Fiscal Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fiscal Policy - Essay Example From the research it can be comprehended that fiscal policy refers to the means used by the government in spending and taxation to monitor or influence the economy. In a way, the government has to adjust its level of spending to influence the economy. This fiscal instrument is used by the government each year to manage its economy for the benefit of the citizens. The tax implications on the nation’s budget have different inferences to different groups of people within society. Fiscal policy focuses generally on the fiscal changes in government revenue and expenditure and their impact upon nation’s economy. Tax and expenditure are the basic fiscal policy instruments. However, the most potent fiscal instrument used by a government is taxation. Taxation has led to reduction of consumption, increases investments, and allow for the transfer of government resources to economic development. Taxation has impact to the general level of output by altering the incentives that inst itutions encounter. Taxation is imposed by government to cut the cost of governance and communal services. Taxation also facilitates resource re-allocation, and enhances the promotion through equitable wealth distribution, to enhance economic growth and development. This also ensures economic stability by correcting and controlling macroeconomic shocks which are both policy-induced or exogenous. Hence, we are able to understand the gap between the level of expenditure and taxation. When the government revenue is high, the liquidity trap increases in the money supply, which does not contribute to the improvement of economic growth due to downward pressure experienced in investment (because of insensitivity of interest rate compared to money supply) (Alesina & Tabellini 2005). Likewise, this may also occur when the government expenditure surpasses revenue. The most important factor to consider in such a case is not the level of the deficit but the change that accompanies the deficit. Fiscal policy is an important instrument that is used to monitor government’s economy due to its impact on GDP (Alesina & Tabellini 2005). Fiscal policy has been associated with the use of taxation and public expenditure to influence the level of economic activities. The implementation of fiscal policy is channeled through government’s budget.   An important aspect of a public budget is its use as a tool in the management of a nation’s economy (Alesina & Tabellini 2005). During economic recession, the government plans for budget deficit which is often referred to as expansionary fiscal policy. In such a situation, taxes are reduced with a subsequent increase in the government expenditure, and during depression, or economic boom, the government may decide on a budget surplus to slow down the economy. This implies that through reduction in taxes, the purchasing power of individuals is enhanced and the cost of production of workers reduces, thereby improving thei r scale of operations in the business cycle. On the other hand, increases in public expenditure when effectively used can lead into improved developments in the nation’s infrastructure. Consequently, there is an increase in general welfare and places the economy on the path of growth. This explains the first impact of fiscal policy on improving the demands for goods and services. The aggregate demands make it an important instrument for a government’s economic stabilization. Fiscal growth has affects the output level and has implications on a country’s savings. Thus, in fiscal expansion, the government will be forced to reduce savings, which is equivalent to a budget surplus. The reduction in fiscal deficits may lead to increase in domestic production. Furthermore, it may lead to stable exchange rate that should be pursued as means of controlling inflation in a nation. 2. With the aid of a diagram, show and explain how fiscal policy can be used to shift

Analysis Strategy of an Organization from Strategic Intent and Stretch Essay

Analysis Strategy of an Organization from Strategic Intent and Stretch Perspective - Essay Example The present discussion revolves around, the IT giant, Accenture’s strategy and its execution. Porter’s studies and contribution towards gaining an understanding and insight into strategy is regarded as highly valuable in contemporary management, and have paved way to the emergence of many businesses that have reached their pinnacle and have managed to stay there; one of them being Accenture. Porter’s studies have identified five main forces of industry competition, which can be used as the core guide to business management. Porter (2008) ascertains that the industry structure drives competition and profitability irrespective of the age of the business, policies or technology used. This, in other words, accounts for strategy adopted by the industry or business to enter the market, grow and sustain its position. Precisely, strategies help organisations to be focused towards their goals. Accenture is a global organisation that deals with and provides services in con sulting, technology and outsourcing, with about 246,000 employees in more than 100 countries. Its strategy is to become the world’s leading company in the field of consulting, technology and outsourcing by delivering high performance.... they claim, is more often achieved by imitating or copying competitors’ practices and also sometimes partnering with competitors in some way or other to share the profits. They also identified that many businesses actually adopted practices that were beyond mere replication of existing strategies and such businesses not only succeeded but also reached far fledged horizons. A good lesson for most of the businesses worldwide, this approach has indeed opened up new ways of looking at business and management. Hamel and Prahalad (1989) refer to this approach or attitude as the ‘strategic intent,’ which also indicates a specific approach to all strategy formulation and implementation that will help in treading ahead in the chosen field of industry. Accenture’s mission to become the world’s leading company by delivering high performance can be considered as its strategic intent. Harfield’s (1998) study challenged Porter’s approach to strategy and strategic management claiming the latter’s concept to be more of a myth. His study on strategic management based on the linear, adaptive and interpretative approaches provides multidimensional view to strategic management. Overall, this extensive study credits Porter for his contribution and on the other hand also claims strategic management to be much more complicated as well as resourceful, which modern management specialists can use for further construction. This anticipated potential gives rise to the concept of strategic intent, which is realized by leaders that really wish to align the actions and beliefs of all employees of an organisation towards one common challenging goal; Smith (1994, p.66) refers to such leadership attitude as the ‘Merlin Factor.’ Strategic intent is a by-product of strategic

The Basic Position Of Ethical Naturalism Philosophy Essay

The Basic Position Of Ethical Naturalism Philosophy Essay This paper will show the basic position of ethical naturalism, also discuss ways in which science can arguably, and enhance our understanding of morality. I will give descriptions and examples of ethical naturalism to support this passage, it will illustrate various ways science can enhance our understanding of morality as well. Naturalism, sometimes also called definism, is a theory in meta-ethics that holds that ethical terms can be defined; the meaning of ethical sentences can be given in very non-ethical terms. Naturalism is the view that ethical sentences express propositions and that they can be reduced to non-ethical sentences. Non-reductive ethical naturalism holds that moral properties are not reducible to non-moral properties, but are supervenient upon those properties. Naturalistic ethics: a theory of moral behavior according to which ethics is an empirical science. Ethical statements are reduced to the natural sciences (physical or social), and ethical questions are answered wholly based on the findings of those sciences. Ethical naturalism take on several different forms, one of the bigger difficulties in the articulation of the theory is multifarious definitions on nature, natural, and natural law. Some examples of ethical naturalism are, ethical values are reducible to natural properties; a go od action is an action in conformity with the proper function of a thing as in the Stoics notion of activities which are consequential upon a things nature. Ethical values are a distinctive kind property not reducible to those studied by the physical sciences but possibly studied by the social sciences. In a sense, a nihilist can be thought of as one kind of ethical naturalist. Nihilism is the doctrine that there are no moral facts, no moral truths, and no moral knowledge. Moreover, nihilism, as the belief that life is insignificant and death is the end of life, is a doctrine that denies that traditional values, including moral truths, exist. Some nihilists hold that morality is merely a superstitious remnant of religion. Religious morality is fragile when related to science, it is a common idea for the religious, that morality would be pointless if the universe is simply going to die of heat death and that everything, along with us, will cease to exist. A salient philosophical obje ction to ethical naturalism is described by G.E. Moore as the naturalistic fallacy. He argues that the question of goodness can still be raised as to whether a natural property is good. What are proper functions of a person what might not actually be good for them. However, even if they were, they are not the same as, or the definition of, what is good. The first area where science can improve our morality is through simple scientific literacy. Our moral IQ can be informed simply through a broader scientific understanding. With our new understanding of genetics through science, we know more about the diseases of the mind such as bi-polar, manic depression, panic disorder, PTSD, and chemical imbalances we will no longer mistake someones odd behavior as being possessed. Science helps us understand morality better through the study of genetics, we now know more in the way of people. Therefore, we can say that moral progress is tied to scientific progress. As wellbeing is a universal go al for conscious beings, the scientifically informed view of morality in face of this kind of argument could be, we only experience the present, we can only influence the future from through the present, and so in this sense, the present is the only meaningful experience we can discuss. We can say that what increases wellbeing is a scientific question, but that we should increase wellbeing isnt. However, how do we come up with an idea of what is good? What is our basis for saying anything is good? What states lead us to conclude goodness? We cannot through the scientific process ask what is good, but in the sense of understanding the framework of basis for the concept of good, science is a required part. To look at morality in a scientific aspect, if we say life is good then living a good life means living healthy. A scientific inquiry, the methods of science can determine the kinds of diets, exercise regimes, and even health care policies that promote or lead to good health and the avoidance of physical suffering. On this basis, we may be able to say that certain diets or health care initiatives are objectively better or worse than others are. Therefore, we can say people have a moral obligation to be healthy. Using science (natural), we can also say that incest is morally wrong. Science has proven that when two closely related human beings procreate, it substantially increases the likelihood of two deleterious (toxic) recessive genes coming together and producing any of a large variety of conditions that interfere with health. Two people that procreate their differing genetic ancestries are extremely unlikely to carry the same deleterious genes. Many people take many different views on ethics and morality, a lot of discussion on ethical naturalism. With all these different views, science brings forth more and more information all the time and can arguably enhance our understanding of morality, and relationship between ethics and morality. References: Ethics, Crime, and Criminal Justice. Second Edition, pg. 69, Authors: Christopher R. Williams, Bruce A. Arrigo http://dguilbeault.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/science-and morality/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_naturalism http://www.lumrix.net/medical/ethics/ethical_naturalism.html http://philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/naturalism/html

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Sick Kid or Sick Parent?(4) Essay

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Sick Kid or Sick Parent?(4) In relating the details of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), the initial reaction is usually shock, followed quickly by fascination. The reason for the latter is that the medical community has yet to make up their minds about what exactly MSBP is. The debate: psychiatric disorder v. child abuse. Essentially the arguments for both create a divide between the brain and behavior, though not relating the two. Munchausen Syndrome "is a condition manifest by persons feigning or inducing illness in themselves for no other apparent gain than adopting the sick role and thus exposing themselves to painful and sometimes damaging and disfiguring medical procedures (7)." The name of the syndrome originates from an eighteenth-century Baron, Hiernymous Karl Friedrich von Munchausen, who was a military mercenary widely known for regaling fantastical stories of exploits (6). While the Baron had no psychiatric condition or any further ties with the medical nature of the syndrome, as it is known today, his connection to the syndrome derives from the proven fabrication of all his tales. In 1977, the British journalist Roy Meadow first used the term "Munchausen By Proxy" in an article that named children as the primary victims of the syndrome. At the time, the literature revealed the natural mother of the child to be the perpetrator of induced and at times actual, illness (3). It is important to note that Meadow's intended to apply MSBP to the problem of child abuse and while it is still extensively classified as such in child abuse and medical journals, the boundaries of the syndrome have been stretched with increased prevalence. The popular view of MSBP remains that it is a for... ...l, external experience. Lack of medical data and psychological mapping of the perpetrator causes MSBP to continue and increase in frequency over time. The issue of the proxy further complicates the reality in questioning what is true and what ailments are genuine. Surveillance is the only answer offered right now, but I hope that there will soon be medical aid available for the perpetrators. References This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/

