Language and Identity Essay

Who am I? What is it that defines that personality? Anzaldua argues in her essay that the language is what defines one’s identity. Language is indeed an important component of culture, and culture is known to be a crucial definer of identity. People use language to connect to their identities and communicating their realities and values to themselves and to the world around them†¦ In other words, language is important because people use it to express their thoughts and beliefs. â€Å"People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances† (Baldwin 109). Consequently, language does not necessarily define identity as much as identity defines language. People decide on what language to use in order to communicate with their communities according to their identities. One’s identity defines and regulates the use of language and not the contrary. People speak different languages; this difference is used to identify and distinguish between different people, different ethnicities and races. The human need to belong to a group makes them abide to a specific language and dialect that represents their specific community and differentiate it from the rest. Language is what connects people to their communities; they are directly connected to people who speak the same language as them. Anzaldua argues that â€Å"Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic, I am my language† (Anzaldua 136), which strongly supports the fact that language is used to ensure that people belong to group. Talking the same language and using the same expressions defines to which group people belong to, it also evaluates the truthfulness of the affiliation. â€Å"Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself†, which basically states that language shapes one’s identity. This statement however, does not apply to all situations and communities and is certainly not constant. There are people who cannot identify to a specific group but rather to a variety of communal affiliations. Most people speak multiple languages; each language connects them to a specific culture and group of people. Tan clearly mentions in her story that she had to speak two different languages to her Asian mom who had her own made up English. Tan relates to both her Asian descent and American belongings by using her mom’s made up English to speak with her mom, and uses the proper English to give lectures and speak to most Americans. On the same grounds, Anzaldua learned through her life experiences to frequently use multiple types of English, and many other Dialects of proper Spanish and Mexican Spanish. She uses each language to communicate, connect and affiliate to specific people according to their background. This proves that the assumption that language defines culture and identity fails. What happens to the people who speak many languages, do they not get the benefit and pride of belonging to a certain community? Rather the contrary, they belong to multiple communities and they choose which group they want to communicate with and with which language. People have the ability to switch from a language to another to be part of a group and this supports the idea that identity defines and shapes language, and not the opposite. Language is used as a way to identify with people, but it is also used to distinguish between them. People use language to differentiate between people and associate them to a specific culture and community according to the language they speak. America is known for having a diverse population, and people are identified based on their language; Mexicans can be recognized to be Mexicans because of their accents even though they might be Caucasian. Tan argues that her mom spoke broken English that limited the people’s perception of her capacities. â€Å"People in department stores, banks, restaurants, did not take her seriously† (Tan 144)which strictly proves that people who do speak the proper language of the specific group they happen to be in generates a different treatment than that a true English speaker. Baldwin denounces that black Americans are treated differently than white Americans because they speak English with a different accent. When speaking â€Å"Black English, you have confessed your parents, your youth, your school, your salary, your self-esteem, and, alas, your future† (Baldwin 110) according to Baldwin. People associate language with background which then leads to choose to treat that specific person a talk to him a way they associate with the people who speak that exact same language. In this case, for the minority, it is language that assumes their behavior, but for the other dominant group, it is identity that shapes behavior. It is their identity that tells them that a specific language must be allocated with that specific type of person and then treat them in the way it is conventions set. People speak a specific language because it is in their identity to do so, and they choose to treat people differently according to language. This allows me to conclude that identity defines language, and language triggers behavior. Language is a major crucial component of our everyday life; it is used to differentiate between different categories of people, connect with one each group, and then choose how they will address those people. People argue that it is language that defines which type of person you are and shapes your identity. The arguments and the authors I quoted obviously proved the contrary, and stated that it is one’s identity that sets up and decides on the language used. References: Anzaldua, Gloria.  «How to Tame a Wild Tongue. » Nancy R Comley, David Hamilton, Carl H Klaus, Robert Scholes, Nancy Sommers, Jason T ougaw. Fields of Reading. New york : Bedford/ St. Martin’s , 2010. 131-141. Baldwin, James.  «If black english Isn’t a language, Then Tell Me, What is. » Nancy R Comley, David Hamilton, Carl H Klaus, Robert Scholes, Nancy Sommers, Jason Tougaw. Fields of Reading. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 109-113. Tan, Amy.  «Mother Tongue. » Nancy R Comley, David Hamilton, Carl H Klaus, Robert Scholes, Nancy Sommers, Jason Tougaw. Fields of Reading. New York : Bedford/St. Matin’s, 2010. 142-147.

