A Synopsis of the Movie Edward Scissorhands Essay

Edward Scissorhands (1990) tells us a story about an artificial man, Edward ‘Scissorhands’, who was made by a lonely inventor in his mansion atop a hill near a small town. Long after his inventor’s death, Edward is brought into society by Meg, a local resident and encounters many new and interesting things as he attempts to belong in civilization. The text explores concepts of belonging to groups or communities and a sense of belonging in relationships shown by Edward’s endless struggle to find clarity and purpose. A sense of isolation can come from one’s difference to others, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual. Edward’s hands made out of sharp scissors are iconic of his separation from the rest of society. They create a physical barrier between him and others which greatly limits the amount of physical contact Edward can have with others and the rest of the world and in turn creates a sense of isolation. This is carefully and noticea bly communicated by Burton through the use of colour and contrast. Specifically, Edwards initial costume is completely black leather, decorated with metal studs and rings. His hair is jet black and very messy and his face is pale white. This along with Edward’s mansion, a dark place riddled with cobwebs and falling apart, so far away from society, juxtaposes fantastically with the bright and vibrant colours of the town, the houses and the clothes and outfits of the townspeople. He in fact only finds a sense of belonging when he is shown kindness and outreach by Meg. She gives him clothes to wear, which although do not seem to break his theme of darkness and dullness, do still symbolise his inclusion and belonging in their society. She also offers him purpose, letting him use his scissors to trim her garden hedges and in doing this, she turns what Edward, among others, fears to be tools of destruction into tools of creativity and resultantly breaches the barrier between Edward and the world. This gives him a sense of belonging within Meg’s family and the rest of the community. A sense of belonging can also be achieved though relationships with others. Edward finds love when he first lays eyes on Kim, Meg’s daughter. At first she is quite intimidated by Edward and does not quite feel as if he belongs there but she gradually warms to him as everyone else does and shows him deserved kindness, making him feel as if he does belong. However this feeling of connection is eventually lost when Edward is falsely accused by Joyce of sexual harassment and framed for robbery due to his innocence and loyalty to Kim; â€Å"(I did it) because you asked me to.† He is driven out of town after further misunderstandings in which he accidentally hurts few people and it becomes clear that he can’t quite belong their because of the sole fact that the vast majority of the townspeople can’t seems to understand him. His escape from the town and its community is symbolised by Edward tearing off his clothes to reveal his original apparel. Burton uses a motif in the film; the falling of snow-like ice shards as Edward makes ice sculptures with his Scissorhands. This is used to symbolise both Edward’s connection with Kim and his final state and residence in the film. In a key scene, Kim dances under the falling ‘snow’ and this is basically the exact moment she falls for Edward. When he is driven away, he spends his time making sculptures and this has the effect of making snow over the town. Kim as a grandmother tells us â€Å"Before he came down here, it never snowed and after, it did.† The snow is metaphoric of the lack of warmth in his life, as he longs for Kim’s love. Edward’s journey of belonging is full of changes. Through his experiences we can learn and see that one can attempt to belong somewhere, whether they seem to belong there naturally or not but they may not truly succeed.

School Uniforms Debate

The utilization of school uniforms is a subject of sizzling debate among parents and school authorities since long. Some dispute the advantages of school uniforms, while others consider that the shortcomings are far more abundant. In our contemporary world, children have become much more conscious of their clothes and appearance. This basically echoes our contemporary ideals and the concentration of adults in garments. Kids can, nonetheless, without some of the reasonable influences that come with age and understanding, become much more fanatical with clothes and latest fashion trends.Children who come to school in old-fashioned attire can be mocked at, become a laughing stock or even tormented. The expense of those clothing and clashes connected with them leads many schools and parents to review the school uniform. Parents' Stance Few countries, on the other hand, are starting to overturn the decline in uniform usage. While schools in other countries are starting to pioneer uniforms for the first time. This is very contradictory topic, as elder students normally condemn the concept of uniform.Some parents also see an obligatory uniform as pushy and a violation of their fundamental liberty. Students' Stance Many students believe they lose their individuality when it is mandatory for everyone to wear the same clothing to schools. Others think a school uniform brings equality amongst students. Many teachers and school authorities consider a school uniform or a uniform dress code as a way to inculcate a sense of regulation in the classes as well as an environment of education and learning. So, what is your stance regarding the uniform debate?Here are some pros and cons to help get you started! Reasons in Favor of Wearing School Uniforms It takes away the feeling of envy between peers. It helps decrease obedience trouble. A uniform assists the students achieve academically better. Students focus more on their education rather than on deciding what to wear. Besides eliminating distraction, uniforms force students to take school atmosphere more critically. Kids tend to be misapprehended and mocked by peers due to the type of garments they might wear. Consequently, uniforms decrease social clashes and violence in the schools.One of the most insightful advantages of having schools uniforms is that they are extremely cost effectual and alleviate the parents from the trouble of purchasing trendy and costly garments frequently. Reasons Against Wearing School Uniforms It subtracts students' liberty to take decisions. It doesn't let students feel distinctive and unique. School uniforms hinder the need for the self expression of a kid. Sociologists claim that it may cause unsuitable ways of expression by kids, such as offensive usage of makeup and jewelry.Uniforms take away children's identity. The pressure on a uniform dress code in school counters the spirit of unity in diversity and its merriment. It is even believed to confine socialization, an imp erative feature of human nature. In contrast to civil dress, school uniforms prove to be ineffectual and futile once the kid is out of school. Another bad consequence of school uniform is that it denies the children the ease, which one feels on wearing different kinds of garments, as per personal preference.This uneasiness might unfavorably reflect upon the academic performance of the kid. Do uniforms breach liberty of expression prospects? We believe that this dispute is quite frail. Students are liberated to dress as they and their parents decide during extracurricular hours. They also need to understand that dress codes and uniforms are an authenticity of a place of work in the grown-up world including in professional offices, delivery services, and retail and food stores, administration offices and so on.Since many years parents, teachers, school authorities, and students have squabbled over the pros, cons, and advantages of school uniform policies. A socially connected pro is t hat it places everyone on a rank ground in connection to socioeconomic grade. When kids get their preference of school clothing based on how much wealth their parents make, it causes self-esteem concerns. If all kids have to wear the identical outfit in school then it's not as evident as to whose family can have enough money to afford Mango and who can only pay for cheap stuff from Wal-Mart.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Irrational Nature of Love

â€Å"Love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit,this quote from the Merchant of Venice describes the four lovers' dilemmas in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Nevertheless, in A Midsummer Night's Dream this statement not only applies to the true love between original couples Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, but also the æ  »alse love between Titania and Bottom and Lysander and Helena. As the story progresses in the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, it becomes increasingly obvious that not only is love irrational, it is a catalyst for disorder, and in the end, love may turn out to be only a fanciful illusion.There is a fine line between love and mania. Though many of the characters' actions indicate that they lean toward mania, the play ultimately ends with a happy ending for the characters, as well as a presumably happy marriage. Nevertheless, if what those characters felt was love, then love is an unhealthy obsession. Helena's obsession with Demetrius might be the most obvious example. In Act II scene i lines 203-10 Helena reveals her feelings towards Demetrius with this soliloquy: I am your spaniel; and DemetriusThe more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love, — And yet a place of high respect with me, — Than to be used as you use your dog?(2.1.203-10)Rather than a confession of love, this speech seems more like the pleading from a frequent victim of domestic abuse who is begging her partner to come back to her. Demoting oneself to a dog, welcoming abuse and neglect and enjoying every moment of this treatment is definitely not what is considered to be the norm, even when it's love.After Helena's madness there is Titania, the Fairy Queen, who falls in love with a commoner named Nick Bottom who has the head of an ass. Forgetting her social status, reput ation and pride, Titania becomes completely smitten with Bottom and orders her servants to attend on him. However Bottom, though he does enjoy the various benefits that comes with being the lover of the Fairy Queen, never has any choice in the matter.After Titania first met Bottom she says: ?ut of this wood do not desire to go: Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no. 3. 1. 152-53) In most cases, when attempting to win the affections of another person, one would usually refrain from abusing one's position of power and force the other person into staying with them for presumably the rest of their lives. However, Titania is so in love with Bottom that she cannot be concerned with sentiments of common sense and her partner's wellbeing, which inadvertently makes her love irrational.Finally there is Demetrius whose obsession with Hermia caused him to abandon his current relationship, which caused his former lover, Helena, to become an emotional wreck, and subsequently sour the rel ationship between Hermia and Lysander. One can notice from the examples from above that of all the crazy self-destructive and/or selfish acts committed in the name of love, non of them have started with the purpose of making either recipient or benefactor of that act happy.Instead it was only done for love and that alone is its purpose and cause. As love is the motivation behind most, if not all, of the characters' actions it is more than likely that love is the direct or indirect cause of all of the chaos and bedlam in the play. First there is Demetrius who broke off a presumably happy and stable relationship with Helena to pursue Hermia, as proven by the quote spoken by Helena: or ere Demetrius look'd upon Hermia's eyne, he hail'd down oaths that he was only mine1. 1.242-43)Not only did Demetrius ruin his own relationship with Helena, he also used his connection with Egeus, Hermia's father, to separate Lysander and Hermia, putting their love in danger of falling apart as well. In an attempt to preserve their love, Lysander and Hermia decide to elope and escape ?he peril of the Athenian law4. 1. 153) Before leaving, they reveal their plans to the lonely and unloved Helena, who desperately craves Demetrius' love and approval and betrays her friends' trust and tells Demetrius of the lovers flight.In order to be with or to pursue their beloveds all four lovers left behind the order of Athens and escaped into the magical forest. After falling prey to Puck's antics the lover's relationships with each other are tore apart. Though it was ?rue lovethat had caused the lover's to go against order it was also the only thing that is keeping the lovers' from descending into chaos and disorder themselves. However, when that ?rue loveis replaced with the ?alse loveproduced by magical flower, whatever fragile bond that is holding the lovers together falls apart immediately.Ironically it is love that has ruined the four lovers' relationships with each other. Though there is a happy ending for the four lovers' in A Midsummer Night's Dream, there is a possibility that the love between the lovers is not real and their marriages would end horribly. Though Demetrius did have a past fling with Helena, what caused him to desire Helena's hand in marriage near the end of the play may not necessarily be the rekindling of that old flame, but rather the effect of the magical flower.It is also important to remember that a few scenes ago Helena had also rejected Demetrius proclamations of love despite of what she said at the beginning of the play. This further proves that Helena's love for Demetrius is merely obsession. Helena pursues Demetrius due to her memories of their past relationship, however as those memories age, Helena subconsciously begins to distort them. In order to justify her relentless and most likely futile attempts to win Demetrius' love, Helena's memories take on a more rose-coloured hue.It is very likely that Demetrius' biggest selling point was t hat he was ?ard to get However, when Demetrius begins to reciprocate he lost his only asset, and Helena is both shocked and repulsed. Managing to convince herself that it was all a joke played to mock her, Helena is able to continue her elaborate fantasy. But, when it turns out that Demetrius was actually in love with Helena and wishes to marry her, Helena, due her previous actions, is forced to accept his proposal, lest she desires to appear fickle and shallow.Lysander and Hermia would be considered to be the most traditional pair of lovers in the entire play. However, that all changed when Lysander betrays Hermia and falls in love with Helena. Forgetting his vows and the reason he even came into the forest in the first place, Lysander, along with Demetrius, becomes blind with passion and lust towards Helena and aggression towards each other. Finally there is Titania and Bottom whose love is only possible with the power of the magical flower, as shown by Titania's line: ?ow came th ese things to pass? O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now! (4. 1.78-79)Without the aid of the fairies it would've been very likely that the four lover's would stay in the forest lost and loveless forever. With every example of love in the play being a form of ?alse love A Midsummer Night's Dream could not be considered as a romantic-comedy but rather social commentary on the irrational and self-destructive nature of love. With their inane deeds done in the name of love the four lovers doomed themselves to an unhappy marriage. Much like Theseus and Hippolyta union for the peace and prosperity of their respective nations, the lovers' marriage ends up being done out necessity rather than love.

