Company profile about an engineering company in United Arab Emirates Essay

Company profile about an engineering company in United Arab Emirates - Essay Example With its inception as a wholly state owned enterprise in 1979, Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL) has been existent for the over 30 years. The main reason behind the states establishment of Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL) was to add value to the vast countrys oil-rich mineral resource as it would result in the diversification of the UAE economy. The company’s production capacity has grown over the years with the installation of modern smelters that produce approximately one million metric tons of high-quality molten aluminium annually (Dubai Aluminium Company Limited n.d). Furthermore, DUBAL is currently overseeing an aggressive growth plan as it seeks to become one amongst the top five worldwide aluminium producers by the year 2015. As one of the leading producers of high quality finished aluminium, DUBAL owns one of the worldwide largest aluminium smelters plant. Established on a four hundred and eighty hectare site in Jebel Ali the company has established a state of the art plant centralized in one locality allowing it to function smoothly as it produces over one million metric tonnes of aluminium. Unlike other companies that operate in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE), DUBAL is one of Dubai’s industrial flagships it is one of the prevalent non-oil companies that adds up to the country’s economy. As a company that focuses on the production of high quality finished aluminum products, it serves a vast number of electronics and aerospace industries that operate worldwide. It focuses on its power of partnership with its employees, customers, government, suppliers, and the community under, which it operates. Dubai’s government founded Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL) in order to boost its economy through production of high quality finished aluminum products for its users in the electronics and aerospace industries. As a result, DUBAL has

Risk Management and Policy Decision-Making Essay - 1

Risk Management and Policy Decision-Making - Essay Example the fear of the resiliency of the breaks in the weather condition and even the managers of the manufacturers of the machine, Ferrari, refused but the persuasion by the officials ensured that the cars were launched according to the plans and previous schedules of launching. The decision to launch the first Ferrari was arrived at after numerous hours of debating which involved both the management of the rallying event, the makers and all the external political forces. All this were influenced by numerous bureaucracies in the handling of the actual decision of whether to proceed with the launch or not to proceed. Since the decisions were being made from a multifaceted approach, the heroic engineers tried to avoid the accident by cancelling the launch but the administrators due to their lack of the actual knowledge and evidence that could lead to disastrous outcome of the launch; they went ahead and initiated it. However there is the actual lack of evidence that portrays previous accidents correlating the slippery road surface and the rainy weather as having disastrous effects on the brakes of the super road machines. There is clearly a missing evidence of previous accidents in relation to the brakes resiliency due to variation in the rain drizzles. However the indication of the failure of the car breaks is explained as indicated by the Ferraris explanation using their chats does not show the evidence of similar accidents or disasters with a cause that is due to the correlation with drizzles variability and the physical conditions of the roads post the rainy event. Even though some of the previous launches under similar conditions indicated the possibility of the failure of breaks , but there was no evidence of cause in relation to the crushing of Ferrari one. This accident had an impact in the future management of the high speed rally cars launches in relation to the weather of the day. In relation to the management approaches and the ideologies of the engineers,

