The problems associated with the Blockbuster company Essay

The problems associated with the Blockbuster company - Essay Example The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Blockbuster. It was started in the year 1985 in Dallas as a single movie-renting store. With its aggressive growth strategy, the company managed to grow to nearly 7,265 stores in 24 nations around the world. Though the company remained as the world leader in movie rental during 1990s, problems emerged as new technologies developed in the area of entertainment distribution. New technologies that allowed online booking and online delivery of content developed as time passed, but the company management was adamant to give up its basic brick and mortar movie renting stores. As a result, while its competitors like Netflix effectively shifted to, and excelled in, methods like online booking, mail delivery and VOD, Blockbuster went on struggling with the already declining in-store movie renting systems and fell into debts. This resulted in a lot of issues in customer service that again made many existing customers leave the company. Firstly, the num ber of titles on offer declined dramatically, and secondly, popular items often went out-of-stock. Also, the delivery system was too slow as compared to that of its rivals. Thus, the company closed its year 2007 with a net loss of $ 85.1 million. This work looks into the various reasons behind the existing issues and tries to suggest ways for improvement in the future. A look into the performance of Blockbuster proves that once glamorous Blockbuster where everyone stopped to pick up a few movies has become a shadow of its past. There are a number of issues ranging from stiff competition, indifferent and doubtful management, lack of clear objectives, and finally, the continuously changing industry dynamics. Until the end of 1990s, Blockbuster was at the top of the rental business, and it never considered Netflix or any such other companies as consequential competitors. So the company paid little attention towards the emerging technologies and the changing customer preferences. Soon, the company found that its profits were going dramatically down. Thus, the stock price of the company fell from $29 to $2 per share. This was mainly the result of the emergence of other forms of entertainment delivery like rental by mail and video on demand. As these technologies emerged, a significant proportion of customers found them more convenient than in-store renting. It was at that juncture that the company made the most terrible mistake in its history. Instead of adapting itself to the emerging trend, the company decided to strengthen its in-store business. However, as the in-store business was destined to fail as technology allowed more convenient renting options, the effort proved futile. On the other hand, its rivals like Netflix who successfully adopted rental by mail and video on demand technologies found significant improvement in business and profit. As the company found itself in trouble, it started new strategies like kiosks, rental by mail and video on demand. How ever, each of the new strategies had its own defect too. For example, the rental by mail offered by Blockbuster was not as effective as that of Netflix. While Netflix managed to deliver the order in a single day, Blockbuster took one to three days. Also, while Netflix ensured successful delivery in more than 95% of the cases, many of the Blockbuster visitors found their favorite titles out-of-stock. Admittedly, the company has taken beneficial steps that will improve the position of the company in future. First of all, it has widened the product array in its brick and mortar stores by adding electronic appliances and video games. Secondly, it has started VOD though it has not been seriously explored. In fact, most of the problems faced by the company are associated with the lack of a specific objective. The management goes on changing its strategies in very short intervals, and hence, the customers get too puzzled to take a decision. Also, even the company representatives find it

Academic dishonesty Essay Example for Free

Academic dishonesty Essay The primary objective of Phil 1010 (which fulfills an Area B requirement in the Core) is to help you improve your critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the skill of recognizing, composing and evaluating arguments. All college courses rely on arguments. Examples include: arguments about business plans, arguments about the qualities of a novel, arguments about the significance of historical events, and arguments about the nature and function of genetic material. Doing well in this course should increase your chances of successfully completing the core curriculum, the courses required by your major, and other courses required to earn your degree. This course is not intended to be an introduction to philosophy and it does not focus on ideas discussed in most philosophy classes (e. g. , justice, knowledge, mind). For an introduction to philosophy, take Phil 2010, Introduction to Philosophy (which fulfills an Area C requirement in the core). Phil 1010 is not a prerequisite for Phil 2010. See more: Old Age Problem essay Prerequisites: There are no other courses required for taking this course; however a significant portion of the course grade involves writing in English, so completion of English composition courses is recommended. REQUIRED MATERIALS: Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, 2nd custom edition. Rainbolt Dwyer, ISBN 9781133269458 There are used copies of this book available online and in the bookstore. Aplia for Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument PURCHASE ONLINE ONLY at Aplia. com. Other handouts will be sent electronically. IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE VARIOUS EDITIONS OF THE TEXT: There are four different versions of the textbook, but of course you only need one of them. Two are GSU custom editions, and two are national editions. The GSU custom editions are exactly the same as the national editions except that they are printed in black and white and have chapter six removed, since we do not teach chapter six here at GSU. The GSU custom editions were made to save students money and are typically cheaper when purchased new, but the opposite may be the case with used copies, as there are many more used copies of the national edition available for purchase online. As indicated above, I will use the 2nd custom edition, and I recommend that you get this version as well. You may purchase the 1st national edition, however, if you find a copy. Here’s where it gets weird. The 2nd custom edition corresponds to the 1st national edition. If you get either of these texts, you’ll be okay. The 2nd national edition is brand new and has changes in almost every chapter that make it substantially different from the text you need. Do NOT get the 2nd national edition, and do NOT get the 1st custom edition. Specifically, here are the points you need to keep in mind: 1. Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, 2nd custom edition. (RECOMMENDED, you should purchase this text) Cover picture: the roof of a Greek Temple http://www. amazon. com/Critical-Thinking-Argumet-Edition-University/dp/1133269451 2. Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, 1st custom edition. (DO NOT PURCHASE) Cover picture: phrenology diagram (four cartoon heads appear on the cover) http://www. amazon. com/Philosophy-Critical-Thinking-Georgia-University/dp/0536864853 3. Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, 2nd edition (National edition, DO NOT PURCHASE) Cover Picture: a bridge http://www. cengagebrain. com/shop/isbn/9781285197197 4. Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, 1st edition. (National edition, you may purchase, but NOT recommended) Cover Picture: a bisected nautilus on the cover (a nautilus is a spiral sea shell) http://www. cengagebrain. com/shop/isbn/9780495501572 The links presented above are not purchasing recommendations. I have only provided them so that you can see a picture of books in question. The bookstore is often more expensive than many popular websites. Hunt around for good deals. The authors of this textbook do not receive any money from the sale of the textbook or other course materials to GSU students. GRADE COMPOSITION 1. Components By Weight: Supplemental Instruction Sessions (SIs)10%2 per month minimum, January excluded. Quizzes/Attendance10% Aplia Exercises10% Midterm10% SE 1 10% SE 2 10%Note that later assignments are weighted more to give SE 320%students credit for improvement and to minimize any Final Exam20%penalty for not knowing the material earlier in the term. 2. Grading Scale Assignments in this class are scored on a scale from 1 to 100. Scores transfer to point scale and letter grades as follows: A+4. 398 – 100C+2. 3 77 – 79 A 4. 00 93 – 97C2. 00 73 – 76. A-3. 7 90 – 92C-1. 7 70 – 72 B+3. 3 87 – 89D1. 0060 – 69 B3. 00 83 – 86F0. 000 – 59 B-2. 7 80 – 82 3. To pass the course, students must earn an overall average of 60, get least a 60 on either the midterm or the final, and complete the final, and the SEs. 4. I reserve the right to withdraw any student who, prior to March 4, 2014, misses more than 2 exercises or misses more than 2 quizzes/classes. However, missing more than 2 exercises or 2 quizzes/classes does not guarantee that I will withdraw you. If you want to withdraw, you need to do that yourself via GoSOLAR. 