Tuesday, May 26, 2020

One of one jewelry design - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2414 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Uncategorized Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Executive Summary One of One Jewelry Designs specializes in bridge jewelry created as unique, elegant, and contemporary jewelry. Jewelry with a cutting-edge design has always been of interest to a certain class of jewelry buyers. We intend to fulfill that need by researching authentic contemporary designs with fabricated bridge jewelry. Using bridge jewelry metals instead of gold, and precious stone will allow for us to keep our retail price point below $65. This will increase our appeal across all age ranges, and especially in our target market of females under the age of thirty. General Company Description One of One Jewelry Design is a Limited Liability Corporation. The business will become an online web-store operational as of December 2009. The purpose is to provide unique wire-wrapped, hand-crafted jewelry to consumers who buy mid-range jewelry for its one of a kind quality. The art of crafting wire-wrapped jewelry goes back in time at least 4000 years ago. Wire- wrapped jewelry has been found with the relics of the Ancient Phoenicians and the tombs of the once found Egyptians. The art of wire-wrapping jewelry is now flourishing in the United States, Canada and England, with many creative jewelry wire-wrapping artists in each of these countries. The contemporary look of wire wrapped jewelry started in England shortly after World War I. A gentleman by the name of Mr. C. G. Oxley used wire-wrapping as therapy for many veterans at war. His then student, Jim Llewellyn, transported the art of wire- wrapped jewelry to Canada. Mission Statement: To offer a premier level of cust omer service and professionalism, while providing our clients with a great selection of the most beautiful, unique and one-of-a-kind jewelry skillfully hand-crafted at an exceptional value. Jewelry historically has been purchased by older consumers whos at an age where they could meet the expense of luxury goods, it has been theorized by demographers for many years that jewelry was a life cycle buy related to age. They concurred that jewelry demand was determined by both age and income. Therefore, demographically, our target audience is women between the ages of 25-40 years of age. The jewelry industry is in a state of growth. According to analyst Patti Evans of Jupiter Research, the U.S online jewelry sales grew 19.3% from the prior year $2.2 billion or 5.8% (2006) of the total market, while having an expect growth in 2009 of $2.7 billion or a 6.6% market share. With such market growth we plan to offer high-level jewelry made with 10K and 14K gold in the foreseeable future. We have designed a company that can create loyal customers for generational time spans. Our pricing system is a scaled down system based on specific lines that suits our target market across the board. Our customer service is what we believe will take our company into success. When the consumer can reach someone within a company and be catered to for their specific needs it leaves a commitment stamp. We plan to have a 1-800 number for clients to reach us, in which, many hand-crafters dont offer. Chavon has been creating hand-crafted jewelry for two years. She began by stumbling upon a favorite necklace of hers that had broken. She then visited the local bead store for the findings to repair the necklace and while there in the bead store it all began. Chavon began searching the web, buying supplies and tools gaining knowledge of jewelry-making and became a self-taught jewelry designer. Her years of co-managing her husband, who is a musician helped her to understand business and hard-work. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "One of one jewelry design" essay for you Create order Products and Services While understanding the notion that many elements in creating jewelry are based on techniques, we plan to expand on these uses of techniques and provide our clients with unique, elegant, and one-of-a-kind meaningful creations that will connect with the buyer/wearer. We plan to capitalize on the use of using quality materials versus costume jewelry materials that use base metals, rhodium, and silver plate. Our jewelry is designed with Argentium (non-tarnish) sterling silver, gold-filled wire and includes semi-precious gemstones, natural stone cabochons, shells and pearls, and Swarovski glass crystals. The sense of design is flowing, contemporary and elegant. The creations include wire-wrapped pendants, rings, earrings, and necklaces. In times of economic pressure its shown that consumers cut back on discretionary items like jewelry. As a true understanding, the more wealth one has there will be less effect on them during the ups and downs of economic conditions. Therefore, our jewelry will be priced between $30-$65, which will allow us as a company to weather economic swings while offering mid-level bridge jewelry. Marketing Plan Economics Facts about your industry: The jewelry industry on a whole is a $27 billion dollar industry. Fashion jewelry takes up 22% of the market share. The current demand in the fashion jewelry market is sterling silver, and gold filled jewelry. The trends in growth are online selling, and personal tastes in uniqueness. Product Features and Benefits The products that we are initially carrying are: Handmade Earrings Handmade Rings Handmade Necklaces Our special handcrafted jewelry is featured with Argentium sterling silver and gold-filled precious metals. With such quality materials the consumer benefits include, quality appreciation, pride in purchase, a memory to last forever, and exclusivity of a one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry creation. The after-sale services we will offer will include prompt delivery through the reputable UPS mail and package carrier. Packages will all contain a delivery confirmation to ensure customer purchases. We will guarantee our product through our refund and exchange policies that will be shipped with every package on the invoice and available on the website. Customers The targeted customers for One of One are women from the Generation Y and Generation X. The buying characteristic of Gen-Yers has shown that they spend an eye-catching $150 billion a year. And they influence another $50 billion in family purchases (Baby Boomers), bumping the total to $200 billion. Generation Y is also, of course, the most digitally world-wise. About nine out of 10 have access to a home computer whereas half have internet access. These groups are also more socially conscious and globally aware. Competition The demand for jewelry is mostly determined by the disposable income of customers. The increasing amount of wealthy individuals, working women, double-income households and fashion-conscious men has kept jewelry sales strong. When raw material prices fall, jewelry becomes more reasonably priced, and consumer demand elevates. Renewing assurance in the economy has also plays a major role. Online jewelry sales have risen steadily. This has forced retail merchants to adapt and many have moved some sections of their business online. Because jewelry is not often branded, product differentiation is a key point of competition among for One of One Jewelry. High-quality designers are appreciated. Niche Now that you have systematically analyzed your industry, your product, your customers, and the competition, you should have a clear picture of where your company fits into the world. In one short paragraph, define your niche, your unique corner of the market. Strategy Offer unique, unusual jewelry designs as private label merchandise while creating an opportunity for customers to buy items retailing for under $100, and give the customer a reason to buy through social networking