industry. Retrieved from https://www.cognizant.com/whitepapers/Data-Management-in-the-Footwear-Industry-codex1569.pdf

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Spanish Armada Essays (614 words) - Tudor England,

The Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada was a fleet of armed ships that attempted to invade England in the year of 1588. This Spanish Fleet had at one time been called the Invincible Armada, supposedly because the Spaniards thought it could not be defeated (World book Multimedia Encyclopedia). The Spanish Fleet consisted of over 130 ships and more than 29,000 men, most were soldiers. Many of the ships were low in weapons and experienced soldiers that could work these weapons, others were low in ammunition. King Phillip named the Duke of Medina Sidonia to command the Armada. During the 1500's the Spanish were thought to have had a dominating Navy until in 1588, when they were defeated by the English. The English received word of the Spanish's activities and armed many of its merchant vessels and added them to its warships. England's fleet was made up of about 197 ships and nearly 16,000 men, these men were mostly sailors rather than soldiers. Admiral Lord Howard of Effingham commanded the fleet and his squadron leaders were Francis Drake, John Hawkins and Martin Frobisher. Francis Drake and John Hawkins were ordered many times to raid Spanish villages and ships to acquire more riches. 2 The Spanish Armada left Lisbon, Portugal on May 30, 1588 and arrived at the English Channel on July 20. The ships were constantly battling for seven days straight. There were long-range duels and soldiers were sent to burn the enemy ships and destroy their weapons. On July 27, the Armada anchored at Calais, France. The Duke of Medina Sidonia had planned to meet barges carrying Spanish Troops from nearby Dunkerque, a port in the Netherlands (World book Multimedia Encyclopedia). Unfortunately, Dutch gunboats prevented the barges from meeting the Armada. This act doomed the fleet to failure (World book Multimedia Encyclopedia). Early in the hours of July 29, the English sent eight vessels that were packed with gunpowder and were set on fire, and they were directed towards the Armada. The Spanish were barely able to flee from the burning ships. Later that morning, the English sent 60 or so warships to attack an equal number of Spanish Galleons. The English sank two Spanish ships and damaged others severely. The crippled Armada fled to the North Sea, then returned to Spain by sailing north around the British Isles. Heavy winds wrecked many of ships off Ireland's coast, and only 67 out of the 130 reached Spain. 3 There were many deaths at the battle between the England and Spain, but the exact number is confirmed. Some deaths were from drowning, disease, but most were just from the casualties of war. The Spanish lost nearly half its fleet, during the battles with the English. Things got even worse after the battles. Spain even though they did not officially lose the battles, their country was in economic trouble. There were so many controversial issues, going on after the war, that the country just fell apart and England became a major power in Europe. Spain was very confident going into the battles and they came out the losers and that hurt them considerably. The battles contributed to the slow decline of the Spanish economy, production, and social well-being. It was becoming evident that the Spanish were not as powerful as they once were. There were revolts against the Government of Spain, lootings in villages and towns and their were several civil wars. Spain, today, is still a fairly popular country but not as nearly powerful and prosperous as they once were. The Spanish Armada's invasion on the English Channel in 1588 is and always will remain one of the most popular naval battles in history.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Gravity essays

Gravity essays Hypothesis-When a constant force is put upon an object the object will then have a constant velocity in movement. Background-In order to conduct these experiments knowledge of gravity and resistance towards gravity had to acquired. Also graph matching with the computer program Logger Pro had to be used to give accurate graphs. Experiments-To conduct the various experiments it was required that you have a computer running Logger Pro that is also connected to a Vernier Motion Detector. Also many objects showing a direct relationship with the laws of motion. For example a board is needed to be used as an incline with a dynamics cart to show that gravity has a constant force on the cart causing constant acceleration. This is shown very well when the cart is rolling down the incline and can be measured precisely when using a motion detector. However the force might not be perfectly constant because of too much friction caused by bumps in the board and bad bearings for the wheels on the dynamics cart. Comparison-When comparing the predicted distance vs. time graph against the actual graph for the pendulum experiment the percentage of error was .018. For the velocity vs. time graph the percentage of error was .038 these results were shown by using the comparison of both graphs by using an algebraic curve. Conclusion-The experiments all can clearly show how motion and its laws affect everything around us. Also these experiments bring more truth and support my hypothesis stating constant force makes constant movement. ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Corporate Governance Practices in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corporate Governance Practices in Qatar - Essay Example Different frameworks are being drawn up to ensure that there is integrity in the market that may allow the region maintain its ethical stand, and at the same time, make profit in the ever-changing world market. This paper will examine corporate governance, and how it differs among international and local companies in Qatar. The aspect of corporate governance may not be a new one, but Qatar is among regions that do not have long-standing financial infrastructures and may not necessarily be fully aware of the impact it has on the region. However, the region is trying to incorporate the phenomenon of corporate governance through the financial market authority (Tricker, 2009). This is in a bid to address some of the issues that face most of the companies in the region, and the challenges that the region faces with a foreign company’s involvement in the region. The Qatar Financial Market Authority (QFMA) has certain guidelines for all companies that operate in the region, but the MNCs face much steeper challenges when it comes to their operations. One of the main issues that arise with MNCs in the region is the issue of the greed culture associated with MNCs. This ‘infectious greed’, as countless people refer to it, is presenting tremendous challenges to their companies in Qatar. The boards of directors in major companies are being faced with the challenge of being forthcoming with every action they take that concerns the company. The control systems in these companies are required to uphold certain regulations in order to operate without problems. Strict external auditing is required for these companies to have a transparent accounting procedure that makes them accountable to the QFMA. Agreements on disclosure are necessary to ensure financial reports are reported truthfully and accurately (Zinkin, 2011). Compliance is another issue facing countless MNCs.