Erickson’s stage of development

Discussion In this third module, we are discussing the human socialization process and how it influences our psychosocial development. After you have read the reading assignment and lecture for the module, please respond to all parts of the discussion by Saturday, December 7, 2013: 1. Identify and describe Erikson's stages of development as each applies to your own personality formation. How did success at one stage prepare you for meeting the next challenge? What do you anticipate for stages you have not yet reached? 2.As you progressed through each stage, how did the agents of socialization change as to their level of influence? For any stages you have not yet reached, which agent(s) do you predict will be the most influential? 3. Look in the Argosy University online library and the Internet for information on â€Å"feral children. † Explain why feral children are used as examples of young people for whom the socialization process has been stopped. Stage 1: Infancy†the challenge of trust (versus mistrust). Between birth and about eighteen months, infants face the first of life's challenges: to gain a sense of trust that heir world is a safe place.Family members play a key role in how any infant meets this challenge. I believe I was very well nurtured at this stage of my life. I have a very loving and caring family. I felt very comfortable with the ones who showed me the love I needed to blossom. Even at this early age I was ready for stage two. Stage 2: Toddlerhood†the challenge of autonomy (versus doubt and shame). The next challenge, up to age three, is to learn skills to cope with the world in a confident way. Failure to gain self-control leads children to doubt their abilities. My family never howed any doubts as to my abilities on any situation.Stage 3: Preschool†the challenge of initiative (versus guilt). Four- and five-year-olds must learn to engage their surroundings†including people outside the family†or experienc e guilt at having failed to meet the expectations of parents and others. At this stage of my life I did struggle at first. I was not sure how to interact with different people. My family always assured me that being myself would benefit me in the long run. I remember feeling guilty after making a project for my mother. I did not believe it turned out as ell as the others, which made me feel a little inferior to the rest.Again, my mother and family assured me all was well. Stage 4: Preadolescence†the challenge of industriousness (versus inferiority). Between ages six and thirteen, children enter school, make friends, and strike out on their own more and more. They either feel proud of their accomplishments or fear that they do not measure up. I guess at this stage of life I felt proud and yet fearful I did not measure up. Even though I was always proud I still felt like I had to be a chameleon and blend in with a variety of ifferent people. Stage 5: Adolescence†the challe nge of gaining identity (versus confusion).During the teen years, young people struggle to establish their own identity. In part, teens identify with others, but they also want to be unique. Almost all teens experience some confusion as they struggle to establish an identity. Through my teen years I was all over the place with my identity, I was a Jock, stoner, the losing end. I quit school because I loved to party with the stoners and whatever other crowd was partying. Stage 6: Young adulthood†the challenge of intimacy (versus isolation). The challenge for young adults is to form and keep intimate relationships with others.Making close friends (and especially, falling in love) involves balancing the need to bond with the need to have a separate identity. I struggled with this part of my life. You never know who your true friends are. Girlfriends came and went. I lived to party and didn't care about serious relationships. I became a father at 21 with my first of four. That did not slow me down at this stage either; I battled addiction and was not very reliable at all. The one who suffered the most was my daughter. So I was not really prepared to move on in ife. Stage 7: Middle adulthood†the challenge of making a difference (versus self- absorption).The challenge of middle age is to contribute to the lives of others in the family, at work, and in the larger world. Failing at this, people become self-centered, caught up in their own limited concerns. In this stage I started to see the light but still back peddled at times. I got married to the love of my life, had two beautiful girls with her. Things went well for a while but the old mike reared his ugly head causing mistrust and a lot of heartache and anguish in the house. I could not hold a Job. Partying became my life again. I sought help and rekindled the flame with the wife and then BAM, right back to the old ways.I had a son during a brief break up with the wife. This caused more strain and str ess. The story could go on and on. I finally got myself right, but it was too late. The people who loved me still loved me but would not trust me again. I am still doing very well at this point, going to school, working etc. Stage 8: Old age†the challenge of integrity (versus despair). Near the end of their lives, people hope to look back on what they have accomplished with a sense of integrity and satisfaction. For those who have been self-absorbed, old age brings only a sense of despair over missed opportunities.My anticipation at this point for this stage is too Just continue doing what I am doing and complete everything I start. Will I be a success? Who knows, only time will tell. A feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has no (or little) experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and, crucially, of human language. Some feral children have been confined in isolation by other people, usually their own par ents. In some cases, this child bandonment was due to the parents rejecting a child's severe intellectual or physical impairment.Feral children may have experienced severe child abuse or trauma before being abandoned or running away. Depictions of Feral Children Myths, legends, and fictional stories have depicted feral children reared by wild animals such as wolves and bears. Legendary and fictional feral children are often depicted as growing up with relatively normal human intelligence and skills and an innate sense of culture or civilization, coupled with a healthy dose of survival instincts. Their integration into human society is also made to seem relatively easy.These mythical children are often depicted as having superior strength, intelligence, upbringing they represent humanity in a pure and uncorrupted state, similar to the noble savage. Feral Children in Reality In reality, feral children lack the basic social skills that are normally learned in the process of enculturati on. For example, they may be unable to learn to use a toilet, have trouble learning to walk upright, and display a complete lack of interest in the human activity around them. They often seem mentally impaired and have almost insurmountable trouble learning human language.The impaired ability to learn anguage after having been isolated for so many years is often attributed to the existence of a critical period for language learning at an early age, and is taken as evidence in favor of the critical period hypothesis. It is theorized that if language is not developed, at least to a degree, during this critical period, a child can never reach his or her full language potential. The fact that feral children lack these abilities pinpoints the role of socialization in human development. https:// www. boundless. com/sociology/understanding-socialization/the-role-of-socialization/ feral-children/

