Employee benefits are one of the most important factors

Employee benefits are one of the most important factors in the retention of registered nurses where the threat of turnover is very high. Often, RN’s leaves a hospital for another because it offers better compensation and attractive benefits. Kennedy Hospital has offers an attractive benefits package but many other hospitals may offer much more. To determine how Kennedy compares to its competition an analysis of the components in its benefits package is presented. The benefits package compared are those of Kennedy, Virtua, Lourdes and Genesis. In terms of health insurance, all hospitals offered multiple plans to choose from but it is Kennedy alone that includes prescription coverage, while Genesis and Kennedy has covers vision and all of them has dental insurance. For life insurance benefits, Kennedy, Virtua, Lourdes and Genesis all offers basic life, supplemental life and short term disability, however Kennedy does not have long term disability insurance while the other three hospitals have provisions for it. Kennedy and Lourdes however provides child and spouse life insurance. Kennedy’s paid leave benefits is the most comprehensive compared to the other hospitals, it covers personal, extended sick leave, bereavement, family/medical and military leave as well as paid time off for vacations, Virtua also provided the same paid leaves while Lourdes and Genesis had less. Kennedy does not have 401k plans, provisions for elder care, on-site child care, free basic health care, quarter century club, relocation assistance and series/savings bond. Virtua and Lourdes, has on-site child care and only Virtua offers free basic health care while Virtua and Genesis has 401k. On the other hand, Kennedy has 403b plans, has a credit union, and invests on internal career development, adequate parking and referral bonuses, as well as sign on bonus, transfer opportunities, a wellness program and workers compensation. In sum, Kennedy has a very attractive benefits program, what it does not offer can be compensated by the other benefits that they provide, for example they do not have free basic health care, but their health insurance coverage is from vision, dental and medicines. Virtua’s benefits package is comparable to Kennedy while Lourdes and Genesis have fewer benefits.

Analysis of ‘The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life’ Essay

Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life provides a detailed description and analysis of process and meaning in everyday interaction. Goffman writes from a symbolic interactionist perspective, emphasizing a qualitative analysis of the components of the interactive process. Through a sociological analysis he explores the details of individual identity, group relations, and the movement and interactive meaning of information. Goffman’s perspective provides insight into the nature of social interaction and the psychology of the individual. Goffman employs a â€Å"dramaturgical approach† in his study, concerning himself with the mode of presentation employed by the actor and its meaning in the broader social context (Goffman, 240). Interaction is viewed as a â€Å"performance,† shaped by environment and audience, constructed to provide others with â€Å"impressions† that are consonant with the desired goals of the actor (17). The performance exists regardless of the mental state of the individual, as persona is often imputed to the individual in spite of his or her lack of faith in the performance. Goffman uses the example of the doctor who is forced to give a placebo to a patient, aware of its impotence, as a result of the desire of the patient for more extensive treatment (18). In this way, the individual develops identity or persona as a function of interaction with others, through an exchange of information that allows for more specific definitions of identity and behavior. The process of establishing social identity becomes closely allied to the concept of the â€Å"front,† which is described as â€Å"that part of the individual’s performance which regularly functions in a general and fixed fashion to define the situation for those who observe the performance† (22). The front acts as a vehicle of standardization, allowing for others to understand the individual on the basis of projected character traits that have normative meanings. As a â€Å"collective representation,† the front establishes proper â€Å"setting,† â€Å"appearance,† and â€Å"manner† for the social role assumed by the actor, uniting interactive behavior with the personal front (27). The actor, in order to present a realistic front, is forced to fill the duties of the social role to communicate activities and the characteristics of the role to other people in a consistent manner. In constructing a front, information  about the actor is given off through a variety of communicative sources, all of which must be controlled to convince the audience of the appropriateness of behavior. Believability, as a result, is constructed in terms of verbal signification, which is used by the actor to establish intent, is used by the audience to verify the honesty of statements made by the individual. Attempts are made to present an â€Å"idealized† version of the front, more consistent with the norms and laws of society than the behavior of the actor when not before an audience (35). Information dealing with aberrant behavior and belief is concealed from the audience in a process of â€Å"mystification,† making prominent those characteristics that are socially approved. This legitimatizes both the social role of the individual and the framework to which the role belongs (67). Goffman also explores nature of group dynamics through a discussion of â€Å"teams† and the relationship between performance and audience. He uses the concept of the team to illustrate the work of a group of individuals who â€Å"co-operate† in performance, attempting to achieve goals sanctioned by the group (79). Co-operation may manifest in the assumption of differing roles for each individual, determined by the intent of the performance. Goffman refers to the â€Å"shill,† a member of the team who â€Å"provides a visible model for the audience of the kind of response the performers are seeking,† promoting excitement for the realization of a goal, as an example of a â€Å"discrepant role† in the team (146). In each circumstance, the individual assumes a front that is perceived to enhance the group’s performance. As a result, disagreement can be carried out in the absence of an audience, where the performance changes and may be made without the threat of damaging the goals of the team or individual. This creates a division between the team and audience. Goffman describes the division between team performance and audience in terms of â€Å"region,† describing the role of setting in the differentiation of actions taken by individuals (107). Goffman divides region into â€Å"front,† â€Å"back,† and â€Å"outside† the stage, based upon the relationship of the audience to the performance. While the â€Å"official stance† of the team is visible in their front stage presentation, in the backstage, â€Å"the impression fostered by the presentation is knowingly contradicted as a matter of course,† indicating a more â€Å"truthful† type of performance (112). To be outside the stage involves the inability to gain access to the performance of the team, de scribed as an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"audience segregation† in which specific performances are given to specific audiences. Thus allows the team to create the appropriate front for the demands of each audience (137). This routine allows the team, individual actor, and audience to preserve proper relationships in interaction and the establishments to which the interactions belong. Though detailed and very well portrayed, Goffman’s study does not provide a complete description of interactive processes. In exploring the construction of presentation among individual and teams, Goffman does not fully explore the nature of marginalized individuals. This is significant due to the notion that these individuals and the groups could assume somewhat different roles of interaction among members due to their placement outside of major groups. The methodological approach used by Goffman was also somewhat inconsistent and the approaches to testing to gather data seemed random at times. By limiting his work Goffman also eliminates the possibility of applying the activities of the everyday to the larger social world.Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life overall provides insight into the nature of interpersonal interaction and the institutions to which interaction applies. Despite methodology, Goffman’s work displays an analytical thoroughness in dealing with an interesting area of social thought. Through an inquiry into the everyday life of humanity, Goffman’s work provides an effective foundation for understanding the nature of social   interaction and the development of the individual.

Structural form that is most suitable for an SHRM approach Essay

Structural form that is most suitable for an SHRM approach - Essay Example The changing face of the industrialized world has led to changing views of managing the workforce.The concepts governing human resource management have changed with changes in the industrialized world.As business operations have expanded from local to national and on to global markets,organizations are forced to operate in a fast-changing environment Competition, technological advancement, legal requirements, host-country expectations and a changing customer profile place pressure on the internal systems and processes. The organizational structure has undergone changes with the changing environment. The earlier bureaucratic structure with its mono-cultural working community that suited a limited market has given way to a variety of structures that seek to garner the best way to harness talent in a wider area and manage market expectations across cultures. The factors that affected the HRM concepts at work were primarily availability and negotiating power of labor and workforce cultur e. As markets expanded companies faced a need to restructure internally in an effort to maintain flexibility by utilizing the right type of talent to manage the external environment. The central concept of HRM relates to ‘flexibility, responsiveness, ownership of organizational problems†¦ empowerment†¦ commitment’ (Salaman, 2001, p. 157). Connecting SHRM with strategy and structure Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) may be considered to be an umbrella term for a set of practices and processes designed to ensure the appropriate use of talent to suit business needs. HR academicians and writers have put forth visions on the models of SHRM, business strategy and structure. Strategy is seen to mould structure and thereby the practices towards managing human resources. Sinclair-Hunt and Simms (2005, p. 4) refer to the external environment as a guiding factor behind strategy. The environment might require quick responses which requires the use of proactive th ought and vision; it may require short term responses that allow survival without greatly impacting the internal processes or it may call for the organization to ‘give in’. The demands of the environment determine the response which should ideally be aided by appropriate strategy and structure. Yet organizations struggle to develop an SHRM approach. Sims (2002, p. 34-36) points out that the linkage between SHRM and overall strategy must cross the first hurdle of drafting corporate strategy. Many times, organizations are hard put to define a larger strategy and prefer to focus on immediate events. The demand for continuing flexibility can make the creation of such a strategy a challenge in itself. Ferris, Rosen and Barnum (1995, p. 135) discuss how even the presence of a larger strategy does not lead to the linear creation of SHRM processes since by the time the implications are translated to HR processes, the environment has forced a change to strategy. Durai (2010, p.3 7-38) mentions the factors that interfere with the development of effective SHRM processes. Absence of support from top management in involving the HR practitioners making key decisions is a major factor. This often stems from the perception that HR is an administrative function Morton, Newall and Sparkes (2004, p. 52). The author believes it is incumbent for the HR department to highlight the business advantage it can provide while providing administrative efficiency. In the absence of a clear strategy is there no scope for a unified approach to the acquisition and management of talent? Strategic human resource management must be considered linked to the context of the business. An organization may not spell out strategy for a variety of reasons ranging from not seeing the need or not knowing how to not considering it relevant. The structure may continue to be hierarchical with speed provided by the adoption of technology. In such a case, business context guides the activities