Web sites Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Operational Plan Production The products of One of One will be produced in a home-based (residential) setting. Explain your methods of: Production techniques and costs Quality control Customer service Inventory control Product development Location The qualities that are present in this location (home) allows for a designated office space that is 12by 16 to be fulfilling to produce jewelry products. The power and utilities prove to be adequate with white light bulbs for true color. The access to the home-based business serves great for deliveries from suppliers. The hours of operation will run from 10am-5pm. Legal Environment At this time One of One is looking into trademarking its logo and slogan. Personnel One of One has 2 employees Owner and Co-Owner. The labor that exist between the owners are skilled and professional. At this time One of One is not pursing employees. The owners have a strict schedule of business operations, therefore; provides the quality of each other to speak for itself. The Co-Owner is the jewelry designer and the Owner handles day-to-day business operations. Inventory The inventories that will be kept are supplies, and finished goods. The inventory investment is 15% of bi-weekly sales. The lead time for ordering is 3 weeks. Suppliers Key suppliers: MonsterSlayer.com Monsterslayer, Inc. 4187 US Highway 64 Kirtland NM 87417 Noble Packaging Inc. Noble Packaging Inc. 20 Sand Park Rd. Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 The types of inventory furnished by Monster Slayer are wire and beading components and packaging materials are provided by Noble Packaging. Monster Slayer is my primary source, however; my backup supplier is jewelrysupplies.com. Due to the pricing of Gold and Silver fluctuating we have made a 2% window of budgeting to allow for that. Management and Organization One of One is a partnership organized and managed by the owners. Initially, all design, fabrication, and marketing efforts are the responsibility of the owners. As the company grows, these positions will be filled, part-or full-time, as needed. One of One Jewelry Design plans to fund operations principally from cash provided by both gross receipts and owner investments, and will not generally rely upon external sources of financing. The company has in place a jewelry line timed to hit the market at proceeding the holidays of 2009. The company feels sale of this line will provide sufficient cash flow to cover both variable and all operating expenses, with the exception of advertising and marketing, for a one-year period. The company feels cash flow from anticipated sales for this line of jewelry will carry the company at least six months, into 2010. The capital requirements result primarily from purchases of inventory, advertising, and shipping. As the inventory requirements f or the jewelry line are known well in advance of production, inventory cash requirements are predictable during the year. Purchasing decisions will maintain a gross margin percentage of 100 percent. Normal jewelry markup is three times this number. However, One on One is a home-based business, lower operating costs will offset the effect of the gross profit margin. Appendices Include details and studies used in your business plan; for example: Brochures and advertising materials Industry studies Blueprints and plans Maps and photos of location Magazine or other articles Detailed lists of equipment owned or to be purchased Copies of leases and contracts Letters of support from future customers Any other materials needed to support the assumptions in this plan Market research studies List of assets available as collateral for a loan Refining the Plan The generic business plan presented above should be modified to suit your specific type of business and the audience for which the plan is written. For Raising Capital For Bankers Bankers want assurance of orderly repayment. If you intend using this plan to present to lenders, include: Amount of loan How the funds will be used What this will accomplish how will it make the business stronger? Requested repayment terms (number of years to repay). You will probably not have much negotiating room on interest rate but may be able to negotiate a longer repayment term, which will help cash flow. Collateral offered, and a list of all existing liens against collateral For Investors Investors have a different perspective. They are looking for dramatic growth, and they expect to share in the rewards: Funds needed short-term Funds needed in two to five years How the company will use the funds, and what this will accomplish for growth. Estimated return on investment Exit strategy for investors (buyback, sale, or IPO) Percent of ownership that you will give up to investors Milestones or conditions that you will accept Financial reporting to be provided Involvement of investors on the board or in management For Type of Business Manufacturing Planned production levels Anticipated levels of direct production costs and indirect (overhead) costs how do these compare to industry averages (if available)? Prices per product line Gross profit margin, overall and for each product line Production/capacity limits of planned physical plant Production/capacity limits of equipment Purchasing and inventory management procedures New products under development or anticipated to come online after startup Service Businesses Service businesses sell intangible products. They are usually more flexible than other types of businesses, but they also have higher labor costs and generally very little in fixed assets. What are the key competitive factors in this industry? Your prices Methods used to set prices System of production management Quality control procedures. Standard or accepted industry quality standards. How will you measure labor productivity? Percent of work subcontracted to other firms. Will you make a profit on subcontracting? Credit, payment, and collections policies and procedures Strategy for keeping client base High Technology Companies Economic outlook for the industry Will the company have information systems in place to manage rapidly changing prices, costs, and markets? Will you be on the cutting edge with your products and services? What is the status of research and development? And what is required to: Bring product/service to market? Keep the company competitive? How does the company: Protect intellectual property? Avoid technological obsolescence? Supply necessary capital? Retain key personnel? High-tech companies sometimes have to operate for a long time without profits and sometimes even without sales. If this fits your situation, a banker probably will not want to lend to you. Venture capitalists may invest, but your story must be very good. You must do longer-term financial forecasts to show when profit take-off is expected to occur. And your assumptions must be well documented and well argued. Retail Business Company image Pricing: Explain markup policies. Prices should be profitable, competitive, and in accordance with company image. Inventory: Selection and price should be consistent with company image. Inventory level: Find industry average numbers for annual inventory turnover rate (available in RMA book). Multiply your initial inventory investment by the average turnover rate. The result should be at least equal to your projected first years cost of goods sold. If it is not, you may not have enough budgeted for startup inventory. Customer service policies: These should be competitive and in accord with company image. Location: Does it give the exposure that you need? Is it convenient for customers? Is it consistent with company image? Promotion: Methods used, cost. Does it project a consistent company image? Credit: Do you extend credit to customers? If yes, do you really need to, and do you factor the cost into prices?

