Repetition in Waiting for Godot Essay

â€Å"I can’t go on like this†, with this last phrase Waiting for Godot ends. Although it might not seem a lot by itself, when reading the whole play it is possibly to understand about what is the character of Estragon talking about. He and Vladimir have been waiting for a person called Godot to come and meet them, and as the first act of the play shows they have been waiting for a while and they pretend to keep waiting for him, even if he does not shows up for days. This play is strongly based in the repetition of their routine and patterns of each one of them. A sign of repetition is that every time Estragon tells Vladimir that he wants to go, the latest has to remind him that they can’t because they are waiting for Godot and Estragon’s answer is always â€Å"Ah! †, this happens four or five times. Estragon also goes back to the idea of committing suicide in the tree that is near them a few times and Vladimir has to explain to him why they cannot do it. Both acts also start in a similar way. Estragon is already in the stage, whereas Vladimir is just getting there and they are both glad to finally be reunited. In both occasions they have the same conversation about where did Estragon spend the night and they also talk about the fact that some people hit Estragon during the night and they do not know who they were. They also talk about what they did the day before. Both times Vladimir remembers that they were in the same place waiting for Godot, but Estragon does not. Repetition is also found in little details like the nicknames that both have to each other. Vladimir is called Didi and Estragon is called Gogo. Both of the nicknames consist on the repetition of the same syllable. During the second act it is possible to clearly see the way in which Vladimir and Estragon live in a repetitive way â€Å"Estragon takes Vladimir’s hat. Vladimir adjusts Lucky’s hat on his head. Estragon puts on Vladimir’s hat in place of his own which he hands to Vladimir. Vladimir takes Estragon’s hat. Estragon adjusts Vladimir’s hat on his head. Vladimir puts on Estragon’s hat in place of Lucky’s which he hands to Estragon. Estragon takes Lucky’s hat. Vladimir adjusts Estragon’s hat on his head. Estragon puts on Lucky’s hat in place of Vladimir’s which he hands to Vladimir (†¦)† (Beckett 67) They keep this routine a couple of more times. Is a representation of what they have been doing for a couple of days. They are in a circle and although this situation has an end, it does not seem that their waiting is going to end any time soon. They are living in a circle. Although different things happen to them during the different days in which they wait, overall they act in a similar way. Always waiting; always fighting, missing each other and reuniting; always thinking about what to do next; always thinking about what are they going to do tomorrow.

Language Obervation Essay

Setting: The observation took place in the child’s home. The child’s home is a semi-detached house in a housing estate Immediate Context: This observation took place in the kitchen. TC is seated at the kitchen table finishing his homework. His father is nearby washing up at the sink. The observation took place at 2.30 in the afternoon. An hour after TC returned home from school. TC’s brother and sister are running around the kitchen while another brother is sitting at the table playing Lego. Name of Child: TC Brief description of the child: TC is a male aged 6 years and 5 months. He has been in school since September 12 months ago. He has one older brother (aged nine) three young brothers (twin 3 year olds and a 2 year old) he has  a younger sister also (aged 2 years). Because of the number in his family he is very active and talkative. Aim of observation: The aim of this observation is to observe TC for a period of time of 10 minutes in order to assess his language development. Observation: TC is sitting on a chair at the kitchen table finishing off his homework he is drawing objects that begin with â€Å"I†. He asks how to spell ice-cream, igloo and ice as these are the shapes he’s drawing. He takes out a sheet filled with words to learn. He is now looking at his words and pronouncing them. TC has finished his homework and packed away his bag. He takes out a sheet a paper. TC -> A â€Å"Daddy how do you spell IGLOO?† A -> TC â€Å" I-G-L-O-O† TC -> A â€Å"How do you spell ICE?† A -> TC â€Å"I-C-E† TC -> A â€Å"How do you spell ICE-CREAM† A -> TC â€Å"Well you already have ice on your page copy that first† TC -> A â€Å"but I need to spell ice-cream† A -> TC â€Å" Write down ICE then put a – then put C-R-E-AM† TC -> A â€Å"Okay† A -> TC â€Å"Are you finished now Ois?† TC -> A â€Å"Where’s Mammy Daddy?† A -> TC â€Å"Show me, what it is?† TC -> A â€Å"No it’s for Mammy, not you; you won’t know what to do with it!† A -> TC â€Å"ok she’ll be here in a minute she’s gone to the bathroom† A1 -> TC â€Å"what’s wrong Oision?† TC -> A1 â€Å"this is a letter for you from teacher† A1 -> TC â€Å"what’s it about?† TC -> A1 â€Å"The parent teacher meeting† A1 -> TC â€Å"ok what have I to do with it?† TC -> A1 â€Å"you have to read it and fill it out for teacher† A1 -> TC â€Å"oh right okay you go on and play so, good boy† Evaluation: The aim of this observation was to observe and record the language of TC, a six year old boy, for fifteen minutes as he finished his homework and engaged in conversation with his parents in order to gain a better understanding of his language development. I feel that I achieved this aim very well and that generally TC’s language development appears to be within the normal range for his age. Certainly, TC’s word pronunciation is accurate. He does make little errors tough e.g. he says â€Å"ate† for â€Å"eight†. This is usual for his stage of development. While children between four and five years pronounce most words correctly, they â€Å"may show some immature sound substitutions† (Flood 2010) One of the theorists I have studied is Skinner (1957), Skinner believed â€Å"that  learning, including language learning, occurs as a result of reinforcement.† Another theorist I have studied is Bruner(1915-). Bruner believed first-hand experience allows children to develop their ideas and thinking, he called this â€Å"enactive thinking†. Bruner stress the importance of the child’s environment in language development. He believes â€Å"The adults and more able peers in a child’s life provide what he calls a language acquisition support system (LASS).† Motherese, recasting, expanding and labelling all part of this system . Key stage of language development Gross Motor Skills †¢ Child tries to understand the meaning of words. The child uses adverbs and prepositions. The child talks confidently, and with more and more fluency. †¢ The child uses language creatively. The child adds vocabulary all the time. †¢ The child is an explorer and communicator; he or she begins to be able to define objects by their function – for example, â€Å"what is a bicycle† â€Å"you cycle a bicycle†. Fine Motor Skills †¢ A young child does not learn well in isolation from other children and adults. The child begins to share as he or she learns. Sharing sharpens and broadens the child’s thinking. This helps the child to learn better – for example, he begins to understand book language, and that stories have characters and a plot (the narrative). †¢ The child begins to realise that different situations require different ways of talking. The child establishes a sense of audience (who he or she is talking to). In summary, TC’s language development in terms of both fine and gross motor skills seems to be just on target and have reached the developmental milestones expected for his age. Personal Learning Gained †¢ I learned more about children’s language development. I know understand the terminology of â€Å"labelling†, â€Å"semantics†, â€Å"syntax†, â€Å"recasting† and â€Å" expanding†. †¢ I learned that in order to do so accurately, a tape recording with transcription is advisable. References †¢ Child Care & Education (5th Edition) (Bruce, Meggit, Grenier) Hodder Education †¢ Planning Play and the Early Years (2nd Edition) (Penny Tassoni, Karen Hucker) Heinemann †¢ Child Development for Students in Ireland (Eilis Flood) Gill&Macmillan †¢ Education & Care in the Early Years (4th Edition) (Josephine Donohue & Frances Gaynor) Gill&Macmillan

Organic vs Non-Organic Essay

I. Introduction: Thesis Statement: People should consume organic foods because they have More nutritious, No pesticides are used on them, No hormones or antibiotics are used in their production A. Major Proposition or Premise (before because): People should consume organic foods B. 1st Minor Proposition or Premise (after because): More nutritious. C. 2nd Minor Proposition or Premise (after because): No pesticides are used on them. D. 3rd Minor Proposition or Premise (after because): No hormones or antibiotics are used in their production. II. A. 1st Minor Proposition or Premise (after because): More nutritious B. Evidence: Expert Testimony: Lady Eve Balfour Philosophical Theory: Jeffrey Stephen Wicken Historical Examples: N/A Statistics: ( journeytoforever. org/farm_library/worthington-organic. pdf) Logic: The producers of non-organic food argue that the organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is â€Å"organic† a value judgment about nutrition or quality. Organic is how it is produced. Just because something is labeled organic does not mean it is superior, safer, or more healthy than conventional foods. All foods in this country must meet the same high standards of safety regardless of their classification C. Opposition of 1st Minor Proposition/Premise: There is no evidence whatsoever that a diet high in or exclusively of organic foods is any healthier for you than a diet of conventional foods, no clear or consistent difference could be found in the nutritional value D. Evidence: Expert Testimony: Martin Hickman Philosophical Theory: Dan Glickman 2004 Historical Examples: N/A Statistics: (http://www. independent. co. uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/organic-food-no-healthier-than-conventional-1764448. html) Logic: There is plenty of evidence however that a diverse diet, high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish is healthy E. Refutation(Against) of Opposition Premise: A considerable amount of research has been conducted on the nutrient content of organic vs. conventional foods over the last century III. A. 2nd Minor Proposition or Premise (after because): No pesticides are used on them. B. Evidence: Expert Testimony: Sir (Dr. ) John Krebs. Philosophical Theory: Ned Goth Historical Examples: N/A Statistics: http://www. independent.co. uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/organic-food-no-healthier-than-conventional-1764448. html Logic: While synthetic pesticides are prohibited in organic farming, some ‘natural’ pesticides may still be used, and they are not necessarily less worrisome just because they’re natural. C. Opposition of 2nd Minor Proposition/Premise: Organic farmers claim to use a combination of techniques to avoid having to â€Å"resort† to using pesticides D. Evidence: Expert Testimony: Sir (Dr. ) John Krebs Philosophical Theory: Ned Goth Historical Examples: N/A Statistics: http://ourworld. unu.edu/en/apples-have-feelings-too/ Logic: Organic pesticides pose exactly the same sort of environmental and health risks as do non-organic pesticides and often pose more risks than synthetics. E. Refutation(Against) of Opposition Premise: The difference between organic and synthetic pesticides is not their toxicity to pests, people or the environment, but rather their origin IV. A. 3rd Minor Proposition or Premise (after because): No hormones or antibiotics are used in their production B. Evidence: Expert Testimony: Sir (Dr. ) John Krebs Philosophical Theory: Ned Goth Historical Examples :N/A. Statistics: (http://www. independent. co. uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/organic-food) Logic: All scientists said it was safe and none of the studies showed the hormone to appear in or alter the milk or meat C. Opposition of 3rd Minor Proposition/Premise: Organic milk and non-organic milk are essentially identical D. Evidence: Expert Testimony: Sir (Dr. ) John Krebs Philosophical Theory: Robert V. Tauxe, M. D Historical Examples: N/A Statistics: ABC News 20/20, How good is organic food? , February 20,2000 Logic: Hormones appear naturally in all milk, eggs and soy products F. Refutation(Against) of Opposition Premise: Conventional milk in the US is 100% free of artificial hormones and 99. 999% free of antibiotics. V. Conclusion: So is organic food better for you? Well if you consider that decreasing your toxin burden and increasing your intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can have a significant impact on health, then it certainly is. Of course, you have to be able to afford the increase in price, but it might be worth cutting out fast foods and spending your money more wisely on home-made meals.

