Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Stepping back from my company to become a full-time novelist

Stepping back from my company to become a full-time novelist Stepping Back From My Company To Become a Full-Time Mystery Novelist JD Shiner enjoyed a twenty-eight-year career in the world of wireless data communications and now writes full-time. He is an expert on developing technologies, fiber transmission, firearms, fast cars, and thriller fiction. In this guest post, JD talks about his decision to take a break from the world of telecommunications in order to become a full-time novelist, and shares his advice for other  writers looking to do the same.A goal to write a specific number of words every  dayAlthough I was not able to follow his regimen to the letter, I did take his advice and set myself up on a modified version of it. For instance, Stephen King  states that he likes to write 3,000 words per day. I only wish I could write that many! My goal was 1,000 words per day when I started. Some days I did more, some days less.Self-publishing manuscript #27Never give up. Read a lot. Write a lot. Writing full-time has been extremely challenging. It has also been extremely rewarding. The Caves of Corihor is available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback.Are you a full-time writer? Are you thinking of becoming one? What has the journey of deciding to devote yourself to your craft full-time been like?  Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for JD in the comments below.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Cape Lion Facts

Cape Lion Facts Name: Cape Lion; also known as Panthera leo melanochaitus Habitat: Plains of South Africa Historical Epoch: Late Pleistocene-Modern (500,000-100 years ago) Size and Weight: Up to seven feet long and 500 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Extensive mane; black-tipped ears    About the Cape Lion Of all the recently extinct offshoots of the modern lion- the European Lion (Panthera leo europaea), the Barbary Lion (Panthera leo leo), and the American Lion (Panthera leo atrox)- the Cape Lion (Panthera leo melanochaitus) may have the least claim to subspecies status. The last known adult specimen of this big-maned lion was shot in South Africa in 1858, and a juvenile was captured by an explorer a couple of decades later (it didnt survive long out of the wild). The trouble is, the various extant subspecies of lions have a tendency to interbreed and mix up their genes, so it may yet turn out that Cape Lions were an isolated tribe of Transvaal Lions, the remnants of which can still be found in South Africa. The Cape Lion has the dubious honor of being one of the few big cats to have been hunted, rather than harassed, into extinction: most individuals were shot and killed by European settlers, rather than slowly starving due to habitat loss or poaching of their accustomed prey. For a while, in the early 2000s, it seemed that the Cape Lion might be de-extincted: a zoo director from South Africa discovered a population of big-maned lions in Russias Novosibirsk Zoo, and announced plans to perform genome  testing and (if the results were positive for fragments of Cape Lion DNA) attempt to re-breed the Cape Lion back into existence. Unfortunately, the zoo director died in 2010 and the Novosibirsk Zoo closed a couple of years later, leaving these putative Cape Lion descendants in limbo.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Commercial Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Commercial Law - Research Paper Example On the other hand, there are cases in United Kingdom and Singapore that similarly dealt with your situation. In view to this, the following discussion will deal on these cases, and ostensible authority in the United Kingdom to further your knowledge on your current situation. Facts As an overview, Cheng-Han Tan cited that the agency relationship occurs when a principal allows an agent to represent itself, wherein the agent also agrees with the representation. There is a mutual agreement between the principal and the agent in the agency relationship, even in instances that either one disclaims or does not pronounce the mutual agreement. Also, the agent can be given authority, which is granted by the principal to enter within a contract with a third party. However, if the contract entered by the agent with the third party is not authorised by the principal, then the principal is not committed to the contract. Moreover, ostensible authority appears only in specific circumstances. Ostens ible authority comes in view when the agent surpasses the authority given by the principal, when the agent is no longer recognised as an agent of the principal, or when a person, never been recognised as the agent is then permitted to be the agent.1 In addition, Steyn LJ cited that ostensible authority or apparent authority is used in two main parts. ... However, in this case, Mr Pierce Hawthorne is not recognised as an agent but only as a Finance Manager of Blogon Breweries Pty Ltd. In this manner, we can cite the similarities of Mr Hawthorne to Chia in the Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (Publ), Singapore Branch v Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd and another appeal [2011] SGCA 22, where Chia was also a Finance Manager which has lesser authority when compared to the general manager. Also, Asia Breweries Limited (APBL) was a large corporation which has higher appointed officials. In the current case and the above statement may be supported with Armagas that ‘In the commonly encountered case, the ostensible authority is general in character, arising when the principal has placed the agent in a position, which in the outside world, is generally regarded as carrying authority to enter into transactions of the kind in question.3 In contrary to the First Energy (UK) Ltd v Hungarian International Bank, Ltd [1993] B.C.C. 53 3 (‘First Energy’), Mr Croft had negotiated and directly discussed with Mr Jamison who was the Senior Manager of Manchester office of HIB. He has ostensible authority because his position allowed him to ‘sanction large credit transactions together with another senior employee. Like many merchant banks and trading banks, HIB drew a distinction between internal authority to sanction a credit transaction and authority to sign a facility letter.’ As a support statement on the status of authority of Mr Hawthorne in the Blogon Breweries Pty Ltd, in the Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (Publ), Singapore Branch v Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd and another appeal [2011] SGCA 22, Chia as the Finance