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Debating Gloalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Debating Gloalization - Essay Example Joseph Stiglitz is considered as one of the major voices in the world speaking against the potential detrimental nature of the overall process of globalization. His main arguments therefore suggest that globalization can be good if it is executed properly by taking into the consideration of the individual characteristics of each country. (Friedman, 2002). He is of the opinion that the countries should be allowed to embrace globalization on their own terms rather been enforced on them. He also argues that if the pro globalization policies are not being carried out properly, it is quite possible that the countries can become more vulnerable to the external shocks and this can create economic instability as well as resulting into a decline in growth and increase in poverty. (Stiglitz, 2002). This paper will discuss and explore the ideas of Joseph Stieglitz on globalization and will present a critical intellectual biography of Joseph Stiglitz. Intellectual Biography Ideas Stiglitz has wo rked on different issues and presented his ideas on diverse range of ideas ranging from economics to political economy. He is often considered as a New Keynesian for his views on the better role of government in running the overall affairs of the economy. He is therefore also considered as neo-liberal thinker because of his strong opposition of the corporate led globalization. He is often considered as critical of IMF and World Bank- two of the most important institutions advocating the globalization and help fulfilling the overall agenda of globalization. (Stiglitz, 2003). His major ideas on globalization are based on his theory of information asymmetry and how the lack of correct information can result into the development of incomplete markets at the global level. He is therefore particularly of the view that advocating globalization in such economies where markets are not fully developed and information is not available can result into more poverty and economic inequality rather than creating prosperity. He is also considered as quite critical of IMF because of its ignorance that the overall process of globalization may not work in the presence of inadequate institutions as well as the incomplete markets. (Stiglitz, 2003). His ideas on globalization therefore are based on the presence of more transparent institutions and greater role of Western countries in helping the less developed countries to better integrate themselves into the global economy. His economic ideas are also mostly considered as New Keynesian. Trade In order to understand the Stiglitz ideas on the free trade and its role in the globalized world, t is important to consider the overall arguments in favor of free trade. The advocates of the globalized and free trade believe that free markets and trade can actually increase the overall opportunity set for the countries and they can readily benefit from this. What is however, important to consider that as per Stiglitz this is not the case? Tho ugh he believes that this may be a text book approach however, in reality free trade and markets do not necessarily result into the growth. The overall arguments are based upon the notion that the free trade and investment can only result into the growth when they are competitive. Since the markets of the developing countries are still

Monday, November 18, 2019

Against stricter gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Against stricter gun control - Essay Example Antigun control activists assert that disarming the public is not the answer to removing the threat of civilian shootings, but arming those who are in those situations is the answer. For instance, teachers should be legalized to carry guns if it helps to improve their safety since they are often targets of attacks by rowdy students in different locations (Weissert, 2013). This should not only apply to teachers but to all the citizens alike if their lives are under threat from assailants who are bent on robbing them of their valuable possessions. In such a case, it can be seen that guns help to protect the safety of the citizens. In the United States, there are more incidents of armed civilians, guards, and off-duty police officers saving people through the use of guns than there are also incidents of armed civilians firing on innocent crowds. In such a scenario, it can be seen that guns are used to protect innocent civilians against violence by other unknown assailants hence stricter gun laws may threaten the safety of the citizens if they are implemented. The use of guns has to be regulated such that only those people with the legal right should use the guns to protect themselves and the members of the society rather than to commit crimes using the same guns. The other reason why I argue against stricter gun laws is that the state has the duty to regulate as well as to vet the people who are legible to get the guns. If the state makes it a law that guns should not be easily accessed by anyone especially young children, gun violence is likely to be maintained at a lower level. Gun violence can also be reduced if all guns are licensed such that the state can clearly control the activities of the people who are armed with guns. If efforts are put to eradicate all illegal fire arms being possessed by different people, it can be seen that the levels of gun violence

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Fashion and Marketing: Individuality vs. Conformity

Fashion and Marketing: Individuality vs. Conformity Fashion Marketing Individuality vs. Conformity. Section 1: Introduction A seemingly intractable paradox underlies Westerners choice of fashion in the twenty-first century. On the one hand, the democratic and social progress made in the West in the past fifty years has led to radical revaluations of, and profound reversals of attitudes towards, issues such as   gender, class, race, social stereotypes, cultural identity and so on: in short, the Western citizen of 2005 has far greater personal freedom for expression than could have been conceivable for a Westerner in 1905 or even 2005 (Craik, 1994). The modern student of Western fashion trends might therefore reasonably expect to notice in the clothing choices and styles of twenty-first Westerners ever greater diversity and individuality to notice a kaleidoscopic and multi-coloured efflorescence of personal freedom in fabric and cloth. And, indeed, in many instances in Western society there is a profusion of individual styles mirroring newly liberated individual personalities. Yet, on the other hand, des pite this potential for individuality, the fashion student notices, paradoxically, that Westerners are exhibiting an ever greater homogeneity and similarity in their clothing choice for instance, the ubiquitous presence, amongst certain definable social groups, of trendy brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Zara and FCUK. The principal force behind this homogeneity is argued to be (Miles, 1998 Radford, 1998) the massive and all-consuming power of giant global fashion houses and their resources for mass branding and advertising. To many fashion critics and scholars these hugely powerful companies have come to swamp the potential for personal and individual expression that was made possible by social changes in Europe and America in the past fifty years. In a further paradox, it was these very changes themselves, and the liberation and emancipation of consumer power and choice which they released, which provides the consumer markets and spending-power which make these huge companies possible. In other words, for the gender, class, and social revolutions of the twentieth century to happen this required the protests and emancipation of Western masses; but this very freedom itself created a mass homogeneous market that could be exploited by fashion corporations themselves made possible by these changes. I n   a final paradox, Rosenfeld (1997) and Davis (1993) argue that modern man is free to choose the clothes he wears and so is himself responsible for submitting himself and his individuality to temptations of mass production and consumerism   that surround him. The fascinating question before this literature review is then: why is it   that Westerners, granted at last a large measure of personal freedom for expression, ‘choose’ nonetheless to submit themselves to mass trends and to enslave themselves to perhaps an ever greater extent than when such freedom was not obtainable? Of further interest is the question: how have particular cultural groups, and fashion trends, resisted mass consumerism of fashion, and gone on to use these new freedoms to establish exciting and original expressions of their personalities? Section 2: Sources A few words about the origin and authority of the sources used for this literature review   are perhaps necessary before turning to the main themes of the review.   