Green Branding Effects on Attitude

Introduction There have been a lot of literature reviews over the years on consumers’ behaviors towards green products as well as green marketing resulting from consumers’ concern on environmental protection. Using Hallin (1995) and McCarty and Shrum (2001), Lorache, Bergeron, and Barbaro-Forleo (2001) and Yam-Tang and Chan (1998), the study was conducted to test among New Zealand consumers’ behavior towards purchasing green products. This study was done on New Zealand’s consumer as the country has always been perceived as a â€Å"clean and green† country and its consumers were assumed with high environmental conscious.Review of the Literature The authors begin with a brief review of literature that supports the ideas that consumers’ indication of positive attitude towards environmental issues do not necessarily lead to actual environmental friendly purchasing behavior (Laroche et al. , 2002). This research provided theoretical and managerial implication. Theoretical implication is to add support to previous research which showed that consumers are concerned about the environment, but not necessarily prepared to seek out or buy green products (Foster, 1989: Wasik 1992).In terms of managerial implication, it provides indication to marketers on targeted consumers that purchase green products. This research also identified factors that discriminate between those who purchase green products and those who don’t. The authors point out the gaps in existing literature. They mentioned that most studies have focused on general environmental behavior. Therefore, the authors suggest studies on more specific consumers’ purchasing behavior are done. The authors conclude that their study provides some important contribution to the green marketing theory for future research agenda.Method of the Study The authors state they used qualitative choice models in analyzing participation in a variety of activities. Data collectio n from mail surveys that were sent to households in New Zealand are described in considerable detail. The authors state that â€Å"reliability test† of each construct was conducted to ensure reliability and validity of data obtained. The gathered information was retained for data analysis. Findings The analysis in this study was tested for green purchasing behavior only.Environmentally conscious behavior also relates to different types of behavior like recycling and energy saving. However, testing and literature on these behaviors was not mentioned in this study. In future, research on New Zealand consumers should also incorporate cultural and psychological factors. In Table 1, pp 97-98, number of tested respondents are 521 i. e. 296 male and 225 female. However, errors were spotted in this table where a total respondent is not consistent for other categories in the same analysis.For example for Age Group and Number of Dependant Children categories, numbers of respondents sud denly become 522. For other categories, total number of respondents reduced: Marital Status (520), Education Background (517), Household Income (498) and Ethnic Group (521). However, the statistical method used in this study is appropriate to determine factors that influence consumers’ purchasing behavior. Conclusion The authors relate their research findings with the overall purpose of the study i. e. to reveal that consumers behavior towards purchasing green products.From the study we learned that even if consumers are profess strong support towards environmental like New Zealanders, they are not necessary purchase green products. From other literatures, we found that similar results would also affecting consumers in other countries. This is because most consumers are more price sensitive, quality sensitive and brand sensitive/loyalty. Other factors affecting consumers’ behavior are socio-economic characteristic, convenience in locating products and transparent infor mation on green products label.In summary, further studies must be done and better procedures must be developed. Larger samples should be used to improve our understanding concerning the factors affecting consumers behavior. Suggestion for future research, analysis on respondents from other developed countries should also be undertaken for comparison purposes and it would further conclude the factors affecting consumers’ behavior globally. Information from the findings would assist marketers to strategies on green marketing.

