SWOT Analysis for Harly Davenson

Effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assessment of the Organization and Effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Homeland security polices involve organization of the activities in all social spheres to detect, protect, and respond to the domestic attacks, including 9/11. Within the context of the National Strategy for Homeland Security, the mission of the department is defined as a â€Å"concentrated national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and recover from and minimize the damage of attacks that do occur† (Kamien, 2005b, p. xli).Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Department of Homeland Security organized activities into six critical mission areas, including intelligence and warming, border and transportation security, domestic counterterrorism, protec ting critical infrastructures, protecting against catastrophic threats, and emergency preparedness and response. All these areas involve specific agencies and administrations that take greater control of specific fields of social activities to ensure security, protection, and prevention. Under the auspices of the department, such agencies as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and many other areas work on analysis, prediction, and prevention of all possible hazards within and outside the United States. Specifically, the FEMA aims to organize, plan, and coordinate available resource for mitigating and responding to the effects of natural and man-made risks (Kamien, 2005b). The TSA is also an important element in the security framework because it monitors seaports, airports, highways, railroads, and pipelines that ensure safety movement of people and goods within and out of the country (Kamien, 2005b). This sector is of special attention because it is closely associated with global transport infrastructure. The Homeland Security Infrastructure successfully applies a multi-dimensional approach to protecting and introducing prevention measures and responses to outside and inside threats. Despite the total coverage, there are still gaps that need to be fulfilled to enhance the security and reduce the risk of terrorist attacks. Specific attention should be given to agricultural/food sectors which are considered within a broader context of domestic counterterrorism. Biological weapon and foodborne diseases can constitute a serious threat to the safety and health of the nation and, therefore, the Department of Homeland Security should consider this issue in more detail. In addition, the agencies should focus both on various types of terrorist weapons and on the areas that could be affected seriously. Overseas combating terrorism is also among the most important natural strategies initiated by the Department of Homeland Security. Regarding the scheme under which the terrorism combating occurs. The problem is that the National Strategies address too generalized issues while encountering terrorist threats and hazards.Advertising Looking for coursework on homeland security? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There should be a more consistent and specific approach to the areas that need particular attention. Much concern should be connected with diagnosing and predicting, as well as constant overview of possible measures that could improve the protection systems. Constant control and innovation is the major source of facing terrorist attacks. Threats and Issues Pertaining Cyber terrorism The issue of cyber security has now been on the agenda of the Department of Homeland Security for many reasons. First, the technological advances and popularity of web space have increased the computer-literate population. The spread of â€Å"hac ker† tools complicated the tasks of the security agencies in terms of development of effective software and hardware that would reduce and eliminate the access to the confidential information (Moteff, 2010). In response to the treat, the Clinton Administration planned to establish a Federal Intrusion Detection Network that could meet the goals of the Homeland Security Department (Moteff, 2010). During the Bush administration, the intense focus on cyber security occurred due to the 9/11 events, due to the mission to introduce a separate unit that would protect and monitor the recent challenges and problems in the sphere. Cyber security significantly differs from the purpose of protecting the nation from cyber crimes in terms of objectives that are purposes by the initiators of cyber terrorist attacks. Specifically, cyber crime cover much more general categories and that cause different outcomes for the security of the U.S. nation (Moteff, 2010). Specific attention should be pai d on the developing a new agency and framework that would be responsible for cyber security activities and policies. The legislation and regulations introduced by the Obama Administration have enhanced cyber security and have contributed to the development of cyber infrastructures that were particularly interested in considering the challenges being critical to the safety of the nation. According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2009), â€Å"the use of innovative technology and interconnected networks in operations improves productivity and efficiency, but also increases the Nation’s vulnerability to cyber threats† (p. 12). Therefore, lack of awareness in the malicious factors that trigger attacks against the virtual infrastructure can lead to quick spread of debilitating effect. Therefore, the current and the main objective of the agencies responsibility for cyber space should ensure that the information flow within the nation is properly controlled and monito red.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The development of policies enhancing protection of the cyber space is quite challenging because of the interdependent and interconnected nature of Infrastructure Resource Center. In order to meet the goals, the main purpose of the Department of Homeland security is to introduce effective measure that would sufficiently address the consequences of outside influences, as well as provide effective response to the emerged contingencies. In this respect, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2009) has introduced a consistent plan that touches upon the safety of important assets, networks, and system operating in Canada and Mexico and creating possible threats to the welfare of the nation. In particular, functionality, planning, and coordination should be among the core approaches of im proving the protection and prevention mechanisms. Vulnerabilities, Threats, Hazards, and Challenges Regarding Port and Cargo Security The post 9/11 event produces another potential attention to the carrier systems and cargo transportation in airports, and seaports. Such sectors as aviation and maritime have become the major focus of protection due to the increased vulnerability and threats. The major challenge in aviation is connected to the open and distribution of entry points both inside and outside the country, which makes it difficult to protect (The White House, 2003). Moreover, the main aspects of the aviation infrastructure constitute the major focus of the terrorist targets because they can become potential weapon for terrorist attack. There are many other potential hazards for aviation, including volume, limited capabilities, and time-sensitive cargo, accessibility, and aspects of security confronting accessibility. To meet the threats experienced in the aviation sphere, t he Homeland Department National Strategies has decided to identify interdependencies and vulnerabilities that could present the major threat in all possible spheres (The White House, 2003). Survey of manufacture, industrial, and production spheres in aviation are under the major focus. The points of accessibility should also be tightened in terms of security so as to reduce the availability of entrance areas in airport (The White House, 2003; Kamien, 2005a). Operations and coordination centers should not be available as well. Cargo screening capabilities and detection technologies should also be improved constantly. Railroad challenges should also be considered carefully to limit the threats of terrorist intrusion. The National Strategy, therefore, gives especial attention to the complicated network of railroad routes, which makes it difficult to ensure availability of security measures (The White House, 2003). In particular, the threat of specific train materials, including freight and transportation security, as well as lack of effective information exchange between the managers of the transportation sector can increase the probability of terrorist attacks. Transportation of marketing car container is another challenge that needs especial consideration. This is of particular concern to the emergency response mechanisms that are not developed extensively.Advertising Looking for coursework on homeland security? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Highways and public transport have also been the major concern because of lack of sufficient security system that would take control of the passengers. Therefore, this field is the least protected among all types of transportation systems. The routes that include tunnels and bridges are also under the major risk of intrusion (The White House, 2003). These areas should be monitored by the public transportation officials to prevent the possibility of intrusion. Because pipelines are part of industrial and public service system, no specific unit is responsible for this sector. In fact, any damage to pipelines can lead to negative consequences in many spheres of control. Because pipelines are attributes of differential industrial networks, the distribution of stakeholder prevent the government to take sufficient control of the safety measures. In order to prevent the described risk, it is reasonable to introduce a common unit for controlling the industrial pipelines that are owned by va rious stakeholders. Introduction of common standards of checking is also another approach that has been implementing by Homeland Security. Appropriate Roles and Responsibilities of the Federal, State, and Local Government and the Private Sector Respectively, in Terms of Security for Critical Infrastructure Key Resources The U. S. social, economic, and political infrastructure is complex and multi-facet and, therefore, it is difficult for both state and federal government to take control of the public sectors. Greatest vulnerability can experience such spheres as food industry, public places of food consumptions, including care and restaurant networks, as well as food markets. The Centre for the Disease and Control can experience significant hazards because of debilitating influences on economic and social infrastructure as a result of the identified gaps. Michel-Kerjan (2003) argue that private sectors lack sufficient degree of collective preparedness, which is especially essential after the 9/11 events. Therefore, terrorist attacks are oriented on the private sectors that are out of the attention of the government to generate fear and deterrence among the population. Previous experience reveals that use of separate elements in combination with larger social networks can be used to generate terrorist attacks because there is a bad interaction and connection (Michel-Kerjan, 2003). Therefore, the government at regional and national level should enhance their cooperation and interaction to be able to react immediately to emerged contingencies, as well as to predict any possible threats the welfare of the U.S. nation. Most of the resources used by the government are not used properly to address the needs of successful infrastructure cooperation. There should be an equal distribution of forces, responsibilities, and duties to coordinate actions and introduce a powerful protection mechanism. Specifically, the main mission of the Homeland Security is to ensure proper cooperation of local, tribal and national governments, as well as private sector administration to remove control deficiency (Department of Homeland Security, 2010). Lack of interconnected response to threat is among the main vulnerabilities that the President Administration should address first. The establishment of relations between public and private sectors is also important for working effective protection strategies. Despite the effective diagnosing and prediction of challenges and threats, there are still areas that need to be addressed. Specific attention should be paid to equal distribution of control between the identified sectors because prevalence of one over another will not ensure successful cooperation (Department of Homeland Security, 2010). Therefore, there should be balance struck between local government initiatives and the legislature and protection schemes issued by the federal and state administration. Specific attentions should be paid to decision-sharing pro cess and problem identification. Overall, the overall protection and prevention techniques that were previously developed will work much better in case they are enacted in cooperation of private and public sectors. These operations could also be enhanced in case much concern will be given to the private areas where separate elements of a network should be in accord with other elements relating to much greater infrastructures. Threats and Vulnerabilities Affecting Agriculture/Food Sector Foodborne illnesses are among the major threats that can be used as a biological weapon for terrorist attacks. This is of particular concern to seafood, poultry, eggs and other perishable goods that should undergo strict control and adherence to food standards. The problem is that there no strict standards that could be applied equally to all products irrespective of region and place of delivery. Imported goods should be of special concerns because there are differences between the food standards at home and abroad (DeWaal and Barlow, 2004). In order to prevent the hazards, the government should be more concerned with the development of international standards that would correspond with global standards and that would provide a safer ground for food distribution. Lack of facilities for inspecting and checking food for quality is also a serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately. The local governments should creative an extensive network. Lack of laboratories and relevant technologies does not contribute to the security of the U.S. citizens because of the lack of cooperation between public and private institutions. The second step that need to be considered is poor work of reporting and surveillance systems (DeWaal and Barlow, 2004). Despite the good and cooperative work of investigation networks, the information received is not properly distribution for further analysis and, therefore, the government fails to implement to corresponding measures. In order to avoid th is program, the government should implement a specific legislature that would regulate transparent reporting. This area of reporting should not be confidential because the public awareness should be informed about possible threats of consuming various food products. Monitoring of food-poisoning outbreaks is also a significant component that should be properly arranged. Most of the programs addressing this issue do not equally assess the extent to which these outbreaks can damage the economy and social welfare of the country. Therefore, the government and the Department of Homeland Security should introduce greater efforts to improve the situation (DeWaal and Barlow, 2004). In addition, Domestic food production is closely connected with agricultural sector and, therefore, it should be carefully monitored by the National Strategy initiative. Control of planting and supply of pesticide and other substances are enhanced to prevent the spread of biological weapon. References Department o f Homeland Security. (2010). Quadrennial homeland security review report: A strategic framework for a secure homeland (Sections I-IV, pp. 1-36). Web. DeWaal, C.S. and Barlow, K. (2004). Outbreak Alert! Closing the gaps in our federal food-safety net. Web. Kamien, D. G. (2005a). Civil Aviation in the United States: Security Before and After 9/11. In D. G. Kamien The McGraw-Hill Handbook of Homeland Security. US: McGraw-Hill Companies. pp. 613-630. Kamien, D. G. (2005b). The McGraw-Hill Handbook of Homeland Security. US: McGraw-Hill Companies. Michel-Kerjan, E. (2003). New challenges in critical Infrastructures: A US perspective. Journal of Contingencies Crisis Management, 11(3), 132-141. Moteff, J. (2010). Critical infrastructures: Background, policy and implementation. Congressional Research Service, 1-31. Web. The White House (2003). The National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets. US: Washington. 1-96. U.S. Department of Homeland Secur ity. (2009). National infrastructure protection plan. Web.

