What are the limits and possibilities of critique in the context of Essay

What are the limits and possibilities of critique in the context of postmodern thought and culture - Essay Example Human culture and its eventual adoption the postmodernism in rejection of the modernism is highly recognizable in variant extents of life. Critiquing of the respective visual arts facilitates the improvement of the cultures and expounding of differing section of their application2. On the other hand, postmodernism entails the social inclined art aimed at capturing of the aesthetic, morally upright nurturing and advancement of the society as an envisaged section of the historical long civilization3. Post modernism is recurrently invoked when the artists sculpture their expertise through practicing of relevant options in their respective fields. Post modernism offers outstanding approach in enabling of criticism of art, thus questions the conspicuous values and comprehensible institutions for modernity4. The start of postmodern activities dates back to before 1960’s as active politicization intensified the liberalization and freedom process of other various sectors due to the fe lt inability of the modernism to capture and solve the existent humanitarian problems. From then onwards the main inherent components of modernism had been rationality, individualism, objectivity, truth; and were hence replaced by postmodernism features of the western contemporary and global society. From the video, ‘Is Bad art for bad people?’ the looks by Jake Chapman on astonishing and perturbing images of the alleged epitome of the postmodern traits is very much disturbing5. An audience notes that, post modernism conveys on a lot of contents of modernism thus rejecting the spirituality and the base backings of the benefits of arts. The documentary has no deeply placed meaning but extends on beyond the modern art by amplifying its ability to avail insight6. The documentary exhibits how the post modernism thought attempts to snub the apparent autonomy from the arts. From the documentary, the documentary featuring Terry Richardson, he feels that while other dislikes hi s works, he admires them a lot. He proceed on saying that, â€Å"good†¦ you are obviously effecting them†¦I want people to walk away and think about them... for them to be haunted.† Postmodern thought relates to postmodernism which refers to a an interlinked frame of ideas that assumed a recognition as a structured academic discipline in 1980s. The definition of the postmodernism is quite an obstacle due to variant avenues it receives its application in the society. This includes the art, music, literature, fashions, communications, sociology and technology7. Effectively, the intrinsic path of assuming triumphant path in attempts to acquire the approved meaning for the post modern thought is through acknowledging that post modernism is a model of motion or change towards modernism an hence it’s the essential center from which postmodernism assumes its initialization. The initial facet of this model of thinking is aesthetic motion vastly labeled as modernism. The boundaries of critiquing the post modernism highly underlies on the assumptions of the scientific objectives, the endeavors in explanation of the contemporary realities8. As for arts, the reality is in mankind is not mirrored from the general comprehension of it;

EIP and Project Based Learning Essay Example for Free

EIP and Project Based Learning Essay The title of the study is to be dubbed as EIP and Project Based Learning: Studying student’s motivation and academic achievement. The research would be carried out in a manner which would facilitate the identification of what impact does standard project-based learning have on EIP (Early Intervention Program) and the student’s impetus and academic achievement? Statement of the Problem A fresh evaluation of student achievement conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures divulged that the average performance of eighth-grade learners in the United States in the disciplines of mathematics, science, and reading literacy ranked below the performance standards of 14 countries (NCSL, 2009). To deal with such a problem, state administrative bodies have initiated the adoption and the implementation of accountability founded on certain stipulated standards. Nevertheless, the conventional classroom based learning practices persists to be prevalent in the United States education imparting arena despite the fact that several research findings have revealed that project-based learning is much more effectual in terms of achieving stipulated standards, better explains different subject areas, enhances learning methods, and improves test performances (Andres, 2006). The most important issue in this context is that project-based learning has to be put into practice in more De Kalb County education facilities in order to foster cognitive thinking and enhance the accountability of the students in their learning activities. This fact is substantiated by the Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards (GAPSS) evaluation findings and is consistent with the stated objectives of the De Kalb County School System. Relation of the Problem to the Specialization Comprehending the productivity of the project-based learning approach can facilitate bridging the gaps that presently exist between how students live and how they are taught (Andres, 2006). This technique of learning rises above the mere technicalities introduced by course books and worksheets and lays more emphasis on constructivist attitudes. Education in itself would stand to benefit from this research and at the same time educators would gain knowledge of how to successfully structure and sustain the learning content and activities whilst highlighting achievement of standards, comprehensible outcomes, and enhanced accountability (BIE). Background and Context for the Problem The approach that was adopted in the education imparting framework in the past decades is eventually becoming outdated and is not competent enough to suffice in the contemporary educational arena. Those old-fashioned past approaches were unsuccessful in developing and nurturing the skills and aptitudes required to answer intricate questions and to implement that knowledge in real world circumstances. By means of standards based projects, a dynamic issue that is genuine and fascinating will foster critical cognitive thinking, knowledge implementation, organizational noesis, and enhance the students’ conscientiousness relating to their own learning process (Andres, 2006). Research Question The most important questions that this research would be attempting to answer are the following: †¢ What impact does the project-based approach have on the students’ learning achievement? †¢ To what level are students inspired by project-based learning methodology? †¢ Were the evaluations of project-based learning consistent with Georgia Performance Standards? Georgia’s Performance Standards (GPS) are obligatory standards that must be met while imparting education to every public school student in the De Kalb County and the state of Georgia. Treating The Giver by Lois Lowry in the form a web-based thematic component, students would be able to implement the skills recognized by the Georgia state learning standards as essential for elementary school learners. Making use of the Student-Interview Questions from the GAPPS evaluation, the information would be gathered and scrutinized. In addition, previously-existing instructional policies and evaluation practices by means of observing students conduct, surveys based on students’ achievement-goal perceptions, and group discussions are approaches which, as indicated by Pintrich and Schunk, can be carried out sensibly to judge the students’ endeavor, determination and evasion behaviors (Pintrich Schunk, 2002). Importance or Significance of the Study A constant rise in the high school dropout rate and low performance grades have become a widespread phenomenon in the United States education arena. In light of such an issue project-based learning assumes immense significance as an effective methodology that is capable of delivering high performance standards, presenting interesting challenges, and providing a framework for reliable evaluation techniques (Nastu, 2009). If the supposition that, enhanced student performance is largely reliant upon their understanding and proficiency to efficiently shoulder their new responsibilities as global citizens is true, this research would prove to be a valuable asset for all stakeholders. Topics in the Literature Review The Project-based learning methodology presupposes that learning is a dynamic, integrated and productive activity. In such an interactive learning atmosphere, students work in the company of other classmates to work out compound and real-life problems that will facilitate the development of content knowledge in addition to helping them to become accustomed to the art of problem solving, logical thinking, communication, and self evaluation (CTL, 2001). Proponents of this approach hold that majority of the students consider project-based learning initiatives to be encouraging, which in the long run helps development of important skills (Helle et al. , 2007). Performance oriented evaluations will render high expectations, simulate real-world problems, and would necessitate a variety of skills and proficiencies to deal with such issues (BIE). Even though the potential such techniques exhibits are beyond measure, project-based learning faces some serious challenges. It entails a wide-ranging framework, skills, procedural planning, support, and resources that go beyond the precincts of a textbook (Andres, 2006). Methodology This research would employ a mixed research methods design that will make use of both quantitative as well as qualitative approaches. Quantitative data will be accumulated to evaluate the students’ reading accomplishments via a pre and post appraisal of a learning element. In addition, the qualitative technique would be used to appraise the efficiency of project-based learning techniques on the students’ enthusiasm to shoulder responsibility and the ingenuity in their coursework and other learning activities. Data Collection Data would be gathered across a timeline scaling six-weeks in course of a reading unit within the learning environment. The research team would shoulder the responsibilities of an observer and detailed studies would be carried out with respect to the usefulness of project-based educational approaches. In this examination students would be monitored, and pieces like journals, class work, project reports, and unit test performance sheet would be collected. Such a research-based scrupulous practice is in line with the features of a fully operational educational atmosphere (Georgia Department of Education, 2007). Data Analysis The information collected would be evaluated by means of triangulation. Graphically, the linkage between the students’ pre and post test results would be determined. A t-test would be carried out to contrast each unit’s intensity of enthusiasm and level of reading accomplishment. In order to examine the statistical implications, a mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) would be employed to identify the differences that generally exist in the treatments processes. Identification of Necessary Approvals So as to carry out the pertinent research processes effectively, the De Kalb County School System in Decatur, Georgia and the school authority would need to sanction the proposal and approve the research initiative.

What Does The Placebo Effect Say About The Mind-body Dilemma? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

What Does The Placebo Effect Say About The Mind-body Dilemma? When I was seven years old my family and I took my grandmother on a trip around northern India. It was her desire to make pilgrimages to the temples that were considered to be the holiest by the Swaminaryans, an orthodox sect of Hindus. At that time in my life, I couldn't even pretend to be interested in the activities occurring within the temples. Instead, I was mesmerized by my proximity to the wildlife that was lounging just outside of the actual walls of temples. In a two-week span of time I must have seen more than twenty temples, and by the end they all blurred together except for one. Although the temple itself was not magnificent, what was occurring inside has remained with me to this day. A male priest, who was sitting at the main alter, was pulling on elderly woman's hair causing her to scream hysterically. I discovered that the woman was suffering from a headache and was having it cured by the priest. More accurately, she was having the "ghosts" removed from her brain. For the individuals who were directly involved in the ceremony and for many of the people with whom I was traveling, exorcism was a perfectly legitimate way of curing an illness of the body. The cure had no pharmaceutical basis, but it was based in the people's belief system. The belief system for the circumstance that I witnessed was a ritualistic aspect of Hinduism. In the case of the exorcism, the individuals involved expected that the treatment would work, and as a result the treatment did work. The idea that people benefit from expectation alone is called the placebo effect, and it is not u nique to India or to the east. Placebos are medications or treatments that are benign and have no pharmacological properties 1)The Placebo Effect Real of Imagined. The category of placebo includes everything from the hair pulling I witnessed in India to the starch pills that millions of American women take along with their birth control. Until recently, placebos were considered important to Western medicine, in so far as they were part of a rigorous scientific method of testing and approving new medicine. In particular, a standard part of clinical trials is the division of patients into two categories. One category is given the medication being tested and the other is given placebo pills.