Skewed Unemployment Rate

Define the Problem: The real national unemployment rate is higher than the U. S. Department of Labor’s December figure shows. When the underemployed and discouraged are added to the unemployment numbers, the national unemployed rate rises to 16. 6%. This causes morale to be low and Americans seem to be giving up. Variables Identified by Order of Influence: 1. The government no longer counts people as unemployed when they stop looking for work. The unemployment numbers don’t account for part-time workers or people seeking advanced degrees to improve their chances of landing a higher paying job. 2. More jobs were reported created than were really actually reported. Problem Statement: Unemployment fell by almost half a percentage point in December, dropping the national unemployment rate to 9. 4%, according to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, January 7, 2011. Unemployment has been high but relatively stable throughout 2010, ranging from 9. 5 to 9. 9%. December’s figure of 9. 4% is the lowest unemployment rate for all of 2010. The official unemployment index, based on a monthly survey of sample households, counts only people who reported looking for work in the past four weeks. The national unemployment rate wrapped up 2010 by significantly dropping to 9. 4 percent in December, the lowest level in 19 months despite a constant 9 percent unemployment rate for 20 months in a row, a new post-World War II record. There are two main reasons for the skewed unemployment numbers. The first key reason for the drop was that the government no longer counts people as unemployed when they stop looking for work. It doesn't account for part-time workers who want to work more hours but can't, given the tight job market. And it doesn't include those who have given up trying to find work. The second reason is that more jobs were reported that were grossed. Meaning jobs were posted but never existed and thus lowered the actual job openings lowering the unemployment rate. It's bad enough that the nation's jobless rate is 9. 4%. But the real national employment rate is even higher than the U. S. Department of Labor's December figure shows. The truth is that even the broader measure of unemployment doesn't fully capture how difficult the job market is for U. S. workers. It doesn't include self-employed workers whose incomes have shriveled. It doesn't look at former full-time employees who have accepted short-term contracts, without benefits, and at a fraction of their former salaries. And it doesn't count the many would-be workers who are going back to school, taking on more debt, in hopes that advanced degrees will improve their chances of landing jobs. The purpose of this report is to discover and offer a solution; if for no other reason, to provide a better education on how the U. S. Department of Labor manipulates the actual employment rate. Definition of Terms BLS- Bureau of Labor Statistics Corporate Outsourcing- Creation of jobs overseas by American businesses. Literature Review Many researchers have studied statistics of unemployment, available jobs, and causes related to the influx of unemployment in recent years. The following resources were very interesting and useful for my research. (IStockAnaylais. com, New Haven Register) This source discusses the issues regarding job growth over the last 2 years. Wall Street views this report as that the job expectations fell short of everyone’s expectations and the unemployment rate was likely skewed by seasonal factors. Public jobs grew at a steady rate but the government slashed many jobs due to congressional mandates set at an earlier time period. Work hours were also mentioned throughout my research of this article. Shorter work weeks having many worthy job seekers and economists scared and with the decline work hours many are starting to stay in panic mode. This article touched many key points regarding the number unemployed as well as the averages associated with the overall hours worked in a normal work week. (Newsday. om) Provide me with handy research data. I found this article to be instrumental for my research. This article covered the overall drop in the unemployment rate and it’s significant in ones respect because a falling unemployment rate during the job market recovery has often just reflected a rise in the number of discouraged workers – those unemployed people who have given up looking for a job and thus aren't included in the unemployment rate. Economist cautioned no t to expect too much too fast and to stay upbeat. The article also mentioned the difference between the recessions, stating this period was different because of the low amount of work hours involved. According to the article many Americans were involuntary forced to work part-time and counted as employed. Factor in these involuntarily underemployed workers plus the burgeoning number of discouraged job seekers, and California's real unemployment rate is 20%. Many people have been unemployed for lengthy periods of time and have giving up all hope. These people were also not reported in the overall national unemployment rate. EmployeeIssues. com) reported the unemployment rate does not include workers who are involuntarily working only part time and with fewer benefits, if any, such as no health, disability or life insurance, because they can’t find full-time jobs or their work hours were cut. The article went into detail regarding how much the average part-times wages were and how people were unable to maintain adequate healthc are coverage for their immediate families. The article went on to say the unemployment rate also does not include â€Å"marginally-attached† unemployed workers. The BLS does not count them in the official rate because they stopped looking for work, for reasons such as school attendance, family matters or their collective perception that there simply are no jobs. With the average person collecting unemployment for 26 weeks the article countered that by giving numbers more in the 33 week range for collecting benefits. There were many factors involved with work hours and other limiting issues covered within this article which supported my research. (Examineer. com) contained valuable information vital to my research. Some major issues were discussed within this article to include one final example of the disconnect between government reporting and the reality of the situation comes in the world of Unemployment Insurance. In many states across the union, unemployment benefits have been extended to unprecedented lengths. In Michigan, one could maintain their benefits for more than two years depending upon their circumstance. However, normal unemployment benefits are granted in intervals of 26 weeks for those who held the same position for one year. Here is the denominator to this equation. Anyone who has been collecting unemployment benefits for more than 26 weeks will not be counted among the unemployed. Thus, those who are still receiving state benefits in their 27th week are considered ‘out of the labor force' or 'employed'. Summary The issue that comes to the forefront of the debate on the reality of unemployment in the United States is that of honesty in government disclosures, the ability to skew statistics to create false optimism among the populace and the overall contradiction of cumulative job losses against a declining rate of unemployment. To understand this fully, one must understand how the government classifies citizens in their surveying as well as the political implications associated with this monthly report. There are millions of people out there without jobs, who have exhausted their benefits, who are simply not being counted. The above resources will help me determine the actual cause and how it will impact the struggling economy’s advancement towards a manageable workforce and improved lifestyle. Report the Findings Many researchers have studied statistics of unemployment, available jobs, and causes related to the influx of unemployment in the recent years. The following resources were very interesting and useful for my research. The Labor Department's statistics don't include the underemployed and those who have stopped looking for work. This alternative measure creates a much higher number. The federal government uses metric analysis to determine unemployment numbers each month, and sometimes per week. However, those metrics are skewed by political anomalies put in to try to make the numbers fit the agenda. For example, the nefarious birth/death rate assumptions which have no true basis for statistics, but in reality keep the numbers low to form a more positive or less negative outlook on unemployment. According to (Newsday. com) the overall drop in the unemployment rate was significant in one respect because a falling unemployment rate during the job market recovery has often just reflected a rise in the number of discouraged workers – those unemployed people who have given up looking for a job and thus aren't included in the unemployment rate. But this was not the case so much in December 2010. We're on a growth path,† said Ken Goldstein, economist for The Conference Board, a Manhattan business research group. But he cautioned not to expect too much, too fast. â€Å"It has gone up a lot because a lot of people have been put on short hours,† said economist Gary Burtless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization. â€Å"And there are a lot of discouraged workers. † Shortened work hours are, in fact, one of the ways this recession is different from the ones in the early 1980s and early 1990s, Burtless said. Another difference is the huge number of people who have been permanently laid off. â€Å"Some people have lost their income altogether, and others have seen a drop in hours even if they remain employed,† Burtless said. â€Å"It was a double whammy for labor income. † The two trends are especially apparent in California, where the official unemployment rate is 12. 6%. Severe layoffs in early 2009 wiped out 100,000 jobs a month, according to Michael S. Bernick, a research fellow at the Milken Institute and a former head of California's labor department. The number of people working less than 35 hours a week has exploded. The recession has left 1. 5 million Californians involuntarily working part time, though they are classified as employed. Factor in these involuntarily underemployed workers plus the burgeoning number of discouraged job seekers, and California's real unemployment rate is 20%. Another difference in this recession — and a likely reason for the high number of discouraged job seekers — is the number of people who have been unemployed for more than 27 weeks. The Wall Street Journal) reports that 7 million Americans have been looking for work for 27 weeks or more, and the majority of them — 4. 7 million — have been out of work for a year or more. California, the number out of work more than 27 weeks is almost 900,000, more than the population of San Francisco. â€Å"That largely reflects how more severe this recession has been than of 1982 and of the 1990s,† said Bernick, who has worked in the job-training field since the late 1970s. Now, although severe layoffs are no longer occurring, hiring has not picked up significantly, the labor market is still very, very slow,† Bernick said. â€Å"Each job (opening) brings tens, usually hundreds, of applicants. † According to (EmployeeIssues. com) â€Å"The unemployment rate does not include workers who are involuntarily working only part time and with fewer benefits, if any, such as no health, disability or life insurance, because they can’t find full-time jobs or their work hours were cut. Counting part-timers and full-timers, the average workweek in December was unchanged from November at 4. 3 hours. Average hourly earnings increased by 3 cents to $22. 78. † The unemployment rate also does not include â€Å"marginally-attached† unemployed workers. The BLS does not count them in the official rate because they stopped looking for work, for reasons such as school attendance, family matters or their collective perception that there simply are no jobs. The number of involuntarily part-timers was around 8. 9 million in December, down from about 9. 1 a year earlier. The number of marginally-attached unemployed workers was a little over 2. 6 million, up from about 2. million in December 2009. Among the marginally-attached, about 1. 3 million were so-called â€Å"discouraged workers† who gave up looking for work due to their shared perception that there are no jobs, about the same as in November but up by about 389,000 from a year ago. The BLS counted a total of about 14. 5 million workers as unemployed in December, down by 556,000 from November and thus, why the unemployment rate dropped from 9. 8 to 9. 4 percent. The average period of unemployment was 34. 2 weeks, up from 33. 9 in November and 29. 3 a year ago. The number of long-term unemployed workers, those who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, increased from about 6. 3 to 6. 4 million in December, accounting for 44. 3 percent of the unemployed workers that the BLS counted as such. State unemployment benefits typically last only 26 weeks without state or federal extensions. The job growth, while encouraging, did not match economists' expectation that the nation would have added 150,000 to 200,000 jobs last month. Hopes were high, especially after payroll and staffing firm ADP reported earlier this week the economy added 279,000 last month. We underperformed a bit on the job front,† Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist at Data Core Partners in New Haven, said of the government report. Job figures and the unemployment rate come from surveys of businesses and households. â€Å"The numbers which carry more weight are the job numbers, by far,† Klepper-Smith said. â€Å"It's all about jobs, jobs, jobs. † The une mployment rate, meanwhile, likely was skewed by seasonal factors in December, he said, since â€Å"there is no good justification fundamentally for a four-tenths-of-a-point decline. According to the (Examiner. com) one final example of the disconnect between government reporting and the reality of the situation comes in the world of Unemployment Insurance. In many states across the union, unemployment benefits have been extended to unprecedented lengths. In Michigan, one could maintain their benefits for more than two years depending upon their circumstance. However, normal unemployment benefits are granted in intervals of 26 weeks for those who held the same position for one year. Here is the denominator to this equation. Anyone who has been collecting unemployment benefits for more than 26 weeks will not be counted among the unemployed. Thus, those who are still receiving state benefits in their 27th week are considered ‘out of the labor force' or 'employed'. Explanation of Findings What these findings paint is an unrealistic picture, continuing claims and the jobless rate help provide a snapshot of the overall condition of employment. While the jobless rate can, over time, somewhat track the more prominent unemployment rate found in the monthly labor report produced by the BLS, it has its flaws. The Labor Department provides the following explanation: â€Å"Some people are still jobless when their benefits run out, and many more are not eligible at all or delay or never apply for benefits. So, quite clearly, UI information cannot be used as a source for complete information on the number of unemployed. † That is, they're not counted as unemployed, but likely would be in the BLS report. Therefore, fluctuations in the jobless rate might not necessarily be reflective of what the trend in the unemployment rate will look like in the monthly labor report. Initial claims data are used to detect emerging employment trends. Outsized gains garner attention because they suggest looming employment weakness, which could spread to the rest of the economy. Outsized decreases imply impending employment strength. This data series is volatile. Extreme weather conditions create commensurate extremes in the data. This can happen for two reasons: either weather conditions prevented people from filing, or it temporarily or permanently put them out of work. Seasonal adjustments sometimes do an inadequate job of capturing seasonal changes. It can take several weeks for the data to be considered representative of what's really going on in the economy. The unemployment rate is calculated as (# of unemployed people)/ (# of unemployed + # of employed people) as calculated by the surveys run by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (assuming you're in the US, most developed countries have similar statistical bureaus that run similar surveys). I haven't checked what the BLS definition is, but in Australia unemployed means that you were actively seeking work or were waiting to start work – the idea being that this excludes people who are unable to work, or retired, or otherwise wouldn't get jobs even if there were jobs to get. In that sense, the unemployment rate has nothing to do with how many jobs there are out there to lose. However, the movement in the unemployment rate could certainly reduce not because the economy is improving but because it can't get any worse. Also, there's some argument over the definition of â€Å"employed†, since international convention allows for anyone who worked at least one hour to count as employed, meaning that people with part-time or casual jobs with very few hours would be able to work more hours if they were available may be â€Å"underemployed† (which is not measured in the unemployment rate). Recommendation for Change There are millions of people out there without jobs, who have exhausted their benefits, who are simply not being counted so the government can look like heroes. I suggest all people who have exhausted benefits write their congressman so they can be counted. If the people don't speak up, then nothing will be done. Nothing is getting better. There are no jobs (unless you are in the health care field), and the economy still stinks. A simple solution would be for the state to continue having people who are unemployed to claim weeks online even after benefits are exhausted. This would require a simple upgrade to the state's already-existing database, to include ineligible claimants as well. If all states did the same, a true jobless figure could be attained, and the seriousness of the problem would be brought to light. Corporate outsourcings of American jobs are what have hurt our country's financial infrastructure, nothing else. If we don't stop them now, it may not be our country anymore in the future. The people need to wake up and start writing. Don't believe the drivel they feed us every day!