African-Americans Fighting for Equality Essay

African-Americans have been fighting for equality and freedom every since they were taken from Africa as slaves. They were stolen from their families and separated only to be servants to others as they were belittled, beaten, put down and treated as nothing. Many things have changed over the centuries, but African-Americans still fight everyday for different types of acknowledgements and equality. They have fought hard over the centuries to end segregation, discrimination, and isolation to attain equality and civil rights. Through the Civil Rights Movement African Americans played important roles American history with courage, strength, and struggling to live equal in America. We have learned about important people and events throughout history, but the fight against discrimination, segregation and isolation have not always been focused on. This paper will highlight how some of the well known and unknown people contributed towards the Civil Rights Movement, in which continues to be fought in present time. â€Å"Racial segregation was a system derived from the efforts of white Americans to keep African Americans in a subordinate status by denying them equal access to public facilities and ensuring that blacks lived apart from whites† (Lawson, 2009). Slaves lived in quarters far away from the master houses on the plantations, the only ones that lived in the house were the special chosen. â€Å"By the time the Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) that African Americans were not U. S. citizens, northern whites had excluded blacks from seats on public transportation and barred their entry, except as servants, from most hotels and restaurants. When allowed into auditoriums and theaters, blacks occupied separate sections; they also attended segregated schools. Most churches, too, were segregated. † (Lawson, 2009). Rosa Parks was famous for her courage to stand for her right to sit where ever she wanted on a bus, but she was not the first or only one to make this choice. There was a fifteen year old girl that was arrested nine months earlier, but she was not attributed to the act because of her status of being a foul mouth tomboy and getting pregnant right after the incident (Young, 2000). Also when Rosa Parks was approached by the bus driver to move there were other African- American people sitting next to her, but because she spoke up first history gives her credit and was noticed by Dr. Martin Luther King. It needs to be known that many people were courageous in their act to fight for equal rights. Basically Parks was at the right place at the right time, â€Å"Parks arrest sparked a chain reaction that started the bus boycott that launched the civil rights movement that transformed the apartheid of America’s southern states from a local idiosyncrasy to an international scandal. It was her individual courage that triggered the collective display of defiance that turned a previously unknown 26-year-old preacher, Martin Luther King, into a household name† (Younge, 2000). Dr. Martin Luther King name goes down in history as the most well known activists through the years. He was known as a non violent activist, in which he adapted the philosophy from Gandhi, which was respected not only by the black race but also by all other races. King’s speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† became what African-American’s live by for centuries to come. Also there was the, â€Å"We Shall Overcome† speech on August 23, 1963. King’s words at the capital that day were a defining moment of the Civil Rights movement† (Bowles, 2011). King fought for civil rights until the day he was killed. There was a protest at Fisk University in Nashville in which three students was disgusted at the fact blacks could not sit at the lunch counters to eat. C. T. Vivian, Diane Nash and Bernard Lafayette protested with others in Nashville on April 19, 1960. â€Å"Nash confronted Mayor Ben West. In what she calls a â€Å"divine inspiration,† she asked the mayor to end racial segregation. He appealed to all not to discriminate. She asked him if he meant that to include lunch counters. He sidestepped. She said, â€Å"Mayor, do you recommend that the lunch counters be desegregated? † West said, â€Å"Yes,† and the battle was won. Within days, integration began† (Weier, 2001). While civil rights activists were fighting on the home front, African American men and women honorably performed their duties in two world wars. They bravely entered a military that was at odds about their presence and the appropriate roles for blacks. While more than 400,000 African American soldiers were going through basic training, receiving their assignments or facing the enemy’s bullets in World War I, riots against black citizens were escalating in the United States. By the time the Second World War ended, over one million black forces returned home to the U. S. equivalent of apartheid. Yet, with the knowledge of conditions at home, black soldiers still distinguished themselves in battles for freedoms, which they were unable to enjoy (Blakely, 1999). Discrimination was popular in the 1900’s and African-Americans stood up to be treated as equal Americans as the whites, especially in the World War II. â€Å"While willing to fight for their country, some also made a stand against discrimination while they served. For example, on April 12, 1945, the U. S. Army took 101 African American officers into custody because they directly refused an order from a superior officer. This was a serious charge because, if convicted, they would face the death penalty† (Bowles, 2011). They wanted to get acknowledged for their bravery and accomplishments in the war just the white soldiers. America waited decades for the African –American soldiers of the World War II to get the proper acknowledgements they deserve, which was too little too late. â€Å"These men were willing to die for the country; they were not eligible for many of the honors for their service. Though many deserved it, no African American could receive the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery. Bill Clinton corrected this error 50 years later, bestowing the medal on seven men, but just one, Vernon Baker, was still alive (Bowles, 2011). These men were known as the Tuskegee Airmen and most of them died before receiving their honors. There were numerous movements and people, even African-American women whom had a hand in battling for equality. They had to fight not only for equality from racism, but also dealing with being judged by their gender. â€Å"The Women’s Service Section (WSS) investigated federally controlled railroad stations and yards at the end of World War I. Few women worked in car cleaning before the war, and railroad management preferred to block women workers, especially African Americans, from gaining any kind of foothold in railroad work. African American women were the single largest group of railroad car cleaners during this period but they were routinely denied adequate facilities, including toilets, locker rooms, and dining facilities throughout the railroad system. By raising the issues of facilities, workers’ rights, and public health, these women shaped federal policy and widened the agenda of the WSS to include a direct attack on segregated workplaces† Muhammad, (2011). Black women wanted to have the same rights as others for going to school with safety and security. â€Å"In Brown v Board of Education (1954) the Supreme Court reversed its ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. They held that school segregation was inherently unconstitutional because it violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. This case marked the end of legal segregation in the US†. There were other significant African-American movements that changed history. â€Å"Starting in the 1960s, blacks in Akron began to push for an end to discrimination using various tactics, such as political action, workshops, and employment drives. Opie Evans edited the Akronite and began pushing for changes in his magazine. Protests widened to include sit-ins and other demonstrations† (McClain, 1996). African-Americans such as Martin Luther King Jr . and Malcolm X have become icons of the 1950’s and 1960’s, but the organizational skills and grassroots activism of women such as Ella Baker , Septima Clark , Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer propelled the movement forward to many successes and inspired a new generation of activists. African-Americans have come a long way fighting for equality and freedom every since the slavery time. They won their freedom and more equality than the ever had along with ending segregation. Many things have changed over the centuries, but African-Americans still fight everyday for different types of acknowledgements. They have fought hard to end segregation, most of discrimination, and isolation to attain equality and civil rights. References Blakely, Gloria. (1999). The 20th Century in CP Time: 1900-1949 — We are a People. Sentinel,p. A8. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 490544881). http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=490544881&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD Bowles, M. D. (2011). American History 1865- Present, End of Isolation, San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved on June 11, 2012 from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUHIS204. 11. 2/sections/sec3. 7 Lawson, S. F. (2009). â€Å"Segregation. † Freedom’s Story, TeacherServe. National Humanities Center. Retrieved on July 16, 2012 from http://nationalhumanitiescenter. org/tserve/freedom/1865-1917/essays/segregation. htm | | Mcclain, S. R. , (1996). The Contributions of Blacks in Akron: 1825-1895, A Doctoral Dissertation, Retrieved on july 17, 2012 from http://www. ci. akron. oh. us/blackhist/timeline/index. htm Muhammad, R. (2011). SEPARATE AND UNSANITARY: African American Women Railroad Car Cleaners and the Women’s Service Section, 1918-1920. Journal of Women’s History, 23(2), 87-111,230. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2377762701). http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=2377762701&sid=3&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD Weier, A. (2001). She Socked Segregation Civil Rights Leaders Still Inspires Students, Madison Capital Times. Madison, WI, Retrieved July 27, 2012 from ProQuest. http://search. proquest. com/docview/395202519? accountid=32521 Younge, G. (2000). She Would Not Be Moved. The Guardian. London, UK. , Retrieved July 28, 2012 from ProQuest. http://search. proquest. com/docview/245609939? accountid=32521.

Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final - Research Paper Example Social media plays several functions. In previous generations, before the advent of social media, people relied on traditional news outlets such as television, radio, and newspapers. Fast forward, and nowadays people log into their social media accounts to see current trends (Ahn 1436). For that reason, social media is a source of information, available on a handheld gadget. In addition, several people have started their businesses online, and thus, it is a form of startup and a means of employment for both ordinary and techno savvy individuals (William 11). Finally, social media allows people to show their emotions transparently and reveal their whereabouts in a general manner that alerts their friends. There are several benefits of participating in various social media. Firstly, social media keeps people up-to-date and informed about current events (Pernisco 12). Although it may sometimes be unreliable in terms of content, it is the fastest source of information in the modern world. Secondly, social media promotes social justice. The ability to express opinions online reaches several people and concerned parties. For that reason, a mass of people can pass a point across, create social awareness, and in consequence, enhance social justice. Thirdly, and most importantly, interconnectedness through social media promotes tolerance of other cultures and races. Social media enables people from different regions to interact like friends. There are several drawbacks of participating in various social media. The loss of face-to-face interaction is one of the detrimental effects of social media in my life. I am unable to communicate and relate with friends as I used to during my childhood years. Illiteracy is another detrimental effect (Pernisco 8). The use of slang and shortened abbreviations has lessened the level of literacy of most people in the society. Overall,