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing - Assignment Example Westwood (2006) states that with innovation and marketing being driving force of most organizations, the brand manager does the following: †¢ Supports in driving innovation of new strategies of marketing in communication industries, †¢ Assists in leading the improvement of developing new products for the brand. Major duties in this role include new product ideation and exploratory, insight mining, presentation as well as development of results of marketing concept with senior management, developing packaging design, developing claims and interfacing with other departments of the organization throughout all stages of developing new products. †¢ The brand manager also partners with and motivates a wide-ranging cross-functional overall team of market R&D, research, finance, sales, package design, operations and engineering to enable breakthroughs along with game-changing advancement to the market. To accomplish this, the brand Manager requires highly motivated individuals with strong creative, analytical, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. †¢ Brand manager manages customer relations. With management of customer relations, he communicates with organizational customers during the many phases of the process of purchasing the products. †¢ The brand manager controls the marketing mix. Marketing mix entails all tangible fundamentals that enable marketing of products of the organization. These include organizational employees, facilities, the products themselves, the selling process, the cost strategy and process of advertising and promotion

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Dove, the Brand to Beat Essay Example for Free

Dove, the Brand to Beat Essay Dove is a brand under the many products of Unilever. It was in the 1890s when William Hesketh Lever, founder of Lever Bros popularized cleanliness and hygiene with his introduction of the Sunlight Soap in Victorian England. The Sunlight Soap led the advocacy â€Å"to make cleanliness commonplace; to lessen work for women; to foster health and contribute to personal attractiveness, that life ay be more enjoyable and rewarding for the people who use our products†. (www.dove.com) For three centuries, Unilever has proven its success over economic booms, depressions, world wars and the changing lifestyle of its consumers as the world advanced through technology. Dove is the leading skin care product since 1957. It is clinically proven and has been noted to be good for dry sensitive skin which half the women in the world has. And since the 1980s, Dove has launched more supporting products to the soap bar such as moisturizing body wash, deodorants, body lotions, facial cleansers, shampoos and conditioners. All of these products are aimed to solve skin needs comprehensively bringing out the true inner beauty of women. Dove is boasts of its number one in the race of cleansing brands with double-digit growth data. Sales in over 80 countries are over â‚ ¬2.5 billion a year. They estimate that over 1 billion showers are done using Dove products each year in the US alone. The success is due to the brands keeping of its clinically proven promises and understanding of its real market. Studies show that only 12 % of women are very satisfied with their physical attractiveness. 2% of women articulate themselves as beautiful. 68% knows that media almost always sets unrealistic standards of beauty and the 75% hopes that media would better itself in portraying diversity in women’s physical attractiveness that includes size, shape and age. â€Å"Dove is actively trying to address the root of the problem of negative self-image. Dove has founded the Dove Self-Esteem Fund, which funds programs to raise self-esteem in girls and young women. In the US, it’s working through the Unilever Foundation to sponsor a partnership with Girl Scouts, called uniquely ME! It also supports the BodyTalk education program for schools in the UK and Canada.† (www.dove.com) The Dove Self-Esteem Fund has come along way since consumers saw that water alone was not enough to clean oneself. American consumers of the new millennium are more demanding than ever and value minded. Dove consumers pay a higher price for Dove due to its after sales value. The target market of Dove are the people who can afford to put a premium for added market values compared to cheaper alternatives such as Ivory. â€Å"According to Soap, Cosmetics, Chemical Specialties, aging baby-boomers were looking for milder, less irritating products. Soaps using vegetable-based fats, with no animal fats or animal testing, were also in demand. Other popular items included loofahs, oatmeal products, and chamomile leaves. In general, customers demanded performance and value in all their soap, shampoo, and detergent products, which were the driving factors behind the soap and detergents industry at the turn of the century.† (Thompsons, 2006) All these added value makes Dove cost more than the average bath product. Value leaders attempt to offer the best product at the cheapest price. These products cannot compare on quality and in the short term, competes for the value of each dollar. Ivory products advertise themselves on the price pitch that does not happen to Dove products. Each Dove product commercial does not mention price. this kind of advertising strategy may increase Ivory income by selling more quantity but soaps such as Dove and Dial remain successful as well by selling more expensive and keeping loyal customers at lesser volumes. â€Å"The bar soap market, which had grown at an average rate of about 4.1 percent annually in the early 1980s, entered the 1990s with a growth rate of about 4.9 percent. Beauty bars comprised the fastest growing segment of the bar soap market, with sales increasing at a rate of about 7 percent per year. Later in the decade, however, bar soap began to lose some ground to shower gels. In 1998, bar soap sales grew only 1.5 percent in value and slipped 4.5 percent in unit terms, while shower gel sales increased dramatically. However, even with their 18.1 sales gain in 1998, the shower gel market, with total sales of $450 million, remained slightly less than a third the size of the bar soap market, which totaled $1.4 billion in value in 1998.† (Thompsons, 2006) Dove has been successful in its campaign to increase and sustain loyal consumers due to its steadfast supporting of its timeless belief in their original product. Compared to the rest of the competition, Dove remained the soap that held on to its ‘added moisture’ selling point. From that, Dove has evolved and widened its strategies in cornering a wider and global market. For one, it’s campaign-promoting self-esteem in women cuts above the rest. The ‘campaign for real beauty’ ad that models larger than average smiling women in white underwear has sent advertisers of other soaps amok. The message of this ad is a statement against the usual advertisers that project the beautiful woman with impossibly physical proportions. This strategy of using controversy for advertising worked so much for Dove. â€Å"The women in these photos appear to love who they are and the way their bodies look. Sue Ontiveros of the Chicago Sun-Times says, Its the joy on their faces that I really like. Theres just so much happiness in their smiles that I feel as if these women are saying this is the real me and I like her. Boy, is that rare and just the message Id like females to get and embrace. Just because your booty cant fit into a size four doesnt mean youre not sexy. The joy and confidence of the Dove models allows them to look sexy without having to wear seductive facial expressions.