Representation of Women in History Essay

Throughout American history, women have been the backbone of the country, working at taking care of their families, and the country itself. The recognition of this is shown by the different representations of America in a female context. Whether as a insolent young Native American princess who has wronged her British mother, or as Roman goddess Columbia in her long, flowing white robes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The major change in the way America was represented pictorially was brought about by Phillis Wheatley in 1775, when she sent her poem to George Washington describing America as a goddess called Columbia. The people at the time were quick to identify with this new interpretation as they wanted to distance themselves from the negative British representations of America as a Native American woman who was young and disobeying of her parental figure. Also at that time, colonists were thinking of America as a place of self-knowledge and exploration, creating libraries and other places of study, complete with mock Roman architecture that enforced the feeling of the â€Å"new Rome,† and they liked the fact that Columbia was shown as a Roman goddess of sorts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When looking at the differences in the print by Edward Savage and the print dated 1866, there can be seen a change from Savage’s peaceful looking goddess Columbia, and then the armed fighting women that are in the 1866 picture. The earlier picture dated as 1796 shows Liberty wearing a wreath of flowers around her, offering a cup to an eagle and surrounded by billowing clouds and showing her upfront, away from any violence. The latter drawing from 1866 shows three women, two holding the flag pole, and one with a sword still fighting, surrounded by people. This picture comes at the end of the Revolution era, and depicts America’s fighting spirit which has emerged from the battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When looking at the example of the Eighteenth century book, Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson, the influence of the Columbian ideal can be shown by the book being of the seduction genre, which was very popular in that era. This type of story touched many in the nation, as people related their worrying about how they stood after going against Britain to the seduction of a young female who was brought the new land, and then tricked into getting pregnant, only to be left to die on her own. Many wondered would America suffer that same fate as the seduced young woman, or would the country triumph as the new goddess, Columbia. It is no surprise that during such a perilous time in history that people were drawn to these seduction genre stories to the point of believing in their hearts that Rowson’s work was non-fiction, which is wasn’t.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The recent 2005 portrait of Sacajawea is a new drawing on a golden dollar coin. She is shown as looking back, her hair drawn back, and having her son, Jean Baptiste strapped to her. This representation of her is striking with her large, dark eyes, and her true Native American features which are very pronounced and stunning. In earlier representations of Native American women, the facial features are all very close to what the features of drawings of white women at the time. These earlier images were closer to the facial likeness of early pictures of Columbia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States mint clearly made this coin to represent the anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition, dated 1804. The recent golden dollar was dated 2005, which means that it was conceived of and based on a 2004 date, exactly 200 years apart. The coin is also meant to commemorate the Native American people themselves in history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The representation of Columbia in American history can be seen as the evolution of the country itself. As society grew, and the perception of what it meant to be an American changed, the figures of women changed with it. The spirit of Columbia is equated with the spirit of our nation, and the artistry used to show that spirit in female form is still being used today, represented by the Sacajawea coin, celebrating the community ideal of what is is to be American.