The principal type of source discussed in this literature review are academic books and journals; in addition, some internet sources are employed also. The academic books referred to in this review are amongst the seminal texts in the literature of fashion and marketing, their authors world-class experts in   their fields, and therefore the reliability and authority of their material is extremely high. The fashion student can have high, if not complete, confidence in his employment of these sources to illustrate his themes and arguments. Likewise, those texts from other fields in this review, such as Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud, 1900) or Lacan’s Language of the Self (Lacan, 1998), are usually included by critics and scholars in their lists of the most important works of the twentieth-century. They too then may be used by the fashion student with a high degree of trust in their authority and reliability. A note of caution might be sounded however about   the employment of internet sources in any literature review. Whereas the process of publishing work in an academic book or journal is a lengthy one, requiring considerable cost and numerous stages of scrutiny by fellow scholars and experts, thus ensuring the quality of those sources, nonetheless, the standards required for publication on the internet are often lower and less vigorous. The vast profusion material released daily on the internet requires the conscientious student to subject the internet sources he employs to greater scrutiny and doubt than might be the case with academic books or journals published in the traditional paper-based way. Consequently, the internet sources used in this literature review have been vigorously scrutinised and tested for their reliability in the fashion described above.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Section 3: Review The following literature review is discussed according to the following thematic schema in five parts: (1) The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity, (2), Global Trends and World Markets, (3) Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion Visual Communication, (4) Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities, and, (5), Sociological Philosophical   Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity. The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity The contemporary situation in Western fashion and personal clothing choice is one of apparently irresolvable paradox: Westerners are today endowed with ever greater personal freedoms, extending naturally to their choice of personal clothing and one would expect this freedom to lead to a plethora and profusion of individual styles and manners of dress: these freedoms should result in less conformity of style than was present in say 1905 when gender, class and social prejudices compelled and forced a person to dress in a particular way and style. Yet, despite these abundant new-found freedoms, Western clothing choice in 2005 seems to display ever greater conformity and homogeneity. That is, Westerners are ‘choosing’ to dress more and more alike one another Westerners’ expression of their personalities through their choice of style is showing ever greater similarities to one another. How then could this be possible? This question is discussed at the general level in great depth by F. Davis (1993) Fashion, Clothing and Identity and by Fiske (1990) in Introduction to Communications Studies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global Trends World Markets The most persuasive and frequently given answer to the above   question is that the rise of huge fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani, Prada, Zara, amongst many others along with their massive resources for branding and advertising, have drowned-out the recently attained freedoms of Western individuals to reflect their personalities in their choice of clothing. This point is powerfully made in D. Crane’s seminal text Fashion and the Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. (Crane, 2004). Crane argues that just at the critical historical moment (the end of the 20th Century) when Westerners were finally endowed with greater personal freedoms in fashion and personality expression than ever before, that these freedoms were immediately smothered by forces such as globalization and capitalism which gave birth to vast fashion corporations whose financial resources and advertising capacity have become too great and powerful for individual expr ession to poke through and flower. This point is corroborated and reinforced by numerous other scholars and authorities in fashion and marketing. F. Davis (1993) in Fashion, Culture and Identity, L. Rosenfeld (1997) in Clothing as Communication, and J. Craik (1994) in The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion all endorse Crane’s central premise that individual freedom of personality expression through clothing and style is suffocated by the capitally fuelled force of the major fashion brands to overwhelm this expression through relentless psychological pressure, carried by advertising, to conform to the style and choice ‘imposed’ and ‘decided’ by these companies and not by individuals themselves. M. Barnard in Fashion as Communication (1996) makes an interesting refinement of this basic premise by suggesting, in a further paradoxical statement, that it is the very freedom of gender, class, social status etc., of the past fifty years which has led to ever greater conformity to popular styles and to an even greater imposition of style than existed before such freedoms were possible. In other words, to echo a sentiment expressed by Nietzsche in 1888 (Nietzsche, 1888) and Freud in 1900 (Freud, 1900) human beings have natural herd instincts which are present whether people are free or not, and these instincts generate the need for leadership and imposition from one source or another. Thus, whilst before the 1960’s style conformity was forced upon Westerners by gender and class stereotypes, nonetheless, after the 1960’s when these stereotypes were lifted, Westerners became susceptible to a new ‘authority’, ‘imposition’ and ‘leadershipâ €™ in the form of vast fashion corporations whose choice of style and expression is propagated through intensive branding and advertising. According to this philosophical view, endorsed by Bruce Stella and Pamela Church Gibson (2000) in Fashion Cultures Theories: Explorations and Analysis, the personalities of Westerners today and their choice of expression of their personalities through clothing, is largely decided by fashion corporations and advertising companies thus resulting in the uniformity of style and expression which is so evident from a casual glance at our high-streets today.