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

The Power Of Large Media Corporations - 1426 Words

We should have options such as having the option to choose where we get our news and information. Understanding the world around us is significant because it gives us the power of knowledge. The media provides us updates about events within our community and around the world. However, we are presented with the same biased points of view from various sources. Our options are limited because large media corporations have control over what we read, listen, and watch. These large media corporations have taken over the media industry, control how and what information is brought to one, and have a great political influence; therefore, one must do his or her own research and demand laws to be implemented to decrease the power of large media†¦show more content†¦Even though there several different corporations, they speak as one and form a monopoly. Large media corporations influence how information provided to us is covered. They do whatever it takes to get people to consider their form of media. â€Å"Of all the cartel s dangerous consequences for American society and culture, the worst is its corrosive influence on journalism (Miller 2001). In journalism, one used to be able to ask questions and have both sides of the story; now, journalism has transitioned to creating drama and making up fact. Once channels, radio stations, and newspapers get dominated, they no longer cover the whole story, instead, they only cover a portion of it and emphasize certain parts more than others. Their goal is to try to sell their form of media and get views. The cartels do not care whether the information provided is factual or not. Lots of people liked what Fox’s owner Murdoch did, it was attracting lots of viewers because of the shouting and the scandals that would go on Fox News; and at that time CNN went to the capital to seek advice from rightist polls to get more viewers (Miller 2001). CNN wanted to get more views like Fox, so they also went to look for advice on how to attract more viewers. While making the decision on how things get covered, the large media corporations also take the time to slip in messages that will benefitShow MoreRelatedThe Negative Impact of Multinational Corporations on Lesser-Developed Countries (LDCs)1188 Words   |  5 PagesA corporation is a form of business organization where the firm is a legal entity separate from its owners. As corporations grow and become multinational, their interests and influence extend accordingly. The decisions made by these corporations are always made with a primary goal of increasing profits. Needless to say, the decisions taken by corporations often regard public interests as inferior to their own, so many of their decisions have a calamitous impression on the public. The multinationalRead MoreMedia And Its Influence On The Public1646 Words   |  7 PagesNot only is the interest of the owners of large companies pushed out to the public, but also the interest of the companies who pay these media companies in advertising to citizens to sell their goods. Advertising is an important influence in what the public sees in media and has a direct influence on the public’s interest in the product (Rinallo, Basuray; 2009). Companies such as Nike and Coca-Cola can pay networks such as ABC and FOX large sums of money to advertise their companies through theirRead MoreThe Ownership of Time Warner1478 Words   |  6 Pagesover 500 media companies in America, but through many integrations, there are only 6 major media institutions in America and they dominate nearly 98% of the market in America. â€Å"The media monopoly† written by Ben Bagdikian in 1983 criticized that the concentration of the media institution in America is fundamentally anti-democratic. Moreover, In the process of globalisation, people of different countries are becoming â€Å"world audiences†. The demands for media texts produced by these 6 media institutionsRead MoreMinimum Wage And The Wage965 Words   |  4 Pageswage has not increase since the 1960’s in real buying power. The reason for this statement is that the minimum wage in the 1960’s allowed people to buy more items then they could buy with the minimum wage in 2013. In Order have the same buying power as in the 1960’s the minimum wage in 2013 would need to be at least $9.84 an hour. However, the minimum wage in 2013 was only at $7.25 an hour which was a 35.7 percent decrease of the buying power of an individual. The cost of living is continuously increasingRead MoreThe Political System Of America1534 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween politicians and businesses to maintain power. Getting re-elected and achieving donor’s goals just like a company does for its share-holders. 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He sees the planetsRead MoreThe Use of Social Media by Companies Essays1027 Words   |  5 Pagesyou will find someone using social media. With advertisements and commercials even billboards Social Media appears to be anywhere you look. Social Media is such a big thing today, according to study provided by the website Socialnomics, individuals devote 700 billion minutes every month on Facebook (statisticbrain.com). Social Media has now become so much better for advertising that it is changing how business is done. Look past the posters in social media sites as LinkedIn and Facebook, thereRead MoreThe Media: A Source of Information or Manipulation?1343 Words   |  6 PagesThe role of news media is imperative to modern democratic process. For most of the people news media is a dominant source of information about the world they tell us what matters, who matters so the quality of democracy depends upon the information media provides (Lewis, 1997). 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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Enron Tyco Case Studies - 2163 Words

