Management and Common Health Issues Essay - 707 Words

Assessment Description Research and identify three common health issues in the business workplace that can affect productivity. For each issue, outline some standard approaches, select a preferred option from each and present a report to senior management for approval. Three common health issues that can affect productivity in the workplace 1. Depression Depression in the workplace affects productivity as one in 5 employees is affected by depression at any one time leading to higher rates of absenteeism and presenteeism which causes three times less productivity than a healthy employee. Depression can affect employees productivity, judgement, ability to work with others, and overall job performance Strategies or standard†¦show more content†¦Work related stress is the second most common issue after manual handling in our workplaces. The costs of workplace stress costs Australian business up to and above $673million and this cost is rising as our job pressures and company demands increase 3. Chronic Disease and Overall Poor Health Australians have seen a significant increase in chronic disease due to overweight and obesity, an unhealthy lifestyle and bad diet .There is a well-recognised relationship between poor health and diminished workplace attendance and performance. As an example the estimated cost of absenteeism due to poor health is costing the Australian economy $7billion each year The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian workers has been steadily increasing over the past 30 years. With more than 60% of Australian workers classified as overweight or obese this is a growing issue within our workplaces. Strategies or standard approaches to address the issue of Obesity / Poor Health in the Workplace Fitness programs with reduced costs to employees to encourage healthier lifestyle Quit programs for smokers Education on the consequence of obesity and related chronicShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics Of Healthcare Management Essay1745 Words   |  7 PagesThe articles that I have chosen deal with the ethics of healthcare management which involves malpractice and dispute resolution. The articles will show different few and in-depth information about the ethics/ morals one should have. Also give a more detailed overview of healthcare management; what the career details about. Issues in Leadership â€Å"Leadership has been described as the behavior of an individual when directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal. 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DespiteRead MoreWhat Is Accepting Conflict, A Natural Part Of Life?976 Words   |  4 PagesAs Director of Nursing of Tina’s Long Term Care facility our management goals are to look at every employee as a part of a system. Each and every employees input and contribution is needed in order for our system to run smoothly . Daily before each shift ends and the next begins all staff CNA, LPN and RN will discuss activity from previous shift and any ideas thought to make the next shift easier. Employees will be valued as individuals and encouraged to continue their education and grow with the

My Experience At High School - 962 Words

Almost 9 years ago, I was just an average teenager fresh out of high school, just living life with no responsibilities other than the mediocre restaurant job I obtained during my high school years and a girlfriend I have been with since the 11th grade. After my senior year of high school, things took a drastic change in my life, which took a toll on how I can live my life. I found out that I was going to be a father! Hearing the words, â€Å"Congratulations you’re going to be a Father† made me feel enthusiastic, happy, over-joyed and all the good stuff you expect to feel when hearing those words. I also had some mix emotions. I also felt scared, terrified, lost, confused, and overwhelmed. I had no clue what I was even doing with my own life; I didn’t know how I was supposed to care and know what to do for someone else’s life. These ideas came to my head all at one time; I was overwhelmed with how I was going to provide the essentials a baby needs, such as diapers, clothing, formula, toys, and even health insurance. In reality, at the age of 19 years old I wasn’t supposed to be able to provide those things for a child. I was supposed to start planning out my own life, like college, or setting life goals for myself. A normal teenager isn’t supposed to worry about health care or diapers at that age. So I took no time in trying to find a way to provide for my son; so I got a job as a welder at Lufkin Industries welding on oil pumping units. Lufkin was a big manufacturing companyShow MoreRelatedMy Experience In High School952 Words   |  4 Pages High school is a time where young minded teenagers are encouraged to explore their interests and what type of character they want to become when graduation rolls in. 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Ivory Coast Overview Essay Example For Students

Ivory Coast Overview Essay The Ivory CoastThe Ivory Coast is one of Africas leading countries in industry andagriculture. This small country is located in West Africa on the Coast ofGuinea where it is bordered by Mali and Burkina Faso on the north and byGuinea and Liberia on the west. The land itself is approximately 322,463sq.kilometers and 124,504 sq.miles in size. With a population of around12,600,000 people, of which 2,000,000 are foreigners from Burkina Faso andGhana, the Ivory Coast is known for its cultural diversity which startedback in 1637 when it became a French Missionary contact. Then, in1843-1845, it became an official proctrate of France. Thus, in 1893, theIvory Coast became a French colony and remained part of French West Africafrom 1904-1958. Finally in 1960, independence was gained from the overseascountry of France. In the Ivory Coast, which is a Republic, they have a semi-democraticsystem. The position of president, currently being held by FelixHouphocet-Boigny, is elected to serve 5-year terms. Also, the president canrun for re-election as many times as he chooses. For example, the currentpresident was re-elected to serve a seventh term in 1990. Plus, there is aNational Assembly comprised of about 120 people who help to govern thecountry. The nation has a tremendously stable economy because of the great amountof products that they produce for exporting. The Ivory Coast is the worldslargest cocoa producer and the third largest coffee producer. Theseproducts alone bring in more than half of all export earnings. In addition,sugarcane, pineapples, oil palms, rubber, cotton, and bananas are alsogrown for export. The major problem of the country is the foreign debtwhich has grown extremely large due to massive amounts of loans given tothe country by France. Plus, this increases taxes. The countrys per capitais $ 740 and its GNP (Gross National Product) is $ 8.59 billion.

Newspaper report The fire in Carries war Essay Example

Newspaper report The fire in Carries war Paper Last night as the family slept, a ferocious blaze swept through their home destroying everything in its path. Druids Bottom, set in the picturesque village of Druids Grove, was engulfed in flames reducing this beautiful family home to ashes. Fire-fighters were quick on the scene and were quoted as saying This is one of the fiercest fires we have seen in a long time and the residents were lucky to get out alive. We have seen a lot of fires in our time, however none as bad as this, its a miracle everyone survived. A fire like this could have quite easily taken many innocent lives. The inhabitants of the house are naturally deeply saddened by this catastrophe, but they remain positive and are trying to make the most out of this extremely bad situation. Hepzibah Green, a resident at the house stated the fire took everything, but we will always have our memories, the good and the bad. They will stay with us forever and no fire will ever change that. It is important that no one blames themselves; it was an accident and could have happened at any time, and could have been lot worse. We will write a custom essay sample on Newspaper report The fire in Carries war specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Newspaper report The fire in Carries war specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Newspaper report The fire in Carries war specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We all have each other to get us through this difficult time in our lives, we must stick together from now on Investigators have concluded that the fire started upstairs and most likely by someone playing carelessly with matches. Hepzibah Green has confirmed that another resident at the house Mister Johnny had been playing with matches and it was likely that he started the fire. However she also added that Yes Mister Johnny may have started the fire, but no one blames him. After all is it thanks to him that we all made it out alive. Mister Johnny is special, you see and so no blame can rest on his shoulders. If anyone is to blame, it is me. I should have kept a closer watch on Mister Johnny then thins would never have happened. As it turns out it was in fact Mister Johnny who raised the alarm and led the rest of the family to safety. Albert Sandwich, an evacuee who was temporarily living at Druids Bottom has simply remarked, no one was killed no one was hurt, thats all that matters. All of the inhabitants of Druids Bottom are devastated at the lost of their home, apart from the owner of the house, Mr Evans, who had just recently inherited the house from his late sister Dilys Gotobed. Mr Evans stated its all that Hepzibahs fault, she looked after my sister for years thinking that in the end she would get something out of it, but when the old girl died and left Druids Bottom to me, Hepzibah obviously thought if she couldnt have the house then no one could, so she burnt it to the ground out of spite I know thats what happened. Only time will tell what really happened so for now, we should watch this space.

