Understanding Organisations and the Role of Human Resources Essay Example for Free

Understanding Organisations and the Role of Human Resources Essay Welcome to Alan Howards. Thank you for joining our lively and energetic workforce. Alan Howard is one of the UK’s largest professional Hair and Beauty wholesalers, a speciality retailer and distributor of professional Hair and Beauty supplies and equipment. Alan Howards was established 22 years ago opening its first store in Stockport followed by the Oldham store and slowly expanding and taking over other local wholesalers such as EWD and Salon Services, to now having 22 branches across the North West of England. The company is family run by Howard Littler owner of the company and 2 sons Anton and Jonathan directors of the company. To shop at Alan Howards you have to provide evidence to qualify to be a trade customer such as a qualification in hair or beauty or have the appropriate evidence to show you are a business owner or retailer. We offer our services in store, online and as an over the phone order and delivery service. Alan Howards stores provide products and a service, business to business and business to public offering more than 6,000 professional products for hair, skin and nails. Through professional lines such as Wella, L’Oreal and Schwarzkopf, along with our outside sales consultants generate up to 9,000 sales of exclusive to Alan Howards professional branded products such as Matrix, Joico, Fudge, St Tropez and more targeted for professional and salon use also for salon to retail to customers and for retailers to sell to general public. Our mission here at Alan Howards is to provide the best products on the market to help  with whatever women and men are looking for and make them feel beautiful, it is also our goal to be the leading wholesaler in the UK providing the best quality and prices and the best customer service to our shoppers, so they feel confident in shopping with us and loyal to our organisation. Our vision statement is to be the ultimate hair and beauty product provider, fulfilling needs and creating desire for our customers now and in the future. Pestle analysis is an analytical tool which considers external factors and helps to thin k about their impact. Pestle is understanding the environment you are operating in by understanding your environment you can minimise threats this provides the context within which more detailed planning can take place to take full advantage of the opportunities. Each factor of the pestle analysis influences Alan Howards (see below). P – Political E – Economic S – Sociological T – Technological L – Legal E – Environmental Political implications are change of government which can change vat rates which impacts our buyers and our customers which impact on the products and services we provide. An economical factor is the recession which has affected Alan Howard’s product sales with sales dropping, not as many new businesses are opening and current salons and retailers closing down, another economical factor is Alan Howard resources stock internationally, however the ever changing exchange rate has a high influence on when and what business is carried out as the pound becomes weaker we are often restricted. A sociological impact on the business is an ageing workforce with senior management staff due to retire also ageing customers with loyal customers reaching retirement age. Technology has impacted the business with competing retailers establishing accounts on social media websites, social media is a key component for free publicity, this is an area to focus on being able to capture new young audiences. A legal impact which has impacted the company is the product selling catchment which has impacted on the company’s expansion another legal impact on the company is the change in the law on the selling and storing of hazardous products such as peroxide and acetone. An environmental impact on the company is the waste disposal policy, that all waste materials and out of date stock and hazardous stock are disposed in the correct way for example all recycled materials are recycled, another environmental impact for the company will be Zero Waste Britain in 2015 the company will be charging 5p per bag. Organisation  structure is very important within a company as it helps form a hierarchy and span of control within an organisation. With Alan Howards bei ng a large company that keeps on growing the structure of the company is a hierarchical structure as it has many levels, a hierarchical structure is sometimes called a pyramid structure because at each level downwards there are more employees. The owner and directors are responsible for making the majority of decisions this is good for the company as owner and directors have full visibility of the company at all times. This also means that many people on the pyramid are consulted before it reaches the directors and owner, which leads to a slow reaction to changes. Some of the functions of the organisation are Sales, HR, IT, Payroll, Management, Finance and more. These functional areas all work together to maintain the company hitting their goals. In order to optimise Alan Howard’s performance the functions of the company work together HR implements company policy’s such as payroll, maternity, paternity and pensions for example payroll needs to be kept up to date from managers to make correct pay for staff. HR are also important for employing and resourcing the best staff offering the correct training to optimise sales and company performance, HR also support and manage staff performance and targets. The IT de partment is also an important function within our business all data presentations are stored on our systems also invoices and accounts. As a company we use online banking so it’s important that our branch managers bank everyday so that our IT department is always up to date and in working order so the company can function properly. The final function in our company is the finance department this is who controls all the money coming in and out of the company including banking, purchasing, chasing account payments, invoicing and also giving buyers up to date budgets. All four of these functions are a vital part of the company to achieve its goals all these function work with communication to one another which is done face to face, over the telephone, with the majority being through emails This is often used as it’s an effective quick way to communicate there is also a document trail of every process which can be tracked if needed it also makes it easier to keep directors and owners up to date. Organisational culture is the attitude, beliefs and values which benefit the company. Over time, tradition and structure Alan Howards has built up its own positive culture culture as most organisations do. Alan  Howard is a mixture of a power culture and role culture, giving a sense of identity to the company and the people connected to the company, shows a sense of what we stand for and what we do. Product buying decisions are centralised around 4 key members of the company being Howard the owner, Anton or Johnathan the directors or Louise head buyer, but also using the role culture for other areas of the organisation such as customer service with various functions split each individual within the function is assigned a particular roll. A positive culture adds value to the organisation and motivates staff. The strategies adopted by our organisation can be influenced internally and externally. HR is involved in the install planning process and with the formation of the business plan detailing objectives to achieve. HR liaises between directors, management and staff to ensure policies and procedures are applied fairly and interaction between HR department, directors, managers and staff are utilized on a daily basis. The main HR activities which take place within the organisation is training, job analysis, recruitment and selection, job advertisements, resourcing talent and managing change, setting and communicating clear performance expectations. Three ways in which HR support line manager within Alan Howards is coaching and development, health and safety, managing conflict. Coaching and development Managers have a great deal of people management responsibilities in addition to their daily workload. HR often offers management the guidance and skills needed to help develop their team and improve their skills providing them with accurate information and guidance. This provides mangers with increased confidence to manage staff. Health and Safety Alan Howards has to comply with health and safety law. HR has contributed to the creation of health and safety policies for the company. Managers are responsible for reducing the risk of workplace dangers and guarantee a safe environment for staff and customers. HR provides managers with training on health and safety laws also first aid and fire marshal training. We have maintained records of accidents in the workplace and insure that reviews take place promptly after any incident that takes place. Conflict Management Managers frequently have to manage disputes at work. Identifying and addressing underlying tension before escalating is key to reduce incidents within the team. We do this by providing clear exceptions on behaviours required of all employees and encourage managers to hold appraisals to evaluate performance and job satisfaction. HR develiver coacting in conflict management and employment law HR also act as mediators when conflict develops and can provide staff counselling.