What explanations are offered for the development of nationalism?

Introduction The roots of nationalism go back to the middle of the eighteenth century and a movement called romanticism. Affecting art, journalism, philosophy, music, and politics, romanticism was a mood or a disposition that defied rigid definition. It did indicate a revolt against rationalism and a consequent emphasis on sentiment, feeling, and imagination. The emotions of the heart, it was argued, though irrational, should be valued over and above the intellectualizations of the head. So that whereas Rene Descartes had said, â€Å"I think, therefore I am,† Jean-Jacques Rousseau proclaimed, â€Å"A thinking man is a depraved animal.† In this havoc of power and ideas, one familiar face has re-emerged: that of nationalism. For many it is as undesirable as it is unbidden and unexpected. For others its recurrence is regrettable but comes as no surprise. For still others, it symbolizes the only sure way forward after the sudden shatters created by totalitarianism in the de velopmental paths of so numerous societies. For all, nationalism symbolizes a stage in the evolution of humanity to ‘higher forms' of culture, one that should be endured or embraced, but is certainly destined to pass after a few chaotic decades (Smith 1995; Brown, Micheal, 1997).None of these situations seems to accord with the chronological facts or sociological realisms of ethnicity and nationalism. Instead of treating ethnicity and nationalism as phenomenon in their own right, they persist on evaluating them by the yardstick of a liberal evolutionary scheme, overt or tacit, one that is intrinsically problematic and perceptibly irrelevant to the dynamics of nations, nationalism and ethnic conflict.For liberals and socialists dedicated to the view that humanity progresses in stages to greater units of comprehensiveness and higher values, the nation and nationalism can simply represent a halfway house to the aim of a cosmopolitan culture and a global polity. On the one hand, t he nation can be applauded for superseding all those local, inscriptive ties and communities that have controlled innovation and opportunity and enchained the human spirit.Its wider horizons have brought collectively all kinds of peoples with changeable origins, religions, occupations and class backgrounds and turned them into citizens of the defensive, civic nation. Conversely, the nation today has become an obstruction to progress, seeking ineffectively to control the flow of information and the channels of mass communication, and to obstruct and control the great economic institutions–transnational companies, world banks and trade organizations and the global financial and commodities markets.Although the great forces of globalization, economic, political and cultural, have already diluted the power of the nation-state and are fast making all national boundaries and responses obsolete (Schopfin, George, 2000; Hobsbawm 1990: ch. 6). Romanticism rejected the idea of the inde pendence of the individual and stressed identification with an external whole, with something outside of oneself. Quite normally, this outside whole took the form of nature, as marked in the works of such romanticists as Wordsworth in England; Herder, Schiller, and Goethe in Germany; and Hugo, Rousseau, and Madame de Stael in France.Frequently also, the center of one's identification was the â€Å"folk,† the cultural group, or nation. Nationalism, in other words, was a political expression of romanticism (William Booth, 1996, p. A-1). In many ways, the major philosopher of nationalism was Rousseau, whose influence on the French Revolution has been generally recognized. Rousseau's ideal was the small, well-knit community in which each person freely gave himself over, quite literally, to every other person. We should obey the community, Rousseau taught, because in observing the community we obey ourselves.The identity and unity of our wills produce a â€Å"General Will† that is completing, indivisible, infallible, and always for the common good. The individual's commitment and fondness to the community and the General Will are total. French Revolution and Nationalism Following the French Revolution, nationalism spread across the continent of Europe and beyond. In a real sense, the past of nineteenth-century Europe is the history of nationalism or as a minimum this is one way of looking at it. The twentieth century saw the dispersal of nationalism throughout the world.No country has been spared; none is an exemption. â€Å"Some Euro-enthusiasts, have hinted at the prospect of transcending the state and nation by forming a wider federation and a district political identity. Yet the federalists have been continually frustrated by the continuing vivacity of the national idea†. James Mayall, 1990, 94-5 With the exclusion of two brief periods, Western nationalism has continued unabated. For about a decade after each of the two world wars, Western nationalism was in a state of decline, even of ill reputation.It was nationalism, after all, that had set in motion cataclysmic events, leading to appalling waste of human and material resources. But the decline of Western nationalism did not last long. Its renaissance after World War I was much hastened by the fascist and the Nazi movements of the 1920s and 1930s. After the Second World War, Western nationalism owed much of its vitality to the French Gaullist movement of the 1950s and the 1960s. More about this currently. The same world wars that led to the transient decline of nationalism in the West set the stage for the rise of nationalism in the East.The â€Å"new nationalism,† as it came to be called, took place, for the most part, in colonial areas; and it was in large appraise a reaction against the Western policies of imperialism and invasion. At the turn of the century, colonial nationalism (more exactly, anticolonial nationalism) was almost an unknown phenomenon. F ollowing World War I and the disintegration of the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian empires, nationalism began to appear in a few countries, most notably in India.After the Second World War and the dissolution of the German, British, French, and other imperial designs, nationalism mushroomed in formerly colonial countries. Nationalism after Cold War Nationalism takes hold after the Cold war. By 1950, the philosophy of the Nationalism after Cold War had come to control public life in the United States. It was an ideology of American nationalist globalism, in which the United States was seen to be locked in global struggle with forces of international communism, proscribed by a Soviet government intent on world invasion.That struggle was believed to intimidate fundamental American values, most particularly freedom of enterprise and freedom of religion, and the leeway of spreading those values, which were deemed collective, to the rest of the world, which longed for them. Within this i deology, almost all international problems or crises were seen as part of the overarching conflict between the United States and the USSR—between their contending ideologies and ways of life. Within this framework, a threat to â€Å"freedom† anywhere in the world was deemed a risk to the American way of life.This presented a simple, dichotomous view that seemed too many if not most Americans to elucidate the often frustrating and considerably more composite developments of the postwar world. The roots of this philosophy lay in a tradition of belief about America's national mission and destiny, a ritual reaching back to the seventeenth century. Key elements of this ideology were in place at the end of World War II; some developed throughout the war, and others preceded it. The final pieces fell into place between 1945 and 1950.All through those years, the range of U. S. foreign policy discourse grew more and more narrow. Though, American nationalist ideology given the p rincipal underpinning for the broad public consent that supported Cold War foreign policy. Seen through the prism of that principles, the U. S. had emerged from World War II as a completely matured great power, dedicated to comprehending freedom all through the world and prepared to usher in a new golden age in its own image.After the war, the Soviet Union became a relentless foe because it exposed this idea of the American Century. From the late forties through the late eighties, the United States waged cold war against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics not mainly in the name of capitalism or Western civilization (neither of which would have united the American people behind the cause), but in the name of America in the name, that is, of the nation. The potency of the Nationalism ideology that appeared between 1945 and 1950—an principles that dominated U.S. public life at least until the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991—derivative largely from its nati onalist appeal. Yet although the vast scholarly literature on the Cold War, American nationalism remains a little-studied element of postwar U. S. history. Indeed, as Stephen Vaughn noted practically twenty years ago in his study of democracy and nationalism in the propaganda work of the Committee on Public Information during World War I, twentieth-century American nationalism remains a subject deficiently in need of further study.