Microeconomics †Product & Resource Markets

It was at Menlo Park Laboratory Complex that Thomas Edison first unveiled the incandescent light bulb in December 1879 (Bellis 2006). More than a century has passed and, in that time, his famed invention has spread all over the world, marking great cities visible to passing planes. It has diminished from an astonishing wonder to an everyday, commonplace thing. In a large portion of the globe, light bulbs have become a basic necessity, placing it among products with inelastic demand. Without the artificial lighting, all manner of work at night would have to be severely limited. Artificial lighting also satisfies the demand for abstract concepts like the feeling of security and comfort. Demand for this product is inelastic because there are no substitutes for light bulbs; no other invention can efficiently produce artificial lighting. Incandescent light bulbs can be sold for less than a dollar a piece and requires a very small proportion of income. Changes in the price of artificial lighting is likely to cause only relatively small shifts in demand. If more than a century after Edison invented incandescent lighting, a new invention was placed in the market- a paint product that provided light when supplied with a weak electrical current. This new product presents itself as a substitute, which in turn, steals dollar votes for light bulbs. The quantity of light bulbs is sure to go down as some consumers favor the new product, forcing light bulb manufacturers to either exit the industry, increase prices, lower manufacturing costs, or innovate. A lot of women around the world, even those who don’t know fashion TV and the like, want a Prada bag. They can fetch a price of some hundreds to thousands of dollars. The supply for these bags, however, is inelastic. Even if the tiniest bag were to suddenly jack up in price, the quantity of Prada bags in the market would remain the same, or even go down as Prada will realize that their market has shrunk considerably. A Prada bag is unique, requiring very specific materials and highly skilled labor, including that of the designer, put together in a controlled manner. Because there is only one fashion house for Miuccia Prada, she, as a resource, has no substitution possibility contributing to the inelasticity of supply. Reference List: Bellis, M. (2006). The inventions of Thomas Edison. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bledison.htm   

Human Resource Management in Context Assignment

Human Resource Management in Context - Assignment Example 5). Key Developments in Human Resource Management – Hard and Soft Versions: The above-mentioned reason is enough to explain so many developments in Human Resource management in recent times. Human Resource Management can be differentiated between hard and soft versions. The followers of hard version treat their employees as one of the inputs in the business and try to utilize them in the best possible way to generate the most profit. For this, they try to reduce cost and try to focus on flexibility techniques. On the other hand, the followers of soft version of Human Resource Management believe employees to be the most precious asset of the organization and they apply different strategies to retain their employees and to make them happy (Armstrong, 2009, p. 5). It would be wrong to say as to which technique is the best. Companies choose a version on Human Resource Management depending upon its core values and company’s philosophies and design their HR strategy according ly. There are companies that apply a combination of both soft and hard versions of Human Resource Management. ... HR professionals would deal with the concerns of the employees as they arise from the employees’ side. However, the view of looking at an HR professional and the span of its roles and responsibilities have changed drastically over time. Now, HR professionals are seen in most organizations as business partners (Hunter, 2006, p. 6). The word â€Å"business† in Business Partners implies a strategic intervention. It refers to something that has to be implemented from the top i.e. designing the strategy. Besides, the term â€Å"partners† refers to working alongside, and at the same level with that of the top management (Charles and Fombrun, 1984 , p. 3). Now, HR professionals sit with the top management, help them, and advise them in designing a company’s strategy and that is where the role of strategic HRM comes into play (Charles and Fombrun, 1984 , p. 3). Once, a company’s strategy is designed then HR strategy is designed keeping in view companyâ€⠄¢s strategy. For example, if company’s business strategy is cost leadership so the culture in the organization would be such that would incentivise its employees on cost-cutting activities and the like (Kenton and Yarnall, 2009, p. 2). This is why, when today one talks about HR professionals, he talks about someone who is working hand in hand with the company in order to implement its strategy from top to bottom, and is thus playing a role of a Business Partner of that company. External Contexts of HRM: Today’s HR professional has to be aware about the key developments in the business or in business’ strategy. Moreover, he also has to be aware about the external context in which the business operates. By external context, we mean a company’s macro environment. This includes socio-cultural,

Close reading assignment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Close reading assignment - Term Paper Example To begin with, let us look into the impressions created by the use of vocabulary and diction in the stanza. From the very first word one is likely to notice is Death. It is particularly vivid due to its capitalization and unexpectedness – indeed, few poems start immediately with death. Another grasping thing is that Death is humanized in the poem: it is He. This creates an impression that there is a woman (the speaker herself) and a gentleman who in a courteous manner â€Å"stops for her† and invites her to have a pleasant ride in a carriage. The pleasantry of the ride is evident given a particularly desirable element in the trip: Death and the speaker are accompanied by Immortality. This sounds as if there were one more pleasant and gallant companion – someone named Immortality. Thus, the two most striking things about this stanza is Death and He naturally complement each other. Death is a name of a gentleman and He is used to refer to him. The third striking th ing – Immortality – by its denotation contradicts Death. It means â€Å"no death†, in fact. Unlike death, immortality has a positive connotation and may be associated with such notions as paradise, eternal life, and blissfulness. The fact that it befriends Death and accompanies him enhances the positive feeling about the latter and gives it a positive connotation. On a deeper level, the vocabulary is fairly simple and even somewhat plain. Despite the fact that the poem was written in the 19th century, the words used in the poem’s first stanza would be familiar virtually to anyone today. At the same time, the choice of vocabulary in the first stanza is not accidental: it immediately introduces the reader to the rest of the poem. Namely, in Line 1: Because I could not stop for Death – Dickinson immediately introduces death and lets us know that the poem will be about death. While the use of â€Å"because† is not a typical way to begin a poem, or start a sentence in fiction/literary prose or colloquial conversation, the choice of this word is deliberate here. Use of â€Å"because† creates a feeling that a speaker provides a kind of explanation to the question that has been asked or to the future argument that will be discussed in the poem. The use of â€Å"because† suggests that the speaker engages the audience into accompanying him in an active and lively manner. The use of the expression â€Å"could not stop for death† expresses the idea that the poem’s speaker actually did not have a chance to choose when she would die. At its simplest, this phrase may mean that no one can ever know when he or she will die. Death capitalized means attribution of human nature to a non-human and abstract phenomenon – death. Further, the choice of words in Line 2 implies the following important things: death is he (in other words, a man or a gentleman), and what he does he does â€Å"kindly† (this is important for creating the overall mood of the poem, since it actually prevents fear in those who are reading the poem). Next, Lines 3-4 introduce one more actor in the poem – Immortality. Capitalization of â€Å"Immortality† may mean that Immortality is someone third that accompanies the speaker and Death. It may also mean that this word is particularly important, so not necessarily a humanized object.

Learning Effective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Learning Effective - Essay Example Teaching and learning information and knowledge is an anachronism, secondly a wider choice of the population procedure and produce knowledge. Knowledge is not the ownership of a small number of â€Å"experts†, thirdly, prospects for employment link more to the skill to improve and convey learning. The collection of a qualification is not sufficient and lastly the land of knowledge is a great deal richer and wider, involving numerous sources, forms and contexts. â€Å"Learning is no longer the province of special institutions: it is a way of being. In such a context the goals of learning need to focus less on knowledge acquisition by individuals, and more on knowledge-generation with others.† ( Institute of Education) Effective students have achieved knowledge of the social and individual procedure essential to become successful learners. This is not simply attainment of specific tactics, but the supervising and evaluation of knowledge to observe whether approaches are effectual. This has been explained as "metalearning" and "teaching how to learn†. Effective learning comprises this extra critical element which dynamically engages the learner in meta-cognitive procedure of setting up, supervising and reflecting. As a result we can deduce that learning is an endeavor of construction, dealt with others and driven by the agency of learners. Effective learning is every one of these properties at their best, as well as the review and monitoring of whether tactics and approaches are proving helpful for the specific context and goals. An effective student is resourceful and is able to actively make use of various approaches and strategies for different purposes and contexts, for instance, gaining knowledge from books even as alone, generating knowledge with different people during a project, actively paying attention to an explanation, constructing conversation with

Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House - Assignment Example However, there is no direct reference to A Doll's House in the obituary material. In the Wikipedia entry, only one statement directly refers to the play. However, these two last sources could still be useful as relevant, though indirect materials to aid a student doing a research paper on A Doll's House to shed light on how influences and Ibsen's life background contributed to his writing of the particular play in study. According to the Britannica article on Henrik Ibsen, the "proper voice" of the Norwegian playwright came with the writing of A Doll's House in 1879 (par. 10). In the succeeding three paragraphs of the article, the characters, the plot, the technique used by Ibsen as well as the reaction of audiences towards the play are discussed (par. 11-13). Paragraph 11 tells about the characters and the plot of the play - Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora, with their three children and how a secret of Nora would unravel that would pave the way for revealing the true character of the people in the play.