5. If you are not doing as well as you would like in this or any of your other courses, consider making an appointment with the Undergraduate Studies Office, Sparks 224. It offers one-on-one academic coaching, as well as workshops and tutorials on study skills. Important Tip: It is hard to get less than a C in this course if you take all the quizzes, come to all of the class sessions, do all the exercises, take both exams, and complete all three SEs. It is easy to get an F if you miss more than 2 quizzes or class periods, miss more than 2 sets of exercises, miss an exam, or miss an SE. In other words, effort counts. SEs: â€Å"SE† stands for â€Å"Standardize and Evaluate an Argument. † These will be discussed in detail in class. I reserve the right to use any student’s SE for pedagogical purposes. Students’ names and any other identifying marks will be removed to ensure anonymity. Quizzes: Some class meetings will begin with a quiz. The quizzes will begin promptly and last precisely 5 minutes. They will be composed of two multiple-choice questions that cover the reading assigned for that days class. The questions will be easy if you have done the reading. For merely taking the quiz and remaining in class for the full 50 minutes, you will get 50 of a possible 100 points. You will get 75 of 100 if you get one question right, and 100 of 100 if you get both questions right. This is an ideal opportunity to get an A on 10% of your course grade. Exercises Aplia: Exercises are completed electronically via Aplia. You must purchase the software at Aplia. They are due once a week by or before 11:45 pm on Sunday Eastern Time (be careful not to choose Pacific time! ). Note that the computer will close at precisely that time so you need to be sure your exercises are submitted before that time. See the handout on page 6 for accessing Exercises on Aplia. Your grade on each set of exercises is the percentage of the questions you get right. For example, if there are eight questions in an exercise set, and you get six of them right, your grade on that set is a 75. However, your actual Aplia grade will be based on your good faith effort. If you attempt to do all of the questions on the exercises every week, and you average between 60—93%, your total Aplia grade will be set at 93. Scores over 93% will be recorded as they are. This is an ideal opportunity to get an A on 10% of your course grade. Make-Ups: 1. Late assignments and absences are excused only when there is a sufficiently documented, last minute significant emergency. 2. There are no make-ups for daily quizzes. If you have an excused absence on that day, that day’s quiz will simply be dropped from the calculation of your quiz grade. Email: 1. Email is the best way to contact me. 2. You should check your official Georgia State email at least once every 24 hours. 3. By University policy, I must use your official Georgia State student email address. If you send an email from a non-GSU email account, I cannot respond. 4. If you email me from your GSU account and have not received a reply within 24 hours, you should assume that I did not receive the message. Contact me in person. 5. If you turn in any assignment by email, it is your responsibility to confirm that I received it on time. You will know that I got it because I reply to all student emails. If I do not receive it on time, you will not get credit for the assignment without time-stamped email proof that you sent it before it was due. Having trouble with your email, computer, or ISP is not an excuse for a late assignment. Attendance: Everyone’s presence is an intrinsic and vital feature of the class. Even if you do not speak, your presence has an effect on what is said by others. Attendance can be the deciding factor for course grades on the borderline. Class Format: The class will be a combination of lecture, discussion, and practice. This format demands that students be well prepared for class. You do not have to understand all the readings before class, but you need to read all the readings before class and be prepared to ask questions about what you do not understand. Electronic Devices: No computers, cell phones, smart phones, PDAs, pagers, or other electronic devices may be used in the classroom. Please turn off all devices before class begins. Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability that may impair your ability to successfully complete this course, contact your instructor as soon as possible to arrange accommodations. GSU has two programs that provide supports services to students with disabilities. Office of Disability Services http://www2. gsu. edu/~wwwods/ 404. 413-1560 Accessibility At GSU http://www2. gsu. edu/~wwwada/ 404. 464-9044 Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of Disability Services (second floor in the Student Center; [emailprotected] edu). Students may be accommodated only upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Failure of the course is the default departmental penalty for plagiarism, cheating on a test, copying someone else’s work, letting someone else copy your work, or any other form of academic dishonesty. For example, copying someone else’s standardization of an argument is a case of plagiarism and will result in failure of the course. You are encouraged to study for tests with your classmates, but all work turned in for credit must be either your own work, or correctly cited. If you use even a small part of a classmate’s work or a line from an online source, you must use proper citation. If you don’t, you have violated GSU’s academic honesty policy. Finally, note that on assignments in this class, no outside sources are permitted for in-class tests or SEs. Moreover, you are liable for further administrative action, which might include expulsion with notation on your permanent record. See the GSU Policy on Academic Dishonesty attached to this syllabus, available in the University Student Handbook, and found online at http://www2. gsu. edu/~wwwcam/overview/index. html In addition, be sure you give due consideration to what it means to be a good friend! Not infrequently, students draw the natural but erroneous conclusion that allowing or facilitating a friend’s cheating is somehow helping that friend. FAR FROM IT! Good friends, truly good friends, help us to avoid cheating and any other kind of dishonesty. HOW TO DO WELL IN THIS COURSE: Come to Class and Come on Time: Because of the way grades are computed, and the fact that so much of the course is discussion based, your grade will suffer if you are not present for discussions, and your grade will be favorably affected if you are present. Study Outside of Class: 1. A normal expectation is that undergraduate students will spend a minimum of two hours studying outside of class for every hour spent in class. 2. Since this course meets for 2 hours of class time each week, you should plan on spending at least 4 hours outside of class each week studying the material. It is also likely that it will take more than that amount of time to complete the readings in a manner sufficient to understand the material. Remember in Summer session, every day is equivalent to one week in a Fall or Spring term! Read the Assignments Multiple Times: Philosophy is demanding reading. I expect you to do all the readings before class and after class. We will not read a great many pages, but some of the readings might be dense or difficult to follow. First, read the work through quickly to get the general idea and to circle any words you don’t understand. Then look up all the words you don’t know and read the work again slowly. Third, after we cover the reading in class, read it again, slowly. Read. Rinse. Repeat. Final Notes: The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. Everything in this syllabus can change (and something always does). You are responsible for all changes announced in class, on PAWS, and via email. Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take time to fill out the online course evaluation. How to access your Aplia course PHIL 1010- Critical Thinking Spring 2014 Instructor: George Rainbolt Start Date: 01/13/2014End Date: 05/11/2014 Course Key: 5N6Q-MHZW-NQNX Registration Aplia is part of CengageBrain, which allows you to sign in to a single site to access your Cengage materials and courses. 1. Connect to http://login. cengagebrain. com/ 2. If you already have an account, sign in. From your Dashboard, enter your course key (5N6Q-MHZW-NQNX) in the box provided, and click the Register button. If you dont have an account, click the Create a New Account button, and enter your course key when prompted: 5N6Q-MHZW-NQNX. Continue to follow the on-screen instructions. Payment Online Only: http://www. cengagebrain. com/micro/gsuphil1010 After registering, you can buy access to Aplia from myhome. cengagebrain. com. Aplia is NOT available from bookstore. Purchase it online only to get special discount price. If you choose to pay later, you can use Aplia without paying until 11:59 PM on 02/02/2014. After paying, you will have the option to purchase a physical book at a discounted price. For more information on registering for Aplia, please visit http://www. cengagebrain. com/aplia/. Phil 1010TENTATIVE Schedule of AssignmentsSpring 2014. January T 1/14Chap 1, What is Critical Thinking, What is an Argument, Why Think Critically, pp. 4-13 R 1/16Chap 1, Finding Arguments, pp. 13-26; Begin Putting in Standard Form Right Away. F 1/17No class, but last day to Add/Drop S 1/19APLIA DUE: How to Use Aplia Due before 11:45pm T 1/21Chap 1, Putting Arguments into Standard Form, pp. 31-36 R 1/23Chap 1, Standardization Practice S 1/26APLIA DUE Ch 1, Sets 1 and 2, before 11:45pm T 1/28SE1 (standardize a passage in class) R 1/30Chap 2, Two Characteristics of a Good Argument, True Premises, and Proper Form, pp. 42-48 and 51-53 February. S 2/2APLIA DUE Ch 1, Set 3, and Ch 2, Set 1, before 11:45pm T 2/4Chap 2, Deductive and Inductive Arguments and Relevance, Fallacies pp. 55-64 and 70-79 R 2/6Chap 3, Three Kinds of Premises, pp. 86-102 S 2/9APLIA DUE Ch 2, Set 22, before 11:45pm T 2/11SE 2 (standardizing and evaluating a passage