Malaysias Luxury Goods Sector

Malaysias Luxury Goods Sector Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction In the 80s, luxury goods that used to belong to the upper class became visible, recognizable, and accessible to the public. Hence, the market for luxury goods went through an enormous demand growth spurt, and developed into a significant economic sector in the 90s (Roux and Floch 1996). Louis Vuitton reported sales of nearly 2.5 billion Euros, increasing its net income by 80% between 2002 and 2004 (LVMH 2005). LVMH Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the worlds leading luxury group, achieved revenue of 4 billion euros in the first quarter of 2008. Organic revenue increased by 12% compared to the same period in 2007, which was also a period of strong growth. As a result of the negative impact of exchange rates, reported revenue growth is 5%. All business groups recorded double-digit organic revenue growth in the period, with the exception of Wines Spirits. The Group continued to record excellent performances in Asia, the US and Europe. A good attains the label â€Å"luxury† when it has the particular design, quality, performance or durability that is remarkably superior to the comparable substitute. Luxury goods have a lot to do with the consumers psyche and how it makes the person feel. In generally, luxury goods are considered to be the highest quality, and price in the market. Brand consciousness among the Malaysian society has been increasing over the past few years, especially with the young generation who are now appetite for the luxury goods and brands especially from college, university students and young working adults. The population of the youth for aged between 20 and 29 aged is 20% which nearly make up the entire population in Malaysia. Understanding the consumer behavior in this age group would be pivotal in ensuring luxury brands can better position themselves in the market and will be useful in marketing building brands. It makes good reason that research on the factor influences generation Y on the purchasing decision of luxury goods. 1.2 Background of Research â€Å"Asia is considered by many international brands as a major sales region, with the improving personal financial status of Asian consumers and with the opening up of various developing markets, there is huge room for growth in the luxury sector,† said Karen Watson, Chief Communications Officer, ACNielsen Company(Consumer and Designer Brands , April 2008). In Malaysia, the luxury goods sector has been growing along with the rest of the world over the past ten years. We can see that some of the shopping complex such as Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) Mall that sell luxury goods and for up market. Over the years, the setting up for the up market such as Pavilions, The Garden and Star Hills have catered to the increasing demand of luxury goods. â€Å"In Malaysia the apparel industry has undergone great transformation with more and more brands entering the market, and the recent past years have seen the entry of numerous international brands. The apparel industry is worth RM 3.26 billion (approximately USD 1.1 billion) (Protà ©gà © Associates‟ Independent Market Report (2007)† (Khan and Khan, 2008) The study on consumer behavior in relevance to luxury goods has gained a lot of interest over the course of the decades. Early research on a framework to define luxury and that of luxury seeking consumers started in the 19th century by Rae (1834). The early research was showed that a summary of the luxury seeking consumer behaviour which can be seen by Vigneron and Johnson (1999) where the values are conspicuous, unique, social and quality. Conspicuous and quality could be seen in the summary luxury seeking framework by Vigneron and Johnson (1999) who presented the luxury value perceptions., It has been stated as the notion of â€Å"buying to impress others† by concerning the motives for consuming luxury goods (Wiedman, Hennigs, Siebel, 2007). Other researches were instrumental on other factors which influence purchase decisions, Khan and Khan (2005) provided the result by showing how reference groups influence on purchase decisions. It focuses on reference groups which are groups that individuals refer when making a purchase. From a consumer behaviour perspective, reference groups are important because they inform and make individuals aware of specific products and brands; provide individuals with opportunities to compare their own thinking with the attitudes and behaviour of the group; and influence individuals to adopt attitudes and behaviour that are consistent with the norms of the group (Khan and Khan, 2005). Aesthetics appeal on purchasing decision also gained the attention of the researchers. Researchers such as done by Virginie, Irina and Pierre (2009) and Dubois, Laurent, Czellar (2001) influence the purchase decision on luxury goods. 1.3 Research Question Most of the consumers purchase the luxury goods for one of the following reasons. Purchasing decisions could be influence by the social factor example noted by (Khan and Khan, 2005).Other factors that should be taken into consideration include brand image, conspicuous and quality value which effect the purchase decisions before making the purchase. Aesthetics are also playing a crucial role influence on purchase of luxury goods Based on the Literature Review in Chapter 2, which provides a detailed look at all the factors and variables above, the research questions at hand has to do with the present variables and the purchase decisions. The questions addressed in this research are: What are the critical factors (reference groups, perceived conspicuous, perceived quality, brand image and aesthetics) influence generations Y in purchasing decision of luxury goods in Malaysia? Is there any interaction between critical factors (reference groups, perceived conspicuous, perceived quality, brand image and aesthetics) and generation Ys purchase decision on luxury goods in Malaysia? How the critical factors (reference groups, perceived conspicuous, perceived quality, brand image and aesthetics) have impacts on generation Ys purchasing decision on luxury goods in Malaysia? 1.4 Research Objective This study aims to address the following objectives of the study: Main Objective: To determine and identify the factors influence generation Y in purchasing decision of luxury products in Malaysia. Specific objectives: To identify the critical factors (reference groups, perceived conspicuous, perceived quality, brand image and aesthetics) influence generation Y in purchasing decision of luxury products in Malaysia. To determine relationship between critical factors (reference groups, perceived conspicuous, perceived quality, brand image and aesthetics) and generation Ys purchasing decision of luxury goods in Malaysia To determine the effect of critical factors (reference groups, perceived conspicuous, perceived quality, brand image and aesthetics) on purchasing decision of luxury goods in Malaysia. 1.5 Significant of the Study The luxury goods market is growing rapidly and it is important for research to be done to understand the factors and variables that influence Generation Y purchase luxury goods in Malaysia. The research is important for a number of reasons. The factors influence purchasing decision or consumer behaviours toward luxury goods research has been done in American, Europe or Asia but there is a lack of research regarding purchase decisions on luxury brand products in Malaysia. The only research has been done was by Khan and Khan (2005). The research was about the gender differences in the purchase of luxury goods and covered with social influences and marketing influences. 1.6 Scope of the study In this research, the research will be conducted under the scope of the purchasing of luxury goods. The research will investigate the factors that influence the generation Y in purchasing decision of luxury goods in Malaysia. This research is going to focus on generation Y which includes males and females in Malaysia. The age the range of this research on generation Y between 20 to 29. This group of generation Y was chosen because they are college students, university students and young working adults. They are the consumers that showing the greatest purchasing power in the luxury goods market. Questionnaire will be given to the generation Y to know the factors that influence them in purchasing decision on luxury goods. 1.7 Organization of the Research Project The outline of this thesis can be divided into three main parts. Chapter 1 would be the introduction to the paper, where an understanding of the luxury goods market would be presented, along with the trends the market is heading. A background of the study is also provided, citing the work done by past researchers and their findings. This chapter also provides a clear understanding of the problem statements as well as the objectives of this research paper. Chapter 1 would also justify the need for this research to carried out and provide a summary of the research methodology used to carry out the survey. Chapter 2 would provide a review on the findings and results of past researchers. Chapter 2 titled literature review would be the assessment on research topics of interest to the researcher, such as topics concerning the factors that influence the purchase of luxury goods. Factors or variables that are being discussed in this chapter include the social influences, perceived conspicuous value, perceived quality value, brand image and aesthetics Onwards to chapter 3 which is titles research methodology, this chapter would detail the relationships of all the variables present with the theoretical framework. The development of the research hypotheses would also be presented in this chapter along with the sampling design and procedures that would be used in the data collection process. Chapter 3 would then round up by pointing out the methods that would be used for data analysis as well as the variety of tests that would be used to test the hypotheses. Chapter 4 is the â€Å"Data Analysis†, presents and analyses the raw data collected from the survey. After that, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) will be used to present the most accurate statistic data and graph. Chapter 5 explains the outcomes of the testing of the hypotheses determined from Chapter 4: Data Analysis. The acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis is discussed as well. Additionally, the concluded results of the hypothesis testing from this study are compared with results from previous researches to identify the differences and similarities. 1.8 Conclusion This chapter has laid the foundation for the entire research. A background of the study was also given to show the progress made by past researchers on the topic at hand. An understanding of the luxury goods industry was presented along with the research questions and objectives this research intends to meet. Thus, the research question, research issues, limitations of the research and outline of the research have been presented, which will provide a guideline for the research. The above information can work as a base and lead into the detail interpretation on the research afterwards. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.0Definition of Luxury Goods The word ‘luxury can be defined as state of life in which has uses things that please the senses or pleasing to have but not essential. â€Å"A good attains the label as a â€Å"luxury† when it has a particular design, quality, performance or durability that is remarkably superior to the comparable substitutes† (Snapshot of U.S Luxury Good Market, 2007). Dubois, Laurent and Czellar (2001) and Survanasuddhi (2007) stated a definition of the nature and characteristics of the concept of luxury. The six facets are excellent quality, very high price, scarcity and uniqueness, aesthetics and polysensuality, ancestral heritage and personal history and superfluousness. Luxury goods are rising in popularity especially as consumers buying behavior is becoming more symbolized. Consumers feel that by owning luxury products can express their personality and set them apart. Thus, â€Å"luxury goods have been defined as goods for which the mere use or display of a particular branded product brings prestige on the owner, apart from any functional utility† (Nia and Zaikowsky,2000) The term ‘prestige was defined as it consists of consumers motivations for chasing technical superiority, uniqueness, signaling wealth and status well as aesthetics appeal (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). ‘Prestige and ‘luxury are used synonymously in the VIgneron and Johnsons research. Vigneron and Johnson (1999) categorized three types of prestige brand as upmarket brands, premium brands and luxury brands, respectively in an increasing order of prestige. Hence, it was expected that people would have different perceptions of the level of prestige for the same brands, and that the overall prestige level of a brand would consider the prestige perceptions from different people. â€Å"Luxury brands can be described as premium priced brands that consumers purchase for their psychological values (symbolic and hedonic), and not predominately for their economical and functional value† (Nueno and Quelch 1998; Stegeman, 2006). However, the definition of luxury goods or brands cannot be fully recognized. The definition of luxury will be different and may not be the same for another researcher. Chadha Husband (2006) definition limits itself in that it only pertains to luxury fashion goods instead there are other luxury goods that are also both universally available and accepted as luxury. The definition of luxury brands have been defined as fashionable and high quality consumers goods made by reputed luxury brands which contained wearable fashion goods such as handbag, wallet, shoes and belt (Chadha and Husband, 2006; Heinemann, 2008). Fashion can be reflection of the social, economic, political and artistic forces of the time. Accoding to Gao, Norton, Zhang, To (2009), â€Å"luxury fashion goods are apparel, accessories, handbags, shoes, watches, jewellery, and perfume for which use or display of particular branded products brings prestige to owners, apart from any functional utility†. Snapshot of U.S Luxury Good Market (2007) stated fashion group represent the major product sector in the luxury goods market. It is important to know that the survey showed that â€Å"one sixth (16%) of the worlds consumers claim to buy designer brands† (ACNielsen, 2008). For this research, the term luxury goods can be defined as the brands that are defined as luxurious in the annual â€Å"Consumer and Designer Brand Report 2008† by the global Nielson firm which the survey is the largest and it identified the following goods as the luxury fashion goods. Calvin Klien Giorgio Armani Celine Ralph Lauren Louis Vuitton Ferragamo Diesel Burberry Chloe Chanel Versace Marc Jacobs Christian Dior Prada Gucci Givenchy DKNY Emporio Armani Valentino Hermes Fendi Yves Saint Lauren Max Mara The fashion goods that show above are not the only goods that are stated as luxury in this research. Consumers allow to evaluate and include other brands which they think is luxury fashion goods for them. Furthermore, there are many opinions and views of luxury from different leaders viewpoint stated in KPMG research (Managing Luxury Brand Growth, 2006). Luxury is explained in the table below as following: Leaders Name and Company Definition 1. Guy Salter Private Investor, Deputy Chairman of Walpole, the British Luxury goods organization Because luxury matters in a way that didnt matter before. Increasingly, luxury is big business: the luxury segment is growing and according to most projections it will continue to grow for the next ten to fifteen years. 2. Belinda Earl, Jaeger Groups chief executive Jaeger is a luxury British brand renowned for designing stylish, innovative and superb quality womenswear, menswear and accessories. None of us are in the business selling necessities; luxury is the business of creating and satisfying desires. 3. Richard Purdey of gun makers James Purdey and Sons Famous British gun maker of London, and the name is synonymous with the very finest sporting shotguns and rifles. Purdeys hold or have held numerous warrants of appointment as gun and rifle makers to the British and other European royal families. A real luxury brands has got to have total integrity. It has to be the buyer that says ‘this is luxury. 4. Theo Fennell Theo Fennell is the jewellery maker by using his name for his company ‘Theo Fennel in London Luxury is something that everyone wants and nobody needs. 5. Joseph Wan of Harvey Nichols CEO of retailer Harvey Nichols Harvey Nichols is an international luxury lifestyle store, renowned both in the UK and internationally for the breadth and depth of its exclusive fashion merchandise. It offers many of the worlds most prestigious brands in womenswear, menswear, accessories, beauty, food and home. Luxury is about history. A luxury brand is a lifestyle concept and to be sustainable it has to have history, including a history of quality merchandise and of real luxury customers.. 6. Raphael le Masne de Chermont, of Shanghai Tang Executive Chair of Shanghai Tang Shanghai Tang is the first luxury brand emerging design from Chiana It is not in the price, it is in the pleasure you give to the customer. It is to do with creativity, a harmonious aesthetic with attention to details. 7.Christian Hafner Head of Branding at Swarovski Luxury is about history, authenticity, depth and being a partner. Buying a luxury product is like a love affair. 2.1Generation Y Generation Y are also referred as the Millennial Generation or Generation Next or Net Generation describes the demographic cohort following Generation X. Its members are often referred to as Millennials or Echo Boomers. According to Shareef Mahdavi (2008), Generation Y is the term used to describe children of the Baby Boomer generation, typically born between 1977 and 1995. McCrindle (2008) described the generation Y born in between 1980 and 1994. They are also referred to as ‘Millenials and ‘Echo Boomers in the western society, especially American Society. Generation Y are individuals who born between 1977 to 1994 that have a free spending spirit and consist of 71 million 8 to 25 year olds (Horovitz, 2002; Sriviroj 2007). The wealthiest groups of people are between the ages of 19 to 25 year olds who are either employed in full time jobs or part time work even though there are group amount of generation Y consumers. The greatest purchasing power in the Generation Y college student takes place within the part-time student, who spends over $400 monthly on discretionary purchases while often maintaining full-time employment (Gardyn, 2002). Those who are either part time or at full time work are college students (Martin Turley, 2004). Students always work as part time work to find extra funding for their excessive spending during the university hopdays or breaks. There are average 80% of students attending college or university are employed (Martin Turley, 2004). The financial knowledge of the average Generation Y consumer also earns them the awareness and respect of marketers even though their spending power alone is enough reason to pay significant attention to this group of consumers. The financial knowledge of the average Generation Y consumer also earns them the respect of marketers today. Generation Y consumers have a remarkable amount of disposable income due to the increasing of greater level in the economy over the past decade (Martin Turley, 2004). Besides that, the research suggested that â€Å"Generation Y has more discretionary income than the previous generations and prefer to spend it on themselves rather than others. A reason for this may be because they are starting families later in life and therefore are able to spend their income on themselves without having to worry about others† (Angela Hughes, 2008) The important of this group of consumers has taken on the greater level of meaning for marketer. â€Å"While the Baby Boomers grew up with television advertising influencing how they were marketed to and how they bought products, Generation Y has many different mediums that they grew up with, which is what makes marketing to them so much more difficult† (Angela Hughes, 2008). Marketers are playing the large part influence consumers behaviour through the knowledge of fashion. The reason is that teenagers are concerned about fashion value more than any other age groups (Koester and May,1985; Sriviroj 2007). One of the most influencers is the media because of media consist of a wide range of technology such as television, internet, mobile phone and DVD. (Angela Hughes, 2008, Sriviroj 2007). The internet has permanently changed the way that this generation shops by giving the information about products than the companies give the consumer. According to Angela Hughes (2008), he in ternet is also a powerful tool for this generation in spreading opinions about products to their peers. The largest differences between Generation Y and those that preceded them are Generation Ys tremendous awareness and confidence. Generation Y is more likely than any previous generation to look up information before purchasing a product. Generation Y is more desirable to own the products that they know their peers will accept just to show they are part of the group. On the other hand, in the research of Sriviroj (2007) stated that television is strongly influence these generation which affect them as they will reflect their perceptions in â€Å"reality† as they have seen in television world. â€Å"Of the paid advertising channels of online, outdoor, newspaper, magazine, radio, TV and Theatrical, TV and newspaper are the most trusted media† (Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, 2009). â€Å"Generation Y is poised to take over as the largest and most lucrative consumer group for marketers, a position that has long been held by the Baby Boomer generation† (Angela Hughes, 2008). In order to understand the generation Y consumers, it is important to think about factors that motivate these individuals towards the purchasing of luxury goods. 2.2 Social Influence Previous research shows that group influences play an important role in influencing the purchase decisions (Brinberg and Plimpton, 1986; Martin and Bush 2000; Mascareches and Higby, 1993). The group members have been recognized as determinant of behavior. The fact that the people act in accordance with a frame of reference produced by the group to which they belong is a long accepted and sound premise (Merton and Rossi, 1949). However, many individuals did not behave like the majority of people in their recognized group (e.g., social class or educational level).The casual observation showed perplexing contradictions between group membership and behaviors. According to Merton and Rossi (1994), â€Å"a partial solution was found in the concept of â€Å"reference group†, which recognizes that people frequently orient themselves to other than membership group in shaping their behaviors and evaluations and that reference groups can perform a diversity of functions.† Reference groups are generally defined as â€Å"actual or imaginary institutions, individuals, or groups conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual‟s evaluations, aspirations, or behavior† (Lessig and Park, 1975; Pertina, Prybutok, Zhang, 2008). Besides that, reference group also can be defined as â€Å"a group of people that significantly influence an individuals behavior† (Bearden and Etzel, 1982). Reference group are important because they make the individual aware to a specific goods or brands and influence individuals to adopt attitude and behaviour that are consistent with the norm of the group. The normative and informative social influences are the most widely accepted influence. Normative social influence is based on the tendency to conform to the expectation of others while informational influence is based on the desire to make informed decisions and optimize the choice (Stephen Yang and He, 2009; Khan and Khan, 2005). Berden and Etzel (1982) examined that the reference group influence by product and the brand purchase decision. Previous research studied group influences in marketing strategy and consumers purchasing behaviour. Specifically, three types of group influences are studied which is information, utilitarian and value expressive influences (Stephen Yang and He; Bearden and Etzel, 1982; Makgosa and Mohube, 2007; Pertina, Prybutok, Zhang, 2008). Informational influence is reflected when an individual perceives enhancement of knowledge and ability to cope with environment when using information from opinion leaders, experts, or product users. Utilitarian influence manifests through the process of compliance with those who can exercise reward or punishment power. Value-expressive reference group function is based on the identification process whereas an individual who associates oneself with a group to enhance self-concept adopts this groups consumption patterns. Reference groups have been found to specify what the desirable and undesirable goods are (Bristol and Malengburg, 2005; Khan and Khan, 2005). Many researchers have argued that individuals are more susceptible to reference groups influence when the goods is conspicuous and publicly consumed (Bearden and Etzel, 1982; Makgosa and Mohube, 2007; Batra, Homer, Kahle, 2009; Morris and White, 2009). The influence of a reference group on consumer behavior can be done in one of two ways, either directly or indirectly. In the research Stephen Yang and He (2009), reference groups refer the group that individual has frequent contact with (such as family members, work associates, classmates, friends, etc.). These group is refers to the groups used by an individual to direct one purchasing behaviour in particular situation. These are generally referred as direct reference group (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1994). On the other hand, it included â€Å"the groups that does not have the membership in or direct contact with, such as certain expected groups or people in a certain social level (Stephen Yang and He, 2009). Based on the work of Khan and Khan (2005), the direct reference group influence was illustrated as â€Å"families, friends, co-worker, formal social groups and other leisure groups†. This differs from the indirect reference groups comprise of â€Å"individuals and groups t hat influence consumers purchase intentions without having and direct contact such as celebrities and sport personalities† (Khan and Khan, 2005). 2.2.1 Direct Reference Groups Direct reference groups can be defined as direct contact from the individual or groups with the consumers. With the reference from †¦.., it showed that families, friends, co-worker, formal social groups and other leisure groups are under this categories. A person has several reference groups for various subjects or different decisions normally. For example, â€Å"a woman may consult one reference group when she is purchasing a car and a different reference group for lingerie† (Consumer Behaviour, no date).These direct reference groups are the one who frequently contact with the consumers, It can be seen that the groups views from direct reference groups whether purchase the goods in order to be like group members, believing in group members decisions or a sign of wanting to fit in the group. The previous researchers have carried out the investigations on how the role models (parents, relatives, peers) influence teenagers purchase intentions and behavior (Martin and Bush; Subramanian and Subramanian, 1995)) and how parents and peers influence various products and brands purchase decisions (Bearden and Etzel, 1982). Researcher has shown that overt family communication can and often does influence younger consumers attitudes toward purchases and their consumption patterns (Martin and Bush). Consumers always do not feel confident enough to evaluate alone. They will consult a friend or partner by inviting them along to a potential purchase can enhance the process. â€Å"Having a peer present meant that shop assistants become largely irrelevant and that evaluation of a brand centered largely on initial peer reaction to fit, style and price-based decisions† (Guy W.Mullarkey, 2001). â€Å"It is also interesting to note that of all the three direct reference groups, friends tend to exert the greatest influence where individuals purchase brands because they identify themselves with their peers† (Khan and Khan, 2005). From the numerous researches that have been done, direct reference groups influence make an immediate impact to the consumers. Therefore, it can be concluded that direct reference groups play a significant role in providing relevant information, deemed necessary to make a purchase and conform the group norm. 2.2.2 Indirect Reference Groups Indirect reference groups is the group that influence consumers purchase decisions without having any direct contact with the consumers such as celebrities and sport personalities. Khan and Khan (2005) defined celebrities as â€Å"individuals who are well known to the public for their advertisements in areas other than product class endorsed† and that they represent â€Å"an idealisation of life†. In luxury goods industry, it will be much easier by connecting the brand to a celebrity and is even viewed, in some instances, as a necessity. This is because a luxury goods company is in the business of building and selling dreams, and nothing is more helpful in making such dreams concrete and thus more believable in the eyes of the consumer, than communicating it through a famous personality. Celebrities are being increasingly used in marketing communication by marketers to lend personality to their products in India (Matrade Chennai, 2005).