A Good Impression of True Christianity Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Good Impression of True Christianity - Article Example After spending time in regular prayer and meditation, Christians will eventually put to practice what they learn from God’s Word along with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. They will be â€Å"doers† of the Word and not â€Å"hearers† only for as the Bible says: â€Å"Faith comes by hearing and hearing of the Word of God.† Christians begin to practice what they preach by putting to action what they learn in their daily devotion and Bible Study. Finally, when more time is spent on prayer and meditation, people begin to spend less time finding faults in others and begin to love each other as real brothers and sisters in the Lord. In doing so, they refrain from backbiting that usually results in quarreling. The church will then become a â€Å"home† for the weary and brokenhearted. It will become a safe refuge from life’s trials and difficulties. If Christians follow these suggestions individually and as a congregation of born-again believers in Christ, the community will respect it and even be drawn to be part of it. What the world needs is a dynamic loving church that nurtures and understands not one that judges and bites. If Christians follow these suggestions individually and as a congregation of born-again believers in

What is the most important skill (culinary arts) Essay

What is the most important skill (culinary arts) - Essay Example The chefs should ensure that the food particles spill on their clothing. A person’s outward appearance depicts more of the individual behavior. The second skill is respect. The chefs respect their fellow workmates as well as the working environment and the equipment. Respect entails keeping clean the workspace and the equipment after use. It also ensures that people learn how to economize on the ingredients in the kitchen and the industries as well. People should also respect the natural environment that gave rise to the inputs they process in to get output. Third, people should learn how to manage wastes. The chefs Alison Cayne observed learnt how to dispose of their wastes. They always ensure to use the entire ingredients so as to reduce the amount of waste to a minimum. The chefs also appreciate how expensive the ingredients were and, therefore, minimize the amount of waste to maintain the economic feasibility of their cooking practices. Fourth, the chefs exhibit a sense of appreciation of learning. The chefs learn from the real-time environment and apply the skills to build on the technical skills in the kitchen. In the kitchen, each chef teaches and learns from the other chefs. Applied to the industry, and classroom settings, employees, and the students continuously learn from other members. The fifth skill discussed is the appreciation of the process. The learning process proceeds systematically. The learners begin from a particular point and builds on their career as they continue along with their profession. It requires hard work to obtain the required skill to perform a specific task (Cayne 1). Those who successfully master the skills get promotion and eventually become the CEOs of the institution. She, however, says that the skill is not prevalent in the restaurant community. The sixth skill is the ability of preparedness. The skill is similar to respect and neatness. The ability ensures that the producers of a particular commodity strive to

Foreign Workers Strike and Protests in UAE Literature review

Foreign Workers Strike and Protests in UAE - Literature review Example Another factor is the way that residence permits are used to make sure that expatriates stay tied to one particular employer. This article shows that restrictive employer practices in the UAE are contributing to calls for strikes among foreign workers. Bohning, W.R. (1996) Employing Foreign Workers: A manual on policies and procedures of special interest to middle- and low-income countries. Geneva: International Labour Organization. This handbook is an exhaustive guidebook on all the HRM mechanisms that could be useful for countries and companies which employ a large number of foreign workers. It deals with all the usual processes of hiring and firing, along with the rights of the workers and employers in terms of sickness benefits, remuneration and choice of location and living conditions. It is interesting to note that there is no section on worker rights to strike, or take part in any other kind of industrial action, but instead there is a reference to the desirability of â€Å"s pecial complaint and redress mechanisms† (p. 73). ... This book contains a collection of articles on managing human resources in different countries within the Middle East area. It is structured country by country and there is an introduction and concluding chapter by the two main editors. The fourth chapter is on the United Arab Emirates and is written by Abubakr Mohyeldin Tahir Suliman. This analysis gives brief introductions on the political and economic background to the UAE and then highlights some of the main HRM challenges which face the country including â€Å"employee theft, conflicts of interest, discrimination in hiring and promotion, quality control issues, and misuse of proprietary information† (p. 65) Although some of the data used in this article is quite old, it does give a good summary of the different industries which have developed in the last fifty years. It attributes the advanced state of HRM in the UAE to the contribution of well qualified and experienced foreign workers. Suliman explains the role of the UA E National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) and the various professional Institutes which aim to manage the process of Emiratisation. He notes also that â€Å"there are no labor unions, and freedom of association is not recognized as a fundamental right in the UAE. Accordingly strikes are illegal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 74) Significantly, there are no institutions in the UAE which offer specialized degree or certificate courses in HRM and this is an interesting finding which may help to explain why the whole issue of striking foreign workers is not being adequately approached in UAE at the present time. Godwin, S.M. (2006) Globalization, Education and Emiratisation: A Study of the United Arab Emirates. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries

Business Communications Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Communications Risk Management - Essay Example The FTC investigators can take care of a single organization or even an entire industry and it is up to their disposal to decide which route they want to go. It is an organization that has a separate bureau for the consumer protection realms which has a mandate to protect the consumers when the talk goes out loud related with the unfair or deceptive acts and practices found in commerce. Hence the business communication link comes within the fray in a very quantifiable manner when this bureau of consumer protection is talked about at length. FTC works to good effect within competition, economics and the two related bureaus are playing their active roles nonetheless. The basic concepts of FTC are very closely tied in with monopoly and mergers which are essential ingredients of the working realms of FTC (Kleit 2004). The unfair or deceptive practices which affect the consumers are also significant in understanding the dictum of how FTC works to good effect within the related environment . References Kleit, A (2004). Art of the Deal: The Merger Settlement Process at the Federal Trade Commission. Southern Economic Journal, Vol. 70 Loza, E (2001). Internet Fraud: Federal Trade Commission Prosecutions of Online Conduct. Communications and the Law, Vol. 23

The effects of physical activity and exercise on primary school Essay

The effects of physical activity and exercise on primary school childrens academic performance - Essay Example Children in primary schools confront health problems and the present concern in the commonness of childhood obesity has turn out to be one of the most pressing concerns in the Western world today, particularly in the United States. The effects of physical activity and physical education as such on the body can stimulate different parts of the brain, have positive effects on academic performance, and direct children towards a lifestyle that it physically fit and healthy. This kind of education in a sense is balanced since all three dimensions, namely, cognitive, emotional and psychomotor are developed, and one dimension does not take primacy over another. In relation to this, there is a twofold objective to this paper. The first objective is to review related literature on the effect of physical activity or physical education in primary schools to children’s academic performance. And second objective is to present strategies and concepts that specialist in physical education can put into practice with classroom teachers to introduce short sessions of physical activity and exercise into the school day to enhance physical education. Even though several classroom teachers believe physical activity and physical education is not that important, dedicated professionals in physical education, in opposite to the myth, can be effective in helping them acknowledge the significant contribution of physical activity and exercise in achieving and maintaining good health and improving academic performance. Studies examining findings from roughly 50,000 students between the 1960s and 2006 have investigated the relationship between physical activity and academic performance. A number of those studies discovered that consistent participation in physical activity is related with enhanced academic performance. Eight health

Business Ethics in Respect of Bangladesh Essay Example for Free

Business Ethics in Respect of Bangladesh Essay Business ethics: Social responsibility requires individuals engaging in business endeavors to behave in an ethical manner. Ethics are principles of behavior that distinguish between right and wrong. Ethical conduct conforms to what a group or society as a whole considers right behavior. People working in business frequently face ethical questions. Business ethics is the evaluation of business activities and behavior as right or wrong. Ethical standards in business are based on commonly accepted principles of behavior established by the expectations of society, the firm, the industry, and an individual’s personal values. Most business leaders realize their firms cannot succeed without the trust of customers and the goodwill of society. A violation of ethics makes trust and goodwill difficult to maintain. In thousands of companies, executives and employees act according to the highest ethical standards. Unfortunately managers in some firms behave unethically, and these instances are often highly publicized. Personnel executive say the major reason managers behave unethically is to obtain power and money. Business Ethics- Practice in Bangladesh In Bangladesh, though practice of Business ethics is still not so commendable in public sector and small companies, but business ethics has been an increasing concern among larger companies, at least since the 1990s. Major corporations increasingly fear the damage to their image associated with press revelations of unethical practices. The following information about the functions relating ethics and social responsibility of a reputed company of our country will give a brief idea about the practice of Business Ethics in Bangladesh: Unilever Bangladesh Limited Over the last four decades, Unilever Bangladesh has been constantly bringing new and world class products for the Bangladeshi people to remove the daily drudgery of life. Over 90% of the country’s households use one or more of Unilever products. They aim to give everybody a little something to celebrate about themselves every day. They believe that to succeed in business, it is essential to maintain the highest standards of corporate behavior towards everyone they work with, the communities they touch, and the environment on which they have an impact. Ethical Approaches: †¢ Effective Code of business principles: Their code of business principles describes the operational standards that everyone at Unilever follows, wherever they are in the world. It also supports their approach to governance and corporate responsibility. Code of business principles are- Standard of conduct, Obey the law, employees, consumers, shareholders, business partners, community involvement, public activities, the environment, innovation, competition, business integrity, conflict of interest, compliance, reporting, monitor. †¢ Women Development and Women Empowerment: Unilever strongly believes in the importance of empowering women in Bangladesh, because the progress of any society will be constrained if a significant part of its population is neglected and excluded from the benefits of development. They believe, with economic and educational empowerment, women can become more vocal about their rights and become stronger in withstanding repression in any form. So they have established â€Å"Fair Lovely Foundation†. The mission of this foundation is to encourage economic empowerment of Bangladeshi women through information and resources in the areas of Education, Career and Enterprise. It is this realization that has brought about the Fair Lovely Foundation Scholarship Program. Under this scholarship scheme, women who have passed their HSC each receives a Taka 25,000scholarship to support her tertiary level education. Unethical Approaches: †¢ Unilever produces Fair lovely fairness cream, lotion, etc and they claim that skincolor will be white after using this product. But that it is not true. There are noscientific values about whiteness. This is totally unethical performance inmarketing activities of this company. Managing or Encouraging Ethical Behavior Managing the financial operations of a company can be a complex effort. Companies need to balance their desire to grow with the realities of maintaining their financial relationships, satisfying their investors and making a profit. †¢ Government Regulations: The government can do so by legislating more stringent regulations. But, rules require enforcement and when in many cases there is evidence of lack of enforcement even the ethical business person will tend to slip something by without getting caught. Increased regulation may help, but it surely cannot solve the entire business ethics problems. †¢ Trade Associations Setting Guidelines: Trade associations can and often do provide ethical guidelines for their members. These organizations within particular industries are in an excellent position to exert pressures on members that stoop to questionable business practices. †¢ Companies Providing Code of Ethics: Employees can more easily determine and adopt acceptable behavior when companies provide them with a code of ethics. Such codes are perhaps the most effective way to encourage ethical behavior. A code of ethics is a written guide to acceptable and ethical behavior that outlines uniform policies, standards and punishments for violations. Because employees know what is expected of them and what will happen if they violate the rules, a code of ethics goes a long way towards encouraging ethical behavior. However, codes cannot possibly cover every situation. Companies must also create an environment in which employees recognize the importance of complying with the written code. Managers must provide direction by fostering communication, actively modeling and encouraging ethical decision making, apart from investing in training employees to make ethical decisions. †¢ Whistle Blowing Technique: Sometimes, even employees who want to act ethically may find it difficult to do so. Unethical practices can become ingrained in an organization. Employees with high personal ethics may then take a controversial step called whistle blowing. Whistle blowing is informing the press or government officials about unethical practices in an organization. Whistle blowing could have averted disaster and prevented needless deaths in the Challenger space shuttle disaster, for example. How could employees have known about life-threatening problems and let them pass? Whistle blowing on the other hand, can have serious repercussions for employees; those who make waves sometimes lose their jobs. Conclusion The main objective of business is to serve people with their every need for the well-being of human being and to ensure that, there is no alternative of following business ethics. Since he practice of business ethics in our country is still not ubiquitous, we are not getting the proper environment for the business, and thus often we are facing some crisis situation and it is hampering our total economic development. Our policy makers and the top executives of the organizations should give more concern in making ethical policies and take proper steps to encourage business executives and service holders to follow them.