(Vaughn, Stephen, 1980). Involvement of Soviet Empire Since the implosion first of the Soviet empire and then of the Soviet Union itself, nationalism has again affirmed itself as a force on the world scene, one not expected to fade away soon. The scholarly literature on nationalism is voluminous and seems to expand exponentially, mainly in the years since the earth-shaking events of 1989-91. The ideology around which the Cold War consent was forged from 1947 on consisted of three main constructs: national greatness, global accountability, and anticommunism .Anticommunism was the last leg of this ideological triad to fall into place. By illumination why the United States was having such a hard time meeting its global responsibilities while concurrently buttressing the nation's claims to greatness, anticommunism put the entire ideology in working order. The third leg permitted the triad to stand. But the fundamental ideology was one of American nationalist globalism, not anticommunism. In itself, anticommunism was barely new to U. S. political culture in 1947.But with the Soviet Union sitting spanning Eastern and Central Europe, global anticommunism now became a defining constituent in U. S. foreign-policy ideology as signified in public discourse. The perception that the communist threat was worldwide received momentous amplification in 1949, with the â€Å"loss† of China to Mao's army and the Soviet Union's detonation of its first atomic device (William Claiborne, Washington Post, November 24, 1996, p. A-12). Nationalism and Am erican Globalism The idea of the Soviet threat proved relevant precisely because it threatened the idea of the American Century.Global anticommunism fit impressively into the existing mixture of national greatness and global accountability, American nationalism and American globalism—as this mixture had already begun to function as an ideology of nationalist globalism that facilitated many Americans makes sense of their nation's overriding place in the postwar world. Global anticommunism lent increased force to this ideological vision. The appeal of global anticommunism—and particularly the impact of the Truman Doctrine speech of March 12, 1947 should be understood in that context.In 1947 the Truman Doctrine provoked influential debate, though it clearly carried the day. In 1950 the application of that principle to Asia provoked overwhelming support. After the accent of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan in the first six months of 1947, and particularly after co ngressional support of the Marshall Plan in the wake of the Czech coup in February and March of 1948, the range of adequate public debate about the basic objectives of U. S. foreign policy had grown gradually more constricted.Fairly, Henry Wallace attempted to make these objectives a central question of the 1948 presidential campaign. But Wallace and the foreign-policy questions he sought to heave were painted with a red brush that left them beyond the pale of adequate public discussion. Certain basics of the civil rights and labor movements attempted to express dissent over U. S. foreign-policy initiatives in planned terms, but to do so they accepted the terms of the debate as recognized by the Truman administration's stated global objectives.In doing so, groups like the NAACP and the UAW sought to gain both government and public support to precede their own domestic agendas. While both organized labor and African Americans achieved certain objectives as a result, their acceptance of the official objectives of U. S. foreign policy put in to the narrowing of public discourse relating to both national and international issues. In late 1948 and 1949, systematic dissidents who forthrightly opposed the fundamental foreign-policy strategy of the Truman administration, such as W. E. B.Du Bois, Paul Robeson, and Henry Wallace, found themselves more insignificant than ever. The UE and other left-wing unions that divergent the Marshall Plan were debarred from the CIO, which in effect took away their status as well thought-of American trade unions. These dissenters had stepped outside the boundaries of legitimate discourse as distinct by the established notions of national greatness, global responsibility, and anticommunism. Wallace definitely preached his own principle of national greatness and global responsibility, but his failure to recognize global anticommunism nevertheless placed him beyond the pale.The lack of fundamental public debate concerning the nature and purposes of U. S. foreign policy after 1950 given to the development of an ever more militarized foreign policy controlled by narrow ideological blinders that covered fundamental international realities. â€Å"The so-called Cold War,† in the words of Joyce and Gabriel Kolko, â€Å"was far less the altercation of the United States with Russia than America's expansion into the entire world—a world the Soviet Union neither proscribed nor created. † (Everett Carll Ladd, 1995)The ideology of American nationalist globalism, which distinct international reality in terms of a Manichaean struggle between the U. S. -led â€Å"free world† and Soviet-controlled communist totalitarianism, served to validate the expansion of U. S. power all through the world while obfuscating the enormous complications of a world experiencing the final collapse of European colonialism. It facilitated most Americans to feel pride in being citizens of a great nation that required only to protect its own way of life and to defend â€Å"free peoples everywhere† from totalitarian aggression.The absence of debate about the fundamental assumptions of U. S. foreign policy throughout most of the Cold War era served to reify that ideological commencement. Nationalism has been a momentous theme of the post-Cold War era. Throughout the Cold War, Americans welcomed refugees from the Captive Nations. After the Cold War, refugees either escaping the terror of dictatorial rulers or wanting to stake their claim to the American Dream lost their cachet with voters (accept those fleeing Castro's Cuba).â€Å"The arrival of the greatest number of immigrants as the wave of eastern, central, and southern European ethnics in 1901-1910 caused anti-immigrant commitment to spread† (â€Å"Immigration,† Time/CNN, All Politics, Internet, March 25, 1996). Passions ran high in vote-rich states such as California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Illinois, New York, and California . Throughout the 1994 midterm elections, Californians ratified Proposition 187, which banned all state spending on illegal immigrants and requisite police to report suspected illegal to the California Department of Justice and the U.S. Immigration Service. Television sets sputtered with pictures of illegal Mexicans swarming across the border as a presenter intoned, â€Å"They just keep . † (Barone and Ujifusa,1996, p. 81). As the campaign escalated, Republicans Jack Kemp and William Bennett accused the measure, claiming it was â€Å"politically unwise and essentially at odds with the best tradition and courage of our party. † (Dick Kirschten, 1995, p. 150). Regardless of their protestations, Proposition 187 won handily, 59 percent to 41 percent.But whereas whites gave it 64 percent backing, 69 percent of Hispanics disapproved–a sharp demarcation of the new â€Å"us-versus-them† politics. (J. Joseph Huthmacher, 1969) Pete Wilson, the GOP governor who made the vote initiative a cornerstone of his reelection bid, won by an almost equal vote of 55 percent to 41 percent. Two years later, Kemp realigned his immigration stance once he was chosen by Bob Dole to be the 1996 Republican vice presidential nominee. ConclusionHowever, the role of nationalism, and particularly the nationalist symbolism of American world power, remains a derelict factor in our understanding of the Cold War's origins. As the Cold War itself recedes into history and the view that the Russians ongoing it and the Americans won it becomes ever more commonplace, it is more important than ever to observe the ways in which the United States contributed to the Cold War's origins, mainly through the universalist pretensions of its political culture.The triumphalism embedded in Francis Fukuyama's view that the end of the Cold War marked â€Å"the end of history† constitutes a new, traditionally contingent variation on the ideology that framed that conflict from the beg inning. In a world growing less rather than more pliant to the dictates of U. S. policy, such ideological thinking is potentially quite precarious. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union two years later, the ideological basics of American nationalist globalism have been loosened but not undone.There is no longer a domineering consensus, because there is no longer a prime perception of a single, overarching threat to the United States. But most Americans are quite sure that their country won the Cold War and that they are citizens of the world's favored nation. As the Persian Gulf War demonstrated, national enormity and global responsibility can activate a potent public consensus behind large-scale intervention without anticommunism playing a role.Until we have a more thorough debate over the nature and purposes of our nation's foreign policy in a multifaceted rapidly changing world, we remain in danger of falling back into an ideological descr iption of international realities. If that should happen particularly if it should happen in combination with declining U. S. global domination, domestic economic travails, and the determination of awesome U. S. military power, it could pose a grave new threat itself, both to the wellbeing of the republic and to the wellbeing of the world. References: â€Å"Immigration,† Time/CNN, All Politics, Internet, March 25, 1996. Barone and Ujifusa, â€Å"The Almanac of American Politics†, 1996, p. 81. Brown, Micheal E., Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (MIT:1997); Dick Kirschten, â€Å"Second Thoughts,† National Journal, January 21, 1995, p. 150. Everett Carll Ladd, America at the Polls, 1994 ( Storrs, Connecticut: Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, 1995), p. 124. Hobsbawm, E.J., Nations and Nationalism since 1780 (Cambridge:1992); J. Joseph Huthmacher, Massachusetts: People and Politics, 1919-1933 ( New York: Atheneum, 1969), p. 162. Mayall, James, Nationalism and International Society (Cambridge,1990); Schopfin, George, Nations, Identity, Power: The New Politics of Europe (Hurst, 2000) Smith, A., Nations and Nationalism in a Global Era (1995) Vaughn, Stephen. Holding Fast the Inner Lines: Democracy, Nationalism, and the Committee on Public Information. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1980 William Booth, â€Å"In a Rush, New Citizens Register Their Political Interest,† Washington Post, September 26, 1996, p. A-1. William Claiborne, â€Å"Democrats Don't Have Lock on Hispanic Vote, Latino Leaders Say,† Washington Post, November 24, 1996, p. A-12.