Queer theory Essay

The concept of sexuality, what is socially accepted, what is ‘natural’, what is prescribed by religion, what is deemed deviant has been a form of social analysis, controversy, political debate and a measure of human progress. For what was considered the least talked about issue in society, sexuality was in many ways what defined the individual, their society, culture and the legal and moral laws that presided within it. The controllers of power were white, middle class, heterosexual men. If one of the white, middle to upper class men were found to be practising homosexuality they were gaoled and deemed to be under the influence of Satan himself. Homosexuality was in many ways to the hegemonic masculinity an abdication of the throne, stepping down from the privileged class and taking the form of the lower forms of life; women and the lesser races. Lesbianism was either thought to not exist at all or was not thought of as a problem because they were not threatening (in any substantial way) the existence of a stable, masculinized order. Oppression came in the form of the hegemonic masculinity passing laws to outlaw homosexuality and pronouncing that homosexuality was in fact a medical condition and could be treated. Yet despite the many laws passed, all the psychotherapy and electrocution the homosexual was still very much alive. Then came the Stonewall riots, gay and lesbian and feminist movements who swept around the world, the liberation swept into the academic world and new thoughts surrounding sexuality were being produced at rapid rates. These thoughts of sexuality are in a constant state of change, deconstructing and reinventing. Queer theory has emerged from this spiral of thought and has impacted not only on the academic world but in the form of popular culture, where it continues to challenge and in many ways further sexual liberation. Queer Theory; It’s precursors and Theorists. Sexual desire has been for centuries thought of as being part of our natural  makeup, as if it were embedded within our very being. This idea of sexuality being a natural drive was shared by many leading figures in the academic world; Charles Darwin, anthropologist Malinowski, the philosopher Marcuse and Freud saw sexuality within human psychology. These ideas were challenged in the form of Post-structuralism, often associated with the works of Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida, which dominants the structure and understanding of Queer theory. ‘[Post-structuralism] refers to a manner of interpreting selves and the social which breaks with traditional epistemologies’ Post-structuralism argues that subjects are the autonomous creators themselves or their social worlds. Subjects are embedded in a complex network of social relations. These relations thus determine which subjects can appear where, and in what capacity. Post-structuralism contends that a focus on the individual as an autonomous agent needs to be ‘deconstructed’, contested and troubled. It is engaged in denaturalising dominant understandings of sexual identity. In emphasising that sexuality is not an essentially personal attribute but an available cultural category. Michel Foucault in his much acclaimed History of Sexuality, Volume I changed the way everyone thought about sexuality and challenged the idea of the natural. ‘Foucault argued that society did not repress sexuality, which simply does not exist as an entity in nature. Rather, social discourses constituted sexuality as a cultural form, in the historical transition to modernity.’ Jacques Derrida offers a somewhat different approach through his ways of thinking surrounding how meanings are established. ‘†Supplement† suggests that meanings are organised through difference, in a dynamic play of presence and absence.’ A Derridean perspective would argue that heterosexuality needs homosexuality for it’s own definition. Feminist theory contributed greatly to many of the ideas behind Queer theory. Feminist theorists looked at gender as a system of signs, or signifiers, assigned to sexually dimorphic bodies, which served to differentiate the social roles and meanings those bodies could have. Feminist theory thus argued that gender was a social construct, something designed and implemented and perpetuated by social organisations and structures, rather than something merely ‘true’, something innate to the ways bodies worked on a biological level. In so doing, feminist theory made two very important contributions. The first is that feminist theory separated the social from the biological, insisting that we see a difference between what is the product of human ideas, hence something mutable and changeable, and what is the product of biology, hence something (relatively) stable and unchangeable. The second contribution is related to the first: by separating the social and the biological, the constructed and the innate, feminist theory insisted that gender was not something ‘essential’ to an individual’s identity. As a term ‘Queer theory’ was first used by Teresa de Lauretis in her introduction to the ‘Lesbian and Gay Sexualities’ issue of differences in the summer of 1991 in which to encompass the large circulation of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual writings. To describe ‘the conceptual and speculative work involved in discourse pro-duction, and . . . the necessary critical work of deconstructing our own discourses  and their constructed silences’. The object of study in queer theory is the social articulation of same-sex eroticism and why, in recent centuries in  Western-dominated cultures, this human interaction has been articulated as queer, as abject Other. Judith Butler in her widely cited book Gender Trouble contributes to gender and ideas of sexuality. How gender operates as a regulatory construct that privileges heterosexuality and how the deconstruction of normative models of gender legitimates lesbian and gay subject positions. Queer Theory; Gender, Identity, ‘We’re Queer! and We’re Here!’ Queer theory and Queer politics is often hard to comprehend, and harder to define since part of it’s basis is intentionally having no set definition. Queer theory is surrounded by contradictions, difficulties, opposing thoughts and political debate. Queer theorists have different ideas on what is ‘Queer’ and what is not ‘Queer’ and some Queer theorists believe there is no set doctrine in which to be ‘Queer’ because that would adhere to the ‘norm’s’ of heteronormativity. Examining different ‘Queer’ thoughts can help aid our own formulation of what is ‘Queer’ and what ‘Queer theory’ is to the individual and how it can help develop understandings around sexuality, gender, history, societies, cultures and heteronormativity. Queer Theory assumes that sexual identities are a function of representations. It assumes that representations pre-exist and define, as well as complicate and disrupt sexual identities. That people discover their identities by working with (and against) the identities the culture represents as possibilities. Queer theory drawing very much from the theory of performativity, where sexual identity is marked on the body and is in a constant process of embodiment. Where selfhood is a constructed idea, something not ‘naturally’ produced by bodies or by birth. Selfhood, in poststructuralist theory, becomes ‘subject hood’ or ‘subjectivity’. The switch in terms is a recognition that, first of all, human identity is shaped by language, by becoming a subject in language. The shift from ‘self’ to ‘subject’ also marks the idea that subjects are the product of signs, or signifiers, which make up our ideas of identity. Selves are stable and essential; subjects are constructed, hence provisional, shifting, changing, always able to be redefined or reconstructed. Selves, in this sense, are like signifiers within a rigid system, whose meanings are fixed; subjects, by contrast, are like signifiers in a system with more play, more multiplicity of meaning. Queer theory takes on this idea and opts for ‘denaturalisation’, where the individual can ‘challenge the familiar distinction between normal and pathological, straight and gay, masculine men and feminine women.’ Queer theory surrounds itself with ideas about sexuality as an innate or essentialist category and the opening to reformulation and the bending of the idea of gender roles as essential, and as determined by sex (males are masculine, females are feminine) through their unique combinations of what used to be called masculine and feminine styles. Queer theory allows us to examine Western culture and problematize it’s approach to attributing everyone to not only certain behaviour’s but identity’s and it’s tendency to label, box and categorise. As said by Sedgwick in Epistemology of the Closet; ‘A society which insists that each individual, just as he or she possesses a gender also must necessarily occupy one or the other category of sexual orientation.’ Queer theorists seek to break down traditional dichotomies surrounding gender and as novelist Saul Bellow observes, ‘The idea is to clobber everything that used to be accepted as given, fixed, irremediable.’ For the new radical theorists, the enemy is no longer a ruling class, a hegemonic race, or even a dominant gender. Instead it is the sexual order of nature itself. Oppression lies in the very idea of the ‘normal’, the order that divides humanity into two sexes. Instead of a classless society as the redemptive future, queer theorists envisage a gender-free world. Queer theory results in an effort to speak from and to the differences and silences that have been suppressed by the homo-hetero binary, an effort to unpack the monolithic identities ‘lesbian’ and ‘gay’ including the intricate ways lesbian and gay sexualities are inflected by heterosexuality, race, gender and ethnicity.’ Queer theory also seeks to not only break down gender roles, sexual order and dichotomies but break down the very thoughts around sexuality in regard to biology and reproduction. Much of out culture tends to define sexuality in terms of animal instincts, sexual responses are almost purely biological: we respond sexually to what is coded in our genes and hormones, and this is almost always defined in terms of reproductive behaviour. Queer theorists problematize this by pointing out that human sexuality differs immensely from that of the animals and that females do not enter a period in which they are in ‘heat’ and males are not solely programmed to seek out those females who are in ‘heat’. Humans also have an enormous repertoire of sexual behaviours and activities, only some of which are linked to reproduction. Queer theorists ask that we dismiss sexuality in linkage to reproduction and more so that sexuality is a discursive effect with never ending intricacies, possibilities and pathways. Queer theorists also challenge the ideas of sexuality in terms of moral and social judgement and how this links in with identity, that is-morality, in terms of right and wrong behaviours. Western cultural ideas about sexuality come from lots of places; from science, from religion, from politics, and from economics. These ideas about sexuality often take the form of dichtomic moral statements about what forms of sexuality are right, or good, or moral, and which are wrong, bad, and immoral. These categories have shifted over time, which is another way of arguing that definitions of sexuality are not ‘essential’ or timeless or innate, but rather are social constructs, things that can change and be manipulated. Queer theorists note how powerful the links are between sexual activities and notions of morality. And the link comes, in part, from defining sexuality as part of identity, rather than just as an activity which one might engage in. Hence, if you have genital sexual contact with someone of the same sex, you are not just having homosexual sex, you ARE a homosexual. And that identity then is linked to a moral judgment about both homosexual acts and homosexual identities. Queer theorists note that while someone who engages in a homosexual act does not consider themselves homosexual but if another becomes privileged to this information then that person may inflect the term ‘homosexual’ on that person hence defining an identity for this person. Queer on the other hand  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœmarks a suspension of identity as something fixed, coherent and natural.’ Queer theory: Contributions to social analysis. Part of Queer theory is based around the recognition of the role of interpretation in understanding all aspects of human life. That is, queer theory assumes that events, attitudes, relationships, etc., are never self-evident or self-interpreting but always require some grid of interpretation or key to decode and make sense of them. Queer theorists state that while every is subject to subjectivity, the past and how the self views and interprets the past is filled with ‘glitches’ and we decode the past through a lens that it set to examine the past through  the ‘norm’, which thus distorts the past and continues and perpetuates those norms. As Michael Warner explains it: ‘Almost everything that would be called queer theory is about ways in which texts–either literature or mass culture or language–shape sexuality’. Queer theorists are thus devoted to rereading past events, texts, and social theories, especially those related to sexuality with the lens set to disrupt, de-straight or de-norm. Queer theory has made interesting contributions to sociology, and though many sociologists are wary and sceptical of Queer theory some have taken Queer theory and used it constructively in social analysis. Sociology influenced by Queer theory is a move to a model of difference that provokes new insights into the continual reproduction of heteronormativity hegemony. Sociologists have been challenged to sharpen their analytical lenses, to grow sensitised to the discursive production of sexual identities, and to be mindful of the force of heteronormativity as a fundamental organising principle throughout the social order. The impact of queer theory can also be seen in studies of the institutional regulation and management of sexualities, and in people’s responses to that regulation by media, religion, kinship institutions, and political organisations. Sociologists have used Queer theory in application of the globalised media, in particular in the explosion of reality television such as Big Brother and talk shows such as Ricki Lake who provide a slice of what and how sexuality and sexualities operate within society. They not only study the behaviour of the people within this media discourse but a public (church groups, politicians, psychologists) reaction to their behaviour. Sociologists have used Queer theory in an examination of power and authority in the intersections between class and or race and sexuality. Scholars have examined how those in power use languages of sexuality to naturalise oppression based on race, class, and gender, such as in racist understandings of black women as sexually insatiable, Asian women as sexually exotic, black men as sexually predatory, and white women as sexually innocent. These assumptions, whether spoken or unspoken, have influenced policies as broad as colonisation, marriage and welfare law, healthcare and education and not to mention less institutionalised practices. The importance of Queer theory and it’s contributions to social analysis and a general understanding how the world has and continues to function is never ending in possibilities. Queer theory can continue it’s deconstruction and reinvention over time because sexuality is always changing. A continued effort of social analysis through a Queer lens can only help expose the many intricacies of sexuality. It’s potential to escape criticisms of Eurocentric bias and utilise it’s position that it’s available to everyone can help deepen an understanding of Western understandings of race, culture, ethnicity in regard to sexuality. Queer theory is in a constant state of change and challenge, it can only continue to broaden itself and academics into new thought-provoking realms. Bibliography: Books: Connell, R.W. Gender. Polity Press; Cambridge. 2002. Jagose, Annamarie. Queer theory: an introduction. New Yorks: New York University Press, 1996. Kirsch, Max H. Queer Theory and Social Change. Routledge Press; Great Britain. 2000. Ringer, Jeffrey. Queer words, queer images : communication and the construction of homosexuality. New York : New York University Press, c1994. Steven, Seidman (Editor) Queer theory/sociology. Cambridge, Mass: Blackwell, 1996. Thomas, Calvin. Straight with a twist : queer theory and the subject of heterosexuality. Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c2000. Journals Cornwall, Richard. A Primer on Queer Theory For Economists Interested in Social Identity’s. Feminist Economics 4(2), 1998, 73-82 Gamson, Joshua and Moon, Dawne. The Sociology of Sexualities Annual. Review. Sociology. 2004. Horowitz, David. The Queer Fellows. American Spectator, Vol. 26 Issue 1, (1993) 40-51. Mitchell, Peter. Wishing for Political Dominance: Representations of History and Community in Queer Theory. Australian Literary Studies. Vol.7 No.18. (2003) 189-197. Myers, Helen. Queer or not too Queer, That’s not the Question. South-western University in Texas. College Literature, Vol. 24 Issue 1. (1997) 171-182. Rudy, Kathy. Queer Theory and Feminism. Feminist Studies, Vol. 27 Issue 1 (2000) 192-203 Shepard, Benjamin. Queer Theory and it’s Continuing Significance. Routledge Journals. Vol. 29. No. 4. (2002) 89-94. Online articles Altman, Dennis. On Global Queering. Australian Humanities Review. http://www.lib.latrobe.e du.au/AHR/copyright.html Bredback, Gregory. W. Literary Theory: Gay, Lesbian and Queer. New England Publishing Associates. http://www.glbtq.com. Hedges, Warren. Queer Theory Explained. Southern Oregon University, 1999. http://www.sou.edu/English/Hedges/Sodashop/RCenter/Theory/Explaind/pdfs/queer%20theory Klages, Mary. Thoughts on Queer Theory. University of Colorado. http://www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2012Klages/queertheory.html. 1997.

Analysis of Forgetfullness, by Billy Collins Essay

This poem is really easy to identify with. The first 4 stanzas are clearly relating the reader to the poem. Everyone at some point has to learn these general, seemingly useless facts. â€Å"A state flower† â€Å"The capital of Paraguay† so arbitrary, but so true in that this brings back memories of 3rd or 5th grade for almost all of us, it is bound to strike a chord with the reader. This is also coupled with a slightly nostalgic loss of these facts in the first stanza, as slowly the individual sections of a book (that you as the reader once clearly enjoyed) are systematically removed from your memory by time. Then the tone shifts from musing about facts we don’t remember, to our inability to remember them. It begins to get darker. This is useful contrast from the imagery that the reader experiences during the first few stanzas, remembering childhood, and innocence. Juxtaposed is the now darker â€Å"mythological river† described as vague that, dauntingly, is leading to oblivion. The hopeless tone thus has that much more impact as we make our way to our own â€Å"oblivion† or death, where we will join the dead: â€Å"those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.† Then Collins provides a justification for our wanting to remember, wanting to enrich our every moment, as soon memories will be pointless. Really, in the end this is providing a more inherent worth to memories than they ever had before, because of the fleeting nature of life that Collins describes. Not in a fun, youthful â€Å"carpe diem† way, Collins is showing how short we have to live. Only from this presentation can the reader then make the leap that we ought to cherish these good memories, and make good memories, such as the â€Å"moon (out of the) love poem† in the closing lines of the work.