† (www.campaignforealbeuty.com) The challenge that lies on the Dove self-esteem campaigns is to make sure that they do not get caught playing two sides. A teener realizes that the big women ad was sporting big tight thighs. Dove was getting the most of this because their thigh-tightening product was being launched. A critic also realized that letting women with underwear pose on camera was still diminishing respect for women even if they were all size large. The most significant challenge that advertisers faced was fueled by the growing global concern of consumers over environmental issues. Consumers demanded that products like Dove have to be manufactured and marketed using ‘earth-friendly’ products and processes without sacrificing quality. Dove’s dishwashing liquid leads their earth-friendly products. Using the dishwashing liquid leaves the hands moisturized, the plates squeaky clean and the rivers unpolluted Another important strategy for Dove products to stay in the lead is using technology to further their market reach. The website of Dove and its dealers are well-made and very user friendly. Buying online is very convenient. Using the internet as part of the marketing efforts, Dove can ensure the existence of its loyal customers who pays more to buy Dove soap. The prices below gathered from the websites show comparisons in prices of different common leading bath soaps. Dove fits in the middle of the price war as it is appreciated by the market as the soap that has more value compared to the usual everyday common soaps such as Dial and Coast but not too expensive like the signature and specialty soaps like Cetaphil or Neutrogena. Price Comparisons Dove   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.08 Dial   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   0.99 Ivory   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.89 Cetaphil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4.09 Neutrogena   Ã‚  Ã‚   3.95 Coast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.20 Table 1. User ratings between Dove competitors Product name Pears Soap Imperial Leather Original Soap Palmolive Original Soap Bar Dove Extra Sensitive Cream Bar Lux Milk Honey Beauty Soap Oilatum Soap Bar Camay Classic- Toilet Soap Overall user rating: Recommended by 100% (13 Reviews) Recommended by 95% (19 Reviews) Recommended by 50% (6 Reviews) Recommended by 86% (28 Reviews) Recommended by 100% (1 Review) Recommended by 100% (2 Reviews) Recommended by 33% (3 Reviews) http://www.ciao.co.uk/product_comparison.php?Pid=1%2C10%2C10534%2C15372%2C5015455%2C5231365IDs%5B%5D=70462IDs%5B%5D=70445IDs%5B%5D=70457IDs%5B%5D=70440IDs%5B%5D=70450IDs%5B%5D=5628139IDs%5B%5D=70438Compare=Compare   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The table above shows user ratings from the ciao website. Recommendations between Dove competitors are tabulated. Though Dove Extra Sensitive Cream Bar had an 86% recommendation ratings, it had the most number of reviews totaling 28 as compared to Imperial leather Original Soap that seconded the list with 18 reviews, a far ten reviews short of Dove. This short sampling will show that there are more Dove users who connect to the internet as compared to the other products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dove moves forward in its goal to build a strategic global ‘master’ brand. Backed by Unilever’s expertise in product branding, Dove with its good quality material for hygiene and beauty preservation will continue to focus on making their brand lead by promoting the value of their brand as against the price of the soap.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Dove was an instant hit, generating $55 million in sales its first six months, per Information Resources Inc. This year, sales climbed to $79 million for the 52 weeks ended April 22. Doves current market share stands at 4.7%, equal that of Procter and Gambles Old Spice. PGs Secret brands still collectively dominate the $1.6 billion category, but have been losing share to Dove. Total Secret sales were $229 million as of April 22, down 8% from $248 million for the year ended Sept. 10, 2000, per IRI.† (Ward, 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have personally using Dove for the past ten years and have been more than twice tempted to try other brands. Though I did try out one or two other brands during such time, I always went back to using Dove because of its simplicity, truthfulness and mission to add social value to a common daily commodity. In a world where brand names are easily communicated with visuals only technology knows how far will go, Dove will remain as a trustworthy partner in my personal health care. References: U.S. Department of Commerce. U.S. Industry and Trade Out-look 99.   Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1999. U.S. Department of Commerce. U.S. Census Bureau. 1997 Economic Census. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1999. Van Arnum, Patricia. Consumer Product Majors Soak in a Renewed Outlook. Chemical Market Reporter, FR3-5. Ward, John. 2003. Does Market Share Really Apply to Apple? http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/2003/opinion/0306.html www.ciao.com www.dove.com www.answers.com Doves extension into deodorant is a prime example of Unilevers long-term strategy to build a set of global master brands with new products and heavy marketing support. The launch was backed by more than $30 million in media spending, a level usually reserved for new brands. Dove marketers also wanted to develop a product specifically for women. While a number of existing brands are gender neutral (Ban, Sure) or targeted to men (Brut, Right Guard, Old Spice), not since PG introduced decades-old Secret has a manufacturer captured the collective attention of the female audience. Preferred language style: English(U.S.) †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Dove Soap (brand I want researched on)†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Think about a product you love, that you use all the time. In this first part of the assignment, your goal is to uncover as much research about the brand and it competitors as possible. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨You`ll want to know the history of the brand, the characteristics of the people who buy/use the brand, and everything else possible about it. But don`t forget to look into the competition. What are they doing right? What are they doing wrong? 5 pages 4 sources History Characteristics of its market Competition status What they are doing right? What they are doing wrong?