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion Visual Communication A interesting example of the practice of a semiotic theory of fashion promotion is that discussed in A. Rhodes’ and R. Zuloago’s paper ‘A Semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising’ published in 2003. The chief motif of Rhodes’ and Zuloago’s work is that ‘Fashion advertising is an excellent example of identity-image producing media’ (Rhodes   Zuloago, 2003: p8). They state at the outset of their paper that ‘The nature of the product is tied directly to identity those objects with which we encase our bodies for public display  ­- and fashion is acknowledged as a cultural language of style’; a little further on they add ‘Taken as a whole, high fashion media and advertising describe a spectrum of identity, unified in general types of signifiers young women, high   status, high sexuality and through the constant repetition and variation of images on these themes serve to create this identity spectrum.â €™ (Rhodes and Zuloago, 2003, p1). Thus, in their paper, Rhodes and Zuloago seek to define the symbiotic relationship between high fashion and the cultural and social identity of one particular social group: young, rich and sexually confident women. Rhodes and Zuloago argue that the advertising campaigns of companies like Prada, Donna Karen, Armani, Dolce Gabanna and others like them, speak so powerfully and seductively to these women, and that the images employed penetrate so deeply into their consciousness and social orientation, that they come to identify their personalities almost wholly with the product. Rhodes and Zulago recognise, nonetheless, that whilst the influence of major fashion brands over social groups like the one mentioned above is immense that these groups too, by their social characteristics and newly liberated personalities, constantly force the fashion brands to invent new styles and designs that evolve to reflect the changing consciousness of these particu lar and individualistic groups (Rhodes Zuloago, 2003: p5). The symbiosis is nearly total; and similar relationships between major brands and other social groups are evident throughout modern Western   culture.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities R. Radford points out in Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism (1998) that the mass conformity of modern fashion style and personality expression is not of course universal, and many original and fresh styles punk, gothic, ethnic, etc., have arisen from the social freedoms of recent decades, both in reaction to the preceding centuries of restricted expression and also in reaction to the monotonous uniformity of the mass-branded   and consumer-based style. As suggested in the last sentence, Radford distinguishes between styles which are (1) a reaction to the restrictions of former centuries, (2) those which are defiances of the modern branded uniformity, and, (3), those which are a reaction to neither, but rather are healthy and original efflorescences of cultural uniqueness and individual expression. In the first category Radford places the astonishing growth in popularity of ‘gender-liberated’ products like bikinis, short-skirts and casual clothing which were, in other centuries, repressed by the authorities either because of gender prejudices or inequalities, or because of antiquated ideas about the morality or sexual imprudence of certain items and styles of clothing. To take an instance of gender discrimination cited by Radford (Radford, 1998: pp. 142-148), it was not socially or morally permissible for women in former times to wear beach attire (bikinis, swim-suits etc.,) that revealed or celebrated anything of the sensuousness or beauty of the female figure; women were therefore universally condemned (in Western countries) to wear a single type plain, non-sexual beachwear. But since the lifting of this social prejudice and stigma, there has been a profusion of designers, from Gucci and Dolce Gabana to Zara and BHS, who have produced modern designs which allow women to celebrate the sensuality and beauty of   the female figure. Women today enjoy the same rights as men to wear what they like either to the beach, to the disco or to work; thus, in this instance, despite the domination of the fashion brands, women now have the opportunity to, and do indeed exhibit in practice, a greater expression of individuality of personality than was possible or permissible before the last decades. In the second category, Radford places fashion styles like punk and gothic: styles which rebel   against the conformity of modern mass-consumer culture and relish in the controversy and upsetting of convention induced by the difference of their style. Studded clothing, fluorescent coloured hair, male make-up, cross-dressing etc., are rebellions against the usual fashion paradigm and make the personality statement that some people disagree with popular sentiment and convention and express this in clothing styles that are often shocking and scandalous (Barthes, 1983).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the third category are individualistic styles, such as ethnic, which are neither reactions to historical repressions or to modern mass conformity, but which are rather healthy flourishing of individual personality or philosophy. For instance, contemporary Western style permits a greater exhibition of ethnic clothing or pride in national dress than was acceptable fifty years ago. F. Davis argued as early as 1988 in Clothing and Fashion Communication that clothing could be a vehicle for greater racial tolerance and for multi-culturalism and racial integration in modern Western society. A concomitant of this toleration is a celebration and pride in the wearing of clothes of national dress; clothes that display part of the person’s personality repressed for decades.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sociological Philosophical Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity Jacques Lacan in Language of the Self (Lacan, 1997) gives a fascinating philosophical and psychological interpretation of the individuality vs. conformity paradox, filtering it the prism of class, gender and social stereotypes, to argue that human beings are essentially language-animals and can be manipulated if one finds the key to the use of this language. Lacan argues in his seminal text Language and the Self (1997) that the social freedoms attained by Westerners in the past half century have given them Westerners unprecedented opportunities to reflect their innermost ‘self’, their basic human constituency, through new cultural media such as television, the arts, and by derivation, fashion and our choice of media. Lacan argues further that the ‘self’ of previously repressed groups such as women, homosexuals, African-Americans and so on is now able to manifest itself in cultural forms that had previously been repressed for centuries, and which are now burs ting out in the diversity of artforms prevalent in our society today. Nonetheless, through his   principal scientific and philosophical investigation into the language-animal, Lacan argues that Westerners have been seduced by the clever and innovative marketing campaigns of the major fashion brands, who use slogans and images to target specific social groups. Thus Lacan explains the phenomenal seduction of modern Western man to the worded slogans of designer labels and celebrity endorsed products. Lacan suggests that the advertising campaigns of major fashion brands seduce the consumer’s unconscious directly and that this explains the phenomenon of mass conformity to such a homogeneous type of personal expression through fashion as is evident in our society.