Imduction Processes Essay

Induction is the first step along a pathway of learning that a new worker undertakes when joining the social care sector or a new organisation and will continue all through their career. It is one of the principal most important processes within the organisation. Staff induction often focuses on the corporate policies, eg: safety, security, anti-discrimination, equality, etc. This is useful information, if not the most interesting to participants. Beyond policies, we also cover practicalities, for example how to carry out common administrative tasks such as completing weekly timesheets, changing address, how to fill out daily diary records for the service users. What information systems exist, we give out company email addresses and team leader/manager telephone numbers. Induction training is very important for new staff. Good induction training assists with retention of new starters ensuring they are settled in quickly into a productive happy role. This in turn is good for the company staff retention cuts recruitment costs. Induction training offers the opportunity to establish clear expectations from the outset in terms of integrity, ethics and professional social responsibility. The primary importance is to ensure that the individual is working within the guidelines of the law, company’s policies, procedures and values, Safeguarding regulations and Care Quality Commission standards. It is then also extremely important for the service users, it enables staff to know and understand each individual and become familiar with their support plans to ensure that the staff follow a person centred approach to caring for the service users’. The induction process we provide is based around the Skills for Care Common Induction Standards. These Common Induction Standards have been designed to provide a structured start for workers in the first 12 weeks of employment, which will help ensure that they are then safe to leave alone with responsibility for the people they support. When workers are expected to perform any tasks that are not covered by the standards, appropriate training will be sourced before the work is undertaken. There are eight standards that the induction covers, these are: Standard 1 Role of the health and social care worker Standard 2 Personal developments Standard 3 Communicate effectively Standard 4 Equality and Inclusion Standard 5 Principles for implementing duty of care Standard 6 Principles of safeguarding in health and social care Standard 7 Person-centred support Standard 8 Health and safety in an adult social care setting. Each standard contains a number of areas of knowledge that staff need to know about before they can work safely without close supervision. Each area is made up of outcomes which say what exactly you need to know about that area. Once the 12 week induction process is completed the staff will have knowledge of all the standards above and will have reached the desired outcomes of the induction. As a manager it is my responsibility to arrange for the new staff to learn about the different areas within the standards and that they gain enough knowledge to meet the outcomes for each area. People have different ways of learning, some learn by being told things through, others learn through watching, some through talking things and coming up with ideas and also some learn by actually doing the tasks. Prior to induction a training needs analysis is completed this will identify the best way to facilitate the training needs for each new member of staff. I will then liaise with our training department and arrange for the induction to take place. We will agree the best way to deliver the training to meet the individual’s needs. This can be done through classroom room based training sessions, reading and completing training booklets and also through shadowing an experienced member of staff who has the knowledge and skills to pass on. During the 12 week induction period the new member of staff will be assessed on their competency to ensure they have understood everything they have learned. These assessments will be carried out by the manager, team leader and/or training manager. Then when the staff member has successfully completed the induction period, the manager in combination with the team leader will sign off the Certificate of Successful Completion. Once completed staff are  encouraged to develop their job role to include new areas of work not covered by the common induction standards. The induction standards provide the basic training necessary for work in social care however as a company we provide further training for the additional tasks not covered through induction. This has been developed through skills for care learning sessions and the training available includes: Acquired Brain Injury – (Introduction) Asperger’s Syndrome – (Introduction) Autism Syndrome – (Introduction) Dementia and Confusion – How to respond Dementia Defining Learning Disability – (Introduction) Recognising and Managing Conflic Managing Medication Nutrition in Home Support Services Empowerment of Service User The completed induction links in to many of the knowledge requirements for the core units of the diploma in Health and Social Care qualification. Training is encouraged throughout employment to enable the staff member to develop new skills and knowledge and open up further career options. This supports and promotes professional development that will be beneficial to both the organisation and the staff member, ensuring that we are working in line with current best practice and guidelines. Effective induction can assist staff who want to move from one type of social care provision to another, or who are starting work with a different service user group, as they will have new things to learn so that they can understand how their practice may need to be adapted to the changed circumstances. The knowledge and skills training sessions can provide the learning necessary for workers to make a successful transition into a different part of the social care sector. Successful completion of induction ensures staff meet the General Social Care Council (GSCC) code of practice for social care workers, which describes the standards of professional conduct and practice required of social care workers as they go about their daily work. As an employer  AllCare has to adhere to a code of practice which includes their duty to establish a competent workforce. Ensuring staff successfully complete their induction is a part of this. The Common Induction Standards have been designed to help make sure that organisations can provide a quality service for the individuals’ we support, and that includes making sure new staff are safe to leave alone in the workplace to carry out their role and responsibilities. We centre on the mission that, our company will provide a safe environment for both staff and service users. We focus on safeguard and promote the welfare of the service users in our care, in compliance with Trafford multi-agency Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures and the publication of the ‘No Secrets’ guidance by the Department of Health in 2000. This guidance stipulates that all local partner agencies should work together to prevent, detect and investigate concerns about possible adult abuse. The role of induction training with regard to safeguarding is to help develop and foster a shared understanding of the tasks, processes, principles, and roles and responsibilities outlined in national guidance and local arrangements for safeguarding vulnerable adults and promoting their welfare. Induction teaches how to recognise and act on signs of abuse and neglect, risk assessments and the making and management of referrals, ensuring that our staffs are competent and confident in carrying out their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting service users’ welfare. All staffs are provided with this information during induction via our employee handbook.

How to Cite a Website in IEEE Referencing

How to Cite a Website in IEEE Referencing How to Cite a Website in IEEE Referencing With so much information available online these days, it is vital to know how to cite online sources. In this post, then, we’re looking at how to cite a website in an essay or paper using IEEE referencing. Referencing a Website with In-Text Citations In IEEE referencing, you cite sources with a number in the text. These numbers each point to a different source in the reference list: The internet relies on standardized communication protocols [1]. Number sources in the order that you first cite them. The source in the example above, for instance, would be the first source cited in the document and the first source in the reference list. And if you cite a website more than once, make sure to use the same number in each citation. As shown above, you will usually give citations at the end of a clause before terminal punctuation. However, if you name the author in your writing, you should give the citation number immediately afterwards: Rouse [1] identifies TCP/IP as key for networking devices. This clearly shows the connection between author and source. Listing a Website in an IEEE Reference List The reference list is where you provide full information for every source you use. If you cite a website, this means using the following format: [#] INITIAL(S). Surname, â€Å"Page Title,† Website Name, date of publication. [Online]. Available: URL. [Accessed Date]. In practice, then, the entry for an online source would look like this: [1] M. Rouse, â€Å"TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol),† SearchNetworking, Aug. 2017. [Online]. Available: https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/TCP-IP. [Accessed Sept. 19, 2018]. Usually, you will find all this information if you look closely enough. However, IEEE does supply rules for handling missing information: If a page does not name its author, use an organizational author (e.g., the publishing company or the overall website). If no organizational author is available, use the source title in its place in the reference list entry. The date of publication can be the date the page went online or when it was last updated. If neither is available, use the abbreviation â€Å"n.d.† instead. Finally, don’t forget to include a hanging indent for each line after the first in each reference list entry, as this is required in IEEE referencing. And if you need any help checking the referencing in your work, let us know.

A Book report on Celia, A Slave essays

A Book report on Celia, A Slave essays Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin In the book Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin, the accounts of one womans life are bound together in a vivid way to relay the circumstances surrounding a female slaves cruel life. The life of this woman named Celia was filled with acts of molestation, rape, murder, and eventual execution. Through the use of court records, correspondences, and newspaper accounts, the author delineated in chronological order the life of Celia: from her purchase by Robert Newsom to her execution on December 21, 1855. When Robert Newsom bought Celia from an unnamed person, the first night that he spent with her he raped Celia. This act was repeated numerously throughout the next five years. It is told to the reader that Celia almost certainly was purchased to replace Newsoms wife who had died months earlier. After years of sexual torment and abuse, Celia killed her master and burned his body to avoid being caught. However, she was caught, tried, and executed for her crime. This of course was not the whole story. Many factors come into play when explaining why Celia murdered Robert Newsom and determining the right course of action for her punishment. The factors influencing Celias behavior can be attributed to the years of rape sustained by Celia. In addition to the emotional instability that encourages Celia to murder Newsom is the ultimatum given by Celias lover, George, to quit the old man (30) or risk losing him as a companion. Also, many people had the opportunity to stand up for Celia and stop the abuse, but for personal reasons, those who knew of the crimes chose to remain quiet. All of these factors have the same thing in common: they each present a person or persons dealing with their own personal dilemmas. In the case of Celia, she could stand up to her master and face physical and emotional punishment and possibly death. It was a choice for h...

New Zealands History, Government, and Geography

New Zealand's History, Government, and Geography New Zealand is an island country located 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Australia in Oceania. It consists of several islands, the largest of which are the North, the South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. The country has a liberal political history, gained early prominence in womens rights, and has a good record in ethnic relations, especially with its native Maori. In addition, New Zealand is sometimes called the Green Island because its population has high environmental awareness and its low population density gives the country a large amount of pristine wilderness and a high level of biodiversity. History of New Zealand In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch Explorer, was the first European to discover New Zealand. He was also the first person to attempt mapping the islands with his sketches of the North and South islands. In 1769, Captain James Cook reached the islands and became the first European to land on them. He also began a series of three South Pacific voyages where he extensively studied the areas coastline. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Europeans began to officially settle on New Zealand. These settlements consisted of several lumbering, seal hunting, and whaling outposts. The first independent European colony was not established until 1840, when the United Kingdom took over the islands. This led to several wars between the British and the native Maori. On February 6, 1840, both parties signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which promised to protect Maori lands if the tribes recognized British control. Shortly after signing this treaty, though, British encroachment on Maori lands continued and wars between the Maori and British grew stronger during the 1860s with the Maori land wars. Prior to these wars, a constitutional government began to develop during the 1850s. In 1867, the Maori were allowed to reserve seats in the developing parliament. During the late 19th century, the parliamentary government became well established and women were given the right to vote in 1893. The Government of New Zealand Today, New Zealand has a parliamentary governmental structure and is considered an independent part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It has no formal written constitution and was formally declared a dominion in 1907. Branches of Government in New Zealand New Zealand has three branches of government, the first of which is the executive. This branch is headed by Queen Elizabeth II who serves as the chief of state but is represented by a governor general. The prime minister, who serves as the head of government, and the cabinet are also a part of the executive branch. The second branch of government is the legislative branch. It is composed of the parliament. The third is the four-level branch comprised of District Courts, High Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. In addition, New Zealand has specialized courts, one of which is the Maori Land Court. New Zealand is divided into 12 regions and 74 districts, both of which have elected councils, as well as several community boards and special-purpose bodies. New Zealands Industry and Land Use One of the largest industries in New Zealand is that of grazing and agriculture. From 1850 to 1950, much of the North Island was cleared for these purposes and since then, the rich pastures present in the area have allowed for successful sheep grazing. Today, New Zealand is one of the worlds main exporters of wool, cheese, butter, and meat. Additionally, New Zealand is a large producer of several types of fruit, including kiwi, apples, and grapes. In addition, the industry has also grown in New Zealand and the top industries are food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, mining and tourism. Geography and Climate of New Zealand New Zealand consists of a number of different islands with varying climates. Most of the country has mild temperatures with high rainfall. The mountains, however, can be extremely cold. The main portions of the country are the North and South islands that are separated by the Cook Strait. The North Island is 44,281 square miles (115,777 square kilometers) and consists of low, volcanic mountains. Because of its volcanic past, the North Island features hot springs and geysers. The South Island is 58,093 sq mi (151,215 sq km) and contains the Southern Alps - a northeast-to-southwest oriented mountain range covered in glaciers. Its highest peak is Mount Cook, also known as Aoraki in the Maori language, at 12,349 feet (3,764 meters) above sea level. To the east of these mountains, the island is dry and made up of the treeless Canterbury Plains. On the southwest, the islands coast is heavily forested and jagged with fjords. This area also features New Zealands largest national park, Fiordland. Biodiversity One of the most important features to note about New Zealand is its high level of biodiversity. Because most of its species are endemic (i.e.- native only on the islands) the country is considered a biodiversity hotspot. This has led to the development of environmental consciousness in the country as well as eco-tourism. New Zealand at a Glance Population:  4.9 million (2018 estimate)Capital:  WellingtonArea:  103,737 square miles (268,680 sq km)Coastline:  9,404 miles (15,134 km)Official Languages:  English and MaoriHighest Point:  Mount Cook (Aoraki) at 12,349 ft (3,764 m) Interesting Facts About New Zealand There are no native snakes in New Zealand76% of New Zealanders live on the North Island15% of New Zealands energy comes from renewable sources32% of New Zealands population lives in Auckland References and Further Reading â€Å"The World Factbook: New Zealand.†Ã‚  Central Intelligence Agency, 22 April 2010.â€Å"New Zealand.†Ã‚  Infoplease.â€Å"New Zealand.†Ã‚  U.S. Department of State, Feb. 2010.