First World War Essay Example for Free

First World War Essay I have focussed my monologue on the character of Sheila Birling. Her role in the play was significant as it is coming from the point of view of a young, upper class woman. Her naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve views represent her role as an authoritative figure in society who has the ability to help Eva Smith, but her selfishness and her egotistic manner contradicts the main theme running through out the play of An Inspector Calls that one persons actions impact anothers and we all have a duty in helping people lower in the system. JB Priestley wrote the play in 1942 about a retrospective time just before the First World War. Sheilas main role in the play was that she was able and had the power to get Eva sacked because of her position in society, whereas Eva, who was of a lower class than Sheila, was not able to stand up for herself because she did not have enough power. Sheila abuses her superior position in society for petty reasons of that Eva is prettier than her.  I chose to write about her, as she is a very expendable character who has no firm reason or purpose in firing Eva Smith. When the inspector questions Sheila about the photo Sheila says You Knew it was me all the time, didnt you? By saying this Sheila opens herself up (explain) and seems to accept responsibility for her actions and is showing this to the inspector, rather than trying to cover the truth up with lies, or try to pass on the blame to others as some characters in the play do. Her character I think is important in the play, as I believe that Priestly was trying to demonstrate later on in the play that the youth could change. The setting of my monologue of Sheila alone and isolated symbolises her distance from what she was once in the play. The year now being 1916, four years down the line, she has turned her back on the aristocratic life and is trying to dissolve into an unprivileged life.  Her clothes are the colour of green and brown that shake off her previous character of wealth and affluence as to her new attempted classless status. Sheila has disconnected herself from the Birlings and perhaps is trying to punish herself by living the life that the Eva Smith once led. Sheilas job now includes working at homeless shelters and working for charities. Her language has become less energetic and fluent than it once was. I have however tried to include some of the phrases from the play it was a mean thing to do I tried to make use of punctuation and grammar to create her feelings and emotions. In the monologue I have use ellipsis to show pauses, when she might be thinking or reflecting on painful memories. Exclamation marks are used to get her point across that she is getting agitated and snappy To the audience, I was trying to convey the ideas of Sheila being a changed woman. That she has come to realise that status and power isnt everything. She can look past this now and look forward to a happy future with her new baby and Gerald, her husband.  I think the Play writers view on Sheila and all the characters from the play was that the younger generation can learn from their mistakes, and he directs strong criticism towards businessmen who are only interesting in making money and will never lean from their mistakes. Sheilas the second person to be questioned by the Inspector and her response to Evas death is the most caring and heartfelt. She is genuinely upset by the death of Eva. The play is set in 1912. The periods between 1910 and 1945 were a great period of social change. In 1912 was the year that the titanic set sail, the year that the Suffragette movement started campaigning for womens rights in society. The war being a main factor, affecting society greatly and it began the process of merging class boundaries. The upper class young men were sent to the front line as officers and where many of the great landed families of Edwardian Great Britain began to disappear. My overall intention with this monologue was to understand the significant character of the young, impressionable Sheila Birling and how she is central to the key themes in the play and how the Inspector plays the social conscience on all the characters minds.  By the close of the play, Sheila has come to realise that herself and her family have lied to each other, and also to the Inspector. She begins to see her whole life was a lie, the relationship she had with Gerald and lying to herself. She begins to see that she needs to start her life again with truth, starting with correcting her mistakes.