Generation Gaps Essay

In our generation we have gone through numerous economical, social, and political changes. Some of which our parents would never have dreamed of. Things such as the cell phone, Wi-Fi, 9/11, and various mass shootings have permanently changed the way our generation lives and has forced our parents’ to adapt to a new way of life. Growing up I remember how different life was from the way it is now. Gas was $0.99 and everyone had dial-up internet service. Airport rules were much more forgiving. For example, If you wanted to travel you had the option of bringing food with you to avoid eating tasteless airplane meals. You were hardly frisked and didn’t have to go through a full body scanner before you departed to your gate. In my mother’s time the rules were even more lax. In the 1960’s there was little concern over terrorism and airport safety. There were almost no security procedures in place and because of this all a passenger had to do was to stroll over to the ticket counter, purchase their ticket, show identification, and board the plane. In addition to this smoking was permitted in all areas of the airplane and sometimes cigarettes were even provided to the flyers. Another aspect of our culture that has changed drastically is technology. A prime example of how technology has changed radically is the creation of the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web or the Internet as it is more commonly known catalyzed the birth of what is now known as the Digital Age. An age filled with constantly changing machinery that have ultimately changed how we go about our lives. Because of the Internet we are now able to buy and send things online. We can also pay bills, communicate with relatives, and share pictures—something our parents’ generation never dreamed of doing. Unfortunately less pleasant things such as the Columbine shootings and the more recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have shattered the once widely perceived view of safe public schools and government buildings. Ironically, these places were never really safe to begin with. These tragic events have forced our government to implement laws to protect our safety. Back then, there wasn’t as much controversy over guns as there is today. Partly due to the fact that there was not as much violence in that time period. Thus, the general public felt safer and therefore, felt no need to carry around firearms or other types of weapons. All in all, one of the main reasons our society has changed so much is due to things like the Great Depression and the recent Recession as well as other less sinister events such as the inauguration of Barack Obama and technological advances such as WiFi, electric cars, and smart phones. These changes have altered how we live our lives in the 21st Century. Some have been improvements while others are mostly viewed as a decline from what life used to be like.