in class) R 2/13Chap 5, Identifying Propositional Statements, pp. 146-156 S 2/16APLIA DUE Ch 2, Set 3, before 11:45pm T 2/18Chap 5, Evaluating Propositional Arguments, pp. 159-169 R 2/20Chap 5, How PF test differs for Deductive and Inductive Arguments S 2/23APLIA DUE Ch 3, Set 1, before 11:45pm T 2/25Review. R 2/27Midterm in class March S 3/2APLIA DUE Ch 5, Set 1, before 11:45pm T 3/4Chap 7, Identifying Analogical Arguments, pp. 228-234 Last day to withdraw with a W R 3/6Chap 7, Evaluating Analogical Arguments, pp. 244-256 S 3/9APLIA DUE Ch 5, Set 2, and Ch 7, Set 1, before 11:45pm T 3/11Chap 8, Descriptive Statistics, pp. 258-275 R 3/13Chap 8 Identifying Statistical Arguments, pp. 275-278 S 3/16APLIA DUE Ch 7, Set 2, and Ch 8, Set 1, before 11:45pm T3/18 R 3/20NO CLASS SPRING BREAK T 3/25Chap 8, Evaluating Statistical Arguments, pp. 281-285 R 3/27Chap 8, Evaluating Statistical Arguments continued. S 3/30APLIA DUE Ch 8, Sets 2 and 3, before 11:45pm April T 4/1No Fooling! Chap 9, The Many Meanings of â€Å"Cause† and Identifying Causal Arguments, pp. 294-303 R 4/3Chap 9, Evaluating Causal Arguments, pp. 306-314 S 4/6APLIA DUE Ch 9, Set 1, before 11:45pm T 4/8Chap 9, Evaluating Causal Arguments Continued, pp. 316-321 R 4/10Chap 9, The Scientific Method, pp. 326-331 S 4/13APLIA DUE Ch 9, Sets 2 and 3, before 11:45pm T 4/15SE 3 in class (standardizing and evaluating a passage in class) R 4/17Chap 10, Identifying Moral Arguments, pp. 342-345 S 4/20APLIA DUE Ch 9, Set 4, before 11:45pm. T 4/22Chap 10, Evaluating Moral Arguments, Consequentialist Arguments, pp. 351-358 R 4/24Chap 10, Deontic and Aretaic Moral Arguments, pp. 359-366 F 5/2Friday, May 2, 2014, Common Final Exam, 1:30-4:00pm. Room TBA Department of Philosophy General Syllabus Statement Spring 2014 This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary. The last day to withdraw from a course with the possibility of receiving a W is Tuesday, March 4. Students are responsible for confirming that they are attending the course section for which they are registered. Failure to do so may result in an F for the course. By University policy and to respect the confidentiality of all students, final grades may not be posted or given out over the phone. To see your grades, use PAWS. The customary penalty for a violation of the academic honesty rules is an F in the course. See the University Policy on Academic Honesty on the reverse of this sheet. Copying or using material from the internet without citation is a violation of the academic honesty rules. A student may be awarded a grade of W no more than 6 times in their careers at Georgia State. After 6 Ws, a withdrawal is recorded as a WF on the students record. A WF counts as an F in a GPA. Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State University. Upon completing the course, please take the time to fill out the online course evaluation. Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability must do so by registering with the Office of Disability Services in Suite 230 of the Student Center. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a singed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which an accommodation is sought. Subscribe to one of our department listservs for current information and events: 1. Undergraduate Students: www2. gsu. edu/~wwwphi/2131. html 2. Graduate Students: www2. gsu. edu/~wwwphi/2109. html For more information on the philosophy program visit: www. gsu. edu/philosophy Policy on Academic Honesty, from the GSU Catalog As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The university assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Both the ideals of scholarship and the need for fairness require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. They also require that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonor? able or unethical conduct related to their academic work. The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in the Faculty Handbook and On Campus: The Student Handbook and is available to all members of the university community. The policy represents a core value of the university, and all members of the university community are responsible for abiding by its tenets. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty. All members of the academic community—students, faculty, and staff—are expected to report violations of these standards of academic conduct to the appropriate authorities. The procedures for such reporting are on file in the offices of the deans of each college, the office of the dean of students, and the office of the provost. In an effort to foster an environment of academic integrity and to prevent academic dishonesty, students are expected to discuss with faculty the expectations regarding course assignments and standards of conduct. Students are encouraged to discuss freely with faculty, academic advisers, and other members of the university community any questions pertaining to the provisions of this policy. In addition, students are encouraged to avail themselves of programs in establishing personal standards and ethics offered through the university’s Counseling Center. Definitions and Examples The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and academically honorable conduct are to be judged. The list is merely illustrative of the kinds of infractions that may occur, and it is not intended to be exhaustive. Moreover, the definitions and examples suggest conditions under which unacceptable behavior of the indicated types normally occurs; however, there may be unusual cases that fall outside these conditions that also will be judged unacceptable by the academic community. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes any para? phrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge  in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else. The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one’s reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Any work, in whole or in part, taken from the Internet or other computer-based resource without properly referencing the source (for example, the URL) is considered plagiarism. A complete reference is required in order that all parties may locate and view the original source. Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the faculty member. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility. Cheating on Examinations: Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, computer-based resources, texts, or crib sheets during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member), or sharing information with another student during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member). Other examples include intentionally allowing another student to view one’s own examination and collaboration before or after an examination if such collaboration is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Unauthorized Collaboration: Submission for academic credit of a work product, or a part thereof, represented as its being one’s own effort, which has been developed in substantial collaboration with another person or source or with a computer-based resource is a violation of academic honesty. It is also a violation of academic honesty knowingly to provide such assistance. Collaborative work specifically authorized by a faculty member is allowed. Falsification: It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or fabricate information in an academic exercise, assignment or proceeding (e. g. , false or misleading citation of sources, falsification of the results of experiments or computer data, false or misleading information in an academic context in order to gain an unfair advantage). Multiple Submissions: It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the faculty member(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of prior work may be desirable, even required; however the student is responsible for indicating in writing, as a part of such use, that the current work submitted for credit is cumulative in nature. ID SHEET Please print or write legibly PRINT NAME GSU EMAIL ADDRESS CELL PHONE EMERGENCY CONTACT Name EMERGENCY CONTACT Phone Freshman, Soph, Jr, Sr, PostBac? Number of credit hours completed MAJOR 2ND MAJOR. MINOR 2ND MINOR PREVIOUS PHIL COURSES Intro to Phil or Great Questions? Others at GSU? Phil Courses taken elsewhere? If so what and where? Check reason(s) for taking this course (a) Fulfills Area B Core Reqmt (b) Fulfills another reqmt (C) Good time of day (d) Phil major or minor (e) Other reason: specify Give a definition of Critical Thinking Why are you here? (at least one paragraph, continue on next page) ***********************************TEAR OFF HERE***************************************** Complete the following before or on the first day you attend class, and turn it to your instructor. NAME______________________________DATE__________________ I have received, read, or will read, and accept responsibility for following the policies noted in the syllabus. I have also received, read, or will read, and accept responsibility for fulfilling the requirements outlined in the schedule of assignments. I understand that not following the course policies or not completing all assignments can negatively affect my grade in the course. I also understand that FAILURE OF THE COURSE is the departmental default policy for cases of academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to plagiarism, cheating on a test, copying someone else’s exercises or other work, letting someone else copy my exercises or other work, or any other form of academic dishonesty. I also understand that I am responsible for using and checking my GSU email account daily, and that my instructor is required by university policy to use my GSU email account for all academic correspondence.