Personal Trainer's Talents Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Trainer's Talents - Research Paper Example Personal training has different disciplines. Examples are; baby massage instructor, meditation, circuit training, rugby coach and many others. These disciplines of choice require different training facilities. The job outlook of a personal trainer has to it that there is a high probability that job opportunities will be quite conducive as from now to the coming years. Many people have decided to live healthier lifestyles due to different kinds of health problems. Hence, the need for personal trainers has become so adequate in many people’s lives. There has been a noted reduction of school physical education programs hence, personal trainers are needed to keep the physic of the children conditioned and make them live healthy lives. The salary of a personal trainer roughly ranges from a low of $26,000 to a high of $50,000 annually. This is not fixed as some personal trainers earn more. One’s level of education is also related to one’s pay. For example, a diploma holder will earn less compared to a degree holder. The place where one works will also affect one's salary. Franchise health clubs and universities offer the lowest pay estimated at $13 per hour which will rate about $26,000 annually, federal and state government $20 per hour which amounts to $40,000 annually. This includes working in prisons and parks. Private companies offer $25 per hour, which totals up to an estimated $50,000 annually. Lastly, private trainers happen to receive the highest pay of an estimated $50 per hour. This is achieved through working hard enough to get one's own client list. The skills needed for one to be a personal trainer include a good level of physical fitness, an outgoing personality, a good background in fitness activities and good communication skills. In terms of educational requirements, most employers prefer one who is a holder of a bachelor’s degree or certified. One is advised to register in a package that contains coursework in different areas, which are sports nutrition, first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), athletic performance and client fitness assessment. It is important for one to be certified after having completed the training program.

The Job-Creating Power of Entrepreneurship Essay

The Job-Creating Power of Entrepreneurship - Essay Example The term entrepreneurship has been derived from the French word that signifies between-taker or go-between. (Hisrich et al, 2004:6) In popular parlance, entrepreneurship signifies the commencement of one’s personal business independently, generally at small or medium level, where the professional, technical, clerical and other staff members are hired and assigned different responsibilities to perform as the part of entrepreneurship. Hence, it enjoys an imperative place in the creation of job and indirectly supporting the government to eradicate joblessness and unemployment from the society. An entrepreneurship plays vital part in respect of job creation in the business environment. It is not possible for public sector to fill the gap of unemployment by offering jobs to even a small proportion. It is therefore, the private businesses devise their strategic schemes, allocate their funds and resources, make investment of both time and money and take great risks to provide the customers and consumers with multiple range of products and services in an innovative way according to their growing needs and requirements. Entrepreneurship is the process of initiating a new venture, organizing the resources it requires, and assuming the risks it entails. (Kuehl & Lambing, 1990:26) In the same way, they adopt such policies, during the course of their adventures, which could be beneficial for the generation of various kinds of jobs for the qualified and talented people. Entrepreneurship has brought significant alterations for the betterment of both the economy and the contemporary society. Since the demand for services continues to grow, entrepreneurship continues to innovate in order to meet the unfulfilled needs of the consumers on the one hand, and satisfy their growing requirements on the other. Bovee et al, 1993:370) Schumpeter considers

Political and Geography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political and Geography - Research Paper Example The United Nations actively promotes global peace and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (Basu 10). The Body has negotiated peaceful settlements that have ended numerous regional conflicts. This is evidenced by the border demarcations especially in Serbia, Yugoslavia and numerous Asian countries (Basu 68). The body has safeguarded human rights through several declarations and covenants that aim at ensuring protection of universal human rights. In this regard, the Human rights Commission advocates for the rights of women, children, minorities, immigrants and refugees (Basu 99). United Nation bodies, institutions, and agencies such as Economic and Social Council, World Health Organization, and United National Development Program have facilitated economic and social development of the member countries. Financial entities under the UN have facilitated international trade, foreign direct investments and transfer of technology among various countries in the world. United Nations has faci litated several peace keeping missions in African countries such as Burundi, Eritrea and Congo with the aim of ensuring peace (Basu 123). On the other hand, United Nations has suffered several criticisms and challenges. The body has encountered the problem of poor funding and control by the developed nations (Basu 221). The body is accused of being undemocratic since its has not taken actions against Israel which has continued taking unilateral actions against the neighboring countries. Accordingly, the body has lost credibility among African nations (Basu 228). The dependence on industrialized countries for financial support has hindered impartial decision-making of the United Nations Security Council. The Body failed in resolving the Cuban missiles, Iraq nuclear issue and terrorism issues. The Body is accused of failing to implement consensus in policies of dealing with climate change since industrialized countries are the highest carbon emitting nations (Basu

Foundations and It Starts with Me Research Paper

Foundations and It Starts with Me - Research Paper Example Moreover, this foundation would reduce the complexity of educational activities undertaken by this learning community. As a result, this foundation would have the most impact in this educational community. Introduction of this foundation in this educational community is a challenging task. This is because the educational community consists of several people with different abilities and roles. Several ways exist that can be used to introduce this foundation in an educational community. One of them is thinking processes involved in learning to educational activities. This method has been identified as an effective way of introducing system thinking among individuals involved in the learning process (Tilbury & Wartman, 2004). This could be done using thinking projects. If thinking projects and activities undertaken by educators and students were linked, the educators and students would be required to employ systematic thinking in the process of learning. This would have introduced system-thinking foundation to our learning community. As a result, the learning process in this community would be greatly improved. Building personal mastery among individuals in an educational community is essential. Senge describes building personal mastery as deepening personal vision, focusing energies, developing patience, and viewing reality objectively (Green & Stonkosky, 2010). This requires action to be taken. The action to take in building personal mastery in my educational community is encouraging members of this educational community to apply their creativity in the learning organization. This could be done by use of motivational tools and other incentives. These motivational tools and incentives would be employed to both educators and students. It is suspected that this would encourage individual’s creativity thus deepen their personal vision and

Gun control Revised paragraph Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gun control Revised paragraph - Essay Example eans that the government will only be able to control guns that are legally obtained and are licensed and this will put the law-abiding citizens in harm’s way, as the government cannot control guns that are obtained in an illegal manner, as these guns cannot be traced by to the owner. This does not at all mean that gun control legislation should not be passed and citizens of a nation should be allowed to carry weapons. If gun control laws are being made, these laws should even address the problem of unlicensed guns and guns that are carried by criminal minds. For this purpose, a total crack down on guns in the entire nation will be required. Law enforcement agencies will have to try taking control of any weapon out their own the streets. This method of controlling guns will be quite expensive as it will require participation of huge number of law enforcement agency’s officers. Secondly, even the law abiding citizens will stand against gun control if they are not ensured that guns are not only being taken away from them, they are even taken away from the

Evaluation of Starbucks in global environment Essay

Evaluation of Starbucks in global environment - Essay Example Starbucks, named after the first mate in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, is the world’s leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee with millions of customer visits per week at stores in North America, Europe, Middle East, Latin America and the Pacific Rim. Starbucks stores may be found in urban and suburban areas, as well as many rural communities worldwide. An expanded number of Drive Thru and Off-Highway stores also provide a convenient alternative for our customers (Starbucks coffee, 2008). Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confections, and coffee-related accessories and equipment - primarily through its company-operated retail stores. In addition to sales through our company-operated retail stores, Starbucks sells whole bean coffees through a specialty sales group and supermarkets. Additionally, Starbucks produces and sells bottled Frappuccino ® coffee drink and a line of premium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships and offers a line of innovative premium teas produced by its wholly owned subsidiary, Tazo Tea Company. The Companys objective is to establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world (Starbucks.com). Starbucks is dedicated to contributing positively to the communities in which it does business. The company recognizes the relationship between its success and the strength and vitality of the communities where it operates. Investing in communities is not only the right thing to do; it is also part of the Starbucks culture. At all levels of the organization, Starbucks partners strive to be good neighbors and active contributors in communities (Starbucks coffee, 2008). In spring 1995, Frappuccino ® blended beverage was introduced to Starbucks line of beverages. In summer 2004, Starbucks premiered Frappuccino ® Light blended coffee beverages in response to