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Physics of Soccer Essay -- Physics Research Papers Compare Football

Physics of Soccer I. Introduction Soccer is a sport that’s very challenging and during the course of this semester I’ve found physics can also be described as challenging. As far as I was concerned soccer and physics were both challenging and that was all they had in common, consequently upon researching them both this semester I found that I was wrong. For me this was nothing new because I’ve found that physics isn’t a subject that can be skimmed, but rather it has to be studied to the finest detail. Those small details if missed can make all your efforts worthless. Or on the positive side understanding those details can make your efforts worth it in the end. And in soccer if you understand the physics, which to most players would be considered as the small details, it pays off in the end. So really how does physics come into play with soccer? II. Motion and Soccer In our text we began our study of physics with motion because motion is a dominant characteristic of the Universe (Kirkpatrick, 21). In class we learned that speed is the distance traveled divided by the time taken, s=d/t. The definition of velocity is very close to that of speed except that direction of an object is also taken into account. Soccer is a sport that is all about motion and how to use movements most effectively. Speed and velocity are very important when it comes to motion because with out them there would be no motion. When playing soccer speed is essential to being a productive player. The game is fast paced and so the players must also be quick on their feet. Soccer players may not know that velocity is essential to being able to control their movements. But physics proves that both are essential to soccer. Speed and direction are b... ...volved. Soccer requires the use of physics principles such as motion, distance, momentum, angular momentum, friction, and all three of Newton’s Laws of motion. It is important to understand how physics works and affects us even when playing soccer. If players know how physics, the small details, affect them they will be able to control the ball and be efficient in calculating the speed and impact of an approaching opponent. Soccer is a challenging sport, but knowing how the physics around the game works makes improvement almost a guarantee. Works Cited Kirkpatrick, Larry D., Wheeler, Gerald F. Physic: A World View. Fourth ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001. Lange, Thomas L. â€Å"Soccer.† World Book Encyclopedia. 1996. â€Å"Physics of Soccer.† www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physicpages/po2001/Soccer/ Index.html. Kent School District. 1995-2003.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Hegemonic masculinity