An Argument Against Abortion Essay -- essays research papers fc

An Argument Against Abortion Abortion is a serious topic that people have been debating about for years. Everywhere you turn the topic of abortion presents itself, on TV, in the newspapers, in books and magazines. It already has, and will continue to cause, controversy for years to come. As long as abortion remains legal, pro-life advocates will continue to protest what they believe to be these horrible acts of murder. Dating all the way back to the 1800’s, abortions have been taking place all over the world. In the US abortion laws were created around 1820 stating that women would not have abortions after already being pregnant for four months. Then by 1900 most abortions were outlawed. It wasn’t until 1956 that all fifty states had banned abortion with certain exceptions varying by state. Abortions were performed in the case of rape or incest in order to save the life of the mother, or if the fetus was deformed. It was then that back alley abortions started becoming very popular. Women were finding any way possible to be rid of babies they didn’t want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It wasn’t until later years in the case of Roe vs. Wade that abortion was again allowed. The Supreme Court in 1973, in the case of Roe v. Wade, declared most existing state abortion laws unconstitutional. This decision ruled out any legislative interference in the first trimester of pregnancy and put limits on what restrictions could be passed on abortions in later stages of pregnancy(Rand ). While most celebrated this new decision, others, like those in the Roman Catholic Church for example, opposed the change. It was then that the terms â€Å"Pro-Life† and â€Å"Pro-Choice† were coined as the two movement names: Pro-Life in favor of outlawing most abortions, while pro-choice in favor of it being the woman’s right to choose. Pro-choice advocates usually use the argument of â€Å"a women’s right to choose†. But does that mean women have the right to choose murder, because that is what she would be doing if the fetus were a person. Abortion is a very controversial subject that has been argued about for many years. Abortion is the process that takes the lives of unborn babies that could very well have a long and prosperous life. How do we know every time we perform an abortion that we aren’t taking the life of the person who would one day grow up and find the cure for AIDS, or become president? Every huma... ...y to defend themselves against it. The longer we keep abortion legal, the more and more innocent lives will be taken by people who are probably just cleaning up after a irresponsible mistake. If we made abortion illegal again, people would start to become more careful in their sexual acts because if they don’t they will have a baby to live with and raise. When discussing abortion, we should keep the women’s health as a major concern. Although abortion is a safe process, it does cause long-term damage to a woman’s body. Present day, birth control is so cheap that there is no reason that sexually active couples should not be able to afford and put it to use. If a woman becomes pregnant, and she doesn’t want the child, her other option besides getting an abortion is adoption. In the US there is such a large amount of people looking to adopt, that a home can easily be found for a new born infant. Bibliography Shanahan, Kelly . M.d. Risks of Repeated Abortions. iVillage Inc. 1995-2004 http://www.ivillagehealth.com/experts/womens/qas/0%2C%2C258053_732%2C00.html Rand, Ayn. Abortion is Pro-Life. Copyright 1998 – 2003 http://www.abortionisprolife.com/essays.htm