Cadbury World Essay Example for Free

Cadbury World Essay Overview This case study explains the history and product development of Cadbury World; aspects of its operational and marketing functions, as well as providing some key numerical data. It is intended to provide students and other interested parties with a snapshot view of and insight into one of the UK’s leading leisure attractions. It is strongly recommended that the case study is used in association with a visit to the attraction. Cadbury World in Context Seen as a new venture into the leisure industry when it opened in 1990, Cadbury World began its life principally as a public relations tool, but quickly became a popular half-day venue for people of all ages looking for quality leisure time. The original attraction was very educational and historical-based, with mainly static displays. Over time, Cadbury World has grown to be a family attraction of much bigger dimensions. It has maintained visitor numbers comfortably in excess of half a million annually, and returns a healthy paper profit back into Cadbury UK as well as bringing value to the company in terms of public interface and direct communication to the consumer. The original vision for Cadbury World was to provide a tourist attraction experience and provide an alternative to the demands from the general public denied access to the Bournville factory tour, which ceased due to health and safety practicalities around the time of the merger between Cadbury and Schweppes in 1969. In setting up Cadbury World, in the face of strict health and safety and hygiene legislation, the vision was to underpin the central message of â€Å"Cadbury means chocolate means fun† with the interpretation of cocoa and Cadbury’s chocolate both past and present. Responding to these principles, Cadbury World was conceived as a continuation of the message â€Å"Cadbury means chocolate, means fun,† through the interpretation of cocoa and Cadbury chocolate both past and present.. The original vision for Cadbury World developed as follows: To significantly enhance consumers’ perceptions of Cadbury and develop long term brand loyalty by: †¢ Giving the visitor a memorable enjoyable, and unique Cadbury chocolate experience †¢ Offering high quality and good value for money †¢ Delivering Cadbury values of fun and quality, whilst achieving a break-even cost target for Cadbury Limited (at the time the UK chocolate operation of Cadbury Schweppes plc). The Early Years Opened on 14 August 1990, Cadbury World’s first weeks proved to be successful beyond initial projections and led to a number of operation concerns and issues. Huge queues built up at the start of each day and most visitors came with the expectation of taking part in the resumption of the Bournville factory tour (although it was thought by Cadbury World management that this perception had been overcome in its launch publicity and literature). Free samples were not deemed to be as freely available as the public expected, and prices in the retail shop were more ‘gift shop’ than ‘factory shop’. The team’s response to these initial problems were quick and comprehensive: including the immediate introduction of a timed-ticketing system (later a formal pre-booking system), and a greater access gained to a small part of the factory. Free samples gradually became more plentiful and – as today – are distributed to visitors at intervals throu ghout the tour. The prices in Cadbury World took longer to resolve as the Cadbury World ‘gift shop’ strategy needed to be aligned to serious and real business concerns relating to the threat to some serious and well-established commercial relationships. The belief from retailers in the Birmingham area was that unlike the Cadbury staff shop, the Cadbury World offering was open to the general public and would prove so successful that the it would represent serious competition to those local traders if prices and offers were misaligned with those available from other retailers. A policy was developed whereby there would be no more than a token reduction in the prices the Cadbury World gift shop charged, compared with prices in normal retail outlets. In reality, where the major retail organisations exerted substantial buying power, they were able to charge well below Cadbury World rates. Eventually, a ‘bargain corner’ (now called the factory area) was established, the ‘gift shop’. The retail offer developed and Cadbury World now has two retail outlets: ‘The World’s Largest Cadbury Shop’ and the ‘Essence Emporium’ offering themed gifts and merchandise, standard retail offerings from the Cadbury brand portfolio and exclusive chocolate novelties hand-crafted in Cadbury World’s ‘Demonstration Area’. In its early years, due to both visitor comfort and also health and safety provisions, Cadbury World’s limited capacity required a robust control on the numbers of visitors allowed inside at any one time, as well as their flow and passage through the exhibition. Initially, a system of timed ticket entry was introduced based on a first come first served approach and enabled visitors to have a known time when they would go into the main exhibition. As popularity for the attraction grew, even this measure proved to be inadequate to the increasing visitor numbers, and queues began to trail outside the main building once more. In March 1993, a reservations system was introduced, whereby visitors could prebook the date and time of their entry into Cadbury World, and eliminated much of the need to queue. From 1993 onwards, all publicity material for Cadbury World emphasised the reservations service and still strongly recommends that the visitor pre-book via the booking office telephone number or via the internet in order to avoid disappointment. Whilst the reservations system had an immediate benefit, around 30% of admissions on a busy day would consist of visitors ‘rolling-up’ (as awareness of the need to pre-book increased, the number of ‘roll-ups’ has fallen to a more manageable of no more than 20% during peak periods). Indeed, during school holidays and bank holidays, it is not unknown for a visitor arriving at 10am without reservation to sometimes have to wait four hours before being admitted into the main exhibition. Essence Launch, 2005 During these peak times, this allows the visitor to ‘reverse their visit’ and visit the Essence and Bournville Experience zones (accessed separately from the main building), enjoy any complimentary entertainments, utilize the outdoor play area for those visitors with children, or pick up a map from reception and take a walking tour of places of interest in the Bournville area. Within the main exhibition itself, the ‘smoothing’ of the visitor flow has been a key consideration in the development of Cadbury World’s features and shows with the introduction of new or updated sets in a process of continuous improvement to meet demands. Visitors are admitted to the exhibition at a maximum rate of 80 individuals at intervals of every 10 minutes. Thus, certain presentations such as The Cadbury Story and the following set: Making Chocolate, will accommodate up to 80 people seated, and last no longer than ten minutes including the audience’s entry to, and exit from, each set. The Cadabra ride is also carefully timed, to allow for an average of three passengers in each of the 12 cars (plus wheelchair-adapted car), and a circuit taking in the region of 5.5 minutes. All of this is careful orchestrated to ensure a steady and constant flow through the exhibition. On busy days, the delay from the slightest technical hitch on Cadabra is very difficult to recover, and this, with the queue of ticket holders in reception, is the main source of queuing nowadays in Cadbury World. Ongoing Development Continuous Improvement Early improvements to Cadbury World were more reactive, addressing the issues raised by a new product from a company whose traditional expertise was not in the leisure industry. As time progressed, and as would be expected from a business unit whose parent company is a leading consumer brand, improvements became more proactive as the needs of the visitor changed and were driven more by a desire to offer the same service any visitor or leisure attraction would adopt. The first significant development occurred in 1993 when parts of the exhibition were moved up onto the ground floor of the East Cocoa Block, and renamed The Cadbury Collection. Finally, some Cadbury-sponsored outdoor play equipment was recovered from the now defunct National Garden Festival of Wales in Ebbw Vale and used to expand the play facility. Early feedback indicated that Cadbury World was surprisingly adult in appeal, and, during 1993, plans were laid to create the first exhibition feature aimed specifically at younger children, up to age 10. â€Å"The Fantasy Factory† was opened in March 1994, to provide a child’s eye view of the production of liquid chocolate, from bean to bar, using interactive techniques, and, with the mirror room, to provide a grand finale. The Fantasy Factory, circa 1995 (removed 2000) In 1995, the child appeal was further increased by the installation of the Astros Set from the TV commercial that launched the brand in the UK, and then in 1997 with the opening of Cadabra, a Magical Cadbury Journey on specially constructed beanmobiles through various lands and scenes populated by the Cadbury World mascot – the Chucklebean With the launch of Cadbury Land in July 2000, in a separate building to the rear of the site, and the complete replacement of the play area with a state-of-the-art themed play area, Cadbury World had achieved a shift in appeal to encompass the entire age range â€Å"from 090 and beyond†. Feedback from visitors in 2001 indicated that the attraction had shifted from a very adult profile, to a strong child profile. The improvements made to the attraction since 2001 have been of more adult interest in order to re-address this balance, whilst more recent additions and improvements have attempted to be cross-generational. Attraction Structure – Spring 2009 Cadbury World is now divided into 14 distinct and separate zones each dealing with a unique aspect of the history of cocoa and chocolate, the origins of the Cadbury business and the vision of its founding fathers, the production of chocolate and popular Cadbury brands, or just fully immersing the visitor in a truly ‘chocolatey’ experience. Each zone broadly follows on from the previous one to give a logical and consistent story for the visitor’s self-guided journey. On entry to the main exhibition, the story of cocoa begins, in the jungles of Central America, in the area now known as Mexico. The Aztec Jungle zone was ‘re-laid’ in January 2005, to incorporate water features and a more detailed explanation of the culture and beliefs of the various peoples who lived there up to the time of the Spanish conquest. Moving on, the visitor goes into the Journey to Europe Zone describing the way that the taste for cocoa and chocolate eventually made its way to high society in England in Cromwellian times. This zone leads into the last remaining set from 1990, now known as Bull Street Zone, covering regency London and the earliest days of John Cadbury’s business in Birmingham in the 1820’s in a re-creation of Victorian Birmingham. Since 2001, the Cadbury