Review article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review article - Essay Example Studies b and c specifically aimed to examine the potential of CBPR programs whilst study a did not. Study a aimed to assess participants ability to work, this was not a concern in studies b and c. Study c aimed to use existing community-based programs designed for its subject group where as a and b designed research specific programs. poor general health. The target group previously held physically demanding jobs that put strain upon the musculoskeletal system. At the time of the study inactivity due to unemployment was presumed to have decreased the subjects’ functional capacity and musculoskeletal system. a) In the early 1990’s in Finland a recession caused major unemployment and rendered 36.7% of the construction workforce long-term unemployed. The general health of construction workers is described as poor and excessive manual labor puts heavy strain on the musculoskeletal system, decreasing functional capacity with age. Long-term unemployment was believed to have decreased functional capacity and general health even further. b) Cardiovascular disease [CVD] and Coronary Heart Disease are the number one cause of death amongst women in the developed world. Most fatalities have no previous symptoms. Public awareness of CVD in women is insufficient. Lack of physical activity impacts a 1.9 fold increase in CVD risk amongst women. shown that moderate exercise of 30+ minutes, 3-5 times a week improves health and functional ability of older adults. Additional studies had awarded 10 centres across the U.S. for best-practice in older adult activity programs. No study had yet assessed the impact of these existing programs on previously sedentary subjects. Sendentary lifestyles and related health issues are common across all three study groups but due to different reasons. The background to study b is one of major CVD fatalities in all female age groups where as studies a and

No Advertising Essay Example for Free

No Advertising Essay â€Å"What do I wear in bed? Chanel N °5, of course. †Marilyn Monroe mentioned in her interview in 19521. When referring to fragrance, it is hard not to mention Chanel N °5, due to its uniqueness, longevity and popularity, it is associated by others with women, famous and not famous, who have worn it in different eras over its decades. Chanel N °5 is the first perfume launched by CoCo Chanel in 19202, it is not only one of the world’s top selling perfumes3 but also represent a world of fantasy and reflection of the desire and pleasure of the time period. ?Prior to the introduction of magazine, newspaper is the main communication source of information and advertising in the society4. At that time period, it is one of the most effective method for advertisings to enter the house of consumer since the limitation of technological development of radio and television have not yet been discovered. Different from newspaper, magazine does not aim to target everyone, it often has very specific group of target group, presenting information and areas of interest that its target group would enjoy. In the early age of magazine, there was a great emphasize in targeting elite class of the society, which be seen from extremely informative full page of texts. After a realization of increasing number of middle class and immigrants, magazine shifted its target from the elite to middle class5, which lead to the necessity of the use of imagery to communicate. Editors of magazine has shift from elite man with a background of mostly literature to middle class man with a background relating to merchandise. Magazine realized that the profits are not made through subscriptions, but through companies market their products by buying spaces in the issue6. Advertisement in magazines has become one of the most prominent method of marketing or in another word, methods of creating desire. Chanel has always been featured their advertisement in leading female fashion related magazine such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle. This essay will explore the comparison of Chanel N °5 fragrance magazine advertisement from a different time period of 49 years in relationship to the cultural shift and the impact of advertisement from self satisfaction to sexual attraction which represents through values hold in gender, stereotypes, lifestyle, desire and fantasy. The two advertisements that will be used to analyze are the magazine ads of the famous Chanel N °5 perfume. ‘Chanel becomes the woman you are’ print ad in 1959 (Fig1) starring Suzy Parker, one of the most recognizable faces of the 1950s as a supermodel and actress. Suzy Parker was the signature face for Coco Chanel as she has always been associated with elegance and glamour7. The dominant part of the advertisement presents a black and white dreamy photograph of Suzy Parker in a beautiful evening gown with the perfect hair and make up, glancing slightly away from the viewers. The ads also features the well known bottle/ product, Chanel N °5 as a secondary focus with a tag line ‘Chanel becomes the woman you are’ with a paragraph expanding on it: ‘A perfume is different on different women because every woman has a skin chemistry all her own. Chanel N °5 is subtly created to blend with your own delicate essence- to be like Chanel N °5, yet deliciously like you alone. Chanel becomes you because it becomes you. ’. Similarly in one of the contemporary most famous campaign for Chanel N °5 in 2004 (Fig2), Nicole Kidman, a talented and beautiful Australian actress who enters the hollywood famously known for her elegant beauty8 was enlisted to represent the fragrance. The technological development of film, television and recent main information communication and sharing method, the internet, allow advertising to go beyond just a printed page enter to the phrase of story telling. The 2004 Nicole Kidman advertisement has a direct connection to the campaign of a mini-movie/ film which everyone has access through various sources. Due to the popularity of internet and information sharing, it is not a difficult for viewers who see the ads in the magazine to recall and connect the story in the film to print ads, allowing Chanel to create a full advertising campaign which successfully tell a story of the world famous star, Nicole Kidman, who escape from the publicity and fall in love with a stranger. The last scene of the film is used in the print ad, displaying Nicole Kidman when she returns back to her world, with a dialogue: ‘And then she was gone, as she forgotten, i know i will not her kiss, her smile and her perfume’9. The film does not mentioned any word about or show viewers what the perfume it was, the only clue was the necklace ‘N °5’ The print features in magazine depicts a beautiful photograph of Nicole Kidman in a dark background contrasting with her body- the closing eyes and ambiguous posture: turning away from or about to face the viewers in a beautiful modern black evening gown with her simply perfect up-do hair and her N °5 necklace which is wear to her back. The ads does not contain any words or explanation, only present N °5 with the signature bottle which is constantly shown throughout since the first ads. â€Å"Perfume is intended to contribute to our understanding of gender as performance rather than expression, and of identity as practice rather than essence†10 stated by Angela Partington. Fragrance has always been known as the connotation of identity, as the word ‘wear’ is used to describe the action of using. As can be seen in the 1959 Suzy Parker Chanel N °5 Ads, the tagline ‘Chanel becomes the woman you are’ aimed to create a personal, even intimate connection with the object. It does not promotes how special the product itself is, instead, it makes the individual consumer as an important ingredient. The ads makes consumers feel that it is specific individual ‘you’ who makes it extra unique and special. This advertisement illustration the shift from the emphasize in character as moral and internal sense to ethics to identity as a self focused behavior11. In contrast, the Ads featured Nicole Kidman presents an identity of a fantasy figure of famous star, a break from reality in which all women desire to have in real life. The opposite sex attraction is used as the message of this ads. It puts the audiences in a fantasy world and convince them to believe that using the produce will create the same outcome for them. This shows the values holds in identity of the society which self satisfied identity is not enough, it is more of the relationships to other people, the representation of ‘you’ through others’ eyes. The advertisings of Chanel N °5 in the two ads does not only symbolize the values in identity, it is also a great representation of gender and sexuality values hold in the society as well. Both of the Chanel N °5 Ad depicts women in a beautiful evening gown which certainly is going to attend an important social event. The two ads illustrates the roles of women in the society as a powerful individuals who has social status, not the women in the past who expect to stay home. They are the representation of the equality and balance of gender roles, and what women in the time period are desire to be. As sex roles evolved, with women entering the workforce and pushing for equality, sexual appeals casting the woman as a sex object is no longer a popular and rightful subject to present12. Referring to ‘The Erotic History of Advertising’, there is a shift of the theme of turning on men to representing the power- women in control13. It can be seen in the 1959 Chanel N °5 Ads, as the ad does not have any reference to any sexual attraction, only focusing herself in control of her own identity and representation. The different approach, however, generating the same effects, is taken in the 2004 Nicole Kidman Ads, it is the representation of the current society, how the society control her as a role of super star and how she uses perfume to make a man ‘remember’ or be under her control. It seems like there is a great manner in revisiting the theme of sexual attraction in the society. â€Å"Fragrance is a material, symbolic and visual object, and ‘image’/ fantasy articulating not just luxury and glamour, but a range of desires for transformed bodies, auto-erotic, sensual and socio-sexual experiences. 14 The discussion of gender and sexuality cannot be complete without the discussion of skin explosion as sexuality. Chanel has always been known to represent elegance, glamour and class15 which is why advertisings by Chanel are almost always associate with women attending an event in a beautiful gown . ‘Chanel becomes the woman you are’ ads display elegance in a simply conservative way, as seen through her fashionable dress of ruffles, covering Suzy Parker’s whole body, left only with the main emphasize of her face- her identity. This demonstrate their aim to sell personal identities for self satisfaction which is well supported with the text and tagline. The ads display how the society before may seen the use of sexuality to sell as an unacceptable methods and unfashionable topic to talk about in the society. In contrast, the 2004 Chanel N °5 Ads presents sexuality through various motifs such as the skin which shown through the very low cut back dress and the emotion on Nicole Kidman’s closing eyes. It is clear today that one of the leading marketing trend that would attract people’s enjoyment and attentions would involve more skin as the viewers are no longer limited to women but also to men. However, Chanel have use sexuality in a very elegant way through one technique described by the brand researcher William Baue, ‘focusing on fantasy allowed Chanel to harness the power of sexuality without crossing the border into distaste’16 Fantasy has always been associated with fragrance as a method to create desire17 which is the main motive of advertisement. In both ads, Chanel has chose to represent the brand itself through an actress- an individual whom placed in between the line of reality and dream. In 1959 Ads, even though the focus of the campaign is ‘you’ as a viewer, however, Chanel chose to represent its viewer as Suzy Parker, the famous actress. The connection of reality and fantasy is quietly made in a way that viewers may not even realize the fantasy they are dreaming of. Even through the text in the ads describe the quality and ingredients which makes the perfume becomes you as a person, it also touches on the fantasy aspect in term of the values of gender, power, identity and status described above. In obvious way, the ads featured Nicole Kidman shows and put viewers into a fantasy world in reality. Due to the technological development, the film became dominant part of the campaign allowing viewers to explore, take a break from reality and leave them with a desire- desire to become like Nicole Kidman and putting the message in their face that Chanel N °5 will allow ‘you’ to be like that. The unchanged method of using fantasy as desirable motifs to sell fragrance18 have proved that the women from then and now have and will always been interested and attracts to the word ‘could’, what she could be, what she could do and where she could go- the stage of dreaming. The development of technology allowed the 2004 Nicole Kidman campaign to successfully tell a fantasy story which almost force viewers to create their imagery fancy lifestyle picture in her head, which then lead to the desire to own the object advertised. In conclusion, the different time period advertisement of Chanel N °5 perfume in magazine advertisement demonstrate the shifting values from identity as self satisfaction toward the impressions of others. Advertisement of the two ads has became the reflection of the society’s value in gender, lifestyle, sexuality and desire. Moreover, fragrance will always be sold with a desirable motif through fantasy, it only varied in the term of the presentation method and techniques, mostly through the language of photography and language, that would attracts and communicate the people of the time.