Retail industries of UK Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Retail industries of UK - Dissertation Example Despite of the fact that the UK economy was going through recession, but the overall sales of the industry had increased in 2009 as it reached a figure of over ?285billion. It has been estimated that this figure would further increase in the years to come. Also with the world economy and UK economy recovers itself from recession, retail industry would be one of the most beneficial industries as this would further increase the total revenue of the firms in the industry (The Scottish Government, 2010). By the end of 2010, the total retail units in the kingdom were approximately 286,000 (Arch, 2010). The food retail industry is an important industry for the UK economy as over the years it has been able to contribute a lot to GDP of the country. In addition to this, food retail industry is a significant one for United Kingdom economy as it has been able to consume considerable portion of the employment. According to a report, there are more than half a million people working in the indus try representing almost 13% of the total workforce of United Kingdom. Food retail industry consumed more than 12,750 permanent jobs throughout 2010 which represents an annual growth of 2.1% in the jobs of food retail industry from the year 2009 (The Scottish Government, 2010). ... The total sales of online retail industry equalled ?2.8 billion from Christmas 2009 to Christmas 2010 and they also found that there has been a growth of 44% in terms of time spent by respondents shopping online (Internet Retailer, 2011). Tesco is the market leader in the UK food retail industry for years and it has been dominating the market with market share of almost 31%. Tesco is also considered as the third largest retailer of the world in terms of revenue, after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Tesco recorded total revenues in the year 2010 – 2011 were more than ?60 billion with a net profit of ?2.67 billion (Tesco, 2011) PROBLEM FORMULATION There are several firms in the food retail industry competing against each other on the basis of Price, Products, Promotions and Placement. However, among these four factors, price is the most dominant one. Consumers in the food retail industry are very much attracted and targeted by firms in the industry on the basis of cost and this is the reason why, most firms in the industry including Tesco and Asda have used Cost leadership strategy. This strategy has allowed firms to keep their overall costs low and thus offer the products at a lower price than the competing firms to the customers. With improvements in technology, the industry has been able to improve its sales because of e-retailing and the e-retailing has provided several opportunities for the firms in the industry to grow and expand their business as well as improve their market share. Also the response of consumers have been very positive towards e-retailing as shopping online is far more convenient, saves time and energy. Because online

Iranian Architecture and Culture Research Paper

Iranian Architecture and Culture - Research Paper Example The other aspect of the Iranian architecture is the Islamic Impact on the Iranian architecture. I will analyze the connection between the Islamic Impact on the architecture of Iran and the purpose of ancient techniques utilized in the Iranian architecture. Iran is blessed with the natural resources and thus the architecture remains dependent on the natural resources. Moreover, the architects maintained to utilize the local resources in the construction. The geography of Iran is much diverse. According to Ayatollahi (2003) â€Å"Because of its geographic diversity, Iranian Plateau has always been, and still is, regarded as the land of many riches†. Besides the presence of natural resources, the Iranian architects always welcomed innovation. As Iran has a typical weather condition. In winters the temperature lowers to the freezing point and in summer the temperature rises to make it hot region. Climate has major impact on the architecture and Iranian architecture developed techn iques to produce cold water in summer by storing the natural ice in the winter season. The method is pit storage of ice. The major reason for storing the ice is to preserve fruits, vegetables and utilization of water for the drinking purposes. According to Mahdavinejad and Javanrudi (2012) â€Å"Ancient fridges are a pit with a sophisticated method to store ice in hot-arid climates. Ice prepared in winter season and reserves until hot seasons to keep meat, fruits and dairies, and also used as a method to making water cold and tasty†. The pits are of rectangular shaped, which are designed to store ice. According to Mahdavinejad and Javanrudi (2012), â€Å"The architecture of Iranian ancient fridges is analyzed with respect to the following factors: The architectural background of fridges in each hot-arid regions, Construction methods and materials, and Formation of the plans and sections†. The walls of the fridges are not uniformly constructed. The width of the walls va ries as the height of the walls varies. On the other hand due to the Islamic Impact in the regions, the major change on the architecture is the utilization of the towers, which are also known as ‘minarets’. Minarets are usually long slender towers, which are usually built near mosques. The major aim of a minaret is to define the ways towards the mosque. However, the minarets are equipped with some light source to show the way to the mosques at night. The minarets are not only built near mosques but also near schools, road sides and also near other places. According to Iran Chamber Society (2012), â€Å"The tall structures built on roadsides or near caravansaries, schools, or other gathering places were originally watch-towers that also provided lighting for the surrounding areas†. In olden days, minarets provide a top position for the prayer caller to call the people for the prayers. Minaret has three basic parts Base or foundation, shaft and gallery (Iran Chambe r Society n.p). The other important aspect of the Iranian architecture is the utilization of the dooms in the architecture. Dooms also show Islamic influence on the Iranian architecture. Dooms have a significant value in the Islamic architecture due to the sound effects, produced by dooms. The payer call and the verses read during the prayers, echo several times due to dooms. Due to the echo, the loudness of the sound and range of the sound

Entrepreneurial question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Entrepreneurial question - Essay Example One of the necessary resources for the establishment of an ethical and legal foundation include participating in training that provides the information necessary to ensure that the entrepreneur is completely cognizant of the regulations that affect the business venture. Information on the mode of incorporating the business can be outsourced from various sources such as the existing businesses and literary materials. The foundation principles for the business ethics include exercising the due care, maintenance of confidentiality, fidelity to special responsibilities, respecting the liberty and the constitutional rights of others. Others include respect for the human well-being, ensuring good-faith in the business negotiations, complying with the law, and evading the conflict of interest. The most eminent ethical resources for the suppliers include the code of conduct, ethics audits, ethics surveys, ethics training and ethics helpline (Ravi 540). Establishing an ethical and legal found ation for the customers requires transparency, undertaking the corporate social responsibility, ethical surveys, ethics helpline and access to ombuds. The strategies applied for motivating customers can also be applied to the investors. What challenges do entrepreneurs experience when establishing a solid legal and ethical