Letter to the Instructor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Letter to the Instructor - Essay Example The lessons have taught us that the writing process involves the conversion of ideas, thoughts and objectives to writings on paper with the audience in mind. One of my biggest challenges was to transform ideas into logical events when writing. Having mentioned one of the strengths I have discovered about myself which is the transformation of ideas and arranging them in some sensible order as in the Bus Stop essay I wrote during the semester. This is one of the ways your essay lessons have enabled me to transform my challenges into strengths. In the beginning focusing on the subject to write about was one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish as I always found my mind drifting away from the main subject. The other problem was that I kept worrying about my sentence structures and grammar and lacked the confidence to be creative in my writing. I managed to overcome all these problems through the lessons I learnt from you. I learned that the lack of confidence in my writing could be easily overcome by sharpening my writing skills and investing more time in thinking and drafting my ideas before beginning to write. I further improved my writing by setting certain standards with timelines to meet these goals such as reducing grammar mistakes in each subsequent essay and improving on the logical sequence of ideas in my writing. In the Bus Stop essay, the first sentence as mentioned earlier gives the reader an idea of what the rest of the paragraph is all about. The first statement on how I find myself in the middle of beauty of sunset which is a positive impression dictates the form that the rest of the paragraph will take. The paragraph underscores the beauty of the place. I have improved my confidence and use of similes and metaphors. For instance, in ‘Bus stop’ I use the simile as â€Å"nimbly as a squirrel† to portray the distinction between the

Chipotle food company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Chipotle food company - Essay Example it governance risk indicators which makes the company have low risks in its board, audit and compensation and a medium risk in shareholders’ rights. With the high rate of quarterly revenue growth of 24.50% against 8.90% of the industry, the company has experienced a steady growth in its branch network. Moreover, it is among the top companies in terms of market capitalization with a ROE of 23.64%, which guarantees investors of a good return. For the company to enjoy high performance, it should restructure its employment policies to word off concerns by investors due to the audits concerning immigrant workers (Schriftenreihe & Buchholz , 2008). 2. Review of the company and its business Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc is among the top service provision companies in the restaurant industry with a market capitalization of 7.75 B US dollars. It competes directly with companies such as Panda Restaurant Group, Inc, Taco Bell Corporation and Odoba Restaurant Corporation which are privately owned companies. Nevertheless, the company has indirect competitors such as Whitebread PLC, Mitchells & Butlers PLC and McDonald Corp whose market capitalization is higher. Over the years, this company has continued to spread its tentacles and has managed to establish a large network in US in 33 states. The expansion has made it find new ways of serving its large clientele through product innovations and appealing selling propositions Key product lines Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc has a wide range of products made up of dishes and beverages. These include burritos, selected beer, salads, salsas, lettuce, tacos, fruit drinks, burrito bowls, cheese, margaritas, a variety of meat types and guacamole. These gives the company a leverage as the customers have a wide variety to choose from. The extensive branch network in the 33 states in United States which are augmented by other branches in UK and Canada makes the company and its subsidiary serve a wide geographical area. The company lev erages its products by using natural ingredients which makes the products unique and appealing to many customers. This is manifested by the long queues especially during lunch times (Wylie, 2009). Strengths The competitive advantage over other business competitors is dependent on the goals and vision as well as mission thereof. The prudential guidelines make a company be able to offer quality products and efficient services to its customers. Moreover, a company gets the motivation to expand its network in a wide geographical area as its products and services get a high demand. The strengths of a company therefore, put a company in a good position to do business and be able to make profits even when others are counting losses. These key driving forces can be product innovations, strong financial postings, efficient and competent workforce, diversified business operations, competent management, conducive working environment as well as better terms of pay and compensation, and well tho ught and articulated financial and business operation policies. This is also boosted by establishment of clear

Law of Patents Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law of Patents - Case Study Example Purchasing Associates, Inc. v Weitz, 13 NY2d 267, 269 (1963). It should be noted that federal courts will look to the state laws when interpreting the reasonableness of a covenant not to compete or a non competition clause. Thus the first question is where is Frothy Beer located The reason why the situs of Frothy Beer is important is because a reasonable inference of the facts indicates that part of the non-competition agreement states that jurisdiction of any dispute pursuant ot the agreement is within the United States. Judging by the information supplied, Frothy Beer is located in the United States. Because the headquarters of Awessa is located in Australia, Federal Court is the court of jurisdiction because of diversity of citizenship. Vaden v. Discover Bank --- S.Ct. ----, 2009 WL 578636 U.S. (2009). By way of example, if Frothy Beer was located in Virginia, then the federal courts would look to the state of Virginia codes in evaluating the non competition clause between Frothy and Eyus. ... Meissel v. Finley, 198 Va. 577, 579 (Va.Ct.App.1956) ("The possession of trade secrets and confidential information is an important consideration in testing the reasonableness of a restriction on competition.") (citing Stoneman v. Wilson, 169 Va. 239, 240 (Va.1937)). However, Paramount Termite Control Co., Inc. v. Rector, 238 Va. 171, 172 (Va.1989) notes that "Although often used as a justification for non-competition agreements, it is not necessary that the employees actually had acquired or possessed specific information that could be legally defined as confidential or a trade secret, ....")(internal quotations omitted). Here, the federal court would determine, in effect, whether Frothy Beer did or did not have any legitimate business interests worthy of protection. As a result, the district court's analysis of the restrictive covenant (here the non competition agreement) will likely be skewed by the fact that Eyus developed and applied for patents directly related to research and development of beer product within his first two years of employment at Awessa. II. While It Appears at First Blush That Awessa Can Enter into an agreement with U.S.B. Beer, all Environmental Issues in regards to the low carb beer production should first be resolved by Awessa before U.S.B. Beer enters into any transaction or memorandum of understanding. A patent may be awarded for either a product or a process: a product patent creates a monopoly over the manufacture, use and sale of product while a process patent creates a monopoly over the manufacture, use, and sale of a process. U.S. v. Studiengesellschaft Kohle, m.b.H. 670 F.2d

Efficiency in the Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Efficiency in the Market - Essay Example It requires goods to be produced in the least cost way. The firms are forced at the minimum level of average cost in the long run. The consumers are benefitted under productive efficiency as they are required to pay the lowest possible product price. Allocative efficiency is given by the equality between price and marginal cost. It requires firms to take that production path that is the need of the society. When the firm is not able to increase its welfare by producing more of one good then a situation of efficient allocation is said to exist. A firm can achieve such efficiency by equating marginal cost and price. Marginal cost is regarded as the amount of satisfaction foregone due to the production of another good. If P=MC then value of produced goods is equal to the value of not produced goods. Considering a hypothetical country and a firm who is a price taker, the firm will produce at the profit maximizing quantity which will equate price and marginal cost. The firm will face U-sh aped cost curves and horizontal demand curve. 1 Perfect competition can efficiently allocate resources in the long run. The following is the long run equilibrium condition: P=SRMC=LRMC=SRAC=LRAC This equation states prices to be equal to marginal cost and average cost both in the long and short run. With P+MC no firm has the motive to make adjustments in quantity. Again with P=AC each firm earns only normal profit. This is a situation of no economic profit-loss situation. The long run condition is satisfied only at the minimum of LRAC curve. This is also termed as the minimum efficient scale. The minimum efficient scale provides the economy to utilize resources in optimal and efficient fashion. Two types of agents participate in the competitive market. The other participant is scarce resources. In the economy framework a resource is defined as the item (goods or services) that is valued by the agents. It is the scarcity of resources which calls for efficient allocation of resources to satisfy all the participating agents. The decisions on allocation are of prime importance in this market principle. A market is defined as the place where buyers meet sellers. The mode with which the exchange takes place is called price. The main characteristic of competitive market is the adjustment of prices until supply is equal to demand. The price sets the market in equilibrium and such a situation is called Pareto optimal situation. In a decentralized economy the equilibrium price is determined by tatonnement process. Prices tend to rise if demand is greater than supply and decrease when demand is less than supply. An adjustment to occur the demand and supply at the current prices must be known beforehand. Consider the case where there are many independent sellers. If there access to full information to both the buyers and the sellers then price of the product will set at the equilibrium. Now suppose a high price and a low price is charged for the product. The consumers may opt firms selling their products at high price to offer at some price level which is the difference between the high and low price. Such a situation will offer a better off situation for both parties. The quantities are in the Y-axes. The equilibrium price is denoted as p*. At this price the buyers will be willing to pay at least this amount of price to buy the products and the firms will be able to sell their products at the market rate. If the price is less than the equilibrium p

All to be Tall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

All to be Tall - Essay Example According to the report findings it is hard to believe that a person can sacrifice such a fortune to experience the severe pain that is associated with the lengthening exercise of legs only to gain an additional three inches to his height. The author’s claim is hard to believe and this is one of the major weaknesses of his article. Under normal circumstances, people seek medication when they have different healthcare problems. It may not be feasible for a healthy person to fork out such large sums of money to undergo a surgery that is meant to lengthen his height as this may turn out to be a nightmare if there are some complications experienced when the surgery has been performed.This study stresses that one of the major strengths of the article is that it captures the widely held perception by many people that tall men in particular are more attractive than short ones especially to women. The author uses superlative words to describe tall men in the article. For instance, Kit a quotes the survey by Henry Biller which shows that tall men are â€Å"more mature, uninhibited, positive, mature, confident, masculine, secure, dominant, optimistic and outgoing.† The author also supports this claim by highlighting that the majority of women in Hollywood films admire tall men. In different societies, tall men are regarded as role models and they are also portrayed as the epitome of success. Outgoing people also believe that tall men are charming and many beautiful ladies enjoy the company of these people.