Plato, Descartes, and Freud's Take on Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato, Descartes, and Freud's Take on - Essay Example In an attempt to do just this, a well known philosopher by the name of, Plato, asked the question, â€Å"What is a good life for a human being?† This question carries with it the supposition that all humans have at least two of the same built in devices, reason and human nature. It also implies that these two devices steer people toward the same goal or purpose. It is philosophy that undertakes the study of discovering what this purpose is, by turning people away from mere appearance and toward reality. The ultimate goal of any philosopher is to uncover how the world looks objectively instead of subjectively, and from what truly is good instead of what just appears to be good. By the use of reason three theories have been developed by the world’s most prominent philosophers during their attempt to divide what is reality, and what is merely and illusion of reality. The first theory, The Divided Line Theory, was developed by Plato. The second theory, Method of Doubt, was created by Descartes. The final theory, Psychoanalysis, was developed by Freud. By taking an in-depth look into how each philosopher reasoned his conclusion and the similarities and differences each theory contains, one might develop a broad answer to one of philosophy’s most probing questions. Divided Line Theory To develop his, Divided Line Theory, Plato used the reasoning that human beings live in a world of visible and intelligible things. The visible world is made up of those things that surround humans. What they can feel, tough, taste and see. However, Plato states that the visible world is made up of uncertainty. The intelligible world on the other hand is made up of unchanging products of human reason; this would consist of anything arising from reason alone, such as mathematics, or abstract definitions. The intelligible world therefore is made up of eternal â€Å"forms† or in Greek â€Å"ideas† of things; the visible world, then, is the imperfect and c hanging manifestation in this world of these unchanging forms. An example would be the Form or Idea of a horse is intelligible, and applies to all horses. This form or idea never changes, even though each horse may vary wildly individually, the form of a horse would never change even if all horses across the world were to disappear. An individual horse, on the other hand, is a physical changing object that can easily case to be a horse. Plato therefore describes these two worlds as existing with a line between them; the intelligible world and the visible world. He says that in the intelligible world one can have knowledge and in the visible world one can have opinion. He then further divides each of the worlds in two. The visible world he divides into illusion which is made up of â€Å"shadows† paintings, poetry, etc. and beliefs which is made up of things that can change, such as an individual horse. The intelligible world is then divided into the sub-categories of reason, w hich is things such as mathematics, and intelligence, which is the understanding of the ultimate good. Plato’s theory differs from Descartes and Freud’s in that he doesn’t attempt to apply it in any way, it is a simple method of grouping aspects of the world to further uncover the ultimate truth. Method of Doubt Descartes Method of