Marketing Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Principles - Essay Example It will help the organization to develop effective future strategies in order to improve business performance. 4Ps of Marketing The 4Ps marketing mix framework will help to determine Coca Cola’s price, place, promotion and product development strategy. Product The Coca Cola Company is the leading manufacturers and distributors of soft drinks. The organization has wide range of differentiated and diverged product line. These strategies helped the organization to ensure significant competitive advantages over its competitors. Aggressive product development and continuous differentiation of products helped the organization to meet the needs and demand of target customers (Dost 14). Recently, the organization faced several legal and social issues regarding high pesticides and calories level in cold drinks. But, the organization started to introduce healthy, differentiated and calorie free soft drinks for target customers to maintain sustainability in business performance and busin ess operation. Price The Coca Cola Company implemented advanced technology in each and every business operation processes. This strategy helped the organization to reduce business operation cost. Low business operation cost helped the organization to implement competitive pricing strategy. ... Most importantly, the Coca Cola Company always motivates is distributors and suppliers to follow the organizational policies (Peterson 29). It actually helps the organization to maintain sustainability. Promotion Coca Cola Company uses different promotional mediums in order to give adverts for existing products. Print and digital media advertisings help the organization to attract children and youths. In addition to this, effective social media advertising or online promotions help the organization to target mass target audience (Carmody 143). Moreover, giving sponsor to popular sporting teams, event and campaigns helps Coca Cola Company to create effective customer awareness. General Costs of Marketing The Coca Cola Company has become the leading organization within the industry due to effective adoption and implementation of brand extension and umbrella branding strategy. Slowly and gradually, the organization is increasing its product portfolio to increase market share meet curren t market demand. It is important for the organization to market this developed product portfolio successfully in order to avoid business losses. Truly, the organization spends a significant part of its business profit in the marketing activities. For example, the organization spent almost 2.9 billion US dollars in USA for promotion purpose. On other hand, the organization spent 2.3 billion Euros in UK to create significant customer awareness. The organization managed to get successful business outcome through these promotional marketing strategies which are aggressively backed by huge marketing cost. However, the organization failed to get success through few products due to limited acceptance of these

A critical analysis of the local, national and international context Essay

A critical analysis of the local, national and international context of Inclusive Education - Essay Example anchored on consolidation of the existing capacity, policies and practices of the education system in a country to reach out to students with special needs and disability and seeks to eliminate the distinction between SEND as well as regular students (Sovic & Blythman, 2013). Students with special education needs experience learning difficulties when subjected under the normal school environment caused by diversified factors such as the autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), physical impairments, and cerebral palsy. The National Association for Special Educational Need (NASEN) has classified students with special educational needs under three broad categories including School Action, School Action Plus and statement plus special education, which facilitates the implementation of policy and practice for students with SEND as well as inclusion in various educational institutions. Over the years, legislations, policies, and strategies have been implemented to set an inclusive school environment for SEND provisions, which have been accommodated in the education school system such as the Special Education Act 20that has had a global influence in the promotion of inclusive education. Initially, the subject of whether children with special education needs should be included in special or mainstream school was controversial and it was only until 1990 that saw the inception of inclusive education (Black-Hawkins, Florian & Rouse, 2007). Special Educational Needs Act was implemented on 2009, which highlighted the policies and legal rights of students with disabilities in the UK. Similarly, a number of strategies have also been placed to ensure students with SEND swiftly adapt to the mainstream schools such as provision physical amenities that are friendly to students with disabilities including ramps (DfE, 2011). On an equal measure various local and international le gislations and policies have also been enacted to ensure that students with SEND are provided with equal

Real World Negotiation Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Real World Negotiation Paper - Assignment Example Additionally, the increase would also see my employer acquiring maximum and satisfying service from me. Informed by the fact that successful negotiation is mainly realized through proper preparations, possess effective communication skills, being able to control emotions and having greatclossing the deal skills, I embarked on the quest for having a salary increase. As part of my preparation to face her and negotiate for my salary increment, I prepared myself in various ways as I have discussed below: I started by preparing a logical argument and evidence that could support and make my claim logical. Informed by the fact that activities key during the preparation process include developing position of strength, and establishing a foundation for success and developing confidence, I chose to start my preparation by coming up with a very strong argument as to why I felt the urge to approach my employer and demand for salary increase and why I stood a chance to see my salary being increas ed without much objection. I went on to compose evidence that will support all my arguments although in order to make my demand reasonable and realistic. I also considered my argument to be the demand for the increase to be because of rise in the cost of living and the supporting evidence was that other employers within the region had seen their salary being increased, inflation had resulted to the fall of value of money which in turned had reduced my purchasing power and therefore the amount I was being paid did too little to satisfy all my needs, there was also a general increase in price of commodities which demanded for more money than I was earning before and finally that it was also meant to be a sign of appreciation to for the good job the I had been doing for my employee for so long. I also went on to consider the amount of salary increase that I expect. I went on with my preparation process of computing and coming up with an amount of money that I was to propose as my incre ment. I choose to come up with the maximum amount and reasonable amount of my salary increase that I expected from my employer and also the minimum amount that I was to expect in the course of the negotiation process. As part of my preparation I also choose to come with a formal letter and send it early enough to notify and prepare my employee over the setting of the negotiation date and this was also meant to prepare my employer psychologically over considering my pay rise. Since my employer was never around and were never met so easily, I also considered my grooming as part of my preparation. This was because my personal appearance and outlook was also to play an important at either building my reputation or destroying it. I also knew that smartness played a critical role towards boosting my confidence. During the negation day, all went well and as planned, the negotiation date was set in advance and in consideration to the schedule of both sides not interfering with the any of ou r activities. On the negotiation d

Differences between China and the US Management Essay

Differences between China and the US Management - Essay Example Question 1 The main characteristics of Chinese culture One of the major characteristics of Chinese culture is their emphasis in personal relationships in interactions. The Chinese are particularly keen in developing personal relationships before establishment of business relations. As a result, they normally engage in personal interactions in which people can bond and know each other before developing business relations. Chinese also believes in formal relationships in interactions. Based on social classes or positions, they appreciate acknowledgements of their social status in interactions. These features also define the Chinese lack of capacity to respond to urgencies. Besides reliance on the interpersonal relationship that needs to be enveloped before Chinese can respond to a need in negotiation, they heavily rely on past performance and potential of a party. This means that developing an initial venture with a Chinese team takes time, as the Chinese are keen in understanding a pa rty’s past prospects. Similarly, the Chinese takes time to review and understand a party’s potential and prospects (China, n.d., p. 1). Chinese culture also involves materialistic appreciations that are intended to be reciprocated. Since they are perceived as a duty, failure to make appreciations or a move to decline a gift from a Chinese is contrary to traditions and may easily raise suspicion into conflicts. Chinese culture also tends to shy away from conflicts. (China, n.d., p. 1). Rgraf further explains the importance of reputation in Chinese culture. Putting a person’s reputation at stake through initiatives such as failing to observe social status and positions therefore negatively affects interactions in the Chinese culture (Rfrag, 2012, p. 1). The Chinese are also conservatives and authoritarian. (Pablos and Lytras, 2