International Accounting Harmonization and Assess

For decades, entities across the world have been using a range of different accounting standards derived from various accounting models. Weber (1992) states that there have historically been four accounting standards models from different areas of the globe: the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the United States and Latin America. These variations in standards create a number of issues for users of accounts, including those preparing, consolidating, auditing and interpreting. For example, an investor needs to be able to understand and compare financial statements in order to gain confidence to buy shares in a business. It is believed that harmonization of accounting standards can eliminate these issues by â€Å"increasing the compatibility of accounting practices by setting bounds to their degree of variation† (Nobes and Parker, 2008, p75). Organisations such as the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) have formed with this objective in mind, but their success has been limited. It is claimed by a number of sources that international accounting harmonization will bring a number of benefits to stakeholders. Roberts, Weetman and Gordon (2008) claim that harmonization would eliminate dual reporting costs for multi-national companies. Regulators of a foreign stock exchange may require statements to be adjusted in order to match the local standards or at least produce a reconciliation statement highlighting the variations in standards. Harmonization would remove this problem and ensure all statements are valid worldwide. However, less developed countries will predictably have less influence on the standards that are put into place. The principles may not be appropriate for these nations, especially if they have a developing economy or no capital market transactions (Larson and Kenney, 1995). The lack of worldwide accounting harmonization can also hamper investors. Miles and Nobes (1998) state that whilst standards are varied, professional fund managers find it difficult to understand statements prepared in certain countries. Investors often avoid trading in these companies, potentially leading to them missing a profit making opportunity. Harmonization of standards would reduce the chances of misunderstanding, thus reducing the likelihood of poor decisions being made (Roberts et al, 2008). Although comparability may be improved, other features of a business may be hidden, such as the differences in business activity. The original changeover to the new standards may also cause confusion for newly adopting nations, especially if the standards are viewed to be decreasing the accuracy of the company accounts (Barth, Clinch and Shibano, 1999). In each country of the world, accounting standards need to be set either under law or by an independent body. This means that various costs are generated in order to implement and monitor standards. If certain countries are implementing practices that are similar or even the same as another country, it makes little sense for both nations to be incurring these costs (Roberts et al, 2008). Although global standards would minimise these implementing related costs, they are not relevant for companies only operating in one country. There is also a danger that, if one body monopolises standards, the quality of practices will reduce because of a lack of competition from other accounting bodies (Sunder, 2002). It is claimed that international accounting harmonization would enhance the global economy by providing a â€Å"level playing field† (Weber, 1992, p1). Those regulating and auditing accounts will all gain access to the same information, enabling a smoother evaluation process. Without free trade, international standards would allow trade restraint systems to be exact, reducing the risks for those involved in trade (Weber, 1992). However, Goaltz (1991) argues that such benefits may not be achieved. A strong global market already exists and has developed without harmonized international standards. Elimination of capital controls and improved communications have increased the money available to businesses and the worldwide market is likely to continue to grow in size. Another group that would benefit from harmonization would be the tax authorities. Profit measurement often varies between countries, making it very difficult for tax professionals to measure income and calculate tax. However, the tax authorities have themselves have reduced harmonization by allowing last in first out (LIFO) for the purposes of tax in the US, which is not allowed in other countries such as the UK. Deferred tax has also been allowed in Continental Europe, which is not the case in other nations (Nobes and Parker, 2008). The IASC was formed in 1973 by accountancy bodies from all over the world. The committee’s objective is to â€Å"work generally for the improvement and harmonization of regulations, accounting standards, and procedures relating to the presentation of financial statements† (Murphy, 2000, p 472). The body has since restructured and became the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in 2000. The standards set by the board have gone some way to achieving the desired objective, but there have been a number of barriers that have prevented true harmonization (Street and Shaughnessy, 1998). Accounting standards need to match the environment they are employed in and this is difficult when each country is unique in areas such as education, law and economy. With these variables as they are, it is hard to see how perfect harmony can be achieved. Between 1973 and 1988, the IASC implemented a total of 26 generic standards. These standards were flexible and prescribed little in the way of disclosures. Garrido, Leon and Zorio (2002) report that in 1988 the IASC became concerned about the low level of comparability the standards had produced. This resulted in a large proportion of options for treatment being removed, and standards also highlighted the preferred treatment in order to increase uniformity. In 1995, the IASC made an agreement with the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) to produce a core set of standards by 1999 in exchange for endorsement. This resulted in more options for treatment being removed and an increase in the level of disclosure. Garrido et al (2002) state that the standards produced in 1999 has achieved a good harmonization level due to the increased comparability of financial statements and the reduction of alternative treatments. Murphy (2000) conducted research into whether adopting of international accounting standards (IASs) had increased harmony between Swiss companies and companies from the UK, USA and Japan. The assessed practices were depreciation, inventory, financial statement cost basis and consolidation. The study showed that harmony had increased between countries between 1988 and 1995. Companies from Switzerland, the US and the UK adopting IASs all used straight-line depreciation, whilst the Japanese mostly used the mixed or accelerated method. The IAS for inventory practices was still flexible allowing for many methods and it was therefore difficult to attribute the adoption of IASs to any harmony that had occurred. This was also the case with financial statement cost basis where historical costing or price level costing could still be used. However, harmonization increased for consolidation, with the majority of companies from all four countries consolidating all of their companies after adopting IASs. It is true that company comparability increased during this period but results do not clearly show that the changes were due to the adoption of IASs. Das, Shil and Pramanik (2009) suggest that one of the biggest reasons for only limited adoption of IASs is the fact that the US has shown reluctance in applying the standards. The US has the biggest market and was an important figure in forming the G4 nations. It therefore sets an example to other members and may influence their decisions in whether to adopt IASs. It is also very difficult to get every single country to buy into the standards of the IASB as they operate under various legal, economic, social and cultural systems, often harbouring different accounting philosophies. Certain countries may not recognise the reasons to change the objectives of their accounting standards to comply with those of the IASB. Larson and Street (2004) also state that there are translation issues for some nations. Despite the standards being made available in the majority of languages, these are not always up to date. It is difficult for nations not receiving up to date translations as they have little chance to develop experience using the standards. In 2004, Hungary was using practices developed in 1994. Another body concerned with international accounting harmonization is the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), which is a group of accounting bodies from various countries representing professional accountants (Saudagaran, 2009). The body has released a code of conduct for the practices of professional accountants. However, despite Clements, Neill and Stovall (2010) suggesting that the code has been a success, almost 50% of member organisations have not employed the code. This is mainly due to cultural differences such as the level of individualism present within a nation. Nations such as the USA or Canada concentrate on the impact of adopting practices on themselves directly and not on the world as a whole. As a result these countries are likely to be more reluctant in adopting the code (Clements et al, 2010). It is clear that international accounting harmonization would bring about a number of benefits for stakeholders. It would reduce costs for companies, especially those who have invested in a foreign subsidiary. It would also allow for investors to make easier decisions and save national governments money. However, there are some drawbacks for developing countries where standards may not be appropriate. Investors and staff may be confused by the change in practices and the overall quality of standards may reduce. It is therefore debateable whether the IASBs continued efforts to harmonize standards are worth it. They and other bodies involved with harmonization have undoubtedly made successful strides since 1973, but some barriers to complete standardization look potentially immovable. It is very difficult to alter a country’s culture, especially in developing nations where the drawbacks to harmonization may outweigh the benefits.

The Culture of Basseri Tribes of Iran Research Paper

The Culture of Basseri Tribes of Iran - Research Paper Example Culture plays a very important role in shaping behavior and attitudes and it is particularly true in spirituality and religion. It is believed that how a makes its living and the modes of subsistence has a strong impact on the culture. This paper aims at studying the culture of Basseri of Iran. Different modes of subsistence and its impact on the culture will be discussed. The Basseri culture and its various aspects of modes of subsistence such as Foragers, Horticulturist, Pastoralist, Emerging Agriculturist, Agrarian states or industrialist will also be discussed. Culture is a very vast field which is depicted in all strata’s of life that is beyond the scope of this paper. This paper will be restricted to only three aspects of culture namely social organization, kinship, beliefs and values. Basseri of Iran Basseri of Iran is the nomadic Muslim tribe that is mainly defined as a political group rather than geographical or ethnic criteria. The Basseri’s though mostly are geographically bounded and they inhabit the province of Fars and have migrated near the town of Shiraz along the mountain. This traditional Basseri culture still exists in Iran although there are new recent data available on them such as the size of the population. Language is a strong component of any culture. The language of Basseri is a dialect of Farsi called the Basseri dialect. Most of the members of the Basseri tribe can only speak Basseri dialect but a few also has command over Turkish and Arabic dialect. Basseri is a very old tribe of the area hence most of the population in southern Iran has ancestral link with Basseri. The east of Iran, Semnan, is inhabited by other nomadic groups such as Yazd-e-Khast, the Bugard-Basseri, and Basseri. However it is believed that all of them have rooted from the traditional Basseri of Fars. The political history of Basseri started in the mid-nineteenth century when Khamesh confederacy was formed. Basseri was part of it. The importance and influence of Basseri tribe grew with passage of time and they became an important political and social unit and hence diminished the power and authority of the confederacy. The habitat of the Basseri is hot and acrid climate of the Persian Gulf. They traditionally inhabit a large ecological range of 18,000 to 21,000 square kilometers. In the southern section there is a desert of about 600-900 kilometers whereas north has high mountains. Mountain precipitation supports reasonable vegetation and even foresting (Khanam, 2005). Modes of Subsistence Different modes of subsistence has evolved as societies and human civilizations evolved. This evolution process has been more or less the same throughout the world. The reason is that these modes of subsistence are derived from the needs and how these needs have been satisfied defines the progression of modes of subsistence. These modes of subsistence have a strong role to play in the definition of social structure, culture, values, beliefs a nd customs. Based on this concept many theories have been proposed for the progress and social change (Marko, 2008, issue 39). One such theory is proposed by Smith. According to him based on modes of subsistence and its impact on social institution and human activity, societies can be divided into four categories. Smith’s four stages of human civilization are age of hunters, age of Sheppard,

The Law of Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Law of Contract - Essay Example On boarding the train, Maggie slipped on the carriage’s floor and injured her ankle and damaged her new coat. She lost her balance because the English Rail staff had failed to clean tea spilled previously on the carriage floor. The objective of exemption clauses is to exclude the liability of one of the parties. However, the Unfair Contract Terms Act, states that no contractual exclusion term can either limit or preclude liability, in cases involving negligence that resulted in injury or death of an individual. Moreover, in instances entailing a term of notice that is unreasonable; liability for negligence cannot be mitigated or excluded. The redoubtable Lord Denning, in Spurling v Bradshaw, opined that certain exclusion clauses were to be printed conspicuously and in red ink on the relevant document. Therefore, considerable importance is attached to exemption clauses by the courts. No such prominent notice was given to Maggie, and the reverse of the ticket contained a direction to view the website of English Rail, for information regarding its rules. As such, the exclusion clause was not incorporated into the contract, prior to the completion of the contract. Hence it is invalid. In Thornton v Shoe Lane Parking, the court rejected the exclusion clause and ruled that printing the exclusion clause on the reverse of the ticket constituted insufficient notice to customers. Due to the gross negligence of English Rail’s staff, Maggie sustained the injury to her ankle and her new coat was damaged.