Eight Stages In the Development of Man

Aging in the middle ages is certain that life has meaning and it is clear what life really is, it assigned to humans as highly important compare to all living things. The life span on earth is only diminutive interval, as we stay on earth the soul temporary become a prison of the body, the human body experience a short trial and test meant to end death. The important aspect is the life after death of the body, the existence of human being is not focused on what was gained in this material world, what life can offer, but reserves the immortal soul from death and ceaseless death and torture, by gaining endless life and everlasting happiness.In the development of man in a chronological way there are eight stages infancy (0-2years), early childhood (age 2-6), middle childhood (6-12 years), adolescence (12-18 years), early adulthood (18-40), middle adulthood (40-60), the irregular sounding early late adulthood (60-75) and late adulthood (75+).   In childhood development, children develo p rapidly as they are exposed to different attitudes and behaviors. They learn many things formally and informally, these experiences contribute to their emotional, intellectual, physical and social development.Adolescence has traditionally been viewed to begin with puberty, a sudden spurt in physical growth accompanied by sexual maturity. There is a common image of adolescents as unpredictable creatures, prone to mood swing and wild emotional outbursts. This shows that adolescents are more emotionally volatile than adults. In adulthood the individuals grow older they confront new combinations of biological drives and societal demands.By forty years old, most people are all too aware of the changes occurring within their bodies. Strength and vigor in various organ systems decline and changes are readily visible in body shapes and skin as bulges and wrinkles gradually replace gradually replace the sleek torsos and smooth exterior of youth. Sexual activity tends to decrease for both s exes and women in their late forties or early fifties experience pause.Physical changes are inevitable during mid-life, but the magnitude and the rate of such changes are strongly influenced by the the individual lifestyle. Growing evidence suggests that such factors as physical exercise, personal nutrition and effective management of stress may be better predictors of physical vigor and health than age.Comparative research has been made choosing animal models for research in aging, examination of animals is made so that the importance and suitability of particular genus for studies on aging. They use animal model on research for aging because it is a living life form on which a normative natural or behavioral characteristic of aging can be studied. It a semantic confusion when we hear the term research on aging, so we must characterize the areas of scientific analysis on aging.There are two wide categories to do research – the biology of aging or pathology of aging. When we refer to the biology of aging it is commonly based on the origin that aging and are normal processes, a fraction of physiological range in which aging is a step in the progress of the normal life span. Whereas, the pathology of aging is based on the basis that aging is a disease.To define aging more precisely, research should give more focus on genetic inclination from birth to old age, which may require the evaluation of very young  subjects to typify its growth and eventual appearance in the aged. The occurrence of  disease, exposure to environmental pollutants, and infectious agents that affect the elderly  that manifest only at their old age. The most important goals of biomedical and  behavioral research on aging is to develop the worth of life for the aged, to have a direct  development of efficient health concern services for the aged.  Ã‚  There are two kinds of aging, primary aging and secondary aging.Primary aging  refers to changes produced by increasing age . Secondary aging can be traced to changes  resulting from disease, disuse, or abuse of our bodies. It is incorrect to attribute ill health  and discomfort to simply the negative effects of old age. Factors such as lifestyle and  specific illnesses, which are not age related, should be considered as possible causes.Indeed, our physical state during later life is more under our control. Such psychological ideas came from Greek and Roman thought. There is a concealed measurement of ancient philosophy that appeal to a theory divine transcendence ultimately triumphed in form of religion. Both prehistoric and medieval civilizations took for granted that the thoughtful means of life represented the utmost opportunity of human subsistence. This reality is essential to understand the contemporary apprehension of old age, which is a horror of the vacuum, the indeterminate state of apathy.The attitudes that the Greek holds do not necessarily replicate the realism of other  people†™s lives. Even healthier individuals have a pessimistic outlook towards aging thus,  influence the perception of younger people to the ways they choose to interact with the  elderly. There are two conflicting traditions of thought that propose our ideas and  attitudes about aging, the traditional Greek view of aging is very negative, because the  Greeks strained the enormous luck and the great hardship of the old. In their own  view if a person has already conceded his/her youthful years, it is better to die than  experience the indignities of aging.On the other hand the medieval attitudes towards  aging is very positive, since they believe that as a a person grows older, it brings position  and prestige to him and his family and also the community where he lives. This  discrepancy among the contrasting civilization is best seen in the reasons specified for the  death of a young person.In the Middle Eastern view is that the bad man dies young whereas, an old ag e is  a sanction which means when a person dies young he is not blessed, in contrast to ancientGreek which believes that a man who dies at an early age is loved by the Gods and a individual who lives into old age is being punished by the Gods. The attitudes that the Greek holds do not necessarily replicate the realism of other people’s lives. Even healthier individuals have a pessimistic outlook towards aging thus; influence the perception of younger people to the ways they choose to interact with the elderly.There are two conflicting traditions of thought that propose our ideas andattitudes about aging, the traditional Greek view of aging is very negative, because the Greeks strained the enormous luck and the great hardship of the old. In their own  view if a person has already conceded his/her youthful years, it is better to die than  experience the indignities of aging. On the other hand the medieval attitudes towards  aging is very positive, since they believe tha t as a   person grows older, it brings position  and prestige to him and his family and also the community where he lives. This  discrepancy among the contrasting civilization is best seen in the reasons specified for thedeath of a young person.In the Middle Eastern view is that the bad man dies young whereas, an old age is  a sanction which means when a person dies young he is not blessed, in contrast to ancient  Greek which believes that a man who dies at an early age is loved by the Gods and a  individual who lives into old age is being punished by the Gods.Deprived wellbeing in aging requires increased beneficial expenditures that transmit income from other essential areas such as home preservation or the purchase of food. There should be a concerned social or physical environment may retard the rate of functional loss to some degree. Successful planning for an aging society obviously requires attention to the qualitative aspects of aging as well as to the quantitati ve features. Such factors mostly define the value of life at any age and include not only health status but also monetary standing and aspects of both social and substantial environment.There are large numbers of changes in the ways aging people experience in their environments, during the years of adulthood and into old age. These changes engross the course of sensation and perception. We define sensation as the transmission of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feel of the internal and outside environments, into terms that the brain can use to interpret these signals. In contrast, the term perception is the procedure that happens in the brain as it integrates these signals with the person’s past comprehension and information coming from the different experiences.The aging process affects both sensation and perception in the tangential and central mechanism of the nervous system. Lots of information is available which are responsible on the aging of the structures for s ensation compare on the aging of upper level brain centers concerned in perception. There are deep effects on adjustment of the many age correlated changes in the understanding of intellect information. In every day existence adults use sensory and perceptual processes, from ordinary routine interaction to difficult problem situations, and even on matters of life and death.Context is a common issue that may strengthen the usual cognitive problems of aging. The associated changes in the brain dopamine has influence how people process background information, which in turn can hurt concentration memory and more. The psychologist have establish the â€Å"absent link† between the aging brain and waning cognitive abilities, there are also studies that shows where the older people and younger people pathways in context processing. The slow lessening of the ability to gain and utilize background clues could clarify why aging people refuse cognition across a range of function. Psychol ogist develops complete, brain based representation of normal aging, that makes them able to eventually slow or stop these worrying cognitive decline.The best example is when psychologist uses dopamine to be used in context   Ã‚  processing which is a kind of psychological â€Å"operating system† that sits among the brain’s prefrontal cortex and cognition; they believe that definite sufficient levels of the chemical messenger dopamine, the prefrontal cortex consistently enables to course for a thought, memory of the actions. Therefore, context processing can have a wide impact, straddling cognitive process once thought to be autonomous. The context processing, has the capability to supersede a defaulting behavior to perform something in a contextually suitable way. To sum it up, in this process helps aging people to decide which way to go to the market, what to utter based on who is listening or what uncertain word would mean in a meticulous sentence.Health promotion has been a functional social science whose theoretical structure has developed from a psychology, anthropology and sociology foundation. Since 1970’s there are already programs given based on the theories of health promotions, usually implemented across large populations. It is also a mixture of health education and related managerial, political, and economic changes conductive to wellbeing. A health promotion program, then, is planned to improve the health and welfare of individuals and communities by giving the people with the information, expertise, services, and sustainability needed to take on and preserve optimistic lifestyle changes.Successful health promotion programs are health enhancement programs; they go further than providing information to effect behavioral alteration. It emphasize has been on physical health condition and health assurance, usual study of insurance price infer that the health promotion program could decrease morbidity from disease.Two types of learning programs for older drivers have been developed, the first one is precautionary driving approach to decrease fears and sharpen driving skills. The next program is for older citizens who had one or other accidents and uses a defensive-driving/traffic school approach to decrease threat of accident. Programs may be offered in a multiplicity of setting such as senior and district centers.The organization of support groups, conducting of meetings of people with meticulous emotional wants share and discuss the crisis the member faces. These groups can be organized by retirement homes, hospitals, senior centers, and community interest society.Reassurance of telephone programs, it is the duty of a fit and self sufficient person to voluntary calls a homebound or apprehensive elder person each day at the same time to check on his protection and well being. Transportation programs, there are vans or minibuses that provide transport for older adults or the handicapped to physicians, hos pital, clinics.Volunteer programs, any sort of organization that operates more efficiently and has increased sense of community importance if an efficient volunteer is developed and equipped. Program developments include advances in public wellbeing, preventive and curative medicine, health education, and medical technology have caused enormous changes in the configuration of the populace of aging populations.ConclusionEveryone of us started from being a child until we reach old age, as we grow older we become unique to other people, each of us has a different genetic make up. During the life course, the range of those persons is created by how person invested time and energy. The life time approach to the learning of aging is one way of conceptualizing many of the factors that influence how individual modify as they grow older, and how different personality show unlike patterns of change in aging.Work CitedCockayne K. (2003). Experiencing Old Age in Ancient Rome. Sociology, Routlid ge Publishing.Decalmer P. and Glandenning F. (1997) The Mistreatment of Elderly People. Sociology. Sage Publication. Sage Newbury Park, CA.Davies, J.K., Gordon M., editor (1998). Quality, Evidence, and Health Effectiveness in Health Promotion. Routledge Publishing.Gilford, D. M. (1988).The Aging Population In The Twenty-First Century. Contributor National Academy of Sciences. National Academic Press.Haber, D. (2007). Health Promotion of Aging; Practical Applications for Health Professionals. Fourth edition. Springer Publishing CompanyTimmreck, T.C. (2003).Planning Program Development and Evaluation. Jones and Barlett Publishers.Timiras, P.S., (2002) Physiological Basis of Aging And Geriatrics. Mac Millan Publishing. New York.Webb, R.C., (1999). Psychology of The Consumer And It’s Development .Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers. New York. Eight Stages In the Development of Man Aging in the middle ages is certain that life has meaning and it is clear what life really is, it assigned to humans as highly important compare to all living things. The life span on earth is only diminutive interval, as we stay on earth the soul temporary become a prison of the body, the human body experience a short trial and test meant to end death.The important aspect is the life after death of the body, the existence of human being is not focused on what was gained in this material world, what life can offer, but reserves the immortal soul from death and ceaseless death and torture, by gaining endless life and everlasting happiness.In the development of man in a chronological way there are eight stages infancy (0-2years), early childhood (age 2-6), middle childhood (6-12 years), adolescence (12-18 years), early adulthood (18-40), middle adulthood (40-60), the irregular sounding early late adulthood (60-75) and late adulthood (75+).   In childhood development, children develop rapidly as they are exposed to different attitudes and behaviors. They learn many things formally and informally, these experiences contribute to their emotional, intellectual, physical and social development.Adolescence has traditionally been viewed to begin with puberty, a sudden spurt in physical growth accompanied by sexual maturity. There is a common image of adolescents as unpredictable creatures, prone to mood swing and wild emotional outbursts. This shows that adolescents are more emotionally volatile than adults. In adulthood the individuals grow older they confront new combinations of biological drives and societal demands.By forty years old, most people are all too aware of the changes occurring within their bodies. Strength and vigor in various organ systems decline and changes are readily visible in body shapes and skin as bulges and wrinkles gradually replace gradually replace the sleek torsos and smooth exterior of youth. Sexual activity tends to decrease for both se xes and women in their late forties or early fifties experience pause.Physical changes are inevitable during mid-life, but the magnitude and the rate of such changes are strongly influenced by the the individual lifestyle. Growing evidence suggests that such factors as physical exercise, personal nutrition and effective management of stress may be better predictors of physical vigor and health than age.Comparative research has been made choosing animal models for research in aging, examination of animals is made so that the importance and suitability of particular genus for studies on aging. They use animal model on research for aging because it is a living life form on which a normative natural or behavioral characteristic of aging can be studied. It a semantic confusion when we hear the term research on aging, so we must characterize the areas of scientific analysis on aging.There are two wide categories to do research – the biology of aging or pathology of aging. When we r efer to the biology of aging it is commonly based on the origin that aging and are normal processes, a fraction of physiological range in which aging is a step in the progress of the normal life span. Whereas, the pathology of aging is based on the basis that aging is a disease.To define aging more precisely, research should give more focus on genetic inclination from birth to old age, which may require the evaluation of very young  subjects to typify its growth and eventual appearance in the aged. The occurrence of  disease, exposure to environmental pollutants, and infectious agents that affect the elderly  that manifest only at their old age. The most important goals of biomedical and  behavioral research on aging is to develop the worth of life for the aged, to have a direct  development of efficient health concern services for the aged.There are two kinds of aging, primary aging and secondary aging. Primary aging  refers to changes produced by increasing age. Second ary aging can be traced to changes  resulting from disease, disuse, or abuse of our bodies. It is incorrect to attribute ill health  and discomfort to simply the negative effects of old age. Factors such as lifestyle and  specific illnesses, which are not age related, should be considered as possible causes.Indeed, our physical state during later life is more under our control. Such psychological ideas came from Greek and Roman thought. There is a concealed measurement of ancient philosophy that appeal to a theory divine transcendence ultimately triumphed in form of religion. Both prehistoric and medieval civilizations took for granted that the thoughtful means of life represented the utmost opportunity of human subsistence. This reality is essential to understand the contemporary apprehension of old age, which is a horror of the vacuum, the indeterminate state of apathy.The attitudes that the Greek holds do not necessarily replicate the realism of other  people’s liv es. Even healthier individuals have a pessimistic outlook towards aging thus,  influence the perception of younger people to the ways they choose to interact with the  elderly. There are two conflicting traditions of thought that propose our ideas and  attitudes about aging, the traditional Greek view of aging is very negative, because the  Greeks strained the enormous luck and the great hardship of the old. In their own  view if a person has already conceded his/her youthful years, it is better to die than  experience the indignities of aging.On the other hand the medieval attitudes towards  aging is very positive, since they believe that as a a person grows older, it brings position  and prestige to him and his family and also the community where he lives. This  discrepancy among the contrasting civilization is best seen in the reasons specified for the  death of a young person.In the Middle Eastern view is that the bad man dies young whereas, an old age is   a sanction which means when a person dies young he is not blessed, in contrast to ancient  Greek which believes that a man who dies at an early age is loved by the Gods and a individual who lives into old age is being punished by the Gods. The attitudes that the Greek holds do not necessarily replicate the realism of other people’s lives. Even healthier individuals have a pessimistic outlook towards aging thus; influence the perception of younger people to the ways they choose to interact with the elderly.There are two conflicting traditions of thought that propose our ideas and  attitudes about aging, the traditional Greek view of aging is very negative, because the Greeks strained the enormous luck and the great hardship of the old. In their own  view if a person has already conceded his/her youthful years, it is better to die than  experience the indignities of aging. On the other hand the medieval attitudes towards  aging is very positive, since they believe tha t as a   person grows older, it brings position  and prestige to him and his family and also the community where he lives. This  discrepancy among the contrasting civilization is best seen in the reasons specified for the  death of a young person.In the Middle Eastern view is that the bad man dies young whereas, an old age is  a sanction which means when a person dies young he is not blessed, in contrast to ancient  Greek which believes that a man who dies at an early age is loved by the Gods and a  individual who lives into old age is being punished by the Gods.Deprived wellbeing in aging requires increased beneficial expenditures that transmit income from other essential areas such as home preservation or the purchase of food. There should be a concerned social or physical environment may retard the rate of functional loss to some degree. Successful planning for an aging society obviously requires attention to the qualitative aspects of aging as well as to the quanti tative features. Such factors mostly define the value of life at any age and include not only health status but also monetary standing and aspects of both social and substantial environment.There are large numbers of changes in the ways aging people experience in their environments, during the years of adulthood and into old age. These changes engross the course of sensation and perception. We define sensation as the transmission of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feel of the internal and outside environments, into terms that the brain can use to interpret these signals. In contrast, the term perception is the procedure that happens in the brain as it integrates these signals with the person’s past comprehension and information coming from the different experiences.The aging process affects both sensation and perception in the tangential and central mechanism of the nervous system. Lots of information is available which are responsible on the aging of the structures f or sensation compare on the aging of upper level brain centers concerned in perception. There are deep effects on adjustment of the many age correlated changes in the understanding of intellect information. In every day existence adults use sensory and perceptual processes, from ordinary routine interaction to difficult problem situations, and even on matters of life and death.Context is a common issue that may strengthen the usual cognitive problems of aging. The associated changes in the brain dopamine has influence how people process background information, which in turn can hurt concentration memory and more. The psychologist have establish the â€Å"absent link† between the aging brain and waning cognitive abilities, there are also studies that shows where the older people and younger people pathways in context processing. The slow lessening of the ability to gain and utilize background clues could clarify why aging people refuse cognition across a range of function. Psy chologist develops complete, brain based representation of normal aging, that makes them able to eventually slow or stop these worrying cognitive decline.The best example is when psychologist uses dopamine to be used in context   Ã‚  processing which is a kind of psychological â€Å"operating system† that sits among the brain’s prefrontal cortex and cognition; they believe that definite sufficient levels of the chemical messenger dopamine, the prefrontal cortex consistently enables to course for a thought, memory of the actions. Therefore, context processing can have a wide impact, straddling cognitive process once thought to be autonomous. The context processing, has the capability to supersede a defaulting behavior to perform something in a contextually suitable way. To sum it up, in this process helps aging people to decide which way to go to the market, what to utter based on who is listening or what uncertain word would mean in a meticulous sentence.Health promo tion has been a functional social science whose theoretical structure has developed from a psychology, anthropology and sociology foundation. Since 1970’s there are already programs given based on the theories of health promotions, usually implemented across large populations. It is also a mixture of health education and related managerial, political, and economic changes conductive to wellbeing. A health promotion program, then, is planned to improve the health and welfare of individuals and communities by giving the people with the information, expertise, services, and sustainability needed to take on and preserve optimistic lifestyle changes.Successful health promotion programs are health enhancement programs; they go further than providing information to effect behavioral alteration. It emphasize has been on physical health condition and health assurance, usual study of insurance price infer that the health promotion program could decrease morbidity from disease.Two types of learning programs for older drivers have been developed, the first one is precautionary driving approach to decrease fears and sharpen driving skills. The next program is for older citizens who had one or other accidents and uses a defensive-driving/traffic school approach to decrease threat of accident. Programs may be offered in a multiplicity of setting such as senior and district centers.The organization of support groups, conducting of meetings of people with meticulous emotional wants share and discuss the crisis the member faces. These groups can be organized by retirement homes, hospitals, senior centers, and community interest society.  Reassurance of telephone programs, it is the duty of a fit and self sufficient person to voluntary calls a homebound or apprehensive elder person each day at the same time to check on his protection and well being. Transportation programs, there are vans or minibuses that provide transport for older adults or the handicapped to physici ans, hospital, clinics.Volunteer programs, any sort of organization that operates more efficiently and has increased sense of community importance if an efficient volunteer is developed and equipped. Program developments include advances in public wellbeing, preventive and curative medicine, health education, and medical technology have caused enormous changes in the configuration of the populace of aging populations.ConclusionEveryone of us started from being a child until we reach old age, as we grow older we become unique to other people, each of us has a different genetic make up. During the life course, the range of those persons is created by how person invested time and energy. The life time approach to the learning of aging is one way of conceptualizing many of the factors that influence how individual modify as they grow older, and how different personality show unlike patterns of change in aging.Work CitedCockayne K. (2003). Experiencing Old Age in Ancient Rome. Sociology, Routlidge Publishing.Decalmer P. and Glandenning F. (1997) The Mistreatment of Elderly People. Sociology. Sage Publication. Sage Newbury Park, CA.Davies, J.K., Gordon M., editor (1998). Quality, Evidence, and Health Effectiveness in Health Promotion. Routledge Publishing.Gilford, D. M. (1988).The Aging Population In The Twenty-First Century. Contributor National Academy of Sciences. National Academic Press.Haber, D. (2007). Health Promotion of Aging; Practical Applications for Health Professionals. Fourth edition. Springer Publishing CompanyTimmreck, T.C. (2003).Planning Program Development and Evaluation. Jones and Barlett Publishers.Timiras, P.S., (2002) Physiological Basis of Aging And Geriatrics. Mac Millan Publishing. New York.Webb, R.C., (1999). Psychology of The Consumer And It’s Development .Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers. New York.