Porters 5 Forces of Ryanair free essay sample

Forces Before the idea of Ryanair or indeed any low cost carrier was even devised the European airways industry was, as already illustrated, highly regulated. Therefore post 1992 and deregulation, great changes came about. By identifying with Porter’s â€Å"five forces,† one is able to ascertain what this meant for Ryanair within the European air transport market. These five factors are threat of entry, competitive rivalry, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and the threat of substitutes. Threat of entry analyses the threat that new entrants may enter the industry and diminish the returns of established companies. In the case of Ryanair a strong brand identity built up over the period since deregulation has meant that any potential new entrants would have to outlay quite an amount of money in terms of sunk costs in advertising to compete on a level playing field. Allied with this, direct bookings on the Ryanair website has meant that there have been savings in the region of 42. We will write a custom essay sample on Porters 5 Forces of Ryanair or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 6% in marketing and distribution costs. Competitive Rivalry The cost of increased competition can be quite high with customers benefiting from price wars between rival airlines. This is why Ryanair has an advantage over other airlines because their policy of bundling low frills and low prices together means that they are competing for the more price sensitive customer. Demand for short haul flights around Europe is ever expanding. It is however vital that Ryanair were among the first movers because many ‘copycat’ airlines have tried to follow suit. Davy (2003) believes that there are only two pan-European low cost operators where first mover advantage and scale and cost efficiencies gave the two largest players, Ryanair and Easyjet, a significant advantage. In fact, since deregulation, of the 80 low cost operators that had begun operations, 60 had gone bankrupt (Lee, 2000). Michael O’Leary is so confident that this particular aspect of Porter’s 5 forces is almost inconsequential for Ryanair that he has said â€Å"at the lower end of the market Easyjet and Go don’t really compete with Ryanair. Having said this, the threat of competitive rivalry is important for the industry because fierce competition can lead to a decline in sales. Bargaining Power of Suppliers At a very basic level the airline industry suppliers are limited in two areas: actual purchase of planes and the supply of fuel. Ryanair has a very healthy relationship with the main aeroplane supplier, Boeing. With the downturn in the economy airlin es were putting their purchasing on hold. Not Ryanair however, as O’Leary saw this as the perfect opportunity to buy. In addition to the 2002 contract with Boeing where they will supply up to 150 737-800 type aircraft for Ryanair, they are also required to provide various ancillary goods and services to Ryanair. These include technical support and training, spare parts support, training of the flight crews, software and field services engineering. On writing this essay, it was made public that Ryanair has ordered an additional 100 new Boeing 737-800’s to facilitate Ryanair’s rapid European growth plans. On the same day as this news was made public, Ryanair opened up four new destinations in Europe, bought the airline Buzz and had thousands of seats on sale for 1 Euro. Ryanair also has also increased its option orders by 78 to 125. This will, over the next eight years, give Ryanair a fleet of 250 Boeing 737-800’s, making it the youngest carrier in Europe and the second largest worldwide behind Southwest in the U. S. In terms of the fuel price there is very little that Ryanair can do, because the price of fuel is governed by world trade and the Middle Eastern countries have market dominance. Bargaining Power of Buyers There are many determinants to the power possessed by buyers in the airline industry. These include the standardization of the product, elasticity of demand, brand identity and the quality of the service. In this respect buyer power in the European airline industry in quite strong because switching costs are very small. For low cost carriers, the switching costs may be found by simply clicking on a rival’s website. The fact that most low cost carriers sell their seat via the internet means that any price discrepancies can be found very easily. This means that Ryanair have to keep their prices competitive in relation to the industry level. The Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes to the airline industry comes in three main forms. These are road, rail and to a lesser extent the boat service. Of these, rail would seem to offer the greatest threat because, certainly around Europe, it offers an excellent continental service around the major cities that Ryanair fly to. Rail travel has several advantages over air in terms of the fact that they can be more localised and more accessible but one must endure a longer journey also. Ryanair can offer a faster journey at prices that can often be far cheaper. As an example, a return ticket from Frankfurt to Amsterdam costs between 121. 20 Euros and 175. 60 Euros. This compares with Ryanair’s average fare of less than 50 Euros (Davy, 2003). In fact, there is even the perception that there is much greater penetration of fast trains in the EU than in the like of the US, and that this is a limiting factor on demand. However, trains in continental Europe are very expensive, which is reflected in the fact that Europeans think nothing of driving from one country to another to make a saving. Car travel offers similar advantages to that of the railways but Ryanair will always be able to boast shorter journey with less hassles. Another, less obvious threat comes in the form of global communications. As technology develops there may be less of a need to actually meet with people as business meetings could take place via video conferencing. Although, relatively speaking, this is not very prevalent at the moment, there may be less of a need to physically meet up with associates in the future.

5 Instances When Interracial Dating Is a Problem

5 Instances When Interracial Dating Is a Problem Interracial dating isnt without its problems, but today interracial relationships enjoy more support in the United States than they have at any point in history. While two decades ago, fewer than half of Americans approved of interracial marriage, now 65 percent of all Americans support such relationships, and 85 percent of young people do. Attitudes toward interracial marriage are so progressive that some people prefer to exclusively date interracially. But are they doing so for the wrong reasons? There are a number of reasons not to date interracially, including for social status, because it’s trendy or to remedy a rocky love life. Dating interracially with misguided motives will inevitably lead to problems. To End the Losing Streak in Your Love Life You’ve dated a long line of losers- deadbeats, cheaters, manipulators. They all belonged to your racial group, so you figure you’ll have better luck dating someone of a different race. That’s because deadbeats, cheaters and manipulators only come in one color, right? If only things were that simple. The reality is that you’ll have to do much more than land a love interest with a different skin tone from yours to end destructive dating patterns. The answer to your romance problems isn’t crossing the color line but examining why you’re drawn to inappropriate partners. To Gain Status The idea of dating interracially to gain social status may seem peculiar. After all, interracial couples face discrimination that may lead to distinct disadvantages. Because the United States remains racially stratified, however, it’s considered advantageous for members of oppressed groups to pair up with those of more powerful groups. From the Antebellum Era on, such partnerships have allowed people of color to gain access to a quality of life that likely would’ve eluded them otherwise. Although today racial minorities can largely succeed in society on their own, some elite people of color may feel the need to score a spouse from another race to boost their image or better fit into the corporate landscape. As noted in the short story collection You Are Free, â€Å"The world out there insisted as soon as a black man made it, he should marry a white woman. As soon as a black woman made it, she should marry a white man.† No one should date interracially due to external pressures. If Barack Obama won his presidential campaign with a black woman at his side, it’s certainly not necessary for, say, a businessman to date interracially for the purpose of upward mobility. In an ideal world, people wouldn’t enter romantic relationships for what they stand to gain from their partners. This isn’t to say that every successful minority who dates or marries interracially does so with ulterior motives. But just as some high-powered men pursue trophy wives, some members of minority groups pursue mates from the dominant culture for status. Everyone Else Doing It Wherever you look, you see interracial couples. Your friends, colleagues and relatives are all dating interracially or have in the past. Given this, you decide to take the plunge as well. After all, you don’t want to be the odd one out or, even worse, the boring one. Soon, you’re visiting interracial dating websites, and prospective dates from a variety of racial groups lie at your fingertips. Why isn’t this a wise move? The race of your date shouldn’t be the main draw for you nor should your dating patterns be influenced by what’s trendy now. The common interests and chemistry you have with a person should be the driving force for your decision to pursue a relationship. Interracial couples face real challenges. The person who becomes part of such pair because it’s hip or trendy won’t be prepared to deal with them. Rebellion Many parents tell children outright which racial groups they approve of them dating and which racial groups they forbid them to date. Actress Diane Farr is a case in point. Now married to a Korean-American man, Farr had been told growing up that her boyfriends could only be German, Irish, French or Jewish. No blacks and no Puerto Ricans, though, or you are out of my house, Farr recalled her mother saying. Farr did go on to date black and Puerto Rican men, however, and her parents came around. Farr defied her parents’ dating rules because she formed genuine connections with men from minority backgrounds. Some people, in contrast, flout their parents’ wishes simply to rebel. No child should feel pressured to go along with their parents’ racist beliefs. At the same time, it’s irresponsible to seek out partners you know your parents would disapprove of just to rebel against them. The mates you seek out certainly won’t appreciate being used as fodder in the war with your parents. If you disagree with your parents’ views on race, challenge them directly by broaching discussions about the issue with them. And if you and your parents have other problems, don’t try to hurt them by dating interracially. You’ll only end up hurting your date and yourself for behaving so insensitively. You Feel Inferior It’s no secret that society fosters a sense of inferiority in certain racial groups. This leads some members of minority groups to experience self-hatred. Such people are not only ashamed of their culture but of the physical features they have that reflect that culture. If they could erase every trait that singles them out as belonging to their minority group, they would. Since that’s impossible, they settle for seemingly second best- coupling up with someone from a different race to make them feel better about themselves or to produce children without their telltale ethnic features. A person this insecure is unlikely to make a good partner. As the old saying goes, you can’t love someone until you love yourself. Rather than dating across ethnic lines for validation, such people need to learn how to feel better about who they are. Seeking therapy, reading up on their cultural background and surrounding themselves with positive images related to their ethnic group may help.

Managerial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Managerial Economics - Essay Example My interaction with an Asian friend working for Euromonitor acquainted me with their specific compensation package. Employing individuals outside the jurisdiction of the government of their head office requires important and special considerations. First, it means that they cannot pay employment taxes as this needs a tedious and complicated the process of dealing with each country’s tax collecting institutions. Secondly, this leads to a contractual/self-employed status of the country analyst since the business organization will not also be able to offer non-monetary benefits like health and insurance. It should be noted that employment of more than six months in a firm requires the company to provide health and social security benefits for their employees. Thus, the contract of a country analyst is renewed often in order to comply with this requirement. In order to compensate with the lapses, Euromonitor pays its country analyst above the market direct pay. My friend informed me that she is actually paid a weekly income which is equivalent to a month’s entry level minimum wage in her country. Thus, in her position, she is getting four times the minimum wage which is 50% more than what is offered by local firm in the same position. However, Euromonitor pays on a project basis. A project is scheduled in four weeks or more. A country analyst is paid 45 days after he submit the project. Unfortunately, extensions are not paid. When a project is scheduled for six weeks and the analyst completed it in nine weeks, the extra three weeks is unpaid. Furthermore, the salary is adjusted according to the performance of the analyst. Aside from this monetary side, working at home as a country analyst for Euromonitor provides non-financial rewards. These include: work-life balance by allowing the employee to work at the comfort of his own home with his family; casual dress because the employee