Story Zone and Making Chocolate Zone, have controlled the visitorflow within the exhibition with automatic doors. Updated to include subtitles, these visually compelling Zones tell the story of the origins of the Cadbury business, the Factory in a Garden and the Quaker principles important to the development of the company, and the manufacturing processes involved in producing Cadbury chocolate. The Making Chocolate Zone is multi-sensory experience and was one of the first of its kind in the UK leisure industry. Exiting Making Chocolate, the visitor moves into the Manufacturing Zone (originally created in 2000) where they can select from a series of consoles’ various stories relating to the manufacturing of seven popular brands within the Cadbury product portfolio. Walking up stairs (or accessing via the lift provided), the visitor stops off for their first souvenir photograph opportunity next to an over-sized version of the Cadbury World Chucklebean mascot before moving through a time tunnel (constructed 2005) to commemorate the 100 years of Cadbury Dairy Milk. Moving onto the Packaging Plant Zone, subject to scheduling, the visitor gets to see a snapshot of the real Bournville factory in operation as various Cadbury Dairy Milk products move their way along the conveyor belt on their journey to the outside world. The visitor then makes their way to the Cadbara Zone (updated in 2008) – consistently voted as being one of the most popular Zones – and a second souvenir photograph opportunity Downstairs, the visitor has the chance to purchase their first two photographs before seeing a replica of a water well and learning more about Cadbury’s Ghana Well programme. Visitors often toss spare change into the replica well and to date, have helped Cadbury World to construct 15 wells to help improve the lives of the Ghanaian cocoa farming community (for more details on the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, Cadbury Corporate Social Responsibility, Fair-trade and a case study on the Ghana Wells Programme, please visit www.cadbury.com) Since mid-2004, the Demonstration Area Zone has allowed visitors to see how chocolate was made before mass-manufacturing methods were introduced. Here, the visitor can write their name in liquid chocolate and watch as skilled Cadbury World Chocolatiers hand-craft novelties which can be purchased later in the tour. As part of the programme of continuous improvement, in the summer of 2009, the next three sets comprising of the Happiness Room (2005), Coronation Street (built in 1996 and showcasing Cadbury’s ten-year sponsorship of ITV’s flagship drama), and the Advertising Room (constructed in 2001) will be replaced by the Advertising Avenue Zone. Advertising Avenue will give the visitor the opportunity to walk through a chronologically-themed lifesized street of chocolate houses, lampposts and trees as they enjoy the history of Cadbury’s advertising past from posters through to interactively-selected television commercials. In 2006, the Purple Planet Zone gave visitors the opportunity to participate in a uniquely interactive chocolate environment. Purple Planet allows the opportunity to play in chocolate rain, grow and care for a cocoa bean tree, and chase a Cadbury Creme Egg. Recent 2009 updates to Purple Planet see the inclusion of ‘Magic Planet’ – a touch-screen information terminal with content projected through an illuminated globe which provides an overview of Cadbury operations around the world and ‘Mould Me’, a capture of the visitor’s image digitally transformed to give the appearance of the visitor sculptured in chocolate. This provides the visitor with their third souv enir photograph opportunity which can be purchased at a later stage. Exiting the main exhibition into the World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop Zone, the visitor is presented with various retail offerings, merchandise and exclusive Cadbury World merchandise. In Spring 2009, various aspects of the shop were updated with specialised display units relating to Cadbury UK’s ‘Power Brands’ including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel, Cadbury Milk Tray, and Bassett’s Liquorice Allsorts and Jelly Babies. Upon leaving the World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop, the visitor has the choice of either purchasing refreshments from Cafà © Cadbury (a 240-seat visitor restaurant offering a selection of both hot and cold meals and snacks) or walking outside of the main building and following the yellow painted footsteps to the final two zones. The Essence Zone (constructed in 2005 and replacing Cadburyland) tells the story of the magical creation of Cadbury Dairy Milk before allowing the visitor to create their own confectionery concoction in a tub of liquid chocolate. Opened in 2007, The Bournville Experience Zone replaced the Cadbury Collection Museum and presents the unique creation of Bournville village through a series of models, multi-media view ports and videos as well as memorabilia from Cadbury’s past including John Cadbury’s original pestle and mortar used in his shop to create cocoa based concoctions in the early nineteenth century. With ample free parking space, an outdoor catering kiosk, the children’s play area, the Cadbury No. 14 train and a picnic area – the grounds of Cadbury World offer the visitor plenty to see and do (with easy access to Bournville village) whilst they wait for their entry into the main exhibition or enjoy any complimentary entertainments. Opening Schedule Cadbury World is generally open between 315 and 325 days each year which tends to be every day from early February through to early November, and four or five days a week outside that time. It is necessary for there to be complete closure to the visitor from New Year’s Eve through to the third week in January, in which time major installations, refurbishment and renovations take place. Originally, Cadbury World opened every day except Christmas Day, for the same length of time each day. However, experience of the natural patterns of business, and the waste of opening on a day when variable costs are likely to outweigh the marginal revenue from visitor attendance, has led to a distinctive schedule of opening times. At the quietest (offpeak) times, Cadbury World opens at 10.a.m. and ceases admissions at 3 p.m., or often 4 p.m., allowing the final visitors the opportunity to view the exhibition at their leisure, and browse the shop. Generally, closing time will be about 2 hours after the last admission. Average dwell time on site at Cadbury World is 3.5 hours currently. On busier days, particularly during the school holidays, opening hours are extended up to a maximum admission span of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The visitors are admitted at the maximum rate of 80 every ten minutes, which allows in excess of 3000 visitors. (For up-to-date information on Cadbury World’s opening times please visit www.cadburyworld.co.uk) Cadbury World Education Cadbury World is a company committed to education. Tracing back to 1879 and the move to Bournville, George Cadbury introduced the first employee and community education programme. Cadbury World has maintained this same enthusiasm and commitment to education to the present day. Whilst touring Cadbury World you will discover the history and heritage of the company and learn how it developed from a small Birmingham based business into a global company. Cadbury World feels that it is important to teach the young people of today about business and the way in which we operate. With the information we provide through visuals and exhibitions, we hope that it will give them a good understanding, which will then prepare them for the readily awaiting world of work. One of the first attractions to be awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge from the Council of Learning (www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk), Cadbury World’s Education offers have gone from strength to strength. Cadbury World is committed to the education of young people and has tailor-made packages to support the education needs from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 5 and beyond. Educators can bring their students for a standard visit around the exhibition – complimenting this with downloadable workbooks, or can attend one of a series of talks from Aztecs to Victorians aimed at a Primary-level audience through to talks supporting various GCSE subject’s national curriculum. Indeed, education talks have proved so successful over recent years that a second purpose-built education room was opening in January 2009 to accommodate growing demand. 9 Awards Over the years, Cadbury World has won a number of industry-recognised awards from its offers, its services, through to its marketing and advertising campaigns. Recent awards and nominations include: 2008 (Finalist Highly Commended) Access for All Category, Excellence in Tourism Awards 2008 (Bronze Winner) ‘Gordon’ Radio Campaign, created by BIG, Cream Awards 2008 (Winner) â€Å"You Can’t Eat the Exhibits in a Zoo† print campaign, created by Big, Roses Award 2008 (Runner Up) Recognition of Disability Facilities, Group Travel Awards 2007 (Finalist) Group Leisure Awards Marketing Cadbury World â€Å"In the early 1960s, Professor Neil Borden at Harvard Business School identified a number of company performance actions that can influence the consumer decision to purchase goods or services. Borden suggested that all those actions of the company represented a â€Å"Marketing Mix†. Professor E. Jerome McCarthy, also at the Harvard Business School in the early 1960s, suggested that the Marketing Mix contained 4 elements: product, price, place and promotion,† (Wikipedia). The â€Å"4 p’s† are good place to start when looking at any marketing strategy and its effectiveness. Overtime, the main concept of the â€Å"4 p’s† has developed to become the â€Å"7’ps† (with the inclusion of ‘Process’, ‘Physical Evidence,’ and ‘People’). As techniques and technology develops, even these ‘†7 p’s† have been deemed too restrictive in terms of marketing analysis and now some commentators have even point to a recently devised â€Å"Web 4.2 (the new 4 P’s)† including ‘Personalisation’, ‘Participation’, ‘Peer-to-Peer’, and ‘Predictive Modelling’. Whilst not giving a comprehensive overview into Cadbury World’s marketing strategy, broadly in-line with the relevant ‘P’s’ of the marketing mix, the below gives an insight into the way Cadbury World goes about talking to visitors, potential visitors and generating awareness for its products and services. Product As a leading tourist attraction, Cadbury World operates in a service industry and is almost unique in being owned by a major manufacturer. The product that Cadbury World delivers is â€Å"a memorable, exciting and great day out†; whereas for the main Cadbury business, the product delivered is chocolate, candy, gum brands and drinking chocolate products. The actual product Cadbury World delivers has been built up over nearly 20 years. As discussed in previous sections, it has changed, developed and evolved overtime. Whilst being intrinsically-linked to the main Cadbury business; Cadbury World as a profit-making business unit would not survive if it wasn’t for the desire to offer a quality day out.