Conan Doyle create Essay Example for Free

Conan Doyle create Essay By what means does Conan Doyle create and maintain an Atmosphere of Suspense and Mystery in The Adventure of the Speckled Band This short tale shows all the formulae that Conan Doyle uses to create suspense. It adheres to Conan Doyles previous successes by using his familiar way of building and prolonging suspense. The ways in which he achieves this are numerous. In this account he uses the description of buildings and objects to create suspense. For example, there is a description of the Roylott Mansion, Stoke Moran. Both Miss Stoner and Watson tell us of a large house, grey, two curved wings like a crab, in disrepair, blue smoke curling out of the chimney, and boarded over windows (to promote a sense of secrecy maybe). This description of the house forms suspense solely by creating an image of an eerie house, one that epitomises the stereotypical haunted house. Therefore one is thinking that something thrilling and exciting, but also sinister, is going to happen in this house. More suspense is built after Watson and Holmes enter the house, when they look at a few of the objects in the murdered womans bedroom, more specifically; the bell-pull, the ventilation and the bed. The bell-pull is odd because it is not attached to a bell, but is attached to a hook instead, by the ventilation therefore doing nothing, as voiced here; No, its not even attached to a wire. This fastened to a hook just above where the little opening for the ventilator is. The ventilation is weird because it does not lead to any fresh air but instead to another part of the house; what a fool a builder must be to open a ventilator into another room he might have communicated with the outside air! Finally the bed is odd because it is bolted to the floor meaning that it cant be moved away from where it already is by the ventilation and the bell-pull which are of no use; Holmes picks up on this later on; The lady could not move her bed. It must always be in the same relative position to the ventilator and to the rope These references build suspense because even after Holmes has done a long examination of them and asked himself a few questions, these questions are left unanswered: Whoever designed the room in this way must have calculated a need for it to be so, but who would have done so, and why. It makes you question, it makes you think, it makes you feel uneasy it creates suspense. The most obvious thing that one notices is the way that Conan Doyle describes and uses characters to produce and sustain the suspense. There are many examples of this, such as; the gypsies being used as a red herring to the investigation. As a reader one thinks that the title Speckled Band could refer either to the gypsy band or to the curious marks found on the dead woman of a speckled band. The description by Watson of Grimesby Roylott bursting into the room, a man so broad and burly that he nearly fills the doorway, wearing big leather boots and carrying a crop, tanned, deep-set staring eyes, and a long thin nose. This description makes one think of a menace of a man, maybe a killer, as weve already been told of his violent nature but the idea that he is the killer is immediately dismissed because one is thinking that Conan Doyle wouldnt make finding the murderer that obvious and easy, it seems too stereotypical, at least to the reader. He is still a suspect because his room is connected to the deceased by a ventilation shaft. Therefore one still wonders whom the murderer is, prolonging the suspense. Ironically in the end it turns out to be Roylott; Conan Doyle has double-bluffed us through his writing. Another aspect one has to mention is that of the opening scene when Watson mentions that this was the most incomprehensible of all Holmes 70-plus cases. Watson describes it as fantastic, unusual, and non-commonplace; we are immediately intrigued, creating a perfect opener for the habitual Holmes reader or any mystery reader as a matter of fact. It makes one want to read on and find out exactly why this could be one of Holmes and Watsons most strange and memorable cases; again the reader is held in suspense. The opening is rather abrupt, which quickly and easily draws one in because nowhere in this opening is there a lapse of interest, the reader cannot relax. Then just as one thinks that one has reached a climax, as we think we are going to be told short and quick who the killer was and what exactly it did, Conan Doyle changes the subject to another curiosity; from Watsons intriguing build-up to Helen Stoner demanding that they come to meet her step-father immediately. There are widespread rumours as to the death of Dr Grimesby Roylott which tend to make the matter even more terrible than the truth, then it seems a young lady has arrived in a considerable state of excitement, who insists on seeing me. Why does a lady want to see him? Why is she in that considerable state of excitement? Even more curious a question, What could be more terrible than the truth? Conan Doyle has created urgency, he has created unease, and thereby he has created suspense.