Three Strikes Law in South Florida Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three Strikes Law in South Florida - Essay Example In the beginning of 1993, the federal government adopted a new approach in serving justice to repeat offenders. Twenty-three states adopted the three-strike law including South Florida. The version of the three-strike law varied from state to state, but the law generally reduced the judicial discretion through the mandating severe penalties for third felony convictions. The three-strike law had a limited impact in most states including South Florida on the federal system. This is evident from the fact that the number of convicted felons under the three-strike law was very little. The number of convicted felons under the three-strike law over fifteen states ranged between one and six people. Therefore, the effectiveness of the three-strike law was in question especially in south Florida. The lack of effectives of the three strike laws in South Florida was due to the poorly structured government drafted laws. This resulted in pressures to eliminate the three strike laws (Domanick, 2004). The three-strike laws in South Florida were expensive to implement. This is evident from the additional costs incurred for pre-conviction jail time. There are also more costs incurred in case processing and trials whereby defendants facing three strikes choose the option of going to trial as opposed to pleading guilty. There was also an increase in the number of the number of prison convictions on third and second counts. This resulted in overcrowding of prisons and hence more expenses incurred from prison building costs. Increased length of prison sentences has led to long-term costs. This is evident from the fact that the costs incurred from the incarceration of older prisoners are three times that of healthy younger inmates. The three-strike law did not have the expected effect on crime in South Florida and other states, in the United States. This is because of the reason that that repeat felons in South Florida were already faced with life sentences before sentencing under the th ree-strike law. The impact of the three strike laws was to imprison less serious offenders whereby they were subjected to longer sentences for less serious offences. The law also affected less serious offenders such that it resulted in the longer sentences being served to offenders, as they are aging from their crime prone years (Three strikes law: sentencing: statute, 2007). The three-strike law had uneven and unintended impacts in South Florida. One of the impacts is witnessed from the long-term prison sentencing of less serious crimes. This effect was witnessed throughout the states implementing the three-strike law. The application of the three strike law had and uneven implementation depending on the state jurisdictions. Hence, this has resulted in bargaining and pleas from defendants, which come off as a hindrance to justice. This fact alone has resulted in the pressure to eliminate the three-strike law in South Florida. The three-strike law promoted racial disparity. This is evident from the fact that the fact that the impact of the three strike convictions were observed to disproportionately affect the African-Americans. This was observed in the South Florida the number of convicted African-American felons increased with the strikes of convictions. Hence, this comes off as a racial bias in the implementation of justice within the federal system. This therefore resulted in the elimination of the three-strike law in South Florida (Shichor, 1996). The application of the three-strike law had a very insignificant effect on the deterrence of crime in South Florida. This is due to the reason that the threat of punishment under the three-s

South west region cuisine (Arizona, Utah, Texas etc) Essay

South west region cuisine (Arizona, Utah, Texas etc) - Essay Example The American historical regional cuisine is still very much alive today, and it is what differentiates different regions. The South West region is characterized by rustic cooking, comprising of a fusion of various ingredients and diets that could have been eaten by the native Mexicans and the colonial settlers from Spain (Olver, 2014). Therefore, the characteristic cuisine of the South west region is the Mexican food, mainly characterized by the use of large chunks of meats, with beans as the accompaniments and chili pepper as the main spice (White, 1993). Thus, the combination of the large chunks of meat, beans and chili pepper making a thick soup, serves as a characteristic South west region cuisine, which is very popular even nationally and abroad. Nevertheless, even within the South west region, the preferred cuisines do vary, with the regions of Utah, New Mexico and Colorado being popular for the New Mexican cuisine, which is basically the Chili soup, while Texas has a fusion of the New Mexican cuisine with its own ingredients, to form the cuisine referred to as Tex-Mex while Arizona has its own p opular cuisine referred as Sonoran (Olver, 2014). The Tex-Mex is unique, notably because of the use of Sour cream, which is a basic ingredient used both as an ingredient in cooking and as a cooling garnish. Therefore, the Tex-Mex cuisine comprises of the large amount of meat, cumin, cheese and the characteristic sour cream (Detterick-Pineda, 2004). The Tex-Mex is a fusion cuisine from different regions, which has combined the characteristic large chunks of meat with cheese and the sour cream being a German influence, to deliver a unique cuisine to the State, which continues to evolve even to date. On the other hand, the Cali-Mex is a cuisine popular in the South west region coastal State of California (White, 1993). The state is one bordering Mexico, and