Synthesis Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Synthesis Discussion - Essay Example However, commercialization of the television new and advertisement has remained the focal point where the most politicians have complete control over their images. In the political ad, a bad politician may be framed as a strong and good leaders who can serve well his or her people a strategy that may try to raise his ethos with his followers. Television commercials use all kinds of fictions stories, filmmaking like scripts, visuals and even editing so as to put the major campaign themes of most candidates into a few powerful political image (Goodrum & Godo, 2011). This increases elicit emotional reactions thereby inspiring support for a candidate or creates doubts about their fellow opponents. As television commercialization reflects major styles and techniques of the time periods in which they were made, most important strategies and massages have remained unchanged for a very long period of time. It must view the functions of the leaders as that of a parent whose major role is to protect the whole family from external aggression of the

Housing Policy Seoul, Korea Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Housing Policy Seoul, Korea - Research Paper Example ty has also experienced extensive sprawl and suburbanization, growing into a metropolis of twenty million citizens in neighboring provinces and cities. In the face of this abrupt and phenomenal expansion, Seoul metropolitan Government has had to manage emerging urban challenges with a fair share of lamentable mistakes and success stories (Yoonseuk, 2012). As part of a two-tier local government administration, Seoul Metropolitan Government is involved in policy-making for the entire metropolitan region. Seoul has been at the center of a remarkable boom in residential buildings, in which older houses have been replaced by newer ones that with increased density (Yoonseuk, 2012). The inner cities, specifically, have seen phenomenal renewal over the past twenty years, both in terms of pace and magnitude. Managing this growth across the entire metropolitan area has been one of the most challenging issues of planning for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, especially in light of the Jeonse system that is unique to South Korea and has resulted in unique challenges for Seoul. This paper will discuss the unique challenges facing Seoul, as well as how the Seoul Metropolitan Government has reacted to these challenges in way of housing policy. Finally, the paper will present an evaluation of these policies with regards to their success. The low interest rates and the lengthy slump in the housing markets In South Korea as a result of the Asian financial crisis and the global financial crisis threatened the very future of the jeonse system, which is a unique and long-standing home-lease system that stretched back to the 19th century. These jeonse contracts have been a mainstay in Seoul since it was founded over a century ago. In this system, the tenant, rather than paying rent monthly, pays the landlord a lump sum, up-front deposit that is normally ~40% of the houses value (Yoo, 2014). After a lease period of two years, the landlord can either renew the lease or refund it in its

Lean Supply Chain Management Essay Example for Free

Lean Supply Chain Management Essay Manufacturing, Fall River, MA, USA Abstract Lean supply is closely associated with enabling ? ow and the elimination of wasteful variation within the supply chain. However, lean operations depend on level scheduling and the growing need to accommodate variety and demand uncertainty has resulted in the emergence of the concept of agility. This paper explores the role of inventory and capacity in accommodating such variation and identi? es how TRIZ separation principles and TOC tools may be combined in the integrated development of responsive and ef? cient supply chains. A detailed apparel industry case study is used to illustrate the application of these concepts and tools. r 2003 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Agile; Trade-offs; Lean; Quick response 1. Introduction Outsourcing manufacture to low cost overseas suppliers is an attractive lure in our global economy, but often undertaken without adequate regard for the market needs and the corresponding demands on the associated delivery systems. Products compete in different ways in different markets and delivery systems need to be designed with this in mind. Offshore supply offers attractive cost bene? ts, but the trade-off is often high levels of inventory to support a slower response capability.