Difficulties of Transitioning from Traditional Policing to Community Article

Difficulties of Transitioning from Traditional Policing to Community Policing - Article Example The journal introduces the argument indicating that community policing requires that the police officers have autonomy and discretion in solving community problems as well as forming of partnerships with various agencies. The article begins by posing the greatest challenge in community policing by saying that it is due to the failure to include it in the organization’s mission and vision, organizational structure as well as its goals. This failure that is not recognized by the management has made it difficult to transition. The article also presents a situation where the police do not understand clearly the notion of community policing. This makes it difficult for them to relate it to their role. It further illustrates that the police give a mimic of what they think is community policing. It presents a planning and coordination challenge that faces community policing. It says that in order for community policing to be implemented, a departmental head should plan change well an d carefully construct it. There is also poor coordination of community police officers and the local representatives of the community. Glacomazzi (2012) describes another challenge as the resistance to community policing by the police officers and also having difficulty in public agencies involvement as well as the community. It also says that the average citizen has little knowledge on what community policing entails Benefits of practicing community policing has also been highlighted in the article as reducing fear of crime among others. The major argument that the writer presents in this article is that community policing has been hindered by lack of police in  supporting change by way of the structure in which their organizations are arranged. The notion of community policing has not been implemented by the management due to poor planning and coordination in the police.  Ã‚  

Steve Millar's approach to the challenge of leading BRL Hardy in 1998 Essay

Steve Millar's approach to the challenge of leading BRL Hardy in 1998 - Essay Example The Australian industry was increasingly becoming competitive in the global markets with 27 percent of production being exported (Barlett & Beamish 2011). Steve Millar should continue protecting the share of bulk case business while committing resources to growth of bottled wine. Millar should first of all attain merger efficiencies in terms of scale of production and cost control. Millar is also keen at changing the leadership styles and culture of the new organisation. Barlett & Beamish (2011) assert that a decentralized approach is essential for local responsiveness in the global strategy since the regional management will be accountable for their decisions. For instance, Millar has delegated the small risks while keeping a close watch of the high risk decisions that affect the global strategic business. This is a good approach of global strategy since delegated authority will allow the regional management to challenge the authority and admit mistakes. This leadership approach wil l facilitate creativity and innovation in the fast changing global wine industry. Millar has ensured adequate delegation of authority and responsibility. For instance, he has appointed Stephen Davis, a seasoned strategic thinker as the group marketing and export manager tasked with establishing the international operations. Davies intended to build on the strengths of the company by proving quality wines and repositioning the superior brands in the global markets. At mass market prices, Nottage Hill and Stamps were essential while at the top end market points, Eileen Hardy brand was important (Barlett & Beamish 2011). The local responsiveness has in the global strategy yielded increasing profits for the company. For instance, Millar is critical in resolving disputes between Carson and Davies on the global strategy. For example, he is of the opinion that Carson should report directly to headquarters on profitability measures and work with Davies on the marketing and labeling issues o f the wine brands in UK market since Nottage Hill and Stamps are cash cows for the group company in terms of sales value of Hardy brands. Both Millar and Davies are of the idea that the headquarters should be the global brand owners, but local responsiveness is essential in meeting the local needs of the consumers (Barlett & Beamish 2011). The overseas should be not only responsible for promotional strategies, distribution channels and profitability, but should also take up other important decisions pertaining the labeling and branding. In the global strategy, Millar should ensure that important aspects of the wine brands such as labeling, pricing and branding are controlled by the regional managers through delegated authority. However, he will accept proposals on design from the regional management and ensure common decision making in evaluating the proposals (Barlett & Beamish 2011). On the part of suppliers, Millar should minimize the risks of supplier failure due to bad weather, grape disease and other factors that can negatively affect the quality of grape supplies. Millar should source the grapes from multiple reliable suppliers. The regional managers such as the UK based market should be allowed to select their own suppliers depending the expected product quality and taste. Millar should institute more delegation on the brand production. For instance, Carson

Millers dramatic presentation Essay Example for Free

Millers dramatic presentation Essay Discuss Arthur Millers dramatic presentation of Mary Warren in The Crucible. Arthur Millers play The Crucible is based on the events in a 17th Century town called Salem, where a young girl by the name of Abigail Williams cries witchcraft when she is almost charged for conjuring spells. Abigail and her friends were caught dancing on night around a fire by their town priest and Abigails uncle Reverend Parris. After that day strange things were believed to have happened, consequently leading to a lot of women being charged of witchcraft. This was quite unfortunate as back in 1692 the penalty of witchcraft was hanging. In Act one, Mary is presented as a naive, scared and a lonely, seventeen year old girl. Whom evidently is bullied by her employer John Proctor and the other girls in the village, especially Abigail, as she is petrified at been called a witch by the other village people. Mary also comes across as being pathetic in the sense that she has no real friends and relies on a liar like Abigail for trust. Miller in his own words, describes Mary Warren as a naive, lonely, subservient seventeen year old girl, who is treated with little respect by Abigail and the other girls. Oh, youre a great one for lookin, arent you Mary Warren? What a grand peeping courage you have! It is possible that the other girls are in fact terrified of her, knowing that she is weak and can easily slip up under pressure, reviling their doings in the forest that night. When she meets John Proctor, a strong willed character who is not afraid to speak his mind, Mary expectedly is very frightened of him as he regularly threatens her and occasionally refers to giving her a whipping! Ill show you a great doin on your arse one of these days. Now get home; my wife is waitin with your work! Mary very quickly jumps to the sound of his voice and as Miller describes in a stage direction, trying to retain a shred of dignity, she goes slowly out. This highlights the control some like Proctor has on someone like Mary. In Act two, the audience learns a great deal about the events happening in Salem through Mary, hence she being made an official of the court. This in a way speaks on its own, how totally out of hand the situation in Salem has become with someone of Mary stature being made an official of the court and the share pace of everything in just eight days. Mary later informs us on the amount accused, No sir. There be thirty-nine now This being thirty-nine women, thirty-nine charges and trials of those being accused of witchcraft, in just eight days from when Abigail fist accused Tituba of witchcraft! Through Mary, the audience is made aware of the influence Abigail has on the court and the Salem community and reveals how Elizabeth was accused with sending her spirit out against Abigail. This was due to Abigail dislike of Elizabeth and desire to get rid of her so she could have John Proctor all to herself. Hence Mary immediately connects herself to the condemning of Abigails accusation and saving of Elizabeths life. I saved her life today! Miller ensures that the audience are aware of the absurdity of the situation in Salem, due to the court appointing a servant girl like Mary as an official. Unlike Proctor, she doesnt speak out of her place and listens and does everything she is told to by such people like Parris or Danforth which could explain why the court were keen to appoint some like her as an official. Although we also notice a change in Mary Warrens character from being a good, obedient servant to a slightly ruthless more and self confident young woman. Ill not stand whipping anymore! This is directed at Proctor as he tries to order Mary around, but fails. Furthermore, on her return from court, Mary unknowingly condemns Elizabeth by giving her a poppet with a needle placed in it as a gift she had earlier on that day in court. We later discover that this proves to be very unfortunate on Elizabeths behalf as she is later charged for sending her spirit out against Abigail and stabbing her. After Elizabeth is taken away, Proctor realises that in order to save his wife, he needs Mary to support him in court as a witness against Abigail and the other girls. To prove all their outbursts in court of being attacked by spirits were false and just an act. At the end of Act two Mary is clearly frightened by Elizabeths arrest, as she really begins to see Abigail true influence over the court and ends up being bullied to give evidence against her. In Act three when Mary arrives in court to accuse the girls of lying, she seems to refer to her previous characteristics in Act one of being very quite and frightened, as to what the other girls might do to her if she talks. I cannot, theyll turn on me This taken from the end of Act two and shows the hold of fear someone like Abigail still has on her. On of the most dramatic incidents in the play, is when all the other girls turn on Mary by saying they see her spirit and begin to repeat whatever she says: Mary: Abby, you mustnt! Abby+ other girls: Abby, you mustnt! This eventually make Mary realise that she will be accused of witchcraft if she continues to oppose Abigail and evidently Mary turns against Proctor and accuses him of making her defy the court and turning her to the devil. Thus Mary returns to her new found personality of being confidents and only thinking of herself. In conclusion, Mary Warrens character makes The Crucible tenser through Arthur Millers dramatic presentation of her. Presented through his description of her being and subservient in the begging of Act one, to her speaking and acting on, with more confidence in Act two. In addition, in Act three Mary is once again bullied by Abigail and Proctor to an extent that she breaks down into tears at one point and speaks out of proportion to save herself. Therefore once again she ends up being described in the manner of being terrified, pleading and almost collapsing, when she is finally pushed by Abigail and Proctor to designate between them. Thus she is once again a pathetic loner!