The importance of digital technology in life

The importance of digital technology in life Our era has come to see the vital importance of digital technology in our daily lives. It allows us to unlock a huge collection of information and communication data. Each kind of task, be it a regular task or a job specific task requires digital proficiency or literacy. Digital literacy can be defined as the ability to use digital technology, communications tools, and or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge society (Lemke, 2003). The execution of a successful approach for the advancement of digital literacy skills is known to include multiple components that tackle hurdles for explicit demographics such as; attitude, age, socioà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ economic status, language, and regional availability of resources. In order to increase digital literacy levels strategies must be targeted and implemented, where necessary for specific populations and situations keeping an account of different obstacles. According to (Castel ls, 2009) there is a technological transformation with the increasing use of internet access. Therefore, technology transforms the mode or platform in which we converse and process knowledge. A substantive growth in execution of information and communications requires improvement in quality of life and development by preparing people for a knowledge society. As said by (Castells 2009, pg 21) networks demonstrate strength in their flexibility, adaptability and capacity to self configure. Therefore networking is here to reside and education has no alternative but embrace it. In this essay the basic focus is on the need to develop nations digital skills at all levels as it is gradually becoming important in the present period where technology and its benefits are becoming more sophisticated and pervasive. By critically discussing whether developing the nations digital skills at all levels helps in achieving fairness rather than amplifying it in the presence of various inequalities? The Digital Britain report sets out an action plan to contribute its full potential to secure UKs place as one of the worlds foremost digital knowledge economies which is significantly dependent on having enough people with the accurate skills in the exact place at the precise time by applying new technologies; further assembling a high class of professionals and ensuring Britains future prosperity. The issue is not only of financial competitiveness, but also of fairness which is defined as ensuring that all have access to the content, services and skills to contribute and connect effectively to the digital economy and the benefits are available to all. There is an immense range of services delivered online while also a hazardous threat to those who lack or struggle to access technology. Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media (November 2007) believes that It is neither morally acceptable nor economically sustainable to leave millions of people behind, unabl e to use information and communications technologies to their advantage. However it is of upmost importance to transform the lives of those who are excluded in order to avoid the major parts of our society being deprived and enduringly lag behind. Though, the matters about digital exclusion broaden far-off than ensuring access to internet albeit with the increasing role of the internet in daily life, an analysis of utilizing the opportunities offered by the internet is of fundamental significance. To critically discuss the actions taken by The Digital Britain report in line with developing nations digital skills; it is required to understand and discuss why should there be an urgency to build on the nations skills, what digital skills are currently being delivered, how these are processed, how is it made sure that no one misses out and lastly to what extent the contribution of internet access is helping the society to improve the present inequalities? In this essay, we will discuss and argue the answers to these questions to aid us in understanding the relationship between digital inclusion, digital skills and media literacy. The essay will first converse about the opportunity to ensure that no one is prevented from access to broadband followed by raising the topic about engaging the society to use and understand the digital media and finally, providing them with the capability to develop and acquire the necessary digital skills to involve themselves in the digital economy wit h confidence and support. Whenever we talk about building the nations skills, the first thing which comes to mind is the need to incline towards digital economy. In todays changing business scenario most of the positions advertised by the recruiters require at least some type of IT-user skill. In the year 2009 around 92% jobs required applicants to hold both general (hardware and software skills) and specific application skills (such as databases, and spreadsheets) in particular. For Britain to increase its competitiveness in the global economy of 21st century, it requires to create awareness among people to embrace the digital technology for a safe speculation of an information revolution that can alter every part of their lives. Therefore the government has taken various inspired initiatives to educate everyone with a vision to shape a brighter future for Britain. Talking about UKs present landscape as per national statistics, the number of adults who have never accessed internet in 2010 is about 9.2 million. The National Digital Participation Plan in collaboration with Digital Britain Report has set a determined aim of reducing the number of non-internet users in the country by 60% by 2014 by overcoming the three barriers to digital inclusion availability, affordability and capability. For this, the UKs government is committed to distribute broadband services universally up to 2Mb/s by 2012 which is a significant step to ensure more of the general population in the UK will have an opportunity to access to the internet. The Race Online for 2012 program in the UK challenges governmental and nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ governmental stakeholders to work collectively to aid the deprived groups to enhance digital literacy skills making it affordable for them. According to (HM Government, Nov 2009) The best use of digital technology, either directly or indir ectly to improve the lives and life chances of all citizens, particularly the most deprived, and the places in which they live. Hence, the various proposals by Race online 2012, Digital Charter, Digital Champion and expert Taskforce are considered to take imperative steps to reach the next level for forming a fully digitally engaged society which encourages excellence and fairness. Over recent years the government has enhanced its understanding of social exclusion through scrutiny of cohort studies and longitudinal surveys. Information has become one of the chief inputs in financial procedures, and information and (ICT) steadily became vital for the capability of enterprises, communities and individuals to contribute effectively in the global economy (Hollifield and Donnermeyer, 2003). When wisely applied, ICTs recommend prospects via network effects to narrow down social and economic inequalities and to sustain innovative market access in services and support wealth creation. The basis of inequalities in internet access and use are frequently hinted back to usage factors (price of technology, lack of information, ability or operational skills) and psychological factors (nervousness about using technology or reluctance to try something new) (Van Dijk and Hacker, 2003). There is a crucial need to tackle the difficulty of the particular individuals and communities who might have lack of knowledge, the resources, or the ability to achieve an equivalent opportunity to contribute in society and economic life . For the ones working in more disadvantaged communities, and who see the impact of technology on peoples daily lives, the relations among digital and social equality are perceived without any doubt. However, it is argued that the spotlight should be on structuring the business case for digital inclusion quantitatively and qualitatively. According to Castells despite the globes increasing interconnectivity there are some individuals that are extremely involved in a global networks and others stay mainly excluded. Therefore the analysis of international digital strategies and European Union actions lists key international policy goals: digital equality, accessibility for all, literacy and digital competence, technology to enhance and technology for inclusion in order to gain better understanding of the needs and problems and by delivering affordable services to engage individuals with the internet sources in an attractive way. Consequently this explains how various international policy goals helps individuals to overcome various psychological factors like anxiety and lack of interest by accustoming them to the available technology. According to (Reaching Out: Action Plan on Social Exclusion, September 2006) It is possible to extend opportunity to the least advantaged so that they enjoy more of the choices, chances and power that the rest of society takes for granted. Ofcom plays an imperative role in promoting media literacy and persists to work with stakeholders in turn to: offer people the opportunity and inspiration to develop proficiency and self-confidence to participate in communications technology and digital society; and update and allow people to handle their own media activity (both consumption and creation). This argument follows up and agrees with the statement made by Selwyn (2002) about the significance of considering the diverse variety of activities which are associated to internet use (expenditure activity, investments activity, manufacturing activity, political activity and social activity). Accordingly, government in collaboration with the assistance of private and public media organizations operates as a unifying and funding source in support of digital literacy programs. Further in order to sustain media literacy; enriching public services like libraries and museums can offer individuals an enhanced quality of life. Baroness Estelle Morris (June 2009) published her autonomous appraisal of ICT user skills. The report states arguments about the term digital life skills and how it is used to recognize the set of essential ICT skills for using and accessing a computer and communicating information. It discusses that digital skills have an impact on an adults equality of accessing information and services, employability, social inclusion, further engaging into learning and increasing the business productivity. Morriss report supports and affirms the statement made by Stewart (2000) that equality is achieved not through a redistributive programme on resources but contribution in person and through shared life chances. Whereas Castells (2009, pg 57) disagrees and argues that even with developing access to the internet and to wireless communication, abysmal inequalities in broadband access and educational gaps in the ability to operate a digital culture tend to reproduce and amplify the class, ethnic, r ace, age and gender structures of social domination between and within countries. Following these arguments, the research led and conducted by Cassie Hague and Ben Williamson (August 2009) shows that any involvement in digital sharing helps in alleviating the inequalities caused by social class and ensuring optimistic results for everybody despite of their gender, ethnicity and social milieu. The government legislation under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 also promotes equality of opportunity by eliminating various racism based discrimination. As a summary, this explains the initiatives taken by the Digital Britain and the UK Government to overcome various inequalities. Kling (1999) hypothesized that internet use is an issue of social-technological access referring to infrastructure and physical availability of computer resources in contribution with the combination of specialized knowledge, financial resources and technical expertise required for the full utilization of ICT. E-skills main aim is to work with employers, educators and government to make sure that UK has the technological skills it requires to thrive in a global digital economy. A current thesis from the London School of Economics (LSE) concludes that half of Europes efficiency in recent years can be credited to IT investments. Today, a large sector of all working professions make use of technology, therefore it is reasonable to assume that everybody should be introduced to essential information technology (IT) skills. The International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) has recognized various standards in the regions of essential digital skills and career technical skills. The t ypical example is the e-Europe plan, which has affirmed objectives of constructing a digitally literate Europe. The British Governments proposal incorporates two extraordinary cabinet posts known as the e-Minister and e-Envoy to position and install the suitable infrastructure and ICT widely. The Digital Britain report also highlights numerous methods in which the digital plan can assist parents to recognize improved results for their child through Home Access Program, helping them to develop the digital skills in order to confidently support their childs safety; to effectively and efficiently use the internet content in turn helping young generation to make the most out of the new technology. The UKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ based Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum argues that in the future it will become even more important that children have the ICT skills which allow them to relate themselves to the upcoming technology and face the challenges with self-confidence and flexibility. As technology can motivate students and help prepare them for prospective jobs. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 from the US department of education aspires to seal the success gap among deprived and struggling learners and their peers. The program pursues the argument that all kids can be trained and that schools are responsible for a kids growth. This highlights the steps taken by the governments of UK and US in order to furnish the future generation of their country with the aptitude to be technologically competent and to inquire appropriate, suitable and significant questions about the digitalized saturated world of 21st century. To digitally include everyone in the economy, the government has taken various initiatives to include old generation as well. According to the research by HM government there are a range of barriers like lack of understanding and confidence, comprehension to use the equipment, fear and anxieties and sense of inertia and ageism due to which older generation is left behind. To overcome these obstacles, digital inclusion programs are adopted such as Age UK internet champion of the year, older people in the media award winner etc to provide them with various opportunities and to develop the basic ICT skills; further boosting their confidence and embellishing older peoples lives. Hence, to seal the digital skills gap, upcoming economies are required to improve the aptitude of their personnel for internet age roles. This can facilitate in creating a sustainable social and economic infrastructure. As a result, to ensure that older people are not isolated from digital economy, help is provid ed for them to engage in significant technological opportunities to support independent living and to benefit from the services widely available. On a nationwide perspective Britain has already taken a lead in enhancing the national digital literacy widespread and laid down a remarkable standard for Canada which is working towards creating the right circumstances for a worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ class digital economy by solving the skills shortages among different Canadian groups. Countries like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and in recent times the USA, have made digital literacy a keystone of their digital economy strategies. In contrast to Singapore, Britain shows a lack in participation in digital economy, reaching near 100% whilst studies in Singapore show a 100% commitment and participation. This shows a vast difference in the objectives already achieved and future aims of both the countries. Though this difference, UK is trying to strike a balance between digital inclusion and exclusion by developing a National plan for digital participation, to amplify the scope and prepare people to participate in the digital society. This essay sets out a framework adopted by the Digital Britain report and the government to address the problems related to digital inclusion, digital skills and equality. If we critically analyse the data and information covered in this paper, we can clearly interpret the numerous ambitious goals the UK government have set out in the near future. The aims listed by the government enclose various actions needed to be undertaken by the UK economy in order to attain the listed objectives in the Digital Britain report. The discussion about the universal availability and fairness for all allowed us to think whether people will engage in this new technology and embrace it in near future or not? According to Charles Leadbeater, people go online for three different experiences such as to enjoy, talk and fulfil new experiences, as media encourages them to experience, connect and be creative. Digital Britain report has little to talk about this mix. Another aim is to provide affordable and at tainable broadband facility to every household. Although these courageous plans are backed up with vast quantities of data and research, simply building technological infrastructure and access will not guarantee the people of Britain to be innovative to generate an environment for digital revolution. For that reason the UK government needs to publicly show more specific ideas and plans about what is wants to see happen in the near-term future rather than using the blurred terminology which hides the true picture than it should reveal. The Digital Britain Report shows clear positives and negatives about the aspects we have covered and albeit there are criticisms, the pros outweigh the cons as written in this paper. The whole composition tries to answer the questions regarding the key issues of Digital skills, Digital Inclusion along with fairness and access for all and the concerns regarding inequalities. As the internet is becoming an amplified trend (Van Dijk and Hacker, 2003) Digital Britains goals were clear from the beginning regarding developing nations digital skills at all levels by ensuring that the population is ready to use and access the digital technology confidently. There is an essential need for digital literacy to further aid the citizens to participate in the digital landscape. To acquire skills there is a requirement in this era to have a grasp on the knowledge about digital tools, critical skills and social awareness. For digital inclusion; capability and relevance, availability and affordability are three main areas which are required to be addressed in order to promote digital literacy and participation. This consequently increases the scope of fairness in the economy. The concern is not only about the fairness and digital inclusion but is also to overcome inequalities. To avoid inequalities based on socio-cultural and socio-technological perspective, the government legislation has taken various actions in terms of proposing programs like Race online 2012, Digital Charter, and Digital Champion. On a global perspective comparing to different nations, UK is establishing a vision to develop clear and simple techniques to construct a digital knowledge economy in the modern era. Therefore in conclusion, UK government is motivated with its goals for broadband speeds and to encourage people to access new digitalized technology. What remains at question is that do people want to be part of this new web technology and are they ready to accept it and embrace it in near future?

The Main Character in The Mayor of Casterbridge Essay -- essays resear

'The business of the poet and novelist is to show the sorriness underlying the grandest things, and the grandeur underlying the sorriest.'; Thomas Hardy said this upon completion of the novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. Thomas Henchard, the main character in his novel, becomes the example to illustrate this idea. Henchard is at one point the most powerful person in a small town called Casterbridge. He is the wealthiest person and commands the most respect, but Hardy shows some terrible characteristics of Henchard. Because of Henchard's pride and ego, he loses his fame and fortune and becomes a part of the lowest working class. There, while exhibiting some of his cruder qualities, he also shows signs of true affection to others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Henchard is the mayor, he scolds the chronincly late Abel for being tardy. Henchard is in Abel's hut, and demands the following from Abel who is just waking up:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  '' Out of bed, sir, and off to the granary, or you leave my employ today! 'Tis to teach ye a lesson. March on; never mind your britches''; (169)!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though Abel does deserve a punishment, he is a grown man and such punishments like those fall into the category of cruel and unusual. A simple deduction in his pay would have been suitable, Henchard however decides to humilate him. Hardy is showing that, even in the most powerful people, human flaws make people do the worst of things. Hardy further sh...

Political Disputes by 1860 Essay

During the 1800’s, Americans in the North and South often had conflict but could no longer resolve their political disputes through compromise by the year 1860. In this time period, compromise was not an option because slavery and states rights’ caused political disputes between the north and south.The two political parties in the north and south lost their ability to cooperate and by the mid 1800’s increased the issue of the division of the states. The political view on slavery and states rights grew as compromise between the north and south political parties began to collapse during the mid 19th century. Henry Clay stated that it is impossible for South Carolina to become an independent state. (Doc A) A report of the American Anti-Slavery Society was opposed to slavery naming slave owners as â€Å"man stealers† and believed that slaves should be free. (Doc B) Political compromise was not greatly effected by their belief but the Compromise of 1850 resulted in the Fugitive Slave Law being passed which caused the collapse in the political parties. The issue of slavery continued to increase as compromise slowly disintegrated. Abolitionism increased by the encouragement of Frederick Douglass, a leader, who promoted freedom for all slaves. Also, â€Å"Uncle Toms Cabin† published by Harriet Beecher started up abolitionism in the North while the South to oppose against abolitinists. Senator Daniel Webster who is opposed to secession stated that the North is not complied with the Fugitive Slave Law. (Doc D) In addition, a New York Tribune comparing working class men in the north to southern gentlemen (Doc F) caused more conflict between the states over the issue of slavery. The division of the states over the issue of slavery enhanced the collapse of compromise between the North and South political parties.