The Passion is a passionate fi essays

The Passion is a passionate fi essays The Passion is a passionate film amongst viewers Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ blasted into the theatres with high expectations last Wednesday February 25, 2004. Many movie fanatics rushed to the threates to see the phenomenon movie that had been greatly advertised in magazines, newspapers, on television and on the big screens previews. However, many of The Passions viewers had different opinions after seeing the gory and gruesome, but historical accurate movie about the legendary of the death of Jesus Christ. The film seemed to be a very controversial diary of Jesus Christ among citizens in Hanover Township, as it had done to many other people across the nation who had witnessed the historical movie. It seemed a bit gory, but it was true. It told the whole story of the death of Jesus. Claimed David Suh, 15, a sophomore at Whippany Park High School. The blood and violence brought out what truly happened back in the days of Jesus. Some may have enjoyed its flash back into the B.C. times, but others thought the blood and violence was too much to take in. There was way too much violence. It showed the pain and hatred of those days and it didnt settle well in stomach. Explained Lindsey Molina, 19, college student. Others may have thought that brutal battling and horrifying and graphic images were a very dark side of the movie. It seemed too much. Others had mixed feelings. At times, the blood got to me, and I felt like I was going to faint. Said Jerry Pinnes, 15, sophomore at Whippany Park High School. However, I really enjoyed the trip back into history. Those were very important times. The mixture of fact and gore has defiantly had a great impact on American moviegoers, because The Passion of the Christ has already soared past a million dollars in movie tickets. ...

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buy custom Infertility Education essay Infertility has been like a thorn in human flesh in our present day community. The inability for couples to conceive despite them having regular sexual intercourse has been a bother to many people. Many physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other primary care providers lack basic skills or are inexperienced in tackling this problem further worse its state in our society. Those facing infertility challenges wouldnt suffer much if only they came along experienced and quite knowledgeable primary care providers to deal with their problem. Infertility education for primary care providers Primary care is actually the care given be specifically trained physicians equipped with comprehensive skills to persons with a particular health concern. A primary care provider is the person who offers this care and works like an advocate of his patient to the health care system. Infertility can be defined as is the complicatedness in conceiving a pregnancy. Infertility is a term that cannot tell whether the inability to conceive is just for sometime or permanent. Well, according to the research done, couples are considered to be infertile having not conceived for a period of not less than one year. This is when they do not use birth control but have normal intercourse. Recent research shows that around 15% 20 % of couples wont conceive a pregnancy having them tried for a year or more but not that they cannot conceive later. Infertilit may not be a permanent problem and can be overcome with treatment but in a case where a couple can never conceive even with use of treatment refer red to as sterility. Sterility is permanent state. For many years and especially in the ancient world infertility was taken completely as a females problem. But its good to know that now its known that a man can be the actual problem in a couples infertility. In fact, 10% of couples tested with infertility both man and woman equally contribute to this infertility. Whether the cause of infertility is disclosed or not it is a necessity that both the man and the woman should participate actively towards the treatment. Infertility can occur even to a person who has ever conceived in his life time. In this case it is called secondary fertility. A couple that had conceived a pregnancy in the past can be unable to conceive after due to newly generated factor such as an infection. After giving birth to the last child, an infection may damage the reproductive organs. Age may also be a contributing factor to infertility when couples are growing old day by day. Research done shows that secondary infertility appears in most cases compared to the other infertility where a couple has never conceived. Patients suffering from secondary infertility mostly require emotional support because they are mostly emotionally disturbed. Generally aging factor is a major contributor to infertility problems. Women in particular who are 30 years and above have a declining fertility pattern. At the age bracket of 35-45 years their condition becomes steeper. Old women rarely get pregnant ad even if they get pregnant they are more prone to loosing it through miss courage. Regular medication that may occur in life time may cause damage to the reproductive system of an aging woman. Stress also can be a contributing factor to infertility because resent study shows that stress can affect both sperm and egg production. Infertility can be prevented if only a couple could follow certain strategies .it is advisable for a couple to seek immediate treatment of STDs infection. They cause more damage to fertility when they are not treated completely. Also selecting a birth control method should be a matter to discuss and make careful decision considering both the long term and the short term effect on the future. A couple should also be patient and give an enough time frame for conception. Conclusion Fertility can be cured but not in all cases. There are some successful treatments that correct infertility factors. However it is advisable for one to major on preventing infertility by following some living strategies than treating infertility in future because prevention is better than cure. Buy custom Infertility Education essay

Caste System as a Form of Social Stratification

Caste System as a Form of Social Stratification The caste system is one of the oldest forms of social stratification and even though it may be prohibited by the law, the political divisions continue to exist in the minds of the people leaving many oppressed. Before the caste system, India had four groups or divisions already established: the Negrito, Mongoloid, Austroloid and Dravidian. It was during the Aryan invasion around 1500 BCE when the caste system was created. The word  caste  derives from  the Portuguese  word casta  , meaning breed, race, or kind. In this system, the citizens are divided into categories or castes. Varna, the Sanskrit word for color, refers to large divisions that include various castes; the other terms include castes and subdivisions of castes sometimes called subcastes. Among the Indian terms that are sometimes translated as caste are jati, jat,  biradri, and  samaj. There are thousands of castes and subcastes in India. It follows a basic precept: All m en are created unequal. Each category or jat has a special role to play in the society as well as a unique function: this structure is a means of creating and organizing an effective society. The caste system in India is primarily associated with Hinduism but also exists among other Indian religious groups. Castes are ranked and named. Membership is achieved by birth. Castes are also endogamous groups. Marriages and relationships between members of different castes, while not actually prohibited, face strong social disapproval and the threat of ostracism or even violence. To illustrate, in a notorious case in August 2001, a Brahmin boy and a lower-caste girl were publicly hanged by members of their families in Uttar Pradesh, India for refusing to end their inter-caste relationship.   [ 1 ]    The first of the four basic Vedic books, which are considered the source of Indian wisdom, is the Rig Veda- a collection of over 1,000 hymns containing the basic mythology of the Aryan gods . The Rig Veda contains one of the most famous sections in ancient Indian literature in which the first man created, Purusa, is sacrificed in order to give rise to the four varnas. The varna of Brahmans emerged from the mouth. They are the priests and teachers, and look after the intellectual and spiritual needs of the community. They preside over knowledge and education. The varna of Kshatriyas emerged from the arms. Their responsibility is to rule and to protect members of the community. They are associated with rulers and warriors including property owners. The varna of Vaishyas emerged from the thighs. They are the merchants and traders and those who look after commerce and agriculture. The varna of Sudras emerged from the feet. They are the laborers. Castes or subcastes besides the four mentioned include such groups as the  Bhumihar  or landowners and the  Kayastha  or scribes. Some castes arose from very specific occupations, such as the  Gar udi  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ snake charmers – or the  Sonjhari, who collected gold from river beds. Each caste is believed by devout Hindus to have its own dharma, or divinely ordained code of proper conduct. Brahmans are usually expected to be nonviolent and spiritual, according to their traditional roles as vegetarian teetotaler priests. Kshatriyas are supposed to be strong, as fighters and rulers should be, with a taste for aggression, eating meat, and drinking alcohol. Vaishyas are stereotyped as adept businessmen, in accord with their traditional activities in commerce. Shudras are often described by others as tolerably pleasant.

The pro and con sides to using MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS at the college Essay

The pro and con sides to using MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS at the college level - Essay Example Scoring hundreds of long essays is impossible when time is short, and thus, examiners find it practically easy to mark multiple choice tests. The number of test-takers is also important. Multiple choice tests are famous for their practicality and reliability in this manner. They can be scored very easily through a computer scanner. This has also reduced the testing time. So, time is saved at every step while using multiple choice tests. Tamir suggests in his research that multiple choice tests are especially beneficial for those students who are not good at writing. Writing is a skill which every student does not possess; and, often times it so happens that those students pass with flying marks who are skilled at explaining the theoretical portion. Multiple choice questions benefit those who are skilled more at understanding concepts, whether or not they can write well. Now, let’s discuss the cons. Ajideh and Esfandiari compared the usage of multiple choice tests and cloze-tests while examining vocabulary proficiency of the students. The sample contained 21 Iranian EFL students. They found out that the students who performed on cloze-tests could have shown the similar results when they were examined through multiple choice tests. So, according to the researchers, multiple choice tests could be substituted for multiple choice tests. This explains that students’ proficiency does not increase when the method of examination is multiple choice tests. Woodford and Bancroft assert that when a student is examined through multiple choice questions, he has 25% possibility of guessing the right answer, even if he does not know the answer at all. He can guess by eliminating the possibly wrong answers, thus reaching the possibly correct answer. Thus, even if he does not possess sufficient knowledge, his right guessing may lead him to success. This is the discrepancy of multiple choice tests, which can be

Reading Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Reading Response - Essay Example The observations by the explorers when reaching the island were a unique presence of the locals. They worked around naked and where friendly and generous. Columbus directed the other contingent to head north-northwest to explore and find more about the people living there. It is clear on what guided the explorers. Columbus focused less on the gifts they received from the locals but was aiming at the gold ornaments owned by the locals. This is an indication of what drove the explorers towards the island. The factors that led to the exploration were the search for treasure and raw materials. Columbus observes and finds out the origin of the ornaments. His intention was to identify whether it was obtained through trade or it was acquired locally. He was designing a positive feedback to send to the palace on their way home. The first explorers were tasked in observing and identifying opportunities on the land. The positive result prompted many settlers to contemplate living their home country and settling in the east. The other positive about the island was the richness in agricultural products, evident on the tools traded by the indigenous people. Factors that facility the successful operation was the friendly nature by the locals. The reason behind the collaborative nature of the indigenous people was there view of the foreigners. They perceived them to be from the heavens and treated them like demigods. This gave the explorer a chance to study the landscape and explore opportunities that the land would offer in return. The result was the positive feedback to the queen who encouraged more settlers to head to the island. The arrival of the first voyage could lead to more visitors to the land, this was a fact ignored by the locals. They provided information that led to the successful conquest of the land. The freedom of the locals was to be denied once the settlers