Exam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam - Research Paper Example This Company therefore works hand in hand with Health Insurance association of America. Due to this prestige and availability of finances, Apple employees have good health cover which guarantees quality services in the best medical firms in America and all over the world. Pensions are sums of money paid to an individual regularly in fixed terms after retirement. Retirement plans in United States collaborate with human resource of all companies to ensure that no employee retires without pension. Pensioners are guaranteed both defined benefit and defined contribution pensions. Apple offers pensioners other benefits apart from pension for instance Equity within United States, Fixed and timely income and foreign equity. Paid off times are hours designated for employees to use whenever need arises. These hours are used mostly for sick days, schedule time off and extended absence off. Paid off times are beneficial to operations of the company because they allow individuals overcome fatigue and stress reducing cases of last minute absence and make employees feel satisfied. After every sales increase Apple pays for employees’ holidays though at irregular basis to continue serving customers. Work from home is practice whereby individuals engage in economic activities of their companies while away from job place. This is mainly indulged by agents and senior employees who have required resources at their homes for instance reliable internet and telephones. Apple provides best work at home services because their technical customer advisors are based at their homes and they work for short times but earn good salary. The employee will be able to perform other duties. Flexible hours are periods that employee is scheduled for work but is free to adjust his or her own program to cover for transport, picking children, and child care for breast feeding mothers. Apple allows customers to work according to their schedule for instance one can come early and leave before time or come late and compensate for the lost time. Wellness programs are activities conducted to keep the employee’s bodies, mind and emotions healthy. Wellness programs are for instance motivation talks, drug abuse rehabilitation and weight loss programs. Apple has well equipped gym where employees are free to exercise after job or lunch time and has reduced health related costs. Question 3 A partner for public service is a non-profit organization whose main duty is to ensure employees work according to set standards. Its mission is to shape the way civil servants deal with government duties. Strategic planning is process of integrating current and future goals of an organization by using right process which leads to innovation. Strategies help in creating a nexus between human resource development policies and goals of the organization. Planning project teams are individuals chosen to spear head the formulation and implementation of projects. Team members need to understand viv idly the issues affecting their group for easy identification of solutions. Strong planning project is made by members who co-operate to avoid competition among them. Adequate communication is paramount to policy making since team members need to talk to clients especially in non-profit organization where team members go out to meet clients. Division of labor among