Vodafone Advertising Strategies Analysis

Vodafone Advertising Strategies Analysis Marketing Strategy is a key part of overall corporate strategy, which is concerned with developing plans for finding out what customers want and then effectively meeting their requirements. Vodafones marketing aim is to attain market leadership, network quality and maximize the customer satisfaction. They strategy used by Vodafone is customer focused and product led; the company is continually developing new products and services which utilise the latest technological advances. The aim is extended to provide the customers with e value added services and also competitive charges to the existing customers. The objective of the study is to understand the advertisement strategies adopted by Vodafone Essar in India, and to study the effectiveness of the campaign of Vodafone- Indian Premiere League Season 2 and to make a study of effectiveness of the advertisement strategies of Vodafone in their current market. Vodafone is the most valuable as well as leading international telecommunication company. It has partnered a joint venture in the Indian market with the Essar Group. Essar is a perfect example of the diversified business corporation which is spanning the services and the manufacturing sectors, for eg, steel, shipping and logistics, communications, energy etc. This group has a base asset of about 400 million rupees and an employee group of more than 20,000 people. 21st September 2007, the launch of memorable joint venture, the Vodafone Essar group. Vodafone in India was welcomed with a fantastic phrase Hutch is now Vodafone campaign. Hutch was as it is very famous among people of India, now it was wisely transitioned to Vodafone. This was a significant chapter in the history of telecom, as the evolution of Vodafone, considered to be a very dynamic and at the time ever-growing brand. This brand across India was unveiled country wide through high profile ad-campaign. This migration of Hutch to Vodafone was the fastest and most comprehensive in the history, with 400,000 multi-brands outlets, from which over 350 were Vodafone stores, over 1,000 mini stores, over 35 mobile stores and over 3,000 touch points that were rebranded within 2 months. The company now has 74.08 million customers**. It has earned titles over the years that are Most Respected Telecom Company, the Best Mobile Services in the Country, Most Creative and Most Effective Advertiser of the Year. The study has found out that the advertisement strategies that have been used by the Vodafone Essar have give them better results by increasing their sales. This fact has been proved by the various research tools that can be used such as the correlation, hypethesis testing. This research will sure help the companies to work and improve their advertising strategies, because advertisements are the best ways to convince the people about our brand or product, and make their minds to go and get them. Problem Statement The research statement is To study and analyze the effectiveness of the advertisement strategies adopted by the Vodafone Essar Group The above problem statement quoted is not exactly a research that is to be performed instead it is an analysis to find out whether the advertisement of Vodafone Essar were effective or not. This study will definitely benefit the company by suggesting them if any future changes required in the present strategies. This will also help them in attaining good result in the next financial year with better sales. Research Objectives The objectives of the research are To understand the advertisement strategies of Vodafone Essar. A study of the effectiveness of the campaign used in the Indian Premiere League season -2. To study the effectiveness of the advertisement strategies in the current the market condition. Vodafones Marketing Strategies : Hutch to Vodafone Re-branding of Hutch with Vodafone Vodafones new advertisement strategies started with the very same and familiar character of pug, brand ambassador of Hutch, the hutch dog. Tagline previously was wherever you go, our networks follows with the pug following the child wherever he goes. The message given with the brand transition exercise was The new Vodafone is the same old Hutch. In the advertisement the pug finds a new house after it returns from an outing and feels that the new change is better. They came with the new catch phrase Make the most now. Vodafone had also tied up with the entertainment channels like Star India to run the advertisements and completely roadblock it for 24-hours with the rebranding campaign. Vodafone used all its commercial airtime on 13 channels in 5 different languages from 9pm 20th September to 9pm 21st September to show this campaign. Promotion of the Re-branding to the public Conventionally if we see, for any rebranding to be promoted requires ample period of time. But this challenge was readily taken by Star Network and Maxus, to make it as fast as possible by road blocking the channels on the day of rebranding taken place. Since Star is the leading network in India, this platform proved itself to be very beneficial for the launch of the Vodafone. This not only helped in promoting the brand awareness but also breaks the clutter going on the most happening sector of telecom. The print media came into picture on 21st September one day after the splash from the television. While the rebrand campaign were doing their work on television on the other hand the company was preparing itself to fight the price war, which was again very important factor firstly in telecom sector and secondly in the Indian market. Entry of Vodafone in the Handsets Market Vodafone also launched low-costs handsets to its new subscribers under the Vodafone brand and also co-branded the handsets sourced from the other global vendors. This was done by bringing many low- costs handsets from around the world into India. Vodafone distributed these handsets through its network of 400,000 outlets. By doing all this Vodafone also became a mass mobile phone brand along with continuing to stay as the telecom service provider. The above strategy was used by the CDMA players like RCOM and TATA Tele-services but Vodafone was the first GSM to do this. The Vodafone, a communication leader in an increasingly connected world also enriches the lives of the consumers, helping the individuals, businesses and also the communities to be more connected by delivering them their total communication needs. Vodafones logo is itself a representation of that belief the start of a new conversation, a trigger, a catalyst, a mark of true pioneering. Advertising is the most frequently used tool to support or promote the rebranding, also its very easy, flexible and quick to change. There are also many examples where advertising has rebranded and repositioned or strengthen brands. There were also examples which developed strong emotional link with the public. The advertising agency of Hutch and now Vodafone, O M(Ogilvy and Mather) had two-folded task to do, first to announce the entry of Vodafone to India and second to highlight the transition of Hutch to Vodafone. Which they did very wisely with the pug, in a campaign they showed the pug coming out of the pink kennel and then entering into the red one, the pink color depicted Hutch whereas the red depicted the Vodafone. A more energetic and chirpier version of the song You and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ tune associated with Hutch was also played towards the end and it concludes Change is Good, Hutch is now Vodafone. Advertising agency that proved the success of Vodafone OM also introduced four commercials, which had animated boy and a girl who launched the logo of this new brand to consumers. The four creatives which were merely of 5 seconds included the duo peeping over the wall just to see the logo; parasailing with the logo flying high behind them; releasing a rocket bomb where the explosion in the air reveals