Place of Consumerism in New Middle Classes

Place of Consumerism in New Middle Classes What is the place of Consumerism in the lifestyle of emergent new middle classes in Ireland? Basically an application of a Bourdieu/ Featherstone argument about new middle classes to the Irish case. Chapter One: Introduction In order to examine the place of Consumerism in the lifestyle of emergent new middle classes in Ireland, the ideas of ‘Consumerism’, ‘lifestyle’ and ‘emergent new middle classes’ must first be defined. Accordingly these definitions will occupy the preliminary discussions of this thesis in the relevant sections. The thesis will examine the role of emergent middle classes, and will attempt to tie this discussion to analysis of how and why demographic trends such as the emergence of new middle classes have evolved, and what place Consumerism has in the lifestyles of those individuals within these new demographic cleavages. Economic events and socio-economic developments (both historical and contemporary) linked to these events have been the main precipitative forces responsible for these emergent sociological contours[i]. The economic and socio-economic climate in Ireland and how this has developed will therefore be a centre point in examining the role of emergent new middle classes and how Consumerism has impacted the role and lifestyle of these sectors. These ideas will be introduced in the literature review and they will be fleshed out throughout the thesis in order to gain a holistic and comprehensive insight into the place of Consumerism in the lifestyle of emergent new middle classes in Ireland. This analysis will be contextualised with reference to the theories of Bourdieu (1979) and Featherstone (1992) whose cultural perspectives on society have mainly rationalised Consumerism in terms of subjectivity and individual perceptions; therefore repudiating the idea that Consumerism is simply an objective, independent market force which operates within neo-classical[ii] and laissez-faire[iii] boundaries. Images of Irish society will be very important in this thesis and the images/themes which will be examined throughout the thesis to facilitate this discussion of Consumerism are images of secularisation, images of Class Dealignment, images connected with the Celtic Tiger and the process of diversification. The next section will examine the methodology of the thesis. This will link the above mentioned theoretical definitions, arguments and analysis into the wider empirical and qualitative aims of the thesis. The chosen methodology is discourse analysis, and turning to a discussion of the definition of what exactly this is, is a natural progression. Accordingly, this discussion of definition will follow in the next section. The next section will also introduce the methodological framework of the thesis. It will define the various applications and forms of discourse analysis and it will explain how these will be considered throughout the thesis. Chapter Two Methodology: Discourse Analysis This thesis will rely primarily upon empirical evidence gathered through discourse analysis. The writer has selected a number of cultural themes from selected publications and these will be examined empirically and through discourse analysis. These are diversification[iv] (both political and cultural), images of Class Dealignment, images of secularised society and the imputations which arise from the phrase ‘Celtic Tiger[v]’. These will be looked at in depth as the thesis progresses, and will be placed within the context of wider themes of economic, political and socio-economic factors which the writer will also examine in terms of broad and contextual discourse analysis. Discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary[vi] method of analysing sociological trends[vii] through the analysis of language[viii] and speech[ix], and how political ideas are disseminated through language[x]. This method will be used throughout the dissertation as a means of analysing the place of Consumerism in the lifestyle of emergent middle classes. Discourse analysis has been differentiated and divided into niche areas in terms of its application. For example, discourse analysis may be used on a micro scale which would involve minute analysis of grammatical structure[xi], language and the composition[xii] of language[xiii]. This is not a method which will be concentrated upon in this thesis, as the more expansive niches within discourse analysis, which concentrates upon context[xiv] and cultural, political and other sociological forces are more appropriate ways to analyse the question title. This is because the concentration of discourse analysis in terms of wider context[xv] and a focus on specifically identified themes rather than minute form[xvi] and constructions[xvii] gives the writer a lot more room to analyse political, cultural, sociological, demographic and economic trends, which is the ultimate goal of this thesis enquiry. Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) give us the following in depth definition of discourse analysis: ‘Discourse is a process resulting in a communicative act. The communicative act itself takes the form of a text. A text is commonly thought of as consisting of written or printed words on a page; but a text may also consist of sign language or spoken words, or it may comprise only the thoughts of a writer, or speaker, on the one hand, or a reader or listener, on the other. In addition to words, a text may consist of other symbols, sounds, gestures, or silences, in any combination that is intended to communicate information such as ideas, emotional states, and attitudes. It may fail to communicate, but if the intention to communicate is clearly there, it must be regarded as a text†¦..[xviii]’. Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) then go on explain how this abstract definition applies within the context of methodology: ‘Analysis of discourse is a methodology for examining texts and the communicative process that gives rise to them. Its primary purpose is to enable discourse analysts to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of texts. Because most texts are goal oriented, part of the purpose of discourse analysis is to enable people to recognize the intended goal of the writer or speaker and thus achieve some measure of control over the discourse†¦..The understanding that may be gained in this way helps to equalize the power relationship and enables an escape from the role of victim such that individuals may assume a greater degree of control over their lives. This book demonstrates that discourse is typically used to a greater or lesser degree for exploitation. Different types of discourse are intended to exploit consumers, voters, employees, children, women, minorities, and many other groups within society. An ability to analyze discourse offers such groups a means of protectionâ € ¦.[xix]’. A discourse is therefore an amalgam of perspective. These perspectives are often political, economic or ideological in nature, since the articulation of a perspective through discourse is often underpinned by struggles for political power and influence[xx]. This in turn imputes that a discourse has a special connection with politics and with economics and that cultural discourses have often been appended to these primary discourses. Chimombo, M. and Roseberry, R. (1998) make this point very strongly in the following passage: ‘†¦.The term control implies a power relationship between those who produce texts and those for whom these texts are intended. For example, politicians, lawyers, doctors, advertisers, business executives, teachers, and many others exercise power over their clients through the discourse that is characteristic of these professionals. Analysis of professional discourse can reveal these power relationships and the goals that may be hidden in them. †¦.[xxi]’. Cultural discourses may also be seen as having evolved indirectly from political, economic and ideological discourses[xxii]. A cultural discourse may therefore be rationalised as secondary in many ways to a political/ideological and to an economic discourse. However, it is important to understand that cultural discourses often exist within the framework of these arguably more primary discourses[xxiii]. Also, one must remember that an analysis of cultural discourse, without an adequate analysis of the wider context of the discourse and its relationship with other discourses will not be a credible analysis. The writer’s regard for a cultural discourse as a secondary discourse is an explanation of how cultural discourse has evolved; it is not intended to demarcate cultural discourse as less relevant than political, economic or ideological discourse. Clearly, cultural discourses have qualified and enriched these wider, politically tuned discourses and this in itself is a unique an d powerful mechanism of change. This explains the central nature of wider political discourse analysis in this thesis and it also explains why Fairclough (1995) [xxiv] in particular has argued that discourse analysis centres on the interpretation of political and ideological discourses. It is important to remember however that cultural discourse analysis is intertwined with these primary discourses in a subtle but imperative way. The following chapters will deal with definitions of lifestyle and consumerism. They will also introduce a general discourse analysis which will centre on the selected themes mentioned above and how they ultimately relate to politics, economics, and the demographic and sociological trends which have been emerging in Ireland over the last twenty years[xxv]. The concept of emergent middle classes will be defined in the following chapters also and this definition will lead into a broad and contextual discourse analysis of how middle classes emerged in Ireland. The effects of this emergence will be discussed, but all of these threads of analysis will ultimately be drawn together to look at the place of Consumerism in the lifestyle of emergent new middle classes in Ireland, and the arguments that have been made in this area by Bourdieu (1979) and Featherstone (1992). Chapter Three: Literature Review: What is ‘Consumerism’? Clarke (2003) gives us the following definition and explanation of Consumerism within the context of culture: ‘†¦.Bauman (1992c, 24) reflects that the strange dialectic of dependence and autonomy between consumer and consumer society is indeed not unlike that of the grammar and vocabulary of language and formed sentences of speech: the latter are in no way determined by the former and move freely within the frame it provides. The practice of consumption amounts, in other words, to an act of enunciation, which takes place in a space filled with unattached signifiers †¦ a space awaiting attribution of meaning (ibid.). The consumer is in no way manipulated, nor consumer behaviour determined, even though the consumer is formally deprived of autonomy in all forms but the duplicitous form of freedom of choice. The proliferation of relations of trust, the reliance on specialist knowledge and expertise, and the privatization of the task of constructing some form of continuity of life-experience are unavoidable features of life in a consumer society. But consumers are nonetheless in a position to make of their situation something other than what is intended. The problem, however, is that, as an act through which the presence of the individual †¦ can be confirmed and reasserted (ibid.), consumption and the relations of trust it entails provides an opportunistic means for the perpetuation and dramatic expansion of capitalism.†¦.[xxvi]’. Therefore, as has been argued above, Consumerism is a term which describes the links between happiness, material goods/possessions and humans[xxvii]. It can be argued that Consumerism refers to the idea that material goods and possessions induce feelings of happiness and accordingly all behaviours which may be linked to the endorsement of this rationale may also be described as Consumerism[xxviii]. Consumerism is an idea which was considered by Karl Marx[xxix], whose famous critique of Consumerism and capitalist ideology (Communism[xxx]) interpreted ideas of Consumerism as immoral and subversive[xxxi]. In modern terms Socialism rejects ideas related to Consumerism in a more moderate way, but the premise upon which Socialism is built mirrors Communism in its suspicion of Consumerism[xxxii]. Consumerism may also be described in terms of economic behaviour and policy. If one considers Consumerism in an abstract manner, it is possible to argue that the freedom of individuals to choose how to spend money/dissipate resources manifests itself as Consumerism, since the marketing of goods to a consumer encourages them to exercise their freedom to choose what to purchase. Clarke (2003) has noted that this is an ongoing and repetitive process: ‘The act of consumption is destined to repeat itself, since the human subject is irresistibly compelled to seek a unity and coherence it can never know†¦[xxxiii]’. Ideas relating to Consumerism have traditionally been associated with Western societies and have also been particularly synonymous with neo-liberal capitalism. However, it may be argued that with the growing influence of globalisation and technological advancements, the impact of Consumerism is a global one as opposed to the more traditional interpretation of Consumerism as being tied particularly to certain cultures, more so than to others. Ultimately, however, Consumerism is connected to the ideas of human rationality, freedom and choice and has evolved as a means whereby human wants are satisfied. Accordingly, Consumerism may also be seen as a sociological force since, the recognition of social standings within society can be defined in many ways according to material wealth