The Arachnid Arthropods

The Arachnid Arthropods Arachnids (Arachnida) are a group of arthropods that include spiders, ticks, mites, scorpions and harvestmen. Scientists estimate that there are more than 100,000 species of arachnids alive today. Arachnids have two main body segments (the cephalothorax and the abdomen) and four pairs of jointed legs. By contrast, insects have three main body segments and three pairs of legs- making them easily distinguishable from arachnids. Arachnids also differ from insects in that they lack wings and antennae. It should be noted that in some groups of arachnids such as mites and hooded tickspiders, the larval stages have only three pairs of legs and fourth leg pair appears after they develop into nymphs. Arachnids have an exoskeleton that must be shed periodically for the animal to grow. Arachnids also have an internal structure called an endosternite that is composed of a cartilage-like material and provides a structure for muscle attachment. In addition to their four pairs of legs, arachnids also have two additional pairs of appendages that they use for a variety of purposes such as feeding, defense, locomotion, reproduction or sensory perception. These pairs of appendages include the chelicerae and the pedipalps. Most species of arachnids are terrestrial although some groups (especially ticks and mites) live in aquatic freshwater or marine environments. Arachnids have numerous adaptations for a terrestrial lifestyle. Their respiratory system is advanced although it varies among the different arachnid groups. Generally, it consists of tracheae, book lung and vascular lamellae that enable efficient gas exchange. Arachnids reproduce via internal fertilization (another adaptation to life on land) and have very efficient excretory systems that enable them to conserve water. Arachnids have various types of blood depending on their particular method of respiration. Some arachnids have blood that contains hemocyanin (similar in function to the hemoglobin molecule of vertebrates, but copper-based instead of iron-based). Arachnids have a stomach and numerous diverticula that enable them to absorb nutrients from their food. A nitrogenous waste (called guanine) is excreted from the anus at the back of the abdomen. Most arachnids feed on insects and other small invertebrates. Arachnids kill their prey using their chelicerae and pedipalps (some species of arachnids are venomous as well, and subdue their prey by injecting them with venom). Since arachnids have small mouths, the saturate their prey in digestive enzymes, and when the prey liquifies, the arachnid drinks its prey. Classification: Animals Invertebrates Arthropods Chelicerates Arachnids Arachnids are classified into about a dozen subgroups, some of which are not widely known. Some of the better-known arachnid groups include: True spiders (Araneae): There are about 40,000 species of true spiders alive today, making the Araneae the most species-rich of all arachnid groups. Spiders are known for their ability to produce silk from spinneret glands located at the base of their abdomen.Harvestmen or daddy-long-legs (Opiliones): There are about 6,300 species of harvestmen (also known as daddy-long-legs) alive today. Members of this group have very long legs, and their abdomen and cephalothorax are almost completely fused.Ticks and mites  (Acarina): There are about 30,000 species of ticks and mites alive today. Most members of this group are very small, although a few species can grow to as much as 20mm in length.Scorpions (Scorpiones): There are about 2000 species of scorpions alive today. Members of this group are easily recognized by their segmented tail that bears a venom-filled telson (sting) at the end.

Is Sports Cmpetition Relevant to Academic Learning

Is Sports Cmpetition Relevant to Academic Learning Read whether sports competition is relevant to academic learning. Learning Theories and Relevance of Competitive Sport Learning theories have significant implications in the way academic  institutions facilitate learning. For instance, learning through reward and punishment  is Behaviorist learning practices while learning through input and memorization of educational materials is a Cognitive-learning concept. Similarly, the term â€Å"student-centered† learning is a Constructivist idea that people learn better when they â€Å"construct† own knowledge and meaning. However, since the aim of applying these learning theories in a school setting is to enhance knowledge of curriculum, they do not support the kind of knowledge acquired through sports competition similar to the volleyball match where athletes with #PusoAteneo won. Social Learning Theory is for learning social skills and therefore not academically relevant. Some literature argues that it is relevant to physical education, as such academic subject contributes to socially and morally educated citizens. The problem, however, is the fact that physical education is never for students’ social or moral development, but for learning health-related activities. Moreover, social skills and moral values allegedly developed from physical education are results rather than a facilitator of academic learning. You may be interested in: Practice What You Preach Is High IQ a Guarantee of Academic Success? Contrary to common belief, sport is not synonymous with physical education. Sports are physical activities in which adults and young people compete while physical education is a learning process prescribed by the curriculum. Although the subject often includes sports, there is no inherent necessity for physical education to foster and promote competitive behavior. Sport, therefore, is never an academic subject while competitive behavior is exclusive to sport. Overall, competition is not an objective in physical education and irrelevant to academic learning. The question is why schools are so eager about competition and spending significant time and money on their respective sports teams. The True Benefit of Sport Competition The study shows that participation in sport is mostly an individual decision while school-sponsored sports competition is an after-school activity. The common objective is to facilitate the skills and knowledge necessary to support a healthy and productive lifestyle. Interscholastic sport or â€Å"varsity sport† is the system of competition between schools, but remains an extracurricular activity in terms of funding. Collegiate sports or sports competition between colleges and universities, on the other hand, are governed by private national organizations. The academic institutions, however, provide the funding and give a full scholarship to their athletes. Successful athletes in return generate a large amount of revenue for their school. The learning benefit of sports competition appears limited to elementary and school. Sport in higher education seems more of a business strategy than a learning experience. In fact, collegiate sports in North America according to author Maylon Hanold are â€Å"solidly a business† within academic institutions. Most successful teams and athletes received money from corporate sponsors and therefore always determined to win regardless of injury or being involved in cheating. The #PusoAteneo or â€Å"Heart of Ateneo† University is, therefore, referring to college athletes’ competitive spirit or the â€Å"heart of champion† that has nothing to do with physical education and academic learning.

Research Request - Has the U.S. governments war on drugs done anything Proposal

Request - Has the U.S. governments war on drugs done anything to reduce the use of illegal drugs - Research Proposal Example The message to the Congress comprised of text concerning with devoting more federal resources to preventing new additions and rehabilitating those who were already addicted, however, this part was not the center of attention like the war on drugs. It is estimated that the US devotes more than one billion dollars every year towards the War on Drugs and this research seeks to find out if the War on Drugs has been successful in reducing the use of illegal drugs in the United States and how effect this is on the overall drug issue. Almost three million people use eighty percent of the illegal hard drugs in the United States and there is highly likelihood of dealing with the Drug-trafficking organizations through changing the behavior of the heavy users of these drugs (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). A reduction of the rate of consumption of the casual users will not have a considerable effect on the flow of drugs into the country or the flow of money into the areas that produce the drugs. The experience the US has had with marketing’s power has inclined the country to prefer prohibiting and enforcing rather than legalizing and marketing of the drugs. However, this option has associated consequences as an increased number of American citizens go to jail for offences associated to drugs as well as parole violations as compared to property crimes (Alexandrova, 2004). Further, even though the nation spends five times more to jail the people convicted of drug offences that it did thirty years ago, the prices of cocaine and other drugs have reduced by eighty to ninety percent compared to the prevailing prices during the beginning of the war on drugs. Consequently, critics have argued that imprisoning the low-level dealers in the streets is a futile endeavor as their transactions that cost approximately two hundred dollars will cost the state almost one hundred thousand dollars in the offender is given a sentence that

Courage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Courage - Essay Example The average person derives an image of a superhero when thinking about courage. However, that a limited view of what courage means. This is because it can be applied to so many other aspects of life. The second half of the definition in regards to negative forces is what allows for individual perspective on the word. For example, courage can pertain to a person stopping a gunman from shooting another victim despite the immense danger he or she faces in possibly getting maimed or dying in the process. On the other hand, courage can be reflected in the depths of an individual who recently became crippled and has to face the pain, difficulty and fear of starting life in a new way with new challenges. Both situations involve a form of evil to some extent and to be courageous is appropriately applied to the people involved. The situation also does not have to be a severe one that radically changes peoples’ lives. There is no indication in the definition of courage that there has to be a big or massive negative situation that happens to someone for it to maintain its context. Courage can be applied to as little a situation as giving a successful speech in front of a classroom of students or having the courage to try something new whether it is a type of food or a physical activity. The definition is also not limited to who can have courage. The definition does not state that a particular kind of person can achieve this mental state. This is where it gets tricky. The definition does not say who can have courage, but does that mean an animal can? Can a dog have courage? Most would agree that animals or people who do not have a clear understanding of the term courage cannot be courageous. However, if you go by the actual definition, it fails to decipher whether having courage is a human attribute or not. The fact is that that courage is a feat attributed to a mental or emotionally state of mind. Courage is then taken on and assigned to an individual based on his or her performance during a physical or outward activity that is negative in some fashion. A person cannot have courage in face of something that is not difficult or terrifying on some level. Works Cited "courage." Merriam-Webster. 2011. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. . â€Å"fear.† Merriam-Webster. 2011. Web. 2 Nov. 2011 http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/fear. â€Å"difficulty.† Merriam-Webster