Portrayal Of Modern Women Media Essay

Portrayal Of Modern Women Media Essay Introduction Women may often be at a loss as to their real role in society is. A working mother may play dual roles which are conflicting, that of being a nurturing home-maker to her family, ensuring that the husband and children are well-taken care of while the house is kept spic and span and running smoothly. At the same time, she is a career woman who is expected to be driven, ambitious, hard-worker and committed to the success of the company she works for. On top of that, women are also expected to look their best to the outside world and be alluring sexual beings in the bedroom. Because of the many roles women play, they often seek advise from various sources. One source that they may find consistently reliable are womens magazines because these depict articles set in the modern times, and assumed to promote modern values. At a time when information is so much easier to acquire from various media sources including television, radio and the internet, concrete reading materials are still conveniently available and preferred by many readers (Stevens, Maclaran Catteral, 2007). It would be interesting to explore how contemporary magazines depict women and what priorities they should have in life. Although contemporary womens magazines such as Glamour and Cosmopolitan claim to empower modern women to be more assertive and independent in achieving gender equality, the message sent out from their content (emphasis on the importance of womens beauty and their success in relationships) seem to endorse traditional femininity ideologies, which put women in a role subservient to men in a patriarchal society. Since magazines may have a great influence on how women think, it is crucial to understand the subliminal and overt messages such media format feeds them. The research question that will be explored in this paper is: How are women portrayed in contemporary womens magazines and what messages are conveyed to them? The significance of finding answers to this question will provide enlightenment on how society views women, how women view themselves and how such views guide their value formation, attitude and behaviors. Theoretical Framework This paper is guided by the Sexual Script Theory by Gagnon Simon (1973) and the Objectification Theory by Frederickson Roberts (1997). Scripting theory is premised on the concept that individuals have subjective understandings that determine their choices and qualitative experiences. Sexual Script Theory, specifically focus on the subjective understanding of a person about his or her sexuality that determine his or her sexual actions and experiences related to sex. Scripts are cognitive devices used to guide people in their behaviors. Sometimes, such behaviors are self-fulfilling prophecies to support the scripts upheld by the person. For example, if ones sexual script is to be desirable in order to be liked as a person, then that individual will exert all efforts to look attractive and behave in a seductive manner. Similarly, and to more specifically illustrate the Sexual Scripting theory, the Objectification theory explains how females internalize an observers view to be the prim ary view of her physical self. This means that if a woman gets accustomed to being seen as an object of desire, she becomes socialized to treat herself as such and behaves accordingly (Frederickson Roberts, 1997). Vulnerable to judgment of society, women vigilantly monitor themselves with the knowledge that being positively viewed by others means more opportunities. Studies have shown that how a womans body appears to others can determine her life experiences. Physical attractiveness seem to matter more to females than to males. Women deemed unattractive by their co workers are described more negatively and given less regard than comparatively unattractive men (Bar-Tar Saxe, 1976; Cash, Gillen Burns, 1977; Wallston OLeary, 1981). Physical attractiveness is more highly correlated with popularity, dating experience and marriage opportunities for women than for men (Berscheid, Dion, Walster Walster, 1971; Margolin White, 1987) With regards to the research question at hand, Sexual Scripting Theory and Objectification Theory are appropriate to analyze how magazines portray women because it is assumed that the advertisements and articles of contemporary womens magazines seem to influence women with the idea that they need to use their sexual attractiveness to advance their state. Literature Review Womens magazines enjoy a wide readership for various reasons. Aside from escapism (Geraghty, 1997, 1998) from the daily grind, readers may be hooked on them as they provide temporary solutions to social and personal conflicts (McMahon, 1990). Women find an array of interesting topics in womens magazines. Stevens, Maclaran Catrall (2007) compare different kinds of womens magazines and find that in general, there are magazines that primarily offer fashion and fitness advice (e.g. Vogue, InStyle, Self, Shape); magazines geared toward an older adult female audience (Womans World, womans Day, Good Housekeeping); teen-focused contemporary womens magazines (Seventeen, Teen, YM); and adult-focused contemporary womens magazines (Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire, Cleo). In terms of content, contemporary womens magazines are known to uphold traditional femininity ideologies perpetuating ones looks as the measure to judge a womans worth. These magazines likewise encourage women to subordinat e their own interests so they can preserve their relationships with others (Ferguson, 1983; McCracken, 1993; McRobbie, 2000; Peirce, 1993; Sonnet Whelehan, 1995). Duffy Gotcher (1996) also found that 78% of magazine covers highlighted body appearance and over 60% advertised diets, exercise or cosmetic surgery. Aside from these topics, magazines also addressed issues about establishing and maintaining heterosexual dating relationships and somehow put across the message to young women that it should be a priority in their lives, overshadowing their education, careers or participation in social and community service, athletics or politics (Duffy Gotcher, 1996; Evans et al, 1991). More liberated magazines offer explicit sexual advice to women to keep their men happy. Over the past three decades, contemporary womens magazines have significantly increased their sexual content, offering frank advice about sex and relationships (Kim Ward, 2004). The message it sends across is prizing sexually assertive women. Thus, it gives the readers instructions on aggressive ways to attract men and to be able to fulfill their own sexual desires (Durham, 1996). However, Menard Kleinplatz (2008) comment that in the magazines, although there is a strong emphasis for female readers to be sexually active and be in the service of men (Durham, 1996), they are cautioned not to be too overtly sexual. They are encouraged to dress and interact with men in a way that promotes sexual desirability but are discouraged from showing desire themselves (Durham 1996, 1998; Garner et al. 1998). These magazines, then, can be seen as part of a cultural apparatus that purports to assist women to be heterosexually attractive, to be coy, alluring, sexy, and flirtatious, in order to find true love and to catch a man, and then to maintain his interest (Overall, 1999, p. 298). On the other hand, mens sexuality is promoted to be aggressive, animalistic, insatiable, urgent and uncontrollable (Firminger 2006; Garner et al. 1998; Ward 2003). Cosmopolitan magazine is known for being racy, intended for the fun, fearless female (Streitmatter, 2004). Sexual agency and desire is highly promoted to young women. Likewise, the stereotypical male sexual role is described as being primarily sexual and out of control. In Cosmopolitan, much of womens sexual agency and aggressiveness happens within the context of a relationship (Durham, 1996). Walsh-Childers et al. (2002) commented that in some adult-focused magazines, sex is presented as a fun, casual and risk-free activity. A noticeable lack of emphasis on sexual health, contraceptives and STD prevention is observed (Kim Ward, 2004). The promotion of sex as something to keep a man interested in a woman and make him stay in the relationship has been observed as a prevailing theme of some womens magazines. Farvid Braun (2006) contend that the ability of a woman to perform great sex not only fulfills her mans sexual needs but also her own relational needs as well. Since a man is portrayed to want great sex and encounter it with a woman who enjoys it as much, then it would leave a lasting impression that makes the man crave for the woman more. The message conveyed from this, though, is that a memorable sexual performance of a woman is depicted as more important than her personality in terms of keeping a man interested. Farvid Braun (2006) note another message that may be taken from magazine articles about sex. While men can enjoy sex anytime they want, women need to exert more effort in pleasing them as a way of besting other women that their men have had sex with before, or with potential sex partners. This implie s that sex is used as a deterrent against infidelity. Indirectly, it also says that since men have strong sexual drives, that they are potential cheaters (Farvid Braun, 2006). That is why women should gain expertise in the sexual pleasing of their men so that they will not find a need to stray. On the other hand, women are not characterized as having strong sex drives and if they cheat, it is pictured in more severe ways, within more elaborate and negative scenarios. Womens infidelity is more condemnable and less forgivable than mens infidelity. Blame is assigned to the woman and is not likely caused by sexual or relational shortcomings of the partner she cheated. Another gender difference in infidelity is that women are seen as victims of their male partners cheating, but men are seen as seekers of revenge for being cheated on by a female partner (Farvid Braun, 2006). Cheating is still considered always wrong despite the seemingly loose morals propagated in the magazines and mono gamous heterosexual relationships are promoted as central to the identity and well-being of women (Farvid Braun, 2006). Ideologies conveyed by contemporary womens magazines are considered manipulative in the sense that the messages projected regarding the nature of femininity points to legitimizing and naturalizing patriarchal domination (Gough-Yates, 2003). Being limited in scope, primarily about beauty, fashion and advise on getting a man, it communicates to its readers the idea that a man is the main route to a womans happiness and that if women are good enough, the right man will come along and sweep them off their feet-ideally into wedded bliss (Gauntlett, 2002, p. 190). When women are regularly bombarded with this idea, eventually, they adopt such ideology in their lives even without consciously considering the implications such as finding their own fulfillment in their own strengths as women are not regarded as priorities in these magazines. They would develop tendencies to search for and depend on men as their source of happiness and fulfillment. Another perspective is that womens magazines distribute a cult of femininity (Ferguson, 1983, p. 5), advocating ways to be more feminine and promoting a particular ideology catering to patriarchal norms. McCracken (1993) commented that women discover that their inadequacies are sustained by the fear of lacking beauty, fashion sense and self-confidence when they read glossy womens magazines. Womens bodies have been used to sell several advertised products. Walsh-Childers (1996) observed that photos of women in advertising usually focused the readers eye on womens body parts such as the breasts. Soley and Kurzbad (1986) also observed that more and more sexual content became manifest since the mid-1980s as female nudity and erotic content became commonplace in contemporary U.S. advertising. Ms. Magazine published advertisements that increasingly portrayed women as sex objects