Murder of Nixzmary Brown Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Murder of Nixzmary Brown - Article Example r old girl who was abused emotionally, sexually, and physically by her step-father over an extended period of time before being murdered at her parent’s home in New York. The suffering endured by the helpless little girl did not appear to go unnoticed. However, the problem was that the adults who noticed welts on her body, or other odd marks, were reluctant to approach the authorities about what they were witnessing. Years before Nixzmary’s step-father finally put an end to her life by viciously hitting her on the head, there were signs that appeared to indicate that Nixzmary was not developing as a healthy normal little girl. According to (Dan, 2006) it was only after Nixzmary’s tragic death that a pattern began to emerge in the sequence of odd coincidences in her earlier life that showed that she was being exposed to extreme suffering. According to Dan (2006) school workers in Nixzmary’s school often reported that she would be absent for extended periods of time. In addition, it was not uncommon for her neighbors to notice unsightly welts among other unexplained injuries on her body. It would seem that Nixzmary was an uncommonly clumsy child because her mother would often state that she fell down, or banged her arm or head on a piece of furniture; thus causing these marks on her body. According to Siegel & Welsh (2009), the family’s neighbors even noticed that Nixzmary was underweight and scrawny for her age. Though child welfare workers were alerted about the case, they did not report any oddities, and left the family to itself. Staff members from Nixzmary’s school even tried to visit her at home when she began to be absent on a regular basis. However, they were stopped from entering the house where the little girl was being systematically tortured unless they could produce a warrant that permitted an investigation. In January, 2005, Nixzmary’s step-father, Cesar Rodriguez came home and found a cup of yoghurt missing (Cohn & Russell, 2012). Upon

Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Scholarship - Essay Example Quite often there is nothing left after discharging my mother’s medical bills. My family’s financial struggles have put me at a disadvantage in school. We cannot afford to buy new school clothes and shoes and I am quite often wearing old and worn clothes and shoes to school and this makes me self-conscious, particularly when other school children are dressed smartly. We cannot afford a computer which puts me at a greater disadvantage. Quite often I have assignments that require the use of a computer. Although I can use the library’s computer, I can ill afford the time. Without bus fare, I have to walk home from school and using the library would cause serious delays. I quite often feel so despaired that I fear I might have a breakdown. I believe that a scholarship would greatly reduce some of the financial burdens on my family and would put my family in a better position to support my education. To begin with, I would be able to purchase a home computer and the n ecessary school supplies. With these burdens lifted I would be in a better position to focus on my education and produce at a much higher level. Part II: Counselor’s Recommendations FL is a focused student with a clear understanding of where he wants to go in life and is keenly aware of the obstacles he has to overcome to get there. He is frustrated by the obstacles, particularly the financial struggles his family faces and is aware that the solution is out of his hands. FL’s current situation is dire and if he does not obtain a resolution to his situation, it is unlikely that he will be able to remain in school. If his problems persist, it is conceivable that FL would drop out of school to help relieve his family’s financial burdens. Right now his mother’s illness appears to be the family’s number one financial priority. As a result, FL’s school needs are sorely lacking. It is therefore recommended that FL benefits from a scholarship. This is a student who is very committed to school work and academic success. He is looking ahead to the future and as a result, FL is actively engaged in college preparatory programs. In addition, he is participating in cross country running. As a dedicated and driven student, it would be a benefit to both the school community and FL if he is awarded a scholarship and therefore remains in school and able to pursue a higher education. FL’s family is struggling financially as they are living on his father’s small income. FL’s mother is suffering from diabetes and this absorbs a great part of the family’s income. As a result of the family’s financial struggles, FL is disadvantaged at school. His family cannot afford to buy a computer. He often has to walk home from school as he cannot always afford bus fare. His school clothes and shoes are used and makes him self-conscious. FL is frustrated by the obstacles to his school productivity. FL wants to go onto college. FL will likely feel better about himself and thus remain committed in school if he is granted a scholarship. EG Part I: EG’s Statement I have always aspired to attend a good university and graduate in the top 10% of my class. I am working toward achieving these goals by currently focusing on my grades and ensuring that they are good enough to get me into a good university. However, at the moment I am currently facing some financial difficulties that could interfere with my plans to get into a good

Principles of Building Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Principles of Building Structure - Essay Example When the beam has sufficient supported against any form of buckling, a failure of the beam is experienced. This results in the generation of the maximum material yield at one point of the maximum moment (Brett 1989). Hence, the applied loads have the potential of ensuring that the beam reaches its plastic moment capacity. This beam is regarded as laterally supported beam and the yield stress governs the design strength. When beams bend on a major axis, they tend to develop a stronger stiffness and strength. Thus, such beams become vulnerable to failure that results from lateral torsional buckling before they acquire their in-plane capacity of the plastic moment, which will brace them against lateral twisting and deflection. These types of beams are regarded as laterally supported beams. Beams bending strength design is governed by yielding and supported against buckling. A laterally braced section of a beam has a bending strength, which is the plastic moment Mp. Inelastic deformation is expected at the service load when the shape factor of the beam is large. However, for shape factors that exceed 1.5, 1.5My limit is applied at the factor load in order to control the inelastic deformation of the various sections of the beam. Such a provision is not expected to limit the plastic moment for the hybrid section when the yield stress is considered to be less than the expected flange yield stress. However, web yielding is not associated with any significant inelastic deformations. When the inertia moment about the axis of bending is less or equal to the out of plane inertia moment, lateral-torsional buckling never develops. Therefore, for shapes, which are bent within the minor axis and those that have lz = ly, lateral-torsional buckling limit state does not apply. Such shapes include circles and squares. Lateral buckling of a beam does not occur when the compression of the flange is adequate and the flexural

Management in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Management in Organisations - Essay Example Culture can be explained as the values, norms, beliefs and behaviours manifested by the employees and the management (Schein 1993). Subculture on the other hand refers to groups within an organisation with similar ideas and ways of doing things. A strong organisational culture has considerable benefits to the organisation although it can be a liability since it hinders flexibility in adapting to changes. Organisation culture and subcultures play an important role in organisations and they work best when they are maintained and at the same time aligned according to the changes in the dynamic business environment. Subcultures allow the organisations to respond appropriately to the situation at hand without destroying internal consistency (Schein 1993). They provide flexibility that a rigid culture may inhibit. It is interesting to note that organisations with an effective overall culture prevent the emergence of subcultures. Recent studies have shown that subcultures detract from sturd y organisational cultures. This leads to the conclusion that subcultures possess specific aspects that can enhance the entire organisation culture. Subcultures differ in the levels at which they interrupt the arching culture in an organisation. They often result in response to varying demands and act as outlets for the staff to express opposition and presence of conflicts arising during unstable periods. They also offer a system of changing the less fundamental values in an organisation. They are important with respect to affecting key values since they illustrate the difficulties encountered in trying to transform organisational culture. There are different perspectives and theories of culture in various disciplines that have been applied in organisational studies (Bradley and Pridmore 2006). These theories are mainly based on sociology and anthropology and they have contributed to the development of theories in the education field as well. Sociology takes a functionalist perspecti ve that interprets culture as something an organisation owns. On the other hand, anthropology takes an intreprevist perspective and describes culture as a symbol for organisations (views organisations as being cultures). In spite of the varying perspectives of organisational culture, common grounds exist on various areas. The most common organisation culture theory is that by Edgar Schein (1988). Edgar H. Schein’s Model of Organisational Culture This is the most commonly used theory in organisational culture. It takes a functionalist perspective in describing culture. According to this approach, culture is explained as a model of basic assumptions formulated and developed by a group of people as it discovers how to cope with its problems. These problems occur in integration and external adaptation that has proven its effectiveness and is taught to any newcomers in the organisation as the best way to act, perceive and feel in relation to their work and other happenings (Jones, Cline and Ryan 2007). According to this perspective, cultural examination is important when handling aspects in organisation that are found to be delicate, embarrassing, intractable or frustrating. The truth is that if the leaders are not well versed with the cultures in which they operate, then culture steps in to manage them as explained by Miller (2008). This theory also states that members in an organisation may fit in subcultures. In Schein’

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

LAW - Essay Example (Melone and Kames, 64) Since actions were required to follow the specific form of the writ in invoke the courts’ jurisdiction, the common law courts could not provide satisfactory solutions in all cases. The writ system created a lot of confusion so that in some cases: â€Å"...forms of actions were pulled and stretched to cover a number of situations not originally contemplated when they were created. Yet many forms of action brought by plaintiffs were dismissed because they did not fit the narrow requirements of particular existing writs.† (Melone and Kames, 64) The writ system and within the common law system was devised during feudalism when the landed aristocracy were the ruling classes. However, with the emergence of the mercantile movement followed by industrialism the economic environment changed with greater demands on the courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) More and more disputants, essentially unsatisfied with common law courts began to petition the King â€Å"and his council† for remedies that were not provided for in the common law courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) the King’s Council would in turn remit these complaints to the Lord Chancellor, their highest ranking member. (Melone and Kames, 64) It was the Lord Chancellor’s office that had initiated the writ system that led to the creation of the three common law courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) Ironically it would be the Lord Chancellor himself who would influence the creation of the law of equity. The Lord Chancellor’s influence came via the petitions for remedies that were outside the jurisdiction of the common law courts. He would consider these petitions and make recommendations to the Kings’ Council. His recommendations were typically accepted without more. (Melone and Kames, 64) This practice carried on until the Court of Chancery, a court of equity was institutionalized in 1474. (Melone and Kames, 64) The Lord