Sarah James in Mexico Case Study Analysis

This interesting case study was a terrific example of well-intentioned people doing everything correctly in terms of logistics, but failing to consider and plan for the human side of this very personal and unique interaction. As the text relates to us, Sarah James seemed on paper like a perfect representative for the inaugural term of the exchange program between Palm Lakes University (PLU) and the Instituto de Negocios Internationales (INI). Her initial performance in Mexico indicated that she was on track for success. She did well enough in her course work and in a screening process to be chosen for a business internship.Sarah’s success in Mexico was important to a number of stakeholders. Obviously, Sarah herself would benefit from her schooling and internship in Mexico; in addition to her degree, she would gain business experience and an opportunity to add references to her eventual business resume. For PLU, the exchange program offered a tremendous marketing opportunity in the ability to provide students of international management courses with international work experience. This would make the college more attractive to prospective students. Similar benefits would come to INI.Less obvious may be the potential impact to the community in which INI operates. Businesses would presumably profit from the work of student interns and might also use the internship program as a screening process for potential employees. Finally, the families which hosted the students would benefit from the stipend they would be paid, and less tangibly from the cross-cultural interaction. The text does not provide too much detail about the work experience, except for a brief reference that things ‘had gone well in her work environment.It is interesting to note that at work and in school, Sarah performed well. These are both environments in which one can be reasonably certain what is expected. Regardless of where we are working or learning, we have tasks which we are resp onsible to accomplish. It appears that Sarah’s trouble occurred exclusively in her interpersonal relations with her host family. In an article for her blog in The Huff Post: Education , author H Tavangar provides insight on an exchange experience which seems to have been very positive for all parties involved.She describes the benefits of opening her home, among them growth in global competence for her own children; confidence in ‘socializing, working, solving problems, and finding new ways to communicate with diverse colleagues and friends’ for the host and exchange families; and perhaps most importantly, ‘Adapting to living with someone raised by different parents can teach our kids much about their tolerance for different habits, and become better communicators and more cooperative, assertive, flexible, resilient, patient, grateful, compassionate and forgiving adults — which is important as a college roommate, spouse, or business partner. Early in her article, she makes an important point: ‘It’s never the right time. ’ While she is referring directly to the changed logistics in her home life which would be necessitated by hosting an exchange student, I feel she makes a broader point here about flexibility. As you read her article, it certainly seems that the experience which she, her family, and their exchange student (to whom she refers as ‘my new daughter’) was a resounding success. Several points struck me about Sarah as I read the case study. In the first paragraph of her email she says she enjoyed ‘practicing Spanish and hearing about (Mexican) culture and beliefs’.This was my first clue that here was a young woman not invested in cultural exchange but who saw the program as something exclusively for her benefit (and potential benefits she did not fully grasp, at that). Certainly it is true that using Spanish in a classroom is very different from conducting all your daily in teractions in the language; however, her very phraseology tells us that she saw her host family, fellow students and coworkers as people upon whom she could practice – conejillo de Indias, or guinea pigs.Her reference to ‘hearing’ about the culture and beliefs further tells us that she did make an effort prior to her trip, to truly learn about Mexico. A practical and a sensitive person would have studied Mexican history and culture in general and also those same subjects in terms of the specific state or region in which she would be living. The more disturbing impression, however, is that of her watching day to day life, but not participating in it, as though she were a visitor to some kind of cultural zoo.She seems to spend her time with her host family looking exclusively through her own cultural lens. This is particularly apparent in her complaints about the host family not being prepared for her vegetarian diet. The Mexican diet relies heavily on beef, on chi cken and on lard for preparing many dishes. Sarah makes no reference to having researched the commonality of vegetarianism where she would be staying; to having any advance preparations regarding it; or to offering to purchase and cook her own food to accommodate it.Far from considering the burden of additional work and expense for the host family, she seems to have simply expected them to provide for her needs, and not to have been appreciative of their efforts in that regard. It is interesting to note that she was not the only student to encounter this issue; that speaks to a failure in planning on the part of PLU. We are advised in the case study that the PLU asked only the most rudimentary questions of students chosen for the program, and that PLU had no knowledge of what preparations were made by INI with the host families.There are multiple additional indications that Sarah viewed her host home as something of a hotel which was lacking. With regard to a ride to the airport on the day of her departure, we are told the ‘host mother indicated several times’ she would provide transportation. If this subject was mentioned ‘several times’ the message may in fact have been that it was troublesome in terms of schedule, expense and/or inconvenience for the host mother. When the question arose of payment for the day of student’s departure, Sarah simply suggested the host family contact INI.Far from being concerned about whether than how the loss of a partial days’ stipend would impact the family, Sarah never gives a thought as to why the family brought it up to her in the first place. Mexico is collectivistic; that is, hierarchies (actual or perceived) are highly regarded and it is seen as taboo to try to work outside of them. In the situation described here, INI in general and Alberto Jiminez in particular may be viewed as authority figures. It might seem disloyal to Jiminez for the host family to complain (or even to be vi ewed as complaining, such as asking for the partial day stipend).They may also fear exclusion from future opportunities to host. If Sarah contacted INI to ask about the payment, the request would not be viewed as coming from the family. The final catastrophe of this experiment comes when Sarah mentions that she would be moving to her own apartment for future terms. She has no regard for how this would be perceived by either university; how it might impact the program as a whole; and how her decision might directly impact her host family. The stipend the host family earned during her stay most likely made up a significant portion of their income.Her unilateral decision to move out would adversely impact them not only in the short term (loss of stipend for her) but possibly also in the long term (if they were not offered the opportunity to host other students). Additionally, the potential negative impact to the program and the relationship between the universities is enormous. Sarah i s a product of her home culture in that she is clearly individualistic in all her views, freely sharing commentary on what she thinks should have been done to make her more comfortable.Her feedback seems to have been mainly a venue for complaint about how the program did not allow her to live her own lifestyle in the Mexican culture – completely missing the point of the program and not benefitting from the tremendous opportunity she was given. One wonders what, if anything, she truly learned about Mexico and its people. She was not open-minded and looked at the situation only from the perspective of her own benefit, learning opportunity, and convenience or inconvenience. She seems to have looked at the host family as hoteliers whose job was to provide her accommodations tailored to her liking.She completely disregards the fact that she was staying in – and disrupting – someone’s home. There is no evidence of consideration of how she could have been flexib le, helpful, better prepared, or less offensive. While Sarah may be viewed as ‘flexible and cooperative’ in her own environment, she clearly feels her own lifestyle – her culture – is superior to that in which she was set down. With regard to preparation and training, several failures are evident. From a practical standpoint, the selection and preparation process for both students and host families is clearly lacking. Even the rudimentary information collected on the students (i. . , dietary restrictions) seemed not to have been shared with, or explained to, the host families. Far from the difficult situation this created in the case study, such a glaring omission could create a medical emergency for a visiting student. The two universities need to collaborate to develop a thorough selection and preparation program. For students, there should be a requirement for them to demonstrate an understanding of the day to day world in which they will be living â₠¬â€œ diet, cooking, shopping, transportation, family schedule, religious observations – and what they can and can not expect from their hosts.Most of all, the universities need to recognize that as young adults it may never occur to some of these students that they are not entitled to special treatment from a family on whom they are, after all, imposing. Part of the preparation process should be to orient them to the fact that they are moving into a home and sharing a family situation, rather than checking in to the Marriott. For host families, it would seem that very little information was provided to them about their student; in fact, the case study tells us that PLU had no knowledge what, if any, preparation was undertaken for the host families.In terms of selection, a simple survey on attitudes, beliefs, schedules, flexibility and requirements might help make more successful matches between families and students. Providing biographical information and allowing advance cor respondence between the parties would allow them some introduction prior to the program beginning. It might also be a terrific idea to allow the student to meet someone from the district where they would be staying, and the host family to meet someone from the United States, in an informal environment.A basic talk about day to day life may increase comfort levels and given stakeholders an opportunity to ask basic questions they may not wish to ask ‘authorities’. On an ongoing basis, compiling these questions and sharing the answers with each successive group of participants would go a long way. Equally important, if a student or family is not a good fit for the program, this would give them a way to recognize that before it is too late.After each term, the students and families should be surveyed as to what went well, what did not work, and what could have been done differently to make the program more successful. Once Sarah released her email, it was critical to the fu ture of the program that the situation she created be properly handled. Professor McGill would need to personally reach out to Albert Jiminez to offer apologies for Sarah’s lack of sensitivity. A discussion with the host family (especially the mother, who likely bore the brunt of the inconvenience of Sarah’s visit) should be held to ensure that their side of situation was understood. The input of the host family should be solicited; apologies offered to INI and to the family for the offense given; and a plan drawn up to make the program more successful going forward. Careful listening, planning, and agreement between the schools may be able to ease the tension Sarah unwittingly created. As the first student in an effort intended to promote international business major program and build the relationship between PLU and INI, Sarah was in a precarious position. She does not seem to have been prepared to truly learn about Mexico by living like her hosts and considering her impact on them.Beyond expressions of gratitude for the opportunity she was given Sarah’s contact should all have been with and through Professor McGill. Also, she need not have waited until her term was over. Opening the door to communication before a problem escalates will usually allow us to control how big a problem it becomes. Globalization requires companies to seek employees who understand how business is conducted globally. The program in which Sarah enrolled was intended to prepare her for an increasingly competitive international business world.She had the opportunity to become grounded in a culture and language foreign to her, but due to her own self-absorption, as well as failure to plan on the part of both universities, I believe she missed out on the potential benefits. ? References: Steers, R. M. ; Sanchez-Ruiz, C. J. ; Nardon, L. (2010) Management Across Cultures: Challenges and Strategies. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press Tavangar, H. A. (August 2, 20 11) 5 Lessons I Learned Hosting an Exchange Student Huff Post Education Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/homa-sabet-tavangar/5-lessons-i-learned-hosti_b_916347. tml Andrews, W. A. (January 19, 2009) Sarah James in Mexico: Often Wrong But Never in Doubt. London, Ontario: Ivey Management Services Hollenbeck, G. P. , & McCall, M. W. 2003. Competence, not competencies: Making global executive development work. In W. Mobley & P. Dorfman (Eds. ), Advances in Global Leadership (Vol. 3). Oxford: JAI Press. Canisius College International Business Program Overview, http://www. canisius. edu/international-business/program/ HSBC Careers Page, Global Employee Programs, http://www. hsbcnet. com/hr/graduate-careers/business-areas/global-research. html