Hegemonic masculinity refers to the culturally normative ideal behaviours of males. This concept is based on the assumption that there is a hierarchy of masculine behaviour, suggesting that most societies encourage men to exemplify a dominant version of masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity is competitive and reflects an inclination for males to pursue domination over other males and subordinate females. Contrary to feminism, anti-femininity demonstrates a male's strong aversion and fear of being attributed to feminine characteristics.Men's identity strategies are stablished through their complicit or resistant stance to prescribed dominant masculine styles. Masculine characters are not given. Rather, a range of possible styles and personae emerge from the gender regimes found in different cultures and periods of time. It is undeniable that the definition of a man is the same today as it was a decade ago. Among the possible ways of being masculine, some become winning style and it is th is with which men must engage.This manufactured image of the male projected the appearance of an educated man, the talented athlete, hardworking good family man, with the ability to always provide. This has become the standard definition of manhood. The workplace became the arena that allowed manhood to be tested and, proving to other males. It provided the space for which men could prove opposite characteristic of women, although women were one of many vehicles available to males for the purpose of exhibiting levels of success.Through the gender identity model, demonstrated by Christopher T. Kilmartin, this paper will view the different dimensions of male and female gender roles. Moreover, through the work of Ann Ferguson, the crucial interpretation of gender performance nd transgressive acts will be fundamental in identifying how hegemonic masculinity is identified as anti-femininity. In all societies the obvious biological difference between men and women is used as a Justificati on for forcing them into different social roles which limit and shape their attitudes and behavior.That is to say, no society is content with the natural difference of sex, but each insists on adding to it a cultural difference of gender. The simple physical facts therefore always become associated with complex psychological qualities. It is not enough for a man to be male; he also has to appear masculine. A woman, in addition to being female, must also be feminine. However, once the contrast between men and women has been increased and accentuated in this fashion, it is usually taken as a further manifestation of biological differences, which confirm the need for different social roles.Thus, from an early age, boys are helped to acquire a masculinity that allows them to assume and maintain that position. By the same token, girls are taught to cultivate a submissive femininity. The resulting difference in the male and female character is then described as inborn and used to defend t he existing power rrangement. Only those who accept it are normal, and only they can expect to succeed. The male social role is designed to reward masculine men, while the female social role offers its relative advantages only to feminine women.Gender identity is ultimately derived from both chromosomal makeup and physical appearance, but this does not mean that psychosocial influences are missing. Socialization, or the process whereby a child learns the norms and roles that society nas created tor his or her gender, plays a significant role in the establishment of her or his sense of emaleness or maleness. If a child learns she is a female and is raised as a female, the child believes she is female; if told he is a male and raised as a male, the child believes he is male.Beginning at birth, most parents treat their children according to the child's gender as determined by the appearance of their genitals. Parents even handle their baby girls less aggressively than their baby boys. Children quickly develop a clear understanding that they are either female or male, as well as a strong desire to adopt gender-appropriate mannerisms and behaviors. This normally occurs ithin two years, according to many authorities. In short, biology sets the stage, but children's interactions with the social environment actually determine the nature of gender identity. The gender identity model also carries the assumption that, ‘being like a woman' is a negative outcome in personality development† (Kilmartin, 39). Early psychoanalytic theorists were quick in assuming that poor motherhood was the primary drawback in a male child being overly feminine. Other Justifications point to an absent father who was away often or very distant from his children. The feminine male has been demonstrated as a scary unwanted image. A teenage boy is not supposed to cry during a romantic movie.If a young boy associates with too many feminine things, he may end up identifying more with wo men than with men. All females are not necessarily feminine and all males are not necessarily masculine. We are never provided with a definitive answer to what constitutes masculinity, but instead we are provided with details and examples of how an why masculinity cannot be reduced to the male body and its effects, asserting as well that dominant asculinity relies on alternate masculinities, such as female masculinity.Masculinity in this society inevitably conjures up notions of power, legitimacy and privilege, a fact which closely ties the idea of masculinity to conceptions of race gender, sexuality and class, yet this power is only recognizable in opposition where masculinity only become legible as masculinity only in certain social settings. Ann Ferguson highlights three strategies in which males display masculinity. Heterosexual power; â€Å"always marked as a male† (Ferguson, 81). This refers to the social theory that men ave unearned advantages or rights granted to them solely on the basis of their sex, but usually denied to women.In societies with male privilege, men are afforded social, economic, and political benefits because they are male. Second involves role reversal, which is described by Ferguson as the disruption of the normal direction of the flow of power. Girls are outperforming boys at every level of education; women are overtaking men in the workplace in both status and pay. More men are becoming househusbands. Girls are becoming more assertive and aggressive whilst boys are becoming more feminine. Females are graceful in becoming the dominant gender. Third, Ferguson identifies violence as a strategy in displaying masculinity.This displays the conflict between authority and masculinity. These masculine strategies reassert the notion that gender is a performance. Contrary to feminine behavior, males are at constant battle to upkeep the masculine image. C. J. Pascoe's representation of the anti-feminine male exemplified the anxiety mal es have of being labeled as feminine. She implied through her research that it is acceptable to be gay, under the conditions that you are masculine as well. Her rendition ot the tag discourse argues that labeling other's as a tag is central to boys' joking relationships.Joking about the â€Å"fag† both strengthens relationships among boys and soothes their social anxiety. The high school boys from Pascoe's study bond by throwing the fag nickname at one another where boys call their peers fag for a number of reasons, such as being incompetent, showing emotion, caring about appearances, dancing or expressing interest in other guys, all these trait subjective to the female identity. Another aspect of fag discourse is the enactment of the fag, in hich high school boys would act out exaggerated femininity or pretend to be sexually attracted to men.Through this behavior, boys reminded themselves and each other that at any moment they could become fags if they were not sufficiently masculine† (Pascoe, 60). The notion of compulsive heterosexuality is based on the idea that one's sexuality is not chosen, but rather forced through society. This term does not refer to a sexual orientation. Rather, it refers to a variety of behaviors, social interactions, and institutional structures. This is a good umbrella term for a lot of different physical, erbal, and emotional actions.Pascoe describes how male students exhibit compulsive heterosexuality verbally when referring to their sexual interests. It is all about â€Å"the ability to exercise mastery and dominance literally and figuratively over girls' bodies† (Pascoe, 78). Whether a boy is objectifying, privately or publicly, a woman's body directly at her or in the company of other men/boys, these are forms of compulsive heterosexuality. Pascoe examines how masculinity is present in not only in media, sexual practices, and desire but also in politics.This leads to how it also ffects economics and gender i nequality in both physical and emotion ways. It can be seen in television shows, clothing ads, or unequal pay wages between men and women. In terms of anti femininity, hegemonic masculinity is the display of behaviors opposite to those deemed feminine. A hegemonic male will allow himself to suppress feelings of emotion and vulnerability to qualify as a manly man. Through the works of Pascoe, Ferguson and Kilmartin we have understood that the social construction of a male is what defines hegemonic masculinity rather than biological features.The egemonic male is seen as anti-feminine because of the social pressures he is presented. A male's fear of being labeled as feminine is primary in defining hegemonic masculinity as anti-femininity. The competitive male who seeks dominance over others and especially females, demonstrates the strong aversion a male has over becoming a subordinate himself. Through Kilmartin's gender identity model, it was argued that being like a woman is negative in any way, shape or form. Ann Ferguson's three strategies argue that gender is a performance and one that must be up kept through constant displays of power.Pascoe's fag discourse and ompulsive heterosexuality concepts present the anti-feminine in males through name-calling and, again, displays of dominance.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Learning and Memory.An introduction to theories of learning Essay