Argument paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument paper - Essay Example For example, we do not allow students to cheat in the exams or people to violate speed regulations just because they think it is a fun thing to do. There are laws which restrict such behavior which is considered moral relativism. Similarly, not donating to the needy can also be termed as moral relativism and must be discouraged. Another moral obligation which most people agree to is saving a drowning child. It does not matter whether the drowning child is related to us or is our responsibility at all. All that matters is that a human being is in distress and it is our moral duty to save him even at the cost of sacrificing our own comfort or belongings. We just cannot shy away from the responsibility by say that â€Å"he’s not my baby† or â€Å"I was not babysitting for him†. Similar is the case of donating a reasonable amount of money to the children who are striving to stay alive because of famine or hunger throughout the world. At this point it should be clearl y understood that it does not matter whether the children you are donating for are of the same country, religion or cast. Similar to saving the drowning child who could be an American, a non-Christian or even a migrant, what matters is that we have to help a human being in distress even it means sacrificing our own belongings. ... Comparable to this is an example of a person who does not choose to donate to the needy and therefore exercises the right to choose a wrong attitude. In fact, such people might not be in a proper moral condition to feel the situation in which the needy are. Suitable sympathetic feeling for the needy can be experienced only after appropriate reflection and research which would enable people to determine the extent of help they can and should extend. This would not only facilitate righteous self development but also enable individuals to live their lives as they deem fit. If a wealthy individual is enjoy sunbathing at luxurious beach hotels or balls at casinos while million others are in dire need of some part of his wealth then it is morally wrong for him to live his life as per his choice; saying â€Å"I have earned the money and I have a right to spend it as I please†. Some people also oppose the notion that it is our moral responsibility to help those in need by saying that although they have a responsibility towards those whom they have wronged, they do not have any responsibility towards those whom they have not wronged (Singer 28). This can be termed as an extreme view for the fact that if this argument is accepted as reasonable, no charity would work for the jobless, the disabled or the famine stricken people. This also entails that help to needy should also not be restricted in boundaries of one’s neighborhood, city or even country. Help should and must be extended to all without prejudice to boundaries in a manner that one is fulfilling a moral obligation. Some people feel that USA is already giving generously in terms of aid to underdeveloped nations, which is enough and there is no need to donate more