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Section 4: Conclusion In the final analysis, the literature of the fashion and marketing texts on the subject of individuality vs. conformity, and the influence of branding upon this relationship,  Ã‚   reveals the following points. Firstly, that a curious and complex paradox deeply underpins the dynamics between individuality and conformity. To the one side, the liberation of women, homosexuals, formerly repressed racial groups, underprivileged classes and others, in the second half of the twentieth-century, has led to a huge mass of people in Western society who have previously unimaginable freedom to wear whatever styles and types of clothing they believe best express their individuality and uniqueness. For instance, gender prejudices removed, women can now wear trousers ; race prejudices declining, repressed groups can wear a city suit or opera tuxedo; in many other instances Westerners are free to dress as however their mood, philosophy and occupation inclines them. On the other hand, the ceaseless ascent to prominence and immense power of the great fashion houses and fashion brands has led to a blanket of homogeneity being spread over the personal expression of many Western consumers. Philosophers like Lacan, and psychologists like Freud and Nietzsche, suggest   that man has an innate herd instinct that compels him to conform to the trends of the crowd and to seek a higher authority and leadership to decide and impose his personal expression upon him. According to this view, despite the newly attained freedom of Westerners, they have substituted for the old imposition of gender and class barriers the new authority of the mass product and the famous brand. Thus ‘personal choice’ and ‘freedom of expression of personality’ through clothing are   merely illusions that do not   correspond to modern reality. Furthermore, the conformity of modern Western dress is, according to D. Crane (Crane, 2004), even more intense today than in other centuries, s ince in 2005 particular styles and mass produced clothing items Crane gives Levi’s jeans as an example permeate all classes and genders of society and therefore have a ‘total sphere of conformity and influence’; in other centuries a particular item or style of clothing would only dominate one social group; today brands like Nike, Zara, Levi’s, Armani and so on, can penetrate the personal expression of every social group from top to bottom. Nonetheless, the flourishing of reactionary and rebellious fashions expressions such as punk and gothic, as well as the profusion of small individualistic designers and such styles as ethnic suggest that the mass produced fashion items have not and will not dominate totally and may even be forced back a little as personal expression is allowed to bloom in the new forms and clothing styles of the twenty-first century. Our final words might be these: that the question of conformity vs. individuality now hangs in a delicate balance and equilibrium, that Western society pivots at a vital moment in the history of its ability to be able to define itself. The opportunity exists for   Westerners to dazzle the world with an efflorescence of new styles of clothing that reflect the cultural diversity, racial integration, and class assimilation achieved in the past fifty years. The danger remains nonetheless that these achievements and potential expression will be swamped by the relentless mar ch of mass consumer fashion and our seduction to it.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Section 5: Bibliography   Academic Books, Journals Articles Barnard, M. (1996) Fashion as Communication, Routledge Barthes, R. (1967, 1983). The Fashion System, New York: Hill and Wang.   Bruzzi Stella Church, P.G. (2000). Fashion Cultures Theories, Explorations and Analysis, Routledge Craik, J. (1994) The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion, London: Routledge. Crane, D. (2004). Fashion and Its Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. Oxford   University Press, Oxford.    Davis, F. (1985). Clothing and fashion as communication, in Solomon, M. R. (ed.) The Psychology of Fashion, Massachusetts: Lexington Books. Davis, F. (1993). Fashion, Culture and Identity, Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press. Du Gay, P. (1996). Consumption and Identity at Work, London: Sage.   Fiske, J. (1990). Introduction to Communication Studies, London: Routledge Freud, S. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams. Penguin, London. Lacan, J. (Reprinted 1997). Language of the Self, Baltimore, MD.: Johns Hopkins University Press Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL.: University of Chicago Press Miles, S. (1998). Consumerism as a Way of Life, London: Sage Publications Nietzsche, F. (1888). Ecce Homo. Peter Gast Books, Basel. Quirk, R. (Et al.). (1989). The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Radford, R., Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism, Fashion Theory, vol. 2, issue 2, Oxford: Berg, 1998, pp. 151-64.   Rosenfeld, L. B. and Plax, T. G. (1997). Clothing as communication, Journal of Communication, 27: 24-31. Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh.   Internet Sources Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL.: University of Chicago Press http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Mead/MINDSELF.HTML   Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh.   http://www.adamsmith.org/smith/tms-intro.htm   Rhodes, A. Zuloago, R. (2003). A semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising.   www.garhodes.com/Semiotics_of_Fashion.pdf Feminism: Sexism and Society Feminism: Sexism and Society Feminism as a concept is one with a variety of different views. While to some it may seem like a rightful assertion of what they believe society should be, some believe it to be unrealistic and too idealistic. They believe that by relying too much on the principle of feminism, they are overdoing it, thereby resulting in the loss of the effect of the concept as such. Feminism as a concept emerged during the late 19th century, where the important demands made were that of more rights in the public sphere, the right to vote, the right to own property, and obtain a reasonable education. (footnote book). As time went on, and women felt more and more comfortable with asserting their rights openly, newer topics like sexuality, reproduction, domestic violence, domestic labour etc, came into prevalence (footnote book). Feminists then believed that the major thing lacking in society was the fact that masculine ideas were being used in both the political and social fields. (footnote book). The concept also aims to be relevant in the present day context. Feminists have tried to tackle issues such as single mothers handling a household, lower wages, especially in the present day, poverty and lack of education for most women, even today.