Romeo and Juliet Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Romeo and Juliet - Coursework Example Dramatic Devices in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Formal patterning is the meticulous arrangements of events, characters and scenes that help shape and form a play’s storyline. This is an important dramatic device because it allows the audience to discern and anticipate the flow of the story enough to gain interest and pay close attention to it. To achieve this in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare constructed parallel scenes where characters that are about to play important roles in the tragic end are constantly present and developed, helping build the momentum and anticipation of the tragic end. Formal patterning is also employed to build a close synergy between opposing ideas such as â€Å"comedy and tragedy, triviality and seriousness, laughter and tears, minuteness and vastness, youth and age, and of course, love and death.†2 The use of this device keeps the audience’s interest from straying away because of the conflicting nuances of the play. Dramatic ir ony, on the other hand, is another device that keeps the audience’s attention because it grants important knowledge to the former that is not shared by some of the important characters. The tension that this knowledge creates, especially when the characters’ lack of knowledge threatens the turn of events, necessarily gets the involvement of the audience, and hence, keeps it focused on the play. The employment of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet does not only happen in the course of the later scenes, but is strewn throughout the play in small doses so as not to detract its impact in the last act. Foreshadowing is another dramatic device and it means the employment of suggestive words or images that indicate to the audience what will happen next in the course of the play.3 The purpose of foreshadowing is to build suspense because it allows the audience to anticipate the next scenes, engage in guesswork and validate them by closely following the story. This motivates th em not to keep their attention off the play. Shakespeare employs this technique abundantly in Romeo and Juliet, largely through the chorus and the dialogues of various characters. The prologue, for example, speaks of a â€Å"pair of star-crossed lovers take their life† that hints to the audience a tragedy about to happen in the course of the play. Two Scenes as Concrete Examples: Formal Patterning In Act 1, Scene 1, the characters of Tybalt, Mercutio and Paris, among others, are introduced. Tybalt plays a pivotal role as his death serves as a catalyst in Capulet’s decision to marry off Juliet to Paris and Romeo’s banishment from Verona. He is introduced early on in Act 1, scene 1 as a vain, proud and aggressive cousin of Juliet. He is likewise made to appear in subsequent scenes where his aggressiveness and hatred for the Montagues become more and more evident. The early introduction of such characters as Tybalt, Mercutio and Paris, among others, and their recur ring presence in subsequent acts and scenes allow their respective

Child Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child Development - Essay Example e â€Å"feelings†, while the behaviorist would take a more practical approach and try to show the young child that there was indeed nothing to fear in the dark externally. Chapter 2 †¨2a Connection: Read the description of the study investigating antisocial boys and their friendships on page 44 of your text. The data collection method was structured observation. What type of research design did the researchers use, and why? †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ The researchers used qualitative research in order to study antisocial boys and their friendships.1 Structured observation is a more qualitative type of measurement than necessarily a quantitative one would be. The type of research design should be correlational; this method should be utilized because it would probably be the most fruitful. 3a Application: Nora, pregnant for the first time, has heard about the teratogenic impact of alcohol and tobacco. Nevertheless, she believes that a few cigarettes and a glass of wine a day wont be harmful. Provide Nora with research-based reasons for not smoking or drinking. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Nora should know that research shows that expectant mothers who smoke typically have lower birth weights and are much more likely to be born premature. Also, drinking alcohol while pregnant may pose a significant development risk to the fetus, and continued drinking (of one glass per day) could give the child Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which is characterized by certain facial deformities. 4b Application: After several weeks of crawling, Benji learned to avoid going headfirst down a steep incline. Now he has started to walk. Can his mother trust him not to try walking down the steep surface? Explain, using the concept of affordances. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Benji’s mother should not trust the baby to walk down a steep surface even though he has stopped going headfirst down a steep decline. His balance might not totally be adjusted yet since he is just learning to walk. The baby must use the concept of affordances to derive (by

Process design for Riordan Manufacturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Process design for Riordan Manufacturing - Essay Example A new process design for the production of Riordan electric fans will need designs associated with material requirements planning (MRP), supply chain processes, production forecasts, and implementation plans.The MRP helps in specifying when production and purchase orders must be placed for each part and subassembly to complete the product on schedule Effective planning and controls associated with the supply chain process and demand can help in inventory management. Demand variations are the norm in the business environment; therefore, supply chain processes, forecasts, and implementation plans have to include the flexibility necessary to cope with demand variations. Material Requirements Planning The reason companies use an MRP system is to â€Å"approach problems, determine the number of parts, components, and materials needed to produce each end item. MRP also provides the schedule specifying when each of these materials, parts, and components should be ordered or produced† (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006, p. 630). Riordan’s facilities for parts and facilities for production are in different locations. In order to keep up with everything that Riordan is doing and desires to do they must implement an MRP system that will allow them to manage inventory and production schedules. It will also allow them to keep up with production output and will make sure they are utilizing and operating at maximum capacity without overloading the production process by monitoring all aspects and all locations involved in production. An MRP system will further improve Riordan’s level of customer service and track billing, inventory and all other areas of production and delivery in one system in which all locations are on the same page. The system will allow triggers for ordering, slowing and speeding up production, parts, etc maintaining a consistent level of operation and low inventory based on need. New Process Design Changes in three areas of process desi gn can have a tremendous impact on Riordan’s China plants efficiency and in turn allow Riordan to achieve higher profits through higher on-time delivery of their products. Electric Motor delivery issues In the current process Riordan has outsourced its electric motors for their fans. The company they use is a local Chinese company that only has a 93% on-time delivery average. Riordan may realize greater on-time delivery if this process was not outsourced but moved in-house. This would ensure a higher on-time delivery of a much needed part for the fans they produce. Orders and shipping/delivery The current forecasting method for fan production is based on the last three year sales average sales. The shipping method for local orders is that they can be picked up at the plant, which is good because there is no show room or warehouse cost associated with storing the unsold fans. Fans to be delivered within China, Riordan use a local company, much like UPS or FedEx. For internatio nal deliveries Riordan uses FedEx. 31.6% of the population in China has Internet access (Internet World Stats,  2010). The use of the Internet as an ordering tool to allow potential customers, both individuals and businesses, to place orders would both stream line the ordering process as well as allow Riordan to forecast better the number of fans to produce. Special Order Fans Riordan also produces a certain number of fans for special orders that would be produced with special specifications. Riordan designs the new fan according to customer’s specification. Once the fan is approved, a small number of the fans are created under a separate contract. There are no forecast numbers for special orders. Riordan would benefit here from a website aimed at past business customers to allow them order or reorder past products. Supply Chain Process Strategic

Romeo and Juliet Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Romeo and Juliet - Coursework Example Dramatic Devices in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Formal patterning is the meticulous arrangements of events, characters and scenes that help shape and form a play’s storyline. This is an important dramatic device because it allows the audience to discern and anticipate the flow of the story enough to gain interest and pay close attention to it. To achieve this in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare constructed parallel scenes where characters that are about to play important roles in the tragic end are constantly present and developed, helping build the momentum and anticipation of the tragic end. Formal patterning is also employed to build a close synergy between opposing ideas such as â€Å"comedy and tragedy, triviality and seriousness, laughter and tears, minuteness and vastness, youth and age, and of course, love and death.†2 The use of this device keeps the audience’s interest from straying away because of the conflicting nuances of the play. Dramatic ir ony, on the other hand, is another device that keeps the audience’s attention because it grants important knowledge to the former that is not shared by some of the important characters. The tension that this knowledge creates, especially when the characters’ lack of knowledge threatens the turn of events, necessarily gets the involvement of the audience, and hence, keeps it focused on the play. The employment of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet does not only happen in the course of the later scenes, but is strewn throughout the play in small doses so as not to detract its impact in the last act. Foreshadowing is another dramatic device and it means the employment of suggestive words or images that indicate to the audience what will happen next in the course of the play.3 The purpose of foreshadowing is to build suspense because it allows the audience to anticipate the next scenes, engage in guesswork and validate them by closely following the story. This motivates th em not to keep their attention off the play. Shakespeare employs this technique abundantly in Romeo and Juliet, largely through the chorus and the dialogues of various characters. The prologue, for example, speaks of a â€Å"pair of star-crossed lovers take their life† that hints to the audience a tragedy about to happen in the course of the play. Two Scenes as Concrete Examples: Formal Patterning In Act 1, Scene 1, the characters of Tybalt, Mercutio and Paris, among others, are introduced. Tybalt plays a pivotal role as his death serves as a catalyst in Capulet’s decision to marry off Juliet to Paris and Romeo’s banishment from Verona. He is introduced early on in Act 1, scene 1 as a vain, proud and aggressive cousin of Juliet. He is likewise made to appear in subsequent scenes where his aggressiveness and hatred for the Montagues become more and more evident. The early introduction of such characters as Tybalt, Mercutio and Paris, among others, and their recur ring presence in subsequent acts and scenes allow their respective

Process design for Riordan Manufacturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Process design for Riordan Manufacturing - Essay Example A new process design for the production of Riordan electric fans will need designs associated with material requirements planning (MRP), supply chain processes, production forecasts, and implementation plans.The MRP helps in specifying when production and purchase orders must be placed for each part and subassembly to complete the product on schedule Effective planning and controls associated with the supply chain process and demand can help in inventory management. Demand variations are the norm in the business environment; therefore, supply chain processes, forecasts, and implementation plans have to include the flexibility necessary to cope with demand variations. Material Requirements Planning The reason companies use an MRP system is to â€Å"approach problems, determine the number of parts, components, and materials needed to produce each end item. MRP also provides the schedule specifying when each of these materials, parts, and components should be ordered or produced† (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006, p. 630). Riordan’s facilities for parts and facilities for production are in different locations. In order to keep up with everything that Riordan is doing and desires to do they must implement an MRP system that will allow them to manage inventory and production schedules. It will also allow them to keep up with production output and will make sure they are utilizing and operating at maximum capacity without overloading the production process by monitoring all aspects and all locations involved in production. An MRP system will further improve Riordan’s level of customer service and track billing, inventory and all other areas of production and delivery in one system in which all locations are on the same page. The system will allow triggers for ordering, slowing and speeding up production, parts, etc maintaining a consistent level of operation and low inventory based on need. New Process Design Changes in three areas of process desi gn can have a tremendous impact on Riordan’s China plants efficiency and in turn allow Riordan to achieve higher profits through higher on-time delivery of their products. Electric Motor delivery issues In the current process Riordan has outsourced its electric motors for their fans. The company they use is a local Chinese company that only has a 93% on-time delivery average. Riordan may realize greater on-time delivery if this process was not outsourced but moved in-house. This would ensure a higher on-time delivery of a much needed part for the fans they produce. Orders and shipping/delivery The current forecasting method for fan production is based on the last three year sales average sales. The shipping method for local orders is that they can be picked up at the plant, which is good because there is no show room or warehouse cost associated with storing the unsold fans. Fans to be delivered within China, Riordan use a local company, much like UPS or FedEx. For internatio nal deliveries Riordan uses FedEx. 31.6% of the population in China has Internet access (Internet World Stats,  2010). The use of the Internet as an ordering tool to allow potential customers, both individuals and businesses, to place orders would both stream line the ordering process as well as allow Riordan to forecast better the number of fans to produce. Special Order Fans Riordan also produces a certain number of fans for special orders that would be produced with special specifications. Riordan designs the new fan according to customer’s specification. Once the fan is approved, a small number of the fans are created under a separate contract. There are no forecast numbers for special orders. Riordan would benefit here from a website aimed at past business customers to allow them order or reorder past products. Supply Chain Process Strategic