Running head: CASE STUDIES: ENRON’S FALL AND TYCO INTERNATIONAL’S LEADERSHIP CRISIS Case Studies: Enron’s Fall and Tyco International’s Leadership Crisis Grand Canyon University BUS 604 November 4, 2009 Case Study: Enron’s Fall and Tyco International’s Leadership Crisis The tight Federal regulations now governing businesses and their accounting practices came about because one corporation, Enron, took risks their company could not withstand without taking some rather extreme measures in its accounting to hide the risk. Tyco International went down a different path in that the CEO used corporate accounts as his personal bank account. He placed certain business associates on the Board of Directors to ensure his behavior would†¦show more content†¦These lawyers and accountants, along with the board of directors, approved key decisions made by the top leadership. (Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. 2009) 3. What role did the CFO play in creating the problems that led to Enron’s financial problems? It seems that Fastow, Enron’s CFO, along with Skilling, Enron’s COO/CEO, played the biggest roles in the demise of the company; although the intricately complicated transactions being completed could not have been done by only one person, it has been alleged, and found to be true in court, that Fastow was a key player in creating the ‘off-the-balance-sheets’ entities to hide debt and inflate the true picture of Enron’s financial soundness. (Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. 2009) Case Study: Tyco International: Leadership Crisis 1. What are the ethical and legal issues in this case? Ethical Issues: Kozlowski named members of the Board of Directors (BoD) and filled it with ‘his’ people; Kozlowski went around then CEO Fort directly to the BoD to lobby for continuing its strategy of acquiring profitable companies, in direct contrast to what Fort was trying to accomplish; sheltered offshore subsidiaries’ foreign earnings to avoid U.S. taxes. The BoD members had memberships spanning 10-20 years which led to much conflict of interest between company and BoD members; buying a high-priced unofficial office overlooking Central Park and lavishingShow MoreRelatedCorporate Fraud Has Taken The World By Storm For Over The Past Decade1479 Words   |  6 PagesThe biggest fraud cases to ever occur happened in 2001 and 2002 and since then fraud seems to be more and more common around the world. According to Forbes.com (n.d) the biggest fraud cases to ever occur was Enron, Bernard Madoff, Lehman Brothe rs, and Cendant, with Enron being the largest accounting scandal to ever take place. Prior to Enron’s fraud scandal coming to light in 2001, they were the seventh largest company in the United States by revenue, this was the same year Enron filed bankruptcyRead MoreTyco International: Leadership Crisis1629 Words   |  7 PagesTyco International: Leadership Crisis Case Study #14 Ethical Decision Making LDR Case Study Prepared by: Tyco International: Leadership Crisis Tyco International, one of the most notorious scandals of this decade. Tyco International is a diversified manufacturer that had a big ambition in the late 1990s: to become the next General Electric. 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Also this act was known as the â€Å"Public Company Accounting Reform and Investors Protection Act of 2002.† There are many serious accounting and corporate scandals that influenced companies Tyco International, Global Crossing, Enron, WorldCom. For instance the bankruptcy of â€Å"ENRON† in 2001 was the one of largest bankruptcy in the U.S. history. That time investors lost $74 billion and thousand employees losing their jobs, retirement savings and medical plans. The time during the scandalsRead MoreTyco International Accounting Fraud Case Study1544 Words   |  6 PagesTyco Accounting Fraud: Tyco International is an organization with operations in approximately 100 countries resulting in its claim as the largest manufacturer and servicer of electronics and electrical items across the globe. Actually, the firm designs and makes undersea telecommunications systems, electronic security systems, specialty valves, and fire protection systems. 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This organization was aware of the first gas pipeline company that implied known worldwide. The company covers the world’s leading electricity innovations, personnel management, and risk management processes. Also, further studies the company s dramatic failed complex issues that the forcedRead More Dennis Kozlowski: The Implications of Unethica l Behavior2629 Words   |  11 PagesBrief Historical Summary Dennis Kozlowski, is the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tyco International Ltd. During his tenure, Kozlowski engaged in activities that were considered unethical. In 2005 Kozlowski was convicted of misappropriation of corporate funds. Kozlowski had been involved in illegal and unethical behavior during most of his tenure. 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The Question of Freedom - 959 Words

The Question of Freedom What I shall continue with is a discussion of the relevance of Spinoza in understanding freedom. Now while I may have been fundamentally opposed to Spinoza’s claim that he was offering freedom in my previous papers, I feel that I am better equipped to speak about this issue now in terms of its relevance. Spinoza’s idea of freedom is indeed relevant to philosophy today, and to crack a bad pun, he is a determinate and necessary part of understanding freedom in the modern world. Freedom is not defined by free will; in fact Proposition 32 strictly denies the existence of such a thing â€Å"Will cannot be called a free cause, but only a necessary cause.†(Spinoza, 235), or some kind of random indeterminate impulse to do something, freedom is defined by a strict adherence to the necessity of the actions dictated by the nature of something. This conceptualization of freedom is important because, while that most beloved idea of freewill remains entrenched in the minds of men, Spinoza offers not only a complete rejection of this idea, but offers an alternative idea of freedom without it. For Spinoza there is no freedom in random acts, because random acts diverge from the true nature of the singularity in question. Freedom only arises when a singularity behaves according to its na ture. This does not mean that it cannot make decisions; rather it means that it can make decisions that are now in accordance with its nature. This concept of freedom removes the needShow MoreRelatedQuestions On The Simple Debt Freedom Solutions Essay1179 Words   |  5 PagesSimple Debt Freedom Solutions By Charles Fitzgerald Butler | Submitted On April 20, 2015 Recommend Article Article Comments 1 Print Article Share this article on Facebook 2 Share this article on Twitter 1 Share this article on Google+ 1 Share this article on Linkedin 1 Share this article on StumbleUpon 1 Share this article on Delicious 1 Share this article on Digg 1 Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest 1 Expert Author Charles Fitzgerald Butler Debt freedom is only 4Read MoreSeminar Questions On A Thousand Miles For Freedom 880 Words   |  4 Pagescreated this source, which is called Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom. William and Ellen came up with a brilliant idea, which was to have Ellen pretend to be a White male because her skin was to fair. William would act her slave just to escape to freedom. The audience is for