Good Management in the Public Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Good Management in the Public Sector - Essay Example To achieve this, all barriers to good management in the public sector should be identified and done away with. After the barriers have been eliminated, the officials serving in the public sector should find ways through which they can improve the quality of both management and work life so that the public can enjoy the services available (13). One of the barriers that come in the way of good management in the public sector is too much red tape. Excessive bureaucratic tendencies have been known to bring whole organizations down to their feet. When compared to the private sector, there is a big difference in the way matters are handled in the public sector, where there are too many people who must approve of something before it goes through (Denhardt and Denhardt 35). This kind of rigid conformity to excessive regulation not only impacts negatively on management roles, it also hinders timely and relevant delivery or services to the general public. Bureaucratic tendencies are also a recipe for uncontrolled misuse of power by managers in different levels of the public sector (37). In this situation, it becomes hard for the officials on the ground to offer quality services to the people that the government is supposed to serve with diligence. Another common barrier to good management practices in the public sector is corruption. Corruption in government offices comes in many forms and can include irregular financial dealings and power corruption. Due to the lack of clear policies which can act as professional guidelines for managers and employees in government agencies, there is a lot of room for misappropriation or resources, including funds (Cohen, Eimicke and Heikkila 23). Managing such a work environment becomes tricky especially when it is considered that people are normally unwilling to fight against such practices. When finances are mismanaged, or when an individual uses his influence in

Strategic Plan for Digital Music Organization EMI Essay

Strategic Plan for Digital Music Organization EMI - Essay Example According to a report by Cimilluca and Colchester (2011), in November 2011, the Citigroup announced a deal to sell EMI’s recorded music business to Universal Music Group for $1.9 billion and music publishing business to Sony/ATV consortium for 2.2 billion. This paper will suggest a strategic plan for this digital music organisation by referring to a number of strategic management theories including PESTLE analysis, Porter’s five forces model, SWOT analysis, and BCG matrix. PESTLE analysis Political factors The EMI maintains good relationship with overseas counties with intent to expand its business operations globally. Since the company offers extensive employee benefits including flexible work schedule, family friendly policies, and other flexible benefits; it gets full support from political environment. Economic factors The recent global economic recession has dreadfully affected economies worldwide and many of those economies are still under the process of recovery. Hence, the current economic environment is not favourable for the company. Socio-cultural factors Historically, music is present everywhere regardless of cultural variables such as customs, lifestyle, language, values, and beliefs. Hence, socio cultural factors provide the company with potential business environment. Technological factors The technology sector has been dramatically improving for the last two decades. The emergence of internet was a milestone in the history of music entertainment industry (BBC News, 2000). Therefore, current technological landscape is better for EMI’s business growth. Legal factors Governments worldwide have developed strict intellectual property laws and many of them specifically deal with music piracy issues. Thus, music entertainment industry is encouraged globally. Environmental factors People today are highly concerned about environmental sustainability. Therefore, increasing environmental concerns raise some sorts of challenges to every sector, and music entertainment industry is not an exception. Hence, EMI has to invest more on environmental sustainability so as to enhance its business growth. Porter’s five forces Degree of rivalry While analyzing the music entertainment industry, it seems that degree of competitive rivalry is very high. Since EMI is a multinational company, it struggles to confront with regionally focused rivals that are more knowledgeable about people’s music tastes. Hence, the company is forced to depend upon price cutting and M&A strategies to survive market competition. Buyer power In music entertainment industry, buyer power is relatively high since there are numerous potential sellers. In addition, market giants like Sony offers quality products to customers at cheaper rates; this situation compels EMI to cut its prices in order retain its customers. Supplier power EMI has high bargaining power over its suppliers as the organisation is well reputed for its quality music prod ucts and services. Since there are large number of potential suppliers in the industry, supplier price changes would not affect EMI’s business activities. Moreover, supplier switching cost is very low in the music entertainment industry. Threat of new entrants Threat of new entrants is very high in the industry, particularly because of the

Construction Contract Law 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Construction Contract Law 2 - Essay Example However, Comfort Kitchens Limited are currently in default of payments, have failed to comply with the conditions of the contract regarding water isolation and have undertaken repairs in breach of the express terms of the contract. As such, there is no contention that Comfort Kitchens is in breach of contract on a strict interpretation of the express contractual terms (Cracknell, 2003). However, the central issue of contention will be X’s rights against Comfort Kitchens for the breach. In business contracts the law distinguishes between breach of conditions and warranties (Treitel, 2007). Only a breach of condition will permit an innocent party to terminate the contract as a fundamental breach (Chitty 2007). Moreover, a fundamental breach will grant the right to sue for damages for the breach (Treitel, 2007). Material breach of contract in contract law is further referred to as repudiatory breach (Treitel, 2007). In the leading case of Suisse Atlantique Societe d’Armement Maritime SA v NV Rotterdamsche Kolen Centralem ([1966] 1 Lloyds Rep 166), Lord Reid defined fundamental breach as â€Å"a well known type of breach which entitles the innocent party to treat it as repudiatory and to rescind the contract†. Moreover, as a matter of law, in the case of Photo Productions Limited v Securicor Transport Limited ([1980] AC 827) it was held that the relevant factor in determining whether a term was a condition or not was the intention of the parties. This wa s further affirmed in the decision of Edward v Skyways ([1964] 1 WLR 349). Nevertheless, it is necessary to protect against abuse of the presumption especially in unequal bargaining power scenarios and case law acknowledges that the presumption in commercial contracts can be rebutted. For example, in the case of JH Milner v Percy Bilton [1966] 1 WLR 1582] it was determined that the presumption of intention

Hum final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hum final - Essay Example The conquest of Rome is undeniably one of the greatest if not the greatest conquest in human history. Their politics have taught humanity on first, respect for the laws and second, importance of the community as central in the development of the individual person in his private sphere as well as in his public sphere. Aside form that, they have taught humanity â€Å"that one may achieve peace of mind by avoiding burdensome responsibilities, gloomy companions, and excessive wealth. Stoicism offered a reasoned retreat from psychic pain and moral despair, as well as a practical set of solutions to the daily strife between the self and society† ( Fiero 135) But the greatness of Rome seems to be second only in comparison with the greatest man that ever walked the face of the earth – Jesus. The â€Å"search for the historical Jesus is complicated by many factors† (Fiero 163), but what is clear is that the story of Jesus have touched billions of lives all over the world. The greatness of Jesus is that he afforded us a new paradigm with which humanity may comprehend our relationship with God. Jesus has taken away the picture of the jealous warrior God that is one of the dominant images of God in the Old Testament. In fact, his entire human life is a living testimony to his claim that ‘God is Father’. Though scholars and exegetes may disagree what is clear is that â€Å"Jesus is the recognizable human face of God† (Wright 70). In the end, these readings are significant primarily because not solely because of the greatness of the topics that they have delved with but that the Roman heritage and Jesus story are contradictories yet real in the realm of human experience. Of the many things that we have discussed in class, I have come to realize and appreciate the fact that the Western Heritage is built on the sagacity of ancient men and women who have tried to understand how we can really understand the human condition. Their discourses open to us

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 23

Leadership - Essay Example The nurses on very few occasions question the directives given by the doctors. The relationship between the doctor and the nurse functions adequately based on the principles of transactional leadership. My aunt is a registered nurse. I often talk to her and she has explained to me that the doctors have all the power in a hospital setting. To a certain degree nurses must always comply with eth directives of the doctors. The doctors are the ones ultimately responsible for the well being of the patients. The use of transactional leadership is customary in the hospitals since the doctors give the nurses instructions and mandates on how to take care of the patients. If anything goes wrong during the treatment the nurses are not as liable as the doctors, thus this is probably one of the reasons doctors are so strict in their mandates. A doctor’s license is worth millions of dollars over the lifetime of a doctor. Transactional leadership is the most effective way for doctors to interact with