Matching Case Essay Example for Free

Matching Case Essay Match the definitions listed on the right with the words listed on the left. Please note that there are more possible answers than terms. 1. Interview _E___ 2. Interrogation F____ 3. Interrogation approach __I__ 4. Witness __J__ 5. Suspect __D__ 6. Subject _I___ 7. Admission ____ 8. Confession _G___ 9. Deception __H__ 10. Statement __K__ a. Documents used to pass on instructions or information from one party in the department to another b. A written or oral assertion of certain facts and information for an investigation c. The manner in which the interrogator accomplishes the interrogation, such as sympathetic, aggressive, indifferent, and so on d. A person who may have planned, participated in, committed, or be knowledgeable about a crime e. A formal meeting between two people for the purpose of exchanging information f. Asking formal questions to obtain the truth through planned or unplanned approaches and techniques g. A full and complete acknowledgement of guilt concerning participation in the commission of a crime h. Physical, emotional, or mental attempts to deceive the interrogator i. A person who may have committed a crime j. An individual who has personal knowledge from seeing or hearing something about the incident k. Any act or statement made by the suspect that is a partial acknowledgement of the offense l. A question phrased in a way that suggests an answer to the person being questioned. Short Answer Answer the following questions, in paragraph form, using a minimum of 100 words per answer. 1. What is the difference between an interview and an interrogation? Define each. During the interview, officers acquire information about the witnesses and their needs, worries, anxieties, and approaches. Investigators can later use this material to arrange questions and arguments to use during interrogations. During the interview process, people answer questions from investigators about the incident, themselves, and other people involved in these events. During this soft initial approach, investigators detect non-verbal and verbal conduct showed by the subjects. During the interrogation the approach is of the investigator is more aggressive. Agents use diverse skills in interrogations, challenging subjects with declarations instead of asking for information. During the interrogations, the investigators lead the process; subjects are placed in a submissive state. Investigators do not look for information, what they pursue is a confession. 2. What are effective techniques for interviews and interrogations? The first step is to evaluate the motive for the interview. An interview with a witness is different than an interview with a suspect or victim. Consequently, it is vital that the role of the investigator is set prior to the interview. It is important to remember that the same technique of interviewing will not work for all officers or be successful with all witnesses. A fundamental rule of law enforcement interviewing is to find witnesses to a crime as soon as possible. The bigger the time period between the crime and the witness interview, increases the possibility that the witness will not remember all the details that were witnessed. A second reason for interviewing witnesses as soon as possible is to avoid them from sharing their statements with other witnesses and then altering their  versions of what they saw.

The Role and Importance of the International Law in World Politics Essay Example for Free