a large group of people especially salve to give them hope and inspiration to escape to freedom. Also as for the ex-slaves all things is possible when you see freedom knocking at your door; as soon as opportunity presents itselfRead MoreQuestions On Use Of Fear Of Fuel Your Financial Freedom By Loretta Love Huff813 Words   |  4 Pages5 Ways to Use Fear to Fuel Your Financial Freedom By Loretta Love Huff | Submitted On November 14, 2014 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook 1 Share this article on Twitter 1 Share this article on Google+ 1 Share this article on Linkedin 1 Share this article on StumbleUpon 1 Share this article on Delicious 1 Share this article on Digg 1 Share this article on Reddit 1 Share this article on Pinterest 1 Expert Author Loretta Love Huff Most humans resistRead MoreThe Freedom Of The United States Essay854 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom House was established in 1941 in the United States and focused first on the threat to freedom represented by Nazism. After the war, in its own words, it â€Å"took up the struggle against the other great twentieth century totalitarian threat, Communism† and defined its mission as working for the spread of democracy and human rights in the world. Indeed, one of the instruments developed by Freedom House in order to spread its mission is the’s press freedom index, which has not changed practicallyRead MoreThe Inherent Rights of Human Beings Essay1123 Words   |  5 PagesThe Inherent Rights of Human Beings This question is concerned with whether or not it is possible for natural rights to exist. Natural rights are rights which we have naturally as humans, in other words rights which we inherently have, just by being human. A large problem with answering this question is that of defining the term rights, a question to which the answer has been very elusive throughout the history of political analysis. 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Even in the most terrible circumstances, a person still has the freedom to choose how they see their outcome and what kind of meaning they are going to take away from the situation. Frankl believes that there is a kind of freedom that can never be stolen from a person no matter how ruthless the situation. Frankl wrestled with the questions of where does one find theRead MoreThe Charter Of Rights And Freedoms1596 Words   |  7 PagesPrime Minister Pierre Trudeau was establishing the renowned Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Since the three decades of being established, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has protected the individual rights and freedoms of thousands of Canadians. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms has become a part of the national identity and has become a big patriotic symbol for the country. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the document the truly separates Canada fr om all the other powerful nations and isRead More Definition Essay - Defining Freedom713 Words   |  3 PagesDefinition Essay – Defining Freedom Is it possible to define freedom? To define freedom is more than a difficult task, but perhaps easier than one might imagine if not overanalyzed. Given ample time to consider the task, however, a simple, sufficient definition can present itself: freedom is the ability to choose, for any creature living life in any place in any time. There is no greater truth to the statement, and no underlying meanings; freedom is simply the ability to choose. Read MoreLiterary Devices InBallad Of Birmingham, By Dudley Randall795 Words   |  4 Pagesbegins with a question and ends with a completely different question. It starts with a girl asking her mother a question: â€Å"Mother dear, may I go downtown / Instead of out to play, / And march the streets of Birmingham / In a freedom March today?† (lines 1 - 4). It ends with the mother asking: â€Å"But, baby, where are you?† (line 32). The author uses literary devices, such as rich word choice, vivid imagery, and alliterations, to bring up important issues of racism, questions of freedom and safety, and

The Role of Media in Perpetuating Unrealistic Female Body Images free essay sample

The Role of Media in Perpetuating Unrealistic Female Body Images Portrayals of high fashion models in print media has long created an unrealistic ideal body image for women and despite some recent campaigns (e. g. , Dove and Nike) to portray normal sized/shaped women, the fall-out from the idealized images has not been pretty (pun intended). Research has shown that females are frequently affected, negatively, by their inability to achieve and/or maintain the thinness that is the hallmark of the idealized female body type represented in print media. Groesz, Levine, and Murnen (2002) point out that thinness is embedded in beauty ideals, but also in ideals of morality in that the good girl exhibits by maintaining her thinness that she is in control of her desires while projecting herself as the object of desire for others. Owen and Laurel-Seller (2000) discuss how heavier bodies, and larger framed bodies are not only viewed as unattractive and sexually unappealing, the owners of those bodies are often defined as lazy, lacking self-control, and lacking virtue and Griffin and Langlois (2006) found that attractiveness was perceived as being related to helpfulness, intelligence, and friendliness. What is interesting however, is how much the idealized body, presented in the media, relies on untruths. History of the Ideal Female Form Dereen and Beresin (2006) explained that standards of beauty for females have long been unrealistic and difficult to attain. They note that, historically, wealth has always allowed greater access to the beauty ideal and that pain was usually a component of achieving the ideal (e. g. , corsets, powders with arsenic and lead in it to whiten the skin, foot binding, surgical removal of ribs, etc. ). The pain of the modern woman is self-denial in order to achieve a thinness that is unhealthy. Hess-Biber (2007) deconstructs the trend toward thinness within feminist discourse, as a cultural reaction toward limiting womens space and as women have demanded more space by moving into the public sphere. She notes that movement out into the public space has resulted in more restrictive cultural norms that increasingly restrict their bodies. After the second world war, women returned to the home in significant numbers resulting in a definition of beauty that permitted larger bodies with soft curves and full figures as was evident in the 1950s, however as females began to make the move back into the public sphere, bodies began to shrink again, in a manner that was similar to the ultra-slender form of the