Big Corporations, Big Lawsuits Essay Example for Free

Big Corporations, Big Lawsuits Essay Introduction The lawsuit over the defective design of Firestone tires put on Ford Explorers was perhaps the most publicised event when a company was sued for defective produce. This defect also resulted in a large number of accidents causing over 200 deaths and 700 injuries in the US alone, in addition to accidents in Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, the Arab Gulf Coast, and East Asia. The massive tire recall by Ford and Firestone on August 9, 2000, sent ripples through the American public and added fuel to the legal fire, causing both manufacturers and the public to rethink many issues. Summary of the Lawsuit On August 9, 2000, â€Å"Ford Motor Company and Bridgestone/Firestone jointly announced a recall in the United States of approximately 6.5 million ATX, ATXII and Wilderness AT tires made in Decatur, Illinois because of tread separation problems† (Eto, 2006). This recall came after the increased incidence of driver deaths in accidents in which Ford Exlorers rolled over triggered widespread public concern. At the time, the company was already faced with multimillion lawsuits. For instance, the lawyers for Edelio and Norma Herrera who died in May 2000 overturning in their Ford Explorer on the way from Disneyland demanded $1 billion from Firestone (BBC). The lawsuits filed, for instance, by the law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann Bernstein, LLP, were based on the claim that Firestone and Ford were guilty because it had failed to address the concerns in the testing process. Thus, on June 15, 1989, the auto maker’s engineers prepared a report to the company management in which they â€Å"recommended eight design changes to address the rollover problem and improve the safety of the Explorer† (Lieff Cabraser Heimann Bernstein, LLP, 2006). However, the management refused to make the major improvements recommended by engineers, willing to complete the design by the previously announced deadline. Impact on the Corporate World The lawsuit triggered a nation-wide discussion about the liability of auto manufacturers, business ethics, the need to produce quality products, and the regulation of the industry. The fact that Ford’s management had accelerated production at the expense of safety concerns only to face billions of dollars in lawsuits and a major blow to their reputation later on was a lesson to many managers. The way Firestone and Ford were heaping blame on each other was also an important lesson of how companies should not handle a scandal. To demonstrate commitment to improvement, Ford, for instance, â€Å"ended its relationship with the tyre-maker† (BBC, 2001). The scandal affected one of the largest US auto manufacturers, causing the resignation of its Chief Executive Officers, Jacques Nasser. Impact on Regulations The lawsuits have also alerted the American public and regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that new, tougher laws on safety standards have to be adopted. In 2000, US Congress adopted new legislature that aimed to raise safety standards. However, it was clear that such laws should have been adopted long ago when the danger of rollover crashes in SUVs became apparent. The law required tire makers to submit to the regulators far more information about their produce than before. Impact on the Companies The lawsuits that have been partially successful and partially settled out of court cost both companies, especially Firestone a lot. Thus, the tyre manufacturer found itself spending over â€Å"$1.6 billion in 2001 due to the recall and litigation costs† (Online Lawyer Source, 2004). The company spent $149 million to settle 30 class-action suits all over the US. In 2001, Ford warned its shareholders that â€Å"it could face up to $10bn in lawsuits arising from the Ford Explorer deaths† (BBC, 2001). The result was disastrous publicity for both companies. Firestone in particular took a long time to recover. As of 2004, it was spending several times more on recovering publicity than in the year before (Online Lawyer Source, 2004). Conclusion Thus, the scandal resulted in massive financial losses for the two companies involved and blows to their corporate images. It also made the public pay closer attention to manufacturers’ ethical decision-making. On the government level, safety standards had been strengthened resulting in increased requirements for manufacturers. References Eto, G.C. (2006). Firestone Tire Recall. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://www.garyeto.com/firestone-tire-recall.shtml BBC. (2001, June 17). Firestone faces $1bn lawsuit. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1393055.stm Lieff Cabraser Heimann Bernstein, LLP. (2006). Ford Explorer Rollover Danger 2006 Update. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://www.vehicle-injuries.com/ford-explorer-lawsuits.htm Online Lawyer Source. (2004). Firestone Recall Information. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://www.onlinelawyersource.com/firestone/information.html

Has Journalism Become Feminized Over Time Media Essay

Has Journalism Become Feminized Over Time Media Essay Introduction During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, journalism was dominated by man. When advertising became the main source for the newspapers profit, women journalists were hired in order to appeal to female audiences. However, they were assigned to soft news topics, such as fashion, the arts and domestic issues, because of the lack of professional reporting skills assumed by their male editors. Even when dealing with the politics or social issues, women journalists were required to write from the human interest angle and emphasize the events effects on people (Chambers et al. 2004, p14). In the past two centuries, studies have shown the influx of women into journalism. Feminists tend to focus on both the equality in the employment and the news representation of women in this progress. These two issues are of great importance when discussing the feminization of journalism over time. This essay aims to examine has journalism become feminized over time and show whether the influx of women entering journalism could shape the news and newsroom structure. This essay is divided into two parts. The first part discusses female journalists and their work in the newsroom. The second part analyzes how women are portrayed in the news. Women in the newsroom With more women entering journalism, there have been significant differences in the proportion of female employment in the media industry and the level of their occupations. According to a study conducted by the London College of Printing (LCP) School of Media in 1995, there were approximately 30,000 active journalists in the UK and 11,130 of them, nearly 40 per cent, were women. The highest percentage of women journalists was in periodicals where women journalist accounted for 55.6 per cent of the total. 40.8 per cent of journalists in broadcasting were women. Newspapers (22.6 per cent) had the lowest rate of women journalists. Statistics have shown that women have become an important part of journalism. According to van Zoonen (1998), it is the transformation to market-driven journalism that provided an opportunity for women journalists to enter, or even dominate, journalism. The main reason is that human interest news, audience needs and desires, and emotional investment are three key elements in the consumer-oriented journalism. They coincide with the characters of feminine news values. The news values in market-driven journalism have changed and consequently given potential for more women to become professional journalists. News and journalism at present, with its increase of human interest topics and angles, is becoming more and more feminine despite the ongoing minority of women in journalism. Those changes may open up journalism as a profession for women(van Zoonen 1998, p35). Van Zoonen highlights that the content and style of news are crucial factors that determining whether men or women are more s uitable to work in journalism. This is not the first time in the history that a large number of women entering journalism. Chambers et al. (2004) argue that this trend parallels the new journalism and the rise of sob sister journalism in Britain in the late nineteenth century. Therefore, from a historical point, it is possible to predict some outcome of the transformation to market-driven journalism. The rise of new journalism during the 1880s opened up the profession for women journalists. Chambers et al. (2004) point out that the new journalism was an emotional and sensational style that employed to attract readerships and this style brought two major changes to women journalists. First, the needs for interviewing and reporting about women enabled women to become journalists. Second, women were treated as independent subjects as they could represent the social changes. Women journalists became sob sisters to report about women movement or horrible conditions for women in order to advocate social reform. In addition, they were assigned to investigate stunts which would be regarded as extraordinarily daring for women. This can also be found in todays newsroom. Consequently, both new journalism and contemporary market-driven journalism have two characteristics: heavy criticism for abandoning objectivity and impartiality, and a trend of employing large numbers of women (Chambers et al. 2004, p201). Although the emergence of a market-oriental journalism has resulted in the influx of women journalists, women remain marginalized to the topics of politics and public policies. Creedon argues the increasing number of women in the news industry does not translate into superior power or influence for women; instead it has been translated to mean a decline in salaries and status for the field (1993, p17). The rise of women journalists does not necessarily indicate the advancement of female status in the profession, as a glass ceiling still preventing women to promote to key decision-making positions (Chambers et al. 2004). Delano (2011) finds out that in the newspapers, more women were working as reporters, while more editors or deputy editors are men. More female senior executives, assistant editors, news directors appeared in the periodicals and broadcasting, with 12 per cent were women and 4 per cent were men. This provides some clues about the imbalanced gender division in the news industry. Delano (2011) contends that it reveals an insufficient representation of women in national daily newspapers that van Zoonen (1994) defines as high prestige. In radio and TV, whereas female reporters are less than their male colleagues, more women become newsreaders. As the market-driven journalism calls for the human interest, emotional involvement and entertainment in news, anchoring has become a suitable profession for women (van Zoonen, 1998). Nevertheless, it does not necessarily mean a positive outcome for women. Holland (1987) argues that the reason more women becoming news anchors in Britain is that the newsreaders task has been regarded as a decorative performer rather than an originator of news. Female newsreaders have been constructed as pleasurable objects for men to look at and could not achieve the prestige as well as the political respect as their male counterparts. Hair that has not been done, lack of make-up, the less studied appearance associated with feminism, must be avoided (Holland 1987, p148). They found themselves dressing as the stereotype for the post-feminism working young women in the 1980s which was built by advertisements and magazines targeted at businesswomen. Holland highlights that women newsreaders are stuck in the conflicting definitions of femininity and of the news themselves trivialised, they can be blamed for trivialising (1987, p148). Anchorwomen are required to speak with a universal voice, yet they are excluded from both the political consensus and the ma sculine structure of language. It represents the deeply rooted female subordination in newsreaders. On the other hand, it is not always the same in Dutch television. The transformation of Dutch television news from 1985 enable female anchors become a majority. Van Zoonen (1998) points out that while they are of good-looking appearance, some of they are in their mid-forties and even fifties. They present a model of traditional female authority who acted as the caring and never-failing mother. Other anchorwomen, who are not old enough for motherly impact, are not spectacularly beautiful and like the ordinary neighbor you can trust. They embodied another women stereotype: the neighbors wife: as van Zoonen defines, very plain and very ordinary, yet very desirable. However, van Zoonen (1998) admits that female news anchors are needed because they provide womens touch in the news. Therefore, while more women are working as news anchors, it was their capacity of communicating as women instead of professional skills that was valued by the news media. The rise of women journalists has lead to the question that whether the news values would be feminized when women become a significant part in journalism. Some researchers have long claimed that women are likely to have distinct news values and perspectives. It brings about the discussion that whether women making news different from men. Van Zoonen (1998) summarizes the feminine values in journalism in terms of topics, angle, sources and ethics. Women journalists focus on topics like human interest news, consumer news, culture and social policy, which are usually neglected or marginalized in the masculine news values. Female journalists also tend to emphasize the backgrounds and effects of news stories, rather than the accumulation of facts in male news writing. In addition, they pay more attention to audience needs than men. As for sources, while women are likely to look for female spokespersons, men overwhelmingly use male sources and spokespersons. This difference, however, can be regarded as reflecting the personal networks of male journalists rather than being a representation of actual gender divisions among sources (van Zoonen 1998, p36). Nonetheless, van Zoonen (1994) points out that although studies show the differences between masculine and feminine values in journalism, these are in fact the reflections of self-perceptions and self-images, and do not necessarily lead to gender division in professional practice. This view is supported by Weaver (1997), who claims that few significant differences between women and men in journalism practices have been found, except that women use female spokespersons as sources. It may partly due to the fact that women have to accept masculine news values in their struggles to be considered as professional. On the other hand, some studies suggest that as a result of womens incursion into journalism, the definition of what is newsworthy has been expanded (Christmas 1997, Mills 1997). It brings about a more diverse range of topics in news, especially issues that particularly attract female audiences. Furthermore, a shift in news sources can also be identified. Journalists, especially women, may be stepping out of the more conventional news beat systems and tapping ordinary people as sources more often (Weaver 1997, p39). As can been seen, the impact of women journalists in changing news values is complicated. As Ross describes, gender alone will not make a difference in changing the culture of newsrooms or in the type of news produced (2001, p542). Factors such as socio-economic background and political values, rather than gender, are of more importance in shaping journalists attitudes and values. Likewise, newsroom and community environments are more influential factors in journalists professional conduct than gender (Weaver 1997). Women in the news Researchers have long been focus on how women are portrayed in the news content. Although more women have entered the newsroom, the changes they bring to the way issues are covered remain unclear, thus it is still hard to say that women have been more fairly treated in the news with more female journalists in the newsroom. The representation of women in the news has been formed in the masculinized discourse and fell into stereotypes. Allan (2004) finds four codes when concerning with gender in the news analyzing the broadsheets in Britain. First, using generic pronouns, for instance he, refers to both male and female news subjects. The views of men on the street are also used as the representation of public opinion. Second, the gender is explicitly pointed out when the news subjects are women, such as using the female victim instead of the victim. Third, the age, marital status and appearance of a female news subjects tend to be regarded as more relevant to the stories than for men. Finally, the news producers are more likely to employ male-centered naming, such as wife, girlfriend and mistress. By utilizing these codes, women are usually sexualized and related to male subjects. In the popular press, the sexualization of women is even more obvious. Bingham (2009) defines three phrases of the popular presss reporting of women and sex since 1918 and it could give a glimpse of how women were represented in the tabloids over time. The first phase, roughly during the inter-war period, showed that the popular press gave cautious treatment to the topic of sex. Although some space was given to the topics such as birth control, there was little open discussion of sexual matters. Generally, popular newspapers preferred the topics such as titillating divorce reports, exposures of the horrors of white slavery and gossips about the love romance of cinema stars (Bingham 2009). From the Second World War to the late 1960s was the second phase that a significant expansion of coverage of sex took place in the popular press. Sex began to be presented both as a source of entertainment and a subject that public required up-to-date information, thus received far more diverse-ranging, extensive and detailed reporting. For example, the Daily Mirror used more sexually explicit pin-ups and cartoons, and provocative content for titillation. Bingham (2009) argues that this tendency to employ female images enhanced the stress on women to see themselves as sexual playthings and to behave in accordance with media ideals of attractiveness that embodied masculine values. During the third phase, from the late 1960s, the sexualization of popular press became much broader and the family values in editorial seemed to lost its potency. Sexual aspect of the news, however slight the connection is to the main story, was highlighted in the news reporting in the popular newspapers (Bingham 2009). The Page Three girl in the Sun is one of the most controversial representations of women. As Holland (1998) claims, the display of topless women in the Page Three is the representation of male-oriented, sexual pleasure by which to attract a mass readership. The brashness, visual excitement and down-market appeal of the Sun are gendered around heterosexual male privilege. According to Holland, in this context, the visual is associated with a masculine insistence on the inalienable right to a lustful gaze (1998, p24). Similarly, Bingham believes that the pin-up was a feature in which the tension between commercial ambition and moral respectability played out in a very visible way. However disguised, it was, fundamentally, erotic entertainment for heterosexual men that could not be justified according to any ordinary scale of news values (2009, p227) . Furthermore, Holland points out that The Suns construction of female sexuality reflects a gendered politics of social identity. By using the Page Three Principle, The Sun associated sexuality with lifestyle. It is intemperate abuse, as Holland characterizes, that to those whose sexuality do not accord with their lifestyle. In the news reporting, the image of the sexy woman continues to be laid against female demons like single mothers, lesbian teachers and ugly women (Holland 1998, p25). This sexualization of gender difference has widened the gap between women and men and put constraint on womens public participation, because by reinforcing the sexual difference, the nature of the democratic discursive space is brought into question (Holland 1998, p28). The exposed women figures in popular press are regarded as a symbol of sexual pleasure, implying that women are linking with triviality, entertainment and public consumption. The different treatment between men and women can also been found in the reporting of sexual violence. The daily reporting of male sexual violence against women is normalized in masculine preferred patterns (Carter 1998). News reports encourage readers to blame female victims for mens violence. In six British daily tabloid newspapers, Carter (1998) finds that murder and rape are the most frequently covered categories of sexual violence, despite the fact that they are the rarest form of violence. The reporting of murder, particularly when women are the victims, constitutes 42 per cent of sexual violence coverage, while in the reality male are much more likely to become victims of homicide, with 68 per cent of all victims are male. The over-representation of the murder towards women creates the impression among readers that the world outside is highly dangerous places for women and girls, one in which sex crimes have become an ordinary, take-for-granted feature of everyday life (Carter 1998, p231). Moreover, regarding of news sources, Carter points out that male sources significantly outnumber female in the reporting of sexual violence, especially in terms of sources as expert opinion. Female news sources are likely to be seen as unauthorized voice and mostly been cited when an emotional or familial perspective are needed. Normalizing the sexual violence to women, even though the reverse is the reality, represents women as weak, trivial subjects that constantly suffer from violence. Conclusion This essay discusses has journalism become feminized over time from two aspects: women journalists in the news organizations and the representation of women in the news. The market-oriented journalism has engaged more women into the professional journalists. While more women entering journalism, women in the newsroom are largely disproportionate in terms of the level of positions, with a majority of women end up in the lower-status media occupation. Men still dominate the senior level of news organizations, which reproduce the subordinate role of women. The fact that more women appeared on the screen as news anchors is largely because of their gorgeous appearance. Women journalists may add some feminine characters to the news values, but whether it can change the news values that have long been established by men remains vague. Similarly, female subjects in news have not received equal and adequate treatment. Women are encoded in the male-centered news system. The sexualization of the popular press has represented women as the entertainment for the public in order to appeal to the male audience. An improvement of women as producers and subjects of news can be recognized in contemporary journalism, but to a limited scale. Gendered division still exists; masculine values continue to rule the news and newsroom. Journalism may still be far from being feminized.