Shopping Trends in Leeds UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Shopping Trends in Leeds UK - Essay Example It is an important marketing aspect for any firm since consumer behavior and response to certain products is fundamental to the firm’s success and survival in the market (Jackson, 2005). The decision process undertaken by a consumer to determine whether to purchase a product or not, involves several stages. Apparently, the actual purchasing is only one step among several others. These stages begin with the actual recognition of need or desire for a certain product. This desire can be stimulated by different factors ranging from hunger to an advertisement. The consumer then proceeds to do a search of the available options whilst doing comparisons and seeking referrals. Evaluation of the available alternatives then follows, with the buyer establishing a personalized criterion according to tastes and preferences. This is normally followed by the purchase decision and the actual purchase of the product. Post-purchase evaluation is also an important aspect of consumer behavior. It involves the outcome and post-consumption analysis of the buyer (Dobson, 2007). As noted earlier, consumer behavior can be influenced by word-of-mouth and referrals from friends and/or family. This is evident in cases where students are great determinants when it comes to triggering of new trends that are later adopted by the rest of the society. Students, and other youth, influence the choice of products amongst themselves and other peers. Most young people like to be involved in purchases of newest trends. This factor, therefore, makes this age group (18-25) the best to study on consumer behaviors. Task 1 This paper seeks to identify and analyze the internal influences that affect the consumer behavior of young people aged between 18 and 25. The importance of the investigation done by this paper has far reaching implications. First, there is the interest to inform consumers about environmentalism aspects when purchasing products. In the United Kingdom, the most prominent pressure groups fro consumer behavior have been friends, consumer groups and the government. Literature review This section aims at providing a review of literature that discusses the factors influencing buyer behavior, especially among the young people. Jackson (2005) provides a comprehensive literature review on the behavior of consumers and the corresponding behavior change. He recommends that policy makers in the consumer sector should encourage lifestyles that depict sustainability. Consumer behavior researchers attribute a lot of importance to the factors that influence consumer behaviors especially among peer groups. According to Dobson (2007), consumer behavior that is oriented towards sustainable development by observing environmentalism lasts longer than consumer behavior motivated by financial incentives. The environmental policy in the United Kingdom is strategized for sustainable development. Harrison et al (2005) discusses some ethical practices by the consumer that may influen ce the seller or product. On the other hand, De Pelsmacker et al (2005) argue that there are some factors contributing towards reduced consumption of green products. These factors include lack of information among consumers and their increasing disbelief in green product campaigns. Apparently, the information given to the consumers is complex and sometimes conflicting, and this overwhelms them

Global Crimes Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Crimes Analysis - Research Paper Example As a result, there is comparison and contrast of the various international criminal justice systems especially on addressing the major global crimes and criminal issues. Addressing some major global crimes Gangs provide significant contribution to crime activities such as firearms transactions and violence, drug sales and use, home invasions, car theft, homicide, graffiti, and other related major crimes in the world (Muraskin & Roberts, 2009). To address these issues, Muraskin and Roberts exemplified four generic programs such as prevention, intervention, suppression, and comprehensive strategies. In the US and even the world, punishments integrated with the justice systems are the usual way on how society addressed global crimes (Muraskin & Roberts, 2009). Furthermore, according to Muraskin and Roberts, in the US justice system so as to address major crimes especially those associated with terroristic acts, policy to address them requires sophistication and resources. This means, th e US has to advance further especially within its justice system when it comes to addressing global crimes. In the case of US’s war on drugs, which has become global, some advocates believe that there is a need for policy improvement and development in the justice system (Waller, 2009). For instance, based on Waller’s book, since the number of incarcerated law offenders is in an upward spiral in the US, taking for instance the figure from 1980 to 2001 which is 1,300 percent, it has become one of the bases for legalization of possession or sale of marijuana, cocaine and opium. According to some experts as pointed out from the book of Waller, this should be a remarkable indication that the US justice system has eventually failed on its war on drugs, which at some point have resulted to social consequences. At this point, Waller presents some significant facts that it is important to understand that the only means US could promote effective implementation of its policy as sociated with its war on drugs is to encourage the entire world to have its stand to fight on illegal possession and use of prohibited drugs. However, it is not only on fight against drugs is active in its participation. In fact, the fight against terrorism is not just a main concern of the US and the essential proof of this is the emancipation of international standards in the detaining of suspects in the said country (Hakimi, 2009). On the other hand, European governments are against transnational organized crime particularly on smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons, and trafficking of firearms, which eventually lead to anti-political campaign for anti-trafficking interventions (Anderson & Andrijasevic, 2008). Although economic incentives are of primary importance in the organization of organized crime, non-economic nature associated with it such as cultural, social, and political issues are also remarkable prior to understanding and policing it (Arsovska & Kostakos, 2008) . There are many reasons why modern form of human slave in a form of sex trafficking and slave labor continue to persist today and these include debt as tool of manipulation, fraudulent practices which associate middle-men brokering across international boundaries, weak laws and weak enforcement of them, sponsorship laws in Persian Gulf States, lack of understanding of human

The Olympic Games Essay Example for Free

The Olympic Games Essay There were many factors that helped shape the Olympic Games from 1892 to 2002. Originally, Olympic Games were conducted in Ancient Greece in hopes of uniting its city-states Athens and Sparta and to promote peace through sports activity. When Olympic Games were resurrected in 1892, they had the same goal of promoting peace in the world. Over time factors such as nationalism, The Cold War, changes in global economy and a rise in feminism facilitated changes in the Olympic Games. However, a great additional document to add would be a personal letter from one of the German athletes or a bar graph before the world wars had taken place. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, World War I and World War II occurred followed by The Cold War. Countries entered the Olympic Games in hopes of finding peace through friendly competition, while leaving their individual problems behind. In document 1, Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic movement in 1892 thought, â€Å"Reduction of the chances of war helps promote peace†. This quote means that when the countries came together for friendly competition at the Olympic Games, wars weren’t taking place. Pierre de Coubertin also believed that the Olympics Games helped promote peace and as founder, he wanted everyone to feel a sense of unity within them. The author of document 6 shares the same belief. The Soviet Union committee believed that, â€Å"a consistent and peaceful foreign policy† had a dramatic influence on the 1980 Olympics. The Soviet Union/USSR believed this because in 1980 the pressure on Soviet Union to end the Cold War was increasing. By hosting Olympic Games in 1980, USSR was eager to show their will to come together with the world in a peaceful manner. Although Pierre de Coubertin and the Soviet Union Committee believed that the Olympic Games would help promote peace, some nations and countries just wanted to win out of pride and return home with glory. Nationalism is another factor that played part in shaping the Olympic Games. In document 3, Arnold Lunn, a British Olympic team official at the 1936 games believed, â€Å"The Nazis had to prove that they were the best at skiing† and that â€Å"Nazism is better than democracy. † However, because the 1936 games were held before World War II, it brought the conflict of various ideologies. Due to their belief in their supremacy, the German athletes were forced to cheat such as using closed course for practice. They just couldn’t afford to lose. Also, in document 4, Bob Matthias, a United States competitor from the 1952 games, expressed his point of view. Bob Matthias stated, â€Å"There were many pressures on the American athletes to defeat the Soviet team†¦ they were in real sense the enemy†. Because he was a USA competitor, it was the natural feeling of patriotism towards his country to feel this way towards the USSR, USA’s enemy. This also made the Olympic Games seem like a battle between countries, capitalist and communist ideologies, instead of a friendly competition between countries. In addition, document 10 expresses national pride. Ali Kabir, a sports writer for the newspaper Dawn states, â€Å"our team finished 2nd to India in the 1956 Olympics†¦ the current national team tarnished the country’s name†. Ali believed that the Pakistan’s men’s field hockey team won at the 1956 and the 1960 Olympics because they felt pride towards their country. He also believes that the current national team lost pride in their country, therefore they didn’t prevail. As you can see, documents 3, 4 and 10 show how nationalism affected the Olympic Games. Another factor that had major influence on the Olympic Games in addition to nationalism was the global economy. Many countries wanted to host the Olympics to attract visitors to their country and to demonstrate their power. The Olympic Games were also beneficial for the economy. Ryotaro Azuma, mayor of Tokyo and chairman of 1964 games committee stated, â€Å"Without the magic of the Olympics, we might not have gotten what we needed to rise as a world power†. Ryotaro believed this, because as a Mayor he saw firsthand the important role of tourism for the city of Tokyo, which has become one of the top economic cities in the world. Ryotaro Azuma also believed that the Olympic Games helped Tokyo achieve this economic success. Furthermore, document 7 was written from a Japanese economist stating his point of view. This person states, â€Å"Korea failed to display its industrial and economic power worldwide. † He believed that although Seoul was hosting the Olympics of 1988, they did not use the opportunity to benefit economically. He also believed that other countries such as Japan and USA dominant over South Korea on political, industrial and economic terms because they were actively sponsoring the Games. Yet another document, document 9, is a bar graph representing the amount of money spent for broadcasting different Olympic Games. Since it is clear that this amount increased by hundreds of millions from Game to Game, one could infer that the Olympic Games could be used by the host countries to â€Å"show off† through publicity and broadcasting and to also bring in huge revenues . Lastly, a major driving factor shaping the Olympic Games was the feminist movement. Document 2 is a picture of Sybil Newall, a British competitor in the 1908 games. At that time, only two percent of women were athletes. Sybil was one of the few women who was able to participate in the Olympic Games. In Document 8, a female Algerian athlete by the name Hassiba Boulmerka was greatly involved in the feminist movement. She participated in the 1992 games. Hassiba believed that all women were very capable of being athletes just as well as any other man even though at that time in her society women were turned down. She also believed women had potential; she wanted to see women rise up in the world and be equal to any man. Her belief materialized in the rate of participating female athletes, which grew to twenty-nine percent. This growth is ongoing as many more females participate in Olympic Games each year. Factors such as nationalism, a rise in feminism and the global economy allowed the Olympic Games movement to become what it is today. Today, the Olympics promote the importance of the feminist movement, importance of religious and national freedom and peaceful co-existence of various cultures. From Ancient Greece to modern day Olympic Games, the transformation is incredible!