The Role and Importance of the International Law in World Politics Essay International law has been of increasing interest to scholars in recent decades, following several incidents that have severely challenged the concepts of how international order, peace, harmony, and justice between nations and states are maintained through the application of an international system of rules and sanctions. (Huysmans, 2006; Slaughter, 1993,1995; Nijman, 2007; Stahn, 2007; Goddard Nexon, 2005) One of the most significant events was the 9-11 Twin Towers attack in the Unites States, which precluded renewed aggression on the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan, and all other states considered to be aligned with the axis of evils or coddlers of religious and ideological extremism. The actions of the United States and its allies, particularly the attack on Afghanistan, deprived of international consensus, have understandably raised â€Å"questions about the relevance of international law, the legitimacy of torture, justification for pre-emptive use of military force, the rise of U.S. unilateralism, a crisis of the United Nations, etc.† (Huysmans, 2006:12) In the same manner, this has encouraged many scholars to study â€Å"how power constrains international law (or dooms it to irrelevance), how the powerful can harness international law to their ends, and how international law may reconfigure power in its own right.† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006:64)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The increased concern over the importance of international law has likewise gained more impetus as the world entered the era of globalization. Indeed, in no other time has the need for laws with global scope become more paramount as in the information age, when the rise of transnational crime syndicates as the direct consequence of a better global information network and communications infrastructure, as well as the widely changing norms and perceptions of many cultures (Bentivegna, 2006: 341) has forced countries to work in untraditional ways to confront challenges and formulate solutions. It is therefore not surprising for the debates over the significance of international law be centred upon what an increasing number of scholars and critics have called â€Å"the politics of international insecurity,† which brings to the fore the problems on the conceptualization of the international legal infrastructure and the enforcement of its rules and sanctions. International Law, Politics, and Power The discourse of international law and its enforcement is necessarily a discourse of political power and its outcomes in the international terrain. In its inception and early stages, however, it was not recognized in its inception and early development that the two had a dialectical relationship, or indeed, that international law enforced and reinforced world politics in the same way that the latter affected the way the international system of policies and sanctions was structured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Doubtless, there remains a strong consensus today that the very nature of international law is rooted on its dialectical relationship with the political motivations, behavioral patterns and concepts of identity of states. However, in order to determine the extent to which international law remains an important influence in the conduct of world politics, it would be beneficial to examine the development of the concept of international law with respect to its historical and sociological framework. While it may be conceded that there are diverging opinions on the role of international law—or of its consequence, if at all—on international relations, the fact remains that it is presently active today than any other time in history although the reason for its existence has been very much contested.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The classic notion of international law assumed that governing states was as easy as governing people, with its basic assumptions moored on the belief in the peoples’—and states’, for that matter—ability to comply with rules and regulations. Underlying this belief was a concept of people as being inherently conformist based on a fixed set of norms that were universally accepted, largely influenced by those who believed in the rationality of law in the governance of societies which stipulated that â€Å"legal rules and institutions did not arise out of the power of the coercive state but, rather, out of custom, consensus, and private ordering.† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006:66) International law was therefore optimistic in the outset, with the notion of its power perceived to be a function more of self-regulation among states rather than a product of force or coercion. Another important assumption was of international law’s being a â€Å"neutral, apolitical avenue in which to settle international disputes† owing to its separation from the sphere of politics. (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006: 67) The rise of fascism, however, provided enough reason for a change in viewpoint. At the heart of this was the growing recognition that international law was useless if it had no power at all to stop the aggressive tendencies of some states—or if did not present itself as a threat enough to be able to effectively police nations. Hence, there was an increased popularization and acceptance of the argument that international law cannot be separated from the discourse of politics and of the multiplicity of political agendas within the international community. Scholars such as Morgenthau (1959:502), for instance, suggested that â€Å"universal moral principles, such as justice and equality, are capable of guiding political action only to the extent that they have been given concrete content and have been related to political situations by society.† This mirrored the general attitude of realists, who argued that â€Å"international law could ever play more than an epiphenomenal role in the ordering of international life.† (Slaughter-Burley, 1993:206) Such an assertion stemmed from the core belief of the realists that international law merely reflected the â€Å"interests of powerful states,† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006: 67) which encouraged some scholars of the realist tradition to assert that international law was inconsequential as it was beholden to the powerful and could be bent to suit the interests of powerful nations. (Slaughter, 1995:1; Kocs, 1994) Morgenthau (1967), for instance, illustrated how the issue of intervention into sovereign states, which was declared unacceptable by the international law, was often violated by powerful entities acting for the preservation of their interests, which suggested that economic and political imbalances in the world—where the richer economies were able to influenc e the political and legal structure and framework of the developing world by dangling foreign aid—made the international law inutile in reflecting the interests of the poor and the rich on an equal scale. There have been departures to these beliefs, naturally, as new criticisms emerged from the constructivist camp which argued that interests and identities were inseparable from social groups and as such, â€Å"international law both reflects and reinforces identities and interests.† (Steinberg Zasloff, 2006: 82) Constructivists underlined the role of â€Å"norms, identities and other socio-cultural phenomena in international politics,† (Goddard Nexon, 2005: 29) which assert that like cultural symbols, norms and identities in international law and politics are constantly created and recreated by its actors. (Kocs, 1994) Therefore, the role of the international law and its influence on the behavior of sovereign states is mediated upon by the prevailing beliefs and concepts of order, justice and peace. The Dilemma of Hegemonic Power: Challenges to International Law Thus, the central role of international law in the world, today when violent conflicts and inequalities have sharply divided the world, has transformed into that of an equalizer of power, an expectation that is held by every individual and every society that ascribes to and believes in the tenets of democracy. The international law, through the international court, also functions as a last repository of justice for societies, and is instrumental in providing elusive justice to victims of human rights violations by despotic leaders and to victims of war atrocities that otherwise could not have sought redress from the domestic courts of their countries. (Stahn 2007) Whether the international law has been able to live up to these expectations is another matter, of course, and lately the power of the international law itself to maintain peace among states has been gravely challenged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the Second World War the United States emerged as the new superpower, which would give the realists their bases for attacking the role of international law other than in maintaining the interests of the status quo. Subsequent events that unfolded in history, from the Gulf War to the war on Afghanistan and the prolonged occupation of Iraq on the ground that it was harboring nuclear armaments have further highlighted the crises of the ability of international institutions such as the United Nations to enforce the international law. Another damning issue is the global climate change and the starkly bullheaded position of the United States and other developed countries on not signing the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases emission which puts the whole world at more peril than the nuclear armaments supposedly kept by North Korea and Iran that the U.S. has been keen on decimating. These events have therefore raised the questions of whether the U.N. and the international law are, as suggested by the realist camp, prevailed upon by powerful states so that these states are able to enjoy an â€Å"exceptionality† when it comes to demanding compliance by the international community.    In the same manner, recent events such as the Iraq War which the U.S. has failed to justify based on the context of abating a â€Å"clear and present danger,† and despite the absence of consent from the international security council to launch the attack, have highlighted the gross imbalance of power that undermines the very existence of the international court as a mediating body in transnational conflicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is unfortunate indeed not only for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan for all other peoples in the developing world as the current stance of the U.S. and other powerful countries not only tramples upon the very foundations of the international law but sets a dangerous precedent to ignore the rules set upon by the international community. Likewise, it presents a cause with which other countries may willfully violate the sovereignty of others regardless of international laws and based only on its perceptions of insecurity. It is in this context that the role of international law must be evaluated upon, on whether it has balanced out the capabilities of democratic societies to engage in fruitful relationships based on critical partnerships, or it has one-sidedly benefited the more powerful to the detriment of the weak, which it has, in recent years, appeared to be more and more inclined to do so. Works Cited: Bentivegna, S. (2006) Rethinking politics in the world of ICTs. European Journal of Communication, 21(3). Huysmans, J. (2006). International politics of insecurity: Normativity, inwardness, and the exception. Security Dialogue, 37(1):11-29. Goddard, S.E. D.H. Nexon (2005). Paradigm lost? Reassessing theory of international politics. European Journal of International Relations, 11(1):9-61. Kocs, S.A. (1994). Explaining the strategic behavior of states: International law as system structure. International Studies Quarterly, 38(4):535-556. Morgenthau, H.J. (1959). Dilemmas of Politics. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), 35(4):. 502. Morgenthau, H.J. (1967) To intervene or not to intervene. Foreign Affairs, 45(3): 425-36. Nijman, J.E. (2007). Paul Ricoeur and international law: Beyond ‘the end of the subject’ towards a reconceptualization of international legal personality. Leiden Journal of International Law, 20: 25-64. Stahn, C. (2007). The international criminal court and the shortcomings of domestic legislation: Introductory note. Leiden Journal of International Law, 20: 165-166. Slaughter-Burley, A.M. (1993). International law and international relations theory: A dual agenda. The American Journal of International Law, 87(2): 205-239. Slaughter, A.M. (1995). International law in a world of liberal states. EJIL, 6: 1-39. Steinberg, R.H. J.M. Zasloff (2006). Power and international law. The American Journal of International Law, 100(1):64-87.

