The Influence of Consumerism on 7

The contemporary business environment is becoming very competitive, thanks to globalization and technological advancement. The increased competition is now forcing organizations to adopt powerful strategies in order to gain competitive advantage. It is for this reason that consumerism has gained popularity, with business enterprises investing heavily in promotion of their products in order to influence purchasing behaviour of target markets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Influence of Consumerism on 7-11 Years Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, the consumer market seems to be the biggest driver of economic development in most countries, as it continues to grow as the economy and population grow. Therefore, marketing becomes an integral function in organizations, where different organizations use persuasive and manipulative techniques and strategies to convince or change perceptions of consumer s to purchase their products and services (Schor, 2004). Nowadays, most organizations are focusing on children as a niche market with potentially sustainable growth and profitability. Although this may be a move in the right direction for businesses and society in terms of commercial empowerment, there is a dark side, especially in relation to social and health wellbeing of children (Palmer, 2010). This paper will critically discuss the effect of consumerism on children aged 7-11 years. In the past generations, parents dictated children’s consumer behaviour by purchasing things (toys, sweets, clothes among other children stuff) that they felt their children needed or deserved to have. This was mainly based on necessity and affection, but there was no significant influence from outside to do so. However, social changes in recent years have allowed children to have a commanding influence on their consumption patterns, thanks to ever-increasing advertisements and pressure from p eers (Evans Chandler, 2006). Today, many organizations are advertising their products directly to children with the knowledge that children have become more empowered and their psychological faculties can easily be manipulated or persuaded to like the products offered (Hulbert, 2004). Indeed, every organization will target a market that would be positively responsive to its products.  According to Schor (2004), children are nowadays being used as the conduit for marketing products to parents, especially due to their passionate consumption behaviour, brand loyalty, and tendency to learn fast. Generally, marketers focus on children based on three key roles they play as consumers including, controlling a big niche market, influencing family purchasing behaviour and brand loyalty. However, several other factors have contributed to increased consumerism and marketing being directed to children. Children at the age of 7 to 11 have their own purchasing power due to pocket money given to them by their parents; however, they do not have mental capacity to make informed decision about wants and needs (Hill, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, peer pressure tends to be setting in during this age, thus influencing children to purchase things that will make them compete with their peers. Moreover, families are trying to alleviate their children from threats of stigmatization and social identity by purchasing things to their children that will make them socially compatible with other children (Hamilton, 2011). Indeed, it is worth noting that modern parents have compromised their control on children’s purchasing influence (Herbst, 2005) by yielding easily to children’s pestering and giving out money (or items) to them out of guilt for not spending enough time with them due to professional engagements. Consumerism culture has adverse repercuss ions in children, especially in their social development. Importantly, since children do not have the capacity to make informed decisions, they are vulnerable to manipulation (Roche, 2009). In recent years, advertisement efforts by organizations have gone a notch higher to segment children market into age groups in order to capture more attention. Importantly, children at the age of 7-11 years are beginning to identify their true gender and tend to associate themselves with popular culture; so they will demand products that make them look cool, in reference to advertisements. Here, peer pressure plays a big role as children try to compete against each other in terms of possession and coolness (Là ¼sted, 2010). Indeed, children construct their identity by having a large collection of brands (Archer, Hollingworth, and Halsall, 2007). Moreover, children can easily identify the most endearing brands and labels, and they can skillfully use their little consumer knowledge to acquire thes e things (Pilcher, 2011). Indeed, it becomes very easy for children to participate in impulse purchases due to the amount of pocket money given to them by parents and their ability to influence parents to purchase for them. Indeed, Buckingham (2013) claims that children would influence parents and the society to accept something due to emotional connection that exists between them and the society would also respond quickly if something is harmful to the children. The social platform set by the contemporary marketers is eroding children’s values as they try to define their true self, because of bombarding them with so many products, which make them believe happiness is found from accumulation of possessions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Influence of Consumerism on 7-11 Years Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, this is becoming immoral, as it is not only interfering with their psycholog ical health, but also their personal growth and development, especially because they are denied important tools (such