Importance of Play Essay

Play is one aspect that is common in every child’s life. The importance of play for children is huge. It is so much more than a recreational activity for them. Play is essential for children; it contributes to healthy child development cognitively, socially, and physically (McFadden, 2010). Because of this, it is vital for parents, caregivers, and educators to recognize the importance of, and to encourage play. Why is play so important? Recently at the preschool level, there has been a push to reduce the amount of play time and increase the amount of time spent on academic work. With the increased academic work load that is being placed on school-aged children today, this appears to be a good idea; however, the lack of play time for children is actually detrimental to healthy child development. Children see play as fun. They do not engage in playful activities with the thought of learning social or mental skills, but play benefits these areas of development, as well as several others. When children play, they learn how to share and â€Å"be nice. † Learning these skills early will enable them to be able to get along with others in adulthood. Children also learn to interact with their surrounding environment. This interaction allows children to begin to make sense of their world (McFadden, 2010). Cooperation and good communication skills are essential in every profession and activity a child may encounter as an adult. By communicating with others, a child begins to understand the importance of language. They learn how to express their ideas and accept the ideas presented by others. Children also develop communication skills that help them resolve conflict and negotiate with thers. From infancy, children display the desire to gain control of their physical behaviors so they can become able to manipulate objects of interest (Feeney, 2010). Play contributes to this physical development and refinement of motor skills. The vigorous activity of a child’s play builds strength, stamina, and skills they will need for healthy physical development. When children are left to decide how they will play, the often gravitate toward physical activities such as running and chasing each other or playing catch with balls. This active play results in physically fit children and physical fitness is one of the key components in healthy child development (McFadden, 2010). As children develop the control of large muscle groups as a result of physical activities, they also refine fine motor skills and control. Building with blocks, painting, and playing with clay refine tactile dexterity, which children will need when they learn to write and progress in school. Play also has a role in the emotional development of children. Children at play feel in control of their world, practicing important shills that lead them to a sense of mastery of their environment and self. They learn to master their fears, resolve internal conflicts, and to act out anger, hostility, and frustration (Feeney, 2010). Often, play is used by therapists and social workers to help children overcome and work through abuse or trauma. As an educator, there are several ways to incorporate play into learning activities. Because children are innately curious, they enjoy investigating and discovering new things. Teachers should use this curiosity when introducing science and scientific ideas. Children cannot understand complicated scientific ideas; however, they love learning about plants, animals, and other objects within their environment. Science in early childhood education encompasses life science, physical science, and earth science (Allen, 2007). An activity to explore earth science is called â€Å"will it float? † Children select different objects from around the classroom and hypothesis whether the object will float on water. After making their guesses, the children get to test their theories by floating the chosen objects in the classroom water table. Children love this activity because they get to play with water, but the activity actually teaches them about weight, volume, and buoyancy of different things. Teaching young children mathematic fundamentals is made simpler when the lessons are presented as a fun activity. Math instruction in early childhood classroom settings must involve concrete ideas, and be naturally suited to the child’s play (Gabbert, 2009). Teaching children the idea of measurements can begin in the preschool setting. A great way to teach measurement is by adding measuring spoons and cups to sand and water tables. In the activity, children are allowed to scoop out sand or water from the tables and place their â€Å"measurements† into separate containers to see how many scoops will be needed to fill the new space. The educators should tell them the amounts they are placing in the new space to encourage the child’s understanding of the activity. The importance of play in the early childhood classroom cannot be underestimated. It is the duty of an early childhood education teacher to encourage and allow students to play all throughout the day. Play should be incorporated into everyday lessons. Young children are naturally curious and energetic. Incorporating play into their day will allow them to â€Å"absorb† more of what is being taught. Not all children, especially young students, learn well by sitting and listening to a lecture. Being allowed to play helps children see learning as an enjoyable thing. Play also ensures they develop other skills: motor, social, emotional, needed to become successful in their school careers, and beyond.

Film Study Essay

Film Study Essay Film Study Essay INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL FILM SEMESTER I 2009-2010 BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN vs. PLEASANTVILLE Number of words: 1048 Battleship Potemkin is a 1925 silent film, whereas Pleasantville is a 1990’s movie based on a story that is set in the 1950’s . Many different techniques have been used in order to create special effects outlining the main ideas of both movies. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the use of colours, sounds and the movements of the cameras that suggest the political theme in both films. Firstly, I am going to be discussing the different colours used in both movies. Its use is fundamental in putting across the basic message of the films: In Pleasantville it suggests that change is an indispensable part of life, whereas in Battleship Potemkin the use of only black and white colours emphasizes the fact that it is an old movie. It is entirely a black and white production that shocked for its use of violence, but also a silent one that â€Å"reaches the emotions on a visual level†(Mayer, 1990). It explains the story of the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin that revolted against their executives representing the Tsarist system. This sequence suggests the desire for freedom and autonomy of the Russian empire. In Pleasantville, the director, uses colours to show the differences between two worlds. Black and white images represent a world of morality where people must respect the law. For example, the idea of sex is meaningless to them. Colours are used to express a world of opportunities: an exciting place where rules are broken and new things are discovered, like the pleasure of reading. Colours also represent the modern society, while black and white are related to the traditional society, ruled by strict conventions. Once the two siblings (Bud and Mary) appear, the pleasant world, presented in a TV sitcom becomes to change. They bring new conceptions into the world converting the black and white background and people into enriched ones, contrast that defines aspects of human conditions. In the clip that shows the court case, the people in black and white have power whereas those that are portrayed in colour are segregated in the upper part of the room. This can be seen as discrimination and racism, a common problem in the world today, too. The court case was caused as a consequence to the fact that the pleasant world started to change and rules began to be broken. . More and more people started to do something they desired and this desire went beyond the limits of society. By discovering the joy of life or the feeling of a disappointment they turned coloured. Those that didn’t accept any change in their lives, like the mayor, saw this as an immoral and unusual fact. Different colours that are used have different meanings. For example, in this clip of the court case Bud wears a blue T-shirt, which could be associated with a reasonable and confident person, qualities that help him say what he thinks in front of some of the citizens of Pleasantville. This relates to the political theme of the movie by presenting all the important people in the town that take decisions gathered altogether. Secondly, the use of camera and the editing play important roles in making movies. In Battleship Potemkin, the director expresses his own theory, known in film language as â€Å"montage†. The so-called â€Å"the Soviet montage† could be clearly seen in the most famous scene in the film, known as Odessa steps. It shows the mass execution of the citizens of Odessa by the Tsar’s representatives, as an episode of the Russian Revolution. This clip has a dramatic effect on viewers; its purpose is to portray Russians as a powerful and influential nation, after a catastrophic loss in the First

differences in relationship be essays

differences in relationship be essays Differences in Relationship between Young Couples In the past and at present, there has been a new type of relationship called Gig - a casual relationship that both sides do not want things to get serious. It has become a controversy for all kinds of people from conservative people to students of all ages. While arranged marriage is considered unacceptable for young generation today and seems to be vanishing away from society, there are still some similarities in some aspects of this process that is widely known to be used as another option to find a mate such as Internet-dating Company or newspaper matchmaking. However, there are still many differences in relationship between young couples in the past and at present. First of all, the way that a person used in order to find a mate has completely changed from the past. In the past there were only a few ways to find a mate either by an arranged marriage or by destiny. And in case his/her soul mate does not show up, one might have to remain single for the rest of his/her life. So, today instead of waiting for the right one to come, a single person can make use of all the facilities that are available in finding a mate. Media has become another popular option. There are many realities TV shows that have this kind of concept. For example, a TV show called The Bachelor invites an ideal bachelor and provides him with a selection of girls and gives them time to get to know who he would propose to be his bride. The Internet also plays a major role in finding a mate. There are a number of chat rooms that let a person join in and get to know each other or even using the dating service through the Internet. Moreover, it is a very easy process and who knows that ones soul mate might be just a click away. A friend is another important person in this relationship, they can set up a blind date or host a party where his friends can go and...