Upwardly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Upwardly - Essay Example For instance, the people of Muruguru village have been for a long time suffered because of impassable roads; thus difficult to reach customers in the market easily. However, the introduction of the mobile phone use has significantly changed their lifestyles because they are nowadays able to reach their customers in the market easily; thus improving their business activities. Ewing (380) argues that the mobile phone use can dramatically improve the living standards through saving time on wasted trips, offering information about prices of the products and even conducting banking services. It also affects the living standards of people through changing the developing markets faster. There are many millions of mobile subscribers across the globe and the effect of mobile use is more dramatic than in Africa, where mobile technology represents the modern infrastructure (Ewing 380). The increasing research evidence reveals that access to communications boost the income levels and makes the local economies efficient; thus improving the standards of living (Ewing (381). The mobile phone use has also fueled the growth of financial services in the global market. This is because many subscribers have nowadays started using mobile money transfer services. Hence, the mobile phones have extended the financial services to billions of poor citizens, who do not have acces s to the bank (Ewing (381). For instance, the M-Pesa services in Kenya, that was launched by Safaricom Company has enabled many clients to make money transfer effectively; thus contributing to economic growth. However, the mobile phone use in Africa differs from that of the U.S and Europe because it is widely used in developing nations for money transfer more than in the developed nations. This has encouraged many investors from developed nations to invest in poor nations. The local operators operating communal phone services for money transferring business

Explaining the role of effective communication Essay Example for Free

Explaining the role of effective communication Essay There are wide ranges of ways that communication can take place for example one to one conversations, group conversations. This can either be informal or formal depending on the individual’s outcome. An example of effective communication that can take place in a health and social care setting is a hospital, for example a nurse and her colleague are talking about how much they enjoy their jobs, and this is a form of effective communication. One- To –One communication – A one to one happens when a person speaks to a individual, or writes to the individual to form effective communication. In a one to one communication, it is always effective as both of the people in the one to one work together effectively and interacts well, as both individuals are relaxed and are listening to each other, in a result the communication works effectively and both parties leave with a resolved matter and everything is positive. One to one communication can be formal or informal. An formal one to one communication can take place in a GP, where the patient is discussing their personal problem with the Doctor and the doctor is helping the individual out with their problem, this is part of effective communication as the one to one interacting is working effectively. An informal one to one communication, can take place in a health and social care setting, where two colleagues are on their lunch break and are discussing about how their day has gone so far and etc. , this is a part of effective communication as both parties are interacting effectively. Group communication In a group communication, there is often more going on as it is a wide range of people within the group. During the group communication, each individual will try and get their points and ideas across to the people within the group and the rest will listen and be considerate towards the person speaking. That is a way of effective group communication, as the interacting between the group is working well and effectively. A group communication can be a great benefit, as it’s easier to make decisions and problem solving a ituation as you have various people giving different views and feedback to a matter, and that’s a great way of effective communication. A group communication can include multi- professional working, multi-agency, which happens with professionals and people using services. A multi-professional working involves numerous professionals working together in order to meet the needs of an individual. This will include doctor, police, and social worker to meet the needs of a young adult in a bad situation. Multi-agency is when different organisations work together effectively to the best possible service to families, children and young people. Formal communication Formal communication is a form of communication used by professional to communicate with clients and individuals. This form of communication is important because it shows the professional is showing professionalism within the work their doing to deliver the best possible care for the individual as well as the communication working effectively. An example of formal communication can be, ‘ good morning Sir/Mrs, this shows respect towards the individual. It is important not to use jargon or slang whilst communication formally, because you will come across as you’re not serious about your work, and also the client my not be pleased, also jargon can be a barrier because it can affect the communication between the client and professional due to not understand the technical words. Informal communication Informal communication is a casual exchange or letter that doesnt follow to all of the rules of formal communication. Its like saying hey instead of hello and also writing to your friend and talking about personal things. These are things youd never do in a business environment because it can be considered as formal communication. Informal communication is good way of communication as it can make a individual more relaxed and effective as it’s more easier and complex for the person to interact, as they don’t have to worry about being proper and correct. Interpersonal interaction Interpersonal interaction is how people relate towards each other in a verbal nteraction or non-verbal interaction. Verbal interactions include speech, tone of somebody’s voice, listening and language. Non-verbal interactions include a person’s body language and the way they express it for example their posture, facial expression and their proximity. Interpersonal communication can take place in a health and social care setting, for example: at a care home, there is a new career and she does not s peak English properly, so therefore it is hard for her to interact with the residents, which makes this is a language barrier. P2 – Argyle’s Theory of the Communication Cycle Michael Argyle is a social psychologist who developed theories about interpersonal interaction and human communication. He carried out experimental theories of non-verbal and verbal communication to develop and test he’s theoretical ideas. He has a communication cycle which explains and predicts how communication can occur in a one to one situation. 1. An idea occurs. A resident wants to go to the library and is trying to convince her carer. 2. Message coded. She talks to her carer about the books she used to read and how much she misses reading them. 3. Message sent. The carer says to the resident, ‘what was your favourite book’ this shows the message is sent and the carer understands what the resident is talking about. 4. Message received. Now the carer know what the resident’s favourite book is the resident is happy and is smiling. 5. Message decoded. Then the carer says to her resident would you like me to take you to the library so we can have a look if they have your favourite book and other books your interested in? 6. Message understood. Here the resident is happy and so is the carer because now they both understand each and the communication between the two has worked effectively. Bruce Tuckman defined a model of group development based around numerous stages, sequences or group activity. Tuckman suggested that these stages should happen in order for effective communication to occur in the groups interaction as well as the four stages being completely different. Forming – it is the start of the year and new infants have started the nursery, they tend to be shy and well reserved as they are not used to each other. Storming – as they start to settle in for about a month, they because more comfortable and relaxed with each other, in some cases this might not happen, someone would want to be dominant out of the bunch and this may cause conflict between the infants. Norming – in this stage everyone had built a strong bond between each other, and is working together well. Performing – in this final result the infants become mature and tend to realise that working together effectively can be a positive thing. M1 – Assess the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care with reference to theories of communication. The roles of effective communication in a health and social care setting, is to ensure that if communication with a resident, you must make sure to talk clearly and slowly, face to face make sure the person understands you and you’ve got your message across in the right way, in order for the communication to work effectively. The types of reference to communication are sign language, makaton and braille. These are part of effective communication as they are used by people with a hearing or blind impairment and leaning difficulties in order for them to communicate with others around them. Effective communication is a two-way process in which a person tries to understand the viewpoint of the other person. Communication is a cycle because when two people communicate they will need to make sure that they got their ideas across towards each other and they are understood. There are also barriers that can occur in a communication due the individual’s circumstance, for example: a person using slang, jargon o complex technical terminology can be heard, but their message may not be understood. Scenario I’m going to give a scenario between doctor and a patient, showing communication working effectively. Nurse : did you rest well last night Mrs Jones? Patient: yes I did nurse, I’m feeling slight better. Nurse: that’s a great improvement then, I’m glad you are. Patient: thank you very much nurse. Nurse: I am always here to help my dear. This is a very good way of effective communication, as the nurse and patient are interacting well and both parties are happy as they have understood each other. References (http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/informal-communication. html) (http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_is_formal_communication_in_business_organization)