Management in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Management in Organisations - Essay Example Culture can be explained as the values, norms, beliefs and behaviours manifested by the employees and the management (Schein 1993). Subculture on the other hand refers to groups within an organisation with similar ideas and ways of doing things. A strong organisational culture has considerable benefits to the organisation although it can be a liability since it hinders flexibility in adapting to changes. Organisation culture and subcultures play an important role in organisations and they work best when they are maintained and at the same time aligned according to the changes in the dynamic business environment. Subcultures allow the organisations to respond appropriately to the situation at hand without destroying internal consistency (Schein 1993). They provide flexibility that a rigid culture may inhibit. It is interesting to note that organisations with an effective overall culture prevent the emergence of subcultures. Recent studies have shown that subcultures detract from sturd y organisational cultures. This leads to the conclusion that subcultures possess specific aspects that can enhance the entire organisation culture. Subcultures differ in the levels at which they interrupt the arching culture in an organisation. They often result in response to varying demands and act as outlets for the staff to express opposition and presence of conflicts arising during unstable periods. They also offer a system of changing the less fundamental values in an organisation. They are important with respect to affecting key values since they illustrate the difficulties encountered in trying to transform organisational culture. There are different perspectives and theories of culture in various disciplines that have been applied in organisational studies (Bradley and Pridmore 2006). These theories are mainly based on sociology and anthropology and they have contributed to the development of theories in the education field as well. Sociology takes a functionalist perspecti ve that interprets culture as something an organisation owns. On the other hand, anthropology takes an intreprevist perspective and describes culture as a symbol for organisations (views organisations as being cultures). In spite of the varying perspectives of organisational culture, common grounds exist on various areas. The most common organisation culture theory is that by Edgar Schein (1988). Edgar H. Schein’s Model of Organisational Culture This is the most commonly used theory in organisational culture. It takes a functionalist perspective in describing culture. According to this approach, culture is explained as a model of basic assumptions formulated and developed by a group of people as it discovers how to cope with its problems. These problems occur in integration and external adaptation that has proven its effectiveness and is taught to any newcomers in the organisation as the best way to act, perceive and feel in relation to their work and other happenings (Jones, Cline and Ryan 2007). According to this perspective, cultural examination is important when handling aspects in organisation that are found to be delicate, embarrassing, intractable or frustrating. The truth is that if the leaders are not well versed with the cultures in which they operate, then culture steps in to manage them as explained by Miller (2008). This theory also states that members in an organisation may fit in subcultures. In Schein’

Research Methods in Education (Topic Question undecided) Essay

Research Methods in Education (Topic Question undecided) - Essay Example A quantitative study conducted on 415 students and 83 teachers in public schools in the US revealed that students and teachers in schools with uniform policies generally felt safer, had higher self-esteem and more positive attitudes toward school climate, than students and teachers in public schools where no uniform policies were in place (Wade & Stafford, 2003). A study conducted by Gottfredson and Gottfredson (2001) involving 848 school principals in the US indicate that one of the main activities that schools implement to improve student behaviour and academic outcomes is to improve school climate. Implementing mandatory school uniform policies have been a subject of much discussion with increasing interest in its relationship to improved school climate. It has been suggested that the mere implementation of a school uniform policy at the very least symbolizes a school’s commitment to school climate change and this perception alone improves student outlook and performance (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 1998). Brunsma and Rockquemore (2003) observe however that with all the interest in the link between school uniform policies and school climate and the importance of school climate to student behaviour, safety and academic achievement, research on the significance of school uniform is sorely lacking. Much of the research is purely theoretical or uses flawed methods. Therefore, more research is needed on the implications and effectiveness of mandatory school uniforms (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 2003). This proposed research will thus fill a gap in the literature by examining and analysing the extent to which a mandatory school uniform policy effects perceptions of school climate. It is anticipated that this research will provide empirical evidence of student and teachers’ perception of school uniform and its relationship to school climate and will identify areas for further

English Literacy Essay Example for Free

English Literacy Essay The class I will be taking for my three lessons contains 25 grade 9 students. Of these students there is 15 girls and 10 boys. 12 of these students are currently working at the average literacy level for grade 9 students. There are 8 students working at an above average level, and 5 students at a below average level. Of these 5 students, 2 boys have behavioural issues, and struggle to stay attentive for long periods. Twice a week there is a Teacher’s Aid available to work with small groups for up to 2 hours. This 2 hour period is often used to help break up lessons for the 2 boys with behavioural problems, or occasionally separate them if the need arises. Throughout these literacy lessons the Teacher’s Aid will be available to help the 5 students who are currently below average literacy levels, as well as prompt deeper discussion around the chosen text, with other students in the class. The chosen text for this literacy unit is the song ‘Imagine’, originally written and performed by John Lennon. Over a period of 3 lessons this text will be explored and examined through the three receptive modes of listening, reading and viewing. The text ‘Imagine’ provides a range of relevant literacy demands for grade 9 students. It is an excellent example of literature that is well structured by an author, for a specific purpose and effect. As stated by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2011), â€Å"By the end of year nine students analyse the ways that text structures can be manipulated for effect†. Some of the literacy demands that can be explored by students in this text include language for interaction, text structure, expressing and developing ideas. These opportunities are provided by the written content and theme of John Lennon’s song. He uses certain devices, such as metaphor and sentence structure, to suggest the world could be a better place without religion, ownership, war and possibly cultural differences. By analysing the written text, students will have the opportunity to analyse and reflect on how the author has put these messages across. It is also a goal for year 9 students to be able to discuss the content and appeal of an author’s literary style (ACARA, 2011). Other literacy demands that are prominent for this text are examining and responding to literature, as well as interacting with others. Lines in the text, such as â€Å"No people below us, above us only sky†, offers students the opportunity to evaluate and discuss their own ideas on the meaning, and intent of the author. Some students may find the comprehension of these tasks easier than others. This can be due to some students having less prior knowledge in specific areas, and therefore may be working at a lower level of literacy (Emmitt, Komesaroff Pollock, 2006). In this case I as a teacher, as well as the Teacher’s Aid, will be there to support and facilitate learning. Visual and auditory features of this text are also significant to the literacy content. The film clip for the song contains Mr Lennon playing a piano and singing in a large empty house, with a woman sitting with him. This provides students with an opportunity to analyse the message of the video clip by itself, and in relation to the written lyrics. The ability for students to make connections between the lyrics and clip will be encouraged. Contradictions, such as John playing a beautiful piano inside of a mansion whilst singing about no possessions, will also be looked for in students understanding of the text. The melody of the song is uplifting and enjoyable, and provides another aspect of literacy that students can identify with the authors use of text to cause effect. With the aim of providing an effective literacy environment, as well as rich opportunities for literacy to take place, a variety of learning practicing will be implemented. This text allows learning practices such as discussion, group work and presentation. It will be important for me as a teacher to use differentiation whilst providing questions for students, to evoke interest and learning . As suggested by Camborne’s 7 conditions of learning, engagement in crucial in producing an optimal learning environment. Open class discussions involving all students can be used to generate this engagement as well as immerse students into the text (Campbell Green, 2006). Group work will provide another environment where certain students may be more comfortable participating and allow diversity in all student’s learning. The variation provided by the text allows the use of video clips and audio tapes as a form of diversity, which is important in stimulating and motivating students (Campbell Green, 2006). Another key to maintaining motivation in students is encouragement and feedback. This is an important practice throughout any unit and links to Camborne’s learning condition of response. This condition advises feedback from not only teachers but also peers, in both formal and informal settings. It is important that feedback is offered in a constructive and in a positive environment (Westwood, 1999). The strategy I will implement throughout my three lessons with be based around a combination of verbal and written tasks. This will provide students with numerous opportunities to discuss and engage with the text. It will also allow me as a teacher to guide students towards specific learning outcomes related to my context of health. Using the selected strategy, students will be guided towards ‘exploring and reflecting on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters from texts’. This is drawn from the grade 9 literacy strand within ACARA 2011. This learning outcome strongly relates to health and wellbeing in society, and provides students with the opportunity to discuss their own thoughts and feelings on such topics. As the lessons progress students will be able to analyse the world, and human health related issues of the text. The selected strategy will permit activities such as linking the general theme of the song to other famous text. The uplifting message of the text ‘Imagine’ suggests that if people work together, the world can become a better place. Other texts such as ‘I have a dream’ by Martin Luther King Junior, have strong links to this message and can be used to strengthen students understanding of the chosen learning outcome. Demonstrating how to make links between different texts by me as the teacher will be important in providing students the opportunity to observe learning occurring (Wing Jan, 2009). Another important aspect of my lessons will be making sure I cater for all students when setting tasks. Support from the Teacher’s Aid, and myself, as well as a variation in difficulty levels required in tasks, will help students achieve the chosen learning outcome. When teaching literacy to grade 9 students in this context it will be important to structure lessons and strategies used to guide students in a clear and precise manner*. I have found Camborne’s 7 conditions of learning an effective theory to use when planning for the literacy demands of a text, as well as literacy practices to be implemented into the classroom. It is also important to use scaffolding through a unit of work, especially when the intended learning outcome is at a level students have not previously achieved (Winch, Johnston, March, Ljungdahl Holliday, 2006). Bloom’s Taxonomy is a good example of how to scaffold correctly and create rich learning opportunities. Bloom’s Taxonomy also links to Camborne’s conditions. The condition of ‘Use’ for example, where students use their knowledge through their everyday lives, links with the later stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Scaffolding should be guided by the strategies chosen by the teacher to engage students in each lesson of the unit (Campbell Green, 2006).