Power of Images to Influence and Inform

Power of Images to Influence and Inform Images of Perfection in an Imperfect World. Abstract The power of images to influence and inform cannot be underestimated. This is especially true in contemporary society, where we are continually bombarded with images and with the messages implicit in them. The messages they emit are far-reaching, pervasive, and overwhelming in sheer magnitude. Most importantly: they are perfect. Photographs of beauty queens and movie stars the nearly perfect people who are the icons of society are manipulated so that the images are of true perfection. Blemishes dissolve, complexions glow, pounds melt away, and teeth sparkle as technology works its magic. When these images appear in the format of magazines targeted at young people, all of society should be concerned. What messages are informing the thoughts of youth today? How are they reacting? What can we do if we see that damage is being done? This paper will address that question, with a particular emphasis on the print publications aimed at girls and young women, who are statistically more apt to be bombarded with unattainable goals in the form of endless images of perfection. The people apparently in control of these publications particularly editors should have the authority to control that content, to redirect and or redistribute it to present more realistic views to their readers. This is particularly when faced, as they are, with evidence that the messages they are disseminating are harmful to large numbers of young people. In the case of young women who suffer from eating disorders, that evidence is in fact overwhelming. This paper intends to demonstrate the harm that is being done to young people globally, and most especially to young women, and the responsibility of the media to be accountable for content or at the very least, to stop airbrushing all the blemishes and imperfections they may see on original images, and present a more realistic and attainable vision of reality to those who seek it in their pages. Liz Jones When Liz Jones, who was then editor of the women’s magazine Marie Claire, resigned from the magazine, it was not a sudden decision. It was, rather, the culmination of a lifetime of experiences as a female member of society, followed by years working in a business that had a great influence on females in society. Quite simply: she had had enough. She explained publicly the reasons she decided to step down from her position as editor at Marie Claire, and she did so with heartfelt emotion and compelling clarity. First, she described her feelings earlier that year as she sat through another season of high fashion: modeling spectacles in which all eyes are upon myriads of unnaturally thin young women the ‘supermodels’: For those used to the fashion industry there was nothing unusual about the shows at all. But for me it was the end, it was then that I decided to resign as editor of Marie Claire magazine. I had reached the point where I had simply had enough of working in an industry that pretends to support women while it bombards them with impossible images of perfection day after day, undermining their self-confidence, their health and hard-earned cash (Jones, 2001). Jones goes on to explain the sequence of events that, together, resulted in her resignation. One of the most important factors was the considerable effort she had put into a campaign to effect profound change on the media’s approach to and impact on young women. The campaign was met with such vehement hostility that she found it extremely difficult to continue to be involved with this part of the industry. Just one year earlier, she notes, she had optimistic beliefs unrealistic, perhaps about the prospects for change: ‘I believed wholeheartedly that we could stop magazines and advertisers using underweight girls as fashion icons’ she wrote (2001). She had already proscribed articles about diets and weight-loss, which was an action that was far ahead of its time. This was clearly a step in the right direction but she knew that it was not enough. As part of an experiment, she decided to publish the same edition with two covers one of size-six Pamela Anderson, and one with the fleshier size twelve Sophie Dahl. Marie Claire then asked readers to choose ‘between the skinny, cosmetically enhanced â€Å"perfection†, or a more attainable, but still very beautiful curvy woman’ (2001). There was literally no contest; Sophie Dahl clearly won the support of the readers. The reaction that followed the contest was ‘staggering’, Jones noted. A media frenzy ensued; universities wanted to include it in their course curricula; filmmakers made documentaries about it; and, perhaps most tellingly, an unprecedented number of readers reacted and responded with enthusiastic and overwhelming support. However, the one group whose cooperation was most expected and most needed other members of the industry refused to rally. Jones found no support from her colleagues; instead, they reacted with a vehemence and aggression that both stunned and saddened her. ‘The very people from whom I had expected the most support my fellow female editors were unanimous in their disapproval’, Jones wrote. ‘They were my peers, friends, and colleagues I sat next to in the front row of the fashion shows. They were also the most important, influential group of women in the business, the only people who could change the fashion and beauty industry’ (2001). Some labeled her a ‘traitor’; others suggested that she was using this campaign as some sort of clever ploy to boost circulation numbers. She was even accused of discrimination against thin models. Model agencies began to blacklist the magazine. Despite this, Jones redoubled her efforts. She even spoke publicly about her own struggles with eating disorders. From the age of eleven, she admitted, she was plagued with the eating disorder anorexia a disorder that lasted well into her twenties. Because of this, she explained, she was very able to understand how deleterious it was for young women to subsist on ‘a daily diet of unrealistically tiny role models gracing the pages of the magazines’ that they are addicted to, as she was (Jones, 2001). Furthermore, she does not lay blame on the publications exclusively; rather, she points out that they definitely did more harm than good. If they were not the impetus that set off the disorder, the graphics she was so bo mbarded with seemed to encourage it: ‘the images definitely perpetuated the hatred I had for my own body’ (2001). To test her theory, the research team at Marie Claire formed a focus group of young, bright, accomplished women. The women were asked a series of questions about their bodies, after which they were free to peruse a selected group of magazines for approximately an hour. When the hour was up, the same questions were asked this time, the answers were very different. ‘Their self-esteem had plummeted’ Jones writes (2001). As the literature and research to be presented in this paper shows, the results of Ms. Jones informal sociological study was very close to the truth: her instincts were right on the mark. However, in hostile surroundings with little support, she was unable to follow them. It soon became clear that the tide of advertisers was far too strong a force to fight from within the industry, and she reached a point of no return: ‘I refuse to conform with an industry that could, literally, kill’ wrote Jones, a survivor. Chapter I. Background.A. Predecessors and Successors Liz Jones was not the first woman to struggle in the name of editorial change. Along with Jones, there were her American predecessors, Grace Mirabella of Vogue, and Gloria Steinem of Ms. In her autobiography, In and Out of Vogue, Mirabella writes about receiving a virtual threat from her publishers, ordering her not to include any articles that criticised cigarette smoking. She was told there should not be even a hint that there might be medical risks associated with nicotine use despite the fact that evidence had already been made known to the public that such risks existed. The reason for this was advertising, the lifeblood of the magazine. Millions and millions of dollars were poured into magazine advertisements by tobacco giants. This gave tobacco manufacturers a sense of power, a right to have input, or even to dictate, what made up the content of the publications they advertised in. They made it clear that any disparagement of their product however valid would result in thei r immediately pulling their advertisements and