Employability as Educational Performance Indicator

Employability as Educational Performance Indicator Definition of Employability Employability has been used as a performance indicator for higher education institutions (Smith et al, 2000) and represents a form of work specific (pro) active adaptability that consists of three dimensions: career identity, personal adaptability and social and human capital (Fugate et al, 2004). At the same time, Knight and Yorke (2004) have put forward the four broad and interlocking components of USEM account of employability: Understanding (of the subject discipline) Skilful practices in context Efficacy beliefs Meta-cognition Nabi (2003) mentioned that employability is about graduates possessing an appropriate level of skills and attributes, and being able to use them to gain and remain in appropriate employment. From a human resource development view, employability is a concept that emerged through the 1990s along with a growing perception among employees that they cannot count on their employers for long-term employment. Employability is a promise to employees that they will have the skills to find new jobs quickly if their jobs end unexpectedly (Baruch, 2001). Prior to this, Harvey (2001) has defined employability in various ways from individual and institutional perspectives. Individual employability is defined as graduates being able to demonstrate the attributes to obtain jobs. Commonly, institutional employability relates to the employment rates of the university graduates. However, Harvey argued that employment outcomes of graduates are not an indicator of institutional employability. He presented an employability-development model shown in Figure 1. The model illustrated a multi-perspectives view of employability with all related stake-holders. Employability and Higher Education: Key issues Despite the burgeoning research on employability and availability of a wide range of models purporting to explain it, employability itself remains a contentious concept open to a ‘plethora of micro-interpretations (Harvey, 2003). This can make the task of curriculum development particularly difficult. [p5] The growing importance of employability According to McNair (2003), graduate employability has become a more important issue for institutions. This is: because of the changing nature of the graduate labour market, mass participation in HE, pressures on student finance, competition to recruit students and expectations of students, employers, parents and government (expressed in quality audit and league tables). On a broader level, it has been noted that higher education, through the generation and dissemination of knowledge, directly impacts economic competitiveness on a national and international level (Brown et al, 2003; CIHE, 2003; UUK, 2007; DIUS, 2008). The significance of the UK HE system to the wider economy has been generally acknowledged since the Robbins Report was published in 1963. However, this relationship has been made more explicit in recent years and it was with the publication of the Dearing Report (1997) that the connection found prominent expression. Dearing strongly expressed the need for a globally competitive economy containing highly skilled, highly trained and highly motivated graduates who could perform effectively on the worlds stage. This coupled with the further development of human-capital theory (Becker, 1975), which asserts that one role of government is to provide and nurture conditions which will increase the pool of skilled labour, has created a fertile forum for the discourse of ‘employability to flourish. The changing nature of the graduate-labour market Dearing (1997) stated that ‘learning should be increasingly responsive to employment needs and include the development of general skills, widely valued in employment; however, the labour market is changing dramatically and at a much faster pace than in the past. Emerging markets and rapid expansion of the knowledge economy means that the same set of employability skills which were in demand ten or even five years ago may not be required in the evolving graduate-employment market. Employers are increasingly seeking flexible recruits who can work effectively in the ‘de-layered, down-sized, information-technology driven and innovative organisations in existence today (Harvey et al, 1997: 1). Employers are seeking people who can do more than just respond to change, they need those who can lead change. McNair (2003) comments on the speed of labour-market development and notes that a higher percentage of the workforce is employed in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a trend also reflected in graduate-employment statistics. While this may offer opportunities to gain early responsibility in less structured and hierarchical work environments, graduates need to have the skills to create rewarding graduate roles role in what Purcell and Elias (2004) refer to as ‘niche-graduate occupations. Niche-graduate occupations are those: where the majority of incumbents are not graduates, but within which there are stable or growing specialist niches that require higher education skills and knowledge (Purcell and Elias, 2003: 5). Students therefore need to be equipped with skills which enable them to ‘grow jobs to graduate level. HE has been criticised by some as being too slow to recognise the changing nature of the labour market and is producing graduates who are ill equipped to deal with the realities of graduate employment (CBI, 2006). Government policy to widen participation in HE, aiming to increase the proportion of 18-30 year olds to 50 per cent by 2010, will no doubt have a significant impact on the supply of graduates in the labour market. According to Elias and Purcell (2004) participation rates in UK HE almost doubled in the decade 1991-2001, from 1.2 million students to 2.1 million. Such rapid expansion has raised concerns that the increase in the number of highly qualified individuals may not be coupled with an equivalent rise in demand for their skills and qualifications (Brown and Hesketh, 2004; Brynin, 2002; Keep and Mayhew, 1996, 1999 in Elias and Purcell, 2004). While Elias and Purcell (2004) conclude that the expansion of HE at the end of the twentieth century has been primarily positive, Purcell et al (2005: 16) express concern that ‘the fit between the supply of graduates and employers demand for their knowledge and skills clearly falls some way short of ideal. There are mixed reports about whether demand for graduates will be affected by increasing participation in higher education. The supply of graduates has been steadily rising and there were 258,000 graduates in 1997 compared with 319,000 in 2007 (HESA, 2007). Despite rising numbers leaving HE, according to DIUS (2008), demand for graduates remains high and the latest report by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR 2007) suggests that the number of graduate vacancies increased by 15.1 per cent in 2007. Both DIUS and AGR do however raise concerns about the mismatch between what employers are looking for and the skills graduates possess (see Chapter 2 for a more detailed analysis of skills). Despite much controversy about the impact of increasing student numbers, it is indisputable that graduates are facing a changing, more competitive labour market and they need to be prepared accordingly. The changing nature of the higher education landscape Beyond pressures facing graduates in the labour market, universities are facing increasing demands to account for what they do and prospective students and parents are becoming discerning ‘customers when shopping for the most suitable HEI (McNair, 2003). Given the importance of employability in the equation, institutions cannot overlook the significance of developing this aspect of provision. Allison et al (2002) allude to the pressures facing HEIs as evidenced by the publication of increasing numbers of performance indicators and guidance documents such as the QAA Code of Practice for Careers Education, Information and Guidance (2001) and the Harris Review of Careers Services (2001). Yorke and Knight (2002: 4) have expressed some concern about the way in which statistics on employment rates used in league tables can distract HEIs from the important task of enhancing employability. They state that: once employment rates become an institutional performance indicator (HEFCE, 2001), there is a pernicious backwash as institutions seek to ‘improve their scores since they know that these scores will end up in the so-called ‘league tables published in the press. Consequently: there is a danger that maximising the score will command more institutional attention than fulfilling the educational aim of enhancing employability. Higher Education in the UK has gone through considerable change during the last two decades. The move from an elitist system to one of mass participation has been highly significant. Shelley (2005) indicates that the number of 18-30 year olds in HE rose from 12 per cent in the 1980s to 43 per cent by 2002. This he points out has not been matched with commensurate levels of funding and between 1977 and 1997 government expenditure per student fell by 40 per cent. In recent years however funding levels have improved with HEFCE announcing a figure of  £6,706 million in recurrent funding for 2006-07 to universities and colleges in England (HEFCE, 2006). Increased funding levels have led to systems of accountability being put in place. These in turn have led to the development of managerial practices intended to promote new efficiency and customer-focused, customer-led policy frameworks which should ensure success in a new competitive market. In the eyes of commentators such as Bekhradnia (2005) the last decade has seen a mixture of successes and failures of managerial initiatives. For some commentators (e.g. Brown and Lauder, 1999; Green, 1993) these policy directives coupled with the emphasis placed on the contribution of HE to the global economy has led to the ‘marketisation and the ‘commodification of HE and its teaching. Brown and Lauder (1999) contend that there has been a movement towards a ‘neo-Fordist approach to HE in which teaching and learning is now emulating the Fordist manufacturing processes of the early twentieth century. This concept was characterised by the production assembly line ‘just-in-time unitisation production methods of manufacturing industries. For HE this manifests itself in several ways which Brown and Lauder describe as: learner organisations with emphasis on ‘numerical flexibility (i.e. outcome-related education and cost-driven agendas), mass production of standardised products (i.e. modularisation/unitisation of curricula), and emphasis on quality systems to ensure standardisation which result in a bland mechanistic experience of learning. [p9] Given the apparent consensus among the key stakeholders about which skills are important and on the need to address employability in HE, it seems strange that there is so little commonality in approaches taken by universities to enhance employability. There remains considerable debate on how best enhancement of employability can be achieved, and indeed the extent to which HE can influence this aspect of student development. In an extensive review of HE provision, Little (2004: 4) concludes that while there is: international concern that higher education should enhance graduate employability, there is little evidence of systematic thinking about how best to do it, let alone any model that can be badged as ‘best practice and adopted wholesale. Developing a common understanding of how to enhance employability is a highly complex issue, although Knight (2001) believes government and others persist in treating it in much the same way as ‘innovation, as ‘something simple, to be planned, delivered and evaluated (Knight, 2001 cited in Lees, 2002: 1). Attempting to form a coordinated and holistic approach to skill development, government has introduced many programmes and initiatives to promote skill development and these seem to have had some impact. The DfEE Higher Education Projects Fund 1998-2000, for example, included projects to develop key and transferable skills and Harvey, Locke and Morey (2002) have reviewed the trends in institutions approaches to embedding employability. They note that there has been a shift in HE from developing the specific employability skills within specialist modules to a more holistic approach where institutions are embedding employability and skills throughout the curriculum. They present examples of employability initiatives from different HEIs which were highly varied and based on differing philosophies. Perhaps it is inevitable that institutions and even individual departments and academics will vary widely in their approaches to developing employability as they will be operating in the context of their own frame of reference about education, and will be dealing with students who will vary hugely in their ability and ambitions. However, it is clear from the research on employability skills that the attributes which employers value and educators recognise as important are very similar, and there is hope that such consensus in thinking can contribute to a more coherent approach to curriculum development.