in its first 15 years of publication. After it no longer ran such ads, Ms. Magazine upheld a position that explicitly embraced feminist orientation and spurned advertisements which were insulting to women. Ms. magazine established itself as an institutional prototype for the appropriate conduct of advertising to women (Ferguson et al., 1990, p. 41). Still, with this supposed precedent of championing for women in advertising, there persist ads depicting women as sex objects (Krassas, Blaukamp Wesselin k, 2001). Krassas, Blaukamp Wesselink (2001) conclude that womens magazines communicate a paradoxical perspective of female sexuality in that women are encouraged to shed their traditional roles and become more independent while they are pressured to find and sexually satisfy a man. Womens bodies are considered commodities and their independence allows them to use such commodities to their advantage and to maximize their market value (Goldman, Heath Smith, 1991). Krassas, Blaukamp Wesselink (2001) also note that Cosmopolitan magazine may be the first to recognize women as sexual, at the same time, they are primarily sexual objects whose desire is fulfilled by allowing themselves to be treated as commodities that are sexually available to men and designed to attract men. Methods The choice of studying Cosmopolitan magazine was determined by it being the top-selling womens magazine in the world (Worlds Longest-running and Most Popular Periodicals, 2009). Having 58 international editions and translated into 34 languages, the magazine is distributed in more than a hundred countries. With this position comes the power to reach such a wide readership. Data Gathering The researcher will be reading and taking notes from 3 issues of Cosmopolitan Magazine, specifically the June, July and August 2010 issues which are the ones available to the researcher. Researcher will note down the titles as well as the content of each article as well as the advertisements promoted by the magazine. White and Marsh (2006) contend that a good coding scheme has categories or levels that are exhaustive, that is, all relevant aspects of the construct are represented (p. 32). For this study, categories or themes of articles in the magazines will serve as codes such as articles with sexual content, relationships or body issues. To determine the amount of the content per category or theme in each magazine issue, the percentage of content will be computed by counting all the titles (for cover page) and articles (including sidebars) written for the issue and getting the percentage of the content listed in each category against the total content of each issue for both cover page and inside articles. Analysis Discussion According to White Marsh (2006), after coding, data should be summarized so that they could be understood easily and are applicable to the hypotheses or research questions. Then, the researcher relates the data to other situations or studies so findings are put into perspective. In this case, the data shall be related to information in the review of literature that is most relevant to it. Results The dominance of the category of sexual content in the cover pages of the magazines obviously used sex as a selling point. These titles were made to catch the attention of potential buyers who include women in need of advise to boost their sex lives as well as men who may be curious as to what the articles reveal. Titles such as 75 Sex Tips From Guys: Sizzling, Sinful and Surprising Things Theyre Craving Now (June 2010 issue); 99 New Sex Facts: Every Forbidden, Fascinating Detail You Want To Know.. and only Cosmo will tell you (July 2010 issue) and Naughty, Naughty Sex Poll: Its Official: We Got 2,000 Men to Reveal, Do this not That in bed (August 2010) practically scream for attention as it is given the boldest print. Also, words such as Sex, Sexy and Hot jump out of the page as they are highlighted in the cover that eyes will automatically be drawn to the bright and bold titles. Other categories of content fought for attention with catchy titles such as Look So Sexy (June 2010), Th e Sexy Secrets to Making Smart Decisions (July 2010) and Together Forever? How to Still Flirt With Him (August 2010). Even with these titles, a hint of sex is still present. The thick issues of the magazine are filled with crisp, glossy pages, rich with various content. However, the volume of sexual content promised in the inside pages may disappoint readers, as the percentages do not hold in the articles printed within the issues. The articles spread into more than one page, so in terms of quality, the anticipated richness of sexual content was justified. The articles were graphic in language and mostly instructional such as giving actual directions on how to achieve better orgasms or identifying highly sensitive body spots that provide the most pleasure. It would not be difficult to imagine what the authors were referring to because the articles were replete with real-life examples. Readers would learn that the recommended sexual techniques would be very pleasurable, and may want to try it out themselves. Mostly, the articles taught readers how to please men in bed. This is consistent with the contentions of Farvid Braun that women should learn to be great in bed in order to keep their men fulfilled and content with just having them. The content category on Fashion and Beauty dominated the inside pages of the magazines. It showcased the latest trends and products, as worn and used by popular celebrities. Clearly, the magazine has become a marketing tool for the fashion and beauty products, luring women readers to buy them for themselves so they will also be considered hot, cool, trendy or hip supposedly descriptions of women who are fashionable and sophisticated. Aside from being viewed as a marketing tool, the magazines emphasis on women being fashionable and beautiful sells an ideology that that is how women should be in order to feel fulfilled as a person and to be able to attract men. The advertisers of the magazine prey on womens insecurities and their intense need to be accepted, admired and loved. Using very attractive models does not only create more insecurity about readers looks but also a more passionate desire to achieve the models look by purchasing the cosmetics she used to look that attractive. Discussion and Conclusion The theories and scholarly observations in the literature review seem to be consistent with what is actually published in womens magazines. Sexual scripting of women being objects of desire as well as sex objects playing the stereotype of existing for the pleasure of men reverberate in the magazines even if these took pride in empowering women to be fun, fearless females. However, it admits that women have sexual needs themselves that they should not be ashamed to fulfill. The Objectification theory is validated by the advertisements and articles of women wanting to look good for their men so that they will not be replaced by younger, sexier and more beautiful women. The 3 magazine issues reviewed do not totally reflect Durhams (1996, 1998) and Garner et al.s (1998) comment that women are encouraged to dress and interact with men that promotes their sexual desirability but are discouraged from showing desire themselves. Women being overtly sexual towards men is actually supported in the issues studied. This is because the authors have done thorough research on what men really want in sex, and one finding is that they are aroused by women making sexual advances towards them. The articles in the magazine merely report what men want to inform women on what to do to please them. It is apparent that male ego is supposed to be massaged and nurtured by women, living in a patriarchal society. Both Sexual scripting and Objectification theories are thus proven i n this case. The portrayal of women in the magazines (article pictures and advertisements) reflects women as eye-candy or a prize to be won by the most deserving man. The photographs show mostly Caucasian women gazing into the camera, and giving the image that they are communicating with the readers with their eyes or smile to buy whatever product, idea or ideology they are selling. The use of very attractive models instills in readers an ideal of beauty to emulate. Such beauty is enhanced by cosmetics and fashionable clothes and shoes. Although known for covering much ground on sex, it was initially surprising that the percentage of titles of sex-related articles was not as high as expected. However, upon further scrutiny, the articles were replete with detail and length. The magazine was also found by this study to cover topics about men, relationships and self-improvement. Readers who may be constrained in seeking information about these topics elsewhere may find comfort in the fact that Cosmopolitan provides honest advise in the viewpoint of experts of the topics. For instance, many topics on men were discussed by men themselves! Cosmopolitan has its own formula for success. Being known for a magazine that unashamedly promotes sex for unmarried women, it titillates the curiosity of most women, even those who pride themselves of upholding the strictest of morals. Cosmopolitan cover pages use the most popular and attractive woman whom the world adores for the moment. Add to this celebrity cover girl, catchy titles of articles, mostly racy and intriguing, and the magazine sells well. Being sold is the first step in spreading the ideologies constructed in the magazine and conveying it to its readers. Being the best-selling womens magazine in the world, it is presumed that Cosmopolitan magazine has already been successful in imbedding to its millions of readers the ideologies it wants to convey.

My Most Important Personal and Professional Accomplishments :: MBA College Admissions Essays

My Most Important Personal and Professional Accomplishments With no money, no direction, and no goals, I graduated from high school in 1987 not knowing if I would ever be a man, if I would ever know what life means. Unable to afford college tuition, I worked odd jobs for a few months before deciding to join the United States corps">Marine Corps. A scrappy kid who needed structure and support, I entered the Marines unprepared for the next thirteen weeks of extraordinary physical and mental challenges. Arriving at the recruit-training depot in Parris Island South Carolina on February 3,1988 not knowing what to expect, I watched my hair fall off my head, had vaccinations for every disease ever discovered, and learned to live with sixty other young men in close quarters. The days were long. I would wake up at 4 a.m. and work nonstop for 18 hours until I could collapse on my bed. Exposed to individuals from many different cultural and economic backgrounds, I learned the value of teamwork and the work ethic essential to leadership. When we first arrived on the island, my platoon was a jumbled mess of disobedient, out of shape, undisciplined boys. After three months of exhausting training we were molded into a group of highly motivated, physically fit men. On the proudest day of my life, I marched in the graduation parade to become a United States Marine. After being discharged from the United States Marine Corps, I became determined to attain an electrical engineering degree from Florida State University. I wisely invested in the GI Bill early on in my Marine Corps career in order to go to college. Although a substantial amount of money, the GI Bill only covered my tuition; to pay for food and rent, I took a full time job with the VA work-study program. In the beginning I had difficulty adjusting to working full time while maintaining a full coarse load, and I began to feel hindered by my years outside the classroom. However, determined to succeed, I learned to manage my time well, and I established good study habits, which have continued to the present. In the spring of 1997 I obtained a Bachelors degree in Electrical engineering, a full year ahead of schedule. I take pride in the fact that I am the first person in my family to obtain a college degree.