discontinuing their sponsorship (Mirabella, 1995). Unable or unwilling to risk this, the publishers of Vogue passed on the restrictions to Mirabella. The fact that the health of female readers who also supported the magazine by purchasing it might have been compromised was virtually a non-issue. Another of Jones’ predecessors was American feminist Gloria Steinem, whose magazine Ms. was groundbreaking in a number of ways, and especially in its handling of advertisements. The editors of Ms. Magazine battled constantly with advertisers who contributed to the magazine’s coffers. Noted writer Marilyn French discusses the battles Ms. had with both Clairol and Revlon, two of its major sponsors. Both cases share similarities with the Vogue situation and are worth mentioning. Both companies withdrew their advertisements and cut off funding, each for different but equally significant reasons. Clairol did this after Ms. ran text that included information about medical studies that suggested the possibility of there being carcinogens in hair-dye products. Clairol, well known for its hair-care products, had regularly placed advertisements in the magazine until a disturbing article appeared alongside them, addressing the possibility of carcinogenic content in hair dyes. The topic had already been made public, and was, in fact, the topic of congressional proceedings at the time. In addition, the possibility of cancer-causing agents was widely reported in newspapers and other publications. Still, Clairol was not pleased to have that information appear in the same publication in which it placed advertisements for that very product. The advertisements were removed. Revlon’s reason for cutting off Ms. was slightly different, and certainly less compelling. Revlon executives were disgruntled with the appearance of a cover photograph which showed faces of women from the Soviet Union it was the cover story, and one which they had initially supported. The subject area was something rarely written about at that time, about a populist movement in Afghanistan, and was considered quite an achievement by many, both from within and outside the industry. However, the women in the photos were not wearing Revlon products they were not wearing makeup at all. The company found this objectionable because if the women were not wearing makeup, the cover story was not selling Revlon products(French, 1992: 171). That was enough for Revlon. The advertisements were removed. Later on came an editor from Australia: Cyndi Tebbel, who headed New Woman Australia in 1996. For a year and a half, Tebbel focused on self-help that could not be equated with self-flagellation: she said â€Å"no† to diets, â€Å"yes† to relationship and career advice. In 1997, near the end of her leadership, she published a groundbreaking issue embracing the concept of and featuring large-size models. Although the original strap was ‘Fat Is Back’, the issue finally ran as ‘The Big Issue’. Sales did not plummet, but neither did they soar. Still ‘The Big Issue’ was perceived as ‘unglamorous’, and did little to win support for Tebbel’s cause. Shortly after its publication, Tebbel resigned. There are more and more editors like this as well as writers, designers, photographers, even fashion models themselves who are ‘coming out’ as true supporters of women ‘as they are’. This is, no doubt, due in good part to the work of those that came before. However, they are still a minority, albeit a strong one. B. Fashion Victims What is it that women want? In her book Fashion Victim, editor and writer Michelle Lee raises a number of valid points as she attempts to answer this question.She speculates on what would happen if mainstream magazines began to feature plus-size, or even slightly plump models on their front covers: ‘Even if magazines showed heavier body types on a regular basis, would consumers really respond positively?’ She answers the question by explaining that in theory, we like the idea of showing realistic portrayals of ‘real’ women but the truth is that we don’t like to see them. ‘We appreciate the idea of magazines that use larger models’ Lee asserts. ‘We’re glad they exist. We like the idea of magazines that show more â€Å"realistic† sizes. The only problem is that we don’t buy them, and then they go out of business’ (Lee, 2003: 144). She follows this statement with statistics to underscore her point. The poin t that truly needs to be addressed here, however, is not the fact that we don’t buy magazines that feature the truest images of our selves: but rather, the reason we don’t we buy them. Why don’t we buy them? What is wrong with these magazines that show us who we really are? Or rather: what is wrong with these images of our less-than-perfect ‘selves’? ‘With all of these studies pointing to the public’s apparent need and desire for more â€Å"realistic† body shapes, it would seem likely that magazine publishers would bow to public pressure’, asserts Lee. Apparently, the magazine publishers are one step ahead. They know that what people say is often very different from the ways in which they act. The proof, for them as well as for Lee, is in the numbers. ‘Magazine publishers know that survey respondents are more virtuous on paper than they are at the newsstand’, notes Lee. ‘Top editors and publishers know that thinner cover girls sell more issues’ (Lee, 2003: 139). The noted researcher Angela McRobbie echoes this, asserting that in Britain, ‘winning the hearts and minds of young women has become a social and political priority. There is now a hegemonic effort extended across the social field to win the consent of young women’ (2001: 201). Catering to the desires of th ese young women, then, means displaying covers that they want to see. The point for them is, after all, to sell and they sell by doing what works. What works is staying in business but to stay in business, magazines rely on their advertisers. Because the advertisers are the ones who foot the bill, they have considerable power when it comes to dictating the content of the articles that appear alongside their ads. As French explains it, ‘makers of products for women require women’s magazines (†¦) to print recipes and articles on beauty and fashion to highlight their ads, and further, to promote a certain kind of beauty, food, and fashion the accoutrements of woman-as-commodity’ (1992: 171). Advertisers are also concerned that when their products appear in women’s magazines, they will decrease in value. The association of the product with women is thought to somehow debase it: ‘Many advertisers avoid women’s magazines entirely, fearing that a product that becomes associated with women will be devalued for men. . . .To be assured of advertising revenue, women’s magazines must be vapid, contentless’ (French, 1992: 172). C. Playing Both Sides In addition, advertisers seem to want it both ways they want to sell products to women, and they want to be perceived as supportive of women. Often, these two desires art at odds with each other. On a superficial level, most magazines do a good job of including titles and headlines that, on a cursory reading, appear to do both at the same time. And, as we have seen, ‘real’ women on the cover don’t sell consistently high numbers of magazines for the major publications. As sophisticated as young women may be today, they are still imprisoned in societal expectations. McRobbie asserts that ‘the now normative irony (as knowingness) which pervades the contemporary popular culture and mass media in which young women find themselves accommodated to as post-feminist high achievers, actively disallows such inclinations’ [to be themselves] (2004: 508–509). She also explains that because of their success, these young women are removed from having to face some of the more unpleasant issues that are faced daily by less fortunate female counterparts. What feels like a luxury to them the avoidance of unpleasant realities actually strips them of power, unbeknownst to them. ‘Daily discouraged from the requirement to think or act with courage (as a privilege of the good fortune of living in the affluent liberal west)’ she writes ‘is of course an effective means of disempowerment’ (2004: 509). ‘The last thing magazines want to do is shoot themselves in the foot by admitting that they play a role in creating negative body image’ notes Lee (2003: 140). In order to be profitable and keep their public persona intact, they work from different angles: ‘they do their best to help women break out of that mind-set. But at the same time, they can’t ignore that readers do want to lose weight (or, as most magazines now call it, â€Å"get fit†), so they’re forced to play both sides’ (Lee, 2003: 140). Hence, a single edition of a magazine or, as the later analysis of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire will demonstrate, may contain contradictory messages on the cover, in the Table of Contents, in the advertising, and in the articles themselves.   