Automated Testing of Distributed and Heterogeneous - Free Samples

Various healthcare organizations are now working with a huge chunk of data. The database is consisted of this chunks of data organized in a proper manner. The information is derived from the data that are collected by the system. The Information System is the piece of technology that assist an organization to manage the data and process the data to generate information. The information system also responsible for generating reports based on information that assist the management and doctors to take decision precisely. The report is consisted of discussion on two subsystems of the James Healthcare Organization. The sequence diagrams have been developed based on the patient registration sub system and appointment scheduling sub system. The report also provide the ways of modifying the designs to make it more effective.   James Healthcare Center is a renowned organization that operates its business based on twelve thousand patients and four hundred and fifty staff. The owner of the organization is currently thinking of opening a new center that will consists of all the modern medical facilities. The organization provide insurance coverage to its employees. The need of the modern technology and information system is required to support the business growth. The new system will be replacing the old paper based processes of the organization. The office manager supervises all the employees of the organization. The HR handles the staff benefit and human resources. Lee Sue is responsible for managing the appointments of the healthcare. He has to maintain the appointment related data single handedly. This is a critical and effortful process. The possibility of errors is very high. The patient registration is s crucial process as it is consisting of the data that will identify the patient. The project will be developed using the agile methodology where the organization will be able to develop the system based on the prototype development. The designs of the project is created on the OO design. The system will be responsible for making the reports for management so that they can facilitate the decision making. The clinical decision making system will be integrated into the system so that clinical treatment decisions can be taken properly. Electronic Medical Record is the data storing technology that will hold the patient treatment related data. The EMR will hold the patient details, diagnosis details and its results, the test reports, the doctors who are providing treatment, the medicines that are prescribed to the patient and the effect of the medicines and much more. The project is consisted of various parts and development of various subsystems. These subsystems will be developed individually and then bined to create the plete system. The system will be running on a single server. The project will be developed using various programing languages. Database that can store business and patient health related data for a very long time. The ERM will be integrated into the system to hold the patient health and treatment related data. A CDSS or clinical decision support system that can facilitate the decision making process of the system.   The deliverable of the project are as following. The main constraint of the project is designing of the system. The system design is based on the ou e of the requirement analysis process. If any issues occurs in the requirement analysis process then the system project will fail. Managing the change in the organization is a considerable issue. The main requirements of the system are human resource, support of the stakeholders, programing language, database, network and many more. The programming language is used for making the GUI and the backend coding of the system. The functionalities of the system will be developed using the programming language. The data base will allow the system to hold the data in a secure location. The database has to be accessed through a predefined queries based on the database type. The deigning software is a crucial requirement of the project. The software will be used for designing the system functions and interactions with the end users. The software form third parties and the hardware to setup the system are also significant requirements of the system. The system network will be developed using the wireless method. All the client devices of the network will be connected using the Wi-Fi.   The advantages of the project are as following. Figure 1: Patient Registration Subsystem Sequence Diagram   Verification and Analysis: The sub-system design has been done using the system sequence diagram. The diagrams has been done properly to establishing a fine understanding of the sub-system processes. At the beginning, the patient will open the application or website (which is no concern of the report) and enter the details. The details will be consisting of the data like patient personal data such as name, address, spouse, age, email address, phone number and many more. It is to be assumed that a patient may want to open various accounts on the system to cheat the organization or may forgot he has one existing. In such cases, the system will verify all the details provided by the patient to ensure that the patient does not have any previous account. The patient will input the id and password of his wish to the system so that using the id and password the patient can later login to the system. The system will then read the inputted registration details and convert it into the machine readable values. The system will be developed using the object oriented language like java, python or any other. The system development will be based upon the OO designs. The designs have to be as per the proposed scope of the system. The designs will be created using the user data that are provided during the requirement analysis process. In this diagram the patient has been the actor who will trigger the system functionalities. The patient object will trigger the registration function mentioned as the `register()` in the diagram. The register function will be acting upon the defined variables which will be initialized based upon the user input. The variables will then be used by the system to verify user and register patient after success verification. The system design has been done with pleteness as it is consist of all the processes that are required to register the patient. It is mon in the healthcare industry that a patient ing from a doctor who has been providing treatment to the patient. The system will hold the data of the doctor so that it can be used for future decision making purpose. The system will be storing the daises of the patient that is already known so that assistance can be provided during treatment. The EMR will hold the data like to which medicines the patient has allergy and more. As this data will be recorded during diagnosis, these data will not be considered at this sub-system development.   Figure 1: Patient Registration Subsystem Sequence Diagram Verification and Analysis: The payment registration will also be done by only the interaction of the patent. No receptionist or other staff of member will be handling the appointment process anymore. The system will hold the appointment related data into the system and based on these data and patient desired appointment details, the new appointment will be scheduled. The system will be collecting the data form the patient through the GUI provided to him/her. The patient will access the system and login to the system using id and password. A session will initiate and the patient id will be used for storing the activities. The patient will request for appointment through the schedule appointment section in the GUI. The user will input the date desired for appointment and the type of the specialist. Selecting the physician is based upon the system it is not up to the patient. After getting all the data from the user, the system will retrieve data from the database. These data will be about the appointment scheduled the preferred day against the selected physician type. If the system fids that the appointment data is vacant in that day then the appointment will be scheduled and if not then the system finds for an alternative day. The patient will select an alternative date. After the patient select the alternative day, a notification will appear in the screen saying the ‘Appointment will be confirm. Are you sure of the date?’ If the patient select ok then the system will confirm the appointment against the patient. The system sequence diagram did not include any information regarding the verification process. Each of the data must be verified so that only authenticated data can be inserted into the system. The sequence diagram can be developed by dividing all the processes into the sub-processes so that all the system functions can be understood properly. Form the above report it can be concluded that the system development process can be difficult task but if done properly then can invite many opportunities for JHC. The system sequence diagram has been a great tool to show the functions of the patient registration and appointment scheduling sub-system. Baresi, L., Pourhashem Kallehbasti, M. M., & Rossi, M. (2014). Flexible modular formalization of UML sequence diagrams. In Proceedings of the 2nd FME Workshop on Formal Methods in Software Engineering (pp. 10-16). ACM. Cerqueira, T. G., Ramalho, F., & Marinho, L. B. (2016). A Content-Based Approach for R mending UML Sequence Diagrams. In SEKE (pp. 644-649). Chitra, M. T., & SHERLY, E. (2016). Verification of behavior preservation in uml sequence diagrams using graph models. Indian journal of puter science and engineering, 7(4), 1-6. Dao, V. T., Hung, P. N., & Nguyen, V. H. (2016). A Method for Automated Test Cases Generation from Sequence Diagrams and Object Constraint Language for Concurrent Programs. VNU Journal of Science: puter Science and munication Engineering, 32(3). Dou, L., Lu, L., Zuo, Y., & Yang, Z. (2014). Verification of UML Sequence Diagrams in Coq. In puter Engineering and Networking (pp. 1233-1244). Springer, Cham. El Ahmar, Y., Le Pallec, X., & Gà ©rard, S. (2016). Empirical Activity: Assessing the Perceptual Properties of the Size Visual Variation in UML Sequence Diagram. In HuFaMo@ MoDELS (pp. 33-43). Faria, J. P., & Paiva, A. C. (2016). A toolset for conformance testing against UML sequence diagrams based on event-driven colored Petri nets. International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer, 18(3), 285-304. Jena, A. K., Swain, S. K., & Mohapatra, D. P. (2015). Test case creation from UML sequence diagram: a soft puting approach. In Intelligent puting, munication and Devices (pp. 117-126). Springer, New Delhi. Kaur, B., & Kaur, E. H. (2015). Clone Detection in UML Sequence Diagrams Using Token Based Approach. International Journal, 5(5). Lima, B., & Faria, J. P. (2015, July). Automated Testing of Distributed and Heterogeneous Systems Based on UML Sequence Diagrams. In International Conference on Software Technologies (pp. 380-396). Springer International Publishing. Minhas, N. M., Qazi, A. M., Shahzadi, S., & Ghafoor, S. (2015). An Integration of UML Sequence Diagram with Formal Specification Methods—A Formal Solution Based on Z. Journal of Software Engineering and Applications, 8(08), 372. Mohapatra, D. P., Godbley, S., & Dutta, A. (2017). Measuring Hit ratio of Software Systems using UML Sequence Diagram. Muram, F. U., Tran, H., & Zdun, U. (2016, December). A model checking based approach for containment checking of uml sequence diagrams. In Software Engineering Conference (APSEC), 2016 23rd Asia-Pacific (pp. 73-80). IEEE. Rhmann, W., & Saxena, V. (2016). Test Case Generation from UML Sequence Diagram for Aadhaar Card Number based ATM System. system, 11(4). Silva, C. V., & Villarroel, R. (2014, November). JPI UML: UML class and sequence diagrams proposal for aspect-oriented JPI applications. In Chilean puter Science Society (SCCC), 2014 33rd International Conference of the (pp. 120-123). IEEE. Song, J., Zhou, Z., & Guan, Y. (2015). Agent UML sequence diagram and meta-model. American Journal of Engineering and Technology Research, 15(1).

Race and My Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Race and My Community - Essay Example Although I don't look different, the fact that I am not a pure Chinese makes some people stop and think, and depending on their personal experience, they adjust their behavior towards us. My community is a pretty mixed up place, but I don't mean we are confused. No, there may be few of mixed Japanese-Chinese ancestry as I am, but the neighborhood is crawling with people from different parts of the country who have come to the capital, where I live, in order to study, find work, or stay with their families. This is how race becomes an issue, something that one would not expect from an island nation such as ours, but it does. Contrary to popular belief, not all the Chinese are of the same race. Neither are all the Asians of the same race. The label "Asian American" in countries like the United States says a lot about the confusion of the racialized Western mind that thinks that we are all the same race. We can be as white as the Japanese and the Koreans or as dark as Indians or Pakistanis or Arabs. My being half-Japanese just makes the classification more exciting. I enjoy the care and attention I get from people who think I am not the same as they are, but I also suffer when others think that I don't belong, since I am neither pure Chinese nor pure Japanese, but this is something I have learned to adapt to since I was small, and when my friends learn more about me, they adapt. That is why they are my friends: we have many things in common, but also many things that are different. Our community leaders are open to us. They are helpful and are doing a good job with everyone regardless of color or ethnic origin, because most of them are also immigrants from other parts of the country. I think this is what education and moving out of your place of birth does to people. You learn quickly that even a small country like mine is really a big place where all of us can live happily together. I wish I could say the same thing of leaders in other communities. A friend from another part of town was just telling me that their leader, who happened to have migrated from the south of the country many decades ago, was discriminating against immigrants from other regions and favoring those from his town. I don't think that is right. I think a leader should treat people the same way a parent would treat their children. Help the kids grow up and learn, because life in this world is not easy. After thinking about it, I think racialization - the construction of racially unequal social hierarchies characterized by dominant and subordinate social relations between groups (Marable, 2004)- works both ways. Others find it useful to support their own hidden intentions, which can be good or bad. This is why it is good because people become more educated and sensitive on this issue so that there is less racialization in society. But it is also bad, because we might reach a point when we become paralyzed by racialization that life stops becoming fun. One example I can cite, which is related to information by or about people like me that can be found in texts or work manuals, is the impression people get when they see a strange name as the author of something, a speech, article, or a book.