Learning and Memory Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cleaning the room is the target behaviour in Bobby’s case. Mr. Kelly tries to keep on reminding his eight year old child to clean his room but it is always in vain. Since Mr. Kelly needs help in increasing the frequency of his child cleaning his room it could be assumed that bobby is trained and knows how to clean his room. The possible reason as to why he keeps on refraining from this task is however unclear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operant conditioning is a method of learning that incorporates acquisition of behaviour and facing the consequences of the behaviour. In this type of learning rewards are given to the learner either to encourage or discourage future repetition of the same behaviour (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). Operant conditioning can be used to encourage Bobby in cleaning up his room. Through the various components of operant conditioning Mr. Kelly can apply to encourage Bobby clean his room. Operant conditioning has two major concepts, reinforcement and punishment, which could be used in different ways to encourage bobby to clean his room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reinforcement involves using reward that would otherwise increase the chances of bobby cleaning his room more often. Mr. Kelly could use various rewards such as giving bobby time to watch T.V, buying little gifts that are issued each time bobby cleans his room. Such motivating factors will encourage bobby to clean up his room. Reinforcement is of two types, positive and negative reinforcement, both ways can be capitalised in changing the behaviour of bobby. In positive reinforcement for instance Mr. Kelly needs to look for items such as toys or bars of chocolate, preferably Mr. Kelly could choose some of the items bobby loves most and use them to reward bobby after cleaning the room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Continuous use of negative reinforcement over a long period of time would lead to Bobby developing an attitude towards cleaning his room. Thus positive reinforcement could be applied. For reinforcement to be effective both method should be used concurrently. Fixed ratio schedule and variable ratio schedules can be used to implement and encourage bobby to always clean the room. Fixed ratio schedule will always reward bobby after a number of times he has cleaned the room. This method will give immediate positive responses from bobby but would be consuming for Mr. Kelly. Variable ratio schedule would award bobby after irregular intervals of response from him. This can be very effective to reinforce Bobby to clean the room because the reinforcement can come all through the first week and make the reluctance of cleaning the house an extinct behaviour.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I will apply the operant conditioning to account for Jackie’s development of the behaviour of phobia towards dogs. This is because the operant conditioning shows or explains why the organisms will acquire learned behaviour that they exhibit. The vital focus of operant conditioning is by use of reinforcements as punishments or reward so as to increase or decrease the likelihood of occurrence or repetition of certain behaviour (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003). In the case of Jackie, she received a negative reinforcement from the dog bite and hence the phobia towards dogs development. Also the stitches and the time that she spent on medication made her develop the negative attitude towards dogs. This is because, in operant conditioning, it is clear that continued use of negative reinforcement will lead to the victim developing an attitude towards that object or behaviour.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the behaviour modification that could be designed to help Jackie to overturn the phobia that she has with dogs could be: Jackie could first of all spend time with her spouse with a company the trained dogs. This will help Jackie to see that dogs were not wild and they always do not bite any time you had an encounter with them. This will somehow help her reverse the phobia she had towards dogs and also help her see the positive side of the dogs. She should also be allowed to spend time with the trained dogs with the dogs being guided by the trainer to remain lively, obedient and helpful to Jackie. This will act as a positive reinforcement towards Jackie’s behaviour. She will slowly by slowly start liking dogs and hence they will have a happy life with her partner thereafter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are two main principles of operant conditioning that are evident in the case of Emma. First by the parents trying to offer Emma some kind of reward, they are trying to positively reinforce the behaviour of cleaning her room and toys through the principle of positive reinforcement. Also through putting her out, they are applying the principle of positive punishment by trying to add something bad so that she cannot repeat the same mistake.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operant conditioning theory could be applied in this case to correct Emma’s behaviour through application of the four main principles of operant conditioning. The parents could apply the principle of negative punishment which is to take something good away so as to decrease certain behaviour. Through application of this principle, they could cut away buying of toys to Emma so that she could be reinforced to clean the room. Also through negative reinforcement principle, which is taking something bad so as to reinforce behaviour could be applied by Emma’s parents. They could stop putting her in time any time that she cleans her room so that she can be reinforced to always clean her room and toys.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Extinction of behaviour in operant conditioning theory can be defined as the disappearance of previously learned behaviour if the behaviour is not reinforced (Hunt et al, 2008). As we have earlier said, reinforcement is the necessity for learning and in which certain behaviour grows. It is either a means to encourage or discourage certain behaviour (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). For instance, the Emma is conditioned to the behaviour that when she screams hard and through the toys away, her parents will collect them and clean them up for her. If the parents stopped this behaviour, Emma could not adopt this behaviour because it will lack reinforcement and slowly it will cease and become extinct. References Hunt, Elgin F. and Colander, David C. (2008). Social Science, An Introduction to the Study of Society. Olson, M. H. & Hergenhahn, B. R. (2013). An introduction to theories of learning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle; River, NJ: Pearson. Staddon, J. E. R., & Cerutti, D. T. (2003). Operant conditioning. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 115-44. Source document