Public communication Ethics Case studies Essay Example for Free

Public communication Ethics Case studies Essay The International Smart Tan is a global synergetic consortium that has been committed to promoting as well as researching on responsible skin care for people who develop sunburns and tans. It teaches on methods of minimizing the risks that are associated with too little or too much sunlight (Tanning, 2008). Ultra Violet Radiation has been widely recognized as being carcinogenic thus causing various types of skin cancer. Exposure during the early years during adolescence and childhood are crucial as far as risks of skin cancers are concerned. Traditionally the major source of UVR exposures in the tanning purposes have been rays from the sun though tanning equipments have now represented amplified importance to sources of exposure mostly to the young adults and adolescents. This exposure amplifies the risks of melanoma. Most of the suns scare activists profit through marketing the distorted sun abstinence message to the public. Therefore grassroots health is the main organization that is fully committed in offering education on Vitamin D through launching a global public health campaign in order to solve the epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency. Therefore it is imperative to discuss how potter’s model is applicable in this case study, the ethical theories behind it and how I would communicate my position as far as the case study is concerned. Constant changes in the public health and the society have forced most health professionals to engage into some new roles and develop new competencies. Public health practitioners ought to be trained in order to respond to such challenges. Porter’s model of pure competition implies on the fact that the risks rates ought to be constant across industries and firms (Strategic management, 2010). His framework model assumes that industries are usually influenced by some forces. These forces are rivalry, threat of substitutes, buyer power, supplier power and threat of entry. Smart Tanning in order to pursue some advantage over its rivals had to improve on their communication strategies. They emphasized on the importance of vitamin D and its sufficient risks. They also exploited relationships with the other counterparts like the public health practitioners. As far as the buyer power is concerned, the relationship that the public have with Smart Tanning is amplifying and almost to monopsony level. Also there is a concept of supplier power as Smart tanning has some relationships with the hospitals thus suppliers are concentrated. They also face barriers because of government regulations that prompt them to offer the right information in order to uplift right health communication on causes of skin cancers and how effectively it can be solved. Strategy in Smart Tanning can be formulated on business, functional and corporate level. The business level is the major context as far as industry rivalry is concerned thus focus, differentiation and cost leadership ought to be implemented in order to create a competitive advantage. The generic strategies will help Smart Tanning to leverage its main strengths and defend on the serious effects of the forces. Some of the ethical theories that can be applied are the moral theory, utilitarian, virtue theories and others. Smart tanning has applied the utilitarian theory as it has focused on making everybody concerned and mostly the consumers happy. It has demonstrated that they have high standards when it comes to consumer education, employee training as well as the public welfare against fighting skin cancer. The moral and virtue theory has been used on the grounds that the tanning association has come with moral strategies to make sure that the public is not affected but rather are being helped. It has amplified the comprehension of professional tanning that moderates ultra-violet exposures from outdoor and indoor tanning that does recognize the manageable risks as well as benefits that are associated with the ultraviolet exposures of the light. The other is rational theory as tanning industry is quite effective on teaching about the prevention of sunburn than those who are after promoting sun avoidance. My personal take on this case study is that tanning industry is imperative as it will help in reducing skin cancers. However, there is loss of perspective that there are other psychological and physiological benefits that are also associated with sunlight that needs more research and the fact that most risks bare manageable for all people who have got the aptitude of developing a tan and for most people benefits of sun exposure do outweigh most risks that are associated with being overexposed. Also to a large extent it is crucial as smart tanning means comprehending both risks and benefits of sunlight. B. Right to Know vs. Personal Privacy (Ch. 5, Case 19, the Controversial Patriot Act) Tensions between public information and personal privacy will undoubtedly never ebb. Privacy issues do revolve on the conflict between the right of the public to know about something and the citizens’ right to keep the information to themselves (Joseph. , Robert Lucinda, 2008, pp. 121). It is therefore crucial to give limelight to some of the controversies that emerged in the Patriot Act which most address on information sharing. The Patriot Act was initially designed in order to enhance the investigations on federal anti-terrorism. However, the opponents of the senate asserted that the changes in the Act have failed to sufficiently address on the concerns of civil liberties with the raise of provisions. Section 203 (b and d) allows for information from the criminals to be shared with the intelligence agents as well as other government’s bodies (NPR, 2010). However, the major controversy is that most critics believe that the unrestricted sharing might lead to development of intense databases on citizens who are not the main targets of crime. The supporters however assert that the provisions will enhance sharing of information within the intelligence community as well as the FBI. Section 206 (NPR, 2010) allows for the wire tap authorization in order to cover many devices and eliminates the need for court authorizations to a suspect’s PC, cell phone as well as blackberry. The critics affirm that the language in the Act might lead to violations of privacy to anybody who might come into contact with a suspect. On the other hand, the government asserts that roving wiretaps are needed in order to deal with the sophisticated technological terrorists. Section 215 allows for easy access of business records (NPR, 2010). However, the critics attack this provision saying that the law can be used to order for reading records of bookstore patrons or library. On the other hand, the supporters allege that the provision will allow the investigators in obtaining documents that are connected to terror. Section (213) allows for the sneak and peek warrants where critics aver that the provision allows for search even for minor crimes apart from the espionage and terror crimes. The supporters assert that this provision allows investigators to search houses of criminals. Porter’s five competitive forces model are to a large extent applicable in this case study. As far as entry of competitors is concerned, it is very difficult for the government to implement on the provisions and receive full support with the major controversies that are emerging in the sections of the provisions. The critics will easily continue to criticize the provisions as long as there are questionable loopholes that raise concerns on mistakes, misuse and invasion of privacy. The Patriot Act is also under threat of being substituted or implemented to another that fits every citizen if it not properly defined by the government. The bargaining power of the buyers who are public in this case is quite strong and it will be difficult for them to work together unless the provisions are changed to adapt to everybody’s preference and for the good of all. There is a strong competition and argument between the government supporters and the critics because of the barriers created by critics. One of the ethical theories that are in relation to this is the utilitarian theory which seeks the happiness of the majority. The provisions should be implemented in a way that suit everybody and brings happiness to the majority if not to all people. The controversial issues are immense as they touch on privacy concept that ought to be reinforced and respected. The other is consequentialist or teleological theory that views on what ought to be done determined by the consequences. The government should analyze on some of the effects of these provisions. The other is moral duty. Any act of rule is proper as long as it satisfies all the demands of the overriding or non consequentialist principles of morality. The deontology theory also stresses that any value of any action does lie in motives instead of the consequences. All these theories do apply the issue as the government should aim at maximizing happiness, acting morally, focus on the consequences of the actions as well as make their motives known to the public to create acceptance. As far as am concerned, under the guise of the Patriot Act and in the name of defending freedom and fighting terrorism, The Act is doing neither. It is suppressing the rights of the Americans to dissent as it gives the government power to go ahead and conduct some secret trials as well as executions. For all who seek in preserving the democracy in USA, it is vital to consider all people rationally. Defense on democracy starts at home and there ought to be realization of democracy and freedom which the Act is quite antithetical to all. Since the inception of the Act, it has been shrouded with controversies and it is fair to have a clear and closer look to the consequences of the Act. This is an Act that will abuse access of private information as no one is in a position to define what suspicious behavior constitutes. The Act is a mere unpatriotic way of limiting the civil rights, infringing on the free communication or speech, interfering with freedom and infringing the citizen’s privacy rights. C. Media Interests vs. Community Interests; Ch. 9, Case 39, Gatekeepers II: Opening the Door) The broad concept of public interest is quite familiar to most people and is usually considered as defense from media intrusion of people’s privacy under certain circumstances. Most things constitute the public interest in a vulnerable rather than what can be deemed as strong sense. Where something or an information might be seen to affect only one person, it might be in public interest incase the effect usually involves other principles that will have adverse effect on the population for example the abuse of power or a grave crime. The media do try to maximize and equalize their audiences thus livening stories which would in the long run overstep the regulation guidelines. It is therefore imperative to give some facts about Gate Keeper’s II: opening the door is concerned. This is a story about a protest and the Horowitz advertisement. It offers background on Horowitz advertisement and his main idea of running the advertisement in the college newspapers. It offers critically friendly view on the purpose of the advertisement. Horowitz happens to be a neoconservative journalist who attempted to go ahead and publish an advertisement entitled â€Å"ten reasons why reparations for slavery are a bad idea for black people and racist too†. Most college newspapers like Columbia and Harvard rejected the advertisement since the editors thought it was racist and offensive. The newspapers pointed out on the fact that they were not in any position to accept all advertisers who are in a position to buy an advertisement. Few newspapers ran the advertisement and only the University of Chicago ran the advertisement without much hostility (Anthony, 2001). Most people view the rejection of the advertisement as evidence of a politically correct censorship in the American campuses but others have aired concerns on freedom of expression in USA. Some of the ethical theories that Horowitz should have focused on are virtue and moral theories that entails of behaving ethically without attacking any race. He should have also focused on utilitarianism theory to make sure he writes something that will bring maximum happiness to the majority. In my view, the Horowitz argument and essay was quite offensive to some extent. This is not because it was racist but he doesn’t deny on the fact that slavery did occur or Africans who were enslaved were seriously wronged. He attempts to set an argument purportedly ascertain on which groups did benefit from the slavery and how they did. He contends that Blacks benefited from the slavery. His arguments are to a certain extent offensive as his contention that the blacks benefited from slavery reduces the slavery wrongs. Also the argument that the blacks would be better in America than they would be in Africa sounds almost like justifying the brutal kidnappings on grounds the victim’s children might end up in countries with high living standard. References Indoor tanning: Smart tan. 2008. Retrieved 23, Aug 2010 http://www. tanningtruth. com/index. php/indoor_tanning/ Porter’s five forces. 2010. Strategic management. Retrieved 23, Aug, 2010 http://www. quickmba. com/strategy/porter. shtml Sebok, Anthony. 2001. The Horowitz slavery AD controversy, and the problem with conceptualizing human rights violations as property based. Retrieved 23, Aug, 2010 http://writ. news. findlaw. com/sebok/20010326. html Straubhaar, Joseph. , LaRose, Robert Davenport, Lucinda. 2008. Media now: Understanding media, culture and technology. USA: Cengage Learning The Patriot Act : Key controversies. 2010. Retrieved, 23, Aug 2010 http://www. npr. org/news/specials/patriotact/patriotactdeal. html