Ã¢â‚¬ËœAll magazines are to some degree controlled by advertisers; even supposedly independent news magazines use â€Å"soft† cover stories to sell ads’, asserts French (1992: 171). Thi s control is unavoidable, since advertising is what funds the publications in the first place. Additionally, notes French, all magazines ‘censor articles that might disturb big advertisers or the government (1992: 171). Private backing is an unrealistic solution to this problem because generally, the backers are men: ‘Women’s magazines generally cannot attract such private backing because few women have money’ (French, 1992: 171). As a result, magazines are heavily pressured to include content that advertisers want. There is little choice in this, because to go against the wishers of those who provide the funds is to risk losing the funds and perhaps losing the magazine as well. McRobbie underscores this point, explaining that media ‘have long been seen to be embedded in the fabric of society’ What is new about this, she asserts, is that the power exerted by the media has become stronger than ever. ‘What may be constitutively new is the degree to which media have become something with which the social is continuously being defined’ (McRobbie, 2000: 193). The situation is exacerbated because fashion media cannot lash out against this. ‘Much of the fashion media’s lack of criticism seems to stem from its financial dependence on the industry it covers’ asserts Lee (2003: 100). She notes that ‘fashion magazines have long been among the targets of eating-disorders studies. And many of the results have been damning’ (Lee, 2003: 139). Few would argue the validity of this notion. In fact, most women and most men as well would not need to see evidence. The idea that media dictate the mindsets of young people is not new. In Reviving Ophelia, Feminist Mary Pipher points out that ‘the omnipresent media consistently portrays desirable women as thin’, while ‘models and beautiful women are portrayed as thinner’ even as real women grow heavier. (1994: 216). ‘Underlying advertisers’ constraints is the fear shared by the male establishment generally, that women with a stronger self-image might no longer be willing to remain a servant class, might even unite against exploitation’ notes French (1992: 172–173). She explains that in order to keep a particular segment of the population subordinate, one must first convince the members of that segment that they deserve to be treated this way, usually because of some flaw or inferiority inherent in the group. ‘A person of an inferior group cannot be the author of her or his own life but must center on the superior group’ (French, 1992: 173). Chapter IIFeminism and the Growth of Women’s MagazinesA. Women: A User’s Guide In her volume Feminism, Femininity, and Popular Culture, British scholar Joann Hollows points out that ‘for feminist critics, girls’ magazines have been seen as significant because of their power to define and shape teenage femininities (2000: 167). She goes notes that the ways in which magazines have shaped girls’ development has shifted over the years; the impact is just as strong if not stronger but the means of wielding that power has been transformed. Until the 1980s and 1990s, girls became ‘hooked’ on the idea of physical seduction. Then the ‘hook’ became another form of seduction what Hollows, McRobbie and others call ‘the seduction of buying’ (Hollows, 2000: 171). Of course, McRobbie’s extensive studies and analyses of girls’ magazines provide a wealth of material on this subject. But both the development of the magazine format and the topic of femininity are inextricably intertwined. Hollows also exp lains that ‘feminisms differed in their form and character in different geographical contexts. However, if we take the cases of the UK and US, we can see some similarities in feminist concerns, despite the crucial differences between the forms of feminism which were created’ (2000: 3). It might be worthwhile, then to look into the history of the magazine itself, and to explore how, though developing in places that were geographically distant from each other, the genre ended up being very similar. American researcher Terry Poulton discusses the early days of women’s magazines as ‘the advent of a means of communication by which women could be taught what was expected of them, beauty-wise’, (1997: 30). It was, in essence, a sort of ‘user’s manual’ for women, teaching them what they wanted (assuming they all wanted the same things), and how to act in socially appropriate ways in order to get these things. There was no choice involved, because expectations at that time were rigidly set. Going against what was socially acceptable simply was not an option, and any leanings in the ‘wrong’ direction would most certainly be met with censure and/or ostracism. What Poulton refers to as an operator’s manual was, of cou rse, the beginning of the woman’s magazine. Of course, women had been learning these lessons for years, but never before from a standardized source that would keep them updated of changes on a timely and regular basis. The introduction of women’s magazines bestowed upon those who produced them incredible amounts of power the power to influence women, and in myriad ways. The ways women thought, the way they acted, and of course the way they looked were largely molded by the words and images that arrived in their monthly ‘users’ guides’. As Poulton puts it, ‘what had been missing for centuries a way to deliver visual images to masses of potential consumers had finally arrived’ (1997: 30). B. From Godey’s Lady’s Book to ‘Scientifically Precise’ Fashion Among the first women’s magazines were the U.S. publications Ladies Magazine in 1828, followed a short time later by Godey’s Lady’s Book, in the same year. According to Poulton, ‘thin was in for the first time’ with the advent of these publications. In fact, they are commonly thought to be at least partly responsible for precipitating a diet craze in the United States the first of many (1997: 29). Poulton explains that a foreshadowing of eating disorders also appeared during this time, when an article that appeared in Godey’s Lady’s Book discussed the tragic story of a woman named Louise. Apparently distraught after being ridiculed for her size, she decided to take action. She embarked on a grueling and unhealthy reducing regimen that consisted of a single glass of vinegar each day. Apparently, it worked on one level: she did reduce her size. However, we may ask, at what price? In a matter of months, according to the story, Louise wa s dead (Poulton, 1997: 29–30). In Great Britain, a comparable publication came along in 1872. Entitled The Ladies: A Journal of the Court, Fashion and Society, this publication presented fashion tips from a ‘scientifically precise’ perspective. Historian Virginia Cope explains that it also had clear political messages, with overt pieces in which the need for more political rights for women were discussed. The publication catered to upper-class London women, but appealed to middle-class women as well. The way the American publications served as ‘operator’s manuals’ for women in the U.S., so too did The Ladies for British society women. In this case, however, the guide was originally targeted at the higher classes; however, it soon became a primer for those middle-class women who wanted to rise socially. Implicit in the articles about housekeeping and fashion were lessons to the under classes in how to behave like their more elite counterparts. The ultimate hope that perhaps they wou ld one day be accepted by them was, of course, implicit, and dangled like a carrot to keep them purchasing the magazine each month. However, it seems that The Ladies wasn’t offering quite enough to ladies of either class: the publication did not last long, crumbling after a mere nine months. Even so, it serves as a reflection of British society at the time, which was becoming one of instability and constant flux. Whereas during the days of Queen Victoria’s reign, women’s place was thought to be at home, this gradually began to change and a type of feminism took root. As Britain became more and