the brand logo; and last was the trendy one in which curtain was raised in order to introduce the logo. Another bunch of four advertisements casted the very old Hutch dog pug. These commercials were of 10 seconds and they shot pug in the situations where he literally, saw red, color created the visual impact on the consumers this strategy made the public remember the color of the brand. The pug was shown in a basket that was red in color, popping from a red cart, drying itself on a mat which was also red in color, finally hiding itself in a beautiful red color blanket. Here also the target was fulfilled with the help of the punch line Hutch is now Vodafone. The print ads were working in their own way, in various languages and in various dailies. These print ads were made very simple as in a still shot of the pug was taken inside a red colored kennel. The same creative was used on the outdoor hoardings as well, in all the 16 circles in which Vodafone was now operating. It wasnt easy as it seems to be to integrate the two brands like Hutch and Vodafone. Hutch as is known is a subtle, understand the brand, while globally, Vodafone represents high energy, dynamics and young vitality, all these were represented by its bright red speech mark logo. And because of all this it always had a very energetic background music and feel of the ads. A few advertisement include Hutch is now Vodafone: if we watch any of the start channels or tuned to the 20-20 world cup, the ads were seen. On 11 February 2007, Vodafone agreed to acquire the controlling interest of 67% held by Cheung Kong Holdings in Hutch-Essar for US$11.1 billion and now had to rebrand itself so it had decided to run a new ad series which piggy banked on Hutchs dog mascot and the theme Change is Good. This required nearly 250 crores of spending by Vodafone, but they have successfully painted the town into their color that was red. The most interesting part of it was the 24 hours roadblock that was done on the day of rebranding on the channels of Star network, so that other than this one no other commercials was aired(apart from the in-channel promos). Vodafone also came up with the Valentine Day Special Ads: Vodafone released a very sweet and simple ad of the musical greetings that were targeted at the couples during the Valentine week. The feature of the campaign is its simplicity and believability and is quite well received. It uses the positioning Make the Most of Now enjoy the video. Vodafone Chota Credit Ink Ad: this ad came as a refreshing change and more so that this ad takes a very refreshing look at the school and at fountain pens. This ad creates very wonderfully subtle message which really puts the point of Chota(small) credit across. Vodafone and the Funny Advertisements Everyone likes Funny commercials. Creative people like creating them. Advertiser are pleased to be running them. The consumers enjoy watching them.(Roman and Mass, 1976) In market today there is a lot of competition among the producers, and a lot of choices among the buyers. There is actually a race for proving that one product is better than the other. Producers/ sellers apply a lot marketing skills and advertising strategies in gaining the attention of the public in market. Its a human nature to get attracted towards the things that relieve their minds from hectic schedule. Companies spend millions of dollars to make the public smile and make them buy their products. This can be done through the below ways: Funny ideas for advertisements Make customers Hoardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..use funny Billboard! Mascots dance to your tune by wearing funny costumes! Press the laughter button while they watch TV (zoo-zoo) Make Catchy Jinglesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Your stars would Twinkle!! Want heaps of money..Use inflatable that are funny Vodafone ZOOZOOZ Innovation is always a part of advertisements and the advertising agencies reach out for new ways to capture the prospective consumers heart. Vodafone capitalizes on the innovative ideas and always came with the new advertisements that took the brand on heights always. Out of all the commercials launched by Vodafone, ZOOZOOZ are the best. OM the mastermind behind Vodafone Zoozooz Advertisements and the main objective was to set the position of Vodafone as an innovative leader in the mobile services sector. The promotion strategy was to hit massive levels by maximising the target audience. IPL-2 was the best option for Vodafone to do go for. The advertising strategy behind it proved itself from the fact that the name Zoozooz got coupled with the brand Vodafone and gathered more publicity and reception than IPL. Repetition of the advertisements of Zoozooz may bore the viewers, so OM came up with new Zoozooz Ad every day. Zoozooz were the new brand ambassador for Vodafone, has created a furore in the advertising industry. Zoozooz succeeded in giving the exact makeover Vodafone was looking for along with amazing brand presence. ZOOZOOZ strategy hit in the market The main reason of the advertisement to succeed was that is was very well planned and launched during the time of the Indian Premiere League- 2 using it as its platform. Cricket in India in nothing less than religion, and Zoozooz captured attention of all those people who saw the matches, and this count was huge nearly 2 billion people were targeted through this campaign. People were so attracted that they use to wait eagerly for the break to come and to watch more stories of Zoozooz. Zoozooz has become such a hero in history of advertisements that people will not forget in generations to come. Zoozooz are basically animated character, with egg shaped head, round belly, but hands and legs are extremely thin. It was brand new and innovative concept and also Vodafone wonderfully promoted their services by creating different and more interesting stories featuring Zoozooz in it. The charm of the Zoozooz was so much that self-marketed strategy was also followed and they were instant success to the mass of people. Zoozooz for themselves created such huge audience and also gave boost to the brand of Vodafone. People were as it is excited about the cute and lovable character zoozoo, but this curiosity heighted when Vodafone disclosed that Zoozooz were not animated, rather humans were playing their characters. People became hungrier to know about their favourite Zoozoo. In the second phase Vodafone started promoting these characters on social media sites, which is considered to be a wise decision. People started joining fan club of Zoozooz on these social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and many more. Also the communication started building amongst these people. Vodafone also came up with the Zoozoo goodies like zoozoo toys, zoozoo mugs, zoozoo keychains, zoozoo t-shirt, etc. Zoozooz have now become a brand. Vodafone Zoozooz are the new Hutch Puppies One often wonders what is it about these advertisements that they clicked the people to certain extent. Is it merely because the Zoozooz are cute or is it because of the humour that is the base theme of the advertisements. Whatever it may but it has given Vodafone, the worlds leading mobile telecommunications company. Zoozooz were launched in the IPL-2 whereas in 2008 i.e. IPL-1 Vodafone came up the advertisement with tagline as Happy to Help services. An animated character was hired in 25 commercials to promote the various Value Added Services(VAS). Vodafone operates in the Oligopoly. Oligopoly is a market structure that has unique features because it is characterised by few sellers and mutual interdependence. Price, Quantity and Revenue are the main players of this market. There are various price wars (cutting down the price) as well as non price wars taking place. Advertising is the non-price war where advertisements are the way to cut the chance of the competitors by making use of various strategies. How did this Ad contribute to revenue Revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2009 rose to 10.7 pounds ($17.7 billion), in line with analyst estimates, clearly proved that the Ad has contributed maximum. Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao said that its total communications strategy was delivering well, with group data revenue 7 % higher than last years comparative period. He also said that the free cash flow generation was strong at  £ 1.9 billion, up 21%. But while Vodafone has shown signs of combating the recession; some areas of weakness still remained. Not considering the positive effect from foreign exchange fluctuations and acquisitions. Vodafone results also highlight several areas in its core businesses that require close attention. According to a report in the Telegraph on 24 July 2009, Vodafone the worlds largest mobile phone firm by revenues, reported sales in line with market expectations for that quarter to end-June as strength in India and Africa compensated for the weakness in Europe. According to CEO Vodafone added 8 million customers in this quarter, taking its proportionate customer base to 315 million. Growth in India and South Africa helped the mobile phone giant report a 9.3% rise in revenue in the three months to end of June to  £10.7 billion. Conclusion After going through the Advertisement Strategies of Vodafone, I conclude that promotion whether it be through print media or through the ads shown on television, plays a very important role in building a Brand. Hutch and Vodafone rebranding is the memorable and most big event in the telecommunication industry. And the advertisement made this event bigger by continuously broadcasting the ads for 24 hours on national television. The main motive is to make people know about your brand. And that is what is done excellently by Vodafone. The advertisement also puts a very big question in front of the other telecom companies, does having big movie stars and cricketers as their brand ambassador really help? Doesnt a simple white character with egg shaped head, round belly and thin legs called Zoozoo can gain the attention of masses. This is definitely a new trend and also a new wave. Thus it can be seen that oligopolistic market structure of this industry has played a significant role in the generation of revenue for Vodafone, especially through this unique advertising strategy.

Why Men Should Teach Feminism Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Critici

Why Men Should Teach Feminism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We were asked to focus on three questions related to men and feminism: first, what leads us to teach feminism; second and third, can or should a man teach courses or topics on feminism.   While my short answer to each question is â€Å"yes,† I have carefully examined my ideological history and experiences teaching women’s studies to be more certain of my response.   Not all of the varied aims of women’s studies and feminist activism are directed toward the sensibilities and status of men, nor should they be, but men are still an important audience for feminist discourse and should play a more active role in teaching feminism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thinking about the first question – what leads me to teach feminism – the answer stems from my belief that alliances matter in the struggle for progressive social change, and that allies must be enlisted to support the aims of ending sex and gender discrimination.   The histories of justice-seeking movements in the United States can help to illustrate why alliance building is necessary as a follow up to and a complement to the concentrated efforts of a dedicated base of activists, such as suffragists in the 19th century, young black students involved in sit-ins in the early 1960s, or protestors against the second Gulf War in our time.   Social movements often follow a trajectory that begins with radical activists confronting oppression with direct action, even when a cause appears unpopular.   If the efforts of an activist base are successful in calling attention to unjust social practices, a sizable minority or even a majority of the wider population may decide that they have a stake in the movement’s success, making possible such historic legislative achie... ...gues in the women’s studies program and other contexts has enriched my life far beyond the classroom.   In my future work, I will encourage others to learn from the history of feminism and to apply feminist pedagogy in the classroom.   My experiences being the only African American (and sometimes the only male) in many professional and personal settings have reinforced my conviction that the best hope for future progressive change is to build alliances that celebrate human commonality, and demonstrate for our students that (as June Jordan has written) â€Å"freedom is indivisible.†Ã‚   While we all can benefit from the comfort and even the catharsis that single-sex and single-race settings can provide, our students and our society are best served by cooperative, feminist-inspired work by women and men to challenge sexism, racism, and every other threat to freedom and justice. Why Men Should Teach Feminism Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Critici Why Men Should Teach Feminism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We were asked to focus on three questions related to men and feminism: first, what leads us to teach feminism; second and third, can or should a man teach courses or topics on feminism.   While my short answer to each question is â€Å"yes,† I have carefully examined my ideological history and experiences teaching women’s studies to be more certain of my response.   Not all of the varied aims of women’s studies and feminist activism are directed toward the sensibilities and status of men, nor should they be, but men are still an important audience for feminist discourse and should play a more active role in teaching feminism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thinking about the first question – what leads me to teach feminism – the answer stems from my belief that alliances matter in the struggle for progressive social change, and that allies must be enlisted to support the aims of ending sex and gender discrimination.   The histories of justice-seeking movements in the United States can help to illustrate why alliance building is necessary as a follow up to and a complement to the concentrated efforts of a dedicated base of activists, such as suffragists in the 19th century, young black students involved in sit-ins in the early 1960s, or protestors against the second Gulf War in our time.   Social movements often follow a trajectory that begins with radical activists confronting oppression with direct action, even when a cause appears unpopular.   If the efforts of an activist base are successful in calling attention to unjust social practices, a sizable minority or even a majority of the wider population may decide that they have a stake in the movement’s success, making possible such historic legislative achie... ...gues in the women’s studies program and other contexts has enriched my life far beyond the classroom.   In my future work, I will encourage others to learn from the history of feminism and to apply feminist pedagogy in the classroom.   My experiences being the only African American (and sometimes the only male) in many professional and personal settings have reinforced my conviction that the best hope for future progressive change is to build alliances that celebrate human commonality, and demonstrate for our students that (as June Jordan has written) â€Å"freedom is indivisible.†Ã‚   While we all can benefit from the comfort and even the catharsis that single-sex and single-race settings can provide, our students and our society are best served by cooperative, feminist-inspired work by women and men to challenge sexism, racism, and every other threat to freedom and justice.