Gendered Toys And The Perceptions Children And Young People Essay

Gendered Toys And The Perceptions Children And Young People Essay The focus of this research was gendered toys and the perceptions children and their parents hold about these types of toys, it aimed to investigate childrens reasoning about gendered toys and looked to establish if a link exists between the perceptions of parents and the toy preferences of children. Gendered toys can be described as being toys which are generally thought of as being suitable for one gender over the other, for example wheeled toys for males and dolls for females (Pleil and Williams, 2008; Francis, 2010). Throughout this research the term gender typical toys will be used to describe toys which are traditionally considered most appropriate for the sex choosing them, the term gender atypical is used to describe toys traditionally thought of as being suitable for a child of the opposite gender to the sex of the child selecting them. This subject is especially significant today, as it appears that the manufacturing and marketing of toys is more gender stereotyped now than previously; with the vast majority of toy stores having aisles, or even entire floors dedicated to a specific gender (Francis, 2010). Therefore, todays children are being exposed to gender stereotyped toys to a greater degree than their counterparts would have been in the past (Francis, 2010). Looking at research which sought parents experiences of what toys their children preferred has demonstrated that young children vary vastly when it comes to their choice of toys and that they have very clear opinions of what toys are most suited to each gender (Pleil and Williams, 2008). Furthermore, research has demonstrated that children develop mental schemas of objects, which are gender stereotyped from a very young age (Ruble, Martin and Berenbaum, 2006). The gender stereotypes and gender stereotypical behaviour that forms during early childhood are an interesting and important issue, as it has been established that these gender notions can influence a childs career choices as adults (Cherney and Dempsey, 2010; Francis, 2010). Furthermore, toy choice in itself is an important issue research has shown that toys teach children vital life skills, however, these skills vary depending on which gender the toy is stereotypically aimed at (Fagot and Leinbach, 1983; Francis, 2010). It ha s been argued that the toys stereotypically aimed each gender foster totally different social and cognitive skills, with boys toys developing problem-solving skills whilst girls toys develop nurturing and caring skills (Cherney and London, 2006; Francis, 2010). Therefore, the toys children play with, along with childrens gender stereotypical views of them are important and valid issues to research as the impact is long term and has implications in adulthood. There are several theoretical perspectives on how children come to acquire gender stereotypes and gendered behaviours. The social cognitive theory of gender development postulates that children learn gender norms and gendered behaviours through observing their environment and the people within it; children observe the behaviours of people in their environment and replicate them. Gendered behaviours are reinforced through the reward and punishment of behaviour, considered appropriate or inappropriate by others that the child experiences (Bussey and Bandura, 1999). Therefore, according to this standpoint the concept of gender and the acquisition of gendered behaviour is a socially constructed phenomenon. However, research conducted on Verve and Rhesus monkeys has established that young primates display the same gendered behaviours observed in their human counterparts (Alexander and Hines, 2002; Hassett, Siebert and Wallen 2008). This research suggests that gender stereotypical toy pref erences may be a reflection of the biological differences between males and females rather than being a direct result of socialisation (Pleil and Williams, 2008). Therefore, according to this standpoint gendered behaviour is as a result of biological differences between the sexes. Despite this evidence, suggesting that children may be biologically predisposed to being gender stereotypical in their toy preferences, this paper is underpinned by the hypothesis that childrens social interactions, especially with their parents, are influential on their perception and choice when it comes to toys. The overarching approach of this research was a case study, employing document analysis, questionnaire and interview techniques of data collection. The central research question for this study was How do children and their parents perceive and reason about gendered toys and what, if any, connection exists between these perceptions in relation to childrens toy preferences. Four aims were identified and addressed by formulating four research questions, in order to answer the central research question. These research questions were: What are childrens toy preferences and how, if at all, are these preferences interrelated to the gender of the child? How do children reason about their toy choice when deciding which toys they wish to play with? What are parental perceptions of the suitability of gendered toys? How, if at all, are parental perceptions of toys interlinked with toy choice and the reasoning behind toy choice, of children? Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Introduction This review will examine issues relating to the perspectives held by children and parents on gendered toys. Firstly it will examine childrens toy preferences, exploring the gender dimorphic nature, which research has uncovered regarding childrens toy choices. Then the review will then explore the reasoning behind childrens toy choices, parental perspectives on the suitability of toys in relation to gender and finally the influence of parents on childrens perspective and choice. 2.1: Childrens Toy Preferences and Gender It has been put forward that the vast majority of experiments designed to assess childrens toy preferences were not true reflections of what children would choose in real life (Down, 1983). Down (1983) argues that prior experiments were too restrictive, only offering a very limited choice between small selections of typically male or female toys, which rarely offered a gender neutral choice. In his own research Down assessed elementary school aged childrens toy preferences by utilising childrens letters to Santa Claus, allowing for an unrestricted, ecologically valid method of ascertaining childrens preferences in a real life, naturalistic way. Down found that many of the toys selected by the children were not traditionally gendered toys, rather they were toys which could be considered gender neutral; girls were found to be especially likely to request gender neutral toys whilst boys requested gender typical and gender neutral toys in equal measure. Nevertheless, Downs research also demonstrated that boys and girls both prefer gender typical toys over gender atypical toys, a notion which has been supported through the findings of subsequence research (Carter and Levy, 1988; Martin, Eisenbud and Rose, 1995; Cherney et al, 2003). Recent research which, like Downs work offered a holistic insight into childrens toy preferences, was conducted by Cherney and London (2006). The child participants in this study were asked to list their favourite toys, the participants were free to choose whatever toys they wished. Considerable differences were found in the favourite toys that were chosen based on the childs gender, replicating the previous finding of Down; both boys and girls preferred gender typical over gender atypical toys. They also discovered that whilst boys preferences became slightly more masculine as the child aged, that in contrast girls toy preference became less feminine with age. More recently it has been discovered that even the youngest children, infants aged between 3 and 8 months, appear to show a preference for gender typical toys. Alexander, Wilcox and Woods (2009) investigated whether infants display a preference for gender typical toys, this was ascertained using eye-tracking technology to measure the time the infants spent focused on either a truck or a doll. It was found that girl infants showed a preference for the doll, whilst the boy infants spent more time focused on the truck. The research of Alexander, Wilcox and Woods, supports the notion of a biological foundation for gendered preferences of toys. The notion of a biological underpinning for childrens gender-based preferences has been highlighted through research conducted with infant monkeys (Alexander and Hines, 2002; Hassett, Siebert and Wallen 2008), as these preferences are being observed at an age before it is commonly accepted that children have established gender identity and gender t ypical behaviour. However, it cannot be ignored that some of the research discussed above (Alexander and Hines, 2002; Hassett, Siebert and Wallen, 2008 and Alexander, Wilcox and Wood, 2009), is guilty of the very criticism put forward by Down (1983). These studies only offered the participants a choice between limited arrays of gendered toys with none offering participants a gender neutral option. Therefore, it could be argued that these studies do not demonstrate well-rounded picture of childrens toy preferences and therefore the validity of these findings could be called into question. Nevertheless, the findings of these studies, when considered alongside the more well-rounded research discussed above (Down, 1983; Cherney and London, 2006) clearly show that children, of both the human and primate variety, demonstrate a marked preference for gender typical over gender atypical toys, therefore providing a valid and important insight into childrens toy preference and the difference between the preferen ces of girls and boys. 2.2: Childrens Reasoning Regarding Toy Preference and Suitability Through previous research, several key factors have emerged that influence a childs reasoning about whom toys are suitable for. Several studies have found that childrens reasoning about who else would enjoy playing with a particular toy is often egocentric. It has been found that when a child likes a particular toy they often reason that other children of their own gender would also like the toy and conversely children of the opposite gender would not like it (Carter and Levy, 1988; Martin, Eisenbud and Rose, 1995; Cherney, Harper and Winter, 2006). These studies show that young children often used egocentric reasoning when thinking about what other children would like, they conclude that what they enjoy others of their own sex would also enjoy and those of the opposite sex would not. However, Martin, Eisenbud and Rose (1995) established that when toys are labelled as being for a certain gender, it is highly influential on childrens reasoning about who would enjoy that toy. They presented children with attractive, but unfamiliar toys and asked them to rate the toys appeal to themselves and other children, the results were concurrent with the previous research of Carter and Levy (1988), the childrens reasoning was egocentric; they concluded that what they liked other children of their gender would like. However, when they presented the children with another set of toys, applying gender labelling to them, they uncovered a very different reaction. The children used the gender labels to reason about their own and others preference for that toy, even with a very attractive toy, if it was labelled for the opposite gender the children were less favourable towards that toy and reasoned that other children of their own gender wouldnt like it either. Therefore, this researc h clearly demonstrates the power of gender labels to influence childrens reasoning and preferences when choosing what toys they themselves would enjoy as well as when considering what other children would enjoy. Another common influence on childrens gender-based reasoning uncovered by recent research conducted by Cherney and Dempsey (2010) is gender association; children would habitually reason that a toy was most suitable for a particular gender based on the gender of the toy itself. An example of this was when a swimming pool, a toy deemed to be gender neutral, was classified as being a girls toy because it featured Dora the Explorer whom is herself a girl. Furthermore, this research has also identified toy colour as being another factor which influences childrens reasoning and toy preferences. Using gender ambiguous and neutral toys, this research aimed to establish how young children classify toys with less notable gender typical features, finding that colour was commonly cited as a reason for the classification of toys by gender (Cherney and Dempsey, 2010). This finding could be due to the increasing trend seen in recent years for toy manufacturers to commonly market the same toy, which is often a gender neutral toy such as a camera, in gender typical colours. With the pink option being marketed at girls and the blue version marketed at boys. The studies outlined above demonstrate that childrens reasoning about toy preferences and suitability is influenced by a number of factors and is often egocentric. However the common thread running throughout all these studies is that outside influences, such a gender labels and colour greatly influences the toys children like. The personal, egocentric reasoning employed by children in the absence of outside influences, coupled with the change in childrens reasoning that comes with outside influences clearly shows that children are highly aware of societal and cultural norms and it would appear that, on the whole, children tend to conform to these gender norms when it comes to the toys they considered to be most appealing. 