more industrialised, roles of men and women shifted. Similar changes took place in the United States. Publications of the time from both sides of the ocean like The Ladies and Godey’s Lady’s Book bear witness to this. The power these early publications held over some women is even more significant when one considers that the artistic renderings included in them the ‘graphics’ were just drawings. Photography would not become a part of the process for many years: the age of photographic reproduction was still far off, so images included in the magazines were sketches of varying quality and proportion; these drawings were highly exaggerated and understood to be idealized and unrealistic. Even so, the women who read these early publications still felt their impact, and the pressure to conform was felt by many. This influence would greatly increase when actual photographs replaced the drawings as part of the deceptively seductive advertising package. C. ‘The Camera Doesn’t Lie’ The inclusion of actual photographs in magazines heralded change a dramatic and significant change. No longer were articles accompanied by fanciful renderings of what women should look like now there were actual, live models against which readers could measure themselves. ‘With the mistaken conviction that cameras cannot lie, it was clear sailing for what came to be called â€Å"the tyranny of fashion†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, explains Poulton. ‘From now on, women would feel obliged to remodel their body shape in favor of the prevailing silhouette’ (Poulton, 1997: 30). There was a scientific precision that photography offered, and it wielded much more power than the often whimsical and sometimes anatomically impossible renderings of a human hand. Yet photography was merely the precursor to what would come next, as magazines became inextricably bound to the world of marketing: ‘Poised on the threshold was another kind of tyranny that would be inimical to women’ s ability to feel at peace with their bodies: advertising’ (Poulton, 1997: 30). The setup was ingenious: magazines, through both text and photography, would introduce new ideas to women, particularly about ways in which they failed to meet prevailing standards. At the same time perhaps even on the same page would be an advertisement for a product that would help them ‘improve’ what they now knew to be flawed parts of themselves. Cinematic portrayals soon became a part of this complex process. As French points out, ‘the debasement of women in art and advertising is echoed in cinematic images’ (1992: 164). This was true then, and remains true now. Perhaps no one puts this more succinctly than the American feminist Gloria Steinem, founding editor of Ms., who breaks the process into three parts: â€Å"to create a desire for products, instruct in the use of products, and make products a crucial part of gaining social approval’ (Steinem, quoted in Poulton, 1997: 30). D. Twiggy: Thin Becomes ‘In’ Weight-loss issues did not gain true prominence until the years following World War I. At that point, corpulence became another problem that women had to deal with. Women began to get more and more messages that indicated that extra weight was taboo. These messages were often tied in complex ways to issues of ability, intelligence, and even morality For help, Poulton explains, the typical woman would turn to magazines for help: ‘What was a woman to do if she was guilty of the new â€Å"crime† of corpulence? Why, just flip the pages of her favourite magazine until she found an article or an ad promoting the very latest in reducing schemes, potion, gimmicks, gadgets, and gizmos’ (Poulton, 1997: 33). This continual reinforcement of the message that being overweight was unacceptable left a comfortable niche for marketers of weight-reducing schemes to claim. The introduction of Lesley Hornby signified a major change for women on both continents. The British-born Hornby better known as ‘Twiggy’ became an overnight international sensation. She is considered by many to be the ‘world’s first supermodel’. Twiggy’s debut onto the New York scene was another turning point. ‘Within a year after Twiggy’s debut, the editorial and advertising cheering sections at women’s magazines had shifted into high gear and added exercising to their lists of must-do’s’ explains Poulton. Thinness as personified by Twiggy was an absolute must, and this dictum was treated with stringent rigidity. Poulton uses an excerpt from a Mademoiselle article of the period: ‘â€Å"Creampuffs, there’s no escape. Whip yourself into super shape and stay that way†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (1997: 45). The attitudes taken were both imperative and encouraging not to mention confusing and set a tone tha t in coming years would grow much more severe. McRobbie refers to the ‘boyish femininity of the girls’ of this period as ‘best exemplified in the early fashion shots of Twiggy’ (2000: 20). The ‘Twiggy’ standard has not really changed much since storming the scene in the 70s. ‘The standard of beauty crystallized into a single dominant body image mandated by those who, knowingly or unwittingly, were doing the bidding of marketers’ notes Poulton (1997: 54). Styles changed radically hot pants, hip huggers, mini-skirts, maxi-skirts the list is endless. Throughout all this, the paradigm of thinness has remained the standard towards which women should strive. If thin was in, ‘too thin’ was even more acceptable and encouraged: ‘In the magazines and on the fashion runways, the twirling girls grew thinner and younger by the year. . . . Meanwhile, real women were getting plumper with every technological advance that made physical labor obsolete, and with every new fat-laden food that came on the market’ (Poulton, 1997: 59–60). Yet not all women were able to achieve this unrealistic standard, thus beginning a wave

Pip in Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essay example -- Great Expec

Pip in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations After reading the compelling ‘Great Expectations’ by the famous writer Charles Dickens, I can gather that it is based upon his own psychological insight to life. He makes connections in relation to a specific character or event in the storyline, which were critical in his own expectations. Also Dickens moulds his selection of characters very well into the desired settings he’d created, that matched what he knew only too well throughout his childhood. ‘Great Expectations’ not only satires the issues of Victorian society, yet centres on the rites of passage that marks an important change in a person’s life. Dickens’ issue of contentment is something that concerns many human beings; this is what Pip wants most. However he never really accomplishes this until the closing stages of the book. So what exactly is contentment? The dictionary defines it as a ‘peace of mind’, where the person is ‘satisfied with things as they are.’ Therefore contentment means to be happy and in Pip’s case, happy with his life. The purpose of ‘Great Expectations’ is how contentment is achieved, with it being linked to Jeremy Bentham’s answer of this. Bentham was a well-known philosopher and he said: ‘humans strive to achieve self-fulfilment through the seeking of pleasure and the avoidance of pain.’ Dickens relates this to Pip, in the sense that Pip wants to become a gentleman, who need not work and who can avoid the certain stresses of life. Dickens’ early life is reflected by his main character in the novel. Through Pip, he presents a young and innocent boy, who changes his aspirations whilst growing up. Pip is often indirected by the themes of identity, love, money and class when ... ...elates Pip’s struggles to the ones he faced in his own life, in order to achieve contentment such as family problems, debt and education. Problems like these are overcome by sticking to a moral set of values, dispelling all the materialistic values which in the end leave a person unhappy. There is a clear message in the novel that the best way to achieve contentment is to live your life and learn from the positive and negative experiences of it. You must listen to the people who are close to you and their advice that they give, because this was one of Pip’s downfalls. Even though ‘Great Expectations’ was written almost two centuries ago; we as readers know how to achieve contentment with our own lives, by controlling and getting rid of our fantasies and phobias whilst being aware that wealth and higher class doesn’t necessarily mean a better way of life.