and the accumulation of material possessions. Consumerism is a complex idea which may be interpreted objectively as well as subjectively. This characteristic of Consumerism has invited the levels of cultural, sociological and economic analysis which the theory of Consumerism seems to have attracted. Therefore, the evolution of Consumerism and the various interpretations of the current status of Consumerism will be relevant to this thesis. Consumerism; its construction and its manifestation can be seen to oscillate with cultural mores and the development of society. This is how Consumerism may also be seen as an evolving social construct. Certainly Bourdieu (1979), Lash and Urry (1994) as well as Baudrillard (1993) consider Consumerism as a malleable social construct[xxxiv], which has developed mostly as a result of the growing economic affluence[xxxv] which may be seen in Ireland[xxxvi]. Their views are that class is demarcated in terms of taste, culture and lifestyle[xxxvii], whereas historically this demarcation was less obvious since economic limitations precluded individuals from expressing taste, culture and lifestyle in the diverse ways that are possible today. Their analysis goes on to argue that Consumerism is the vehicle through which this transition has taken effect, since diversities in taste, culture and lifestyle have largely been introduced through the marketing of Consumerism and consumerist values. Therefore the accessibility of diversity to individuals has increased as economic conditions and Consumerism have delivered more choice to the individual. Emergent New Middle Classes ‘Middle classes’ is a somewhat overused term. It has historically been used to differentiate the economically disadvantaged within society from those whose incomes and resources provide them with enough money to live independently and relatively affluently within society, generally occupying the middle ground between rich and poor within society. The emergent new middle classes that are referred to in the scope of this thesis can be recognised as the product of an increasingly affluent society within Ireland[xxxviii], emerging as more individuals benefit from the higher standards of living that may be seen as a result of what is colloquially known as the Celtic Tiger[xxxix]. Cronin (2000) has an analysis of individual cultural consciousness which allows us to interpret the emergence of middle classes in a purely cultural and subjective context. He argues: ‘Diprose (1994) states that the Lockean model defines the individual as an entity which maintains the same consciousness over time and through corporeal changes, for example illness or pregnancy, thus giving primacy to the mind or consciousness over the body. Further more, the individual is defined as having identical self-presence in which, an entity is identical with itself if it has the same origin in time and space (Diprose 1994:9). So the individuation necessary for the processes of mutual recognition to occur requires a temporally bounded entity. Simultaneously, the individual is spatially bounded through the distinction between self and not-self which is produced in that same process of recognition. Here arises the constitutive contradiction of contract, identical self-presence and exchange: in these political fictions, the individual is said to have a self-contained identity prior to contract or relations with others (Diprose 1994). Patemans (1988) analysis of the contr adictory production of womens and subordinate groups status in contract echoes this tension. For the processes of contractual exchange to occur, an individual must recognise another as an individual. The characteristics that this requires are rationality and the possession of property†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦[xl]’. Therefore, it is arguable that the emergence of new cleavages of middle classes in Ireland has arisen both through a combination of objective, market forces combined with the forces which drive individual self-perception and this in turn drives an individual to represent themselves and ultimately project this representation. Chapter Four: Discourse Analysis of Economic Growth in Ireland The development of the economy in Ireland[xli] has created unprecedented[xlii] levels of wealth[xliii] and affluence[xliv] within Ireland[1]. Accordingly this section will specifically examine the nature and underpinnings of economic progress in Ireland as this has largely given rise to[xlv] and sustained[xlvi] emergent new middle classes as the Consumerism which has evolved alongside these sectors. Economic growth in Ireland may be explained in terms of ideological transition[xlvii], the influence of the European Community[xlviii] and the influence of political leaders[xlix] throughout this period of economic transition[l]. Macro economic convergence theories[li] may also help explain the shifts in economic conditions seen in Ireland[lii]. These factors are given more in depth analysis below. The decline of state interventionism and state protectionism[liii] in Ireland led to palpable ideological shifts within the country[liv]. In an international setting, the ideological foundations of the welfare state[lv] were being replaced with more modern neo-liberal[2] conceptions of political philosophy[lvi]. This trend was particularly notable in Britain with the election of Margaret Thatcher and her subsequent repudiation of Keynes’ economic[lvii] theory[lviii]. These ideological shifts, which influenced Ireland[lix], (although not until many years later) partly laid the foundations for the economic revolution[lx] which was to come about in the mid-nineties[lxi]. Charles Haughey who had been in power periodically since 1979, was re-elected Taoiseach in 1987, during a deep economic recession[lxii]. Haughey’s predecessor in 1987 was G. Fitzgerald. These two individuals are widely recognised as having laid the foundations for economic stability in the Republic of Ireland, with a recognition that taxation needed to be reorganised to stimulate economic enterprise and growth. Consequently, under Haughey public spending was decreased and spending on public sector employment and bureaucracy was also reduced[lxiii]. This produced a dividend in the form of economic stability, lower levels of inflation and relatively rejuvenated economic growth. Again this affected employment conditions, reducing unemployment and creating the conditions for investment in enterprise. Tax cuts were then directed at the manufacturing industries[lxiv], and later tax breaks for particular sectors of industry augmented these economic dividends in the form of a stimulat ed economy and greater levels of employment. These economic conditions led to a reduced reliance on agricultural enterprise[lxv] and this is known as ‘economic diversification’[lxvi]. The relationship between Ireland and the European Community and Ireland’s accession to the European Community in the early 1970s marked a high point politically[lxvii], culturally and economically[lxviii] for Ireland[lxix]. However, the influence of the European Community on the situation of Ireland is a controversial area of debate at the moment[lxx]. Some have argued that the influence of the European Union has been instrumental in the growth of Ireland’s economy[lxxi], whereas conversely there are arguments which suggest that the role of the European Community has been over stated, misunderstood and even misrepresented[lxxii]. Both propositions will be considered by the writer in following sections. The theory that Ireland prospered due to entry to the European Community has been critiqued as a facile theory[lxxiii] and this argument may be seen as even more cogent given that Powell (2003) has argued that if Ireland had prospered due to entry to the European Community, then the effects of EC investment would be identifiable and tangible. The reality is that European investment in Ireland produced some economic benefits, but the prosperity which Ireland enjoyed was precipitated by a plethora of events and shifts, which cumulatively produced the effects known as the Celtic Tiger[lxxiv]. One such shift is known as the convergence theory and economic growth in Ireland has been rationalised in terms of the convergence theory in the following way. This theory suggests that the ‘Celtic Tiger’ was not precipitated by circumstances, affiliations (in particular to the European Community) or events, but rather by the operation of a group of economic forces which argues that over time similar countries with similar institutions tend to perform economically in a congruous way. In this sense, the Celtic Tiger has been rationalised as a convergence as opposed to a phenomenon. Historically, this theory is plausible, as Ireland was dogged by recession in spite of entry into the EEC in 1973, under the tenure of Jack Lynch[lxxv]. This recession continued until the advent of Charles Haughey, and G. Fitzgerald who addressed the failing tax system in the Republic of Ireland[lxxvi]. The conception of taxation had been fundamentally challenged and revised in Ireland over the last twenty years[lxxvii]. This shift led to the realisation of the above mentioned ideological ideas substantively and not just rhetorically. The mid eighties in Ireland was a period characterised by high taxation and low employment[lxxviii]. Taxation was regarded as a method of bolstering the economy[lxxix] This had an adverse effect of investment, thwarted business and led to high levels of unemployment[lxxx]. In many ways this is what thwarted the progress of the economy, forcing class alignment along economic lines. Powell (2003) has argued that just prior to the millennium GDP in Ireland was $25,500 per capita, whereas in Britain this figure was approximately $23,000 per capita. This can be contrasted with the fact that in the late 1980s GDP per capita in Ireland was only approximately 65%, that of the UK GDP per capita[lxxxi]. This economic revolution has been referred to in colloquial and cultural terms as the growth of the ‘Celtic Tiger’. The use of the term Celtic Tiger is of great significance and it may be rationalised in terms of cultural symbolism in the following way: ‘Human encounter with the world has always been a profoundly enigmatic affair. Traditionally, human societies attained a measure of ontological security from social arrangements that accepted the fundamental ambivalence of the world (Giddens 1990; 1994). Because traditional modes of existence were symbolically tied to the world of appearances, such societies were able to employ well established, ritualized ways and means of being-in-the-world†¦[lxxxii]’. The effects of cultural symbolism may be further delved into through examining this explanation of existence and illusions which are imparted through the ‘appearance of things’: ‘The continuity of such an existence was assured by the experience of tradition alone, and legitimated by forces beyond human powers. Nature †¦ in the infinite detail of its illusory manifestations †¦ was conceived above all as the work of hidden wills (Bloch 1962, 83). This world of illusion amounted, in other words, to an acceptance of the illusion of the world (the term illusion is apt not in the sense of its power to fool you, but in its power to put something into play, to create something: scene, space, a game, a rule of the game to invent, in fact, the mode of appearance of things (Baudrillard 1993b, 59-60)). Modernity, in stark contrast, was founded firmly on the disavowal of the fact that ambivalence is inevitable; that appearances are intrinsically deceptive. Modernity was founded on a commitment to the reality of the world (Bauman 1991). Modernity thus held out the dream of an attainable order. And order, as the promise of the removal of ambivalence and co ntingency from the world, necessarily cast contingency as a threat, and demonized ambivalence. This was, of course, a complex and multifaceted affair. It involved, for instance, a transformation of time, as time became the property of man (Le Goff 1980, 51)†¦[lxxxiii]’. Therefore the concept of a tiger married to the concept of ‘Celtic’ and Celticness[lxxxiv] conveys, in metaphorical terms the speed and the pervasiveness of the new found wealth which swept through Ireland in the mid nineties, changing and fuelling market forces such as Consumerism. This terminology[lxxxv] is relevant in cultural terms since it conveys the prosperity which pervaded Ireland during this period, and continues to drive the Irish economy as one of the wealthiest countries in the European Union[lxxxvi]. This led to a dramatic shift in cultural mores and led to a redefining of class boundaries. The term ‘Celtic Tiger’ also cast Ireland in an advantageous light internationally, advertising the economic growth and success which the country was experiencing. This attracted foreign investment interest and raised the profile of Ireland internationally, as well as serving to extricate Ireland from the damaging and often distorted image of a country dependent on EEC funding and support. Demographically, the influence of economic forces was also dramatic and widespread. More people were in employment in Ireland and this led to a surge in industry, investment and enterprise[lxxxvii]. The tourist and the service sector industries surged forward economically, changing the sociological and cultural contours of the Republic of Ireland. Small businesses expanded and more people built hotels, shops, restaurants and food outlets[lxxxviii]. This impacted upon the tourist industry which thrived as more people were attracted to visiting locations within Ireland that were more accessible and inviting[lxxxix]. This trend too had a knock on effect with more leisure facilities being built, and a general emphasis on regenerating services and facilities in the interests of attracting tourists