Evaluation of Supply chain performance Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Supply chain performance Essay The contents of the paper comprise the case study of ACTAVIS BULGARIA EAD Sofia’s supply chain performance evaluation. It is elaborated in the paper that supply chain performance evaluation is not a simple concept; instead, it pertains to various drives, environmental factors, needs, technologies, and other forces. Managers must keep on evaluating the supplier’s performance in order to provide the company with competitive advantage. The evaluation and improvement of supply chain is somewhat oversimplified.   How the results of the evaluation will enhance the productivity of company is also discussed. Outline of Paper: The paper focuses on the supply chain management of the Actavis Bulgaria company and covers the following main points: The importance of measuring the performance of the organisations supplies chain (upstream and downstream). Key performance indicators to assess the company’s suppliers have been used. Critical examination of the possibilities for improvements of the downstream supply chain has been undertaken. Importance of Supply Chain performance evaluation: With the increasing globalization the competition between the firms is also increasing.  Ã‚   The Speed of delivery is becoming a key indicator of supply chain success. The dynamic nature of current and future operations requires constant analysis of medical materieldown to the individual item leveltransiting this pipeline. The goal of a supply chain should be to maximize overall supply chain profitability. Supply chain profitability is the difference between the revenue generated from the customer and the total cost incurred across all the stages of the supply chain. Supply chain decisions have a large impact on the success or failure of each firm because they significantly influence both the revenue generated as well as the cost incurred. Successful supply chains manage flows of product, information and funds to provide a high level of product availability to the customer while keeping costs low. Measuring the performance of the supply chain is critical to identifying troubled segments, determining success, and assessing operational capabilities. Measuring performance requires a metric that measures the time from demand creation to demand fulfillment at the customer level. Average customer wait time: a supply chain performance indicator Army Logistician, Nov-Dec, 2004 by David R. Gibson http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAI/is_6_36/ai_n8704513 From the managerial focus, the performance measurement can be defined as the information regarding the processes and products results, that allows the evaluation and the comparison in relation to goals, patterns, past results and with other processes and products. Also, it is important to highlight that a managerial performance evaluation system needs to be focused on results, which should be guided by the stakeholder’s interests. Beamon Ware (1998) affirm that the adoption of performance indicators should deal with the following questions: Which aspects should be measured? How to measure these aspects? How to use the measures to analyze, improve and control the productive chain quality? It is noticed that this is not an easy task, once there are several indicators available and it is necessary to align the used measures with the involved companies goals. In this direction, Maskell (1991) emphasizes the establishment of a relationship between the performance measures and the company strategic objectives. According to Beamon (1998), previous researches indicate that the exclusive use of costs as a performance indicator is common among the companies. This happens because the performance measurement through a single indicator is relatively simple. It should be attempted, even so, to the fact that this practice can provide very superficial information about the reality. Beamon (1996) also affirms that the chosen indicators should present simultaneously, inclusiveness (to include the measure of all the pertinent aspects), universality (to allow the comparison under several operational conditions), measurability (to guarantee that the necessary data are measurable) and consistency (to guarantee consistent measures with the objectives of the organization). On the other hand, it is not recommended to simply discard costs as a performance indicator due to its importance. The alternative would be the adoption of multiple indicators, involving a cost combination with time, flexibility and quality, according to the company competitive priorities. Traditionally, the performance evaluation is limited to an isolated company or productive process. For an effective SCM it is necessary to expand these concepts beyond the company limits, involving all the supply chain players. It is necessary then, the development of a performance evaluation system embracing all the business units. This can be achieved through the adaptation of the traditional performance evaluation systems. Currently Actavis operates in the country split into two divisions Operations and Sales Marketing. Actavis Bulgaria Operations is a holding company responsible for the management of the three factories providing first class generic products, mainly for the Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian and CIS markets. The Sales Marketing division is represented in the country by Actavis EAD, a company registered under the Bulgarian law. It employs about 200 people and operates three warehouses in the country. Actavis EAD is mainly focused on marketing the Groups products as first class generics on the Bulgarian market, which is the third biggest market for the companys own brand revenues world wide. Following its strategy for a vertical integration on the Bulgarian market Actavis recently acquired one of the biggest local distribution companies, Higia. It is expected that the combination of Actavis strong portfolio and Higias strategically important foothold in the distribution of pharmaceuticals will provide a more direct route to the customers and also provide a stronger platform for future growth. Commercial entities licensed by the Ministry of Health for wholesale trading with pharmaceuticals. Due to the corporate structure of Actavis AD (Bulgaria), the wholesale companies are the end-users of the company, since Actavis AD (Bulgaria) does not distribute its products directly to pharmacies and hospitals but through its distributing companies (wholesalers) to which â€Å"to the market† sales are made. The value added by the distributing companies to the overall commercial activities of Actavis AD (Bulgaria) is defined both by the key position of our major partners in the whole pharmacy supply chain and by the ever improving logistics and warehouse capacities of the leading national distributing companies. The distributing companies are the company’s clients and at Actavis the customers are treated as a key to the company’s success†. The wholesalers’ role for the overall business of Actavis AD (Bulgaria) is extremely important also due to the fact that the key distributing companies (e.g. Commercial League, Sanita Trading, Kaliman) have developed vertical integration within the distribution channel, that is they own pharmacy chains. (Actavis, 2004) The generic pharmaceuticals industry is rapidly consolidating on a global basis with the key factors for future success being scale, geographic reach, product pipeline depth and access to low-cost manufacturing. The combination of Actavis and PLIVA achieves all of these crucial requirements and would create the third largest generic pharmaceuticals company globally, with the geographic scope and size necessary to compete with the largest industry players. Furthermore: * The two companies are a perfect fit which will enable a rapid integration process and create a business with a leading position in the key US, European and Asian markets and a robust portfolio covering the entire spectrum of generic and biogeneric pharmaceutical products. * PLIVA will become an integral part of the combined Groups growth strategy and benefit from increased investment and a strengthened infrastructure. Actavis plans to increase the number of employees in Croatia to generate stronger growth and greater success. Actavis intends to increase production and R;D activities in Croatia, which will ultimately lead to more jobs in the region. * The enlarged business will benefit from low cost manufacturing facilities, efficient distribution and enhanced supply chain capabilities. Actavis has a strong track record of being able to drive down manufacturing costs across the Group without impacting the employee base. * PLIVA will become the headquarters for a substantial part of the enlarged business, and at the same time benefit from Actavis global footprint and infrastructure. * Actavis will seek a stock listing in Zagreb to encourage ongoing support from the investment community in Croatia. * Actavis puts great value on PLIVAs Croatian roots and is committed to revitalizing the PLIVA brand and expanding its recognition in key markets. * Actavis has a high opinion of PLIVAs management team and envisages them playing a central role in the new company and sharing decisions regarding future strategy. 20. 04. 2006Actavis announces improved preliminary proposal to Pliva http://www.actavis.bg/en/News/Pliva+improved+proposal.htm Performance measurement of Actavis Suppliers: Supplier performance must be rated on each of these factors because they impact the total supply chain cost. Next we discuss how each factor affects total supply chain cost and how a supplier’s rating on the factor can be used to infer a total cost of using the supplier. 1.replenishment lead time: As the replenishment lead time from a supplier grows the amount of safety inventory that needs to be held by the buyer also grows proportional to the square root of the replenishment lead time. Lead-time performances by a supplier can directly the translated into the required safety inventory using equation 11.9. Scoring the performance of suppliers in terms of replenishment lead-time thus allows the firm to evaluate the impact each supplier has on the cost of holding safety inventory. 2. On-time performance: On-time performance affects the variability of the lead-time. A reliable supplier has low variability of lead-time whereas an unreliable supplier has high variability. As the variability of lead-time grows, the required safety inventory at the firm grows very rapidly. 3. Supply flexibility: Supply flexibility is the amount of variation in order quantity that a supplier can tolerate without letting other performance factors deteriorate. The less flexible a supplier is, the more lead time variability he will display as order quantities change. Supply flexibility thus impacts the level of safety inventory that the firm will have to carry. 4. Delivery frequency/minimum lot size: The delivery frequency and the minimum lot size offered by a supplier affect the size of each replenishment lot ordered y a firm. As the replenishment lot size grows, the cycle inventory at the firm grows, thus increasing the cost of holding inventory. For a firm using a periodic review policy, delivery frequency also impacts the required safety inventory. Thus, delivery frequency of a supplier can be converted into the cost of holding cycle as safety inventory. 5. Supply quality: A worsening of supply quality increases the variability of the supply of components available to a firm. Quality affects the lead-time taken by the supplier to complete the replenishment order and also the variability of this lead-time because follow-up orders often need to be fulfilled to replace defective products. As a result, the firm will have to carry more safety inventory from a low-quality supplier compared to a high-quality supplier. Once a relationship between supply quality lead-time and lead-time variability is established, each supplier’s quality level can be converted to the required safety inventory and the associated holding cost. The component quality also impacts customer satisfaction and product cost because of rework, lost material, and the cost of inspection. 6. Inbound transportation cost: The total cost of using a supplier includes the inbound transportation cost of bringing material in from the supplier. Sourcing a product overseas may have lower product cost but will generally incur a higher inbound transportation cost, which must be accounted for when comparing suppliers. The distance, mode of transportation, and the delivery frequency affect the inbound transportation cost associated with each supplier. 7. Pricing terms: Pricing terms include the allowable time delay before payments have to be made and any quantity discounts offered by the supplier. Allowable time delays in payment to suppliers save the buyer working capital. The cost of working capital savings for each supplier can be quantified. Price terms also include discounts for purchases above certain quantities. Quantity discounts lower the unit cost but tend to increase the required batch size and as result the cycle inventory.