Moral Panic Definition Essay

Deborah Cameron is a linguist whose focus research is on what people’s attitudes are towards language. She writes a long definition on moral panic in Verbal Hygiene explaining how the media and general public exaggerate concerns beyond reason. Cameron reports that Jock Young describes moral panic as the public’s reaction that is â€Å"completely disproportionate to the actual problem.† Cameron explains that the causes of moral panic are analyzed in a simplistic manner, but the concern to the problem escalates to intolerable levels. She uses the term â€Å"folk devil† as an example of how they are identified in gang related violence and is a scape goat to the exaggerated issues reported by the media. Cameron also states from what scholars have suggested â€Å"that moral panic†¦is a product of modern mass media†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , if there is media attention the event will turn into an issue. However, if the media does not give attention, then the event wil l go unnoticed. In â€Å"American Werewolf in Kabul†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sean Brayton, a Ph.D student researching the specifics of critical race theory and media studies, analyzes the concept of moral panic as being an important cause of the potential threat of national security to the United States of America. He illustrates the three main elements of moral panic: folk devils, ambiguous terms, and moral entrepreneurs using the reality of John Walker Lindh’s journey through multiple identities. Comparing Cameron’s definition of moral panic to Brayton’s discussion of moral panic, which originated from Cohen’s developed description of the context in 1972, there is agreement that media overemphasize concerns beyond practicality. Both Cameron and Brayton use the term â€Å"folk devils† to represent a subgroup of individuals that is a leading cause of moral panic, yet with different purposes. Cameron suggests that the term â€Å"folk devil† is usually branded to social minorities that bear the burden enmity and blame by the socially ideal majority, whereas Brayton expands Cohen’s understanding of the term as a threat to the moral constitution of society on the whole. Although their research areas are not of a similar context, they both relate their writing to a â€Å"cultural history† in an era of media induced politics. As the previous paragraphs mentioned, the term â€Å"moral panic† is applied in both Cameron and Brayton’s writing, which Cameron realizes the crucial influence to expanded reports, while Brayton blames that those reports magnify the guilty to the individuals who commit. According to Brayton, three essential elements can be found in the concept moral panic: folk devils, moral entrepreneur, and ambiguous terms. Those elements are perfectly applied to a real life example during WWII, most of the innocent Japanese-Americans (devil folks) were forced to move into the internment camp by the U.S.A. Government (moral entrepreneur) after American military base in Pearl Harbour was destroyed by Japanese army. The U.S.A. Government treated the Japanese-Americans unfairly, as national enemies, traitors, or spies for the ir homeland (defined terms). Cameron is a linguist and uses moral panic theory to explain why negative attitudes arose toward youth literacy in 1980 – 1990’s England. Brayton looks at moral panic theory from the perspective of cultural politics and how moral panic was used post – 9/11 to preserve American ideals and create separation from conflicting cultural values. In both cases, Cameron and Brayton use moral panic theory to understand a culture’s reaction to some social problem exaggerated by the media. Moral panic theory provides researchers with a method of analyzing a situation resulting from a moral panic. Moral panic is, as Cameron describes, a problem â€Å"†¦discussed in an obsessive, moralistic and alarmist manner†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The theory may also be a useful model for researchers dealing with the study of human behavior or culture, such as cultural history, social theory, criminology, and anthropology. In particular, it could be useful in studying the effects of med ia on culture.

Porter’s Five Forces

Porter’s 5 forces summary According to Porter, in order to achieve competitive advantage over its competitors, analysis of current industry structure is vital because the structure of an industry determines the nature of the competition and the form that a sustainable competitive advantage takes and the industry structure is determined by the five competitive forces; the treat of substitute, the treat of entry, bargaining power of buyer, and bargaining power of supplier and the intensive of rivalry. Porter work simplified to identify five forces and then, to select one of the generic strategies.Last step of his framework is using the value chain from identifying and enhancing the business activities. His concept is based on the idea that forces facing the industry play a key role in determining success and profitability of an organisation. The analysis of five forces tells how management should respond to and try to influence those forces in a favourable way. Threat of entrant s: according to Porter new entry into the industry certainly reduces the existing firm’s profitability. How high the entry barrier of the industry affects the degree of new entry:Simply, internet banking dramatically lowers the entry barrier of bank industry. It is because entry barriers such as ‘economics of scale’, ‘brand identity’ and ‘access to distribution’ do not work any longer. Physical size can only mean high operating cost as well as in efficient and limited degrees of flexibility. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use internet to compete on equal ground with the financial giants. Power of buyer: buyer power affects the prices that firms can charge.Porter theorised that the more products that become standardised or undifferentiated, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. The products of banking market are getting similar therefore it increases the bargaining power of buyers. Also, buy ers have full information on demand and cost with internet, it implies that they can play the game more rationally with significant bargaining power. As more new comers are expected to enter the industry, banking customer are facing more alternatives. This is evidenced by the fact that internet banking services are now free of charge. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s 5 forces summary According to Porter, in order to achieve competitive advantage over its competitors, analysis of current industry structure is vital because the structure of an industry determines the nature of the competition and the form that a sustainable competitive advantage takes and the industry structure is determined by the five competitive forces; the treat of substitute, the treat of entry, bargaining power of buyer, and bargaining power of supplier and the intensive of rivalry. Porter work simplified to identify five forces and then, to select one of the generic strategies.Last step of his framework is using the value chain from identifying and enhancing the business activities. His concept is based on the idea that forces facing the industry play a key role in determining success and profitability of an organisation. The analysis of five forces tells how management should respond to and try to influence those forces in a favourable way. Threat of entrant s: according to Porter new entry into the industry certainly reduces the existing firm’s profitability. How high the entry barrier of the industry affects the degree of new entry:Simply, internet banking dramatically lowers the entry barrier of bank industry. It is because entry barriers such as ‘economics of scale’, ‘brand identity’ and ‘access to distribution’ do not work any longer. Physical size can only mean high operating cost as well as in efficient and limited degrees of flexibility. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use internet to compete on equal ground with the financial giants. Power of buyer: buyer power affects the prices that firms can charge.Porter theorised that the more products that become standardised or undifferentiated, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. The products of banking market are getting similar therefore it increases the bargaining power of buyers. Also, buy ers have full information on demand and cost with internet, it implies that they can play the game more rationally with significant bargaining power. As more new comers are expected to enter the industry, banking customer are facing more alternatives. This is evidenced by the fact that internet banking services are now free of charge. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s 5 forces summary According to Porter, in order to achieve competitive advantage over its competitors, analysis of current industry structure is vital because the structure of an industry determines the nature of the competition and the form that a sustainable competitive advantage takes and the industry structure is determined by the five competitive forces; the treat of substitute, the treat of entry, bargaining power of buyer, and bargaining power of supplier and the intensive of rivalry. Porter work simplified to identify five forces and then, to select one of the generic strategies.Last step of his framework is using the value chain from identifying and enhancing the business activities. His concept is based on the idea that forces facing the industry play a key role in determining success and profitability of an organisation. The analysis of five forces tells how management should respond to and try to influence those forces in a favourable way. Threat of entrant s: according to Porter new entry into the industry certainly reduces the existing firm’s profitability. How high the entry barrier of the industry affects the degree of new entry:Simply, internet banking dramatically lowers the entry barrier of bank industry. It is because entry barriers such as ‘economics of scale’, ‘brand identity’ and ‘access to distribution’ do not work any longer. Physical size can only mean high operating cost as well as in efficient and limited degrees of flexibility. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use internet to compete on equal ground with the financial giants. Power of buyer: buyer power affects the prices that firms can charge.Porter theorised that the more products that become standardised or undifferentiated, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. The products of banking market are getting similar therefore it increases the bargaining power of buyers. Also, buy ers have full information on demand and cost with internet, it implies that they can play the game more rationally with significant bargaining power. As more new comers are expected to enter the industry, banking customer are facing more alternatives. This is evidenced by the fact that internet banking services are now free of charge.