All Quiet on the Western Front: Youth at War Essay -- Literary Analysi

All Quiet on the Western Front: The Youth at War Lost: unable to find one’s way; gone, no longer in existence; confused; destroyed; lacking morals, or spiritual hope; forlorn.(Encarta Dictionary) The word lost takes on a whole new, three-dimensional meaning when used to describe a generation of young soldiers in Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front. This fictional account of the First World War traces its effects on the protagonist, Paul Baumer, and his German comrades. As written in the preface, the novel is an attempt â€Å"to tell of a generation of men, who even though they may have escaped the shells, were destroyed by the war†. The author of All Quiet on the Western Front utilizes the brutality of war to demonstrate how young enlisters, as they become alienated from their past and future, learn of war’s terrible effects and consequences. All Quiet on the Western Front details the time spent by a group of young German soldiers on the front lines of the Great War. The protagonist, Paul Baumer, along with his schoolmates, Muller Leer and Albert Kropp, enlist in the army at the ripe age of eighteen. Their fellow soldiers: Tjaden, Haier Westhus, Detering, and Katczinsky (Kat), whom they quickly form a bond of comradeship with, experience the same hopelessness as Paul and his schoolmates. Remarque introduces Paul and the other characters as cynical soldiers lacking the ability to reconnect with humanity because of the harshness of combat. Due to their current emotional state, the young soldiers are alienated from memories of their past. Upon his return home on leave, Paul discovers that he is not only disconnected from the world he left behind, but also incapable of regenerating a desire to live life. As a... ...fe. Remarque uses the contrast between the older generations of soldiers, schoolmasters, and men with higher military rank to convey how the youth at war are more negatively affected. As Barker and Last conclude, â€Å" only the older generation, like Kat, will be able to slip back more or less unscarred into civil life....†(82) Paul argues that the older generation â€Å"represented the world of maturity† that was â€Å"associated with greater insight and a more humane wisdom.†(Remarque 12-3) However, this ideal in which their elders signified was quickly shattered by the reality of war. Remarque conveys in his book that the older generation had suffered less because the war was a mere â€Å"interruption†, the young men, in contrast, â€Å"have been gripped by it and do not know what the end maybe. We know only that in some strange and melancholy way we have become a wasteland.† (20)

The Portrayal of Socially Destructive and Over-Ambitious Richard, in Sh

Richard, the main character of the Shakespeare’s play, Richard III is portrayed as socially destructive and politically over-ambitious. His destructive potential is depicted by the way he relates with the other protagonists in the play and also by what he confesses as his intentions. Richard’s political ambition is revealed through his strategic calculations based on the order of birth in his York family which puts him third away from the throne. Ahead of him is his elder brother, George Clarence, a barrier which will have to eradicate. His brother, King Edward, is another political barrier, by simply being alive, in power and equally by being the father of the two young princes . Richard’s creates a political mistrust between his two brothers without directly implicating himself to clear his way to power. The main objective of this essay is to show how well Richard fits the figure of vice character in the Shakespeare’s play. We are going to examine this aspect of Richard from two dimensions. First of all, through his expressed intentions, motivations and deeds. Secondly, through what other characters accuse him of and their attitudes towards him. It will not be possible for us to revisit each character and how he or she relates with Richard. However, Anne, Margaret, the Duchess of York, citizens, the ghosts and finally Richmond will be examined. Richard, the villain From the beginning of the play, the character of Richard is depicted as amiss. Thomas More’s account of King Richard states that King Richardâ€Å"was malicious, wrathful, envious, and, from afore his birth ever forward† (More, 2005:10).King Richard’s mother, the Duchesse of York is said to have had a hard labour at his birth. Richard is said to have come into the wor... ...ueen Margaret, England will remain in turmoil. Conclusion Shakespeare introduces to us a character who is evil according to the moral judgement of the moment. He does not respect the social values and norms. For him social taboos such as incest and crimes such as murder cease to be wrong once they become instruments of power. He is Satan incarnated, cunning, greedy and destructive. He has no respect for those who observe social, norms, family ethics and political loyalty. As a King, he governs with terror and assassinates those whose views differ from his. To us he is a dictator. The citizens are scared at the idea of being ruled by him. Their future is doomed with Richard in power. His own relatives and ghost shower him with curses and wants his downfall. Those who remain by his side are governed by fear lest they loose their lives and those of their loved ones.