Portrayal Of Modern Women Media Essay

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

oTHELLO :: essays research papers

Othello Essay In Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†, the role of women is deeply emphasized; the significant characters of the play Othello, Iago, and Casio, each have a lady that stands behind him. These women each have commitment to remain faithful and respect their husband's needs, especially Desdemona and Emilia. Desdemona is the victim of this play; Shakespeare portrays her as the loyal wife even up to her death. Throughout the story, Desdemona appears to live for her husband. Desdemona's one goal in life is to please her husband. Emilia represents another aspect of female strength, less logical character, which relies on her sense of instinct. She understands her role as a wife (act 4, scene 3) Emilia is talking to Desdemona about husbands. " Yet we have some revenge. Let husbands know Their wives have sense like them. They see, and smell, and have their palates both for sweet and sour, As husbands have. What is it they do When they change us for others? Is it sport? I think it is. And doth affection breed it? I think it doth. Is't fraility that thus errs? It is so too. And have not we affections, Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?"(page 217 line 104-113). Emilia and her husband Iago have different affiliation than Desdemona and Othello. Desdemona and Othello truly love each other, while Emilia, having no common sense of hatred towards Othello, has never actually loved Iago. She educate Desdemona, she is ignorant of Iago's evil nature and is also unsuspecting of his plot against Othello. Bianca appears to have a very insignificant role in the play, yet she as a major role in the death of Desdemona. Bianca’s relationship with Cassio, seems as though Bianca really wanted to have a relationship with him, (scene 3, act 4).

Postmodern Philosophy Essay

Postmodern philosophy is a means through which people’s ways of reasoning are evaluated and analyzed. It seeks to explain why everyone has a different opinion towards things that they come across or face in life. A current post modern belief is that a correct description of reality is impossible and in order to enable others to understand the way you perceive or prefer certain things, you need to interpret them. Post modern philosophy can be reflected in the way we live our lives and at our places of work. An example in my own life is the way I would convince people about how something is good so that even if they are not interested, eventually they would give in and in the end I w will be happy. And according to (Weis, 2003 P. 161) this is Persuasion through self interest which is created by developing a trust since I have the best interests of the other person at heart. I may tell a friend that we should take a certain class during that semester because I know he/she is focused and would make a good study partner even though that class does not really interest him/her. This does not mean I do not want him/her to focus on what interests them I know we will be helping each other out and maybe next time they will be the ones convincing me. In an organization, it can be seen when a company wants to become a better competitor as said by (Kotter,1996) that in order to be successful now and in the future, we need to empower others to act and create wins while consolidating gains. In order to promote team work at the office, a company may decide that in its’ engagement in social corporate responsibilities it will take it’s staff to work at the remote parts of the country where the is a school for the orphans and they will have to forego things like internet, family time and nice joints to hung out. In such a situation, the workmates will have to work together to help the children, listen to different opinions all this to enhance their bonding which is vital in their work ; This is what (Ritti & Levy, 2002) call creating positive outcomes through negative reinforcement. References Kotter J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Published by Harvard Business Press Ritti R. R. & Levy. S. (2002)The Ropes to Skip and the Ropes to Know: Studies in Organizational Behavior. Published by Wiley Weiss. A. (2003) Organizational Consulting: How to be an Effective Internal Change Agent. John Wiley and Sons