Genetic Manipulation :: Science Scientific Papers

Genetic Manipulation In David Brins science fiction novel called The Uplift War, the reader is presented with a world in which humans have not only become a space faring species and made contact with extraterrestrials, but also made an astounding achievement on their own world; they have made dolphins and chimpanzees into thinking, sentient creatures through a process called uplift. Uplift is a process of elevating animal species to full sapience through methods of breeding and genetic engineering. The uplifted species, known as clients, then serve their patrons, the species who uplifted them, until the patrons release them from indenture. Naturally, this causes many problems. Client species are often looked upon as inferior; this is partly due to strict regulation of activities such as breeding. Although uplift is still just Brins invention, we are rapidly gaining the techniques and knowledge to make uplift a reality. This is why we must carefully examine the ethics of genetic manipulation. First, the m ethods of genetic manipulation must be discussed. In Brins novel, a combination of selective mutation, breeding programs, and education were used to evolve the natural form into a conscious being. These methods, while hardly gentle, were not drastic and took place over hundreds of years, gradually eliminating the unwanted traits and encouraging admirable characteristics (Yep). Today, there are several methods of genetic manipulation, most of which involve various methods of inserting foreign DNA into an animal. They all share the same goal: to integrate and stabilize a desired DNA strand into the genome of an organism (Macer). The most widely used are retroviral infection, pronuclear microinjection, and nuclear transfer. Retroviral infection uses a virus, which contains the desired gene that will be incorporated into the organisms genome, to infect groups of embryos in culture in both prenatal and postnatal life. This method takes a lot of time and effort because the construction of the virus is quite complicated. Another effect of infection is that the information of the viruses may not always be incorporated into all the cultured cells, requiring out breeding of selected organisms to isolate those with the desired gene (Macer). Pronuclear microinjection is another method of genetic manipulation. Linear DNA fragments containing the desired gene are injected into the nucleus of a fertilized egg, where they will be incorporated at random locations. The desired gene will eventually be expressed in a percentage of resulting organisms. While relatively simple, there is still control over the expression rate of the genes or the disruption of genes vital to the organisms survival (Macer).

Academic Objectives Essay

By the time I attend the graduation ceremony of University of Phoenix, there are three academic objectives I would like to accomplish. First and foremost, I would like to get a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Secondly, I would like to become a better writer. Last, I would like to become a better communicator so that I can network with people who are in the same career and field of work as me. With lots of dedication, hard work and completion of my classes, these are three goals I intend to complete. Receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix is my first academic objective. I get one step closer to my goal by attending all my classes, completing my assignments with a passing grade, and doing the best at passing all my exams. Today, having a bachelor’s degree is like having a high school diploma. Most jobs require or prefer some type of degree from a person when hiring. Like Achieve said, â€Å"Much has been said about the importance of increasing the labor supply for ‘middle skills jobs,’ or those jobs that now (compared to decades past) require more than a high school education but less than a bachelor’s degree (e. g., associate degree, postsecondary certificate, apprenticeship, etc. )† (Achieve, 2012) I recently applied for a job as a personal therapist to children with disabilities. When it came down to the interviewing and hiring portion, I was not able to get the job because I still have not received my bachelor’s degree. It was tough hearing the news but it really motivated and pushed me to go back to school and finish my degree. A bachelor’s degree has now become a necessity rather than a choice for me. Becoming a better writer would not only help in school but also in the world after graduation. Beginning with the Gen 200 class, one main focus there is writing. Whether it is writing a paper or doing a project, it is important to know where a person is making mistakes and where he or she is doing a good job. I find myself having to refresh my memory with all the writing rules and regulations. I have to go back to what I learned in high school and in the college courses to remember what I need to know when it comes to writing. Having the proper knowledge of what a perfect paper looks like will be as important in school as it will be in the real world. If a person is required to submit a report for work, he or she wants to be fully prepared so he or she does not look like a fool to the boss and coworkers. Good writers do not just happen. Good writers work hard at becoming who they are and are not afraid to ask questions. Never being afraid to ask questions or ask for help will make me a better writer and a better student. Constantly finding myself writing papers and doing assignments that involve writing will help me achieve my second academic goal of becoming a better writer. Communication and networking are really important in a career life. The better of a communicator and net worker a person is, the better chances the person will have to escalate. In school one gets graded partly on how well he or she communicate in class, whether he or she talks, participate or just stay quiet and not say anything. But in the real world, one does not get graded on how good he or she communicates. One gets ascended or promoted if he or she is a good communicator and are not shy to speak up when needed. According to the journal The Importance of Communication, â€Å"There is a sheer necessity for personal effectiveness that stems from effective communication. Time and again researchers have reinforced the importance of communication and its impact at the workplace. † (Radhaswamy & Zia, 2011) If one is always being open and communicative, then networking should not be a problem. I want to not only be a good communicator and net worker, I also want to be a good listener to be able to get places and become someone. In order to fulfill my academic objectives, I need a plan to incorporate effective strategies for success as a student. How am I going to accomplish my goals and get them done? By me attending my classes and passing them, I get one step closer to receiving my bachelor’s degree. I need to push myself to do my best in all the assignments and test so I can pass all my courses. Each class requires students to complete papers and assignments that need to be written. With that in mind, I will be able to perfect my writing skills. I have to remember to proofread all my papers and really strive for the best. To become a better communicator and net worker, I need to put myself out there so other can get to know me. I need to find a mentor that is in the same career field as I am, so that that person can not only guide me but also help me when I need it. Nothing will get done I am willing to fully commit in achieving my academic objectives. The three academic objectives I would like to accomplish by graduation are not just to be a good student but also to set myself for greater things in life. Getting my bachelor’s degree, becoming a better writer and a better communicator/net worker are very important to me. With those three academic objectives, I will become a better employee, person and student. They are three essential things that any person can use in their lives to get further in their careers. I know with the motivation, want to succeed, and push from those around me, I can accomplish my three academic goals from here to graduation day. References Achieve, I. C. (2012). The Future of the U. S Workforce: Middle Skills Jobs and the Growing Importance of Postsecondary Education. Achieve, Inc. Radhaswamy, P. , & Zia, A. (2011). The Importance of Communication. IUP Journal Of Soft Skills, 5(4), 52-56.

By what methods does Fitzgerald present the Jazz Age Society’s preoccupation with wealth and materialism?