Literature Review On Defining Employee Engagement

Literature Review On Defining Employee Engagement The purpose of this review is to present the definitions of engagement found in the literature and list the drivers of engagement that have been identified by many authors. The Sunday Times 100 Best companies to Work For surveys eight engagement factors will also be explained in detail along with their link to engagement. Subsequently, authors views on the factors that turned out to be more sensitive for Addleshaw Goddard will be reported along with authors recommendations on how to leverage them in order to boost employee engagement. Introduction In the midst of economic crisis and with its unavoidable negative effect on employee morale and motivation, it is important that organisations take steps to maintain, if not increase, employee engagement [IDS report, April 2009, Vol. 892, pp2] Most studies conducted around the topic shows its link to company performance and sustainability, as Bates et al. claimed that employee engagement predicts employee outcome, organisational success and financial performance [Bates, 2004; Baumruk, 2004; Harter et al, 2002; Richman, 2006]. Lockwood [2007], in her report pointed out that it is a key business driver for organisational success and that high levels of engagement in firms promote retention of talent, foster customer loyalty and improve organisational performance and stakeholder value. The importance of engagement is that it has an effect of what people do and how they behave in their jobs and what makes them act in ways that further both, the organisational objectives and their personal goals. Defining Employee Engagement Employee engagement is growing as a concept within the business world due to evidence and research that points out that an engaged workforce performs better and hence creates a strong employer brand [Leigh and Roper, 2009]. This promotes organisations as good employers hence recruiting and retaining key talent becomes less problematic, as evident from the IDS report [2009], where they state, effective employer branding captures the essence of an organisation and sells it to the labour market and employees. A strong employer brand embraces an organisations vision, values and working culture. [IDS Report, April 2009] On the subject of engagement, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) says that Employee Engagement, or passion for work, involves employees feeling positive about their job, as well as being prepared to go the extra mile [CIPD, 2010]. Macey et al. [2008] argues that engagement has been used to refer to a psychological state (e.g., involvement, commitment, attachment), performance (e.g., either effort or observable behaviour), character (e.g., positive affect), or a combination of the above. For example, Wellins and Concelman [2005] suggested that engagement is an amalgamation of commitment, loyalty, productivity and ownership. It is personified by the passion and energy employees have to give to the organisation. It is all about the willingness and ability of the employees to give constant discretionary effort to help their organisation succeed [Cook, 2008]. Furthermore, Towers Perrin Talent Report [2003] which is a study that tracks views and attitudes of employees to understand the elements of the work experience that drive attraction, retention and engagement has defined engagement as a factor that involves both emotional and rational factors relating to work and overall work experience, where the emotional factors are linked to peoples personal satisfaction and the sense of inspiration and affirmation they get from their work and from being part of their organisation. Engagement can be seen as a combination of commitment to the organisation and its values plus a willingness to help out and support colleagues (i.e. team work) Improvements in engagement can be made in many areas and the key concepts are trust, listening, flexible working and the avoidance of the long hour culture. However, this is not in itself a new concept, and highlighting this, Rankin [2008] refers to engagement as: embracing the older concepts of job satisfaction, motivation and attachment that describes individual employees attitudes to their employer, but goes beyond them to provide a complete model of the psychological relationship between individuals and organisations. Rankin [2008] This suggests that employee engagement is inextricably linked to the Psychological, or unwritten contract which exists and concerns discretionary effort, having many positive effects. For example Leigh and Roper [2010] highlighted that psychological contract is a subjective behaviour where employers and employees have their own perception of what is expected of each other. Hence, it is obvious that engagement is something that employees have to offer and that it is impossible to require engagement as part of the employment contract. It is rather an emotional link to the organisation, its purpose and its people. When an organisation delivers on its commitments (when by their actions they fulfil employees expectations), this reinforces employees sense of fairness and trust in the organisation and generates a positive psychological contract between employers and employee. There are many reported examples of employers who have executed strategies to improve employee engagement through business transformation, which in turn improved employee morale, retention and ultimately business performance. Rankin [2008] suggests that management are more likely to embrace initiatives to drive employee engagement, rather than simple retention strategies, owing to the extra benefits of such strategies, such as improved business performance, profitability, focus on customer service and organisational efficiency, of which retention is a positive by-product. What are the Key Levers of Employee Engagement? Defining engagement is crucial but the real value is in determining what creates engagement. Therefore, where studies have been conducted on engagement, there has also be reports on the key enablers of engagement. There is a range of opinions on what the key drivers or enablers are, for example the findings of the UK Governments MacLeod Review into employee engagement have underlined the critical role played by an engaged workforce [MacLeod and Clarke 2009] in both organisational success and individual well-being. As an example, ibid. [2009] suggested in their study that Leadership, Employee Voice, Engaging Managers and Integrity were strong levers in engaging workforce. In other words, without these factors, organisations would have disengaged staff which would lead to poor performance. Furthermore, Lockwood [2007] also underlines that engagement is influenced by many factors, from workplace culture, organisational communication and managerial styles to trust and respect, leadership and company reputation. For todays different generations, access to training and career opportunities, work-life balance and empowerment to make decisions have also become imperative. According to Towers Perrin report [2003] the factors that drive engagement are a combination of Macleod et al. [2008] and Lockwoods [2007] study such as, (a) Senior managements interest in employees well-being (b) Challenging work, (c) Decision-making authority (d) Career-development opportunities (e) The companys reputation as a good employer (f) Collaborative work environment and (g) Clear vision from senior management about future success, to name a few.  [1]   There is no definitive list of engagement drivers. However, CIPDs [2010] research into employee attitudes found that the main drivers of employee engagement were communication and leadership, along with pay and benefits, learning and development, line management and work-life balance as key factors of measuring employee attitudes which can determine how engaged a workforce is. An alternative model of engagement comes from the burnout literature, which describes job engagement as the positive contrast of burnout, underlining that burnout involves the erosion of engagement with ones job [Maslach et al 2001]. According to Maslach et al, six areas of work-life lead to engagement: workload, control, rewards and recognition, community and social support, perceived fairness and values. They argue that job engagement is associated with a sustainable workload, feelings of choice and control, appropriate recognition and reward, a supportive work community, fairness and justice, and meaningful and valued work. Like burnout, engagement is expected to intercede the link between these six work-life factors and various work outcomes. May et als [2004] findings support Maslach et als [2001] notion of meaningful and valued work being associated with engagement, and therefore it is important to consider the concept of meaning. The development of survey tools and questionnaires such as Gallups Q12  [2]  and The Best Company Survey allow levels of engagement within an organisation to be measured. Most of the studies mentioned above have some common theme. Similarly, while Purcell et al [2003] found a number of factors to be strongly associated with high levels of employee engagement, the one thing all of these factors had in common was that they were connected with an employees involvement in a practice related to their work. The Best Companies Survey has also done their share of research linking it to some of the existing researches and categorised the measurements of engagement into eight factors as mentioned earlier in Chapter 1. Critics of Employee Engagement Even though Employee Engagement has become such a commonly used term within the organisational scene, as it is seen as a lever for business success [Wiley, 2010] some studies have shown that organisations fail to understand the true meaning of engagement as quoted by Macey et al.[2008] numerous definitions of engagement can be derived from practice and research driven literatures but the literal meaning is still not clear among practitioners and academics [Macey and Schneider, 2008: pp4] An example of this could be seen from the study Cunningham et al. [1996] did on Empowerment. After the 1990s when empowerment was introduced in the business world, there was a hype about it for years where organisations wanted to Empower their people, without considering the true meaning of the word. While empowerment only represented the most recent manifestation of employee involvement practice [Cunnigham et al., 1996: pp143]. Also argued by Wilkinson [1997] that the term empowerment when first introduced was very loosely used [Wilkinson, 1998: p40]. Likewise, engagement is seen and known widely as beneficial for organisations yet engagement in the UK is said to be critically low as employers are said to be barking up the wrong tree, as Holmes [2010] reports on personnel today. Also as witnessed in Wileys [2010] report he found that UK engagement results lag behind compared to the global results. This is mainly because of the lack of understanding the term as a whole. Hence the concept of employee engagement could be viewed as being faddish and might fade away in a few years when another concept is introduced in the business world. Employee Involvement versus Employee Participation According to CIPD [2010X]: Employee involvement is a range of processes designed to engage the support, understanding and optimum contribution of all employees in an organisation and their commitment to its objectives. Whereas. Employee participation is defined as a process of employee involvement designed to provide employees with the opportunity to influence and where appropriate, take part in decision making on matters which affect them. Farnham [1997] defines Employee Participation as one of four choices for managing the employment relationship. Cited in Rose [2008, p335] Farnham states: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦an employee has the right to question and influence organization decision makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. this may involve representative workplace democracy. The other policy choices Farnham identifies are worker subordination via managerial prerogative, union incorporation via collective bargaining and employee commitment via employee involvement. It is clear then that there are differences between employee participation and employee involvement. The literature suggests that employee participation is a pluralist/collective approach with a range for employees from no involvement to full control [Blyton Turnbull, 1998]. Hence, it may involve processes and mechanisms such as: Collective bargaining Employee share schemes Works councils Worker directors Joint Consultative Committees European Works Councils Whereas, Employee involvement, is more of an individualistic and unitarist approach which aims to harness commitment to organisational objectives. Defining Leadership Leadership is about the ability to influence people by personal attributes and behaviours [CIPD, 2010a]. Leaders need to act out and communicate organisational values otherwise this endangers trust in organisations leading to poor performance. Hence, the Best Company measures how people feel about the head of the organisation, the senior management team, and organisational values. Rayner and Adam-Smith [2007] have pointed out that leaders are key players in devising and implementing organisational strategies. And high level of engagement depends in the way employees are led and managed, as quoted by Armstrong [2009]: degree to which jobs encourage engagement and positive discretionary behaviour depends upon the ways in which job holders are led and managed on any formal process of job design. [Armstrong, 2009:140] There is considerable evidence from prior research that perceptions of managerial processes impact on engagement [Wildermuth and Pauken, 2008]. Evidence suggests that employees level of engagement and other work responses are affected by their perceptions of management or leadership style. For example, opportunities for upward feedback increase engagement through greater participation, which, in turn, relates to better understanding of broader organisational issues as well as personal involvement [Robinson et al 2004]. 3.4.1 Role of leaders in engagement In Macleods engagement report [2009] he stressed that leadership provides a strong strategic narrative which has widespread ownership and commitment from managers and employees at all levels. However, it has been proven through Hays Group research findings [2010] that 56 per cent of leaders were disengaging the staff that they led; and only 26 per cent of the leaders achieved in creating an engaging environment that encouraged high performance. In order for employees to be engaged, it is crucial that leaders themselves be engaged; they need to work and succeed in both their core and non-core job roles [reference] Management from the top to the bottom of the organisation should be committed leaders and key role of the immediate line manager/supervisor is recognised as one of the most important channel to achieving effective employee engagement. Leadership plays a vital role in influencing levels of employee engagement. Goal clarity and direction are identified as factors that can influence an employees level of engagement [Rayner and Adam-Smith, 2007]. Staff perform well when they are clear about their goals and objectives, and know how to go about achieving them, an example could be Latham and Lockes Goal-Setting Theory [1979] where they suggest that by establishing goals individuals are motivated to take action to achieve those goals. As a result, employees tend to be motivated and committed to it. Hence, communication of clear goals and direction from the leader becomes crucial. Leaders also help employees develop personal accountability for their goals and help achieve them. Setting performance expectations and instilling personal responsibility among employees are critical for getting results. The biggest challenges which leaders face is how to effectively motivate, initiate change, and sustain improved performance amo ng employees i.e. Employee engagement has emerged as a critical leadership challenge [Molinari and Weiss, 2005]. Leaders should provide challenging work with opportunities for career growth. Good leaders challenge employees but at the same time they should create confidence that the challenges can be met [Seijts and Crim, 2006]. 3.4.2 Dealing with Professionals/Leaders reluctance from leaders to learn As mentioned above, leaders play a vital role in communicating the firms strategy, values and culture. Leadership style and support are also said to be crucial for encouraging employee engagement. Years of occupational health psychology research have revealed that a transformational leadership style is effective for this task [Barling, 2007], where leaders lead to positive changes in those who follow. However, Leadership development proves to be a big challenge for HR professionals. HR professionals continue to wrestle with understanding the best ways to retain talent and develop leaders for future succession planning. Increasingly recognised as becoming strategic business partners within their organizations, HR professionals are expected to provide the essential frameworks, processes, tools, and points of view needed for the selection and development of future leaders. Across the globe leadership development has been identified as a critical strategic initiative in ensuring that the right employees are retained, that the culture of the organization supports performance from within to gain market position, and that managers are equipped to take on leadership roles of the future so that the organisation is feasible in the long term. Even though they play such an important role in engagement and instilling HR policies, research has shown that senior managers can be a challenge and be reluctant to their responsibilities as HR mediators. As Pech [2009] quoted in his research that what may be good for the organisation may not be perceived to be quite as good to the organisations senior managers. Research in Europe emphasises the negative impact these defensive managerial behaviours have on organisations and performance in general. The Towers Perrin consulting groups survey showed that 42 percent of employees felt that their senior managers dont have a sincere interest in their well-being and another 37 per cent believed that their senior managers fail to lead by example in demonstrating company values [Towers Perrin Report, 2004]. My Manager Engaged managers are at the heart of this organisational culture as Macleod [2009] said: they facilitate and empower rather than control or restrict their staff; they treat their staff with appreciation and respect and show commitment to developing, increasing and rewarding the capabilities of those they manage. Role of Managers in engagement As Lowe [1992, cited in Blyton and Turnbull:148], highlighted that a consistent theme of the HRM literature is about the responsibility given to line managers for the management of the human resource. While Poole [1990] emphasises that HRM involves all managerial personnel especially general managers. All the studies on motivation and retention of talent identify the critical role of line managers and the quality of the relationship with the boss as a key factor. According to Gallup Management Journal study, line-managers play a critical role in employees well-being and engagement. Macleod [2010] also points out that having able managers is critical as engaged managers lead to an engaged workforce [Macleod, 2010] as there is a positive impact on managers treating people as individuals. Managers are critical of the quality of management training they receive from their company. Senior management need to have a sincere interest in employees well being [Towers and Perrin, 2006] whereas line managers play the vital roles in terms of employee engagement as they are responsible for the most of the front line employees and the day-to-day activities [Cook, 2008]. Line managers are also responsible for bringing reward policies to life, organisational commitment and job satisfaction [Purcell, CIPD, 2007]. The line manager clearly has a very important role in fostering employees sense of involvement and value [Robinson et al. 2004]. Employee engagement is seen as a direct reflection of how employees feel about their relationship with the boss [Seijts and Crim, 2006]. One of the biggest challenges for HR is to support line managers in their role of managing and developing people. A majority of line managers seem to be failing in many or most of the basic elements of good management including providing regular feedback or offering to help improve individuals employment [CIPD, 2010]. Importance of Internal Communication True Communication builds a bridge between two people or within a group via which real understanding and contact occur. [Leary-Joyce 2004:pp53]. Internal communication is known as the most obvious method of generating and maintaining engaged employees. Punjaisri et al. [2008], in his research identified that employees mentioned training and internal communications as the major methods of internal branding. The authors also quoted: although training and internal communication can help employees to fulfil brand promise, the strength of their relationship with the brand is predominantly down to employee attitude. The discovered that brand identification, commitment and loyalty were all partial indicators between internal communication and employee brand performance. [ibid., 2008] Whenever there has been research on engagement, communication has always been a big part of it. It has been long-established that communicating with employees effectively is important in making them feel valued and this is particularly the case in the current economic climate when staff may feel more uncertain and require some additional reassurance [IDS, April 2009]. It is also said to be a mechnism for enabling every aspect of a great company culture [Leary-joyce, 2004] What is Employee Voice? The concept of employee voice focuses on opportunities for employees to be involved in decisions collectively, whether through trade unions or by other means. Gradually this process of two-way communication became known as employee voice. It appeals both to those seeking greater business efficiency and to those looking for employee rights. CIPD research suggests that organisations that seek to promote voice are those that believe that employees want to contribute to the business and that for employees to have an effective voice, the important part of the communication process is not what the employer puts out but what it gets back. Good managers recognise that much of the knowledge required for businesses to be competitive is actually in employees heads. Voice is defined most typically in terms of two-way communications, an exchange of information between managers and employees or having a say about what goes on in the organisation. However, there are differences in interpretation. Some managers see voice as enabling all employees to represent their views to managers, and for those views to be taken into account. Other managers take the more limited view that voice is not so much a dialogue or two-way exchange of ideas as a mechanism for employees to transmit ideas to managers in order to improve organisational performance. Mechanisms for employee voice There is a range of different and often complementary mechanisms for employee voice. The CIPD research referred to above put them into two broad categories: upward problem-solving and representative participation. Upward problem-solving which refers to any technique that managers use to tap into employee ideas and opinions, either through two-way communications channels or through specific systems that are set up for employees to express their voiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the structures are management-initiated and operate directly between managers and employees rather than through employee representatives. Techniques include Electronic media, Two-way communications, Suggestion schemes, Attitude surveys, etc. Representative participation refers to schemes under which employee representatives meet managers on a regular basis in the case of scheduled committees, or through more ad hoc arrangements. The essential characteristicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is that participation is not direct between individual employees and their managers but is mediated through representatives. Partnership schemes, Joint consultation, Collective representation are known as a few techniques All these mechanisms are formal. But informal mechanisms in effect, simply having a word about a problem to a manager who listens and takes action if necessary can be a very effective form of voice. Informal mechanisms may be relatively more important in smaller organisations where fewer formal structures are needed. 2.5.3.1 Two-way communications IDS Report, [2009] has highlighted the fact that while it is important to keep employees well-informed, an organisation seeking to engage employees should also encourage upward communication. For example, carrying out surveys or holding discussion groups as a way of encouraging employees to provide feedback which would involve employees in a dialogue with the company. The very act of carrying out research on engagement within the organisation can be engaging particularly where employees are directly involved in discussions. [IDS, Apr 2009] Encouraging people to have their say and this emphasised as a core value of the organisation that management at all levels must be prepared to listen and respond to any contributions their people make. Employee involvement and participation are (EIP) are regarded by Marchington and Wilkinson [2008] as a key feature of high-commitment HRM. Excellent leadership and management are built of effective communication and is a source of creativity and innovation. 2.5.4 Trust Important determinants for achieving trust are demonstrations of managerial passion for the work and managerial concern for employee welfare, hiring the right employees in the first instance, and then providing them with a sense of control over their lives. Employees will ask for trust and a sense of control in order to be engaged in their work [Pech 2009] (See Figure 2). Managerial passion for the work Employee sense of trust and control = Employee Engagement Managerial concern for employee welfare Effective recruitment Source: Pech, J. [2009] Fig. 2 Determinants for establishing and sustaining employee engagement Well-Being In the Best company survey well-being is used to measure stress, pressure, the balance between work and home life and the impact of these factors on personal health and performance. It has been reported that employee engagement is more likely to be sustainable when employee well-being is also high [Robertson and Cooper, 2009]. CIPD Flexible working perceived flexibility and supportive work-life policies were related to greater employee engagement and longer than expected retention. [Richman, et al., 2008] Guest[1987], in his model of flexibility, underlined that the three components of flexibility are: (a) related to the organisational design, (b) job design and (c) employee attitudes and motivations. [cited in Legge, 2005]. Flexible work practices have been viewed by employees as valuable workplace tools to facilitate work-life management. Employees report that workplace flexibility influences decisions to join an employer, satisfaction with their jobs, and plans to stay with their employers. Recently, some employers have come to recognise that workplace flexibility positively influences valued business outcomes such as attracting, motivating, and retaining key talent in competitive labour markets, increasing employee satisfaction and engagement, as well as improving efficiency and effectiveness. However, although several studies have examined the role of organizational characteristics and work experiences as antecedents of engagement and retention [Burud Tumolo, 2004; Gibbons, 2006; Meyer, Stanley, Herscovitch, Topolnytsky, 2002], few have investigated the influence of workplace flexibility in particular. Work Life Balance Employee-focused initiatives such as implementing work-life balance initiatives are important in order to connect with employees [Seijts and Crim, 2006]. Employers seek to promote work-life balance by introducing policies that fall within three broad categories: flexible working, including reduced and compressed hours; time off and special leave; and staff support, such as employee well-being programmes and childcare provision [IDS, April 2009]. The mere existence of work-life policies and is associated with positive outcomes for the individual and the organisation. Employees who worked for organisations that had family-friendly policies in place, had higher levels of commitment towards the organisation and lower intentions to leave [Richman et al. 2008] Organisations are better able to portray an image of being a caring employer if they show an obligation and importance to work-life balance. Work-life balance initiatives should seek to improve employees working lives together with their personal lives to the mutual benefit of both employees and employers. Employees should have greater flexibility to pursue their interests outside work and to fulfil any caring responsibilities at home. In the workplace, they are likely to be more in control of their workload and, as a result, feel a greater sense of well-being. In turn, employers may benefit from greater employee engagement. [IDS, Apr 2009] Stress at work Stress has been moving steadily up the workplace agenda in recent years. Any stress can reduce employee well-being and excessive or sustained work pressure can lead to stress [CIPD, 2010]. Hence, it is important to develop a culture that encourages positive attitudes to work, reducing stress and promoting interest and excitement in their jobs (role of top and line managers and leaders). Also communication, involvement, work-life balance are key feature of high-commitment HRM [Marchington and Wilkinson 2008]. Personal Growth Learning is a satisfying and rewarding experience that makes a significant contribution to intrinsic motivation. Alderfer [1972] as cited in Armstrong [2008] emphasised the importance of giving employees the opportunity to grow and develop as it is said to be a motivating factor that directly impacts on engagement when it is an intrinsic element of the work [Armstrong, 2008]. IDS report points out that designing roles that are challenging and giving employees varied responsibilities can help make work more intrinsically engaging [IDS, 2009]. 3.7.1 Career Progression Providing clear and transparent career paths can be vital to engaging em