Police discretion postion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police discretion postion - Essay Example It is the action that a police officer takes, according to personal judgment, conscience, morals, attitude, and beliefs; as well as the officer’s education, training and experience. This paper proposes to discuss the use of discretion in police work. The mythical aspects of the use of discretion, the sources, and the methods by which police discretion may be controlled will be identified. From the analysis a list will be created of ten police actions in which discretion may be used, and the reasons for their use will be given. Further, the use of discretion in each of the police actions will be justified either as reasonable, or denounced as an abuse of power. In the maintenance of order and in crime prevention police officers play a complex and sensitive role which extends far beyond merely arresting law breakers. Historically, police have asserted authority in several ways, often not involving arrest. In more commonplace police actions such as handling alcoholics and panhandlers or resolving disputes between neighbours, the police do not generally make any arrests. Though exercising discretion is essential, the police should not be allowed to employ random or arbitrary policing. Also, rather than strictly following a rule book, policing should reflect a neighborhood’s values and sense of justice, and should be in line with residents’ concerns so that justice will be achieved. Increasingly, the police officer’s role in the justice process demands â€Å"greater commitment to developing policy guidelines that set standards, shape the inevitable use of discretion, and support community involvement† (Kelling, 1999 : iii). Furthermore, formal training of police personnel should include some basic factors to teach them to act democratically as well as judiciously in their work, in order to successfully achieve outcomes which are just (Marenin, 2004). Discretion in police work is

Expansion On Authur Millers Death Of A salesman Essay

Expansion On Authur Millers Death Of A salesman - Essay Example man, such as an ancient version of Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s play â€Å"Death of a Salesman,† would be no more shocking or dramatic than fish going bad. However, a modern audience has a much more difficult time relating to the sanctity of the mighty. It is much easier for them to expect downfalls of their leaders and more shocking to them when they see someone more like them, a common man, fail due to his own mistaken beliefs. Thus, in modern times, Miller’s ‘low man’ Willy is the quintessential classic tragic hero of the modern age. Although the tragic hero was a character in ancient Greek plays long before Aristotle codified the term, they all shared these same characteristics that Aristotle identified. As has been mentioned, in ancient times, these ideas were reserved for men who had the potential to reach greatness of some kind – usually men with a claim to nobility. Despite their greatness, they become destined to fail because of some tragic flaw in their character. This tragic flaw is typically, but not always, the flaw of excessive pride in one’s own abilities. No matter what the flaw is, it is always tied strongly to the reasons for their success and is therefore something the individual is justifiably proud to exercise (Aristotle, 1998). According to Zarro (2001), â€Å"the tragic effect will be stronger if the hero is ‘better than we are’, in that he is of higher than ordinary moral worth. Such a man is shown as suffering a change in fortune from happiness to misery because of a mistaken act, to which he is led by his hamartia (his ‘effort of judgment’) or, as it is often literally translated, his tragic flaw.† Society has shifted since then in such a way that today, we consider the common man as having a greater chance of higher than ordinary moral worth in his dedication to making an honest living for modest goals. Today’s tragic hero cycle focuses more on the three events than the noble status. The social

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

Malaysia and Sustainable Development - Essay Example It was during this period that mega-projects like the Petronas Twin Towers, KL International Airport, and the Sepang F1 Circuit were completed. However, amidst the economic development, environmental degradation has been inevitable. The country's dependence on the manufacturing and industry sector cause a negative spillover in the form of air and water pollution, global warming, and ozone depletion (Malaysia 1-6). In order to promote sustainable development, Malaysia join forces with the United Nations to launch a fourfold program called Vision 2000 which is geared to address the environmental impact of development. These four strategies include: conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; access to sustainable energy services, frameworks and strategies for sustainable development, and national/sectoral policy a nd planning to control the emission of ozone-depleting substances and persistent organic pollutants (UNDP Malaysia 1-4).

SLP - 1 Routine and Goodwill Emails Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SLP - 1 Routine and Goodwill Emails - Essay Example It will allow the different campus departments to understand their responsibility as well as cut back on costs immensely. Employees would have to empty their own trash baskets unlike what used to happen in the past. The recycling efforts shall pave the way for the overall development of the departments at the campus, and reduce the budget constraints which are being faced at the present. Also this shall help the employees to do a bit of exercise which is always a good step for their health and well-being. We believe that this step will help reduce the departmental custodial costs and go a long way in helping the employees deal with the recycling efforts. This will be a good step that shall save the campus a considerable amount of money as well as help the environment with efficient modes of recycling on a regular basis. The campus is delighted to announce that yet again its priorities are set on bringing new and novel methods to save on costs that are incurred every year. We have thought of a unique way to settle the costs that have been mounting for a considerable time period now. Since we have always valued the services, we do not believe in cutting them down at any cost. However, the 25 percent budget reduction is a figure that we meet this year and in order to sustain such a pressing concern, we have decided to go ahead with our recycling efforts which will not only save time but also money. Now the employees would be asked to empty their trash baskets themselves by taking a walk to the trash bins. It will not only refresh the employees since there will be exercise for them but would also contribute to the environment in one or the other way. We are confident that this small step in building confidence within the employees even further. We have always valued your work and look forward to positive contributions on your part in the future as well. Both the emails are direct and go ahead with the

How to apply motivation in the work place Research Paper

How to apply motivation in the work place - Research Paper Example Leibenstein argued more than forty years ago that â€Å"for a variety of reasons people and organizations normally work neither as hard nor as effectively as they could† and the both of them regarded motivation as an important factor to improve the efficiency of both employees an motivation. Since then, the debate has been on about what really motivates the people in the organization. It was found that an organization would really progress based on the commitment of the employees towards the organization rather than keeping them under their control. This led to the emergence of innovative management practices which targeted to enhance employees’ commitment towards the company through different techniques (Buford, 1993). Research question How to apply motivation in the work place? Background of Study Among the many functions that the Human Resource department has to work on, keeping employees motivated and retaining them is the foremost challenge that any organization fa ce. Hence it is of the paramount importance that the employees stay motivated and hence new management practices be adopted to give them a boost in their motivation so that they can exert much more effort in the business. For any organization the employees are the key resource, neglecting which can lead to catastrophic results like strike, shutdown etc. which will result in insurmountable loss that the company may not be able to bear. Hence organizations are trying to come up with new techniques to attack this issue and lower the retention level. Through foundation of studies, research theories and practical examples this paper will address the issue of what actually motivates the employees and what the managers need to do to achieve it and supports motivation and hence the performance. Literature Review Numerous researchers have investigated the relationship that exists between job satisfaction and work motivation. In the current business scenario, organizations across industries a re experiencing rapid competition. In this competitive environment the companies must consider the human factor that is becoming more and more important for the organization to survive. Business excellence will be achieved only when employees are motivated to work for the company (Dam, 2008). In difficult circumstances like violence, fear, tragedy, job insecurity the stress factor puts burden on the employees which result in reduced performance. Nowadays organizations have come to realize that motivated and satisfied employees are needed to powerfully deliver their task. As employee motivation is one of the primary tasks of management hence it is of prime importance that the management takes care of the employee’s needs. Motivation Motivation is the willingness of the employees to exert high efforts to achieve organizational goals, which must also satisfy some individual need. Here the important factor is the ‘need’ which is internal to the employee that makes ce rtain outcome appears attractive. It is basically the psychological forces which determine the amount of effort along with the persistence level that the employee shows while facing any obstacle. A motivated employee himself finds solution to any obstacle that he will face and keep moving forward (Hay, 2002). The

Trifles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Trifles - Essay Example Mrs. Hale when she was Minnie Foster was a member of the choir but in the passing of time, became like bird caged in her own home, with no social relationship with her neighborhood. The primary culprit to this conflict is the husband who, though has been known to be a good man paying his debts and keeping his words, was also a hard man. The other character contributory to the conflict was Mrs. Hale who was the only person who could have at least been a friend and confidant of Mrs. Wright but chose not to be with the woman because her place has always been gloomy. She then realized the need she was not able to meet in the life of her neighbor after the discovery of the dead canary with its neck wrung, similar to how Mr. Wright died for she somehow knew what happens in a home, which are almost true for everyone, only in different ways. The investigators representing the men in general, contributed to the problem through their reactions towards women in general. They have shown contempt over the things women busy and worry themselves with and have highlighted what could have been happening in the house of the couple between themselves before the murder.