as social, spiritual and intellectual) to respond appropriately to different situations (Schor, 2004). Consumerism is also interfering with the health of children; no wonder there are increased cases of child obesity and depression (Dittmann, 2004). Nowadays, parents prefer to buy ready or easy-to-cook food from fast food shops or retail shops due to lack of time or boredom to prepare healthy food as they used to do before. Importantly, marketers are taking this advantage to promote fatty, sugary and fast foods to children with the confidence of huge sales, the result of which is increasing cases of obese children due to consumption of these foods usually marketed as fun and cool (Gorman, 2008). Moreover, cases of drug abuse among children have increased due to the advertisements aired during children shows as well as sponsorship of children concerts and events by to bacco or alcohol companies (Schor, 2004). The excess reliance on toys, especially play stations and computer games by children is eroding the social and cognitive development aspect in children. Unlike in the past where children used to play with their neighbor’s children, modern children have their play stations and television as their best friends (Piachaud, 2007). Therefore, children are focusing more on their materialist possessions in expense of family and friendship. Moreover, some video games are training children to be violent instead of morally upright individuals, and this may justify the recent cases of violence and shooting in schools, especially in the US. Unsurprisingly, cases of mental disorder and depression have increased due to exposure to advertisements that have adverse psychological effect on children. Protection of this future generation is of paramount importance, and it should be a concerted effort by all stakeholders. Primarily, there needs to be regu lations on advertisements in order to prevent children from exposure to excess material that may alter their self-perceptions or behaviour. Indeed, regulations have worked in several countries that have limited or eliminated commercials during children’s programming and events, including Greece, Norway, Italy, and Austria among others (Hawkes, 2004, p.19). Another remedy lies with the parents who must nurture their children to be morally upright people. Parents should train their children about money management and consumer behaviour, as well as control the amount they give to children as pocket money.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They should know that children of this age have some knowledge about what money is, they would tend to imitate their parents’ spending habits (Pfund, 2011), and they are vulnerable to peer pressure; therefore, guidance is important. Parents would also be in a better position to control their children’s exposure to harmful advertisements that influence their consumption behaviors (Palmer Young, 2003). Finally, the society plays a big role in protecting its members from harmful effects. Primarily, children need a clean and safe environment to grow and develop, thus any advertisements that tend to be manipulative or directed to children must be thoroughly regulated. As seen above, corporations target children because they wield a lot of power in influencing consumption in families and they tend to be sustainable target market due to their brand loyalty. However, they become victims to social ineffectiveness, lifestyle illnesses, and mental disorders. Therefore, all stake holders should unite and create an atmosphere that inhibits consumerism from destroying these innocent consumers. References Archer, L., Hollingworth, S., Halsall, A. (2007). University’s not for me – I’m a Nike person: urban, working class young people’s negotiations of style, identity and educational engagement. Sociology, 41(2), 219–237. Buckingham, D. (2013). The Material Child. London, England: John Wiley Sons. Dittmann, M. (2004). Protecting children from advertising. American Psychology Association, 35(6). Evans, J., Chandler, J. (2006). To Buy or not to Buy: Family Dynamics and Children’s Consumption. Sociological Research Online, 11(2). Gorman, M. (2008). Childhood obesity statistics and facts. National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutes. Web. Hamilton, K. (2011). Low-Income Families and Coping Through Brands: Inclusion or Stigma? Sociology, 46(1), 75-90. Hawkes, C. (2004). Food to children: The glo bal regulatory environment. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. Herbst, M. (2005). Advertising to Children. Norderstedt, Germany: GRIN Verlag. Hill, J. (2011). Endangered childhoods: how consumerism is impacting child and youth identity. Media Culture Society, 33(3), 347-362. Hulbert, A. (2004). Tweens â€Å"R† us. The New York Times. Web. Là ¼sted, M. (2010). Advertising to Children. Minnesota, USA: ABDO, 2010. Palmer, E. L., Young, B. M. (2003). The faces of televisual media: Teaching, violence, selling to children. New Jersey, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum. Palmer, S. (2010). Toxic Childhood: How The Modern World Is Damaging Our Children And What We Can Do About It. London, England: Orion. Pfund, F. (2011). Advertising to Children. Norderstedt, Germany: GRIN Verlag. Piachaud, D. (2007). Freedom to be a Child: Commercial Pressures on Children. London, England: Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion. Pilcher, J. (2011). No logo? Children’s consumption of fashio n. Childhood, 18 (1) 128-141. Roche, M. (2009). Children, Consumerism, and the Common Good. London, England: Rowman Littlefield. Schor, J. B. (2004). Born to buy: the commercialized child and the new consumer culture. New York: Scribner. This essay on The Influence of Consumerism on 7-11 Years Children was written and submitted by user Abr1l to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted

Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted By Maeve Maddox A Canadian reader asks, Has it become okay to change irregular past verbs like lit and shone to lighted and shined? The answer to the first part of the question is that irregular verbs have been in a state of flux for centuries, so I suppose that it’s always â€Å"okay† to change them. The dominant tendency in English has been for irregular past tense forms to be replaced by the â€Å"regular† -ed past tense ending. For example, the past participle of help used to be holpen: Now, when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help KJV, Daniel 11:34 As only about 300 strong verbs (what we call â€Å"irregular† verbs) existed in the Old English spoken and written a thousand years ago, I think it’s amazing that any of them have survived into modern English. The reader who posed the question implied that writing lighted and shined for lit and shone must have something to do with American spelling habits: I’m from Canada and we often struggle between American and British rules. A persistent misconception is that when American usage differs from British usage, the American version must be a corruption. I’ve received many a comment comparing American English to â€Å"real English,† as if Standard American English (SAE) were a usurper of the â€Å"real thing.† The fact is, King Alfred would have as much difficulty in understanding Queen Elizabeth II as he would President Obama. Both SAE and BrE flow from the same source, but both have traveled a long way from it. Generally speaking, shone and lit are preferred in British English and shined and lighted in American English. Both the OED and Merriam-Webster show the inflected forms lighted/lit and alighted/alit. In both dictionaries, the -ed form is listed first. Generalities aside, both weak (regular) and strong (irregular) past tense forms are in use on both sides of the Atlantic. I grew up in the American South and was quite comfortable saying â€Å"Mother lit the birthday candles,† and â€Å"The sun shone all day long.† The verb shine is used with two meanings: shine: of a heavenly body or an object that is alight; to shed beams of bright light shine: to cause to shine, put a polish on According to some authorities, context determines whether an American speaker will use shone or shined when speaking of the sun or some other object that emits light: The transitive form of the verb â€Å"shine† is †shined.† If the context describes something shining on something else, use â€Å"shined†: â€Å"He shined his flashlight on the skunk eating from the dog dish.† You can remember this because another sense of the word meaning â€Å"polished† obviously requires â€Å"shined†: â€Å"I shined your shoes for you.† –Paul Brians, professor emeritus, Washington State University. As for shine in the sense of â€Å"to polish,† British speakers would say neither â€Å"I shined your shoes for you,† nor â€Å"I shone your shoes for you.† For a statement in the past, they would probably use the verb polish: â€Å"I polished your shoes for you.† Now for the really interesting bit: The OED tells us that irregular shone is unrecorded in Old English and appears only once in Middle English. The form shined was in common use from 1300-1800. The form shone first appeared as a past participle in the second half of the 16th century. As for the forms lighted and alighted (to descend from a horse or conveyance), these -ed forms were in use before the 16th century. Shakespeare uses lighted in the â€Å"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow† soliloquy in Macbeth: And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. My conclusion is that shined and lighted are no less â€Å"okay† than shone or lit. But then, my dialect is American English. Note: British speakers pronounce shone to rhyme with gone; for Americans, shone rhymes with bone. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of Humor75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†Preposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Benefits and Disadvantages of Saas Free Samples for Students