Gender Relationships in the Film Love Jones Essay -- Papers Movie Film

Gender Relationships in the Film Love Jones Using the movie Love Jones I will talk about the characteristics of male/male and female/female relationship as they are portrayed in the film. Then I will talk about how different the female/male relationship is and focus primarily on their communication styles. There is some harsh vocabulary included in my essay but only in quotations that I have taken from the movie itself to communicate what was going on in the scenes I have chose to talk about. Female/female relationship Josie and Nina Nina is one of the main characters in this movie and Josie is her best friend. A scene where their friendship is characterized is one where Josie and Nina are riding in a cab. Josie gets upset with Nina (briefly) when she finds out that Nina has had sex with Darius (the other main character) on the first night they went out. The haste in which they have had sex does not bother her as much as the fact that Nina does not tell her. This example is a direct correlation to one of the themes of women?s friendship that intimacy is cultivated through dialogue. This suggest that women build closeness in their friendships dialogue and by Nina not telling, it breaks the code of intimacy in a way. The establishment of a new relationship something like this that is an important part of Nina?s life, and excluding Josie from that is what is troubling her. Even though I do not believe that to be true in this example, that can be argued as a reason Nina doesn?t share. So, once Josie gets over the initial shock of the news, she wants Nina to tell all the details ?how big, how long, everything!? The two women then begin to discuss the sexual relationship as only women can do. Nina says, ?It was lik... ...*in toasted oats? and mumbles some more stuff on the way out of the house. The next morning, Nina is gone without any words of goodbye, but the engagement ring that Marvin had given her was left on his pinky when he woke up to an empty bed. In this scene there are a few places where the communication styles were conflicting. Nina wanted Marvin to be open and welcoming when she came home from work. He was abrasive and demanding, which was not what she wanted at that moment. Also, he was telling her what to do. He wanted her to sit around at home and not work and it was no conducive to her plans. My analysis of these Female/Male relationships is that there is so many problems in them because the ways of communicating are conflicting. I think that in part the break down can also be because people are not willing to try to make the individual situations work.

Comparing Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone :: comparison compare contrast essays

Oedipus:   Guilt, Fate and Punishment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles' trilogy of Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone is a powerful, tragic tale that examines the nature of human guilt, fate and punishment. Creon, Oedipus' uncle and brother-in-law, is the story's most dynamic character. His character experiences a drastic metamorphosis through the span of the three dramas. Creon's vision of a monarch's proper role, his concept of and respect for justice, as well as his respect for the design evolve considerably by the trilogy's tragic conclusion. In Oedipus the King (OK) , the audience is introduced to a Creon who seems to put loyalty to the king above all. He sympathizes with the tragic plight of King Oedipus and asserts no apparent ambition himself. His attitude toward the king is one of yielding and fulfilling reverence. Creon's notion of justice in OK stems directly from the divine. That which the gods have decreed must become law. It pains Creon to have Oedipus exiled, but he must do so as the gods have willed it. Creon's respect for divinity and prophecy seems to be his defining trait in OK. His attitude is one of unquestioning reverence. In Oedipus at Colonus (OC), one sees the beginning of Creon's decline. Creon has now come to occupy the throne that once belonged to Oedipus. It soon becomes apparent that his vision of the proper role of a king has changed to accommodate his new-found position. The emphasis shifts from that of a king who must rule wisely to one who must rule unyieldingly. The kingship becomes a selfserving instrument for Creon in his attempt to secure the return of Oedipus and the good fortune prophesied to accompany him. Creon's notion of justice is severely distorted in OC. He becomes monomaniacal - conducting his affairs with tyranny and belligerence. For example, he threatens to harm Oedipus' daughters if the blind beggar does not return to Thebes. His view of rightness and fairness is no longer in line with that of his subjects. In OC, Creon still retains some respect for divine prophecies. These have after all motivated his desire to return Oedipus to Thebes. Antigone reveals the ultimate extent to which Creon's character deteriorates. His transformation completes itself; he has become an unreasonable tyrant. Creon can no longer be called a king. He has become a despot.