My American Dream :: American Dream Essays

It seems that so often the subject of economic standing and wealth, are said synonymously with the phrase "The American Dream". It seems that it takes money to be happy and economic stature to be accepted; however, many people who fall into this trap out of ignorance will never achieve "The American Dream" they strive towards. The clichà ©, "In America, you can be whatever you want," always brings a smirk to my face. I am not a cynical person, but this just isn't true. If I decided I wanted to be the star of the next Academy Award winning hit, no matter how much I "want" it, it is not guaranteed to happen. In defense, many people will argue that one shouldn't take the remark so literally, that it just means that the avenue's and highways to success exist, it is the person's choice weather they take them or not; unfortunately, that is not the case. In the Great Gatsby Nick Carroway explains his love as, â€Å"†¦it was full of money-that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbal’s song of it†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (127) Hundred's of people start off with the Idea of becoming someone, and as their life progresses, they must completely adapt to a change of pace and ideas. How many people have gone out, and achieved the correct degrees, met the right people, been hired at the perfect job-only to be let go for a reason they could not have controlled. This is the Idea that I discussed on the first day of class. The idea of the Mesa being like the American dream, â€Å"You climb and climb, only to reach a plateau, that you will eventually fall over the other side of.†(first day notes) To me the "American Dream" is not just a dollar sign, or desk nametag, but the ability to walk into a room or a home, and know that your presence is welcomed and looked forward to. The dream is realizing that in America, we have the resources to make an honest difference. Unfortunately there was no reading that really embodied my version of the American dream. The closest book that came to it was, Their Eyes Were Watching God, because Janie did eventually realize that their was so much more to life than money, status, and material things.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Existential consumption and irrational desire Richard Elliott University of Oxford, Oxford, UK If marketing is truly the â€Å"ultimate social practice of postmodern consumer culture† (Firat, 1993) then it carries the heavy burden of â€Å"determining the conditions and meanings of life for the future† (Firat and Venkatesh, 1993). Certainly, social theory is now focusing on consumption as playing a central role in the way the social world is constructed, and it can be argued that marketing is too important just to be left to marketers as it plays a â€Å"key role in giving meaning to life through consumption† (van Raaij, 1993).Marketing has been criticized from within as being a â€Å"technique† without moral regard for the consequences of its actions, and there is no shortage of critics of its most public face: advertising. This paper aims at identifying some of the issues raised by postmodern and poststructuralist accounts of consumption. In particular, it is argued that consumption can be conceptualized from cultural, social and psychological perspectives as being a prime site for the negotiation of conflicting themes of freedom and control.It is proposed here that in postmodernity the consumption of symbolic meaning, particularly through the use of advertising as a cultural commodity, provides the individual with the opportunity to construct, maintain and communicate identity and social meanings. This use of consumption as a resource for meaning creation and social transactions is a process that involves the making of choices that are sufficiently important to be considered as existential.This is not an attempt at rehabilitating the practice of marketing, but is intended to demonstrate that the consumer is far from being a passive victim but is an active agent in the construction of meaning. In part this can be seen as a response to Olander’s call for â€Å"consumer research for the consumer’s sake† (Olander, 1993), but also as providing theoretical underpinning for concepts such as â€Å"advertising literacy† (Ritson and Elliott, 1995a) which attempt to build new socially located and meaning-based-models of advertising.Exploring some consumption dialectics As a heuristic device to help unpack some of the complexity of the consumption experience, five dialectics will be explored and their (sometimes polar) tensions used as analytical frames for reviewing competing discourses on the meanings of consumption: My thanks to Geoff Easton and Rolland Munro for discussions which improved the ideas in this paper, some of which have been explored in Elliott and Ritson (1995). Existential consumption and irrational desire 285 European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 1 No. 3/4, 1997, pp. 285-296.  © MCB University Press, 0309-0566 European Journal of Marketing 31,3/4 286 (1) the material versus the symbolic; (2) the social versus the self; (3) desire versus satisfaction; (4) rationality versus irrationality; and (5) creativity versus constraint. It is acknowledged that binary oppositions are essentially structuralist and thus in danger of betraying the complexity of the poststructuralist accounts they are being used to elucidate here, and that they are inevitably reductionist.However, postmodernism is riven with contradictions, even Baudrillard’s account of postmodernity is itself a totalizing â€Å"meta-narrative† (Hebdige, 1989), so we must learn to participate in the â€Å"tolerance of incompatible alternatives† (Lyotard, 1984) and â€Å"the juxtaposition of opposites and contradictions† (Foster, 1983) called for by postmodern theorists in the hope that it can develop our understanding(s) of the meaning(s) of these complex ideas.As a heuristic device, these bipolar oppositions should not be read as posited structures but merely as aids to coming to grips with the sometimes mind-numbing interrelations between what are often incommensurable co ncepts. The binary opposition is false and should, of course, be allowed to â€Å"melt into air† (Berman, 1983). The material versus the symbolic As soon as a product’s ability to satisfy mere physical need is transcended, then we enter the realm of the symbolic and it is symbolic meaning that is used in the search for the meaning of existence (Fromm, 1976).Central to postmodern theories of consumption is the proposition that consumers no longer consume products for their material utilities but consume the symbolic meaning of those products as portrayed in their images; products in fact become commodity signs (Baudrillard, 1981). â€Å"The real consumer becomes a consumer of illusions† (Debord, 1977) and â€Å"the ad-dict buys images not things† (Taylor and Saarinen, 1994). This semiotic perspective of products as symbols raises difficult questions about the location of cultural meaning.The term symbol itself can relate to the product that carries meaning or to the meaning it carries, and the interpretation of meaning is a complex product of what is contained in the representation and what the individual brings to the representation (LeVine, 1984). Symbolism can be analysed semiotically by examination of the system of signs and what they signify. It has been realized, however, that this leads to an infinite regress as one sign leads to another without there ever being anything â€Å"real† outside the system.All meaning is socially constructed and there is no essential external reference point, so ultimately â€Å"There is nothing outside the text† (Derrida, 1977). To complicate matters further, symbolic interpretation is essentially non-rational improvisation that does not obey the codes of language but operates at the unconscious level (Sperber, 1975). A Jungian analysis goes even further and suggests that the full significance of a symbol cannot be Existential grasped in purely intellectual terms, if it becomes fully definable in rational consumption and terms it is no longer a true symbol (Storr, 1973). rrational desire But even for the sign-dependent human being things are never purely material nor purely meaningful, there is always a mediated relation between matter and meaning. This mediated process operates through the materiality 287 of language as a dynamic force in the transformation of an indeterminate range of human possibilities into a restricted moral economy of meaning, in which we are simultaneously authors of and authored by the language with which we try to communicate (Pfohl, 1992).This relationship is partly a function of the individual’s ability to understand and control the interaction between the material and the symbolic, and material objects themselves are always in transit and their meaning is likewise on a trajectory (Appadurai, 1986). The social versus the self The functions of the symbolic meanings of products operate in two directions, outward in constructing the social world – social-symbolism – and inward towards constructing our self-identity: self-symbolism (Elliott, 1995).Consumption of the symbolic meaning of products is a social process that helps make visible and stable the basic categories of a culture which are under constant change, and consumption choices â€Å"become a vital source of the culture of the moment† (Douglas and Isherwood, 1978). The meanings of consumer goods are grounded in their social context and the demand for goods derives more from their role in cultural practices rather than from the satisfaction of simple human needs (Douglas and Isherwood, 1978). Consumer goods, then, are more than just objects of economic exchange, â€Å"they are goods to think with, goods to speak with† (Fiske, 1989).Consumption as a cultural practice is one way of participating in social life and may be an important element in cementing social relationships, while the whole system of consumption is an unco nscious expression of the existing social structure through a seductive process which pushes the purchasing impulse until it reaches the â€Å"limits of economic potential† (Baudrillard, 1988). It is within this social context that the individual uses consumer goods and the consumption process as the materials with which to construct and maintain an identity, form relationships and frame psychological events (Lunt and Livingstone, 1992).The self-symbolic role of material goods is long established in social anthropology and the individual’s attachment to objects may be a culturally universal function which symbolizes security, expresses the self-concept and signifies connection to society (Wallendorf and Arnould, 1988). Consumer goods are not only used to construct our self-identity but are also used by others to make inferences about us that guide their behaviour towards us (Dittmar, 1992). But now in postmodernity we are able to use consumer products to become any of our â€Å"possible selves† (Markus and Nurius, 1986) inEuropean Journal of Marketing 31,3/4 288 which we utilize consumer goods to construct pastiches of others we have been exposed to via the media or more directly. â€Å"In cyberspace, I can change myself as easily as I change my clothes† (Taylor and Saarinen, 1994). But the choices as to which self to construct and present are attended by the possibility of social consequences which may be very negative for example, a failure of a young person to utilize symbolic capital in the form of knowledge of the appropriate meaning of advertising can lead to rejection by the peer group (O’Donohoe, 1994).Desire versus satisfaction The symbolic gratification promised by advertising manages to recode a commodity as a desirable psycho-ideological sign (Wernick, 1991), and the operation of advertising at the unconscious level is driven by the search for an imaginary self which motivates the individual with desire for cohere nce and meaning (Lacan, 1977).Advertising feeds the desire to achieve the unobtainable unity of the self with destabilized meanings (Featherstone, 1991), images which separate commodities from their original use and offer the possibility to reconstruct the self by purchasing the symbolic meaning of goods and constructing a â€Å"DIY self† (Bauman, 1991). For as Williamson (1978) points out, â€Å"The conscious chosen meaning in most people’s lives comes from what they consume†, and this is energized by the attachment of bodily desire to symbolic meaning where the inchoate needs of the pre-linguistic self are channelled into language.Central to Lacanian theory is the mirror-phase, where the child recognizes itself in a mirror and assumes an image through a transformation from the imaginary to the symbolic. The symbolic for Lacan is linked with absence, in that symbols represent a world of people and things that are not there. The â€Å"real† can only be ap proached through the symbolic medium of language, yet language itself contains the contradictions and fragmentations of gender, power and meaning (Kristeva, 1980).The symbolic focus of much promotional activity in postmodernity is desire, and for Lacan desire exists in the gap between language and the unconscious. â€Å"Desire does not desire satisfaction. To the contrary desire desires desire. The reason images are so desirable is that they never satisfy† (Taylor and Saarinen, 1994). Postmodern consumption is inextricably linked with aspects of sexuality, both conscious and unconscious, as it promises the satisfaction of previously taboo desires through imagery and representations (Mort, 1988).These desires are constructed through the symbolic linkage between consumption and the human body (Kellner, 1992), and operate in large part through the consumption imagery with which we are surrounded and which makes even mundane consumer actions, such as looking in shop windows, high