1.What is SaaS and outline its benefit and disadvantages. Explain your answer. 2.What business risks had Liberty Wines faced?. 3.What data and IT Problems were limiting FinCEN’s ability to Fight Financial Crime? 1.SaaS is the abbreviated form of Software as a Service is also known as a software which is on demand. In this software delivery model software and the information related to the same are stored in a centralised system and contacted with the help of a thin client which is generally a web browser via the internet such as Wikipedia. The said product is not required to be purchased and installed separately in a fix location (Clair, 2010). All it requires the user to pay a subscription fee and then pay as needed. The benefits offers by SaaS are as under: The disadvantages of using SaaS are as under: 2.Liberty Wines faced the biggest risk associated with the IT system which was installed in the organization since it was not of the latest version. The system was too outdated to cope up with the rising volume of data so much that the employees failed to reply to the customer queries on time. IT infrastructure of Liberty Wine had a negative impact on the petitive advantage of the pany. It is not being able to sustain the expanding business requirements therefore leading toa   loss of clientele. However, shifting of the pany’s IT system to virtualisation has benefited the pany in the many ways. The same is illustrated below: 3.FinCen was unable to fight financial crime successfully before 2008 as the IT system installed was outdated which did not have the capability to process huge volumes of data regarding the money laundering and terrorism at the right time. Usage of off-line system instead of an online system also was a cause for the delay in distribution of data to the required agencies and bureaus who could then take an action against the said crime. FinCen should upgrade its present IT system in vogue along with the analytical potentials. If it upgrades its system then the bureau will be able to process data well on time. For the same tey have even launched an App to support the real time availability of data of the past 11 years to the various users such as government officials and law enforcement agencies. Financial intelligence is dependent upon successful scrutinising of the data which would depict all kind of illegal activities clearly. The same is very crucial for the national security as well as these financial agencies help to find out if any kind of illegitimate work is being carried out in the country which could impact the safety and security of the people staying. There main aim is to find out if any danger is about to approach and if so make the country aware so that adequate steps to mitigate the same are taken (Lowers, 2015). Recently Ann Martin an associate of FinCen had detected the financial crime which was taking place between USA and Mexico where the latter was supplying drug pills in USA and the proceeds were being deposited in a local bank and wired back to USA. She analysed the big data set and found out the entire of such an act and informed the Mexican Government (Davidson, 2011). The same was possible because of the fact that FinCen had also upgraded its IT system well enough to help perform such analysis. Clair,G.S. (2010). Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Retrieved from https://smr-knowledge /wp-content/uploads/2010/01/EOS-SaaS-White-Paper-2008.pdf Davidson,J. (2011). Rewards of federal service. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost /politics/rewards-of-federal-service/2011/09/15/gIQAMoPcVK_story.html?utm_term=.8231a02babd0 Lowers,M. (2015). The role of FinCen in BSA/AML. Retrieved from https://www.lowersriskgroup /blog/2015/03/30/role-of-fincen-in-bsa-aml/ McLellan,C. (2013). SaaS: Pros, cons and leading vendors. Retrieved from https://www.zdnet /article/saas-pros-cons-and-leading-vendors/ Metzler,J. (2011). Virtualisation : Benefits, Challenges, and Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.stotthoare .au/sites/default/files/files/1_16100_WhitePaper_VirtualizationBenefits_by_Webtorials.pdf Getting academic assistance from

The Richness of Spiritual Companionship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Richness of Spiritual Companionship - Essay Example Being with friends and family members is a gone commodity since our lives are so much on the move. We are busy with the different undertakings of our lives in a manner which asks us to devote our time to nothing else but our commitments. We have lost the essence of imparting time to the ones who are close to us, the ones who are in trouble and need and the ones to whom we owe our love and gratitude. When it comes to religion, we have lost the path on which our forgiveness is destined (Hannabuss, 2011). We seem to part ways with virtuous acts and fall time and again on the road which leads us towards evil and wickedness. Spiritual compassion therefore is one aspect that comes from understanding how one interacts with the other individual and what kind of feelings, emotions and sentiments are being displayed at the best of times. This suggests the basis of his growth and development with regards to the society as a whole and the universe in essence. There is compassion happening across the board which remains a very quintessential factor nonetheless (Marques, 2011). The innovations of the present era have similarly brought problems for all and sundry. Undoubtedly these technological inventions and changes have solved our problems but when seen in the midst of our physical existence, we have not gained much over a period of time. In fact we have lost on this count by any stretch of imagination. There is just so much that can be done through finding out the real meaning of our existence yet we are shelved in our own worlds where there is nothing else but progression for one matter or the other. We just cannot seem to find time for the things in our life which hold supreme value and importance (Souto, 2007). These seem to take the backburner on a regular basis and hence our lives have become pretty much the same over and over again. One cannot really blame the advent of science and technology on our forgetting to being own selves because science and its various tool s are there to help and facilitate us and in no way be the substitutes for the people, the religion and the way of life that used to be so much close to us when we were young and when we did not care about anything apart from our loved ones, our family and the joys that childhood brought with it. It is imperative that people do not judge one another. The growing age of technology and with the advent of so many scientific innovations has meant that people have started to take one another for a ride, and thought less about what the others seem to think, perceive and therefore act upon (Levitt, 2011). The behaviors have more or less changed and this is the basis of their respective comprehensions which are coming to the fore. God has always been very clear and lucid as per his instructions towards mankind. He has made it clear that a man should come towards the good and keep away from the evil ways that embody nothing but trouble and sorrow for him in the long run. He has openly advoca ted for man to be good to his own self as well as to God as well since this would benefit him alone in all fields of life. Hence when the role of God has been discussed upon in entirety, the judgmental angle must come about from man’s perspective alone. This is significant because he is the one who decides what is good for him and what can be considered as wrong, both morally and practically within the relevant midst of things. The struggles within relationships have more or less been vital for comprehending where man has lost out. He has failed to understand the dictum of how well he can make use of the relationships and where exactly he is going wrong all this while. What this implies is that he thinks

Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Suicide - Essay Example Statistics show that the population at risk for suicide includes the age people who have recently failed at a venture or have lost a loved one and those who have failed at business. It is quite common for businesspeople to take their own lives when they fail at a business and hence incur heavy losses. Once they feel that they are unable to pay off their debts, they usually commit suicide. Further, among teenagers the suicidal tendencies are more particularly for those who have been rejected by someone who they feel that they have loved. These are the cases where passion plays a major role in the reasons for committing suicide. The signs to watch out for when people have an intention to commit suicide include loss of appetite, general withdrawal from social activities, a tendency to be inclined towards depression etc. Hence, the people around the potential suicide victim need to watch out for these signs and take preventive action before it is too late. It is usually the family or friends around the person who has suicidal tendencies who need to take the potential victim to a therapist or counselor and make him or her attend those sessions with a view to provide succor to them and deter them from committing suicide. Usually when a person commits suicide, it is the people around him or her who need to bear the pain of the loss of a loved one and particularly so considering that they might blame themselves for the victim’s behavior. Hence, it is contingent upon the family and friends to spot the symptoms early and take necessary action. Suicide and the act of taking one’s life represent an extreme form of behavior and hence, laws explicitly prohibit people from taking their own lives. Hence, not only is the act of committing suicide illegal but also immoral as well. It is ingrained in our nature to fight the

Ping Sweep and Port Scans Essay Example for Free

Ping Sweep and Port Scans Essay Information system threats are central to developments in information systems and should be viewed positively. Introduction The emergence of computers effectively led to a change in the approach to business operations. Information technology led to the development of a completely different approach to operations and is cited as a key driver to globalization which is central to the high level of competition being experienced in different industries. High levels of competition have led to an increase in the need for security since information is central to identification of opportunities and development of innovative approaches to operation. The internet as an information superhighway is especially laced with all kinds of security threats. Protocols are continuously being developed to try and ensure high levels of security; however the threats have managed to stay abreast due to the diversity they exhibit. Ping Sweep There are different modes used by an attacker to gain and interfere with the operations of a system. However, most attacks require a system to be active and therefore implement a mechanism to detect the activity of a system. Ping is one such technique that has found use in by both black and white hat hackers. The first step in the hackers’ manual is to determine the activity of a network and its connection status to the internet after which codes are subjected to the system to try and gain its control (Kurtz, McClure, Scambray, 2005). The actual mechanism involved in ping operations includes sending network packets and awaiting some unique response that will show the activity of the system. To effectively attack a network an attacker must gather as much information as possible; this is done by a ping sweep (Kurtz et al, 2005). A number of ping operations are done and each targeted at a specific IP address (Kurtz et al, 2005). To be effective in remote information collection, multithreaded sweep tools that allow for customized time-outs (Kurtz et al, 2005). Port Scanning The threats posed by ping operations are known to all administrators who often developed mechanisms to ensure that their security is not compromised. Open hosts are a key security threat and can be used by attackers to deal a deathly blow to systems (Scambray, McClure, 2007). Port scanning as a system maintenance mechanism is mainly concerned with searching network hosts to determine which ports are open. Administrators and crackers use port scanners which are software component to determine states of networks thus their vulnerability. Scanning can take on different approaches which include TCP, UDP or SYN scanning (Scambray, McClure, 2007). It is worth noting that the objective of the scanner determines the effects that the scanning activity will have on the network or system. A port scanning mechanism where multiple hosts are scanned to determine the one that is listening is referred to as a port sweep (Scambray, McClure, 2007). Implication Port scanning and ping sweeps can be dangerous depending on the objectives of the person or entity initiating them. They can be considered system threats or maintenance procedures depending on whether they are being initiated by a hacker or a system analyst. There are several approaches that have been developed to minimize the risk of malicious ping sweeps against a network. Disabling ICMP protocols for networks connected directly to the internet and configurations of firewalls to do the same is effective in dealing with ping sweeps (Kurtz et al, 2005). Port scanning is used to gather information on a networks security which can then be used to cause malfunctions such as buffer overflows. Conclusion Port scans and ping sweeps can be used by administrators and hackers and are thus both beneficial and risk causing. Managers should ensure that their systems are developed in a manner that is security conscious in that even if it is scanned no security weakness should be discovered. Dealing with the threat of port scan can cause inefficiencies though ping sweeps can be dealt with effectively. Developing a robust network that is near perfect is the ultimate approach to dealing with the threats posed by ping seeps and port scans which are just information seeking mechanisms. Being aware that versatile and creative hackers are in a position to scan a system is motivation enough to ensure system security is kept up to date with development in information technology. Thus, scanners and sweepers are motivators behind the development and improvements in information strategies aimed at development of secure information systems. References Kurtz, G. , McClure, S. , Scambray, J. (2005). Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets Solutions. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Scambray, J. , McClure, S. (2007). Hacking Exposed Windows: Windows Security Secrets and Solutions. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.