Huck Finn :: essays research papers

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Modern American (1885) 1. The Author and His Times Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens, was born in Florida, Missouri in 1835. When he was four, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, the setting for many of his books. His father died when he was 12. After his father died, he went to work as a printer ¹s apprentice and eventually as a printer in Missouri, St. Louis, and New York often writing a few works himself for periodicals. He worked as a printer and a reporter selling much of his work to newspapers. He continually moved from town to town. In 1857, he decided to move to South America to make a fortune there. He boarded a riverboat and headed for New Orleans where he would arrange the rest of his trip. However, he never made it past New Orleans and never into South America. He begged the riverboat to teach him how to pilot the riverboat. The riverboat pilot agreed to teach him for $500. Mark Twain went west during the civil war and established himself as a writer during this time. He wrote humorous stories about his experiences which lead to a job as a newspaper reporter in 1862. The following year he began signing his work  ³Mark Twain, ² a riverboat term meaning two fathoms deep. Mark Twain went to Hawaii in 1866. This trip was the beginning of his career as a travel correspondent. The next year he went to Europe and wrote a successful book there titled, The Innocent Abroad. In 1876, he published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This book was such a success that he decided immediately to write a sequel. The sequel, which became much more complex than the original was published seven years later in 1883 and titled, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. After Huckleberry Finn, Twain wrote nearly a dozen more books but none were as successful. By 1939, Twain had lost all of his money investing in various schemes and inventions, almost all of which were failures. After this, he went on a world lecture tour and was able to pay his debts by 1896. While on the tour, one of his daughters died. His wife later in 1904. In 1909 his daughter died leaving him unhappy. 2. Form, Structure, and Plot The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn consists of 43 chapters and is told in the first person with

Business of Tourism

Globalization the process, accelerated by communication technologies, of turning the world into a single community & In particular, a single market. It has been described as ‘boundlessness'. Structural change a temperamental transformation tot some activity or institution which brings about a change in its essential quality. Or structure. It Is permanent, there Is no return to the prior level or state. Temporary change an alteration in a certain measure or condition In an activity of institution to which it is likely to return later.Causes for structural change globalization, competition, economic crisis, health crisis, social changes, customer preferences, war/ terrorism. Tourism market consists of all potential customers sharing a particular need/want, who might be willing/able to satisfy it by buying a tourism product. Sustainable development achieving growth In a manner that does not deplete the natural & built environment & preserves the culture of the local community.Sust ainable tourism all forms of tourism development, management & operations that malting the environmental, & concern Integrity & well being of natural, built ND cultural resources, Socio cultural a term used to Indicate impacts bringing about change to a social organization of a group of people as well as more fundamental reorganization of society organization. Sustainable transport doesn't harm the environment, or use resources that cannot be replaced_IEEE. Cleaner trucks/cars- alternative engines, alternative fuels (unleaded) non combustion systems.Reducing aircraft emissions-technology advances, regulations, air traffic management, dealing with noise-creating footprints e. G. Aircraft Boeing has a footprint of 14 SMS squared, airbus AAA noise footprint 1. Km squared. Travel ; tourism industry the aggregate of all businesses that directly provide goods and services to facilitate business, pleasure ; leisure activities away from home environment (smith 1988) Impacts of tourism = eff ects of tourism * Positive impacts = benefits of tourism * Negative impacts = costs of tourism * Impacts are often referred to as Sculptural Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Cocoon Impacts. Model a theoretical system of relationships, which tries to capture the essential elements In a real word situation. Modes are useful tools for general analysis, discussion and as an aid to understanding more complex systems. System an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole. Descriptive models replicate selected features of a situation ; alma to show how It operates. Predictive models rearrange a descriptive model so that causes ; outcomes can be determined, predictive modes prescribe a pathway towards a certain outcome.Planning models allow for alternative course tot action to be evaluated. Key issues of models aim to simplify reality, select key issues to prevent ; explore, they deed to be applied, tested and reviewed regularly to maintain relevance. Poli cy – outlines a series tot desired outcomes and objectives (values) Planning – Examines alternative method of reaching those objectives Tourism Policy and Planning – For both the sort ; long term Is required to balance all stakeholders wants and needs Unplanned Tourism – Uncommon, unpopular, unwanted.Unhappy most community Has social/environmental/economic impacts Visitor Management – The strategies ; action programs used to control ; influence tourism supply and demands to achieved fines policy goals Planning ; operational techniques – site management ; people management Selective – Targeting visitors who are socially and economically more attractive to a destination or other destination Demarcating – Marketing designed to reduce or regulate the number of people visiting a location Objective – Specific, measurable results that an organization plans to achieve in a given period Strategies – the meaner of achieving objectives Tourism Involves: psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, business administration, geography, ecology, law and education.Industry – Refers to a group tit similar economic output in terms of product Tourism Industry – Described in both terms of the production and consumption of goods and services Businesses in Tourism Industry Primary Trade – Transport, Hospitality, attractions, activities and retail Business indirectly involved – Petrol stations, bakeries, car dealer, banks, newsagents rent – Heavily involved but not included as part of the industry Tourism: The sum of government and private sector activities which shape ; serve the needs and manage the consequence of holiday and business travel the central activities so the overspent and private sector include promotion planning, providing services and preventing impacts Hospitality – Specifically refers to a focus on provision of accommodation and commercial catering se rvices Tourist – A person who travels from place to place for non work reasons. Promotion – Structure in the generating region: ticketing services, travel agents, tour operators.Need to influence potential tourists Transport – All meaner of traveling within the destination Infrastructure – Development that provides for tourism (ranging from large to small) Markets and destinations Markets are where the tourists are before they reach the destination * Market demand is affected by needs and wants * Markets need to be identified and defined * Information about the market needs to be gained Destination – the place that tourists visit and experience Key Characteristics of service – 1. Intangible (can't be sampled) 2. Inseparable (provider is part) 3. Variable (Individual experience) 4. Perishable (can't be warehoused) 6 Steps for Segmentation of Tourist Demand: 1. Identify 2. Profile 3. Rank 4. Select 5. Assign Priorities 6. Access Target Market Models can be: descriptive, predictive, prescriptive and planning

Old Age Homes in India Essay

Ans- Old Age Home refers to a multi-residence nursing home for old people, which is also known as retirement home. Each couple or person lives here in a room which is either apartment style or is a set of matching of rooms. Under one roof or in a one building old people are served with different facilities like gatherings, meals, health or sanatorium care, and recreation activities. Levels of these facilities differ from each other. At present 728 Old homes exist in India. Complete information of 547 Old Age Homes is accessible. Among these 325 Old homes do not charge and 95 homes charge money, 116 Old homes include both without charge as well as stay & pay facilities and the information of 11homes is not available. There are 278 homes available for ailing people and 101 Old homes especially for women all around the country. Kerala has the highest number of Old homes in India among all states which is 124. Read more:  Reasons Increasing Number Old Age Homes Society Q2- What are the disadvantages of Old Age Homes? Ans- Disadvantages of Old Age Homes are People generally staying here are very sad. It is but natural for them to be so as they leave their well-known homes for stranger place that lacks in all memories. It is natural for them to fear nursing homes as it is known to be prior step to death. Seeing that they will not be able to get back to their homes, it can be deemed true. Main problem that one faces here is loneliness. Few residents here get visits from families after long time and these are very few in nature. Independence becomes a thing of past when one enters these homes. Many see it as the end of their lives. With independence all gone, they even bid goodbye to their self-esteem. All they live their lives in is scheduled activity. Missing element here is freedom. What is given to them for meals is final. They do not have any say in it. Other freedoms that they lose are: Cooking for friends and family Only with nurses help one can shower that too on their schedule Here service of laundry is provided only with rest of resident’s laundry After getting permission only can watch TV They do not even have independence to go for worship at place of their  option. They instead have to go to retirement home’s service. They are not even allowed to have personal doctors. All they get is one’s at home. Anger at putting them in these homes directed at their children is a natural thing for these residents. Family is bound to get various heartaches from these. Q3- What are the advantages of Old Age Homes? Ans- Advantages of Old Age Homes are Senior citizens that are destitute or are unable in settling with their respective families can easily stay in homes meant for old age people. These homes provide senior citizens with medical facilities like ambulances, well-balanced meals provision, ambulances as well as systems of health care. Thus, these homes provide them with healthy life. Main benefits of these homes are their staff’s good behavior, palatable and wholesome food as well as good services. Senior citizens are also provided with yoga classes in these homes along with medical amenities, shelter and food. For mode of communication they are given telephones that give them access to their families. Other facilities rendered to them are library and entertainment facilities. These play roles of safe haven for senior citizens who have nobody to take care of them or who have not got a place to stay. Residents here get an ambience of complete family. They are given unique sense of friendship as well as security here. It becomes a place for them to share their sorrows as well as joys. With all their free time, senior citizens in these homes can utilize it in something creative. Here in these homes, no body imposes its residents with sense of duties or responsibilities. Nobody hands them out any work to live out a livelihood. In that peaceful atmosphere, residents can pursue their hobbies in full flow. With no expectations, residents do not spend too much money here. Full freedom to participate in one’s religious activities is given here. Life of senior citizens is slow as well as peaceful here. â€Å"Old age home† gives a healthy as well as peaceful life to its citizens. Companionships, solace as well as comfort are given to senior citizens. Al l age-mates get freedom here to give a chance to their favorite hobbies without any restraints. Q4- What are the types of Old Age Homes? Ans- There are mainly two types of Homes for Old Age people available in  India. One is a no charge one or â€Å"Free† type which is mainly for impoverished old persons who have nobody to look after them. They are served with food, clothing, shelter and medical care there. Another type of Old Age Home is based on payment which is known as â€Å"Paid† home. There all facilities are provided if paid for. Now these kinds of â€Å"Retirement† homes have become popular all around India and they are well in view of significance. Q5- What is the relevance of Old Age Homes? Ans- Many factors are accountable for the separation of old persons. Many young couples are relocating themselves for better employment from villages to cities in order to have a better future. Many elders are also reluctant to provide the duty of household, which they are controlling for an elongated time, to children. Youngsters are sometimes indignant in behavioral attitude to their parents. Youngsters have migrated to different places distant from their inhabitant places and also to numerous countries abroad. So they are unable to provide accommodation to their parents in their own houses even if they desire. Elders sometimes are too debilitated or ill to take care of themselves or get medicinal help in any urgent situation. For all these reasons the homes for elders increasingly seem more appropriate in Indian circumstances.