2.3: Parental Perceptions of Gendered Toys and Their Suitability During the late 1970s an observational study was conducted, which investigated how parents praise and punish childrens behaviour, it was found that the types of behaviours parents praise or punish differ for boys and girls. The study discovered that boys were punished when they played with gender atypical toys and praised when they played with gender typical toys, it also found that girls were punished for rough and tumble play (Fagot, 1978). Therefore, it would seem from this research that parents have clear views on what toys and play styles are suitable for either sex and that they actively discourage their children from engaging in play or using toys traditionally stereotyped as belonging to the opposite sex. This finding was supported by later research, investigating parental participation in childrens play (Roopnarine, 1986), which discovered parents most often participated when their children were playing with toys traditionally considered appropriate for their gender. Therefo re, these studies (Fagot, 1978; Roopnarine, 1986) suggest that parents, either directly through punishment or indirectly through their lack of participation, encourage their children to prefer gender typical toys and reject gender atypical ones. However, more recently a study conducted by Wood et al (2002) investigating parental views of gender stereotyped toys found that traditional gender categorisation of toys did not reflect the parents views on toy suitability. This study found that many toys traditionally considered to be either male or female, were categorised as being gender neutral by the parents. The physical features of the toys used in this study were controlled to limit factors, such as colour, from influencing gender categorisation. Therefore, the parents must have made their decision based on something outside of the physical features of the toys; the researchers believed this could be due to a shift in recent times of the typical gender role stereotypes (Wood et al, 2002). Nevertheless, this study discovered that parents believed gendered toys to be most desirable to the gender the toy is traditionally assigned to. This research also observed parents and children at play to ascertain which toys were utilised most often by each gender. While observing boys and parents typically masculine toys were played with the most, a finding consistent with previous studies however, when observing girls and parents there was more flexibility, playing with feminine and neutral toys equally which deviates from previous studies. Therefore the shift in how parents categorised toys uncovered by this research did not reflect in their real life play situations with their children (Wood et al, 2002). The findings of these studies (Fagot, 1978; Roopnarine, 1986) suggest that parents have differing views on what toys and activities are suitable for children based on their gender, and that they reinforce these views through their behaviour when interacting with their child. However, more recent findings (Wood et al, 2002) suggest that parents view of traditionally gender stereotyped toys is evolving and that modern parents are reinterpreting the traditional roles of gendered toys. Nevertheless, despite this shift in how parents are categorising childrens toys, Wood et al (2002) still found that parents believed stereotypically gendered toys to be most desirable to the gender typically associated to them, showing that there is still a gender division in children toys. 2.4: Parental Influence on Childrens Toy Choices and Reasoning It has been argued by Mischel (1966) that children learn gendered behaviours prior to realising that they belong to a particular gender, this occurs through a process of modelling and reinforcement by adults. Furthermore, as previously discussed the praise and punishment delivered by parents differs depending on the sex of the child, with girls and boys both being praised for gender typical behaviour and punished for gender atypical behaviour (Fagot, 1978). These two pieces of literature suggest that children learn gender labelling and gendered behaviours through the social interactions they experience in their early lives. This standpoint on childrens acquisition of gender labels and gendered behaviour is called social learning theory and opposes the cognitive-developmental theory of children acquisition of gendered behaviours as proposed by Kohlberg (1966). The cognitive-developmental theory argues that children develop an awareness of their own gender before developing an understa nding of the typical behaviour associated with each gender (Kohlberg, 1966). Through the lens of the social learning theorist gendered behaviours are viewed as being a precursor of the gender development process, whereas cognitive-developmental theorists sees gender development as being a causal factor in children acquiring gendered behaviours (Weinraub et al, 1984). Therefore from a social learning perspective parents, as young childrens primary socialiser, have a massive potential to influence the existence of gender behaviour in their child and therefore may influence the types of toys children choose to play with. Research conducted investigating young childrens gender identity, toy choices and family characteristics has found that parents do hold an influence over their childs toy choice (Weinraub et al, 1984). However, this influence was not universal for mothers and fathers. The study found that in the case of mothers it is their occupation, not their sex-typed personality traits, which affect childrens development of gender labelling and therefore their toy choices. On the other hand, the study found that in the case of fathers, sex-typed personality traits strongly influenced the development of gender labels in children, and their toy preferences, especially in the case of boys (Weinraub et al, 1984). However, another study conducted shortly after found that contrary to previous research suggesting fathers as being the primary force supporting the development of children learning gender labels, that mothers and fathers were equally involved (Roopnarine, 1986). The results of these studies (Weinraub et al, 1984; Roopnarine, 1986) demonstrate that parents, especially fathers of boys, can influence the gender labels that children develop, and in turn the choices children make about toys and support the hypothesis proposed by social-learning theorists. Chapter Three: Methodology 3.1: Research Methods The overarching research design of this research was that of the case study. This design was chosen as it enables real life participants to be examined in a real life situation, allowing for an in-depth insight into the phenomenon being investigated (Cohen et al, 2011). The phenomenon this research project examined was gendered toys; it investigated how children and their parents perceive and reason about such toys and aimed to establish whether there is a link between the perceptions of parents and the preferences of children. A further benefit of the case study approach is that it allows findings to be presented in a clear and concise manner, enabling the reader to have a clearer understanding of the ideas being presented (Cohen et al, 2011). Case studies have been defined as being the study of a single instance within a bounded system, for example a school, class, community (Adelman et al, 1980; Creswell, 1994 cited in Cohen et al, 2011). However, it has been put forward that such a tight definition is not an appropriate definition of the case study approach. Yin (2009) argues that the line between the phenomenon being investigated and the context where it is being investigating is not clear-cut; therefore it is important contextualise case studies by employing strategies such as rich descriptions and details. Nevertheless, this case study did investigate a phenomenon within a bounded system, focusing on families from within a community whose children all attend the same school. The case study approach was chosen for this research as the approach is particularly useful in establishing cause and effect, and the aim of this research was to establish if parental perceptions influence children choices. In addition, case stud ies allow the effects of a phenomenon to be observed within a real life perspective, allowing for a better understanding of how the context of a situation influences both cause and effect (Cohen et al, 2011). Case studies are excellent for providing both the researcher and the reader with an in-depth and rich understanding of the phenomenon being investigated. Nevertheless, as a case study is usually focused upon a fairly narrow line of inquiry, focused on a specific phenomenon or a single setting, it does have its limitations. A major, often cited limitation is the lack of generality; finding and conclusion drawn by a case study cannot be applied to a wider context than that within which it was conducted (Robert-Holmes, 2011). It is therefore of upmost importance that researchers conducting case studies do not attempt to make claims applying the knowledge obtained through a case study universally. This research employed three data collection methods within its case study research design, these were, questionnaires, documentary research and an interview. Three methods of data collection were employed in order to provide the study with triangulation. Triangulation is the process of employing two or more methods of data collection when researching an aspect of human behaviour, allowing the researcher to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the behaviour they are investigating (Cohen et al, 2011; Robert-Holmes, 2011). Triangulation is important as it provides the research with validity, which in turn makes the conclusions drawn by research more believable to the reader (Mukherji Albon, 2009). An overview of these methods and their benefits and limitations, will follow. Questionnaires can be a useful tool for gathering data for research as they quickly collect large quantities of data, and due to the standardised nature of the questionnaire the data collected is easily comparable (Willan, 2010; Robert-Holmes, 2011). However, it must be noted that questionnaire data lacks the depth and breadth of interview data, which offers a more in-depth insight of peoples thoughts, beliefs and attitudes (Robert-Holmes, 2011). Whilst questionnaires can be very useful, being easy to distribute and a comparatively cheap and quick method of collecting large quantities of data, they can prove problematic as getting responses back can often be challenging (Willan, 2010; Robert-Holmes, 2011). Furthermore, the formulation of a questionnaire can be difficult to get right requiring careful consideration; it is especially easy for questionnaires to lack clarity, be ambiguous and to be leading to its participants (Willan, 2010). Therefore, special consideration needs to be t aken to ensure the questions are formulated in a way to ensure the necessary data is collected, whilst making sure that the questionnaire itself is not overly long or complicated. An overly long or complex questionnaire can put off potential participants, which in turn may result in a low response rate which then effects the breadth of the data collected (Oppenheim, 1992; Foody, 1993). For this reason, the questions for this projects questionnaire were designed to be clear and concise furthermore, unnecessary questions were omitted from the questionnaire in an attempt to maximise participation. Documentary research can provide an insight into human social activity, briefly speaking a document can be describes as being a record of an event or a process, which is produced by an individual or group (Cohen et al, 2011). Documentary research can help researchers understand current practices; however through analysing historical documentation researchers can use this method to investigate how historical perceptions have influenced current thinking (Willan, 2010; Cohen et al, 2011). Documentary evidence can come in many different formats and is not merely the analysis of written documents, such as policy documents and letters; documentary evidence can be obtained from various multimedia sources such as radio, films and emails (Willan, 2010; Cohen et al, 2011). The documents analysed by this research were collages of favourite toys produced autonomously by the child participants; it was used to provide a current picture of the childrens toy preferences obtained with minimal adult i nfluence. However, documents do not provide information automatically, they require careful analysis and interpretation to reveal the information contained within them. Therefore, the worth of data obtained through documentary analysis is highly variable, depending on how able the person analysing it is to fully understanding its meaning (Cohen et al, 2011). The final method of data collection employed by this study was the semi-structured interview, employing the use of an interview guide which, while listing areas to be discussed was not a fixed, premeditated interview schedule as would be used in a structured interview (Robert-Holmes, 2011). The semi-structured technique was selected over the structured technique as it provides a good degree exploration whilst minimising the potential to wander from the intended area of discussion (Willan, 2010; Robert-Holmes, 2011). Semi-structured interviews centre firmly on the participant and their beliefs and opinions, rather than the researcher, which is the case in a structured interview; there is far more scope for the participant to influence the course the interview takes. When conducting a semi-structured interview the researcher acts as a facilitator encouraging the participants to vocalise their opinions about the matter being discussed (Robert-Holmes, 2011). The interviews for this study were conducted as a group in the childrens school environment, additionally the researcher was known to these children from their role as a volunteer in the class. These measures were taken to ensure that the children felt as comfortable as possible, as feeling intimidated or uncomfortable by the situation could potentially affect the success of the interview (Robert-Holmes, 2011). Furthermore, it was felt that building a good rapport with the children, through volunteering in their classroom before commencing the data collection was imperative. This was because children are generally not used to unfamiliar adults asking them about their thoughts, feelings or experiences, therefore good researcher-child relationships are fundamental for successfully interviewing children (Folque, 2010). 3.2: Ethical Considerations Before data collection commenced a letter explaining the aims and data collection methods of this research was presented to both the school and the parents of the children participating in the research. This was to ensure that all parties involved were aware of how and why the research was being conducted; a Criminal Records Bureau enhanced disclosure certificate was also shown to the school and made available for the parents to view to demonstrate that the research was being conducted by a suitable adult. Through giving participants transparent information on the aims and data collection methods of the research allowed the adult participants to give their informed consent to participate on the research. Parents were asked for their permission for the children to participate, additionally the children were briefed on their part in the research and it was made clear to all parties that their participation was in no way compulsory and that they were free to withdraw at any point. Copies of the letters sent to the school and parents, along with the ethical approval form for this research can be found in the appendices (See Appendix 2 and 3). Chapter Four: Results 4.1 Analysing Childrens Toy Collages Introduction In order to collect information about the toy preferences of the children participating the document analysis method of data collection was used, the documentary evidenced analysed was collages created by the children of their favourite toys. Full details of this method can be found in the methodology chapter of this research project (See 3.1). Aims The aim of using document analysis was to ascertain the childrens toy preferences in a naturalistic and unbiased way. It allowed the children to complete a collage of their favourite toys autonomously, with minimal outside influences. This information was required to determine to what extent, if at all, children prefer gender stereotypical toys. Procedures In total 31 families of Year 2 children at a West Midlands primary school were contacted with details the research and asked if they would be interested in participating. In total 10 families expressed an interest in taking part, giving a response rate of 32.2 %, 4 families were then selected to participate. The families selected were of white British background and from intact family units. These families were chosen because of the commonality of their backgrounds, in order to minimise variables due to ethnicity, culture and family dynamics. The sample group consisted of four children; 2 boys and 2 girls aged between 6 and 7years old. The children were provided with a toy catalogue, featuring a wide range of different types of toys. The children were also provided with a choice of coloured paper, scissors and glue. Adults were on hand to assist the children with cutting out and sticking if this was needed. The activity was child led but supervised by adults, this was to minimise adult influence on the childrens choices whilst ensuring the activity was safe. The activity was conducted in the childrens school environment, to ensure the children felt comfortable in order to minimise any negative effect on either the participants or the data collected (see 3.1). The children were told that they could browse through the catalogue, cut out the toys which they favoured and use them to make their collage. The children were also informed that if they could not find a toy they l