Free Essays on Gang Behavior

On of the most commonly seen sociological problems in our communities today are gangs. What exactly does the word gang mean, well one way of defining the word gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity in current usage and engage in illegal activities. (1) These gangs have affected the way we live in one way or another. They have taken over our neighborhoods and school and instilled fear in people. The behavior of gangs and what makes kids as well as adult’s turn to them have interested many professionals in the Sociological field. Below we will take a look at some of the behavioral factors as to why, what, and who would fall into becoming a member of a gang. Many of us may wonder, who would choose to be in a gang rather then living a normal life without the stresses of gang life. Well according to the Tennessee Sheriff’s Department any person with the following behavioral issues would have the tendency of falling into gang life. A person that has low self-esteem and feels unloved at home. They tend to have problems in school and don’t do to well with schoolwork. They have a hard time difficult time making decisions on their own and communicating with others. They also tend to come from single parent homes. Although most are boys and 10% are girls the number continues to increase. (3) This profile of the type of individual that would most likely join a gang tends to hold true in other states as well with certain exceptions. Another question that has come up according to gangs is why. Why would some individuals choose to join a gang? Although people that join gangs come from all types of backgrounds, some are from rich homes, but our most serious gangs tend to have members that come from impoverished sections of major cities. (2) Some of the many reasons that individuals choose to join gangs are to gain some self-esteem and status. Could happen to be that kid that got picked on in school and didn’t... Free Essays on Gang Behavior Free Essays on Gang Behavior On of the most commonly seen sociological problems in our communities today are gangs. What exactly does the word gang mean, well one way of defining the word gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity in current usage and engage in illegal activities. (1) These gangs have affected the way we live in one way or another. They have taken over our neighborhoods and school and instilled fear in people. The behavior of gangs and what makes kids as well as adult’s turn to them have interested many professionals in the Sociological field. Below we will take a look at some of the behavioral factors as to why, what, and who would fall into becoming a member of a gang. Many of us may wonder, who would choose to be in a gang rather then living a normal life without the stresses of gang life. Well according to the Tennessee Sheriff’s Department any person with the following behavioral issues would have the tendency of falling into gang life. A person that has low self-esteem and feels unloved at home. They tend to have problems in school and don’t do to well with schoolwork. They have a hard time difficult time making decisions on their own and communicating with others. They also tend to come from single parent homes. Although most are boys and 10% are girls the number continues to increase. (3) This profile of the type of individual that would most likely join a gang tends to hold true in other states as well with certain exceptions. Another question that has come up according to gangs is why. Why would some individuals choose to join a gang? Although people that join gangs come from all types of backgrounds, some are from rich homes, but our most serious gangs tend to have members that come from impoverished sections of major cities. (2) Some of the many reasons that individuals choose to join gangs are to gain some self-esteem and status. Could happen to be that kid that got picked on in school and didn’t...

Jury-rigged vs. Jerry-rigged

Jury-rigged vs. Jerry-rigged Jury-rigged vs. Jerry-rigged Jury-rigged vs. Jerry-rigged By Maeve Maddox A reader asks to know the difference between jury-rigged and jerry-rigged. Of the two, the older term is jury-rigged, a nautical term dating from the days of sail. Because they were often damaged in storms, sailing ships carried a spare mast called the jury-mast. Apart from scholarly speculation, the etymology of jury in this context is unknown. The jury-mast was like a spare tire, to be used only in an emergency and replaced by the real thing as soon as possible. The adjective jury-rigged came to be applied to anything intended to be of temporary use. Here are some examples of the term in current usage: Andrew Gill, had coolly waited for the weather to calm down after his vessel lost its mast and communications equipment in rough weather, and then jury-rigged a sail to get him to his destination.- SailWorld, 2012 Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, shortage of potable water, and the critical need to  jury-rig  the carbon dioxide removal system, the crew returned safely to  Earth  on April 17.- Princeton University site. A second expression that is earlier than jerry-rigged is jerry-built. As with the jury in jury-rigged, the origin of the jerry in jerry-built remains a mystery. First (1881) came the term jerry-builder: It is unfortunately too often the habit of builders- or rather jerry builders- to use the worst possible description of bricks. A jerry-builder was a contractor who put up shoddy houses for a quick sale. The first citation for the adjective jerry-built to describe shoddily built houses is dated 1869. Here are two recent examples of the use of jerry-built: In their need for access to varied sources of employment and cheap housing, immigrants were restricted to decaying or jerry-built housing.- The American Landscape, Stephen F. Mills, Routledge, 2013   Central to nearly all the semi-abstract paintings in â€Å"With a Tug and a Hold† are what appear to be architectural structures, or fragments of the built environment: a jerry-built wood shack here, a bit of metal scaffolding there.- The Washington Post, 2012. â€Å"Jerry-rigged† conflates â€Å"jury-rigged† with â€Å"jerry-built.† In American usage, jerry-rigged refers to something devised or repaired with materials at hand. Here are some examples: Our presentation was jerry-rigged because we hadn’t been able to get the software to work correctly in time.- The Accidental Millionaire, Gary Fong, BenBella Books, 2009. With the Afghan army also lagging in explosives experts, its members often resort to jerry-rigged tactics to locate and defuse IEDs, officials say.- The Washington Post, 2014 It was the very definition of jerry-rigged: She’d cut some slits in the back of a gel skin phone cover that would serve as credit card slots, taped a piece of cardboard on as a makeshift cover, and added a string to form a wristlet.- Huffington Post, 2014 Frustratingly, in this case, my attempt to use my iPad as a jerry-rigged solution has actually  created  problems I didn’t have before.  - MIT Technology Review, 2012. Although not in either the OED or Merriam-Webster, the verb to Macgyver is used with a similar meaning by some speakers: to Macgyver: to invent useful devices from ordinary materials. A device or mechanical solution created by Macgyvering is a Macgyverism. The words derive from the name of Angus MacGyver, a television character noted for his ability to resolve dangerous problems by non-violent means. Instead of a gun, this hero carries duct tape and a Swiss Army knife. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for Money35 Genres and Other Varieties of Fiction30 Words for Small Amounts