Drama Essays Women in Comedy

Drama Essays Women in Comedy The Changing Role of Women in Comedy. How has comedy between 1950 to 2000 been used by female performers to highlight the oppression and objectification of women in society? What impact has this had on the contemporary female comedian of today? Introduction Overview Chapter One: A Sense of the Times 1950s 1960s 1970s-1980s Chapter Two: Women’s ‘Sense’ of Humour Chapter Three: Issues in Stand-up Comedy Being a Woman Traditional Gender Expectations Aggressiveness Sexuality and Femininity Issues of Power and Control Modes of Stand-up Comedy Self-Deprecation in Women’s Humour Self-deprecation in the work of Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers The domestic goddess Conclusion: The 1990s and Beyond: The Future of Women in Stand-up Comedy Reference List Introduction Comedy is a form of expression which stretches and sometimes breaks boundaries. It crosses all kinds of boundaries, including those of gender. It can be risky because it often ridicules social and moral conventions in a way that challenges and threatens accepted norms, threatening the status quo. This is particularly true of women’s comedy. This paper will examine the way that comedy has been used by female performers during the period from 1950 to 2000, focusing on the themes of oppression and objectification of women in society. It will also analyze the ways in which the experiences of these five decades have affected contemporary female comics. Chapter One gives a general overview of each decade, to explain the political and social climates of that time as a framework for examining the changes in women’s roles. Included will be examples of different women comics whose experiences best represent selected aspects of that time frame. This will be followed by an analysis of what people mean when they talk of a ‘sense of humour’ what, exactly, is a sense of humour? Do women have a different sense of humour than men? Most of the literature about women comics touches on this question on some level; some of the literature goes into a great deal of depth. This is frequently done to respond to the assertion that has been made, repeatedly over the years, that women ‘don’t have a sense of humour’. This statement has been made most frequently by men. However, this same assertion has at times been leveled (often in an accusatory manner) by women toward other women. Chapter One:  Ã‚   A Sense of the Times A. The Decade of the 1950s   The decade of the 1950s was a time of great change. Britain was entering a period of increased affluence and freedom, and many of the old social and cultural structures began to be challenged, particularly by the young. In Hollywood, as well as throughout the United States and North America, post-war sentiment lingered on and mingled with the confusion that accompanies times of great change. In some places, such as Britain, this turmoil was exemplified by a tendency to pull away from formal religion. In the United States, this period was an era of economic growth mixed with a sense of conservation. At the same time, there seemed to be a professed belief in the old values; however, this belief was tinged with doubt. According to one scholar, the professed belief was ‘mixed with a sense of unease that maybe the old values no longer held all the answers’ (Sova, 1998, 106). According to critics Linda Martin and Kerry Segrave, the portrayal of women during the 1950s was generally considered to be negative. Women actors and performers were mostly typecast as ‘dumb, ugly man-chasers or some image thereof’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 203). Some notable performers of comedy of this period include Judy Holliday, Lucille Ball, Phyllis Diller, and Joan Rivers. Blond comedian Judy Holliday, who had been appearing in films as early as the 1940s, continued to so do in the 1950s. She even managed to become a film comedy star in the 1950s, a feat that even Lucille Ball did not manage. Sova asserts that Holliday ‘went for the laughs in an innocent manner’, something which worked well for her in the 1950s, but which did not work for Ball either then or later (Sova, 1998, 120–121). Holliday and Ball were similar in that they both played both straight drama, and then switched over later on to a comedic format. Ball, however, was not a larger-than-life presence on the silver screen, and she failed to attract the kind of interest that Holliday did. Hence, she never reached stardom on a cinematic level. Still, Ball is perhaps a more familiar name, even to this day. She went on to revolutionize television with her comedy partner and husband Desi Arnaz. In so doing, it may be said that Lucille Ball set the standard for what was then a fairly new genre, the situational comedy. Phyllis Diller is another comedian who became known during this period, and has remained known to this day. ‘Diller transcended â€Å"comediennes† of the day, if not femaleness itself, by announcing her arrival in the mid-1950s in the most outlandish manner imaginable,’ asserts a contemporary of hers. He goes on to describe her entrance onto the stage:   ‘She landed onstage like a flightless goony bird wielding her cigarette holder, piercing the nightclub air with her manic squawk, all beak and beady chicken eyes, and dressed in a deliberately garish getup’ (Nachman, 2003, 216). Susan Horowitz points out that Diller came out of the 1950s, ‘a period which stressed and exaggerated sex–role differences’ (Horowitz, 1997, 50). In addition, it is significant to note that at the time Diller entered the profession of comedy in the mid 1950s female comics were practically non-existent. Commenting on her career as a whole, Horowitz asserts that ‘both Diller’s subject matter sex appeal and domestic competence and the manner in which she handles it self-deprecation are Diller’s comedic take on the stereotypical 1950’s woman’ (Horowitz, 1987, 62). This decade also ushered in Joan Rivers, who is described by a colleague as arriving upon the scene ‘with forked tongue and sharpened talons. . . [she] bit and clawed her way to comic success and has clung to it for dear life’ (Nachman, 2003, 592). Rivers’ comedic approach has been described as ‘a jolt of contrasts’: her rapid-fire manner of talking, combined with her wide variation of topics, kept her audience members on their toes. Her comedic style is often attributed to background: she drifted between social classes, never feeling truly comfortable in any one category. Horowitz has described her as ‘both an insider and an outsider, classy and dà ©classà © the private school student whose family cannot pay the bills; the wealthy celebrity whose act mocks the elite; the elegant lady who talks about farts and pooping’ (Horowitz, 1997, 93). Yet not even the most outrageous comedy act could compete with television. The growth of this television’s popularity had a strong impact on every aspect of society. Television had very quickly become more popular than radio, replacing it as the preferred form of entertainment in the home. In addition, more and more people began to have television sets in their homes. The proliferation of television brought with it a change in style. Martin and Segrave explain that ‘where radio relied on women mangling the language, television, in keeping with its visual nature, relied more on physical sight gags to convey â€Å"dumbness†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Thus, this period hallmarked the combination of the dumb, blonde, buxom stereotype. At least on television, as opposed to radio, women were able to articulate clearly (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 204). B.   The 1960s The movement away from the conservative fifties began and continued throughout the turbulent 60s in America. Revolutionary ways of thinking spread rapidly, and real change transformed the cultural fabric of American life.  During this decade, consumption continued in Britain, but had become less connected with utilitarian needs, and more to do with status and comfort. For women comics, however, the first half of the 1960s was one of the least productive in their history. Although in Hollywood the film industry was opening up more for women, the field of comic stand-up seemed to be at a standstill. Martin and Segrave do point out that there was at least one positive image in American humor to welcome the new decade. This one exception was Elaine May. Elaine May was an example, and she represented what women could accomplish when given a fair and equal opportunity. May, according to Martin and Segrave, ‘provided a sample of what was to follow as more and more female comics cast off the old images and stereotypes and broadened and extended their place in the field of humor’ (1986, 206). What was noteworthy about May’s performance is that she did not try to look ugly, the way so many women comics of this period seemed to do. In addition, she did not rely on self-deprecation the way other female comics did. She and Nichols shared an equal partnership another rare thing at this time. Ordinarily the woman would play a foil to showcase the other, male, part of the duo. Among the comics who started to become know during this time, one was Carol Burnett. According to Martin and Segrave, Burnett ‘represented a performer who straddled the line between independence and submissiveness’ (1986, 308). This was no easy task, given the hostile climate the world of comedy offered women. Horowitz points out that Burnett’s style at this time was marked by self-deprecation: ‘Burnett’s self-deprecating humor was typical of comediennes of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and it served to soften audience resistance to the notion of an assertively funny woman’ (Horowitz, 1997, 69). Dave Tebert, the man who ran the talent department at NBC in the early 1960s, asserted that women were given the same opportunities as men, but that ‘they were not aggressive enough or forceful enough to deal with the drunks and hecklers often found in the audience’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 18).In addition, Bob Shanks, the talent coordinator for the Paar show, made an attempt to find female comics. Over a three-year period, however, he interviewed 500 women; only twenty of them were considered good enough to pass. He commented that ‘the wit was missing’ or that the women lacked ‘quickness of response’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 19). Comedy was performance arising from skill and wit, and performance was a male role. Funny girls would not be asked out on dates’ assert Martin and Segrave (1986, 19). Being popular in school, having a date to the prom, being seen as attractive and compliant these qualities were valued in young women and girls. Being clever and witty key qualities for a comic, were not valued. There, most women of the time felt that given a choice, comedy should be submerged. When men make clever jokes at women’s expense, they may be considered great, insightful comics, assert Martin and Segrave. On the other hand, women who do the same at the expense of men may be labeled such derogatory terms as ‘ball-busters or man-haters’. In fact, ‘women are not even safe poking fun at other women. They are considered anti-female or catty’ citing Joan Rivers as an example of this (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 20). C.  Ã‚   1970s–1980s   The 1970s was a time of gradual change. According to some, ‘the decade of the 1970s was one of slow but steady growth in the number of women entering or reentering facets of the film industry that had been closed to them for decades’ (Sova, 1998, 153). Laugh-In hadhit the airwaves at the end of the 1960s, and once it was firmly entrenched, it showcased a variety of women comics. In fact, it was the first time that so many comedians had so much exposure since the days of vaudeville. Laugh-in helped a number of comics to get exposure and start careers. Among these were Goldie Hawn, Ruth Buzzi, JoAnne Worley, Lily Tomlin. Lily Tomlin brought some unique skills to the industry through her intelligence and creativity. She did this through the creation of new comic characters. In addition, she was able to perform several well-received stage concerts. Her film career has been less successful; this may be partly due to the poor selection of roles she has been given. The beginning of the Women’s Movement in America in the late 1960s and early 1970s of course had an effect on women in comedy throughout the United States and Britain. Comedians who began to appear during this time include Bette Midler, Sandra Bernhard, Madeleine Kahn, and Marilyn Sokol. Laugh-In continued to display women comics. In addition, shows like Shows like Saturday Night Live and SCTV helped start the careers of such comedians as Gilda Radner and Andrea Martin. The 1980s did not see much improvement. ‘Comediennes with anything to say were being labeled â€Å"hostile† or â€Å"too masculine† (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 312). The most phenomenal rise, however, was the unprecedented number of women who had begun to appear in comedy clubs as stand-up comics. These new women comics dealt with women’s issues, such as fashion, menstruation, weight, hygiene, being single, sex and relationships. These topics were often part of the self-deprecating humor that continued to mark women’s humor through the remainder of the century. During this time, it should be noted that very few minority women appeared in this profession. The great exception was Moms Mabley, who managed to overcome exceptional obstacles in gaining acceptance in the world of primarily white male entertainers. Chapter 2 Women’s ‘Sense’ of Humour In their 1986 volume Women in Comedy, Linda Martin and Kerry Segrave assert that female comics are a rare commodity. The explanation for this, they assert, lies in the commonly held belief that ‘women are just not funny they don’t laugh at jokes, nor do they create them’. To support their assertion, Martin and Segrave describe a magazine article written in 1951. A writer named Robert Allen wrote an article about women and humor for Maclean’s. Allen bemoaned the fact that women never seemed to know when to laugh at a joke, or they often failed to laugh at all. He claimed he had experimented at home, and that he used different kinds and different styles of humor, but that his ‘subjects’ never seemed to get the jokes. To be fair, he said he tested people outside his own home, including a ‘variety’ of other females. Still, he got the same results with that group. After all this, he stated that the only conclusion he could draw was that women have no sense of humor (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 16-17). It is interesting to note that it never occurred to Allen that he might be the one who was not ‘getting it’. It also interesting to note that Allen’s article was considered important enough to eventually make it into