Changing Pattern of Consumer Behaviour

Changing Pattern of Consumer Behaviour Today organizations need a deep insight into consumer behaviour and its changing patterns in order to survive in the market place. Large organizations have highly trained individuals recruited to collect information about the consumers constantly changing needs and trends so that they can get focused on what is required by consumer; so that they can cater those needs as accurately and efficiently as possible . Harrods is one of the worlds most well-known department stores situated on Brampton Road in Knightsbridge, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England; It was established in 1849 as a small grocery store with only two helpers. Today, it offers its customers with everything from food to fashion, furniture to sportswear plus 20 in-store restaurants serving every kind of cuisine imaginable from pizza to sushi. Services range from piano tuning to fitting saddles. Must-see sights include the Food Halls, the Egyptian Hall and the Pet Department. (Visit London) Harrods after tenure of great success has lately seen a falling trend in its sales. Harrods, therefore, has further studied the behaviour of its consumers more closely in order to know the reasons of this unfortunate decline in sales. This report contains an analysis of this study, external influences and how they can be used positively to augment the sales; It mentions the strategies Harrods can use in order to get the same honourable and prestigious position back in the marketplace. Task 1: Impact of External Influences An insight into the behaviour of consumers at Harrods Harrods is a high end departmental store which offers a great range of products and services. Once opened as a small grocery shop has now matured to become a good example for posh and glamorous shopping, complementing itself on its motto Omnia Omnibus Ubique which means that All things, for all people, everywhere. It is famous about Harrods that you can buy anything you can name at Harrods, from a hair pin to furniture. (go there guide) Consumer behaviour is a study of when, how and where people buy or do not buy certain products or services. When buying a product, consumers usually go through several stages which can be named as need recognition, information search, evaluation of different purchase options, purchase decision and post purchase behaviour e.g. a need arise when you see your current television set is out dated and pretty old fashion or may be its broken. You decide that you want a new television and then start looking for different options transferring yourself to the next stage and you start looking for which television to buy and from which place; this is the stage when Harrods should come in the mind of a consumer. Then a consumer evaluates between different available options which Harrods has advantage of providing consumer all under one roof and then finally he buys a product. (East, 2008) Harrods is considered a glamorous shopping place. Though nearly everything is available at Harrods but the target market segment that Harrods focuses on is the upper class. This is the market segment the management at Harrods keeps in mind while carrying out its marketing activities. People visiting Harrods may belong to any age group but majority of them belong to the social class A and expect a service that is up to the mark. They expect that the product available at Harrods would belong to the highest of the qualities available. Marketers define four types of buying behaviours and it is based on the type of products that the consumer intends to buy. All four types of buying behaviors can be witnessed in the consumers at Harrods as a vast range of products are available at Harrods. Complex buying behaviour This where the person purchases a high value brand and inquires about a lot of information before the purchase is made. This may be when a consumer is buying a very expensive outfit of Paul Smith Black at Harrods Habitual buying behaviour This is when somebody purchases a product out of routine e.g. a daily newspaper, sugar or salt. This is applicable for a consumer buying grocery from the grocery section Variety seeking buying behaviour It is when the person likes to shop around and try out with different products. Some consumers at Harrods do not have the particular brand in mind beforehand when they shop for any product so they experiment different brands. Dissonance reducing buying behaviour This is the type of behaviour when buyer is extremely concerned with the purchase of the product, because the purchase is expensive or occasional. An example could be buying expensive furniture at Harrods. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) The management at Harrods needs to keep all these consumer behaviour theories like what makes consumer buy a product, what kind of behaviours can they adopt while shopping at Harrods in mind and factors can cause a change in consumer buying patterns in mind while they take their management decisions. They specially need to be aware of the expectations of their consumers and what exactly they want from Harrods in order to improve and find the loop holes which might be leading to a fall in sales. External Factors may influence Buying Behaviour Consumer behaviour can be affected by various factors that may be highly uncontrollable by marketers. These external factors may include the opinion of your friends, the values and the way you are brought up, the media, the culture, certain groups you interact with etc. All of these external factors are mentioned in details with respect to the consumers of Harrods as follows: Culture Culture does influence consumer behaviour; culture is defined as our attitudes and beliefs. The point that we need to know here is the way these attitudes and beliefs are developed. As a person matures, a child is influenced by his parents, siblings and other family members who may educate them about rights and wrongs. They learn about their religion and culture, which helps them develop these opinions, attitudes and beliefs.. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Geographical Culture Harrods needs to understand the culture of people living in London. The way they are brought up and what their values are. Do people living in London like to go to glamorous shopping places like Harrods? Are they comfortable shopping at such high end places? What are their buying trends and do they prefer large shopping places over small ones? Can people living there afford to buy expensive or do they usually spend this much on average? All these questions need to be answered in order understand the psyche of consumers living in London and cater them according to their needs. If we go back into history, UK is a class based society and some remains of such behaviour are still existent. People who belong to a high class do like to show off and go to high end places but as time is passing this frame of mind is changing. This change of mind may be one of the factors leading to fall in demand for Harrods. Subculture Subcultures can be defined as members that possess beliefs, values and customs that set them apart from other members of the same society. There can be nationality, ethnic, racial, geographical or religious sub cultures. People belonging to various parts of the world and belonging to various sets of beliefs and norms live in London, which leads a complex set of people who may have different beliefs and norms mixed up. Understanding and catering to all of them is not very realistic but Harrods needs have knowledge regarding major subcultures so that its products are designed according to it and their do not hurt anyones beliefs and norms. (Leon G Schiffman, 1997) Global Culture In order to make sure that the products it is offering is in line with the Global culture, Harrods needs to study the global trends of buying behaviour as well. Generally people around the globe have started preferring large shopping malls over small specific buying areas. This facilitates a consumer in a way that all the products are available under one roof. As people are getting more and busier with their work lives, this saves time. Moreover the world is also moving towards better quality products and services. Designer clothes and fashion apparel are getting popular. Brands are getting global. This trend of customers goes in favour of Harrods. Multinationals have the brought the consumer base to one platform which in a way has helped marketers to understand complex behaviours. (my library) Reference Groups Reference group is an actual or imaginary individual or group concealed of having significant relevance upon an individuals evaluations, aspirations and behaviour. Marketers have seen that reference groups can strongly influence buying behaviours. Reference groups are particular set of people some people may look up towards to that have an impact on consumer behaviour. So they can be only a band like the Savage Garden or your direct family members. Marketers have grouped reference groups into classes to comprehend the way the influence more clearly. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Types of Reference Groups Normative: Some group and individuals are more powerful than others and affect a broader range of consumption decisions. A very good example would be family. Your upbringing really has a strong influence on your likes and dislikes, definitions of right and wrong. Family values and practices usually do not change and develop basic standards of behavior. If a family is used shop from department stores rather than individuals outlets or it may be particularly Harrods then this practice may be passed on to further generations as well and this how the cycle goes on. (M.Khan, 2007) Comparative: These are the people you compare yourself to and can relate to e.g. friends, neighbors or a club you are a member of. Some of these may be ones you aspire and want to imitate. A person may start shopping from Harrods because a friend of his shops from Harrods and he likes it very much and recommended him as well. (M.Khan, 2007) Reference groups can further be divided into direct and indirect reference groups: direct are the ones you have contact in person with and indirect may be the ones you may not have direct contact with such as celebrities. (Balythe, 2008) Marketers cannot directly manipulate your direct reference groups or use them for their benefits but indirect reference groups can easily be used by marketers. Harrods needs to study about its consumers reference groups and use them in its favour. If Harrods serves its existing consumers really well they will automatically prove to be a resourceful reference group for some potential consumers. They can also use celebrity endorsements referent powers. (Wagner, 2003) Opinion leader Opinion leaders are the people who have greater knowledge about a certain thing than a lay man so you respect their views and that may influence consumer behaviour. Most of the times it would really affect the behaviour if the thing to buy is a highly technological product, may be a hi-tech computer and the opinion leader in that case may be a computer expert. (CL Tyagi, 2004) Economic Environment Economic environment has a great influence on buying behaviour. People usually spend more during good economic times and during an economic boom and likewise less during recessions. Lately aggregate demand around the globe felt due to global recession. People were out of jobs and businesses were heading towards a downfall which left people with less disposable incomes on hand to spend. This may also be one of the factors leading to Harrods reduced sales. (Angus Deaton, 1980) Competition Competition is another factor which influences the consumer behavior. This provides consumers with more options available so they start comparing between the available options and selects the one which benefits them the most. Harrods has a few potential competitors mentioned below: Selfridges There is store called Selfridges Co. It is also one of the largest areas in the world with 540,000 sq.ft of selling area. It is located on the Oxford Street which is a prime posh location. Like Harrods, it is also famous among consumers for providing a large range of products and services. The difference between Harrods and Selfridges could be that Selfridges is more focused towards entertainment as it has 15 bars, cafes and restaurants inside the area. It has two more smaller department stores, one in Manchester and the other in (business week) Marks and Spencer Another strong competition would be Marks and Spencer (MS). It is a British retail chain and it has 330 department stores and over 340 food location all over UK. It does not operate in UK only but has over 300 locations in countries including Indonesia, South Korea, India and China. The factor that differentiates M S from Harrods is that it core range consists of mid-priced household items, fashion apparel and other products whereas Harrods is designed for the best or may be for everything rather a narrowed specific price range. M S has been in this market