Training And Development At Pizza Hut Management Essay

Training And Development At Pizza Hut Management Essay This report is based on Pizza Hut restaurant located in West London, and will focus on the front line employees, front of house staff i.e. waiters and waitresses. This choice was particularly based on our employment experience since July 2007, and substantial internal information based on training, policies and so on. In order to determine, which extent the organisation follows good practice, learning and development i.e. strategic or business led. Company background Pizza Hut is owned by the American Group Yums Inc, which is one of the largest pizza restaurant companies in the world in terms of both the number of outlets and the percentage of market share that it holds. The company oversees more than 11,000 pizza restaurants and delivery outlets in 90 countries worldwide. (Digica 08) Britains first Pizza Hut started taking orders 30 years ago in Islington, north London, and is now the leading pizza restaurant and delivery chain in the UK. The company has over 600 outlets, including over 370 dine-in restaurants and over 170 home delivery units, and it employs almost 20,000 people in the UK. (Digica 08) Company Vision and Business strategy According to the Pizza hut student information pack (06), the vision of the company is the following; To be the most loved and trusted restaurant brand in the UK Whereas the passion is, Great People, Great Pizza, Great Times Pizza Huts vision is the desired future state and aspiration, in which the head office of the firm is seeking to focus the attention and awareness on the whole aspect of the organisation (Johnson: 09:09). So that Pizza hut to have a respected and trusted restaurant brand, such as efficient operations, good quality food and provide great value for their external customers i.e. hospitality service. The company recognises that in order to achieve their long term vision, their employees should be well managed and developed, seeing that the service levels i.e. hospitality is delivered from front line staff, in which will have overall impact on the goals of the organisation and its ability to retain customers for continuous repeat business. Pizza Hut have developed an operational strategy, which is directly linked to how component parts of the firm help deliver effectively the corporate level strategies in terms of resources, processes and people (Johnson: 09:09). For example, Pizza hut have implemented the following strategy step to achieve their overall goals: Build people capability in order to Provide come back again service with A passion for product that will Drive sales and Maximise profit Moreover, Pizza Hut recognizes that in order to reach their business aims, the following principles are important to the organization: Customer Mania Belief in People Recognition Coaching and Support Accountability Executional Excellence Positive Energy Teamwork This increased emphasis on the restaurant employees is due to the fact the company had issues with a high number of staff turnover according to Management today (1998). In which the percentage was high as 160% and resulted in extremely low employee moral. So as a result, Pizza Hut became determined to transform their staffing policy in order to, Reach sales of  £600 million Satisfy 2.6 million customers a week Reduce staff turnover to 50% (Pizza hut student information 06) Compared to other recognised competitive fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, who are using a similar strategy to Pizza Hut. For example providing career opportunities that allow their employees to develop their full potential i.e. comprehensive training programmes enables a first job employee to progress through to a senior management position through merit-based promotions. Since traditionally, it has been difficult for fast food restaurants to retain staff for long term commitment (management article 1998). Hence Pizza Hut has followed McDonalds strategy, in order to motivate staff and increase productivity so that profits are maximised. (Times 100 case study) Strategic and Business led Barham (et al: 1988) states they are two terms; Strategic Human resource Development (HRD), in which arises from the organisations vision about what its business should be; the abilities and potential of its people; and the options available within a given time period to help it grow and prosper Business-Led HRD is a response to the changing business needs of the organisation, thereby improving its capability to achieve its business goals Therefore, it can be established that the vision and strategy of Pizza Hut, according to Barham et al is (1988), is strategic and business led. For example the organisations vision statement indicates how they wish to be perceived by the members of the public, plus the potential and abilities of its employees and giving them opportunities to develop. Moreover the business is responding to the changing needs i.e. reducing staff turnover. Staff turnover is a business risk, Pizza Hut have identified the problem and minimized the ways in which it affects their restaurants through a structured staff management programme, in which this report will further investigate. Taking into account, that staff turnover has a negative impact on businesses in competitive market which Pizza Hut operates in. Especially when team members are key to its success and continuity because the level of hospitality service will determine the rate of repeat business, employee may leave if they are demotivated, by not being treated right by line managers for not being trained to cope with rush hour periods and may lose self confidence and ability. Consequently, retaining staff and treating them fairly has benefits for the business. Continuity and stability become part of Pizza Huts culture, and staff feel they belong to the organisation and take pride in their work. Skills and competencies are maintained in key business areas and productivity is often increased. On the whole Pizza Hut approach to learning and development is in line with CIPD (09) survey which, states 50% of organisations are integrating a leaning and development culture across organisation, i.e. Beliefs in people, coaching and support have become important principles to Pizza Hut. Training and development approaches Barham (et al 1988) identified three different training and development approaches which are the following: Fragmented approach where training is not linked to organisation goals, and also be perceived as a luxury or a waste of time Formalised approach -training is gradually being linked human resource needs Focused approach training is regarded as competitive weapon and is linked to organisation strategy and goals. In Pizza Hut, all new recruits joining the restaurant are sent on a initial induction programme, in which the company introduce new recruits to their job position, their team and the workplace and the organisational background i.e. business values. Secondly, it helps them establish positive relationships between the employees by building their commitment to its visions and goals i.e., Being the most loved restaurant brand and providing great service for customers. (Harrison 09:163). Furthermore, Pizza Hut emphasises the importance restaurant quality assurance system known as CHAMPS which is based on customer expectations of cleanliness, hospitality, accuracy, maintenance, product quality and speed of service. For instance McDonalds (times100 09) success is also built on the highest standards of quality, service and cleanliness delivered to customers in each of its restaurants. Therefore well trained employees at Pizza Hut are the first steps to achieving these standards in every single restaurant. In addition to, CHAMPS philosophy, the company will issue Full service restaurant team member workbook to record on going progress and achievement during on going training at Pizza Hut by using specifically designed questions aimed at testing the following areas. Menu knowledge -i.e. listing the toppings on BBQ deluxe pizza Salad station setting temperature, shelf life of certain goods when opened, how often certain items needs replenishing etc System cash handling how to cater for customer needs i.e. changing toppings on the server till. Procedures for processing credit card and cash transactions especially since each members are responsible for cash shortages. Health and Safety handling hazardous substances, sharp objects, eliminating obstruction in the restaurant floor. Operating machinery i.e. oven in a safe manner and so on. Other fast food restaurants, McDonalds are also using similar approach to Pizza Hut, all their new employees have an initial training period in which they are shown the basics and allowed to develop their skills to a level where they are competent in each area within the restaurant. Also similar to Pizza Hut strategy they will also attend classroom-based training sessions where they will complete workbooks for quality, service and cleanliness. (Times100) Following the induction, mentoring is carried out. In Pizza Hut employees go through a three hour on the job training and are partnered with a recognised expert trainer. Mentoring has been defined by Garvey (2008:8) as a process in which a person carries out a councillor and a friend to help support them in the workplace by familiarising with its customs and processes. The focus is centred on the individuals and raises business awareness like hospitality service, reducing speed etc. Harrison: 09:170 In addition to being assigned to a mentor, on the job training helps new employees gain experience and retain more knowledge and experience regarding the companies key competence areas i.e. storing order details on the server till. Also the initial on the job training partner is flexible and more informal based to reduce pressure and help encourage confidence in the new employees ability to perform. For the reason being 56% of learning training development professionals consider on the job training of front line employees as an effective way to become accustomed to the workplace. (People management 06:10 article) Lastly when the restaurant manager is satisfied with the progress, the employee will be assigned to an ongoing personal Host Training Workbook which is an educational material aimed to enhanced level of professional knowledge and broadening the restaurants awareness i.e. hospitality service in a fast moving environment. The training workbook introduces the following vital aspects of key competences: Communication skills importance of excellent communications skills for customer interaction as well with management and team members Interacting with all types of customers, generating a personal conversation with customers at the door Communications with other team members and management to ensure accurate wait times are quoted and ensure effective table turnover Keeping up to date with team room communications, awareness of CHAMPS and Customer Mania Knowledge informing customers of deals that are appropriate i.e. family deals and also being able to describe whole menu be able to manage queues using the restaurant utilisation tools using service recovery to customer issues at the door are effectively resolved or communicated to the deputy manage Attitudes/Behaviour Building rapport with customers Communicating effectively to establish customer needs Demonstration passion when explaining meal deals Prioritising effectively, getting most important task done first Being proactive when problems on shifts are identified (Harrison 09:163). (Internal Host training workbook 09) These are the key attributes restaurant managers look for in their employees, according to CIPD(09) survey indicate 79% employers value interpersonal and 74% regard communications skills as most important for recruitment. For that reason on going host training programme allows employees to acquire and develop these skills further i.e. product knowledge, experience in dealing with difficult customer etc. Especially since this is vital for the hospitality environment. In addition, all front line employees are not limited in scope since everyone gets the opportunity to progress further to management level, since 75% trainee managers start out as team members indicating a successful transition. Employees are selected by demonstrating great potential such as outstanding selling skills, commitment to CHAMPS plus recognition from other support managers, in order to be recommended for them to be selected management trainee programme. The management trainee program involves dedicated management training centers; this involves taking part in various workshops on subjects ranging from business management to leadership. (Pizza Hut 09 website) From the information given we can see that Pizza Hut have adopted a focused approach to training and development, as training is an ongoing process in the organisation and is a requirement for the organisations survival in a competitive and ever changing environment. The focused approach is also linked to individual needs as well as the organisations. Pizza Huts approach to training and development is also competitive as it operates in a demanding market and needs to provide a service to its customers which equals or surpasses its competitors level of service. This could help the organisation to gain the upper-hand in its market, by providing outstanding customer service and high quality products. Pizza Huts: organisation structure and culture Structure and culture of Pizza Hut restaurant will have implications for Human resource development, since they are closely linked. HRD determines the effective fits in provision in the organisation. According to Handy (1985) recognised four following, organisational structure culture models: The Pyramid often viewed as a stereotypical large bureaucracy organisation, in which the overall decisions are managed from the top layer. Secondly, the layers consist of a defined hierarchy of functions where the communication is based upon rules and procedures i.e. banking and insurance, hospitals etc. The net matrix involves individuals and resources bought together simultaneously due to a project to certain standards and time constraints. Individuals are flexible skilled and expert in their field. However teams are disbanded when the project is completed. I.e. construction firms, large consultancies etc. The galaxy consists of independent, highly qualified who pursue their own professional and career interest within a supporting infrastructure of resources and administration. Plus there is limited control of mechanism and management hierarchy i.e. lawyers, GP practices etc. The web and power these are known to exist in small entrepreneurial organisations and family businesses. Activities are relied on trust, empathy and personal communication. A group of people or senior individuals exercise power and influence. These organisations are highly competitive and survival is difficult due to economic influence in which employee who handle pressure thrive. Pizza Hut structure and culture fits in with Handy C (1985) The web structure and power culture. As pizza huts decisions are mainly undertaken at the top of the organization i.e. the head office instructs and gives feedback on the CHAMPS standard in the restaurant which directly reflects the front line employees service level, indicating the head office balance of power according to restaurant general manager (RGM) . In addition development is also related to training objectives, which benefit the business and the individual employees, for instance areas for improvement where staff can reduce the time for delivering meals to tables, interact with customers more often so that business CHAMP standards are satisfied and increase the customer repeat business in the process. Moreover the organisation moves very rapidly and change are dealt quickly i.e. new products in menu require employees to quickly adapt different techniques and learn promotions i.e. Christmas menus, learning to make s moothie drinks, using new coffee machine, preparing new desserts etc as soon as they are introduced. Secondly, the environment Pizza Hut operates is highly competitive i.e. Nandos, McDonalds etc as well being very sales based, because the head office sets weekly sales target, and if sales target are not met, this results reduction in working hours for front line employees (RGM 09). Therefore to ensure survival in the demanding market, employees rely on each other by working together to balance the workload i.e. communicating personally, building trust and delivering a service which will help increases customer satisfaction and reduce complaints, especially since the nature of the environment is fast driven. So that Pizza Hut Hayes can retain customers to increase their revenue in long term and ensure survival in difficult economic times. Handy, C (1985) Added Value and Horizontal integration Added value is to add to the organisations capability to achieve its goals for example producing results that enable Pizza Hut Hayes to react well to challenges and threats i.e. competitors , it is also over and above the cost of the initial investment of Leaning and development (LD) (Harrison, 2009:359) In Pizza Hut Hayes, the CHAMPS quality assurance systems is the driving tools towards the operations standards into the restaurant and help deliver the business added value. This is because the head office implemented policies are centered to meet customers requirements hence the long term vision to be the most loved and trusted restaurant brand in the UK, This is achieved by employees being trained to maintain salad bar products to quality standards, contributing to restaurant maintenance, consistently delivering and correct orders. Whereas, Customer Mania and How we win together (HWWT) philosophy coexist with the CHAMPS system. These are the attitude and behaviors used for delivering basic standards by employees, in order to deliver, a positive attitude in a fast moving fast food environment. For example by demonstrating commitment and taking accountability for understanding customer needs, collaborating with other colleagues to deliver the smooth running of the restaurant. Otherwi se service will lack consistency and business will not reach their strategic goals (Appendices 1 -USE PPD PRINTS) To measure the consistency and effectiveness Pizza Hayes employees competences and overall restaurant service, head office will use a mystery shopping programme that collects information against customer expectations using the CHAMPS criteria. In which the results of the survey are fed back to restaurant. So that RGM can use the feedback and compare Hayes against other West London Pizza Hut branches and take necessary actions to meet CHAMPS targets and add value by achieving its goals set by theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. (Management today article) Horizontally integrated Performance Management In addition, value added is also linked to HR practices of Performance management of Pizza Hut Hayes, the business is horizontally integrated .For example CHAMPS, Customer Mania and HWWT criterions are integrated in all aspect of employee management and also identify what members of the restaurants are doing well and how they can improve to make sure the business succeeds. (Appendices) (Harrison 09:323) Ways in which this is done by: Induction all employees are made aware of performance requirements established in the framework i.e. Speed, Hospitality, Product quality etc Job related training the RGM will agree on the support required for the individual to achieve performance levels i.e. improve interaction with customers so they feel welcomed, taking additional responsibilities i.e. handling telephone orders for multi tasking, improving selling skills by up selling desserts and so on. Appraisal- feedback is given by the RGM on how employees perform to Pizza Hut CHAMPS and Customer Mania standards. Secondly both the RGM and employee agree on key targets to help improve development areas i.e. further opportunities for improvement. Personal development employees are consistently working towards the core competence framework, this helps employees expand performance i.e. speed of service, product quality, good hospitality service and creating good relations with customers and employee members. This helps the business and keeps employees committed and motivated. Recognition and rewards- all employees are recognised for their efforts for achieving CHAMPS standards, this because with mystery shopping programme individual employees are scored against the CHAMPS criterion and moreover RGM will use feedback from other senior members, and reward employees by giving them certificates, vouchers etc. Whereas customers have also traditionally rewarded employees by giving them tips for delivering excellent service in which the restaurant does not profit from. This is used as a personal motivation and incentive to follow the CHAMPS standards. This satisfies restaurant because customers will repeat business and employees will remain committed to the core competence framework. (Harrison 09:162) (Appendices) Overall, the policies adapted for performance management in the restaurant are identical to Rebecca Johnson (99) report where front line employees based in a hospitality industry i.e. hotels were given performance initiatives, such as being equipped take greater responsibilities similar to Customer Mania and CHAMPS competence and that feedback was measured through a tracking system, in order to determine whether employees performance is adding value to company and customers. This is because adding value helps Pizza Hut Hayes to be competitive and create loyal customer base and therefore performance management is carried out for individuals every six months. (RGM) Vertical integration Vertical integration involves integration LD strategy with business strategy at corporate and business unit levels and aiding performance managements, LD at operational and individual levels (Harrison 09:323). Since the focus of report is based on the operational level i.e. front line employees who are all provided with an expert workbook to record their progress and have individual targets. In which the head office, corporate level have adapted the policy of developing people capability. Moreover career planning for individual has been quite significant since 1998, 75% employees are internally promoted to management level. For example employees are supported and developed to their full potential by using programmes such as the Expert training programme, as well as the Developing Champions training programme for all levels of restaurant. This also highlights the successful nature training and development being continuous in the operation site Pizza Hut PDF (07) Recommendations: There are a number of recommendations which we have thought of that may benefit Pizza Hut. Firstly we considered most important was to offer internal promotions to staff, as this may help to reduce staff turnover on a whole. They should also have a more formal training program for their waiters to deal with the fast moving environment and they should also have team training exercises as it will help them perform better with a heavy workload. In addition they can improve further by asking customers what they want and what is important to them. We also recommend that there should be continuous development for the organisations strategic capabilities and the specific, personal capabilities of individuals and teams in order to add value.