Biography And History: Harriet Jacobs The Life Of A Slave Girl :: essays research papers

Biography and History: Harriet Jacob's The Life of a Slave Girl To be a good writer, you must posess a careful balance between detachment and association, a delicate waltz where you are not so wrapped up in the events of a story that it alienates the reader, and yet not so far separated from the subject matter that the readers cannot get into it. This is espectially the case in an autobiographical narrative. In this case, it is very difficult to detach yourself from the main subject matter, that is, yourself. Yet it must remain a story, and the story at its heart is a reconstruction of facts from the memory of the author. In the case of Harriet Jacobs, it was also important that she make sure the readers understood slavery from a woman's perspective. The hardships she had to endure not only entailed the work and the punishments, but also the sexual aspect of being a slave-girl. Her task is difficult, because in order for the reader to really understand her position as a woman and a slave, she must make the story extremely personal. If it is too personal, however, the reader looses sight of the bigger picture, and does not relate all these hardships to the condition of the general female slave. She accomplishes this in two ways, through her writing style, and the writing content. The style that the novel is written varies from a dialogue to a narrative, depending on the subject matter being written about. For example, the dialogue where Mrs. Flint confronts Linda (Jocobs) and asks her what has been going on with her husband is handled very effectively, because as a conversation between two people, we are able to pick up on the nuances of meaning. Also, it makes the situation seem to the reader as very exhilarating, because we don't know what's going to happen next. Two paragraphs later, though, the story has turned back into narrative, because Jacobs is trying to examine the entire situation in her present day, as a free woman. She has to be detached from the conversation in order for her to draw any conclusions. The conclusion she draws is that even though they are in different circumstances, (Linda is a slave and Mrs. Flint is her mistress), they both have a shared problem as women -- that is, the problems of infedelity. This general topic cannot be dealt with effectively unless it is done at a distance, looking back with the experience she has gained. Jacobs does this a lot -- she takes her own present-day experiences and