(4) Feminism in India has also been gaining some momentum with the new age. Womens magazines, women oriented television shows etc, are helping this new wave of feminism in the country. This paper attempts to look at the variety of ways that woman oriented mediums aim to promote feminism in our country. It also tries to decide whether these mediums are promoting or in fact contesting the concept of feminism. WHAT IS FEMINISM? Feminism is basically an idea that aims to end all forms of sexism that exist in the world presently. There are however, several variations of what this sexism actually is, and the different ways by which it can be resolved. Also argued, is the role of a man or a woman in society, and what implications each gender has in society. Nevertheless, the feminist perspective provides interesting views on matters such as reproduction, sexuality, labour, poverty, racial discrimination The meaning of the term feminism has differed greatly throughout the world. While in the U.S and the U.K it started out as being mainly a political wave, demanding for the right to vote, in other parts of the world writers have mainly looked at the injustices faced by women, although the nature of these injustices may not entirely be certain. In 1892, the first International Womens Conference was held in Paris. Only after this, did the word feminism start to be used in its serious sense in society. Second and third wave feminism was mainly generated to look at the shortcomings of earlier theories of feminism and avoid the domination of ‘white women, in the field. A sincere attempt was to be made to look at the views of coloured women and others as well. An attempt to help the situation would be to look at feminism as a set of ideas and beliefs rather than looking at it as a political ideal. A lot of occurrences take place even outside the political sphere that ascertains the need to improve a womans position in society. Although feminism may have started as focusing only on the legal and political aspects of a womans life, it has broadened to the more social issues now. Oppression is the feminists key issue. Feminists fight to resolve oppression and ensure justice. Oppression is unjust and a woman, like any other person in society has a right to ensure that they obtain justice. Another area where feminists argue the need for equality is the economic sector. It is believed that with the increase in economic equality, the society can become a better place to live in. However, it may also be said, that at times sexism also works against men. There are instances where men also may come under the radar of being victims of sexism. But, it is commonly agreed upon that women usually suffer the brunt of inequality more than the men do. Sexism, also just does not examine several harms that are committed, but looks at the fact that someone is harmed because she is a woman. There is no one single form of oppression that a woman faces, and that several forms exist and manifest themselves in a variety of ways even today. Even though there are variations in the way feminists differentiate themselves from one another, an agreed framework is being sought after to monitor equality and growth of women. There will most definitely be a set of principles that all women will look to fight and ensure parity for women in society. Such principles may include, equal wages, reproduction etc. (book 15). One of the main requests of feminists has also been to give women more recognition in the public sphere. This is the only way that women would be looked as being worthy enough to be respected even at home. (15). Liberalisation, also to a certain extent helped the cause of feminism. Liberal thought had its roots in rendering individual rights and giving an individual all the importance as may be necessary. The argument of being treated at an equal level with the men in society, sprung mainly from the liberal theory. Since the liberal theory believed that the only just and fair system was one that did not discriminate among individuals under any circumstance, feminists adopted this idea to their advantage. (26) Thus, feminism is a doctrine aimed at ensuring that women are treated on par with men in society. Although the interpretations of this doctrine may vary from person to person, the main idea is common to all- that is the progress of women in the society at the same level as men. FEMINISM IN INDIA India, as a country from time long before, has been neglected in the sense that it is a third world country and is capable of offering only so much. The concept of feminism holding a high ground in such a country would not be feasible. Womens Studies in India have been looked as a socio cultural subject as well as an effort to trace the role of women in the country and how it has changed. Footnote http://books.google.co.in/books?id=YICroPrSyz4Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=feminism+indiasig=3ws6hFGtDrSM4hgxXZD6cknaKOU#PPA3,M1 As the 19th century dawned in India women were more open to creating new roles for themselves, some that men had not thought about creating for them. Pg 6. The advent of the colonial rule was what proved to be most influential to the feminist movement in the country. With the coming of the colonial rule, women were exposed to what could be a life suited for them. There was a lot of debate concerning the fact that very difference between a man and a woman is what made women more apt for social roles, like that of a mother. However, women started organizing campaigns and joined organizations, their role as a mother was used to argue the fact that for this very reason they should be given access to education and overall emancipation. Also, during the colonial rule, Gandhi had an effect on the growing perception of feminism in the country. He was hailed as the founder of the Indian feminist movement. His definitions of the qualities of a woman were used by a variety of women during the pre- independence feminist period. Women during the pre- independence period based most of their theories on the likeness rather than the difference in ideas they might have. In post- independent India feminism achieved a slightly higher status than before. Women here asserted their rights to be treated equally and fairly within society. They dismissed the need for gender based structures in society and division of labour based on sex. They believed that there existed only a biological difference between men and women and that under no circumstance should that affect the ability of a woman to be able to perform on par with men in the society. The role of being a ‘mother and a ‘daughter was widely emphasized in the earlier Indian times. This however changed and became more to do with depicting the helplessness of these women. There were pamphlets, exhibitions held to show the vulnerability of a woman and how it was being exploited by all people in society. This in turn led to feminism being more open and resulting in there being a change of the image of a woman from someone helpless to someone economically strong and independent. While in pre- independent India it was accepted that a woman was socially backward and had only a certain fixed place in society, in the mid seventies, this changed drastically. All issues regarding unequal wages, pushing women into unskilled areas of labour were sought to be contested fiercely. It was believed that no woman, especially in that time was to be subjected to inequality. Another reason why the issue of feminism gained heavy importance was that by nature, the Indian society was male dominated and most causes of problem arose out of this very difference. The sphere of what feminism would also look to abolish was also greatly widened. The body of a woman, which had been looked at, socially, as something very disposable was now treated with much more respect. Even legally attempts were made to provide solace and justice to those women who had been raped, that had not earlier been available. This was further broadened into marital rape and rape of prostitutes alike. Women were to be treated as rightful members of society and had to be treated with equal dignity and respect. Towards the latter part of the twentieth century, women were to be given the right of self determination. They were looked as being capable of making their own decisions and therefore should be given a right to make all major decisions themselves. After independence attempts were also made by the congress to make sure that women got equality under the constitution. Feminists were in fact the first ones to start and recognize the need to codify personal laws in the country. Suggestions were made even by Dr. B.R Ambedkar to make sure that women were given a strong status in society. The age of consent to marriage was increased; the age of when a woman can be married was also increased. Several reforms were also introduced to ensure the right of a woman to a divorce and property. (96) The Hindu Marriage Act, The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act were also seen as being significant in ensuring all personal laws were codified and women had a right to claim their rights even in a court of law.Movements like the Shahada movement also became popular after the rise of feminism. The shahada movement aimed at resolving domestic violence, especially in the low down areas of society. If a man beat his woman up, he had to apologise to her in public.