Oliver Twist And Sense And Sensability Comparison Essay -- essays rese

Set in the Victorian era, Sense and Sensibility and Oliver Twist, parallel but also contrast in many key elements. In both movies, mannerisms, class distinction, and the child's role in society were reflected by both writers. Through these analysis, I was able to achieve new insight into the conditions of the Victorian era. In Oliver twist, mannerisms were greatly displayed in Oliver as a character. His mannerism best demonstrated how upper-class children were supposed to behave during this era. They were to be 'seen' and not 'heard'. Oliver when spoken to, was extremely polite and respectful (Very odd for how, and where he was raised). Even when living in the streets, after being kicked out of the orphanage, he still kept his high morale standards. Much like children, women were also supposed to be 'seen' and not 'heard'. As well, it was not proper to show emotion, such exuberance or love in any way. Marianne, in Sense and Sensibility, goes against these "rules" of proper etiquette many times, such as when she shouts at John Willoughby at a ball; this drew much scandalous attention to herself. This was very humorous to me, because it was nothing i expected, or thought would happen. The one very positive element I saw in this era, was how the men displayed chivalrous attitudes, such as how they courted women, as well as their words. Unfortunately this was a double standard, since it sometimes had unpleasant results, like being forced into marriage. However, thei...

Egyptian Bedouins :: essays research papers fc

The Life of the Egyptian Bedouins   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Bedouin people of Egypt can easily be described as a people with no place to call a home. Studying the Bedouins show that they have a deep and unique culture. They do not get involved in politics, and they live a humble and modest life. The Bedouin Nomads of Egypt are predominantly Muslim. Therefore, their beliefs, practices and rituals will be the same as that of a common Muslim. I will discuss the doings of Muslims but more importantly, I will concentrate on the beliefs and other aspects that make the Bedouin people unique and different from other Muslims.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Islam, there is something known as the five pillars. These five pillars detail how to carry on your religious duty. The five pillars of Islam start off with the belief in the oneness of God and Muhammad as his prophet, as well as belief in all other prophets before Muhammad. The next pillar is prayer. Prayer must be carried out five times a day. The first prayer called Fagr (streak of light) must take place between when the first light of the day is seen until 10:00 am. The second prayer called al-duhr (noon prayer) should be done between noon and the next prayer which is the asr (afternoon) prayer. The fourth prayer of the day is the Maghrib (sundown) prayer. The last prayer is called the Isha (night) prayer. If any prayer is missed at any time of the day for any reason, it can be made up at a later time. The next pillar of Islam is al-sowm (the fast). Muslims must fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Muslims engage in this practice in order to gain endur ance and compassion for the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is zakah (charity), every Muslim is asked to give a fraction of their money to the poor. This fraction is usually a percentage of their wealth. The final pillar is the Hajj (journey to Mecca), a mature Muslim must visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in their life. A Muslim that visits Mecca seven times in their lifetime can visit the Dome of the Rock is Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is the second most holy place in the world for Muslims. Most reputable literature written on the Bedouins were written by anthropologists that have spent time and traveled with them.