The Coca Plant :: Botany

The Coca Plant Erythroxylum coca Lamark is a tropical shrub of the order Geraniales and the family Erythroxylaceae. Two tropical genera of the dicotyledons totaling approximately 250 species of trees and shrubs compose this family. Family characteristics are alternate, undivided, lobeless, toothless leaves, and small flowers in clusters from the leaf axils with persistent calyces with five lobes or sepals, five petals often with appendages, ten persistent stamens united at their bases, and three styles. The fruits are small drupes. (see Everett, 1981and Angiosperms in Brittanica Online) The name Erythroxylum comes from the Greek erythros, red, and xylon wood. Lamarck described the species E. coca in 1786. (Plowman,1982) Distribution Erythroxylum coca is cultivated in Africa, northern South America, southeast Asia, and Taiwan. It grows from 2-4m (8 feet) tall. The plants thrive best in hot, damp situations, such as the clearing of forests, but the leaves most preferred are obtained in drier locations, such as on the sides of hills. (Boucher) The Plants are found mainly in relatively small areas of Peru and Bolivia, the major producing countries. The upper Huallaga Valley, along a tributary of the Amazon in Peru, produces 60% of the world's coca. In Bolivia, the crop traditionally was grown on steep eastern slopes of the Yungas region of the Andes Mountains at elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters. However, in recent decades, the lower-elevation Chapare Valley overtook the Yungas in production, and cultivation is now expanding into lowland rain forests. (see "Coca" in Britannica Online) History & Traditional Uses Archaeological evidence indicates that coca was domesticated by 1500 BC. In pre-Columbian times, coca was a major element of the economy (Hastdorf, 1987). Andean peasants and miners traditionally have consumed coca by sucking wads of leaves, keeping them in their cheeks for hours at a time. Often the coca is combined with chalk or ash, which helps dissolve the alkaloids into saliva. Coca chewing reduces hunger pain, and workers say the leaves give them strength and endurance to work for many hours at high altitudes, often in extreme cold. Some of the healthiest and hardest-working Indians on the Colombian Amazon the Yukunas consume enormous amounts of coca leaves daily, but this not a problem as they have time to raise their crops, hunt, fish and supply their food. (Linales) Perhaps the most ancient use of coca in South America is its employment in various shaman practices and religious rituals.

The Portraiture of Women During the Renaissance Essay -- Portraiture o

This essay will discuss how women were represented in the portraiture during the Renaissance period. It will explain how the women’s body was pictured in portraiture as; marriage celebrant, husbands beloved, figures of fertility, mothers, display of wealth, paragons of virtues, husband’s passive representative, indication of fashion and more (Brown, 2003). Next, it will include analysis from the two female portraits of Leonardo de Vinci’s Ginerva de’ Benci and Sandro Botticelli’s Portrait of a Lady. First, I will explain what portrait means and then represent my own interpretation of Botticelli’s Portrait of a Lady by referring to instructional â€Å"activity dialog† that details how to analyse the body’s subject in the portrait (Mckennee et al., 1994). Second, I will discuss how the Renaissance ideal perception of the women’s body image was influenced by philosophy of humanism, religious saintly virtues and the poets ’ understandings (Haughton, 2004). In short, I will explain how the radical change occurred in the woman’s portraiture in late fifteen-centuries where the traditional profile view was no longer popular and straight frontal presentation was fully practised. To exemplify this transformation, the painting of Leonardo’s Ginerva de’ Benci will be employed as means of analysis as Leonardo was instrumental in this fundamental change in the women’s portraiture (Garrard, 2006). Overall, it is quite astonishing how much constructive interpretation can be derived from one single portrait and these expressions will help me to expand my language and writing skill. I think practising the portrait activity-dialog between the viewer and the portrait’s subject expands the mind to be more creative which in turn initiates the development... ...ty in Renaissance art. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 3(4), 229-233. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-2310.2004.00142.x Gromling, A. & Lingesleben,T. (1998). Botticelli 1444/45-1510 [Translation from the German; Fiona Hulse] (1st ed.).Koln, Germany: Neue Stalling, Oldenburg. Long, J.C., (2008). Botticelli’s Birth of Venus as wedding painting. Aurora, The Journal of the History of Art, 9, p.1. ISSN 1527-652X. McKennee, A., Malone, L., Hazelroth, S., & Kinney, B. (1994). Instructional resources: What is represented in a portrait? Art Education, 47(6), 25-32. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193462. Morrison, B. (2004, June 12). Portraits. The Guardian, p. 16. Weinberg, G. S., (Jan, 2004). D. G. Rossetti's Ownership of Botticelli's 'Smeralda Brandini.' The Burlington Magazine, 146, No. 1210, pp.20-26. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20073357 The Portraiture of Women During the Renaissance Essay -- Portraiture o This essay will discuss how women were represented in the portraiture during the Renaissance period. It will explain how the women’s body was pictured in portraiture as; marriage celebrant, husbands beloved, figures of fertility, mothers, display of wealth, paragons of virtues, husband’s passive representative, indication of fashion and more (Brown, 2003). Next, it will include analysis from the two female portraits of Leonardo de Vinci’s Ginerva de’ Benci and Sandro Botticelli’s Portrait of a Lady. First, I will explain what portrait means and then represent my own interpretation of Botticelli’s Portrait of a Lady by referring to instructional â€Å"activity dialog† that details how to analyse the body’s subject in the portrait (Mckennee et al., 1994). Second, I will discuss how the Renaissance ideal perception of the women’s body image was influenced by philosophy of humanism, religious saintly virtues and the poets ’ understandings (Haughton, 2004). In short, I will explain how the radical change occurred in the woman’s portraiture in late fifteen-centuries where the traditional profile view was no longer popular and straight frontal presentation was fully practised. To exemplify this transformation, the painting of Leonardo’s Ginerva de’ Benci will be employed as means of analysis as Leonardo was instrumental in this fundamental change in the women’s portraiture (Garrard, 2006). Overall, it is quite astonishing how much constructive interpretation can be derived from one single portrait and these expressions will help me to expand my language and writing skill. I think practising the portrait activity-dialog between the viewer and the portrait’s subject expands the mind to be more creative which in turn initiates the development... ...ty in Renaissance art. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 3(4), 229-233. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-2310.2004.00142.x Gromling, A. & Lingesleben,T. (1998). Botticelli 1444/45-1510 [Translation from the German; Fiona Hulse] (1st ed.).Koln, Germany: Neue Stalling, Oldenburg. Long, J.C., (2008). Botticelli’s Birth of Venus as wedding painting. Aurora, The Journal of the History of Art, 9, p.1. ISSN 1527-652X. McKennee, A., Malone, L., Hazelroth, S., & Kinney, B. (1994). Instructional resources: What is represented in a portrait? Art Education, 47(6), 25-32. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193462. Morrison, B. (2004, June 12). Portraits. The Guardian, p. 16. Weinberg, G. S., (Jan, 2004). D. G. Rossetti's Ownership of Botticelli's 'Smeralda Brandini.' The Burlington Magazine, 146, No. 1210, pp.20-26. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20073357