(101) In addition to this, there were also anti-price rise demonstrations in Bombay and Bihar. With the advent of such movements, women became more comfortable with trying and portraying themselves in public and showing that they were also capable of doing something revolutionary in society. (102)Issues were raised to contest that a family was primarily looked at as a unit of consumption than a unit of production. Furthermore, women were looked at as being the main source of this consumption. So, whenever there was an economic problem, with respect to goods, a woman was always deemed to be at fault. (104). In modern India also such issues of a womans position in society is taken into account. Even now there are disparities regarding whether a woman should be allowed to work and step out of the house or not. It was also realized that what maybe feminism for women in the urban community may not be the same for those in the lower or rural communities. What has been analysed by many women today as being problems in the urban society may differ from those that are considered to be problems in the rural communities. A woman from the labour or working class of society will have a larger set of problems than say a woman living in the city with a job.(106) Therefore, although there are irregularities regarding the actual position of an Indian woman in society, one thing that is certain, is that their role has been increasing steadily in society. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=68xTBT1-H4ICprintsec=frontcoverdq=feminism+indiasig=Y6Dw_kI47maXDQqZ1UGuIJDE7TM#PPA104,M1 WOMENS MAGAZINES IN INDIA Food, gossip, relationship advice, beauty tips, you name it; a womans magazine has it. With the new age of liberal women, womens magazines are also gaining huge popularity among the masses of women. The womens magazines are an ideal way for a woman to spend her free time, and at the same time get advice on something she probably would not find elsewhere. These magazines have become so popular today that every bookstore and every library has copies of them. No woman, in todays day would deny having read any of these magazines at one point. There are several leading womens magazines in the country now. Femina, Womens Era, Verve, Good Housekeeping, to name a few are the leading magazines sold in India currently. http://explore.oneindia.in/media/magazine/womens/ The trend of womens magazines was started mainly to infuse a new perspective in a male dominated society,as mentioned by a recently bought about magazine- Feministing. http://feministing.com/archives/004002.html The issues dealt with in these magazines are that of educational opportunities for women, food, maintaining a home, relationship advice, advice to single mothers etc. The magazines look at issues that otherwise a woman would not be too comfortable talking about with to her family members. These magazines also provide suitable solutions for various issues a woman may face. For example the magazine Femina, has divided its magazine into various sections, which include- food, health, beauty, relationship, homemaking, travel etc. Beauty and health sections, give you tips on how to maintain a healthy figure and to eat right. The relationship section gives you advice on all matters regarding relationships including how to start one, how to end one, issues regarding mother-daughter conflicts. Travel destinations are also explored thus givinG http://www.femina.in/

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Comparing London by William Blake and Westminster Bridge by William Wor

Comparing London by William Blake and Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth William Blake was born in London in 1757. He was taught by his mother at home, and became an apprentice to an engraver at fourteen. In addition to poetry Blake spent much of his time painting. Blake lived on the edge of poverty and died in neglect. His poetry receiving little acclaim while he was alive. ‘London’ was written by Blake in 1789. Taken from Blake’s ‘Songs of Experience’, the style is darker and in a sense depressing. It describes the city after the Industrial Revolution. Blake takes a very negative and hopeless view of the city and the lives of those living within it. He hated the way London was becoming, looking negatively on business and materialism. Blake felt himself as free, and the poem is a comment on others living in London. In the first line of the first stanza, he creates immediate effect as he contrasts the words ‘wander’ with ‘charter’d’, which he goes on to use to describe the Thames River in the following line. Wander suggests a sense of naturally meandering in an open expanse, contrasting greatly with the latter, which referring to the city itself, suggests a sense of narrow enclosed in space. This description leads the reader to envisage a regulated and constrained city, limited by business and materialism. Blake goes on to describe the ‘charter’d Thames does flow.’ This is ironic in the sense that any flow seems to be restricted by the banked in and concreted image of the river that the poet creates – there is nothing natural or beautiful about the Thames any longer. Equally Blake’s repetition of the word mark, while us... ...r for what she does in order to make a living. This is ironic because the business of prostitution is caused in part by the restrictions placed upon the married man. It is also ironic because the married man is what has created the need for, and use of prostitutes. The harlot curses the respectable and polite society because it is they who have created the demand for her, and then look down upon what she does. ‘Blights with plagues’ implies that perhaps she also infects them with some sort of sexually transmitted disease, conceivably as a type of vengeance upon those who shun her. The final words of the poem, â€Å"Marriage hearse† compares marriage to death. The narrator sees marriage as another type of restriction placed upon man by society, marriage is a sort of death in man’s ability to be free to do as he wishes.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Aping Western Culture Essay