Prepare a report presenting the results of the analysis of recent Statistics Project

Prepare a report presenting the results of the analysis of recent trends in sales, costs and profits of a chosen company - Statistics Project Example The Coca Cola Company is the largest beverage company in the world accounting for about 1.3 billion servings of the 50 billion servings consumed each day. There are over 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands consisting of sparkling beverages and still beverages. Sparkling beverages include Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. The still beverages are water, enhanced waters, juices, ready to drink teas and coffees, energy and sports drinks. The company makes huge profits but notable it made loss in 2006 and 2008 financial years as indicated by the consolidated statement of income (CE-AR, 2006 and CE-AR, 2008). The company is however doing the best to correct mistakes that lead to losses witnessed earlier and prevent such eventuality. The sales of these products tend to be seasonal. The second and third quarters normally accounts for higher unit sales than the first and fourth quarters. The second and third quarters accounts for over 60 percent of the annual net operating income. The seasonality of the sales volume affects the results on quarterly basis. The changes in weather patterns, selling times/days and the shifts in holidays influence the results on annual or quarterly basis. (The Coca Cola Company 2006 Annual Report) The emergence of new companies that deal in beverages have presented a case of stiff competition for Coca Cola. Market research becomes an important determinant of attracting customers. The company hires research experts to facilitate such. In order to counter the steps made by their competitors, the company watches over them. The company has several branches across the world. Although the major branches are in the United States, sales volume outside US exceeds them. Given the marketing strategies used in other parts of the world, the products sell a lot (Breneiser & Allen, 2011). The Coca Cola Company operates in socially and environmentally friendly manner. That remains a long-term priority of the company. It is committed to

Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Nursing - Assignment Example The article did bring out the role of public health department in the health of the community. Some of the activities of the activities of these nurses to the community outlined in the article include control of communicable diseases, administration of immunization, prevention of chronic diseases, family planning awareness and provision of safe food and drinking water to persons affected (Carolyn & Karen, 2011). The article clearly outlines the ability and potentials possessed by these groups of health workers. Public health nurses in the community based in creates safety networking by with other community agencies, identify risks affecting the community and intervene to provide solutions where possible, provision of health education especially to vulnerable population, and identify the problem and provide solutions before the problem advances. The author brought out challenges facing these groups of workers in the course of delivering their services, which affects effectiveness and fulfillment of their role. Lack of job security and inadequate staffing emerged as the serious problems affecting them. The author’s conclusion on the issue of public health nurses indicate that there are adequate resources and facilities are provided for effective service delivery and effective utilization of resources (Carolyn & Karen, 2011). The article managed to bring out and clearly demonstrates the striking issues affecting public health nurses and the efforts instilled to solve these issues, imposition of cost effective systems for disease prevention and health improvement of the community’s health. Having knowledge and understanding about the community is significant for health nurses, since policy makers and health planners when dealing with matters affecting the community will use the information. Community involvement by these groups of persons in meeting their welfare and ensuring that the needs of the community are met is an issue to