Alice Walkers Journey with Self-Esteem Essay -- essays research paper

Many writers choose to write memoirs about terrible incidents that changed their lives. Alice Malsenior Walker is one of those writers. She was born on February 8, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia. She considers her life to be very successful for several reasons. Walker graduated from high school as valedictorian. She was involved with the civil rights movement in Mississippi where she lived for seven years. During that time she also got married to a lawyer and had her daughter Rebecca. From an early age she was introverted and quite shy, most likely due to a terrible accident. She immediately retreated into solitude, reading poems and stories and then finally writing. â€Å"Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self†, by Alice Walker, is an essay that reflects on her ideas of beauty as a child, a teenager, and as an adult. Walker spent a great deal of time outside, due to the overcrowding in a small house with eight children (St. James). While playing outside at age eight, she was sh ot with a BB gun in the eye, causing her to lose not only her vision in her right eye, but her self esteem as well. She describes several events in her life that are significant in the formation of her identity. Alice Walker’s past reliance of being a physically cute girl, how confident she feels both before an after her surgery, and her constant feeling of being criticized are all factors that make her the woman that she is today. In order for Alice Walker to know the difference between the positive stares that she got when she was younger and the negative glances that she got when she was older, she had to experience that there was a difference between the two. Before the terrible BB gun accident, there was not a doubt in her mind that when people looked at her they saw an adorable little girl. She said, "It was great fun being cute." Afterwards, she believed that all they saw was "a glob of whitish tissue, a hideous cataract† (Walker 3). She compared the beautiful child that she was, to the ever-growing adult that she grew to become. She had a constant inner struggle between the person that she knew she was and the person that she appeared to be. â€Å"Now when I stare at people—a favorite pastime, up to now—they will stare back. Not at the ‘cute’ little girl, but at her scar† (Walker 3). Years later in her home, a woman arrived to take the photo for the back of Walker ’s book. The woman as... ...all that she could with her vision, while she still had it. Although many of us take our physical normalities for granted, Alice Walker choose to share her personal hardships and experiences to show how she has grown to become the writer that she is today. Her positive memories of being an adorable child have shaped her to realize what both ends of the spectrums are like, and what she will never be again. Low self-esteem soon followed, and as Walker grew, she also learned how to cope with the abysmal comments that she was destined to hear. However, as she grew into womanhood, her knowledge that she was still the same person thrived. Although being constantly judged, Alice Walker made light of the situation and realized that she loves the woman that she has become. Works Cited â€Å"St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture: Alice Walker.† Gale Group: 5 pars. On-line. Internet. 25 Jan. 2004. Available http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/g1epc/bio/2419201268/p1/arti cle.jhtml Walker, Alice. "Beauty When The Other Dancer is the Self." The Blair Reader Second Edition. Ed. Laurie Kirszner, and Stephen R. Mandell. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. 1-7.

The Nature of Solitude in Chopins Novel, The Awakening Essay -- Chopi

The Nature of Solitude in Chopin's Novel, The Awakening "The name of the piece was something else, but she called it ‘Solitude.' When she heard it there came before her imagination the figure of a man standing beside a desolate rock on the seashore. He was naked. His attitude was one of hopeless resignation as he looked toward a distant bird winging its flight away from him."(47) "All along the white beach, up and down, there was no living thing in sight. A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water...when she was there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, pricking garments from her, and for the first time in her life she stood naked in the open air, at the mercy of the sun, the breeze that beat upon her, and the waves that invited her. How strange and awful it seemed to stand naked under the sky! how delicious! She felt like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known."(138) These two passages from Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening, both utilize much of the same imagery in conveying the nature of solitude, yet they do so towards creating somewhat oppositional representations. The instance of the first passage occurs on the night when Edna's own "awakening" begins, describing her fondness for music and the pictorial effects that it has upon her before she is then moved to tears by Mademoiselle Reisz's performance. The second passage is taken from the last pages of the novel wherein Edna swims out to sea, presumably towards her death. In looking back through the novel for this assignment I was struck by the similarity of these two passages and by the way that the imagery in them seems t... ... attitude of "hopeless resignation," she portrays an attitude of amazed excitement as she describes the scene as "delicious" and her place in it as that of a "new-born creature" entering into a new world and existence. The male figure in the first passage stands passive and "resigned" on the shore, but Edna in her state of wonderment acts, defiantly choosing her own fate in the face of the same societal pressures. Tragically, her choice means death and conveys the novel's sentiment that in a repressively sexist society the only option for an "awakened" woman may be oblivion. Through these shared images and the ideas that they represent, the two passages link and reflect upon one another and the characters' situations. This linkage enhances the palpable visual and sensual nature of the novel, thus beautifully presenting Chopin's multi-layered vision of solitude.