Current prison population Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current prison population - Coursework Example Such issue has been the primary consideration of some international and local authorities in formulating ways to enhance their correction system and the enforcement of their own laws. Some writers were puzzled of the primary cause of this consistent rise in prison rate despite the allocation of huge amounts for the corrections all over the country. An author cited that this phenomenon is due to the sentence length of crimes even for non-violent ones such as simple theft and drug possession (Pelaez). However, it could also be concurred that the lack of focus for rehabilitation is the major reason. It is said that restorative justice is better than just focusing on the effects of imprisonment as the primary form of punishment in a society. Rehabilitation of offenders by gaining back the society’s confidence towards them is seen as an effective approach to crime prevention. Despite these criticisms, it can be observed that police officers in such state are active enough in loc ating offenders during a crime and hence, very dependable. The rise in the prison rate can be seen as a sign of good criminal enforcement system in the United States. However, their punishment system should be revised to consider the importance of rehabilitation than just mere imprisonment. Pelaez, Vicky. â€Å"The Prison Industry in the United States: Big Business or a New Form of Slavery.† GlobalResearch.ca. GlobalResearch.ca, 10 March 2008. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. U.S. Department of Justice. â€Å"Total Correctional Population.† Bureau of Justice Statistics. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 26 Jan. 2010. Web. 27 Jan. 2010.

Business Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Finance - Essay Example the society whose sole levers and gears are the different types of business and its organisations that are generating these revenues at a higher interest. But it is to remember that money multiplies money; and then who is sourcing these revenue generating businesses to expand their own operations and other developments. This paper will through light on the sourcing and the using issues of the finance and the business finance respectively. The field of finance refers to the concepts of time, money and risk and how they are interrelated. The term finance may thus incorporate any of the following studies; like the study of money and other assets, the management and control of those assets, profiling and managing project risks, the science of managing money, the industry that delivers financial services. As a verb, "to finance" is to provide funds for business or for an individuals purchases it becomes the act of lending money to a party to meet its requirements. Though the financer receives interest, the borrower pays a higher interest than the financer receives and the financial intermediary that is the financer itself pockets the difference (Jones 2002). This is the simple structure of financing and the glory of this business. A specific example of corporate finance is the sale of stock by a company to institutional investors like investment banks, who in turn generally sell it to the public. Finance is used by individuals and creates personal finance, by governments as public finance, by businesses that is the corporate finance and as well as by a wide variety of organizations including schools and non-profit organizations. In general, the goals of each of the above activities are achieved through the use of appropriate financial instruments, with consideration to their institutional setting (Beaney 2005). This is where the finance plays the role of a resource. Finance is one of the most important aspects of any business management. Without proper financial

THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM Vs. THE EUROPEAN EDUCATION SYSTEM Pre-K Essay

THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM Vs. THE EUROPEAN EDUCATION SYSTEM Pre-K to 12 GRADE ONLY - Essay Example Contrast to this, the American education system has a division between the elementary school and secondary school. The elementary school involves nine years of study while secondary school involves four years of study (Well, 2010). Another difference comes in the number of days of schooling. In Europe, it is required that students attend 237 school days while in America; schooling days are required to be 170. The hours that students spend in class in a day also differs. In Belgium, students spend an average of eight hours in school while in America students spend a whole day in school (Emily, 2014). Additionally, the education system of Europe and America differs in the time that one goes to college. In German, students have to choose between vocational training schools and academic preparatory and a tender age of ten. However, this is not the case with America because students do not have to choose between the two schools. The education system of America gives an opportunity for anyone who has finished high school to either join college or the university depending on their performance in high school (Well, 2010). The ways in which private schools are handled in both continents differ. In Europe, most of the private schools that have been put in place are religious while in America, private schools belong to individuals, practitioners, institution or to an organization (Emily, 2014). In addition, the government is involved in the payment of private schools in Europe which is not the case in America. In Europe, the government helps in paying a larger part of fees for students in private schools depending on the location. The government pays 80% in Austria and Denmark, 85% in Norway and 70% in Hungary. However, this is not the case in America because parents of students are the ones who pay for all the fees if their children are in private schools. The number of students who attend higher education also differs

Communication Etiquette within a Franchised Business Essay

Communication Etiquette within a Franchised Business - Essay Example I decide to discuss business etiquette in business particularly in franchised business since communication is very crucial in any form of business. Additionally, the way that communication is done is even more important and it determines how well the employees and the clients relate to each other. This paper focuses on the different communication etiquettes used in the business field particularly in franchised business spread across different nations. While doing business it is critical that the persons involved be in a position to communicate appropriately irrespective of their differences in culture and language. Being from different culture results in differences in mannerisms thus the need to have specific etiquettes to govern how business is conducted. Over the recent past, there has been great demand for development of communications skill particularly in the franchised businesses. This is due to the need to optimize business operations. Business franchising has become a common phenomenon over the recent past. However, most franchise business end up collapsing as soon as they are formed, which is mainly due to lack of or poor communication. Etiquette entails making other people feel good and appreciated, which is crucial in business set up (Chaney & Martin, 2007). Communication in business settings takes different forms. The forms include written documents such as letters and memos. Additionally, communication may involve phone calls, video conferencing, or through emails. Moreover, social media has become a means of communication that franchised business are increasingly adopting (Martin & Chaney, 2012; Chaney & Martin, 2007) Communication using emails and letter is governed by some basic rules, which are considered the etiquette. Letter writing is quite a common communication strategy between businesspersons. The way a letter is structured and the language used demonstrates ones communication skills. Errors such as undated letters as well as spelling mi stakes portray negative aspects about one’s communication skills. The letters should also be clear and specific without any jargon. Letters and emails should also be standard. This can be made possible by designing a specific template. The template can be modified to suit different purposes (Brookins, 2012; Thompson, 2011). Communication and Etiquette Communication is the process of encrypting and conveying a message to an individual or group of people. There are different ways of communicating in business setup, which may include body language, verbal or written means. The etiquettes may vary in different parts of the world and is mainly determined by the culture of the people doing business. However, there are certain conducts that are considered common in the business field and are crucial for the success of any business. Communication etiquette is very crucial in franchise business since this kind of business is often spread worldwide across different cultures (Fox, 2008) . Since communication is one of them most crucial aspect of doing business, it is important to practice good communication for effective business transactions. Good business etiquettes entails respecting and adhering to other people’s cultures in addition to being courteous to colleagues and other stakeholders. Good business e

Illogic of american Racial Categories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Illogic of american Racial Categories - Essay Example The illogical aspect of American racial categories raises questions on how a standard criterion can be reached at. Another question many people are concerned about is what led to overriding debate on racial categorization despite anatomical homogeneity of humanity. In the opinion of Paul, there is innate competitive trait in humanity that seeks to rank races in terms of superiority. For instance, in United States non-Hispanic race feels more superior to the Black immigrants. However, there are cases of individuals with same geographical background still being categorized on other minor basis. Interracial marriages have given rise to an intermediate group which is entangled in identity confusion (Spickard 41). It is therefore illogical to apply political gain strategies in defining what one’s race category is. Considering the untraceable racial mixture of some individuals, it not proper to claim any form of politically motivated criterion. Paul offers an insight into the divergent approaches of defining races and the existing controversy that characterize America in regard to its political inclinations. The bottom line is that racial categorization is relative and any attempt to apply politics amounts to the illogic

Communication Etiquette within a Franchised Business Essay

Communication Etiquette within a Franchised Business - Essay Example I decide to discuss business etiquette in business particularly in franchised business since communication is very crucial in any form of business. Additionally, the way that communication is done is even more important and it determines how well the employees and the clients relate to each other. This paper focuses on the different communication etiquettes used in the business field particularly in franchised business spread across different nations. While doing business it is critical that the persons involved be in a position to communicate appropriately irrespective of their differences in culture and language. Being from different culture results in differences in mannerisms thus the need to have specific etiquettes to govern how business is conducted. Over the recent past, there has been great demand for development of communications skill particularly in the franchised businesses. This is due to the need to optimize business operations. Business franchising has become a common phenomenon over the recent past. However, most franchise business end up collapsing as soon as they are formed, which is mainly due to lack of or poor communication. Etiquette entails making other people feel good and appreciated, which is crucial in business set up (Chaney & Martin, 2007). Communication in business settings takes different forms. The forms include written documents such as letters and memos. Additionally, communication may involve phone calls, video conferencing, or through emails. Moreover, social media has become a means of communication that franchised business are increasingly adopting (Martin & Chaney, 2012; Chaney & Martin, 2007) Communication using emails and letter is governed by some basic rules, which are considered the etiquette. Letter writing is quite a common communication strategy between businesspersons. The way a letter is structured and the language used demonstrates ones communication skills. Errors such as undated letters as well as spelling mi stakes portray negative aspects about one’s communication skills. The letters should also be clear and specific without any jargon. Letters and emails should also be standard. This can be made possible by designing a specific template. The template can be modified to suit different purposes (Brookins, 2012; Thompson, 2011). Communication and Etiquette Communication is the process of encrypting and conveying a message to an individual or group of people. There are different ways of communicating in business setup, which may include body language, verbal or written means. The etiquettes may vary in different parts of the world and is mainly determined by the culture of the people doing business. However, there are certain conducts that are considered common in the business field and are crucial for the success of any business. Communication etiquette is very crucial in franchise business since this kind of business is often spread worldwide across different cultures (Fox, 2008) . Since communication is one of them most crucial aspect of doing business, it is important to practice good communication for effective business transactions. Good business etiquettes entails respecting and adhering to other people’s cultures in addition to being courteous to colleagues and other stakeholders. Good business e