Affirmitive Action: Reverse Discrimination

Baker 1 Jennifer Baker Reverse Discrimination Even though slavery has not been a part of America for over a century now, racial discrimination still exists in various parts of our culture. A controversial policy known as affirmative action was introduced in the 1960’s to try and promote racial equality in society. Affirmative action is supposed to give minorities an equal chance in life by requiring minority employment, promotions, college acceptance, etc. At first this sounds like a perfect solution to racial discrimination, but in reality it is discrimination in reverse.The term â€Å"affirmative action† was first used back in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy in an executive order designed to encourage racially mixed work forces. He stated that contractors should â€Å"take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed without regard to race, creed, color, or national origin. † (Affirmative Action) Then in 1964 the Civil Rights Act was passed which prohibited employment discrimination based on race or sex. The Civil Rights activists continued to argue that minorities weren’t going to be able to compete with the more qualified applicants after having suffered discrimination for so long.So in 1969 President Nixon made it a federal policy that a certain percentage of minorities must be hired in the workplace. Quickly affirmative Baker 2 action changed from being a policy that ensured equal opportunity to being one that gave unfair advantages to minorities. Affirmative action has remained controversial throughout the years, finding itself in and out of the courts. One of the most famous cases was Fullilove vs. Klutznick, which took place in 1980. The ruling stated that setting aside 10 percent of the hiring for minorities was constitutional.Fortunately in 1996 proposition 209 was passed in California which ended affirmative action throughout the state. This was definitely a breakthrough, but the effects of affirmative acti on still linger. Many businesses and corporations still give preference to minorities even if they are less qualified. Employers fear that lawsuits will be filed stating that applicants were turned down because of their race. Renowned author and political activist Nathan Glazer, has been against affirmative action since its beginning. Glazer believes that the olicy became controversial when it went beyond the ideas of the Civil Rights Act and started requiring employers to hire or promote a certain number of minority applicants or employees. In order to make sure that affirmative action was taking place, federal courts started enforcing â€Å"quotas† or â€Å"goals† for specific numbers of minority hiring. If these were met, lawsuits based on racial discrimination would be less valid. Says Glazer, â€Å"Affirmative action has become a matter of setting statistical goals or quotas by race for employment†¦ the expectations of color blindness that wasBaker 3 paramou nt in the 1960’s has been replaced by a rigid frame of numerical requirements. †(Glazer, 6) Those who oppose quotas and goals are said to be opposers of the Civil Rights Act, even though the affirmative action of today is not what the Civil Rights Act embodied. Glazer compares the misinterpretation of the Civil Rights Act to the desegregation of schools. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional. The idea of racially integrated schools, like racially integrated workplaces, is an excellent one.However, the desegregation of schools has made busing a necessity. Busing, although not in use today, is when students are transferred to another school for purposes of racial integration. It is costly to run all the buses and the commuting is hard on the students. Those opposing busing are said to agree with the segregation of schools. (Glazer, 10) The desegregation of schools was also mentioned in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Initially this s eemed a fair proposal, but just as affirmative action became detrimental in the workplaces, integrating minorities in schools turned into numerical requirements.Can you imagine busing programs being used across the United States today? The scary truth is that once one of these ideas is adopted in one city, any other city can then follow suit. For example, if Santa Cruz County were granted the right to require a 15 percent Hispanic student enrollment in all high schools within the county lines, any other city could also put this idea into practice based on precedent. The assignment of students Baker 4 based on race would cause an endless stream of angry parents. Fortunately busing is in the past, but affirmative action still has its claws in the school system.A few weeks ago I was watching a 60 Minutes segment about a white girl who had filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan claiming that they did not accept her because of her race. She had graduated from high school with a high GPA and had done everything in her power to become qualified for acceptance, yet she was denied admission. Further research showed that the University of Michigan does in fact admit students based on race. When reading applications, they award points according to criteria. For example, if one writes a good essay he is awarded 1 point and if he is a minority he is awarded 20 points.Something is askew. Is being a minority is 20 times more important than one’s scholarly achievements? The University’s argument is that students learn better in a racially diverse environment. UC Davis is another example. In 1988 only 40 percent of Davis’ freshman class had been accepted solely on the basis of merit. While whites or Asian-Americans needed at least a 3. 7 GPA in high school to be accepted, most minority applicants were accepted even though they met much lower standards. Sixty-six percent of the whites graduated while only twenty-seven percent of blacks did.Even as recently as 1997 one was more likely to get accepted into UCLA if he were black or Hispanic than if he were white. The minority students had both lower GPA’s and test scores. There were 5000 applicants for 200 seats which meant that some qualified students were rejected to make way for less Baker 5 qualified minorities. (Chances of Admission) This does not sound like an equal society. In 1995 the University of California system voted to end all affirmative action in admissions. When the changes took effect in 1998, minority enrollment went down drastically.This seems prejudicial, but in reality it is fair and allows competition between the best, regardless of race. Everyone has an equal opportunity to receive an education. Public schools are free and it is mandatory that children attend them. Any student can take full advantage of their first 12 years of education and earn the GPA that will gain them admission into a college. If a student is born into a poor family there a re scholarships and student loans available. Malcom X is a perfect example of someone choosing to rise up and get an education.Early in his life he made very unwise choices and ended up a pimp. When he was caught and thrown in jail he decided to begin educating himself. All he had was a dictionary but he used that dictionary and copied down every page. He went from being an illiterate street pimp to a very influential political leader. Affirmative action wasn’t around in Malcom’s time, but today everybody knows about it or has at least heard the term used. The first time I heard about affirmative action was when my brother first started working at Ralph’s supermarket.There was a black woman working there who was very slow and unproductive. One day my brother asked a fellow employee why the lady didn’t lose her job and he said, â€Å"She’s here for affirmative action reasons. † It turned out that whenever the lady was scheduled for a shift, a nother Baker 6 worker was also scheduled just to make up for the inefficiency of the black lady. My brother’s boss feared a lawsuit if he fired her. This is ridiculous! It is a costly arrangement and unfair to the lady hired just to take up slack for someone else’s laziness.The policy of affirmative action basically states that in order to have an integrated society with equal opportunities for all races, minorities must be given an advantage to make up for their disadvantages. This means that less qualified applicants are getting hired and that students who do not meet the requirements for college admission are being accepted while qualified students are being turned away, all based on race. The Constitution bans the exclusion of minorities from anything based on color, therefore it is unconstitutional to exclude whites based on the same principles. The lesson of great decisions of the Supreme Court and the lesson of contemporary history have been the same for at leas t a generation: discrimination on the basis of race is illegal, immoral, unconstitutional, inherently wrong, and destructive of democratic society. †(Gross, 1) Affirmative action is asking us to overlook all that we’ve learned and even fought for. Since affirmative action is such a hot topic and it affects our country as a whole, it’s important to know how the presidential candidates view this subject. Vice President Al Gore tends to favor the policy while Governor George Bush disagrees with it.Gore’s idea is â€Å"mend it, don’t end it. †(Al Gore) He says that affirmative action has done a lot for women and minorities over the years and that to get rid of it would be a waste. He has yet Baker 7 to provide a way to fix it. Bush argues against quotas and goals and proposes an alternative to this policy, one he has used in Texas. He terms his system of ideas and policies â€Å"affirmative access†. (George Bush) His idea leans more toward s the original thinking of the Civil Rights Act and promoting equal opportunity. An example is that the top 10 percent of each high school’s graduates be automatically accepted into the college of their choice.Supposedly the idea has been effective over the past couple of years in Texas. Both candidates have good points. Affirmative action has helped reduce minorities’ and women’s suffering prejudices in the workplace and in school, but on the other hand it has been taken to the extreme and the prejudices have been turned around. We need to get back to the heart of what the original affirmative action intended. Racial prejudices need to be eliminated completely. We are all the same on the inside. There is no reason to consider outward appearances.Employers and colleges only need to look at the applicants’ qualifications when determining who will be hired or accepted. Affirmative action could also use a face-lift, like the name change Bush suggested. When the term â€Å"affirmative action† is used, it is looked upon negatively and is associated with discrimination. A law that requires the acceptance of the most qualified would allow competition of the best and eliminate the issues of minority prejudices. If no regard is given to race, as Kennedy intended, then only the most qualified applicant will be accepted. This is fair. Baker 8Affirmative action has, in a way, become unfair to minorities. What is going to make them strive to be the best by working hard to get that promotion or studying hard to get those grades if they know they have an easy in? It has become an insult to minorities. Affirmative action is basically saying that they are not as smart or as qualified to be in good schools or in good jobs. It is saying that they need special help to get jobs and into colleges. It is a mockery. I know so many smart minority people who will transfer into better colleges than I and I’m as white as they come!I sat next to a girl this semester who was so intelligent and had the most amazing style of writing. She was a mix of Indian and black. We must not insult these people by suggesting that we must compensate for their â€Å"inferiority† to make everyone equal in the eyes of the law. We were all created equal, and anyone, black, white, or any other race, can choose to set higher goals and achieve them just as Malcom X did. The old affirmative action is outdated. The premise that minorities should be given an advantage to make up for their disadvantages is ridiculous and irrelevant.Most of the minorities coming into the work force were born after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and therefore have not suffered disadvantages in school or the workplace. If anything, they have reaped the benefits of affirmative action. California and Texas, as well as a few other states, have begun to take major steps in eliminating affirmative action. It is a start but it needs to spread. We are all equal and absolutely no regard should be given to Baker 9 race in education or employment. It is time to end the old affirmative action. We need a policy that eliminates the issue of race completely.