Post-traumatic stress disorder in Kuwait :: Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD

REPAIRING A NATION POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN KUWAIT THESIS: Studies made by experts found after the liberation of Kuwait following the Gulf War of 1991 that most children who were inside the country experienced undesirable emotions simultaneously which brought out more abnormal behaviors. INTRODUCTION In the oppressively hot summer of 1990 the second of August to be exact, people were sleeping peacefully in their homes. It was a Thursday morning and most Kuwaitis had left the country on holiday. No one ever suspected or believed that a neighboring country of the same religion would invade such a small innocent country. Most of the Kuwaiti citizens who were inside the country or outside were in shock. This Iraqi occupation that Kuwait suffered for seven months was dramatically experienced by both adults and children. They were exposed to such brutal atrocities as executing anyone who had a typewriter or a camera so that no one in the outside world would know how indecently they were treating a neighboring country. Plus any interference in Sadaam's military actions resulted in hundreds of patriots who fought bravely for the freedom of their country. The Iraqi soldiers tried to terrorize the Kuwaiti people by subjecting them to different types of torture techniques like raping virgin females and mothers in front of their children. Rape was practiced not only on females but young males too. Many Kuwaiti civilian men, women and children were taken from their homes and never returned to their families. There are still 625 Kuwaiti hostages in Iraq. This number means much to a small community where every family is related to a POW. The people who suffered less are those who lost their homes, money and other valuables. All those terrors of war have now caused what is called Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Second International Conference, Mental Health in the State of Kuwait). People suffered from this brutal and fateful period when the country was under occupation, either by being forced to start over from scratch or by working in a new job, building a new house. Many people fell into poverty. Also the thought that their country no longer existed during the invasion had a very difficult mental effect on the people. They could not believe the reality that their country was being occupied. This idea was especially traumatic for older people. The behaviors and emotions of Kuwaitis under such war-like circumstances are not new to psychology.

School Uniforms and Their Effect on Education Essay -- Argumentative P

School Uniforms and Their Effect on Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Going to public schools all my life, I heard the gossip of "fashion" and "whose wearing what,"pretty much everyday; at least in the four years of high school where it seemed that looks mattered the most. As people grow up, the way they present themselves becomes more and more important. Leaving a good mark in high school means a lot to some people, and some are ready to do whatever it takes to make that mark, whether it be putting someone down for their clothing or being an individual and not caring what others think of you or what your wearing. Having friends from middle school that branched out and went the alternative route; private schools, one of the first things that came back to me from them was how much easier it was to having a uniform to wear to school. Going to a school where uniforms are strictly enforced can help to create a better learning environment. Having uniforms would call for a lot less distraction in the classroom, there would be much more ti me for homework and there would not be as many problems concerning the wear of inappropriate clothing to take away from school time. A quote from the essay, â€Å"The Achievement of Desire,† by Richard Rodriguez fits particularly well in this essay. â€Å"Get all the education you can, with an education you can do anything.† This just doesn’t seem like the main idea to many kids anymore and I think that uniforms would help to bring that thought back into a lot of our heads. I know that the idea of wearing a uniform repulses many people, but when broken down, school uniforms really do seem like the way to go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If it was a requirement to wear a uniform to school, there would be many more kids paying attention in classes. Looking around the classroom at what other kids are wearing is a great way to make time fly by. If everyone was wearing the same things, then the distraction of different clothing would be eliminated. Many people worry that uniforms would take away the opportunity for kids to be who they are or who they want to be, but I feel as though wearing uniforms would simply force kids to show their individualism in ways outside of fashion and appearance. When looking at an Opinion Board on the internet I came across the idea that visually uniforms result in a more equal and adult treatment of students, eliminating any idea that one student i... ...yles and be up on fashion, does it really seem worth it to risk getting simply an "ok" education? Where are those priorities of school work and studying for a test when you are out shopping at the mall? In the end it really does make the most sense to simply suck up the idea of wearing the same thing as every other girl or boy at your school and leave with a better education, and a better sense of seeing people for what and who they really are; not what they are or aren’t wearing. Imagining the idea of a school that one does not have to worry about what kids will say about their outfits, about whether or not what they are wearing is appropriate for school grounds or getting to the mall after school to buy that new sweater they saw in the A&F catalogue (which means blowing off that tutoring secession they had to help raise their math grade), seems so far from reality and all that I knew in high school, yet at the same time seems like the ideal way to spend those four import ant years of high school, those four years in which all of your hard work pays off and gets you accepted into the number one college of your choice. That sounds like the perfect four years of high school to me.

Science in Shelleys Frankenstein :: Frankenstein Essays

Science in Shelley's Frankenstein    In Shelley's Frankenstein, it's interesting to use the text to ask the question, whose interest's lie at the heart of science?   Why is Victor Frankenstein motivated to plunge the questions that bringing life to inanimate matter can bring?   Victor Frankenstein's life was destroyed because of an obsession with the power to create life where none had been before.   The monster he created could be seen as a representation of all those who are wronged in the selfish name of science.   We can use Shelley's book to draw parallels in our modern society, and show that there is a danger in the impersonal relationship that science creates between the scientist and his work.   It seems to me that Shelley was saying that when science is done merely on the basis of discovery without thought to the affect that the experimentation can have, we risk endangering everything we hold dear.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When describing the monster he had created, Frankenstein says: No mortal could support the horror of that countenance.   A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch.   I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived. (Shelley, 235)    This was Victor's response to the reaching out of the monster towards Victor on the night of his creation.   Victor, who for months had worked on this creation, was suddenly confronted with the results of his scientific pursuit.   He had labored night and day in an effort to do something that had never been done by man before.   He had figured out the scientific way to bring life to that which was dead, so he blindly went forth and did it.   He never really stopped to think what the consequences of his action might be.   He knows that the creature he is making is ugly, but he never wonders what will happen to the creature after he is brought to life as a result of that ugliness.   The monster is made oversized so it's easier for Victor to work on him, yet no thought is taken about how the creature might feel about such a form.