post-suffrage movement, the boyishly thin flapper of the 1920s. Todays thin-ideal is even more slender, but then todays woman has much more than the vote. Ideal Female Form in the Media According to Groesz, Levine, and Murnen (2002) the media is the loudest and most aggressive purveyors of images and narratives of ideal slender beauty (p. 2). Martin and Kennedy (1993) suggest that the perpetuation of damaging ideals of physical attractiveness may be unintended by-products, however they do insist that understanding the causes and consequences of advertising outcomes must be examined and addressed. Of course, feminist discourse, such as that described by Hess-Biber (2007) would argue that the damage is not unintentional at all. Magazines, television, film, the internet, social media, and advertising campaigns are all, in fact, complicit in perpetuating an ideal of extreme thinness as a primary component of feminine beauty. Furthermore, as women have taken up a good deal more of the public sphere, the restrictions upon their bodies have become even more stringent. Guillen and Barr (1994) noted that the models in their magazine study not onlyreflected the emphasis on thinness/ They also found that the models had become increasingly thinner. Derenne and Beresin (2006) also noted that models in the 1980s were about 8% thinner than average, but in 2006 they were 23% thinner than the average woman although they suggest that rising obesity rates may also contribute to this statistic. Technology has been used to attept to hide how damaging the thin-ideal has become by airbrushing away all evidence that the waif thin models in the magazines are suffering from thinning hair; blotched,  unhealthy skin; dark circles under the eyes; and other signs of ill-health as a result of their severely underweight conditions and retouching has been used to add curves to skeletal structures with protruding ribs/collarbones and sunken cheeks. In fact, Hardy (2010), a former editor of Cosmopolitan, said that women wouldnt yearn to be super-thin if they could see how ugly it really was, but airbrushing hides all that ugliness and she adds her voice to the demand to stop airbrushing and creating impossible to attain ideals of feminine beauty. She also notes that airbrushing isnt restricted to fashion magazines, even health and fitness promoting magazines such as Self have had to retouch to make the models look bigger and healthier and Jane Druker, editor of Healthy magazine (sold in health food stores) admitting to retouching a cover girl. Magazines Guillen and Barr (1994) statistically analyzed nutrition and fitness articles and body shape representations in 132 issues of Seventeen that were published between 1970 and 1990. In their literature review they discuss studies that show magazines are a significant source of nutrition information, for adolescents and young adults. They reported that the predominant messages in womens magazines were focused on dieting and exercise to achieve an ideal body shape and their study found that this message was replicated in the adolescents magazine that they reviewed. They found that 50% of the major nutrition-related articles focused on weight-loss and each of these articles explained the relationship between dieting and improving ones appearance. Furthermore, although they found the nutrition advise to be accurate, they explained that there was little provided to help their readers assess whether they needed to lose weight and they found some of the diets were overly restrictive. They explain that 51% of the fitness articles described exercise regimes to promote weight loss and 74% cited attractiveness as an outcome for engaging in a fitness or exercise plan. Advertising Guillen and Barr (1994) found that 24.8% of the 1459 advertisements they reviewed, in the twenty years worth of Seventeen magazine issues, were for diet camps and another 12. 3% were for weight control products. They also noted, however, that 14. 4% of the advertisements were for candy, snack food, and beverages. Groesz, Levine, and Murnen (2002) also mention the conflicting advertising messages that push high caloric foods with low nutritional values along side articles and advertisements for weightloss. In Guillen and Barrs (1994) literature review, they noted an increase in the prevalence of both obesity and anorexia nervosa/bulimia in adolescent women during the onset of the fitness boom in the 1970s and 1980s which may be attributable to the conflicting messages of weight-loss; an ideal, but unachievable, body type; and high calorie, low nutrition food. Television and Film Grabe, Ward, and Hyde (2008) explain that thin actors dominate the television screen and they note that actresses, models, Playboy centerfolds, and even cartoon characters have become increasingly thinner to the point that many of them are often thinner than the criteria for anorexia (p. 460). In a study conducted by Raphael and Lacey (1992) they found that 69% of female characters on television were so thin they appeared to be anorexic and Hawkins et al (2004) found a similar body structure in the majority of women on television, one that includes narrow hips, long legs, and at least 15% below the average womans weight. Percy and Lautman (1994) examined portrayals of women in the media and reported that the ideal 1894 female model was 54 tall and weighted 140 pounds. By 1947 the ideal model was fifteen pounds lighter and in 1970 models were expected to be at least 58 tall and 118 pounds. An interesting study conducted by Becker et al in 2002 was related by Derenne and Beresin (2006) showed how the introduction of television to Fiji in 1995 drastically changed the body ideal of ethic Fijians. Prior to the introduction of television this culture favoured a rotund body type, eschewed dieting, and reported only one case of anorexia nervosa. In 1998, dieting was a engaged in by 69% of the population and eating disorders were becoming much more prevalent and the youth explained the inspiration for this new behavior was due to the appearance of the actors in the programs they watched. Implications of Idealizing the Female Form Female obsession with the thin-ideal body image is linked to negative behaviors such as excess dieting, low self-esteem, dieting and in extreme cases depression and eating disorders. Grabe, Ward, and Hyde (2008) discuss the implications of the unattainable thin-ideal representation of women, in the media, from the perspective of cultivation theory and social learning theory that suggests that repeated exposure to media content leads viewers to begin to accept media portrayals as representations of reality and that the thin-ideal woman is normative, expected, and central to attractiveness(p. 