Homage to My Hips Essay Example for Free

Homage to My Hips Essay The theme of Lucille Clifton’s â€Å"Homage to my hips† concentrates on a proud, strong, and powerful woman who is absolutely in love with her hips. Clifton’s tone throughout the poem focuses highly on her big hips. Not once does the she speak negatively about them. She feels absolutely wonderful about her big hips, making her feel so confident and full-bodied all at the same time. She gives off many reasons to why her hips make her modest, but full of pride. The beginning of ’Homage to my hips† illustrates the confidence that the speaker has about her hips. â€Å"These hips are big hips† (1) demonstrate how the speaker is proud of her big hips and does not mind what others may think about her hips. I feel like the speaker would be disappointed if she had little hips. The speaker knows that her hips are big and they need additional room when she explains â€Å"they need space to/move around in† (2/3). The speaker knows her hips do not fit into little places. The speaker of â€Å"Homage to my hips† is definitely not ashamed of her considerably large hips. After the speaker talks about her proud qualities as it pertains to her hips she moves on to speak about why her hips make her strong. In the lines â€Å"these hips/are free hips (5-6) the speaker demonstrates that her hips do what they want to do. Her wide hips have no limitations. â€Å"These hips have never been enslaved† (7) shows the speaker has never been controlled and she can uphold her freedom by herself. The speaker shows her strong side by stating â€Å"they go where they want to go/they do what they want to do† (8-9). The big hips do not make her feel weak. Finally Clifton speaks about how her hips make her powerful. I think that when the speaker states that â€Å"these hips are mighty hips/these hips are magic hips† (11-12) would give a sense that she can get certain things from a man or give a man a certain feeling. Also, the magic of the hips could attract a lover perhaps. I have known them/to put a spell on a man and/spin him like a top† (13-15) suggests that she knows her big hips are sexy and she can still have a sense of sexiness despite her big hips. She knows that her big hips can be a great turn on for a man. Her hips could make a man go wild if she so desired. In conclusion, the theme of Lucille Clifton’s poem gives a woman of bigger hip nature a sense of pride, strength, and prowess. Despite the need for additional room for movement, the woman in this poem is neither disappointed nor ashamed. She has the freedom to explore wherever she wants. She does not allow anyone to hold her back. Finally, the powerful natures of her big hips coincide with both sex appeal and an attraction. In the end she is satisfied with her big hips. Works Cited Clifton, Lucille. â€Å"Homage to my hips.

How are bodies socially constructed

How are bodies socially constructed It is crucial to gain an understanding of what social construction is, in order to assess its influence on human bodies. However it is difficult to operationalise social construction in literal terms. Social construction encompasses a multitude of elements, Hacking (2002) notes, social construction is a kettle of many very different kinds of fish. Typically however, social construction is concerned with the ways in which society has conceptualised ideals and expectations, looking at this in relation to specific areas of sociological interest. For sociologist when looking at the body their main concern is with the process of transforming a biological entity through social action Chris Shilling (2003). Members of a society construct their bodies in ways that comply with their gender status and accepted notions of masculinity and femininity. That is, they try to shape and use their bodies to conform to their cultures or racial ethnic groups expectations. (Lorber and Martin 2005) This essay will look at the ways in which the body is a social construction, with particular focus on the extent in which individuals in society are willing to perform to socially constructed ideals. It is important to recognise that social construction of the body is a global phenomenon; however this essay will look at westernised social construction of the body in particular. By looking primarily at the social construction of femininity, a subject which has typically been theorised extensively when looking at the body, an attempt will then be made to look at the social construction of masculinities and the aging body, in relation to the complex role that societys expectations have to play. The body is often seen as something which is straightforwardly biological, natural and given. (Macionis and Plummer, 2005). Unsurprisingly different types of bodies can be seen in terms of shapes, sizes and physical build; however there is an increasing notion of what aesthetically is socially acceptable, with women in the media industry in particular being promoted in a certain way. In affluent Western societies, slenderness is generally associated with happiness, success, youthfulness and social acceptability (Grogan, 1999). This notion could be said to have largely contributed to the fact that, increasingly, women are dissatisfied with their bodies. For Grogan (1999), media, as an industry, depicts the ideology that slenderness is preferred. This factor no doubt, has impacted the rise in eating disorders and womens willingness to have cosmetic surgery in modern times, in order to fit such ideals of slenderness which are conceptualised in magazines and television programmes. In wes tern culture dieting, breast enhancement and face-lifts are ways that women have changed their appearance to fit ideals of feminine beauty (Kivisto, 2005) Grimlin (2000) looks negatively at the role of cosmetic surgery, as a multi-million pound industry, with the notion that womens bodies are treated as commodities, Cosmetic surgery stands, for many theorists and social critics, as the ultimate symbol of invasion of the human body for the sake of physical beauty.'(Grimlin 2000). This view could be criticized, in the idea that many women who choose to have surgery, rather than to fit in with social constructions and therefore demands of society, do so in order to express their own personal individualism and identity, perhaps advocating their rights of freedom to adapt their own body if it pleases them to do so. Featherstone and Turner (2001) note Bodies have become the ultimate vehicle for writing ones identity.; this looks at anything from the clothes and makeup an individual wears, to self decoration through tattoos, piercings and cosmetic surgery. It is questionable to what extent women self decorate in order to fit the stereotypical views of social expectations of what is beautiful, or to oppose these views of conventional attractiveness, both however implicitly relate to the body as a social construction, either in a way that conforms to, or rebels against ideas of socially constructed beauty. Sexuality is closely linked with that of the female body, with socially constructed expectations of sexual femininity, Women are expected to be nuturant and emotionally giving, willing to subordinate their own desires to please men and their own interests to take care of children, Therefore womens bodies should be yielding and sexually appealing to men when they are young and plumpy maternal when they are older. (Kivisto 2005). This mass of generalizations, and assumptions, (that women are heterosexual, that all women want children, that women will forget about their own pleasures to please men), highlights the typical socially constructed views of western culture. It is therefore important to notice a change in womens sexual role through feminist ideas which reflect a modernized culture, with a new type of woman emerging in the 21st century. Through promoting sexual autonomy, feminists attempt to, advocate womens control of their sexuality and reproduction. (Macionis and Plummer 200 5), making their bodies less socially constructed to please male expectation. It is interesting to look at the social construction of the body in relation to the process of aging, as commonly, especially in traditional thesis, the bodily aging process has been referred to as a biological one, without consideration of its social relevance, Popular stereotypes about old people, usually centered around the inevitability of old age and its manifestation as physical decrepitude from which culture irrelevance could be inferred. Old age was therefore out-side the social because it was an essentially biological process. (Tulle-Winton 2000). With this in mind, Christopher A. Faircloth (2003) looks explicitly at the social construction of the aging process on peoples bodies. Reinserting that older bodily images are ones which are to be looked at with equal importance to younger women. Faircloth (2003), gives a detailed examination of the sexual attractiveness of older aged women (than that which is traditionally conceptualised in the media), concluding that there need to be seen as sexually attractive is still of extreme significance. Faircloth looks at the visual representations of older women through the realms of film and photography for example, with specific reference to a loss of sexuality in the representation of the older generation in society. Similarly Itzin (1986) states, Rarely are women portrayed as capable and independent, never as sexually attractive, (with the word women in this case, referring specifically to that of older women). Itzin notes that societies construction of what is sexually attractive is r arely looked at in relation to that of the older generation. When looking at the social constructions of femininity and the aging process, it can be seen that menopause is often reflected which considerable negativity, with the term being one which has connotations of a loss of sexuality and the idea that a noticeable change on the youthfulness of a womens body can be seen. These socially constructed misconceptions, suggest that the menopause directly affects a womens body, creating wrinkles and bodily sagging, which biologically is not the case (Winterich 2003). In a bid to maintain the socially constructed body which is considered attractive, characteristically one of youthfulness, merchandise, such as hair colouring products, anti-wrinkle creams and an increased number cosmetic surgeries can be seen to be endorsed by the older generation, (Craig Thompson 1995). Traditionally much theoretical focus on the social constructions of body, has been on that of femininity; however the social constructions of masculinity can be considered similarly, western societies expect men to be aggressive initiators of action and protectors of women and children, therefore their bodies should be muscular and physically strong, increasingly Men life weights, get hair transplants, and undergo cosmetic surgery to mould their bodies and faces to a masculine ideal (Kivisto 2005) This observation of men in the 21st century shows masculinity of the body to be concerned with that of aesthetic pride in a similar way to women, however there is less pressure on the male community to fit the mould of these constructed ideals. A modernised new man is also represented to fit the ideas of social construction, with the coinage of the phrase heterosexual male to highlight the increased notion of male grooming as acceptable in society. Inevitably this essay only looks at a small spectrum of the features that contribute to the body as a social construction, however a lot can be seen on how the body is effected by the views of society, a body which conclusively is not only biologically constructed but also socially.