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Jianqiao RRR 1 Essay

Jianqiao RRR 1 Essay Jianqiao RRR 1 Essay Jianqiao (Irons) Ye Christy Krumm AE 20C / Reading Responsible #1 Revision #1 19 November 2014 In the article â€Å"A Visit To Grandmother† which is written by William Melvin Kelley, the author writes that Mr. Charles Dunsford is jealous of his brother GL Dunsford when their mother is telling the anecdote which was about the horse, GL and herself. During dinner, he complains that his mother often loves GL more than him. The astonished old lady tries to justify her behavior by arguing â€Å"I did not love any one of you more than any other!† (166). However, Charles does not forgive her at all and rushes away. In this article, it is easy to tell that the only similarity between Charles and GL is that they lived together until Charles was fifteen. When they were living side by side, Charles found that his mother always spent much time with GL and paid little mind to him. Thus, he left for Knoxville. Thirty years later, while Charles is dining with his family, the old lady is still talking about the anecdote of GL and she even asks Charles â€Å"You remembered how t ired we were, Charles?† (165) The old lady remembers most of the times playing with GL but she totally forgets that Charles is not present until he says â€Å"I wasn’t here at the time† (165) and â€Å"I left here in June of that year† (165). Although Charles’ mother says that she loves all her children even though she may treat them differently, I think that she loves GL more than Charles because despite the fact that Charles is much more

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Standard English Definition and Examples