The Story of Evolution as a Utopia and the Evolution of the Story of Utopia :: Theory of Evolution Utopia Essays

The Story of Evolution as a Utopia and the Evolution of the Story of Utopia In my first semester I had the college seminar that focused on the idea of Utopia in fiction, politics, and philosophy. Our discussions and readings went through a process of evolution that begin as rather simplistic and then followed a steady path to much more involved. Honestly, a reason that I chose the class was because I had done many of the readings before, but once the work began I realized that myself, and all the others in the class, would be looking at works, such as Candide and 1984, in an entirely different fashion. Many of the stories we read were written a substantial amount of time in the past and it was interesting to see how their meaning changed and evolved over different generations. While reading the books on biological evolution I could not help but see aspects of a desired Utopia in the theory of evolution. In this paper I hope to explore the evolution of selected works from my class last semester and address my feelings on the idea that the theory of evolution is a utopian notion. One of the works we focused on a great deal was George Orwell's 1984. This counted as a utopian and distopian society because the higher powers in the book were able to control the underlings exactly as they wanted to; whereas the underlings who were suffering it all, lived in great fear and unhappiness. Orwell wrote the book in 1948 as a warning to what he felt the world may become. As we well know, his prophecies were not entirely fulfilled but the meaning of the story has evolved over time and still has relevance in today's society. When 1984 was written it was a lightly disguised reflection of the communism and capitalism. It also served as a warning for where the world might become if there came to power only a few dictators to reign over the entire world. My father read the book in 1983 on the suggestion of my mother and he said that, at the time he only felt like it was fiction but in the newspapers everyone was raving about how IBM and other up and coming corporations were tu rning into exactly what the book made them out to be. He then added that society today is more like the society in the book than ever before, especially with the war going on.