The â€Å"Great Gatsby† was published in 1925 and was set in the ‘Roaring Twenties’. This was a glamorous decade marked by cultural, artistic and social developments, but it was brought to an end by the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which triggered the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the 1920s, America became very prosperous as the country recovered from World War I. There was a policy of Prohibition. This meant that alcohol was illegal, but the continued demand meant there was a lot of money to be made from bootlegging. It was a time of social change; the younger generation started to rebel against tradition. For many people, and particularly women, the war provided new experiences and freedom. After the war, there was a strong desire to try new and exciting things and to break from tradition. Jazz music became popular because it was more energetic than earlier music styles. Fitzgerald coined the term ‘Jazz Age’. Flappers began to challenge traditional gender roles. Flappers were women who behaved in a way that was thought to be inappropriate by the older generation; they drank, smoked and wore revealing clothing. Fitzgerald sets â€Å"The Great Gatsby† in an altered version of Long Island and Manhattan. Great Neck and Manhasset Neck become East and West Eggs, and the large landfill site Flushing is renamed the ‘valley of ashes’. The main sites represent different elements of the 1920s east-American lifestyle; Manhattan’s skyscrapers and luxurious hotel suites but it is also filled with lonely clerks who spend all their time working, and gangsters who meet in seedy bars. The valley of ashes is a stretch of wasteland which sits between the other sites and connects them. The valley illustrates that the excesses of wealth can’t be achieved without exploiting another part of society. The wealthy upper classes who inherited their money live in East Egg, West Eggs hosts ‘new money’; people who have earned their money. The people who live in East Egg come from old, wealthy families and have inherited money. They see themselves as elegant and well-mannered. West Egg is the home of the ‘new money’; people who have recently made their money through business. The people of East Egg look down on the people who live in West Egg because they consider their family backgrounds to be ‘inferior’ and their ostentatious displays of wealth to be in bad taste. Gatsby realises that money isn’t enough to cross the social divide between himself and Daisy; he needs to be upper class to be seen as her equal. His affected speech and imported shirts are an attempt to imitate the upper classes. Religion has been replaced by consumerism and the pursuit of pleasure. The characters live aimless lives that revolve around pleasing themselves and acquiring new possessions. For example, the guests at Gatsby’s parties focus on drinking, looking for new lovers, and trying to make ‘easy money’. The conversation between Michaelis and Wilson in Chapter eight suggests that consumerism has replaced religion; ‘You may fool me, but you can’t fool God! ’†¦Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleberg†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Wilson mistakes the eyes of the advertisement for God. This shows that the eyes actually have no meaning except for the meaning that the characters give them. This could reflect the feeling of the ‘lost generation’ that life is essentially meaningless and is defined only by the values the people give it. Consumerism promises that material objects will make you happy and give your life meaning. However, material possessions don’t make people happy; in the novel this is symbolised by the fact that cars, a desirable consumer item, cause death and destruction. The idea that consumerism has replaced religious value in reinforced throughout â€Å"The Great Gatsby†; Fitzgerald mentions the ‘Presbyterian nymphs’ in the speakeasy, a place where people could illegally buy and drink alcohol during prohibition, in Chapter 4. This use of religious language could suggest that religious symbols have lost their power, and are at home in places of corruption. Weddings are a religious and legal union of a couple, but Daisy’s wedding to Tom is used primarily to display their extravagant wealth. Tom brings ‘four private cars’ and hires ‘a whole floor’ of hotel. Gatsby’s car ‘scattered light’ across the landscape and has ‘fenders spread like wings’. These descriptions give the car qualities often associated with religion; it’s source of light and is winged like an angel. Most of the characters in the novel are very wealthy and live a life of luxury. The rich and glamorous atmosphere defines the noel’s tone; the focus on the upper-class lifestyle gives the novel a mood of lively extravagance. For example, Gatsby owns a beach, motor-boats and a Rolls-Royce and his parties are full of ‘faces and voices and colour’. However, this society is contrasted with the poverty of those living near to the valley of ashes. The location of the valley of ashes between the wealthy Egg communities and New York makes the contrast stronger. There is also a constant sense that the glamorous lives of the upper classes are essentially meaningless; beneath the surface, everyone is bored because they have no purpose; Daisy seems to realise this when she asks what they should do ‘this afternoon†¦and they day after that, and the next thirty years? . Many friendships appear superficial. For example, Gatsby’s parties are full of ‘enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names’. This shows that the society is full of pretence and loneliness. Many of Gatsby’s guests had tragic fates. For example, ‘drowned’, â €˜strangled his wife’, ‘killed himself’. This reinforces the message that behind the light-hearted partying, much of society was deeply unhappy. Fitzgerald’s portrayal invites the reader to be critical of the character’s empty, materialistic lives while simultaneously making those lives seem exciting and beautiful. This reflects his own attitude towards wealth. The characters are defined by their relationship with money; it affects how they act, how they see themselves and how others see them; Nick is confused about how to respond to wealth and decadence. When he begins his banking career he suggests his role models are ‘Midas and Morgan and Maecenas’. At the same time Nick says that Gatsby’s empty display of wealthy ‘represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn’. Daisy and Tom take their wealth for granted. Tom assumes it is his natural right to be at the top of society, and Daisy was ‘casual’ about the beautiful house she grew up in. this attitude makes them ‘careless people’; they never worry when they hurt other people, they can retreat ‘back into their money’. Gatsby used to be ‘extravagantly ambitious’ and focused on financial gain. However, the Gatsby that Nick meets doesn’t get involved in the decadence of his own parties. This suggests that he has grown to be indifferent to his wealth; he just sees it as a means towards winning Daisy. For Myrtle, money buys happiness; she gets pleasure from her cold cream, pet dog and magazines. Her opinion of her husband was damaged by the realisation that he couldn’t afford to buy a suit for their wedding. Money takes on a meaning beyond its financial wealth. For Gatsby, money is confused with love. He says Daisy’s voice is ‘full of money’, linking his longing for her with his longing for the wealth and status that she represents. Gatsby understands the relationship between love and money. Daisy’s voice, he says, is ‘full of money’; it is the seductive, thrilling aspect of her. What Gatsby, with surprising consciousness, states is that Daisy’s charm is allied to the attraction of wealth; money and love hold similar attractions. Gatsby, with his boundless capacity for love sees that the pursuit of money is tied to his love for Daisy; and he knows himself well enough to see this. That Daisy’s voice is ‘full of money’ is a remark only Gatsby could make. It is a statement of someone attune to the possibilities of love and money and sensitive to them; perhaps too much. Tom could never have provided this description of Daisy; his attraction to her has nothing to do with wealth. Tom is accustomed to having money; money holds no interest for him because it does have to be chased after; his is old money simply there to be used. Tom may buy anything he wishes; from polo ponies to cufflinks; but he understands that polo ponies or cufflinks are all he is buying. Myrtle only cares about appearance and material possessions. Myrtle claims not to care about clothes; ‘I just slip it on sometimes when I don’t care what I look like’, but actually she’s obsessed with her appearance; she changes clothes regularly and buys cold cream and perfume. She wears bold colours, in contrast to Daisy who wears white but when Myrtle changes into a cream dress, her ‘vitality’ changes to ‘hauteur’. This shows that she thinks breeding is all about appearance. She’s also concerned with other people’s appearances. She was seduced by Tom’s clothes the first time she met him, mentioning that he wore ‘a dress suit and patent leather shoes’ as well as a ‘white shirt-front’. It’s significant that Myrtle pretended to be ‘looking at the advertisement’ instead of looking at Tom, because both Tom and the advertised product represent Myrtle’s greed for material objects and wealth. Tom Buchanan represents the immorality and materialism of the ‘Jazz Age’. Fitzgerald thought that the ‘Jazz Age’ was hypocritical and this is reflected by Tom’s behaviour; he is appalled when he learns of Daisy’s affair with Gatsby, but he has lots of affairs himself. He criticises Gatsby for ‘sneering at family life’, but ‘was God knows where’ when his daughter was born. He also criticises Gatsby for knowing criminals and for being a bootlegger, but Tom also knows criminals and he likes to drink, which shows that he doesn’t follow the prohibition laws either. He sets a high moral standard for other people, such as Gatsby, but has no morals himself. Nick notes that he moves ‘from libertine to prig’ to suit his needs. Tom’s wealth and sense of superiority makes him ‘careless’ and uncaring. Nick summarises Tom and Daisy’s behaviour when he says ‘they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money†¦and let other people clean up the mess†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. They run away from their problems and never face the consequences. He acts as a foil to Gatsby; Gatsby is loyal, sensitive and caring whilst Tom is more or less the opposite. For example, he only seems to start caring for Daisy when he sees he could lose her. This suggests his reaction is as much about pride and possessiveness as about actually caring for her. The fact that Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby highlights the shallow and materialistic nature of the ‘Jazz Age’ society. Like Daisy, Tom is materialistic; he has to appear to have the best of everything. For example, he was married with ‘more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew’.

Biblical Worldview Essay

The foundation to the Christian faith is the belief that mankind is created in the image of God. But what does the image of God look like? Mankind has debated for years on what Jesus looked like, whether he was white in pigment or black. I feel that me believing mankind was created in the image of affects the way I interact with people tremendously. Believing in mankind believes in life, which is essentially synonymous with the word heart. Since mankind was created in the image of God, my job as a United States Sailor is to protect life, which in the bible is referred to as heart. By protecting and defending my country I am walking in the image god created. â€Å"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. â€Å"(Ezekiel 36:26) A new spirit I will put within you is telling me by protecting mankind from evil its allowing someone to receive the new spirit. Removing the hea rt of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh, is blessing someone with a second chance a life. Heart refers to life, as well as spirit. Joining the military gave me a new heart and spirit and god helped me understand why I needed to enlisted and serve my country. My country is god’s creation and if I believe that mankind is created in the image of god I will allow him to give me a new heart and spirit. With my new heart and spirit I will be able to help others and help them to see how they were created in the image of god because they are living proof. God has given them life and as a sailor it’s my duty to protect their life. Understanding the meaning of mankind was created in the image of god will help in your everyday life. â€Å"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.† (Psalm 51:10) Since we all were created in the image of god we were created with a clean heart and once we accept that we are the image of god we will all be renewed a right spirit within us. I think this passage is relevant to being created in the image of god and life. As a Christian once you have accepted god as your savior and understand the meaning of it, you will have a clean heart and renewed spirit which will give you life. As a sailor I’ve struggled with understanding how everyone who enlisted in the military is created in the image of god until I looke d around and saw just a uniform and not what anyone looked like. Whether a sailor was white, Asian, Mexican, Black, or mixed we were all the same because we all were given life and the opportunity to accept god as our savior. Also we go to church on the ship and realize there we are all created in the image of god and we exemplify that in our day to day lives when we have general quarters and are protecting each other from them enemy. Part of being made in God’s image is that all mankind has the capacity to make free choices. â€Å"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.†(Proverbs 3:5-6) If you trust in the lord with all your heart you are making a free choice. You are choosing to live; you are choosing to acknowledge him and once you do that God will make your walk with god easier. Before I joined the military I did not trust in the lord with all my heart, which means my life. Until I got in a bad accident in 2008 and al most died and had to hear from the police that I should of died and there had to be an angel with me; I then realized I need to trust in the lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understand of what I thought god was. This passage from proverbs is my life. In order for me to fully understand all mankind, which means me, is created in the image of god I needed to accept that and trust in the Lord. This belief affects the way I interact with people within my chosen vocation, life, which is essentially synonymous with the word heart. †According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life.† â€Å"Heart† and â€Å"soul† are often used interchangeably (Deuteronomy 6:5; 26:16; Compare Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30 Mark 12:33), but this is not generally the case.† Heart in the Bible is the inner life that one lives before God and himself. Understanding that with every action you take in life you will interact with people differently. You would respect them knowing that every human being was created in the image of god and given life just like you. Also I treat people how I want to be treated and not to judge some one. This is a conscious choice that I make because I understand that mankind is the image of god and not just in a physical aspect. We have been given hearts, which in the bible refers to the mind. However, if you did not have life you would not have a mind, and if you were not created in the image of god you would not exists. Refrences: http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/eastons-bible-dictionary/heart.html M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.