Are we humans the product of nature or nurture? Essay

Nature is how much of your personality is genetic, what you were born with. Nurture is how much of your personality was caused because of your environment, how you were raised. So does nature or nurture contribute more to someone’s personality and behaviour? Or do they both play a role in shaping our lives? I hope to come to a conclusion with this debate in the end of my thesis. With nurturing, people tend to observe others actions and behaviour, and try to be like others. As a result, the human behaviour is the result of experience and imitating. The social learning theory suggests that we learn through imitation and observation. It also suggests that people learn within the environment and get approval from the public by learning through an influential model. Bandura, a known psychologist found that according to this theory, a model can be the main cause for learning new actions. However, when there is a role model that illustrates bad behaviour, that behaviour could be imitated by young children. A few psychologists criticised Bandura’s theories- where children behaved more aggressively after observing violent acts from their family members. This meant that children, who witness their parent’s aggressive behaviour, have a higher risk of being abusive later on in their life. This theory is also questionable as there could be other factors, like genetics, which affect the behaviour. Our behaviour is more influenced by the genes we inherit than the environment we are brought up in. When socialisation does affect our identities, genetic and hormonal factors have a greater impact. For instance, there was a twin study, where the research twins had been separated at birth and adopted by different families. They both had met a wife with the same name, and their dogs had the same name, with many other striking similarities. They met 39 years after being separated. This proves that intelligence and talents are more likely genetic than environmental. Some scientists say, when contrasts are made between genetically connected twins, it is simple and easy to take account on the similarities and then overlook the behaviours that are distinct. For a person’s physical features; the appearance, genes play a bigger role. Yet, in the making of one’s individuality and behaviour, it can be nothing more than the environment they are raised in and how they are nurtured. People are sometimes taught into a certain style and norms. Evidently, in religions, whether you’re Christian or Muslim, you are raised up with the customs that follow the religion. So its indoctrinated to you when growing up. Some people may say, no two people have the exact same genes. So everyone is genetically one of a kind. Also, people may have been raised in similar environments, so they are nearly the same nurture-wise. Then, nature could have a bigger impact. The actions of someone’s life can occur without being learned by the individual. It is believed that inherent or innate behaviour comes from the genetic structure of an individual. For instance, alcoholism, bipolar disorder or depression are all psychological disorders that can be passed heritably from a parent to the child. Studies show that children who have alcoholic parents with similar genetics are 4 times more likely to become alcoholic than children with parents are not alcoholic. The question still arises, born or raised an addict? Some would disagree with the fact that it is all in the genetics. Maybe the people around you are the bigger influence in you wanting to take a swig of the booze. And that’s where the social factors come in to play. Likewise, the media could portray the fact that over drinking can be acceptable. With everyone having their own judgments, there is no exact answer to this. In the end, not everyone may come into agreement with this debate. The nature and nurture of an individual can fluctuate to a great extent. Some things are hard to decide if they are inherited or learned by the surroundings. I believe that genes can bring about certain behaviours in an individual. Moreover, that the environment and upbringing can help make the behaviour precede to something more than just behaviour, possibly a talent. For example, a boy may be good at tennis. He will need the proper surroundings where he can develop his skills to play more tennis. Nature and nurture work  hand in hand. Nature needs nurture to convey the behaviour of an individual. Thus, the known terms of this distinguished debate should not be ‘nature versus nurture’ but ‘nature and nurture’. ï » ¿Are we humans the product of nature or nurture? Essay Nature is how much of your personality is genetic, what you were born with. Nurture is how much of your personality was caused because of your environment, how you were raised. So does nature or nurture contribute more to someone’s personality and behaviour? Or do they both play a role in shaping our lives? I hope to come to a conclusion with this debate in the end of my thesis. With nurturing, people tend to observe others actions and behaviour, and try to be like others. As a result, the human behaviour is the result of experience and imitating. The social learning theory suggests that we learn through imitation and observation. It also suggests that people learn within the environment and get approval from the public by learning through an influential model. Bandura, a known psychologist found that according to this theory, a model can be the main cause for learning new actions. However, when there is a role model that illustrates bad behaviour, that behaviour could be imitated by young children. A few psychologists criticised Bandura’s theories- where children behaved more aggressively after observing violent acts from their family members. This meant that children, who witness their parent’s aggressive behaviour, have a higher risk of being abusive later on in their life. This theory is also questionable as there could be other factors, like genetics, which affect the behaviour. Our behaviour is more influenced by the genes we inherit than the environment we are brought up in. When socialisation does affect our identities, genetic and hormonal factors have a greater impact. For instance, there was a twin study, where the research twins had been separated at birth and adopted by different families. They both had met a wife with the same name, and their dogs had the same name, with many other striking similarities. They met 39 years after being separated. This proves that intelligence and talents are more likely genetic than environmental. Some scientists say, when contrasts are made between genetically connected twins, it is simple and easy to take account on the similarities and then overlook the behaviours that are distinct. For a person’s physical features; the appearance, genes play a bigger role. Yet, in the