Reader’s Digest as a condensed piece but this did not happen until thirteen years later. Considering the fact that most Reader’s Digest condensed articles appear within months of the original publication, a lag time of thirteen years is rather remarkable. As Martin and Segrave suggest, ‘this illustrated perhaps the timelessness of the idea and the need to present it again in a different decade, to a new audience just at a period when the image of the female comic was beginning to be liberated’ (1986, 17). The humorist James Thurber, writing contemporaneously with Allen, wrote a piece in which he addressed an anonymous Miss G.H., who had sent him some unsolicited comedy material. He responded to her material by suggesting that she ‘become a bacteriologist, or a Red-Cross nurse, or a Wave, like all the other girls’. The most scathing criticism at the time, however, came from a woman. Sarel Eimerl wrote in a November 1962 issue of Mademoiselle that ‘a woman who really makes one laugh is about as easy to find as a pauper taking his Sunday brunch in the Edwardian Room’ (Martin and Segrave, 1986, 17). It appears that in the 1950s and beyond, women were thought mostly by men, but also some women to be lacking a sense of humor. That belief has not been completely eradicated to this day. In her essay ‘Gender and Humour’, Lizbeth Goodman analyzes the following joke from Banks and Swift’s 1987 book on comedy:Question: How many feminists does it take to screw in a light bulb?Answer: That’s not funny. Goodman goes on to explain that although the idea of the joke is simple, that there is a great deal more going on. This joke is, in fact, ‘an example of an accessible and non-valorized form of social critique, which functions as a mirror of the values of the dominant culture’ (Goodman, 1992a, 287). It is also interesting to note that this joke is familiar to us. It has been repeated any number of times in recent years, each time with some detail changed. Often the change is in the choice of target. Different minority groups may be featured as the target, depending on the context of the telling. Therefore, the teller of the joke is implicitly stating that women, too, are a ‘minority’. According to Goodman, ‘that women are singled out as a â€Å"minority† group, despite the majority of women in society, is indicative of the male bias of society and its values’ (Goodman, 1992a, 288). Horowitz points out that, like other groups that have suffered discrimination, women are classified as a minority group by affirmative action programs; however, ‘unlike ethnic minorities, women are a numerical majority’ (Horowitz, 1997, 8). Goodman also points out that the fact that women are so frequently targeted in jokes in western culture is significant in itself:   ‘that women are so often the butt of jokes in western culture says a great deal about that culture’. It reveals, for example, that the jokers are usually men. It also reveals that the listeners are deeply immersed in the patriarchal culture. In fact, Goodman takes this a step further. She points out that the listeners are steeped in the patriarchal culture ‘to the extent that certain types of responses are â€Å"gendered†: for instance, loud laughter as opposed to quiet hand-over-the-mouth giggles’ (Goodman, 1992a, 288). Another way to analyze this joke, Goodman suggests, is to take into consideration the fact that the value of the joke does not lie solely within the joke itself. Rather, its value depends on other factors. One of these factors is the context of the telling; the other is the interpretation of the hearer. She cites Adrienne Rich’s 1979 reinterpretation of the joke, explaining that doing so ‘requires an awareness of the context of the joke’s production and an ability to decontextualize the joke mentally’ (Goodman, 1992a, 288). By doing this, the joke can be interpreted in such a way that it is not an insult to women, or an insult to feminism. Instead, it becomes a critique of the simplistic notions that are commonly held about women in society and especially about women who are feminists. This ultimately brings us to the rhetorical question about women and humour: do women have a sense of humour? Linda Naranjo-Huebl answers this in the affirmative. She also includes an explanation of how this humor is different. ‘One of the common findings of all the gender and humor studies is that there does in fact exist something that can be identified as womens humor’, she asserts. She then explains that it is a ‘distinct’ form of humor, ‘characteristic of and arising from womens experience that serves distinct communicative functions associated with that experience’ (Naranjo-Huebl, 2005, web). Linda Naranjo-Huebl asserts that ‘the stereotype of the humorless female has stubbornly persisted, reinforced by studies concluding that women use humor less often than men’. She puts forth three theories to explain why this stereotype has persisted for so long. The first explanation has to do with women’s use of language. Women are generally brought up to be polite, and the language of humour is often impolite. In addition, humour tends to be aggressive, and women have traditionally been discouraged from expressing any sort of open aggression. The second explanation for the continuation of this stereotype is that ‘much of womens humor has been either censored or misinterpreted’ (Naranjo-Hueblo, web). That is to say, women do have a sense of humour, but it has largely gone unrecognized a situation which is still being rectified today. Not only have examples of women’s humour been censored and misinterpreted, but also the methodology of the studies has frequently been flawed. The methods used, primarily those created by men, tend to favor male forms of humor. The results then falsely ‘prove’ that women lack a sense of humour. Naranjo-Hueblo explains one such study, in which 250 undergraduate business students from a major university were asked to answer questions regarding a hypothetical situation. The situation consisted of the students pretending that they were with a colleague; the colleague is carrying a briefcase which suddenly becomes open, resulting in papers flying all over the place. The students are then asked how they would respond: would they ignore the episode and keep on walking? Would they assist the colleague by stopping to help pick up the papers? Or would they tease the colleague or in some other way express humour? Each student was allowed to choose only one response. As one might expect, the majority of men chose to respond with humour, while the majority of women chose to help. This creators of the study assumed that one couldn’t be helpful and humorous at the same time. Furthermore, it led them to conclude that women did not have as great a sense of humour as men. Naranjo-Hueblo points out the choices do not include the possibility that women may be humorous about the situation as they are assisting their colleague. Furthermore, ‘another problem with the study is that it posits humor as a one-line quip in a slapstick situation, which is not womens preferred form of humor (Naranjo-Huebl, web). The third reason women have been found to lack a sense of humour is that humour has largely been defined by men. Women find humour in different sources, often preferring word jokes and puns as well as stories, whereas men prefer much more derisive forms of humour. ‘It has always been more acceptable for masculine styles to influence feminine ones, rather than vice versa. . . The powerless take on the trappings of the powerful’ (Horowitz, 1997, 9). Chapter Three: Issues in Stand-up Comedy Being a woman Traditional gender expectations Aggressiveness Sexuality and Femininity Power and Control Issues Modes of Stand-up Comedy Self-Deprecation in Women’s Humour Self-deprecation in the work of Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers The domestic goddess A.   Being a Woman As stated earlier, comedy is a form of expression which stretches and sometimes breaks boundaries. This is very true in the case of stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy ridicules the norms of society. It challenges convention, and it questions moral views. in particular has a tradition of ridiculing moral, social, and political conventions. The stand-up comedian is frequently considered as existing on the fringes of mainstream society. For any stand-up comedian, male or female, a number of factors come into play when they are in front of an audience. What race are they? What is their ethnic background? What is their sexual orientation, or what does it appear to be? Are they disabled, and is that uncomfortable for the audience member? When you add gender into the mix, it becomes that much more unpredictable. The reaction the audience gives to a female stand-up is much different to the one they would give to her male counterpart. The audience seems to expect a man to be funny. When confronted with a female stand-up, they suspend judgment until she can prove that she is funny. B.   Traditional Gender Expectations Traditional gender expectations are also a very important issue for women comics. Conventional definitions of ‘lady-like’ behavior are an obstacle. Conventional definitions of what it means to be ‘feminine’ or to act ‘lady-like’ are incongruent with the often-inappropriate behavior of women in comedy. This is particularly true of such forms of comedy as stand-up routines. In stand-up comedy, women comics cannot be passive and demure on stage, for this behavior will not elicit laughter. Instead, they must be aggressive, sometimes loud, and frequently un-ladylike. They must completely break with accepted social conventions. Bucking these conventions is difficult for a number of reasons, not the least of which is economic profit. Gender expectations are reinforced, especially by mainstream corporate media, because they are tied into money. The objectification of women ‘is a central factor in the sale of commodities, another pillar of the competitive system’ (Sakeris, 2001, 227). Women comics by definition break barriers and defy convention. By so doing, they present a number of different challenges to mainstream society, and especially to that portion of mainstream society which will ultimately suffer financially. In addition, notes Sakeris, ‘the ghettoization of women’s work and the provision of necessary, but unpaid, labor in the home all supported by our processes of gender socialization are central to a capitalist economy as well’ (Sakeris, 2001, 227). C.   Aggressiveness Another aspect that must be considered is the aggressiveness involved in stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy can be viewed as an aggressive act. In the attempt to elicit laughter, it can be said that the comic is trying to exert control over her audience. Thus, it can be seen as a power struggle. Because of the power associated with the successful use of humor, humor initiation has become associated with other traditionally masculine characteristics, such as aggression, dominance, and assertiveness. For a female to develop into a clown or joker, then, she must violate the behavioral pattern normally reserved for women (Naranjo-Huebl, 2005, web). This is in direct opposition to the passiveness that society traditionally expects of women. To get up on stage and act aggressively is something that goes against traditional norms and is therefore suspect. Being female means acting demurely, being subservient while remaining unobtrusive. When a female gets up on stage and performs as a comic, she is aggressive, actively engaging the participants, and demanding for attention.  Ã‚   Womens humour is frequently interpreted as a challenge. This is naturally due to the aggressive nature of stand-up comedy, especially in an audience, which will most probably be comprised primarily of men. Too much aggression can be alienating in the best of situations. When too much aggression is exhibited by a female, the threat is compounded. It can appear to males that this female interloper is trying to seize what they think of as their territory ‘male’ territory. This can be disastrous for an act, eventually for a career. As several researchers have pointed out, comedy is an aggressive activity, and it requires performers to be hard and women are not supposed to be hard. ‘Being pervasively nice is not conducive to comedy which requires satire and ridicule. Women who do break through into comedy are branded with all sorts of unpleasant labels, such as strident, dyke, or frustrated’ (Martin and Segrave, 20). D.   Sexuality and Femininity   Another issue, and one which is vitally important, is that of sexuality. Even if she is not talking about sex in her act, this is an issue. The question of a woman’s sexuality and her sense of femininity are undeniably central issues to the professional woman comic. What is the connection between comic appeal, sex appeal, and our notions of what is feminine? Mother, virgin, prostitute: these are the social roles imposed on women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The characteristics of (so-called) feminine sexuality derive from them: the valorization of reproduction and nursing; faithfulness; modesty,   ignorance of and even lack of interest in sexual pleasure; a passive acceptance of men’s ‘activity’; seductiveness, in order to arouse the consumers’ desire while offering herself as its material support without getting pleasure herself’ (Irigary, 1985, 63-4).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some would go as far as to see parallels between the act of standup comedy and the act of sex. For example, Horowitz asserts that ‘sexuality can be loving, mutual vulnerability as can comedy (Horowitz, 1997, 12). Horowitz and others have suggested that there is an intimacy in the relationship between the comic and her audience that is not unlike the intimacy between lovers. There are varying levels of frankness in different stand-up routines. This may be seen as mirroring the sexual frankness of the male stand-up comedian. However, it is accepted less easily. As Horowitz points out, ‘female comics are expected to go far but not too far’ (Horowitz, 1997, 17).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   E.   Power and Control Issues Humour is often used as a means of controlling social situations. In a highly volatile set of circumstances, humour can often defuse the threat by helping to ease the tension. By using humour this way, dangerous explosions of temper can be averted without forcing confrontations. Yet since the end result is the same the situation is brought to a halt by peaceful means this also means that humour exerts a kind of power. The dynamics of power are complex and can be difficult to negotiate. These dynamics are further complicated when it comes to the case of self-deprecatory humour. The comic may seem to be relinquishing control by taking her own inadequacies and flaws and putting them out there on public display.