Looking Beyond “Black Skin, White Masks” Essay

In recent years the world’s toleration for different cultures and races has increased, however in light of this, the issue of black and white has not faded. There is still a large division between both races due to the sentimental and resentful anguish that the past has brought. I recently read the essay â€Å"Black Skin, White Masks† by Franz Fanon, in which the author discusses psychological and sociological issues surrounding the black race. I feel like the authors underlying message throughout the story is the role of the black man in white culture, and how in today’s society the past is used to determine the future. In this essay, I will explore the idea that the past has affected the relationship between both races and how moving on and looking at the future will create â€Å"ideal conditions of existence† (764). Throughout his piece, Fanon is persistent on the idea of moving on from the past and looking towards the future. This is an idea that is relatable regardless of skin colour. Fanon says, â€Å"In no way should I derive my basic purpose from the past of the peoples of colour. †¦ I will not make myself a man of past. I do not want to exalt the past at the expense of my present and of my future† (761). In regards to the black man, their history of slavery and mistreatment has led to a resent not easily eased by an apology. Many still live in the past, holding grudges against those who offended them so many years before. I consider this a rather unpleasant way to live; to have resent held in one’s heart for so many years takes a toll on how they carry themselves and how that person treats others. Perhaps Fanon’s ideology of moving forward is an accurate one, and perhaps it is the key to erasing the line between the black race and the white race. â€Å"Black Skin, White Masks† also explores the role of the black man in white culture. The title itself is an indication of how Fanon feels about the role; how black people wear white masks in order to feel more accepted within society. This often means giving up their traditions and way of life in order to assimilate into the culture that rules society. Fanon makes the statement â€Å"I as a man of colour do not have the right to seek to know in what respect my race is superior or inferior to another race† (762). The author makes it clear that he does not consider himself to be above or below the white man, or any other race for that matter. The black man can be considered a man just as much as the white man is in society and equality is the only way to merge the two races together. In his analysis Fanon stressed the importance of moving forward. He wants the black race to be able to put the suffering they experienced behind them. Fanon points out that just as the black people shouldn’t â€Å"claim reparations† (762), they should also not hope â€Å"there will be a crystallization of guilt† (762) in the white man. Fanon makes the statement â€Å"There is no Negro mission; there is no white burden† (762). In that, he describes that the white man should not feel obligated to help the black race by assimilating them just as they did decades ago. By placing themselves in others’ shoes, each race might be able to see beyond their own surroundings and into the bigger picture. It is this notion that will help create a more communicative connection between the two races. It is safe to say that merging two races together after years of racism is a difficult task, and it is clearly visible between the black race and the white race. Fanon expresses his ideas on the subject by saying that people should look beyond the past and into the future. He describes the place of the black man in white society, and how in order to bridge the barrier between the two, equality must be a factor. Regardless of when Fanon wrote his analysis, one can see that his ideologies apply to today’s society and that the issues still remain.

In Whose Honor Essay

The film â€Å"In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports† produced by Jay Rosentein introduces a topic that is new to many viewers. In the film, he explores through interviews and school controversies the misuse of Native American culture through school sports mascots. Most of the people who embrace school mascots, such as those used by teams named the Chiefs, Indians, Braves, and Warriors unknowingly promote a stereotype of Native American culture that serves to embarrass and further alienate the people from their heritage. The fight to stop these unfair stereotypes are undertaken by many activists and their heroic stories are chronicled throughout this documentary. Issues with the mass media and it’s effect on shaping perceptions of people as a powerful force are also explored and from a sociological perspective all of these harmful images and portrayals are investigated. The most significant sociological revelation in the film is the clash between majority and minority culture. On a smaller scale, the majority culture and the norms that come with this are not parallel to minority culture except in forms of entertainment. Most of the intersect that connects majority and minority culture of any type is such things as dining at â€Å"ethnic† restaurants, listening to â€Å"ethnic† music, and watching movies and television that depict minority life through the eyes of the majority culture. Sports has traditionally been seen as racially neutral as a form of entertainment, but this film however, shows that even this arena is ridden with racial stereotypes is one used the trained sociological â€Å"eye† so to speak on them. Simply, stereotypes of any kind are harmful and detract from the long and proud tradition that the stereotyped people hold. I understand how the idea of racism and stereotyping talked about in scope in class correlates with the topic and the issues in the film. Racism is a systematic, institutionalized way of oppressing people and Native Americans have been oppressed since English settlers came to The United States. Now Native Americans are largely out of sight, on reservations where there is little contact with the majority culture. Just because there is little contact, however, does not mean that the people do not want to be depicted and portrayed by the majority culture in an accurate way. In one hand it seems like the proud traditions in history of the Native Americans have largely been forgotten, but on the other hand stereotypical images of them do emerge in the media. Stereotyping is less universal and widespread than racism, but each are harmful in their own ways. While racism serves to oppress a group of people to submission, shame, and even genocide; stereotyping serves to take only a few traits and traditions of people and make this seem like these traits are all that there is to the group. The Native American people have their own music, values, language, and many other specific norms to their group. Additionally not all Native American tribes are similar in their language, rituals, and other ways of living. So to lump all these tribes and Native Americans together as a whole with stereotypes about them is not only unfair, but it undermines the entire history and present culture of this group. One of the most harmful aspects of the Native American stereotype is that the people are all inherently violent. Though some tribes were known for their tenacity in wars, not all tribes were active in violent warring with other tribes. The sports stereotype, then damages the culture by making all Native Americans of past and present seem like violent people and this is simply not the case. Most all sport teams do have mascots that are renowned for their strength and warring skill; such as the Vikings, the Raiders, the Buccaneers, and so on. The fact that many schools use Native American names for the stereotype that the names hold is interesting as is the fact that many schools, due to Native American activism have chosen not to use Mascots or names that are offensive or stereotypical. The school depicted in the documentary, however, did not see how harmful their actions were and this type of ignorance is fairly representative of majority culture. I must say, as a member of the majority culture, that I was unaware of the harm of such stereotypes and I am an avid fan of all sports, as well. Most of the mascots I saw growing up were â€Å"silly† and their purpose was simply to get fans motivated to cheer for the team. However, I do recall a coach who led the Braves in Little League Baseball and wore the Native American headdress and carried a tomahawk to games. I remember being embarrassed for him and his behavior, but now realize that it was the way that he depicted Native Americans that ultimately bothered me. This film was definitely an eye-opener and there was a message of hope in the social activism that was carried out in the name of justice for all Native Americans. As we have talked about all the social changes in class that have been initiated by activism, it is good to see that these types of actions are still carried out today as they are very necessary. In conclusion, â€Å"In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports† is a very sociologically sound documentary that weaves in many in-class and textbook topics. The historical effects of racism against the American people and the currently carried out stereotypes of Native Americans in sports is an example of how cultures can be oppressed and misunderstood. This also shows how important activism is in bringing about needed social change in the media, sports, and all arenas of majority culture.