460). Groesz, Levine, and Murnen (2002) conducted a meta-analysis of twenty-five studies (n = 2,292) and they found that 86% of the studies reviewed found a small, but consistent, negative effect on body satisfaction levels in females exposed to thin-ideal media images, with younger females ( 19 years old) and those with a history of body dissatisfaction issues showing the greatest negative impact. Body Image Disturbances and Psychological Dysfunctions Groesz, Levine, and Murnen (2002) describe studies that show that a moderate degree of [body] dissatisfaction (p. 2) is now considered a normal aspect of being a woman and dieting is an activity regularly employed to manipulate size and shape. Hesse-Biber (2007) suggest that at least 56% of women experience body dissatisfaction which has given rise to the increase in dieting and exercise, but also eating disorders and plastic surgery. Grabe, Ward, and Hyde (2008) cite several studies that identifies body dissatisfaction as a dominant risk for eating disorders, low self-esteem, depression, and obesity and suggest this (body dissatisfaction) is a core aspect of womens physical and mental health (p. 460). They found more than 100 studies that examined how the thin-ideal represented in media was internalized by women as an expected and normal aspect of beauty. Park (2005) found a link between her college-aged subjects desire to be thin and their beauty and fashion magazine reading activity. Her subjects had internalized the thin-ideal to such an extent that they assumed that everyone, men and women, prefer the thin body represented in the media. Stice, Spangler and Agras (2001) sought to determine the outcomes of longer term exposure to thin-ideals by providing a 15 month subscription to a fashion magazine (Seventeen) to 45% of a sample of 219 adolescent girls; the remainder were assigned to the control group. They were able to show that their experimental group spent more time reading the magazine (~30 minutes more per month) than the control group. They did not see any significant increases in effects on the five outcomes being studied: thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms overall, except for the participants who had initially reported above average scores on the pressure to be thin variable. These vulnerable adolescents felt an increased pressure to be thin and reported more body dissatisfaction as a result of increased exposure to the thin-ideal. Wertheim et al. (1997) sought to understand the sociocultural pressures and influences on the dieting behaviors of a small (n=30) homogeneous sample of adolescent girls (ages 14 to 16), primarily to contribute to research that seeks to discover and implement preventions measures for eating disorders in adolescents. While they were able to see that dieting and watching ones weight were part of the conversations these subjects had with friends and family, the greatest pressure came from the thin models on the television and in advertisements and the second greatest force was the fashions worn by those models that arent made for bigger or medium-size people. Most of it is made for slim people (p. 350). The Role of the Media Researchers over the last thirty years have concluded that media exposure to the thin-ideal contributes to a fixation on body image and internalizing the social expectation to be thin. High exposure to media images of the thin-ideal is correlated with body dissatisfaction, diminished self-esteem, negative self-worth, depression, shame, insecurities, and eating disorders in female youth (Grabe, Ward, and Hyde, 2008; Groesz, Levine, and Murnen, 2002). Wertheim et al. (1997) found that media and fashion were the biggest sources of pressure on their study subjects desire to be thin although the pressures were reinforced by social factors such as teasing or wanting to fit into a peer group that was dieting (even if they didnt need to be dieting). Lokken, Worthy, and Trautmann (2004) found a correlation between women who had internalized the thin-ideal standard for beauty and their preferences for fashion and beauty magazines. Reactionary Media Campaigns Commissioned by Dove, Etcoff, Orbach, Scott, and DAgostino (2004) conducted a study in which they interviewed 3,200 women in ten countries; 500 of these women were from the United States. They found that 47% of their subjects (60% of U. S. respondents) believed their weight to be too high which affected their perceptions of their own physical attractiveness. These women reported that they believed that the idea of beauty is much more than just physical attractiveness, but popular culture and the media have made these two concepts synonymous and that attributes associated with female beauty are not only becoming increasingly narrowed in their definition, but are also becoming much more unattainable. These respondents strongly agreed that media and advertising were responsible for setting unrealistic standard[s] of beauty that most women cant ever achieve (p.27) and 59% of the American respondents believed that only the most physically attractive women are portrayed in popular culture (p. 27). Dove (2013) has attempted to address these findings in their advertising campaign, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty launched in 2004, by introducing what they called real women whose appearances are outside the stereotypical norms of beauty. They report that their efforts have resulted in some positive movement away from perpetuating unrealistic perceptions of beauty that are represented by underweight fashion models beginning when Spain banned overly thin models in 2006. Dove responded by stepping up their advertising campaign by producing videos that show how unrealistic perceptions of beauty are created with airbrushing and modifications to images of made up models before they are released to the public. They also produced a film in 2007 called Onslaught, that dramatizes the massive volume of unrealistic, unattainable images of beauty targeting girls and young women that is resulting in lower self-esteem. Dove is pleased that their efforts are gaining traction, but they know that there is still much that needs to be accomplished. The message is being heard, however, as advertising directed at women is increasingly relying upon real women. In the United Kingdom, Jo Swinson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, reports that their government has been getting involved and encouraging media, retail, and fashion industries to promote diverse body images and to refrain from airbrushing in their ads. She was pleased that advertising campaigns in the U. K. are, in her word, championing authenticity (Campaign, 2013). Recommendations Groesz, Levine, and Murnen (2002) suggest that advertisers and marketers need to be held accountable for the fall out from promoting unhealthy body ideals and Grave, Ward, and Hyde (2008) suggest that the media needs to be encouraged to reduce and eliminate representations of the thin-ideal. Both studies concluded with a recommendation for education programs that teach girls media literacy so that they can be critical consumers of appearance-related media to prevent the development of body dissatisfaction and disturbed eating behaviors (Grave, Ward, and Hyde, 2008, p.471) and both studies presented evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions. Derenne and Beresin (2006) would like to see a government funded advertising campaign conducted that promotes healthy life-styles, although they (perhaps naively) believe that the lessons and values for healthy eating and exercise must be modelled and learned at home although the study conducted by Wertheim et al (1997) does support this somewhat, in that the subjects, in their study, who did not diet or watch their weight exhibited characteristics of self-acceptance that was fostered by their friendship groups and family influences. They suggest that the constructive influences of peer groups can be utilized to facilitate interventions to mitigate the sociocultural agents that promote unhealthy eating behaviors. They pointed to the successful use of peer facilitators in youth smoking prevention studies, but otherwise did not provide much guidance on how to implement such a measure. Martin and Kennedy (1993) believe that media representatives need to be encouraged to portray a broader spectrum of beauty and sees some advertising campaigns showing oversize models as evidence that media representatives are open to the suggestions. Etcoff, Orbach, Scott, and DAgostino (2004) found that the women in their study also want the media to change the way it represents beauty. 76% of the respondents (85% of U. S. respondents) think beauty must be portrayed as something more than just physical attractiveness by portraying a greater diversity of women where physical attractiveness is not restricted to women of a particular age, shape, weight , or size. They suggest that the narrow definition of beauty that is largely located in limited ideals of physical appearance (p. 47), but can be changed to affirm the unrealized and unclaimed concept of authentic beauty (which includes happiness, kindness, wisdom, and love, etc. ) that is lodged in womens hearts and minds (p.47). In is through such efforts that women believe they may be freed from an ideal that is extremely difficult to achieve and failure to achieve is a significant contributor to low self-esteem particularly among the youngest of the respondents. These respondent expressed a hope that popular culture and media take the opportunity and be the primary force for change in defining a new standard for beauty that incorporates characteristics that go beyond the young, waif-thin, tall, leggy models that grace the pages of fashion magazines. Conclusion Evidence that the message is being heard by advertisers was shown when the creative director of the Dove Campaign, Brian Collins, was presented with the Image of Woman award at the 2006 National Organization for Women Conference and in his acceptance speech he said This is a simple idea, that beauty, whatever that means, is a self-defined and democratic idea. What I really want everyone to do here is hold the advertising industry accountable (Hopper, 2006). Ms. Hopper reports that there are some nay-sayers who believe that Dove has not gone far enough in challenging the status quo, since they still rely on sex, or at least sex-appeal, to sell many of their products and according to Felix (2012) they may be using real women, but they still airbrush way imperfections from their imperfect models. However, the conversation about body image and beauty is taking place in the mainstream and not just within the academic literature. Perhaps the time is finally upon us to find Keats truth.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Australian Health Care System

Question: Discuss about the Australian Health Care System. Answer: Competency Element 3.3 The competency standard of nursing is set for the general practice of the nursing in the health care centers of Australia. The element 3.3 of the competency is intended to help the nurse during the time of uncertain conditions. It is the duty of all the registered nurse to deal with all the issues related to treatment provided to patients. They also have to negotiate the terms related to the practice that is provided to each person. In many cases, the patient may not agree to seek the interventions that are prescribed by the nurse. It is the duty of the nurse to ensure that the patients get the proper and best form of treatment, which is essential for individual care. This competency elements can be applied all the individual and groups to provide treatment for all forms of chronic disuse like diabetes and obesity. This competency element is implemented in relevant to the legislation of nursing. The registered nurse uses the guidelines of the elements to ensure that the healthcare rights of every individual are protected. It is also the responsibility of the nurse to ensure that the guidelines of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council are being followed properly (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, 2016). Description of the Issue: Diabetes mellitus The diabetes mellitus is one of the most widely occurring chronic diseases, which is caused high level of blood sugar over a longer period of time. This disease is caused due to disturbance in the metabolic activity of the body. There are certain definite guidelines set by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council to deal with the all the major issues related to the treatment of diabetes. The treatment of the diabetes requires insulin administration. There are many issues related to the treatment that is provided to the diabetic patients. According to the guidelines of the competency elements it is the duty of the nurse to seek permission from the patients before providing treatment. The nurse also has to negotiate the terms before providing treatment to the patients and also make them realize the importance of the treatment. Outline of Problems faced by Diabetes patients Impact of the Community in the healthcare system Strategies to promote Prevention of Diabetes Reference Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au. (2016). Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Home. [online] Available at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/ [Accessed 17 Dec. 2016].