Dream Analysis Essay Example for Free

Dream Analysis Essay John [customer may change/remove his/her name here] has a military background and has spent his childhood in a boarding school. Overall, his childhood was happy and content and his favorite toys to play were trucks which he sometimes even wanted to build out of stray wooden logs and old tires. For the past couple of days John has been having a few recurrent dreams. In the following discourse of dream analysis and analysis on the basis of psychoanalytic personality theory, it will be examined how the fascinating world of the unconscious portrays to the conscious world a glimpse of that infinite universe that resides within each and every one of us. Every night John dreams that he is being chased by a figure in a hooded cloak and long hair that suddenly fades into a door which he cannot open. Bizarre as it may seem, John walks into the door and there is darkness everywhere – but as soon as there is enough light for him to see, he realizes that he is walking on water and there are ships all around him. Without furtherance, the dream ends and John wakes up confused and worried. John can neither comprehend the worry he has nor can he understand the odd turn of events in his dream. It is often said that each human being is a tiny universe within himself or herself. Each person has within him/her a great constellation of ideas, feelings, emotions, wants, needs and many other such aspects which make the person unique and individual and thus even a single case study can prove to be a study of a lifetime. â€Å"The dream is a little hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul, opening into that cosmic night which was psyche long before there was any ego-consciousness, and which will remain psyche no matter how far our ego-consciousness extends. † These words belonged to this very noted and lauded psychoanalyst, Carl Gustav Jung, a proponent of Analytical Psychology and the inventor of the famous terms of today such as ‘collective unconscious’, ‘archetypes’ and ‘persona’. In the therapy, Jung’s methodology of treatment worked on the profound principles of word associations, free associations, dream analysis, transference and counter-transference. Dreams remained, however, one of the most significant works of Jung since there had been little work done on it since Freud. Jung’s therapeutic techniques and analysis of dreams provide a much more culturally rich and avid interpretations that cover a great breadth of subjects and ideas. Whereas Freud would interpret dreams as a ‘royal road to the unconscious’ that mostly leads to sexual discussions of a male-dominated structure, Jung’s discussion would profit the reader more in terms of how rich his theory is with motifs from all across the world. He had the cultural and cognitive openness to absorb ideas and patterns from cultures which belonged to distant lands as well as to designs which were close to his own religion, nation and race. His theory of personality speaks of not simplistic desires of sex and aggression; rather it takes a comprehensive look at the various types of personality in terms of their functions. According to Jungs theory, personalities are categorized in both extroverted and oriented toward subjective experiences (Miller 2004). Dreams are not looked up by a codebook, dictionary or even an almanac. You cannot have a standard glossary of dreams (Coolidge, 2006) which can simply pinpoint to you the exact source and destination of your dream. Even the most simplest of psychoanalysis would require a complete case study of the person and delve into the backgrounds and relationships of the dreamer rather than arbitrary guesswork. â€Å"Nobody doubts the importance of conscious experience; why then should we doubt the significance of unconscious happenings? They are also the part of our life, and sometimes more truly a pert of it for weal or woe than any happenings of the day† (Jung, 1970). Jung wrote a variety of articles, developing and perfecting his theory over a period of time (Adams 2004) which led to the collection of all his articles under a book called Dreams (1974). For John’s case we will discuss the two basic categories of dreams given by Jung: (1) Reactive (2) Compensatory Reactive dreams are coming as a reaction to some kind of trauma or repression faced by the individual. Most dreams fall, however, in the compensatory category, where the present moment attitudes or compromises of the ego are reflected back. Compensatory dreams present alternative perspectives that have been repressed, dissociated or otherwise defensively excluded by the ego (Addams 2004). Jung’s theory of personality suggested that there exists the ‘collective unconscious’, a set of influences that we inherit from our own particular ancestors, the whole human race, and even animal ancestors from the past. This collective unconscious is shared by everyone and is displayed by behavior that is shown as common across all cultures. Loving your mother, belief in a supreme being, fear of dark, cold places, and perceiving certain images as positive and certain images as negative are all results of the collective unconscious of which the entire race is a part of. Jung believed that the collective unconscious has ‘archetypes’ which were the universal symbolic representations of a particular person object or experience (Feldman, 1993). One of these archetypes is the ‘mother archetype’, a symbolic representation of a mother-figure present across all cultures, religions, literature, myths and even fairy tales (Virgin Mary, Mother Hubbard, Kali, fairy godmother etc. ). In John’s case the dreams seem to be of the second kind, which is the most common kind. Owing from John’s history that was taken prior to analysis (as per rule of psychoanalysis itself), it is seen that John has not been in any kind of traumatic experience lately which could lead to show that his dreams are in any way a reactive phenomenon to some event. It seems as if the ego, which is conducting the job of maintaining the deep secrets of the collective unconscious which tries to seep through our dreams, feelings, premonitions and behavioral idiosyncrasies. John’s history reveals that his favorite passion as a child was building tracks, as mentioned before, and he would often use his mother’s stray clips and pins while trying to make trucks. Once, he recalls, during his free association sessions, that his mother had gone out for the afternoon for a little while and he was left alone with his toys. John had sneaked into his mother’s room and taken all the clips and pins he could find to build a tiny engine for his truck out of the old cardboard boxes lying around in the attic. It did not thus struck as odd to the therapist when John responded with the word ‘road’ with the word ‘pins’. Word association technique, also propounded by Carl Jung, was a technique where the individual is given a list of words. To these set of words, the individual is asked to respond to the first response that comes to the mind. In modern day interpretation, reaction time and expressions are also noted. In Jung’s original version the main practices were focused on the response the individual gave to the words. In John’s case, the response to the word ‘road’ came as ‘pins’ which could have explained his recollection of his childhood methodology of building trucks through borrowing the pins from his mother’s dresser. John also remembers being scolded by his mother very sternly regarding the stealing of pins. He remembers his mother telling him that although what he stole was not of much significance, it did however matter that he stole something which was wrong on every account. John remembers crying and repeating the word ‘sorry’ many times and considers this to be one of his more memorable events in his childhood. The military set up, of which John is a part of, also establishes a certain emphasis on rule-abiding and a formidable outlook on immoral practices. Discipline and control are a big part of John’s life, so it is not surprising that such an event in childhood where his moral qualities were called into question continue to remain vivid in his memories. Although John’s energies have been channelized constructively, he does report feeling more inclined towards construction and manual labor oriented tasks, which speak of his childhood pastime of building trucks. In his dream John is chased by a figure which has long hair and a cloak, easily represented by an evil mother archetype. John may be harboring feelings in his personal unconscious, which is different from the collective unconscious. The personal unconscious is the combination of the residue of the personal events and experiences of the individual’s life, whereas the collective unconscious is the collective residue of the events and lives of the ancestors’ of the individual which is shared by all members of the society. Here since the archetype is professed as the evil mother archetype (given in the form of various myths and religions such as Kali, the Death Goddess, Evil Enchantress, Vivien and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel (Fox, 1994), we can understand John’s residual and unconscious fear of his mother. The dream can be further interpreted in terms of his fear and overall overpowering sense of moral code and ethics which guides his childhood memories as well as present day ambitions. This fear of childhood and present day fear of judgment may be symbolized as the evil mother since the ‘shadow’ may have a will of its own. The concept of ‘shadow’ by Carl Jung is synonymous to the concept of ‘id’ by Sigmund Freud, which represents all the carnal and basic desires of the person. The Greeks separated the mother archetype in both good and bad ways, whether it was the sexual version of Aphrodite, the virgin Artemis, the motherly Demeter and the dominating Hera (Fox, 1994). The mother figure symbolized as evil in John’s dream does not necessarily mean that John hates his mother or considers her as evil. It is simply a symbolic representation and interpretation of ideas and themes that are considered as overwhelming or powerful which have taken the connection of childhood memories, themes and ideas. The door and the sea both represent an initiation into a world that is unknown and thus a voyage into the unknown is found in this particular sequence of the dream. The sea has various interpretations in terms of archetypes and expresses a vast majority of meanings including an initiation, a voyage, an uneasy division between order and chaos, the eternal mother, etc (Carlson, 1986). A study was conducted on the archetype of doors and it was found that doors represent safety and keep bad things from getting in or help in escape if danger threatens. A door may represent a way out, a way to safety (Hatala, 1992). This dream could possibly mean that the door symbolizes a certain escape and balance that was brought from the uncertainty in life. The uncertainty that could have arisen from the difference in ambition and the difference in the current profession is absolved through the doorway of channelizing the energies into a positive way, for example, by joining the military. For the process of deindividuation, which Jung called the process of discovering the deepest of potentials of a person, dreams provide as powerful tools and cues in order to discover and fulfill the calls of the inner psyche. In John’s dreams the call of the unconscious seems to be towards the ego and the persona (synonymous to the Freudian ‘ego’ or reality principle) which absolves the conflicts of the ego. John seems to doubt his ego which the ego in turn does not want it to do. It wants John to make peace with the investment of his energies. The dream starts with the evil mother archetype and seems to end with the ‘sea’ or the eternal mother archetype. This means that there is peace within the system of John’s unconscious, yet this peace needs to be maintained, accepted and realized by the individual himself. Works Cited: Addams, M. V. (2004). The Fantasy Principle: Psychoanalysis of the Imagination. New York: Brunner-Routledge. Carlson, P. A. (1986). Literature and lore of the sea. Costerus, new ser. , v. 52. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Coolidge, F. L. (2006). Dream interpretation as a psychotherapeutic technique. Oxford: Radcliffe. Feldman, R. S. (1993). Psychology. [New York]: McGraw-Hill. Fox, R. (1994). The challenge of anthropology old encounters and new excursions. New Brunswick, N. J. , U. S. A. : Transaction. Hatala, L. J. (1992). Incredibly American releasing the heart of quality. Milwaukee, Wis: ASQC Quality Press. Jung, C. G. (1953). Psychological reflections an anthology of the writings of C. G. Jung. London: Routledge and K. Paul. Miller, C. A. , Miller, C. A. (2004). Nursing for wellness in older adults: theory and practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

Principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework Outline In this report I am going to be reviewing the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS) looking at the principles, how they underpin our Early Years settings and are based on the theory of pioneers. I will then cover the value and importance of play and how this is a major part of childrens learning. I will outline how we got to where we are today with the EYFS Framework including the importance and the impact it has had on todays practitioners. At the end of the review I will look at how training and the continuing professional development of practitioners is essential. Principles Dictionary definition a truth or general law that is used as a basis for a theory or system of belief Oxford English Dictionary, third edition 2005 Early Years Foundation Stage principles: A unique child every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. Positive Relationships children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. Enabling Environments the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending childrens development and learning. Learning and Developing children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected. Todays children are the main priority in every Early Years practice. The Early Years Foundation Stage must be underpinned by principles supporting every area of a childs development. They are all of equal importance and need to be in place when caring for children. They work together providing a stimulating and valuable practice, delivery of the EYFS and putting the legal requirements in to perspective. They also support childs needs and interest which means appropriate activities are delivered. Key pioneers and theorists such as Montessori and Margaret MacMillan have been studying how children learn for over 200 years. Through studying and observing children they realised and established what was important for a child to develop and learn. Margaret MacMillan came to her theory after noticing the affect poverty was having on children. She became aware of the importance of exploring the natural world, being outside in open spaces and receiving regular meals, bath time and plenty of sleep. As according to M.MacMillian In open-air nursery children had no examinations to sit, no formal structure to the day but had time to play, to run free in open spaces, feel the sun and the wind and explore the natural world.(how children learn pg24) Key pioneers and theorists still influence our principles and teaching today, as we ensure that childrens learning is extended and that they have access throughout the day to both the indoor and outside area and not just at set times. The outdoor area is now an extension of the classroom bringing the indoor areas outdoors including role play, writing, gardening, and caring for life stock. Childrens families who are on a low income are also offered free school meals to ensure the child received a healthy balanced diet and all children are given the time and space to rest throughout the day. Value of play Play is a powerful motivator, encouraging children to be creative and to develop their ideas, understanding and language. Through play, children explore, apply and test out what they know and can do Rumbold report pg7 56 All babies and children enjoy playing, it is an essential part of their growing up and is needed for children to reach their full potential. It allows the children to be in charge of their own learning and is used everyday, this allows us to see a lot more of their achievements rather setting the scene for them. Children are able to combine their play with learning in a safe environment as C.Macintyre (into VIII) states although the children might be seen to be just playing all the time they are learning, just as fast as they can Play supports a childs holistic development as PLAY play underpins all development and learning for young children. Most children play spontaneously, although some may need adult support, and it is through play that they develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally. Children can learn everything through play and it is an effective way of learning so it should be made fun and enjoyable for both the children and the parents. It is also important that children and practitioners understand they are allowed to play and that it is through play that they learn. When playing children naturally develop their skills and to act out and over come any issues they have in the immediate world. It is also where the children do their thinking, problem solving and use first hand experiences so it is important that the practitioners and parents enter the childrens world and encourage their play. Playing can take place anywhere not only in the classroom but the outdoor area as well and children need to be given time and space to place. The journey of Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum The journey of how we got to todays EYFS curriculum started in 1990 with the Rumbold report starting with quality. It researched in to the quality of education for under fives and how the process of a childs learning is just as important as the outcome. The report states Childrens imagination can be nurtured by responding to their curiosity. With encouragement and stimulation, this curiosity will develop into a thirst for, and enjoyment of, learning. Pg 7 56. In 1996 Desirable Outcomes were introduced consisting of six areas of learning: personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development, and creative development. The Curriculum Guidance was then set up in 2000 for the Foundation Stage children aged 3-5 years. It meant they had their own curriculum which supported their needs within the 6 areas of learning. Under each area then had set goals which gave guidance and structure to their education. Each chil d will achieve these goals at their own rate and are the foundation of their learning. It was then noticed that children under 3 also needed some guidance so in 2003 Sure start introduced a framework known as Birth to three: supporting our youngest children introduced. It takes a holistic approach in little stepping stones caring for children needs and routine. These are covered by four components: A strong child, skilful communicator, competent learner and healthy child. Today every practice is required to follow the Early years framework. It complies and supports all children from birth to five and separates from the National curriculum. It focuses on development, learning and care of the child. The framework The EYFS framework is one document which all settings working with children will have to comply with. It includes both education and care and is supported by the four principles (appendix). For a effective setting it is important that the following key points are in place. This has had a huge impact on practitioner as it ensures every childs development is being met and they are seen as an individual. Observing a child is an important part of the day-to-day role of a practitioner within an Early Years setting. As observing a child you are able to discover the childs interests, likes and dislikes, behavioral patterns, asses the childs stage of development and identify any patterns in the childs learning. S.Isaac pg 35 how children learn allowed adults to really get to know children, that their emotions were not hidden It can also highlight any concerns you may have and ensures that the child is seen as an individual with all its needs being met. Observing a child involves looking, listening and being activity involved. Assessing a child is of equal importance as observing them, as you use the information from the observation to identify the childs achievement and plan the childs next steps in their development and learning. Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process EYFS Statutory Framework pg 16 2.19 In my own setting we are regularly observing children during play as this is when we feel we gain more from observing the children as they are more comfortable and demonstrate the skills that they have learnt. We then take the childs observation and record their achievements in their individual profiles and learning journeys. From looking at their achievements we then plan their next steps. This process is a continuous cycle as shown in the diagram. Planning There are three different types of planning Long-term, Medium term and short term all of which are important as they ensure all areas of a childs development are evenly met. It also ensures all the principles are being underpinned within the setting and that the children have access to a wide range of area including indoor, outdoor and a quiet area. Planning also enables areas of development to be linked together so the children are developing a range of skills and learning. In my setting the children are very much involved with the planning as we are interested in what the children want to learn. We use short-term weekly plans (Appendix) and review the activities each day including to see how successful they have been and to extend the childrens learning. Good planning is the key to making childrens learning effective EYFS FRAMEWORK principle pg12 2.8 Record keeping Keeping a record of childrens development is thoroughly important as it monitors a childs progress and achievements. Also highlights any patterns in a child development and is used as evidence to show parents, outside professionals and teachers. In my setting each child has their own Learning Journal which they are involved in. It consists of the child profile, evidence of their development and learning using photos, observations and their own work. This is shared between the child, their parents and the practitioners. Relationships with parents and importance of reporting to them Parents are a vital part of a childs learning as they are their main educators. A good relationship between the parents and the setting helps to build a strong connection which enables the parents to support their child and offer a continuity of expectations, experiences and behavior All families are important and should be welcomed and valued in all settings principle parents as partners 2.2 The parents also have an understanding of the EYFS and so understand how important it is for their child to play and how they their role as a parent is needed for them to develop. Within my setting we support the parents by making sure they feel involved and appreciated. We have an open door policy which allows parents to come and talk to a member of staff when they feel they need to. We also offer parent consultations, workshops, helping hand events and inform them of any information through meetings, newsletters, telephone calls and home/school diaries. Training Learning does not stop once leaving school you continue to learn throughout your life and within your professional career, today this is known as Lifelong Learning. So With frequent changes to the Curriculum it is important that practitioners continue to keep up to date with the training, as this helps them to develop on their knowledge and improve their skills within their career. It also allows them to reflect on their own learning experiences and to notice their achievements.