Informations Management

Systems and Management Contents Executive Summary The reports sets about assessing HA Loge's current business operation both in the UK and India, this done by utilizing three analysis tools, SOOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and Porters Fiver Forces analysis. From the SOOT analysis the reports highlights several key points, which includes the potential of overseas sales in emerging economies and the benefits of having manufacturing faculties in India.The lack of developed e-commerce and the poor utilization of information technology advances have been highlighted as one of the biggest weakness of HA Loge's. The PESTLE analysis has shown that while traditional consumer (local councils) have less money to spend and sales may decline In the short term, the opportunities from a new ‘Affluent Achievers' market holds great promise. The desire for going ‘green' In both social attitudes and wider environmental laws is also an opportunity that can be exploited for HA Loge's gains.Por ters Five Forces has highlighted that threat of new entrants is high because the Entry barrier is high as many competitors try to earn market share in the business of street furniture. The bargaining power of buyers mains high due to councils trying to get the lowest price possible and high number companies who are sharing / or trying to enter the same market. Threat of substitute products remains low because of the high saturation of competitors producing similar products. Bargaining power of suppliers is also low thanks to the adduce of manufacturers offering highly competitive prices and low specialization within the market.A new IT portfolio has also been recommend for HA Loge's to implement, this includes a complete overhaul of the current ageing IT systems and new website as long as an active social media engagement. A new ERP is vital for HA Loge's future and it has been recommended that SAP be implemented across the company and a new website that will help increase sale with in the ‘Affluent Achievers' market. The risks of implementing such changes has also been factored in and explored in details, with the potential of possible issues occurring, such as staff training and skills.The effect that the new portfolio will have on both the suppliers and customers of HA Loge's has also been explored and in conjunction with the implementation timeshare, has highlighted the need for a well organized and structured phasing to the new systems. The recommendation is that HA Loge's take a multi phased approach to implementing the new systems that includes a pre-stage of evaluation of staff and their ability to use the new systems and a comprehensive training program .This will be followed by a trial run of the new systems, a soft and partial changeover and then finally a complete switch to the new system, whilst keeping the old systems for 2-3 months as a backup. Following the situational analysis of HA Loge's current business and the assessment of its IT req uirements, our recommendations on what HA Loge's requires for the future will allow it to succeed ND grow into new markets and remain profitable for the following years. 1 . Situational Analysis and Strategic Direction 1. 1 . SOOT Analysts 1. . 1 Strengths As it can be seen from the above table, H. A Logon & Sons, are in an advantageous situation compared to other companies, especially in the United Kingdom. The fact that the company was established since 1952 and has shown stability economically through time allows the opportunity to create a very strong and powerful name. The brand potential can allow immediate expansion and takeover of the U. K market rely due to its relationship with the local councils and the existing top of quality product range they have.The market is growing and the low competition may allow the company to become market leaders. The Polls group have conducted a market analysis which shows that a lot of the street furniture companies are under immediate dange r (Pillions, 2014). The possession of the Indian factory reduces the cost and provides a better advantage on the pricing of the products since they can be offered at lower prices. The weaknesses described in the SOOT analysis can be fully exploited and used to the company's advantage.The creation of a website and use of social networking will allow easier market penetration and provide easier and cost effective means to reach the target segmentations. It is however noteworthy that the relationship between the H. Q. In India and U. K should be worked on, as this can be beneficial to the client. Better organizational behavior would effectively mean a better working environment and consequently more efficient production. The operations management could be well benefited from such a change. . 1. 3 Opportunities The opportunities created since the budget for immediate reformation came into existence are extensive in various directions. By creating a patriotic slogan, it will enable the e nhancement of the company's image, thus gaining an advantage over other competitors, especially since the major clients of the investigating market are the councils. One can argue that here is no better way to spend the tax payer's money to a native company with a lot of history of consistent quality and relations.The Lugubrious University can be funded in PhD to offer extensive research on LED Lighting. Especially since LED lighting market is about to increase by 20% McKinney&Company, 2012) and surpass 20 billion USED by 2020 (Technology, 2014). Biding may be done in the Chinese projects ready to be released in 2017. This is due to the fact that the Chinese government had a problem with the already installed LED Lighting and are expected to replace the lighting introduced. 0-15 to street lighting companies will be able to bid on the project (Magazine, 2007-2014). There is the chance to enter the Chinese market with an upgraded and more professional image. A more environmental frien dly approach will attract attention. 1. 1. 4 Threats Even though threats may not be originated from the immediate environment, a company that is trying to expand globally needs to evaluate any potential threat worldwide. The growing expertise of U. S and China on LED lighting may be proven difficult to reach.However with effective research, the knowledge can be obtained and surpass the existing threats. There is growing competition in the Far East and these companies may be favored and correctly encountered. In conclusion, H. A Logon & Sons can expand in other markets such as the Chinese market. They can reach the market segmentation ‘affluent achievers' through proper marketing and anally they can even expand in the direction of street advertising with minimum costs but great profits.This can be achieved because street furniture is already sold in the local councils. Advertising is a very powerful tool for expansion as it can provide instant change in profits and promotion of the company. This idea is already exploited by Caduceus, a French company Caduceus, 2014) and the market is suspected to reach 35. 5 billion USED by 2016 (Edition, 2014). Key factors for this increase are arbitration, meliorating global economy and digital out of home advertising. 1. 2. PESTLE AnalysisTechnological Technological Improvements Company's spending on R (PhD) Access to newest technology Social Media (development & Usage) Socio-cultural Educational Level CEO – friendly habits Turning into Charity Organizations 0 Corporate Social Responsibility (Eunice or other corporations) New market Different culture organizational Culture (India Manufacture) Population growth Attitudes towards saving and investing ‘Affluent Achievers' Attitudes towards product quality and customer service Political Government regulations Economic policies Tax policy Trade restrictions Economic Inflation rateI-J is growing economically so more spending to normal products. (Business Economi cs) China ready to offer projects (LED lights? ) Exchange rates (entering global market) Fiscal policies (India) Growth rates Labor cost minimized Trade flows and patterns (PhD) Environmental Recycling Waste management Attitude toward ‘green' or ecological products Legal Law that affects the business environment in Asia Vs. law in the UK Industry specific regulations e-commerce From deducting a PESTLE analysis three major points can be derived and should be exploited. Firstly, countries nowadays are trying to be as CEO-friendly as possible.The CEO-friendly awareness is increasingly more popular, therefore the company should follow an environmental approach. By producing street furniture or more products in particular street lighting that indeed are environmental friendly, the company can attract buyers. Entering an CEO-friendly mode will show sensitivity company. Thus the councils will be more attracted to the company's products since they will benefit from the CEO-friendly ap proach. Secondly, the current recession is fading away and the coming years will be marked with an economic boom since England is recovering effectively from the economic crisis (Oxalate, 2013).The increase in income will provide increase in demand as there is a positive relationship between the two variables. This would inevitably mean that the market of the ‘affluent achievers' will also increase and this is the market that Loge's should concentrate on. A report by the ALGA shows that between 2011 and 201 5 spending cuts will amount to 33% in real terms. It is clear to see that the previous strong consumer base in local councils may falter and as a source of revenue may not be growing, least not in the short term. Therefore Loge's should be more aggressive with contract bidding.This also leads to a secondary point that out cash flow in the short term maybe less and more opportunities must be sought out, as well as a better financing (Association, 2013). Thirdly, political fa ctors are defined as political issues which can occur in the company, in the areas where the company is operating, both nationwide and worldwide. The effect on business and legislation can be done by political changes and globalization. Government regulations, tax policy and trade restrictions are the main factors that should be taken into notice.Finally, technology is rapidly developing, especially in countries as USA and China hat are more advanced in markets of LED lighting or even street advertising. By investing in technology and creating Research and Development support teams, the company may expertise in LED Lighting sector and can increase its product range such as including interactive panels, which allow advertising to occur. The company may not be directly involved with the advertising but they can actually sell or rent the panels to the local councils.The councils can choose whether to advertise events or other companies for personal profit. The PESTLE analysis did not r aise any flags to any legal concerns or any other matter of the type. 1. 3. Porter five forces The threat of new entrants is high. The company is a market leader in I-J and competitors abroad, bigger companies that have better technological equipment and are trying to earn market share in the business of street furniture. They also have better relationships with councils abroad, since Loge's company has relationships mainly in UK and isn't established long enough abroad.Furthermore, these companies can take advantage of their bigger brand awareness and make agreements more easily than Lagan's company. However, Supply -Side economies of scale are exploited for Loge's since they own their supply factory. This spreads the fixed costs over more units. This deters entry by forcing the ‘aspired entrant' to come in the industry on a large scale production or accept a cost disadvantage. Finally incumbency advantages are independent of size. This effectively means that H. A. Loge's are not easily threatened by potential entrants due to their geographic location Cobber, 2010).The bargaining power of suppliers is low. The company has the opportunity to collaborate with many manufacturers as suppliers, which allows the company to easily make an agreement with another supplier. There is sufficiency f raw materials, which doesn't allow suppliers to have monopoly on them. Bulk buying can be used and this will result in having discount in price during purchasing. The bargaining power of buyers is high due to the large volume of business agreements between the company and the councils for a wide range of products. Failing at the negotiations with the councils can result in losing a wide range of business projects.Their high power gives them the allowance to force down prices and the Loge's company shall accept it since there is the threat of their competitors. The threat of substitute products is low. All companies in the street furniture business manufacture almost the same products and there are no known substitutes. LED lights and panels could be characterized as substitute products, but there aren't brought in the East Midlands market yet (assumption). In the case that the substitutes are considered high, Loge's should distance itself from substitutes through product performance and marketing.The threat of intense segment rivalry is high. In UK during the last years many companies were obliged to exit the street furniture market because of the economic crisis. The companies that survived Loge's company), managed to dominate in the I-J market, but as it seems lately there is an increasing number of big companies from abroad that are trying to enter and invest in this market. â€Å"Rivalry is especially destructive to profitability if it gravitates solely to price because price competition transfers profits directly from an industry to its customers†.The new market of ‘affluent achievers' will likely draw new entrants due to the chan ce of exploitation. Care should be considered to avoid the above statement. Although H. A Loge's will be the first to enter they should do so in a manner that will allow them to establish their network with brand recognition, excellence in customer service and price stability (E. Porter, 2008). 2. Metrics,'Kip At H Logan, attention has always been paid mostly to their financial metrics as opposed to the inputs that drive the numbers.In this section, other possible performance metrics will be discussed according to the new proposed strategy plan. Financial metrics are like descriptive statistics and says something unique about a characteristic of the whole body of data that might not be obvious from merely reviewing individual finance figures (Tax, 2009). Firms and management require an objective way to measure performance so more often than not, it's easier to go straight into the result and forgetting to measure also what led to those results.Financial metrics are useful but should n't be used on its own because financial performance is a result or consequence of something else (Tax, 2009). Operating metrics are the inputs that correlate or drive the desired outcome, if more attention is paid to the operating metrics then financial outputs wouldn't be a big issue for the organization. Examples of these operating metrics include customer satisfaction, customer repetition, customer referral rate, quality of product etc. This is the aspect of metrics this report will focus on (Tax, 2009). 2. 1 . New Proposed Strategy for H.Logan More friendly environmental products(CEO-friendly products) Exploitation of the ‘Affluent Achievers' market Investment in research and development team Extension/Reduction in product line Adequate HER staff to deal with staff issues/concerns especially the issue between the Indian office and the WHQL Set clear goals and objectives Encourage customer and staff feedback Possible reduction in staff from both branches(the I-J and India) and training the Taft removed from the office to become call centre staff where they can deal with customer enquiries, queries, complaints and orders (e-commerce) Provision of services, e. . Offering delivery and installation services etc. Website, proper marketing strategy Introduction of new IT software (SAP software) 2. 2. Potential New Metrics for H. Logan Metrics are used for a variety of reasons. Metrics such as market share, sales increases, margins, and customer satisfaction surveys enable firms to take stock of where they are now and where they want to be in the future (Houses & Katz, 1998). Hauser and Katz, 1998 suggest that every metric will affect actions and decisions whether used mainly to influence behavior, to evaluate future strategies, or to take stock.An ideal metrics system should be tied to overall profit, apply to all employees and be designed to encourage extra effort, however if stretched to the limit can result in counter-productive actions. Relating these metrics back to H. Logan, below is an ideal list of what metrics should be measured in their company. Measurement of how their products and services are perceived in the market- this an be done by market research to determine if people view their products as high end luxury or affordable but quality products etc.Measure how much these ‘affluent achievers' are willing to spend on lighting and how often they purchase household goods. Organization views it as well. Find out what the customers want- by measuring how often they repeat orders, refer the organization's products to their friends and family, or how often they cancel orders, and how many customers never return to H. Logan to buy goods. The Voice of the Employee- this can be measured by finding out what the employees ant, what they value. This can lead to enabling employees make decisions and take actions that they know are going to be necessary to achieve their metrics-based goals.A balanced score card system will be im plemented in the next part to get fair balance of the new metrics to be measured. 2. 3. Balanced Scorecard A balanced scorecard is a strategic management system used to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals (Kaplan & Norton, 2007). The balanced scorecard is a management system that enables organizations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into action.It provides feedback around both the internal business processes and external outcomes in order to continuously improve strategic performance and results. When fully deployed, the balanced scorecard transforms strategic planning from an academic exercise into the nerve centre of an enterprise. The balanced scorecard suggests that we view the organization from four perspectives, and to develop metrics, collect data and analyze it relative to each of these perspectives which inc lude: The learning and growth perspective- This entails employee training and corporate cultural attitudes related to both individual and corporate self- improvement.It is the most essential foundation for the success of any organization. The business process perspective- this allows the managers to know how well their business is performing and if it matches their customer requirements. This system should be implemented by those who know the system inside and out. The customer perspective-customer focus and perspective is important in any organization and most organizations are beginning to realize the importance of their customers. If customers aren't satisfied, it is likely that they will find those suppliers/ organizations that satisfy them.So measuring what customers want and like the type of customers they are and the processes that need to be followed is essential. The financial perspective- this is the traditional way of measuring metrics but still useful in measuring the ad ditional financial-related data, such as risk assessment The learning and Growth perspective The business process Perspective The customer The financial goals. Measurement of how much the ‘affluent achievers' are willing to spend on lighting ND how often they purchase household goods.Measurement of how their products and services are perceived in the market place by carrying out a market research to determine if people view their products as high-end luxury or affordable but quality products etc. Do the consumers view the products ‘attributes as the same attributes the organization views it as well. Find out what the customers want by measuring how often they repeat orders, refer the organization's products to their friends and family, or how often they cancel orders, and how many customers never return to H.A. Loge's to buy goods. How much is available to spend on the new strategy and development. If there isn't adequate funding, how will the organization source for fun ds. How much profitability lies in the development of the new developments/ strategy/plan. Measurement of how much the new systems will cost and how to priorities the funding of the new system. Measurement of the cost of training staff, R costs and risk assessment. Measurement of the cost of marketing and developing new website. . Portfolio of Systems 3. 1 . Portfolio Enterprise Resource Planning can be crucial to a business, especially one as out- dated as this. As in any other business, processes essential to its success include inventory and order management, accounting, human resources and customer relationship management. At its most basic level ERP Software ‘integrates these various functions into one complete system to streamline the process and information across the entire organization' (Devonshire, 2014).First and foremost the company needs to invest in the current website as it is over 10 years old. In today's technological age, online content is more vital than eve r so as not to fall behind. The Internet is the way most potential customers will search for H. A Logon & sons and if market emphasizes their greater need to invest in this part of the business. Loge's finds itself under intensive pressure from new competition abroad, so they must have some sort of product differentiation to really show prospective customers what they are all about.They should also look to add a separate section to the website specifically for the home solutions potential market. They are what kept the business going when their competitors disappeared and it fits in very well with the strategy to exploit the ‘Affluent Achievers' market. This is a new market opportunity and one that must be seized so H. A Logon & sons can progress to the next level. Due to the cost and long-term maintenance of the website, it would be appropriate to outsource the website production and maintenance too professional company.The company will also need to invest in new IT systems b ecause what exists has been running for over 35 years and has become increasingly unstable. It is important to realize that ‘an ERP system that is not the right fit tends to weigh down the entire organization' (lyre, 2012), this is why we have taken special care in narrowing down possible systems the company could use such as Oracle, Sage and SAP. Oracle represents more of an integrated system, while Sage pride themselves on the ease of use but the most suitable system for H. A Logon & Sons is the ‘SAP business objects solutions' system.This we believe brings a far more holistic process to the table and helps solve some of the problems they have now and reduce the overall cost that comes with implementation. SAGE and Oracle might be better at certain aspects but the SAP system is more consistent across the board as the feature analysis (table 1 below) depicts. ‘The evaluation of the ERP process must consider usability as a critical success factor' (lyre, 2012) and this is what the SAP system ensures. It provides an intuitive means to unify the information that business users need for their daily activities.It eliminates the need to access multiple applications, providing relevant information form a central location'. This as we can see will already eliminate the problem the company has had over the years where they have to input the same data several times because some systems aren't integrated. It comes with ‘Large Scale information distribution', which is very useful as the company has bases in both England and India. This helps because the platform supports distribution of content o up to 1 million recipients and allows the workers have all they need available to them.The most important integration this system brings is helping the company make decisions based on the whole picture. As mentioned earlier, ERP integrates many aspects such as HER, operations etc. The problem with this is that we tend to gain individual views based on the se aspects but the SAP system gives a ‘unified view of the businesses and enables its users to gain fresh new perspectives. Using the Package approach is beneficial as it's cheaper and can be tailored to the needs of the company. Weightings SAP SAGE Oracle