Making Freelance Pitching Personal

Making Freelance Pitching Personal Recently, I had an impasse in my writing career. So I read more books on technique, critiqued other writers works when I could, and continued to fine-tune my query-writing skills. But I wasnt attracting the assignments that challenged me and filled my bank account. That is, until I got personal. Do Your Research I took to heart Dale Carnegies defining advice. In his seminal book, How To Win Friends and Influence People, he emphasizes the importance of knowing names. People love to hear the sound of their names. Businesspeople who act warm, according to Carnegie, are more successful. Acting on this advice, I learned that studying potential clients professional and personal triumphs does give you an advantage. For example, I wanted to write for a consumer magazine, and I learned through social media that the editor graduated from Stanford. My article talked about hotels near Ivy League colleges, so I mentioned Stanford in the query I sent. Even if the editor rejected my first query, knowing about his education makes future queries on similar topics a surer fit. Dont Give Up Yes means yes, and no means no, but in freelancing those yeses and nos may give you options. I contacted a potential client who previously had rejected one of my magazine-article queries. Her magazine only accepted advertorials, but I didnt accept that declarative answer. At her LinkedIn profile, she stated that another one of her companies operated inspirational retreats. I have written about my struggles with poverty and depression. So, I asked in another email, are you looking for speakers for your retreats? Ive written essays about how I overcame struggles in my life. Send a one sheet detailing your

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Cataleya From The Film Columbiana - Essay Example Fifteen years later, as a ground up young woman, she receives extensive training on fighting and defence tactics. She eventually t6racks them down and kills all of them, including their leader Sandoval. Cataleya exemplifies several of Campbell’s characteristics of a hero. Campbell states that a hero is somebody who something has been taken from him or her. To Cataleya, her parents, who meant everything to her, were brutally murdered and this was the basis of her revenge mission. A hero, according to Campbell (1988) performs a courageous act, either physical or spiritual. Cataleya, choosing to avenge her parents’ murder showed her act of courage. Despite the various discouragements from a number of people, she was determined to accomplish her mission. The revenge mission was not an easy one. Cataleya remained strong regardless of the challenges she met. At one point, when pursuing the murderers, she felt like giving up but remained strong and committed. Lord Luis Sandova l was a much-respected man in the drug world, and nobody ever thought of going against him. The police themselves had been unable to arrest him. However, Cataleya single handed killed him and his team. A hero's journey usually consists of a departure, a fulfilment, and a return. Cataleya left her home and went to her uncle in Chicago. She fulfilled her mission of revenge and returned to her home to live in peace. A hero also has to achieve something, and to her, the murder of Lord Luis Sandoval was her achievement.