The Korean Consumption Behavior

The Korean Consumption Behavior Introduction The rapid economic development and the opening of the international market, Koreans consumption behavior is increasingly developing along developed countries (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan) consumption patterns. The opening up of the Korean economy led to the increased purchasing power of banks and this allowed them to recover from the 1997 financial crisis faster than other countries that were affected. When the country recovered, the demand for foreign products increased, especially for luxury goods. The Korean central bank claimed that nearly 20% of household spending on goods was made up of imported products. This was only for January, the first month of the year in 2002 (Don, 2002). In particular, Koreans of younger and younger generations are starting to become their luxury markets main consumers. Once a traditional country that viewed luxury items as impractical and wasteful, Korean consumers are now more in tuned with the trends in the luxury industry and are more wi lling to engage in status symbols competition with each other. Koreans could be said to have faced many changes over the last decades, which primed the economy and citizens for a surge in individualism now, and enhanced their pride in the ability to afford and buy luxury items. According to Nueno and Quelch (1998), the rising demand for luxury brands in Korea can be explained by the rising wealth in the whole of Asia and its emerging markets. The luxury goods industries, facing decreased demands from the traditional markets they serve, such as Europe, which at that time, was dealing with recession and minimal population growth, started to shift their focus on affluent Asian consumers who perceived Western luxury brands as signs or symbols of good taste (Nueno Quelch, 1998). Among the Asian markets, Korea was one of the markets largely focused on by the globaal luxury brands (No, 2003). As younger and younger citizens of Korean gain more spending power, they increasingly became consumer trendsetters. Specifically, the trends and styles they follow are the ones from the Western countries (Louis, 2002). Individuals in their 20s are becoming the dominant consumers of the global luxury brands available in Korea, outpacing the middle-aged consumers (Park, 2000). Global luxury marketers became aware of this and they started to form strategies that would specifically attract this demographic of consumers. This is a far cry from their traditional target market, especially since they also started to cater to the young Korean consumers who certainly have money, but can be considered to be only belonging to the moderate-income bracket. There are specific factors shaping Koreans consumption patterns when it comes to the luxury market. Specifically, the factors are personal values; social recognition and demographics of young Korean consumers shape their purchasing decisions in the luxury market. Personal Values The variable of personal values has been widely used to illustrate the underlying dimensions characterizing consumer behavior and received significant amount of attention of researchers. According to Vinson et al (1977), who empirically measured the effects stemming from personal values on consumer behavior, personal values play an important role in shaping consumer behavior towards specific goods. Sukhdial et al (1995) particularly looked at the effects of personal values on consumer behaviors toward the luxury brand market. The authors found that personal values are critical in determining whether a consumer will buy or not buy luxury cars. Individual values and social-related values make up the personal value variable. Individual values are consumer ethnocentrism and materiality (Ha, 1998; Park, 1999; Sharma  et al., 1995). Social-related values are conformity, vanity and the need for uniqueness. All these variables are discussed below. Consumer Ethnocentrism The variable of ethnocentrism determined the consumer behavior of Koreans with regard to luxury goods. Previous research illustrated that individuals who are highly ethnocentric are those with greater affinity with overseas products, which are produced and manufactured within culturally similar countries. As such, a high level of ethnocentrism discourages Koreans from purchasing global luxury brands. According to Shimp and Sharma (1987), consumer ethnocentrism can be defined as the beliefs held by American consumers about the appropriateness, indeed morality, of purchasing foreign-made products (p. 280). Various literature have expounded on the role of consumer ethnocentrism with regard to the behavior and attitudes of consumers when it comes to goods imported abroad (Shimp and Sharma, 1987; Durvsula  et al., 1997; Brodowsky, 1998). Studies are also aware of the significant role that consumer ethnocentrism plays on consumer behavior when dealing with products made abroad; as such, they focus on the possible impacts with regard to the evaluation of the products manufactured in countries of cultural similarity on consumer behavior (Watson and Wright, 2000). There are also studies that determined the product-specific impacts of foreign-made products (Kim and Pysarchik, 2000), and impact on foreign brand personality (Supphellen and Grà ¸nhaug, 2003). Some studies specifically looked at Korean consumers behavior as affected by their level of ethnocentrism. Some studies (Ha, 1998; Park, 1999; Sharma  et al., 1995) illustrated negative influence effects of consumer ethnocentrism on purchasing imports. Those with high level of consumer ethnocentrism are more likely to shun foreign-made goods. In addition, Park (1999) determined the critical influence of consumer ethnocentrism on attitudes toward imported clothing in the Korean market. The study found that there is a negative relationship between consumer ethnocentrism and attitudes toward when it comes to buying global luxury brands. Materialism Materialism refers to a persons penchant for accumulating goods and money. Some cultures view this trait as positive and desirable (Diener Biswas-Diener, 2002). According to Belk (1984, 1985), materialism is a personality-like trait that differentiates a person when it comes to his or her possessions. A materialistic person will view possessions as essential to their identities and survival, while a non-materialistic person will view these possessions as secondary or even worthless. Richins and Dowson (1992) claimed that materialism refers to a group of centrally-held notions about the significance of possessions and their roles in ones life. As such, being materialistic propels an individual to acquire more and more material objects. Under this definition, Richins and Dowson (1992) stated that materialism is a key factor that shapes an individuals consumption behavior and patterns, especially the type and quantity of goods they would buy. As consumption patterns also became globalized, consumption behavior became largely shaped by transitional and multinational firms marketing efforts. Consumers worldwide are becoming more material as they start having difficulties discerning which is a need and which is a want. Global marketing efforts make it hard for consumers to believe that they can forego something they want. One pattern that emerged is that people start to value material lifestyles and value well-known/popular brands that showcase their prosperity (Solonom, 2004). With their market doors expanding to global trade, and with their disposable income increasing, Korean consumers are one of the prime examples of such consumers. Koreans are now in the brink of materialism. They want the lifestyle that is being portrayed by the media that are highly fictional, romanticized and dramatized. According to Yoon (2003), spreading of materialism among the Koreans, particularly the younger generations, has been conspicuous starting from 1995. Nearly two decades later, it can be observed that Koreans are increasingly viewing money as the representation and sign of success, and as a result, are increasingly attracted to global luxury brands, which are the epitome of wealth and achievement in life. They buy these goods merely to show off to others. Specific studies such as the ones by Fournier and Richins (1991), Richins (1994) and Wong (1997), have illustrated the significant and positive relationship between that of materialism and conspicuous consumption. According to these studies, materialism encourages success-orientated consumption and purchase of goods. Fournier and Richins claimed that two causes for increased level of materialism is the idea that one can display his or her status through his or her possessions and the idea that they can affirm themselves through these possessions. According to Richins (1994), individuals who are highly materialistic have higher tendencies to put more importance of expensive goods and would be the ones most likely to publicly display these items to show their success and social status. Bearden and Etzel (1992) categorized goods into publicly-consumed and privately-consumed. Wong (1997) took these categories and performed a study to determine which category will be prone to conspicuous consumption. Wong found that individuals are more materialistic towards publicly consumed goods and therefore, these goods are more likely to be consumed conspicuously. Public goods are the goods that can be used or consumed in public view and not commonly owned or used, such as household items. Global luxury fashion brands are one of the top goods in the public goods category, which is why materialistic individuals will put prime importance into the acquisition of these brands or goods. Materialists would consume these goods primarily for displaying them publicly so as to announce their status and successes in life. In this light, Ziccardi (2001) defined luxury brands as less about the item, and more about the brand and what it stands for. Koreans, especially the young ones can be considered the ones who are status-oriented, and would showcase this personality through their possessions. According to Wong (1997), comparing East Asian consumers with American consumers, it can be said that East Asian consumers are the ones more materialistic. American subjects buy these expensive goods not because they are putting prime emphasis on the public meaning of luxury consumption, unlike their East Asian counterparts (Wong Ahuvia, 1998). Most studies used the concept of materialism to pinpoint that Asian consumers, who are shaped by the value of collectivism will more sensitive to the public meaning of luxury consumption than did Western consumers, and this will influence their buying patterns. As such, materialism promotes Koreans purchasing intentions toward global luxury brands. Conformity Literature claimed that conformity is one of the most significant factors shaping purchasing patterns when it comes to publicly consumed products. As such, Wong and Ahuvia (1998) put forward that consumers in Confucian culture are more likely to purchase luxury good based public reputation of the members of the group they belong to in comparison to their Western counterparts. Therefore, conformity promotes purchasing intentions of Koreans toward global luxury brands. According to Bearden and Etzel (1982),, reference group influences are different between publicly and privately consumed goods as well as between luxuries and basic necessities. Conformity is described as one of the most significant factors shaping publicly consumed goods. Taking this into consideration, Wong and Ahuvia (1998) claimed that those who abide by the Confucian culture will be those who are likely to put a great deal on the effects of their consumption of luxuries. When it comes to fashion, an earlier study by Rose et al (1994), claimed that individuals who have higher level of conformity will be those who are likely to consume clothing and display the brand out to the public. It is easy to assume that conformity is one of the most important predictors of buying luxury brands, particularly for fashion brands. Wong and Ahuvia (1998) differentiated luxury consumptions between Confucian and Western countries. They found that although both groups consume conspicuously luxury g oods, Americans buy luxury products because of their personal preferences, while those in East Asia, buy these goods because they want to conform to specific social norms. They also found that Southeast Asian consumers put greater emphasis on publicly-visible items because of their attached symbolic meanings and values. This suggests that East Asian consumers, who experience higher pressure to conform are more likely to buy publicly-visible luxury items, because they perceive these goods as directly representing their wealth and success. According to Lacsu and Zinhan (1999), East Asian consumers are more likely to buy luxury items, especially those that have social visibility. Because luxury goods shout success and wealth, and are especially different from mass market products, East Asians are more likely to conform to social pressure and experience higher drive to purchase these brands. The need for Uniqueness According to Workman and Kidd (2000), an individuals need for uniqueness significantly affects his or her behavior toward luxury fashion brands. According to Tian  et al.  (2001, p. 52) uniqueness is an important factor in consumer behavior. Uniqueness is defined as the trait of pursuing differentness relative to others through the acquisition, utilization, and disposition of consumer goods for the purpose of developing and enhancing ones self-image and social image. According to literature, consumers self and social image are largely derived from the symbolic meanings they attach to the products they purchase (Tian  et al., 2001). Therefore, consumers wanted something not generic and very similar to others. Luxury products have the great power of inducing the feeling of uniqueness among consumers. Aside from being insanely expensive, and the fact that all of them reigns worldwide, they are reputed to be of incomparable quality, having legions of counterfeits under their names. After all, imitation is the best form of flattery. One word to describe these luxury brands is iconic. Take for example, Gucci and its red and green stripes, these may just be your ordinary logo, but no, everyone wants a piece of it. The brand offers high fashion yet very commercial items, which is why everyone loves it. Chanel on the other hand as the next brand favored by most luxury consumers, is observed to stay in this position and relevant to the industry because it has a host of classically stylish goods. Koreans need for uniqueness promotes purchasing intentions toward global luxury brands. Those vying for uniqueness in their possessions are those more likely to be attracted to luxury goods, because uniqueness is precisely what luxury brands seem to offer to the consumers. There are many factors that verify this. First, luxury brands limited quality enables the buyers to feel unique and distinctive from others who use mass market products (Burns Brandy, 2001). According to Tian and Mckenzie (2001), those who value uniqueness are attracted to luxury products because they are scarce and they would not find just anyone owning the same. In this regard, luxury brands endeavor to preserve their uniqueness by not producing too many of the same design so as to avoid over-diffusion. This makes them very different from the mass market products. According to Dubous and Paternault (1995), employing an empirical test showed that consumers are attracted to luxury products through awareness, and negatively attracted through diffusion, which is a paradox under luxury brand management. Consumers are aware that luxury brands strive to uphold their prestige by being endorsed expensively by popular people, but they are not made to be owned by many people. As such, consumers need for uniqueness find that luxury products satisfy this need. Korean consumers general perception of foreign luxury brands in general follows this line of thought. They perceive that owning luxury brands differentiate them from others and make them unique because not all will have the same kind or brand. Even with the influx of global luxury brands in the Korean market, Korean market still have this notion that luxury brands are hard to access, and having it will make them one of a kind, because luxury goods have scarcity value. According to Gluck (2002), young Korean consumers purchase apparel and other fashion items in which they can use to express their individuality amidst a rather uniform society. Young consumers in Korea believe that they can express their uniqueness using foreign brands with scarcity value, which as a result, boosted demand for luxury brands in the Korean market. In addition, because luxury goods are globally characterized as having recognizable styles and designs, it is easy to showcase their uniqueness, social status and success even across the world. Young consumers are attracted to luxury goods to the promise of uniqueness as well as giving them a boost in their social images. Vanity According to Netemeyer  et al.  (1995, p. 612), vanity is the excessive concern for, and/or a positive (and perhaps inflated) view of, ones physical appearance and achievement vanity as an excessive concern for, and/or a positive (and perhaps inflated) view of, ones personal achievements. Vanity is the concern of an individual with his or her physical appearance because they use it to convey social status. As such, people who are vain will engage more in conspicuous consumption because this can show off their physical appearance and status (Netemeyer  et al., 1995). As of now however, no study has yet determined the relationship between vanity and fashion luxury consumption. However, it is hypothesized that Korean consumers vanity promotes purchasing global  luxury fashion brands. According to Durvasula et al (2001), vanity is described as ones strong emphasis toward ones outward appearance such as being overly concerned and fretful over ones clothing, from the style, to the quality and to the brand. According to Durvasula and his colleagues (2001), a persons belief or perception that others are looking at how he or she dresses, or what kind of luxury brands he or she carries, this will shape his or her decision in purchasing luxury brands. Social recognition therefore plays the key in individuals decision to purchase luxury brands. Social recognition Although personal values such as materialism and conformity can stimulate individuals to purchase luxury goods because of what they represent and symbolize, they might not be the only factors why luxury goods consumers are attracted to these products and brands. According to Nueno and Quelch (1998), consumers feel that owning luxury brands allow for information to spread with regard to the owners social status. These luxury products can help the consumers say what they cannot publicly announce, which I that they are wealthy and successful. The ownership of these goods allows them to claim their social status and prestige without saying it outright. Consumers believe that the nature of the global luxury brands allows others to recognize the brands and this will be a vehicle for the owner to communicate to others their success. This nature plays a crucial role in shaping ones decision to purchase luxury brands. In particular, Koreans view global luxury brands as the embodiment of prosp erity and social status, which is not really that different from the perception of the Westerners. Because others will recognize one brand, consumers will experience higher intention of buying this brand. Demographics Demographics play an important role in the purchasing decision of consumers when it comes luxury goods. Demographics include age, income and purchasing frequency. According to Louis (2002), younger people are more attracted to luxury goods and what they offer. In Korea, the younger generations are those who have higher purchasing intentions when it comes to global luxury goods. They are what most lable as consumer trendsetters and they try to uphold this image, by having the IT things According to Dubous and Duquesne (1993), income is a very important factor when it comes to luxury goods purchases. As widely known, luxury goods are not cheap. Therefore, monthly income or at least monthly pocket money of the young people plays a significant determinant. By having the means, consumers will be more inclined to buy luxury goods. Once consumers become loyal to a brand, it is already easy for firms to market the goods to them. In fact, it has been said that attracting new consumers are more difficult than maintaining existing ones in the industry of luxury goods. Veblens theory and East Asian consumption patterns (projections in South Korea) Emergence of the mass production phenomenon in the modern era allowed for economic crises, the resolution of which should be through mass distribution and mass advertisement. A direct consequence is the transforming of the household from being a unit of production to that of a unit of consumption (Kearl Gordon, 1992). This transformation also led to a new form of consumer ethic, which replaced Webers Protestant ethic of self-discipline. It also goes against the principles put forward by Weber, such as purposeful activity, delayed gratification and thrift. In this modern era, different patterns of over spending can be observed such as: orgy of spending (McKendrick et al., 1982), hedonism (Bell 1980; Campbell 1987); impulse spending (Kearl and Gordon 1992), and then the different marketing promos and strategies of firms to make people buy such as, buy now, pay later and more others (Packard 1957). It can be said that majority of these characterizations can be explained by Veblens (197 9) and Simmels (1904, 1950) seminal work on modern consumerism. Veblens most well-known principle related to his term conspicuous consumption which describes the unnecessary purchase of services and goods which are bought for the sole focus of displaying and advertising wealth. This is done in the endeavor to maintain or attain a certain level of social status. Such goods are now collectively known as Veblen goods, which is a group of commodities. The fact that these goods are placed at such high prices is the very thing that makes them attractive to conspicuous consumers. Conspicuous consumption was certainly not limited to the western countries, in East Asia, for example, girls in affluent families would have their feet broken and tightly bound so that they grew to have tiny lotus feet.  Ã‚  These were thought to be very fashionable since the women who had them were unable to survive without the help of servants. This was a sign of wealth taken to the extreme. Today, there are still many examples of conspicuous consumption and the studies on general modern consumption are so intricate, that almost all walks of life are targeted with todays mass media. Adverts and billboards are everywhere telling the public whats cool and whats not. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Moet Chandon sell a lifestyle. Moet Chandon advert states Be Fabulous and shows two beautiful well-dressed women climbing out of an expensive car with a bottle of champagne in one womans hand. An advertisement like this is basically trying to show the public what status could be achieved by purchasing a bottle of Moet Chandon. The term Keeping up with the Joneses comes to mind, as studies show that many consumers purchase goods just to show off and maintain a certain status amongst their friends. Veblen goods arent just restricted to clothes as the purchase of certain magazines, purely for the status they offer. Being seen reading a magazine like Robb Report or Conde Nasts traveller may give the impression that one can afford what is featured in the magazine. Veblen also spoke about the way dress can prove many things. The wearer can give an impression that they can spend without much thought on the price. Veblen goods are still very much around, such as designer handbags, expensive wines and thousand-dollar watches. The luxury watch is an ultimate example of a Veblen good as the consumer really buys into the allure of a higher status. Companies like Rolex, TAG Heur and Omega have all used celebrities such as Roger Federer, Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Craig in his bond suit. Even though its purpose is very practical and can help with everyday decision making. These watches are aimed a business men with a high salary who identify or would like to identify with the sports star s and actors wearing these watches at the back of TIME magazine and the like. A Louis Vuitton bag for example just wouldnt be viewed the same without the high price tag. Todays fast fashion and mass production also encourages conspicuous consumption. However mass production has changed the outlook on mans life and has created a singular type of existence which can be viewed as almost humiliating and that the products are what drives man. The trends we see from designers on catwalks are translated as quickly as possible into high street stores. It is not surprising that with the emphasis on keeping up with the latest trends, which ties into fitting in with society consumption of clothes has reached an all-time high. The quality of clothes however, is less of a feature than the over-all look of the item. In the Victorian times, garments had to be made of the best lace, but with todays technology, garments can be made to look more expensive than they really are. Keeping up-to trend with accessories such and bags and shoes is still very expensive to do. Designers put their signature touches on shoes and bags, which make them more lust after. Christian Lo uboutins shoes have the signature red sole, Louis Vuitton may feature an LV and a Mulberry bag could carry their characteristic tree on the logo. To be seen with any of these items offers a instantaneous status that comes with it. Korea is now considered an epitome of such societies. When Korea was only beginning to industrialize, conspicuous consumption among most people can be said to be still tacit and defensive. An explicit display of conspicuous consumption was criticized for being impractical and imprudent, notwithstanding the persons social status. This trend is now gone. Today, many Korean people compete based on social stature and symbols, and this encouraged new patterns of consumption. Even during religious rituals, Koreans cannot help but compete with each other by showing off how many their goods are or expensive as a sign that they have higher status. Conspicuous consumption, behavior does not just exist within the leisure class, however throughout every class and individual in our society. The want to consume is nothing new, people work and live to consume, people are what they consume. As seen with celebrities today, they consume the best cars, the best clothes, the biggest houses. Veblen explains a man of wealth is the one who consumes without restrictions on anything. This type of consumption is what Veblen describes as conspicuous waste, the manner in which people dress is always seen and noticed, especially when celebrities are displaying them. With conspicuous consumption, the consumption and wealth must be displayed and noticed. Many celebrities, who are members of the leisure class, show off their homes, cars, clothes, and other items. Veblen argues this is harmful to our society, these luxuries and types of consumption are only for the leisure class, and one is expected to live this certain lifestyle in order to keep the ir standing in the leisure class. A man of the leisure class must consume certain goods and give away certain types of rewards or gifts to with hold his position within the leisure class. Koreans are very much in this phase right now, outpacing the Americans it seems. Koreans are proving that the emergence of the leisure class coincides with the beginning of ownership (Veblen 22). Before the early 20th century, Korea was ruled by the Yi Dynasty and had clear distinction of the class system with the ideologies of Confucian Tradition: In this context, women were a form of ownership. Women were seen as a status symbol, a trophy wife, for which men of the leisure class could own and show off. When we own people, we own material or production, so by owning something one can exploit his earnings. Like ownership, most women of the leisure class are considered vicarious leisure. Veblens vicarious leisure is defined as people who live the life as though they are a member of the leisure class however dont get all the material that comes with it because they are living through the wealthy. Throughout the barbarian stages, men were considered the breadwinner and worked while the women stayed at home while women were considered to live through their spouses. T he women of the household were not suppose to work and were expected to be more showy about their leisure than men, they were expected to be beautiful and represent the households wealth. Literature in the early 1980s showed that conspicuous consumption of products were positively linked to vulnerability to the influence of peers and the opinions of others. According to Bearden and Etzel (1982), conspicuous consumption is more likely when purchasing publicly consumed luxury products than privately consumed luxury products. Conspicuous consumption ate up a significant part of the income of the urban population compared to the rural population. Urban citizens are more concerned about their appearance and status, and are more susceptible to buying things that would serve the purpose, regardless of the cost. Discussion This study aims to understand the relation of conspicuous consumption and status competition in Korean women. This section explore the spending behavior of women in Korea, which are found as new phenomena under prosperity in South Korea after the 1997 financial crisis, hence post IMF period. Under current government forms and of Neo liberalism, we are able to recognize the irony that contest the very hegemonic idea of neo-liberalization, which is silent but hyper conscious in the minds of Korean women. This fact is elaborated in relation to the patriarchal ideology deeply rooted in the tradition (neo-Confucian) minds of Koreans and although times have moved on, the representation of body in Korean women in Korean society today remains valid. Here I am able to explore conspicuous consumption of the body as a whole, and how consumption on appearance is conceived in the minds of young women today. Implementation of appearance of Women in the Post-IMF, Neo-liberal Korean Society The transformations in post-IMF Korean society accorded with accelerated transition to a postmodern consumer society. An author proclaimed in 1999, The present Korean society is a heaven for consumers (Yoon 1999, 189), and the trend of consumption for self-distinction and expression of self-identities has been ever intensifying. Concerns over body in this era of culture became a widespread set of phenomena after the IMF crisis. Healthy lifestyles became a social trend in the 2000s when numerous self-help books were published to tell consumers how to pursue them. Women are increasingly drawn into consumption of not only of luxury consumption, but beauty products and care services as well. More women have been resorting to improve their appearances for which purpose smart or classy clothes and creative or original hair styles had been sufficient in earlier decades (Lee 2006, 73). Especially for young women, their gender and class statuses are estimated no longer primarily by their individual characters and resources, but rather by their appearance. Increasingly, Koreans of all ages and genders view their appearance as something that can be improved through ever developing. Not being fashionable or know