making of one’s individuality and behaviour, it can be nothing more than the environment they are raised in and how they are nurtured. People are sometimes taught into a certain style and norms. Evidently, in religions, whether you’re Christian or Muslim, you are raised up with the customs that follow the religion. So its indoctrinated to you when growing up. Some people may say, no two people have the exact same genes. So everyone is genetically one of a kind. Also, people may have been raised in similar environments, so they are nearly the same nurture-wise. Then, nature could have a bigger impact. The actions of someone’s life can occur without being learned by the individual. It is believed that inherent or innate behaviour comes from the genetic structure of an individual. For instance, alcoholism, bipolar disorder or depression are all psychological disorders that can be passed heritably from a parent to the child. Studies show that children who have alcoholic parents with similar genetics are 4 times more likely to become alcoholic than children with parents are not alcoholic. The question still arises, born or raised an addict? Some would disagree with the fact that it is all in the genetics. Maybe the people around you are the bigger influence in you wanting to take a swig of the booze. And that’s where the social factors come in to play. Likewise, the media could portray the fact that over drinking can be acceptable. With everyone having their own judgments, there is no exact answer to this. In the end, not everyone may come into agreement with this debate. The nature and nurture of an individual can fluctuate to a great extent. Some things are hard to decide if they are inherited or learned by the surroundings. I believe that genes can bring about certain behaviours in an individual. Moreover, that the environment and upbringing can help make the behaviour precede to something more than just behaviour, possibly a talent. For example, a boy may be good at tennis. He will need the proper surroundings where he can develop his skills to play more tennis. Nature and nurture work hand in hand. Nature needs nurture to convey the behaviour of an individual. Thus, the known terms of this distinguished debate should not be ‘nature versus nurture’ but ‘nature and nurture’. ï » ¿Are we humans the product of nature or nurture? Essay Nature is how much of your personality is genetic, what you were born with. Nurture is how much of your personality was caused because of your environment, how you were raised. So does nature or nurture contribute more to someone’s personality and behaviour? Or do they both play a role in shaping our lives? I hope to come to a conclusion with this debate in the end of my thesis. With nurturing, people tend to observe others actions and behaviour, and try to be like others. As a result, the human behaviour is the result of experience and imitating. The social learning theory suggests that we learn through imitation and observation. It also suggests that people learn within the environment and get approval from the public by learning through an influential model. Bandura, a known psychologist found that according to this theory, a model can be the main cause for learning new actions. However, when there is a role model that illustrates bad behaviour, that behaviour could be imitated by young children. A few psychologists criticised Bandura’s theories- where children behaved more aggressively after observing violent acts from their family members. This meant that children, who witness their parent’s aggressive behaviour, have a higher risk of being abusive later on in their life. This theory is also questionable as there could be other factors, like genetics, which affect the behaviour. Our behaviour is more influenced by the genes we inherit than the environment we are brought up in. When socialisation does affect our identities, genetic and hormonal factors have a greater impact. For instance, there was a twin study, where the research twins had been separated at birth and adopted by different families. They both had met a wife with the same name, and their dogs had the same name, with many other striking similarities. They met 39 years after being separated. This proves that intelligence and talents are more likely genetic than environmental. Some scientists say, when contrasts are made between genetically connected twins, it is simple and easy to take account on the similarities and then overlook the behaviours that are distinct. For a person’s physical features; the appearance, genes play a bigger role. Yet, in the making of one’s individuality and behaviour, it can be nothing more than the environment they are raised in and how they are nurtured. People are sometimes taught into a certain style and norms. Evidently, in religions, whether you’re Christian or Muslim, you are raised up with the customs that follow the religion. So its indoctrinated to you when growing up. Some people may say, no two people have the exact same genes. So everyone is genetically one of a kind. Also, people may have been raised in similar environments, so they are nearly the same nurture-wise. Then, nature could have a bigger impact. The actions of someone’s life can occur without being learned by the individual. It is believed that inherent or innate behaviour comes from the genetic structure of an individual. For instance, alcoholism, bipolar disorder or depression are all psychological disorders that can be passed heritably from a parent to the child. Studies show that children who have alcoholic parents with similar genetics are 4 times more likely to become alcoholic than children with parents are not alcoholic. The question still arises, born or raised an addict? Some would disagree with the fact that it is all in the genetics. Maybe the people around you are the bigger influence in you wanting to take a swig of the booze. And that’s where the social factors come in to play. Likewise, the media could portray the fact that over drinking can be acceptable. With everyone having their own judgments, there is no exact answer to this. In the end, not everyone may come into agreement with this debate. The nature and nurture of an individual can fluctuate to a great extent. Some things are hard to decide if they are inherited or learned by the surroundings. I believe that genes can bring about certain behaviours in an individual. Moreover, that the environment and upbringing can help make the behaviour precede to something more than just behaviour, possibly a talent. For example, a boy may be good at tennis. He will need the proper surroundings where he can develop his skills to play more tennis. Nature and nurture work hand in hand. Nature needs nurture to convey the behaviour of an individual. Thus, the known terms of this distinguished debate should not be ‘nature versus nurture’ but ‘nature and nurture’.