On Course Journal Entry

Dick Gregory, The Memoir of Dick Gregory by. Dick Gregory, Slavery by Another Name by. Douglas A. Blackman, The Autobiography of Malcolm X by. Alex Haley, and Stolen Legacy just to name a few. I also watched documentaries; Hidden Colors 1-3 and Dark Girls. I also studied a couple museums, the most recent being the one in contribute of Martin Luther King and Accelerator Scott King in Atlanta. I talked amongst other individuals who were interested in the topic, as well. B. What do you do to learn the Information or skills needed to learn this? I read more than anything else.I was so intrigued by what I was reading and how it all was so connected to modern day society I just continued to read and make notes mostly. C. What did else do you do to learn this? I spoke to other people who were also interested In the topic and we all shared our new found knowledge to expand the wisdom we were digesting. I looked at some African pictures and old news articles. I also, consumed Information off the Internet. The more I learn the more I realize there is so much connected to present day activities. So, I still to this day study this topic. D.How often do you engage in learning this? I honestly engaged in this study every day. I have a whole collection of books pertaining to the subject, sometimes I think so many books so little time. E. When you engaged in learning this, how long did you usually spend? My studies were constant. I'm talking at least 6 to 7 hours out of the day usually. That was before school started of course, now it's more so 2 to 3 hours every other day. F. What feedback did you use to determine how well you learned this? When I enlightenment. They were quite fascinated with my learning in such short period of time.Some people didn't believe me, but those are the closed minded individuals who are content with what they were taught in the American education system about their ancestors Just being nothing more than slaves. G. How did you feel when you engaged in learning this? At first I was filled with anger and disappointment. Then, I found balance in it as I do in everything. Know I'm actually glad that they chose us. I feel so alive, empowered, conscious, and mindful now, the list can go on and on. Just so many emotions! So many volumes of life have taken over me that I have a totally new found perception.H. What are the rewards for learning this? There are an astonishing deal of rewards in regard to this lesson, including knowledge of self being my number 1 gain. I got closer to myself and my spirituality, discovered my destiny in the mist of it all by coming into visualization of what I want to do with my life. I can go on in a great abundance on what this topic has taught me and brought forth into my life. I can truly say I am grateful for the experience and I wish to enlighten others so they come into realization of who they are and what they mean to America. Part 3.By reading and writing about learning, I have relearned that if you want to know and/ or understand something it takes hard work and dedication. I will use this knowledge to maximize my learning in college by taking great pride in my work. When I stepped on the campus of Eastern Florida College to enroll I knew I was ready and by any means necessary I will stay motivated. I wish to understand everything that is being taught to me. I am a very active learner so a lot is already hitting home. I now when things do decide to get tough I will seek greater explanation of the topic.I was informed there are tutors. There are plenty of methods I can take to absorb information. My most dominant styles of learning are logical learning; I prefer using logic, reasoning, and systems. And Solitary(interpersonal) self-study learning. I also like sound such as aural learning sometimes to remember certain things. These are styles I use when I am working on school lessons. There are other styles I prefer when it comes to labor or something else. I enjoy writing t hings down a lot. I see theirs is a lot of work in college.I'm not sure if it's due to the classes being 8 weeks or f it's always like this, but it seems it can get a little intense if you're not organized or focused. I have a schedule around my lesson and I still find the time to get all of my work done with no distractions. So, honestly when it comes to learning I think it depends on the individual and how bad they want their education. I know what I am her for, I am willing to take every calculated step in order for me to absorb the information. And again, I am not interested in taking in information Just to take a test. I'm not here to regurgitate information!I'm trying to fully understand everything Hess teachers are supposed to be teaching me. â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world†. It sure didn't surprise me when we were asked, if we won the lottery would we still be interested in coming to college? Students were more interested in the illusion of having money. Fortunately, I am not motivated by money. I wish to make a difference in the world that's my motivation. Making a better society for my son and the other generations to come. I have great desire to touch every life around me, like Vive been doing since birth.

Egalitarian Companies Are More Innovative

Discuss the pros and cons of the following statement: â€Å"Egalitarian companies are more innovative. † An egalitarian company exists with equal human rights for all employees, regardless of social economic income, race, origin, gender, religious or political beliefs. Most people view egalitarian as fair as it creates a friendly working environment. an egalitarian work environment doesn’t depend on job descriptions and traditional management roles. This allows employees to function as a more inclusive work force. it promoted shared responsibilities among workers and promotes team work. An egalitarian work environment doesn’t depend on job description and traditional management roles to define employees and structure workforce. This allows employees in a company to exist without hierarchies and function as more inclusive workforce. Employees may feel more appreciated and contribute ideas to the company’s growth and overall direction and operational strategies. Pros. In organizations, hierarchy is more than just a human predisposition, it’s a practical necessity. The purpose of an organization is to mobilize diverse talents and abilities in order to produce goods and services. In the modern world, we have technology to multiply this output. We need to divide up tasks, match them with the right people (since not all people have equal skills), and then integrate them for customers. Somebody has to provide the direction to make this happen effectively at every stage and level. This is where the role of the supervisor, manager, team leader, or executive comes in. Without this guidance and decision function, we would have disorganization. There are many, companies that have long shown success through their structure. In certain market environments there need strict adherence to standards, requirements, policies, etc. ierarchies can help ensure top quality is always present. ie health facilities. Additionally, utilizing specialists or experts inside an organization or network, is natural. Not everyone can do everything. Boundaries can be more permeable so that people can share information, resources, and ideas to make the whole enterprise more successful. Making this happen is never easy, but it can’t be done at all without leaders who have the authority to break the ties between groups and individuals who have different visions of what should be done. There is no better way to do this than through traditional hierarchy. Along with that, it may not be cost, time or quality abiding to let everyone roam free without direction. The right blend and balance for any one particular organization will depend on the pace of change in the industry, the capabilities of the employees, and the resources available to take action. The need for leadership will always exist. There will always be a need for visionaries, people who can influence others, and people who can execute. Cons. While hierarchies were the favored form of organizing in the past, they should not be the key design in business. Hierarchies, characterized by tight controls, centralized decision-making, and clear-cut job descriptions, often alienate employees and promote an individualistic work mentality. Traditional management systems are increasingly a vanishing breed, no longer valuable or relevant in today’s increasingly human-capital-centric workplace. The lack of job descriptions, flatter organizations, and flexible approach would likely fit better for organizational environments that are new, immature, or very rapidly evolving. With a lightning fast pace of change, constraining job descriptions may hold individuals back from taking action. Leadership is vital in driving forward principles that can be acted upon. With visionary approaches that allow for empowered action, many great things can be achieved. Identify three organizations that you perceive as being innovative. Organization innovation is the successful implementation of creative ideas in an organization. The three organizations that I perceive as being innovative are; Facebook, Apple and Microsoft. All three companies have managed to be creative and sustain a competitive advantage. They have also maintained quality and form of their service and product overtime. Identify the innovation and its impact upon each organization. Facebook innovation has attracted billions of members to their site. They have a continuing innovation of interactive face book communication that has created patterns of innovation overtime. Facebook has created a market competitive advantage. Facebook has used distinctive competitiveness to sustain its innovation and avoid duplication by competitors. Face book have maintained an incremental change by having their members sign in for free and also by improving the Facebook performance as a dominant website. Facebook is a social networking service and website. As of January 2012, Facebook had more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join common-interest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics, and categorize their friends into lists such as â€Å"People from Work† or â€Å"Close Friends†. Face book innovation as attracted 7 billion user’s worldwide. It has also launched a Spanish version. Apple, one of the greatest innovators continue to launch new technology i. e. IPhones, iPods. Etc. over time Apple continues to create newer sustainable technology. Apple Inc. together with subsidiaries offers designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players; and sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content worldwide. Its products and services include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, the iOS and Mac OS X operating systems, iCloud, and various accessory and support offerings, as well as a range of consumer and professional software applications. As of September 24, 2011, the company had 357 retail stores, including 245 stores in the United States and 112 stores internationally. Apple Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California. Microsoft Corporation develops, licenses, and supports a range of software products and services for various computing devices worldwide. The company’s Windows & Windows Live Division segment offers PC operating system that primarily includes Windows 7 and Windows Vista operating systems; Windows live suite of applications and Web services; and Microsoft PC hardware products. Its Microsoft’s Server and Tools segment provides Windows Server operating systems, Windows Azure, Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Azure, Windows Intune, Windows Embedded, Visual Studio, Silverlight, system center products, Microsoft consulting services, and product support services. This segment also offers enterprise consulting services; and training and certification to developers and information technology professionals, as well as builds standalone and software development lifecycle tools for software architects, developers, testers, and project managers. The company provides online information and content through Bing, MSN portals, and adCenter, as well as Atlas online tools for advertisers. Its Microsoft Business Division segment offers Microsoft office; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft SharePoint; Microsoft Lync; Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM; and Microsoft Office Web Apps, as well as office 365, n online service, offering Microsoft Office, Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync. The company’s has created great inovative Entertainment and Devices Division segment provides Xbox 360 entertainment platform, which includes the Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment console, Kinect for Xbox 360, Xbox 360 video games, Xbox LIVE, and Xbox 360 accessories; Mediaroom, an Internet protocol television software; and Windows Phone that provide Microsoft Office and Xbox LIVE functionality. It markets and distributes its products and services through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as through online. Microsoft was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. (www. mocrosoft. com) William Chuck,(management) 2010 Custom Edition.