Uses of Marijuana :: Free Essays Online

Hemp is a very useful plant. The reason why it is illegal today seems an easy question to answer, right? Because of the effects that it causes on the brain and body. Right? Wrong! The reasons why hemp was made illegal were reasons that the public were never exposed to. Before 1883 about seventy-five to ninety percent of the world's paper was manufactured from hemp bast fiber. The United States Department of Agriculture first proposed making paper from hemp pulp in the early 1930's. Although production had to wait until someone invented a machine that would separate the hemp pulp from the fiber cheaply. Meanwhile, Dupont Chemicals, Hearst Paper and Timber, and several other companies had developed a new way to make whiter paper out of trees. Just when they got all their patents and business going in 1936, someone invented the hemp 'decorticating' machine. This threatened to put all the tree companies out of business, because of the fact that hemp paper is cheaper to make. A huge sum o f capital was tied up in making tree pulp paper and shipping it for sale. Most of the tree-paper companies were very powerful and had many connections with the government. So in 1937, they launched a country-wide campaign to put a prohibitive tax on hemp. This was the first 'Reefer Madness Movement' and when we began to call cannabis-"Marijuana". At that time no one knew that marijuana was really cannabis hemp. The only knowledge about hemp that the public knew had been obtained from the many fabricated stories. All the public knew was that it was "the killer weed with roots in hell", because of the supposedly harmful effects that it had on the human body and mind, which by the way have all been reaserched again in depth and the previous conclusions of the effects of marijuana on the human body and mind, have all been disproven. Because of this most American's did not know where their clothes used to come from because synthetic fabrics had just becom popular. The first Levi's blue j eans were made from the hemp plant. I will including the following information in my paper; the many useful uses of hemp as a perspective product for the future, products such as; fiber, rope and twine, canvas, cloth and cotton, how it can replace our dependence on our forests for our paper products, and finally how easily it can be cultivated.

Sophists Essay -- Philosophy, Socrates, Plato, Gorgias, Aristotles

Sophists have been perpetuated in the history of philosophy primarily due to their most fierce critic Plato and his Gorgias, where Socrates brings profound accusations against the practice of sophists and declares notoriously rhetoric to be a part of flattery (ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¿ÃŽ »ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ºÃŽ µÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±, 463c). This paper focuses on the responses to sophists’ practices by Plato and Aristotle, analysing on the one hand criticism made on their practice, on the other, however, trying to evaluate in which respect the responses of the two philosophers differ. Thus, taking the polemic of sophists as a starting point, the paper moves forward into discussing the fundamental differences in the treatment of rhetoric as perceived by Plato and Aristotle. For this reason (and in order to present a fuller account of Plato’s theory of rhetoric) not only Plato’s Gorgias, but also his Phaedrus is incorporated to the following analysis. Plato on sophists and rhetoric In Gorgias Plato claims that rhetoric is not a Ï„Î ­Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ½ÃŽ · (462b) and his accusations against sophists or rhetoricians seem to be reducible to three closely related arguments: first, that rhetoric doesn’t have its own subject (that would make it a Ï„Î ­Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ·); second (and most importantly) that it lacks the theoretical basis that is necessary for a Ï„Î ­Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ·, and thirdly that rhetoric is used for morally base intentions and pursuits, which corrupt the souls of the citizenship (503a). And, as will be apparent below, a discussion of these problems is offered both in Plato’s theory of true rhetoric in Phaedrus as well as in Aristotle’s treatment of rhetoric in his Rhetoric. Thus, the above presented accusations are latently put forward also in Phaedrus, where Plato presents his positive concept of rhetoric, yet which obviously sta... ...or Plato actually) rhetoric ‘happens’ (McCabe 1994: 152), the sophistic practice has an impact on its audience and thus it must be possible to find out the underlying system of this practice (1.1.1) that would enable one to call it an art. Further, it seems that Aristotle’s response is in some sense more fundamentally a response to Plato, at least in terms of taking the problems Plato articulates in his Gorgias as well as in his Phaedrus into serious consideration, and building up his own theory that would not suffer of the problems demonstrated in Plato’s works. Thus, Aristotle is very profoundly in a dialogue with Plato, accepting some of his criticism against the sophists (rhetoric should be basically a rational practice, with morally-neutral pursuits), while rejecting others (the appeal to emotions plays an important part in Aristotle’s theory, for example).

Photography in Flux Essay -- Digital Photography Pictures Technology E

Photography in Flux It is no secret that digital photography is very rapidly finding a niche in modem society, in both the professional realm as well as in the home. The advent of newer, faster, and more embellished technologies have placed the power of photographic production in the hands of the common person. An art form that formerly was left to the charge of few skilled professionals has been forever changed by these technologies. Certainly, this evolution of sorts has its strengths as well as its drawbacks. What advantages does a photographer have with digital technology that he or she might not have with a traditional camera? What are the disadvantages? And what does this technology mean for the future of the photography trade? First, what exactly is the fundamental technological difference between digital photography and conventional film? In Tom Ang's The Art of Digital Photography, he says that "the key difference is the light-sensitive medium used to capture the image" (10). Okay. Well what does that mean? Images in traditional film are created when "silver salts suspended in the emulsion convert the amount of light falling on them into a latent image" (Ang 10). When film is developed, the chemical processes that occur magnify the changes to produce a viewable image. By contrast, digital cameras have an electronic sensor that converts the light falling on it into an electrical charge, which is then processed by electrical circuitry and turned into a code that can be stored, transported, copied, etc. Advantages Essentially, once an image exists in digital form, it can either be tweaked to adjust even its most indiscernible features or it can be entirely morphed into something altogether different. There ... ...exis.com>. Ippolito, Joseph A. Understanding Digital Photography. Clifton Park, NY: Thomas/Delmar Learning, 2003. Meyer, Pedro. "Traditional Photography vs. Digital Photography." ZoneZero: From Analog to Digital March 1, 2001. 14 Sept. 2004 <http://www.zonezero.com/ editorial/marzoO l /march. html>. Potts, Mary Anne. "Q&A: The Pixel Pro." National Geographic Adventure Magazine June/July 2003. 15 Sept. 2004 <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/ 0306/gn_a.html>. Sand, Michael L. "Metamorphoses: Photography in the Electronic Age." Aperture 136 (1994): 3. Smurthwaite, Nick. "Faking It." Design Week April 1998: 17-19. LexisNexis Academic. Parks Library, Iowa State U. 15 Sept. 2004 <http://www. lexisnexis.com> Ziegler, Katleen and Nick Greco. Digital Focus: The New Media of Photography. Southampton, Pa.: Dimensional Illustrators, 1997.