Standard English Definition and Examples Standard English is a controversial term for a form of the English language that is written and spoken by educated users. Abbreviation: SE. Also known as  Standard Written English (SWE). According to Tom McArthur in The Oxford Companion to the English Language (1992), the term Standard English resists easy definition but is used as if most educated people nonetheless know precisely what it refers to. Examples and Observations The term Standard English refers to both an actual variety of language and an idealized norm of English acceptable in many social situations. As a language variety, Standard English is the language used in most public discourse and in the regular operation of American social institutions. The news media, the government, the legal profession, and the teachers in our schools and universities all view Standard English as their proper mode of communication, primarily in expository and argumentative writing, but also in public speaking.Standard English is thus different from what is normally thought of as speech in that Standard English must be taught, whereas children learn to speak naturally without being taught.(The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin, 2005We need to know Standard English, but we need to know it critically, analytically, and in the context of language history. We also need to understand the regularity of non-standard variants. If w e approach good and bad grammar in this way, the study of language will be a liberating factor- not merely freeing learners from socially stigmatized usage by replacing that usage with new linguistic manners, but educating people in what language and linguistic manners are all about.(Edwin L. Battistella, Bad Language: Are Some Words Better Than Others? Oxford University Press, 2005 Tacit Conventions of Usage [T]he conventions of linguistic usage are tacit. The rules of standard English are not legislated by a tribunal but emerge as an implicit consensus within a virtual community of writers, readers, and editors. That consensus can change over time in a process as unplanned and uncontrollable as the vagaries of fashion. No official ever decided that respectable men and women were permitted to doff their hats and gloves in the 1960s or to get pierced and tattooed in the 1990s- nor could any authority with powers short of Mao Zedong have stopped these changes. In a similar manner, centuries of respectable writers have shrugged off long-forgotten edicts by self-appointed guardians of the language, from Jonathan Swift’s denunciation of banter, mob, and sham to Strunk and White’s disparaging of to personalize, to contact, and six people (as opposed to six persons).(Steven Pinker, False Fronts in the Language Wars. Slate, May 31, 2012 The Convenience of Standard English [Standard English is that] particular variety of English which is regarded by educated people as appropriate for most types of public  discourse, including most broadcasting, almost all publication, and virtually all conversation with anyone other than intimates... Standard English is not entirely uniform around the globe: for example, American users of standard English say the first floor and Ive just gotten a letter and write center and color, while British users say ground floor and Ive just got a letter and write centre and colour. But these regional differences are few in comparison with the very high degree of agreement about which forms should count as standard. Nevertheless, standard English, like all living languages, changes over time...It is important to realize that standard English is in no way intrinsically superior to any other variety of English: in particular, it is not more logical, more grammatical, or more expressive. It is, at the bottom, a convenience: the use of a single agreed standard form, learned by speakers everywhere, minimizes uncertainty, confusion, misunderstanding, and communicative difficulty generally.(R.L. Trask, Dictionary of English Grammar. Penguin, 2000 Origins of Standard English By far the most influential factor in the rise of  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Standard English was the importance of London as the capital of England...London English took as well as gave. It began as a Southern and ended as a Midland dialect. By the 15th century, there had come to prevail in the East Midlands a fairly uniform dialect, and the language of London agrees in all important respects with it. We can hardly doubt that the importance of the eastern counties...is largely responsible for this change. Even such Northern characteristics as are found in the standard speech seem to have entered by way of these counties. The history of Standard English is almost a history of London English. (Albert C. Baugh and Thomas Cable, A History of the English Language, 5th ed. Prentice Hall, 2002)Half-way through the 17th century, the lexicographer Thomas Blount declares that the Babel of the vernacular made England a self-stranger nation- one growing alien to itself through this diversity of available forms . He dedicates his dictionary of 1656 to the cause of having English Englished. Arguably, in this context, it is not the rise of a standard variety of language, but a new awareness of dialect and variability of discourse- the self-stranger English of the Renaissance- that best defines the linguistic culture of early modern England. (Paula Blank, The Babel of Renaissance English. The Oxford History of English, ed. by Lynda Mugglestone. Oxford University Press, 2006 Varieties of Standard English [T]here is no such thing (at present) as a Standard English which is not British or American or Australian, etc. There is no International Standard (yet), in the sense that publishers cannot currently aim at a standard which is not locally bound.(Gunnel Melchers and Philip Shaw, World Englishes: An Introduction. Arnold, 2003)

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Stereotypes and fantasies about the US South have been a major theme Essay

Stereotypes and fantasies about the US South have been a major theme in the development of US popular music - Essay Example The following analysis will seek to discuss and analyze the manner by which this particular song helps the listener to come to an appreciation and understanding of what the desire of the working-class black woman would be, a promotion and understanding of the idea that a greater self-determination was possible and therefore sees, an understanding and appreciation for a renewed emphasis upon feminism and a focus upon how the freedom and equality movement had grown from merely something that sought parity with whites to something that sought parity between the sexes. As such it is the hope of this author that this particular analysis can not only help to confirm some of statements with regards to the blues of the 1920s but also offer an alternative level of understanding with respect to the way in which this music was represented and presented within the particular time in question. The ultimate meaning and understanding that the song implies is with regards to a deadbeat husband who h as run off on his wife and lives a life on his own for over a year’s time. In returning, the woman of the house, exercising a degree of power and self determinism, recalled the way in which she answers the door and ultimately tells him to leave and not bother her anymore as she has started her own life. This is of course evident of a great degree of freedom, self empowerment, and self-determination that might not likely have been evidenced within another era. The songwriter recounts the way in which even though he asks for permission to come in and start a life together again, the woman refuses and states that she does not need his laundry, his rent, or his ones and twos (likely referring to any further children from this individual). In an era gone by, it would have been the requirement of the woman to wait for her husband, regardless of his indiscretions, and necessarily forgive these at such a time that he gained to reappear in her life. However, as was represented in this blues music of the 1920s, this working-class black woman was not willing to accept this as an alternative to the freedom and self-determination that she had already been experiencing within the past months. In addition to Hazel Carby’s understanding of the way in which the concerns and cares of the black working-class woman were represented within the blues of the 1920s, a very clear level of feminism and an understanding of greater freedom and equality was represented within songs such as â€Å"Sam Jones Blues†, the songwriter ultimately less the listener be aware of the fact that Mrs. Wilson not only refuses Sam Jones entry into her house, she has also learned how to leverage the legal system , filed and received proper divorce papers, and has her own employment; thereby making the existence of a man in her life ultimately superfluous (James 173). From the information that is thus far been provided, the reader can come to a clear understanding of the fact that the b lues of this particular era, as understood through the lens of â€Å"Sam Jones Blues† not only represented a shift away from the musical integration and utilization that had been leveraged in previous eras, it also dealt with a unique subject matter that was not formally discussed within songs prior to this era. Although infidelity and issues of adultery have long been topics of the human condition, and analysis of these from an empowered black woman’s perspective and the means through which she has the ability, will, money, and self