ly significant in our psychic lives (Bocock, 1993). Thus meaning is created through a search for links between identity (the social) and the self and the pursuit of sexual satisfaction through consumption, both of which are doomed to failure.Rationality versus irrationality Existential This postmodern fragmentation of the experience of self has been termed the consumption and condition of â€Å"multiphrenia† by Gergen (1991), who points out that the new irrational desire opportunities for exercise of choice are almost unlimited and so bring with them a â€Å"vertigo of the valued† where the expansion of â€Å"wants† reduces our choice to â€Å"want not†, a multiplicity of competing values and beliefs which make â€Å"the very 289 idea of rational choice become meaningless†.The mass media, and advertising in particular, are responsible for an â€Å"expansion of inadequacy† which is encouraged by a barrage of new criteria for self-evaluation. Cushman (1990) argues that we are in an era of the â€Å"empty self† in which alienation and loss of community can be solved by the â€Å"lifestyle† solution in which the consumer constructs a â€Å"self † by purchasing and â€Å"ingesting† products featured in advertising, a behaviour which can be construed as, at best, of limited rationality.In the Lacanian perspective there is a stress on the individual subject as being fragmented and incoherent, and this leads to the framing of the consumer as simultaneously both rational and irrational, able to both consume and reject what is being consumed, to desire and yet consume without satisfaction (Nava, 1991). â€Å"Identity becomes infinitely plastic in a play of images that knows no end. Consistency is no longer a virtue but becomes a vice; integration is limitation† (Taylor and Saarinen, 1994).The consumption of meaning, even the meaning of supposedly unambiguous television soap operas, is always am bivalent and contradictory (Ang, 1985), and the modes of rationality which operate in the space between the unconscious world of the imaginary and the symbolic world of language are little understood as they are constrained by the â€Å"despotic signifying semiologies† which limit the possibilities for other forms of semiotic systems and other forms of rationality (Deleuze and Guattari, 1983).The conceptualization of other modes of (ir)rationality is paralleled by the recent development in social cognition of the theory of motivated choice, which emphasizes the role of emotion in decision processes (Forgas, 1992; Kunda, 1990). Motivated choice is where judgement is driven by an emotional desire to arrive at a particular conclusion, where biased information search and reasoning processes are used â€Å"to arrive at those conclusions they want to arrive at† (Kunda, 1990).From these perspectives, cool, rational, informationprocessing choice is at least uncommon, and may i n fact be very rare, for â€Å"the real, the really real, is irrational, that reason builds upon irrationalities† (de Unamuno, 1962). Creativity versus constraint The dialectic between freedom and control in the consumption domain is typified by the influence of advertising. The ability of consumers to resist the influence of advertising and thereby exercise freedom has been minimized by the Marxist analysis of its central role in the maintenance of capitalism (Leiss etEuropean Journal of Marketing 31,3/4 290 al. , 1990) which operates through the creation of â€Å"ideological hegemony† (Goldman, 1992). Marxists have also portrayed advertising as a â€Å"magic system† (Williams, 1980) of magical inducements and satisfactions which validates consumption, if only in fantasy, by association with social and personal meanings and thus transforms goods which had rational use-value into irrational symbols.This focus on the power of the symbolic is further developed by Williamson (1986) who argues that advertisements function at an unconscious level at which the consumer is unable to resist latent meaning transfer. More recent post-Marxist analyses have weakened their deterministic stance and recognized that â€Å"the meanings and uses of products cannot be entirely controlled† (Williamson, 1986).However, hegemony still exists, but now depends on affective gratifications provided by mass-mediated popular culture where â€Å"everyday life in amusement society proceeds within a dialectic of enfeeblement and empowerment† (Langman, 1992). From a post-structuralist perspective limited freedom is allowed to the individual through consumption choices: â€Å"for most members of contemporary society individual freedom, if available at all, comes in the form of consumer freedom† through which the individual must take responsibility to invent and consciously create a self-identity (Bauman, 1988).Through the â€Å"new existentialism† (Laermans, 1993) consumers can exercise the freedom to create new meanings for goods through their own idiosyncratic performance of everyday life (de Certeau, 1984). This freedom can be used for collective and individual resistance against the imposed meanings of the dominant cultural categories, particularly through the choice of style and the use of bricolage tactics (Fiske, 1987; Hebdige, 1979).A sustained argument for the active exercise of freedom through consumption is developed by Willis (1990), who characterizes the consumption choices of the young as the behaviour of â€Å"practical existentialists†. The young are seen as exercising choice through consumption-related symbolic creativity which operates via the concept of â€Å"grounded aesthetics†, a process which builds higher-level symbolic meaning structures from the mundane concrete experiences of everyday life.This allows the young a small creative space for making the received social world, to some ext ent, controllable by them. This process is very similar to the marginal â€Å"tactics† (de Certeau, 1984) by which the powerless make sense of consumption, and in relation to advertising would allow them some control over the meaning of a text, but not control over the agenda within which the text is constructed (Morley and Silverstone, 1990).This is a limited freedom where we â€Å"make our own spaces within the place of the other† (Fiske, 1989) but yet it is potentially liberating in that to escape from dominant meanings is to construct our own subjectivity (Condit, 1989), and can therefore be conceptualized as â€Å"authentic† existential choice, rejecting the â€Å"bad faith† of accepting the dominant consumption meanings as inevitable or unproblematic (Sartre, 1969). Advertisements can be seen as cultural products in their own right, and Existential young people consume them independently of the products and have a creative consumption and symbolic r elationship with them.Although Willis (1990) sees advertising as irrational desire manipulative to some extent, he emphasises the scope for individual choice and creativity in meaning and identity construction, as individuals use advertising images as personal and social resources. These are invested with specific 291 meanings anchored in everyday life, via the process of grounded aesthetics, which are then used to construct or maintain personal and social identities. These creative practices are particularly prevalent amongst young people of â€Å"Generation X† (O’Donohoe, 1994; Ritson and Elliott, 1995b).The construction of social identity through â€Å"styles of consumption† is referred to in terms of lifestyle membership of â€Å"neo-tribes† by Bauman (1990), where one may join the tribe by buying and displaying tribe-specific paraphernalia. The neo-tribe is informal, without authority and only requires acceptance of the obligation to take on the iden tity-symbols of the tribe. The consumer may thus exercise the freedom to choose social groupings through existential consumption.The exercise of choice through consumption now flows across national boundaries in a global cultural economy through the operation of advertising â€Å"mediascapes† which are image-centred strips of reality which offer the consumer a series of elements â€Å"out of which scripts can be formed of imagined lives, their own as well as those of others living in other places† (Appaduri, 1990). If aspects of advertising imagery can be appropriated at will by â€Å"practical existentialists† then they may, as Baudrillard (1983) suggests, â€Å"live everywhere already in an ‘aesthetic’ hallucination of reality†, in which the real and the simulated are indistinguishable.However, the extent to which, in a â€Å"mediacratic† age, advertising reflects reality or actually creates it is problematic. Are the â€Å"practica l existentialists† using advertising or is it really using them? Schudson (1984) suggests that advertising is â€Å"capitalist realist art† and that although it does not have a monopoly of the symbolic marketplace, different social groups are differentially vulnerable especially during transitional states of their lives. This form of art idealizes the consumer and portrays as normative, special moments of satisfaction.It â€Å"reminds us of beautiful moments in our own lives or it pictures magical moments we would like to experience† (Schudson, 1984). This suggests that young people in particular, who are at a transitional state in their lives, may be subject to excessive influence by â€Å"buying-in† to advertising’s depiction of a false reality. In contrast, young people may be exercising (limited) freedom in their use of advertising as a cultural commodity for â€Å"even as the market makes its profits, it supplies some of the materials for alte rnative or oppositional symbolic work† (Willis, 1990).This dichotomy between creativity and constraint (Moores, 1993) in the context of advertising is represented by the problematic of hegemony, which sets parameters on the freedom to construct meaning (Ang, 1990). Hegemony European Journal of Marketing 31,3/4 292 does not dominate from outside but is a â€Å"thick texture† which interlaces resistance and submission, opposition and complicity (Martin-Barbero, 1988) and which therefore poses difficult problems for ethnographic analysis to unpack.Structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) offers a solution to the dualism of structure versus agency, by positing that the â€Å"structural properties of social systems are both medium and outcome of the practices they recursively organise†. Thus the consumption of advertising can be both an active and creative practice yet is carried out within constraints imposed by material situation and ideological hegemony. Desire, irrati onality and choice Desire develops from physical need through a growing awareness of the existential choice between a desire to have and a desire to be, desire being defined by absence or lack of being (Sartre, 1969).Lacan’s identification of language as the symbolic order which develops from the pre-verbal imaginary order accompanied by increasing anxiety about the self has been reframed by Kristeva (1980) as the two orders of the semiotic and the symbolic. The imaginary/semiotic order is unconscious whilst the symbolic order is rational, but there is potential for â€Å"slippage† between the two orders of meaning, with a regression to the unconscious and irrational order of the imaginary where desire for the unattainable comfort of the perfect mother holds sway.The gap between the fantasy world of consumption day-dreams of perfect pleasure and the disappointments of reality is the basic motivation for Campbell’s (1987) â€Å"autonomous imaginative hedonismâ⠂¬  which results in limitless wants and a permanent state of frustration. The limited resources of the individual consumer must therefore require choices to be made, choices of which desire to feed and which to deny, which meanings to consume and which to reject or avoid. This vital act of consumer choice may not be to choose that which is most pleasing, but to reject that which is most distasteful.Bourdieu (1984) suggests tastes that â€Å"when they have to be justified, they are asserted purely negatively, by the refusal of other tastes†. We may define ourselves not by what we like, but by what we dislike, and it is strong negative emotional reactions to the consumption practices of others that may structure our social categories. This â€Å"refusal of tastes† seems to operate at the level of the imaginary/semiotic and be driven by pre-verbal inchoate emotion. While consumption may often operate at the level of the imaginary/semiotic or day-dream, it can also have â€Å"real† effects in facilitating the construction of self-identity (Falk, 1994).Phenomenological descriptions of the everyday consumer experiences of women (Thompson et al. , 1990) have surfaced a dominant theme of being in control/being out of control which reflected an anxiety about not buying in the â€Å"right† way, so that women felt guilty when they perceived themselves as not making rational purchase decisions. However, they nevertheless admitted to making purchases in a â€Å"dreamlike† way when they were â€Å"captivated† by a product. In this situation, to act in a self-perceived rrational fashion, to surrender to the symbolic, is itself an authentic existential Existential act of creating meaning through choice, the choice to be irrational. consumption and But to what extent is existential consumption the conscious exercise of irrational desire freedom through choice as idealized by existentialism? Certainly there are severe limits to the fr eedom contained in consumption choices due to individuals having unequal access to the necessary resources, so existential 293 consumption may only exist for some people in some societies.However, the lived experience described by consumers (Elliott and Ritson, 1995; Thompson et al. , 1990) conveys a strong sense of Sartre’s â€Å"engagement† even if not at the level of decisional seriousness discussed by Kierkegaard (Macquarrie, 1972). 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