This topic might make most of us go back to the good old days of childhood when we used to run around and play in the hot and burning sun without the pressure of the world upon us.Now the entire world(at least the majority) is mesmerized by the non real world of computer games. Part of the reason for this shift is the lack of good grounds and the lack of togetherness that is persisting in today s world. We might play the popular football or cricket game on PC but its no where near to the joy that we get while playing outdoor football or even cricket. I can still remember the days when I used to play cricket in the burning hot sun in my village, sometimes even bare foot. Nothing can match the joy that we get when we flex some muscles while playin these outdoor games. I also remember my school days during which I used to wait for holidays so that i can play cricket, hide and seek,laggoree(A local game in which we throw the ball at stones and regroup all the stones while avoiding getting hit by the ball), lock and key,badminton and many more innovative games. Most of these games used to be played in the streets and they do not require a play ground. At least I used to play them on the streets. I used to leave my house in the morning and come back for lunch and then again go out and return home at night.Playing with many people is surely fun to the core. Just the assembly of so many people was a joy to be in. Only in villages can we get to see groups of children playing outdoor games.Its becoming more and more of a rare scene in the cities.I can see school kids already carrying the burden of t he world on their tender shoulders. There might come a time when games will be restricted to indoor games or even worse only the computer games. There s nothing wrong in playing on the computer as I myself do get hooked on to the computer games but from time to time playing outdoor games relaxes the mind and also its a very good exercise to our body.Even the PET classes in the schools are taken by other subject teachers in most of the schools.Also many of the schools do not even have a playground in their school premises. All this is sad and the future is going to be even more worse.At this point I remember the popular animated series that comes on disney channel â€Å"Recess†. Its focus is mainly on the outdoor games. There is a popular saying that â€Å"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy†, its time we changed it to something like this â€Å"All work and only playing a on computer makes Jack a dull boy†. There are still a lot more things that I could have written but it might get boring so I leave it to the people reading this blog to comment and share their experiences.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Self Reliance

The Idea of American Self Reliance From the readings of Cooper, Hawthorne, and Emerson you get a coherent understanding of how each writer interpreted the notion of â€Å"American Self Reliance†. Self- Reliance is defined as the dependence on one's own efforts and abilities . There are profound strengths in promoting and practicing the idea of Self-Reliance but also evident weaknesses if the phrase is taken too literally.While making reference to Cooper, Hawthorne and Emerson's readings the following essay will discuss the otion of American Self Reliance as well as an advantage and a disadvantage that can be caused by fully living by its creed. Most of us strive for success and independence. Most take pride in themselves for being able to start from the bottom and emerge on top with no help from others. This is typically interpreted as self reliance. However, it is not always possible to rise to the top by our efforts solely. At times we all need help in succeeding in life or simply bettering ourselves.Emerson's writing persuades you to believe that man alone is completely self sufficient for him r herself. I view this as a disadvantage or weakness in thought and practice because you cannot always believe that you will never need help from anyone or anything. This type of thinking could potentially stagnant one's progress and the reluctance to ask for or accept help would be the cause. Emerson writes â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men, – that is genius†.I disagree with this statement because it can be interpreted negatively or positively and from the reading I deduced that Emerson only presented his statement in a positive cogitation. This quote further influences us to believe that if we feel we can accomplish anything on our own in our hearts then everyone should believe this as well and in turn this is the most intellectual way to think. Unfortunately there a re countless times when what we believe true in our hearts, whether it concerns our capabilities or accomplishments, are in reality not feasible.Certain external or internal factors beyond our control can hinder our progress. Although, with the help of others, and the renouncement of the notion of living trictly by a creed of self- reliance, one could possibly demonstrate success in their thoughtful aspirations regardless of the unknown or potential hindrances that may lie ahead. With help we are able to maneuver and the ability to maneuver in our lives is an advantage and strength. I do not disagree with the complete ideology of self reliance.Emerson writes, â€Å"What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd eeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude†. This quote is powerful because it depicts the strength or advantage (great man) that one can have in life if they focus on self and not worry about the opinions and conformity that society attempts to influence them with.It makes reference to will-power, determination and in solitude, amidst society. Having independent thought no matter what coaxes exists is a vital aspect of self reliance. In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown he writes, â€Å"Faith! Faith! cried the husband. Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One! . Despite the fact that Hawthorne does not specifically mention the theory of self reliance in Young Goodman Brown, it is still included metaphorically throughout the text.Here Hawthorne support Emerson's ideology of Self Reliance by showing the strong will and determination Goodman Brown had by sticking to his beliefs and resorting to the higher power (God) in the face of evil and ultimately veering away from the influence of the wicked that surrounded him. After Brown sticks to his beliefs and does not conform to those of his surrounding environment he finds imself alone again in the woods, everything having vanished.Staying committed in your beliefs and views at all times whether in solitude or among others is important and as Hawthorne depicts, can entirely alter a predicament or situation for the better. From the readings I also concluded that self reliance is not only about believing in yourself or staying true to who you are despite the influence of society it is also about not abusing the resources that god has put forth for you to flourish. James Fenimore Cooper writes in The Pioneers, â€Å"It's much better to kill only such as ou want, without wasting your powder and lead, than to be firing into God's creaters in such a wicked manner.But I come out for a bird, and you know the reason why I like small game, Mr. Oliver, and now I have got one I will go home, for I don't like to see these wasty ways that you are all practysing, as if the least thing was not made fo r use, and not to destroy'. Cooper reveals a portion of his interpretation of Self reliance with this excerpt from The Pioneers. The character who speaks these words, Natty Bumppo, was portrayed as the embodiment of American Self-Reliance, who ived free, was strong, determined, self sufficient and lived close to nature.Cooper believed that connection with nature was essential for one's development and ability to be self reliant. In this quote he portrays his distaste for killing god's creations for game and not necessity, which translate into the abuse of our natural resources. Cooper, Hawthorne and Emerson collectively make some great points and examples of American Self Reliance throughout their works. However, it is important to acknowledge that some of their ideologies can serve as strengths as well as potential eaknesses. Cooper, F.J. (2003). The Pioneers. In N. Baym, The Norton Anthology of Literature (pp. 440-449). New York : Norton & Company. Emerson, R. (2003). Self Relianc e. In N. Baym, The Norton Anthology of Literature (pp. 450-467). New York: Norton & Company. Hawthorne, N. (2003). Young Goodman Brown. In N. Baym, The Norton Anthology of Literature (pp. 613-623). New York : Norton & Company. Merriam- Webster. com. (2013, November 3). Retrieved November 3, 2013, from Merriam- Webster: http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/self%20reliance