for more than 100 years and has been ranked as the no. 1 supplier of women wear. Moreover, the company makes 90% of its sales in its home country which certainly is UK. It can give Harrods a tough competition if Harrods get even a little bit lenient in its services (business week) Fortnum Mason This is 300 year old department store. It is very famous for its food which includes jams, teas, and sauces. It also supplies Queen with annual Christmas puddings. It has five restaurants and though it generates most of its sales from food but it also sells gifts, luggage, household products, cosmetics etc. Though its product range and the area of focus are not exactly same as Harrods but it can be counted as a competition and was mentioned by a number of consumers at Harrods. (business week) Task 2: Recommended Positioning Strategy Perception A study of human perception can also help marketers to understand the consumer behaviour. Perception is the process by which people select, organize and interpret their sensations; where sensation is how are sensory receptors (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers) to basic stimuli such as light, colour, sound, odor and texture. Like a computer system human mind also processes the information in order to perceive things. (Martin E Evans, 2009) This is the age of sensory marketing. Marketers make use of impact of sensations on consumers product experiences. They use vision, hearing, touch and taste in order to create an image of the brand in the minds of the consumer to create a competitive advantage. Marketers try and create brands unique association with the sensation. (Hawyer, 2008) Harrods may use a certain trade dress which is colour combination an organization uses so frequently that consumers start associating that brand with that colour combination. Whenever they see that colour combination around their mind recalls the brand in sub-consciousness. This is how marketers create an image that can last very long in the minds of the consumers through our sensations; as consumers start associating those brands to different things. Consumers perception about the brand consists of both its functional attributes as well as the symbolic attitudes. Functional attitudes may include its price; its features etc. and symbolic may include its image. Marketers have discovered that consumers evaluation of a certain product is more dependent on what it means rather than what it does. This meaning has more to do with products market position and it may be more to do with our expectations of the product as communicated by its colour, packaging and styling rather than the product itself. (Kathy Niel, 2007) Therefore, Harrods should use these tools of sensation in order to create an image of Harrods that consumers cannot forget; an image that stays in the minds. It should create a certain sensation so that consumers can associate the brand with that sensation. This automatically attracts a consumer towards a brand as it creates a certain impact in the minds of the consumers that lasts for very longer periods of time. Attitude Attitude is actually a learned behaviour. They may be favourable and unfavourable attitude for a product or a service. Marketers say that attitudes have the quality of motivation, they can lead consumer towards certain behaviour or can even stop him from doing so. Harrods should try and develop a positive attitude about itself in the minds of the consumers. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) Harrods have had certain issues which may lead to a negative attitude. Harrods in order to maintain its glamorous image threw a lady out from the store. Eilene Kadden, from California, was ejected from the store because she did not have the right image; she was too fat. Such kinds of incidents adversely affect the image of the brand and such incidents can lead to negative attitudes for the brand in the minds of the consumers. Harrods should respect its customers irrespective of race, colour, ethnicity and physical attributes of a person. Tri-Component Attitude Model According to this model attitude consists of three components which are cognitive, affective and conative components. (Micheal.R.Solomon, 2005) The cognitive component consists of persons cognitions i.e. his knowledge and perception about the brand. This may be formed by a combination direct exposure and from other sources. Harrods should create a positive impression in the minds of the consumers through its image, service and behaviour. The affective component is more about the feeling of the consumer. How related and emotionally attached he is to the brand. A family might be shopping from Harrods from last three generations and may develop an emotional attachment to the store. These emotions can further affect the actions of the consumers. They van be negative as well. The Conative component deals with the actual behaviour of the consumer, it is also called the consumers intention to buy. This model can help Harrods to develop a positive attitude among its current and targeted consumers. Harrods should try to factually as well emotionally create a positive feeling about the brand. Self Self-concept is the beliefs that customer holds about himself. It can be positive as well as negative. At times you feel that a part of you is more positive. People buy products which they can relate to themselves. What is the reason that social class A is the major consumer at Harrods? It is that all the products are designed keeping the social class as a target market segment and so they can relate to it. Positioning Strategy This is the way a brand portrays itself and places itself in the minds of the consumers. Positioning a brand is a very crucial task. This is what can either make a brand or break a brand. When a marketer targets a certain market segments, it intends to different itself from the other brands through its competitive advantage. How to Position When a brand is to position itself, the very first step when a business decides to enter the market to describe the market in which the brand is to enter and to struggle. The market where Harrods is to compete is London. It is posh area where people spend money to avail highest quality products and services. The next step would be to collect information from the relevant consumers about what perception do they have regarding the competing brands in the market. Harrods needs to understand what attributes regarding the shopping stores are most favourable in the minds of the consumers. It needs a complete knowledge about the likes, dislikes, preferences and frame of mind of the relevant consumers it intends to target. It needs to determine the share of mind of all the competing brands which are mentioned above including Selfridges, Marks and Spencer, Fortnum and Masom. It needs to rank the competitors and the attributes which would be hard to compete. At the end it needs to position its elf using the combination of the preferable attributes and attributes of the brand itself to capture a territory in the minds of the consumer. Era of Marketing This is the age of Marketing. Marketing a brand is becoming more important than the product itself. The Marketers study the market in detail, segment the market into different segments based on demographics and psychographics and then select the most profitable segment as the targeted segment. All the products and services are then designed keeping that particular segment in mind. All the decisions are also taken in accordance to that particular targeted segment. (Gerit Antonides, 1998) Harrods instead of taking decsions keeping the products and services in mind, needs to take decisions keeping the preferences of targeted consumers in mind. If a certain brand in preffered and renowned in US but people in UK prefer other brands over it which may even be of slightly lower quality, opting for that brand of better quality would not be sensible decision. Harrods has taken some bad decesions in the past to save its glamorous image; it has kept a range of brands which are not even liked by most of the people in London which is a failure for Harrods to understand the psyche of its consumers. Suitable Positiong Strategy for Harrods The three major positioning concepts known among the marketers and they are functional, symbolic and experiential position. Functional position is when the firm shows itself as the solution to problems. It promotes the benefits that can provide and gain a favourable position. Symbolic postioning is when a organization uses its image, belongingness and egoistic image which provides the comsumers with social meaningfulness. This is the kind of positioning suitable for an organization like Harrods and this is what it has been doing in the past as well but a certain change is needed to make this symbolic position better. These changings would be mentioned further in the report. Experiential position is when an oraganization makes use of the consumers sensory and cognitive stimulation and the concepts of perception to create an image in the minds of the consumers that consumers can relate to. Harrods Current Positioning Harrods has positioned itself as a high-end, glamorous, luxurious and high end department store. It has not positioned itself as a department store but as an unforgettable experience. Harrods has a reputation for excellence and a motto Everything for Everybody Everywhere. Consumers know it as a place where you can buy everything. From sugar and potatoes to luxurious cars, everything is available at the Harrods. The major component or competitive advantage that Harrods has used is its grand image and variety. Repositioning Harrods Some of the Harrods policies to maintain its high end image has in turn adversely affecting its reputation. The incidents of forcing people out due to their physical appearance and strict dress code rules make customers inconvenient and lead to a negative impression. Harrods need to add a component of humbleness in its positioning statement. The feeling that one gets when he hears about Harrods is of arrogance and attitude. A tinge of humbleness needs to be added to the image in order to create a positive impression. Harrods should try and create an image of an environment friendly organization. People once protested against Harrods selling animal fur. Such kind of incidents would not happen if you have you have a complete knowledge about youre the culture and values of targeted consumers and people around. Harrods should encourage the brands operating inside the store to promote green environment and produce as many environment friendly products as they can and take steps for protecting the environment from every kind of pollution. This will lead to a responsible image about in Harrods in the minds of the consumers which will definitely in turn improve the sales. Online and Offline Positioning Messages As mentioned under the heading of repositioning Harrods, Harrods needs to promote a tinge of humbleness with its glamorous image. The current motto used by Harrods is Everything for Everybody Everywhere and All things, for all people, everywhere which portrays that literally everything is available at Harrods. Messages like Everything that you need because we care! would promote an image of care and responsibility on part of the organization. This would portray that the organization is not selfish about its own benefits only. The attitude of the employees in the store will automatically depict the position and set a mark in the minds of the consumers. Moreover for offline positioning, Harrods can launch campaigns for environment protection. It can sponsor such activities in order to create an impact and show that it actually cares and contributing towards the society. Conclusion Harrods is a very famous and well known brand. It has successfully achieved its targets and continuously improved and expanded over the years. Its management worked efficiently to satisfy the needs of its consumers. It was clear and focused on the segment it was targeting and therefore tailored its products accordingly. Due to some external factors and some of the bad decisions that Harrods took declined its sales. The image that Harrods was enjoying is slightly damaged but its not late to make for the mistakes in the past. Moreover, every firm needs to innovate and re-position itself according to changing environment. Harrods in order to earn its position back needs to make slight changes in its positioning. It should get more humble towards its customers and promote environmentally friendly products. Task 3: Individual Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes Before the start of the module, I was not sure of whether it will further enhance my learning or not. The theories I was to expected to apply in the module were the ones I had already studied several times so I was not looking forward to any further new learning and experience. As I started working on the module and started gathering information about Harrods, I realized that my perception about the module was entirely wrong. Though I didn.t learn anything new in the module but it gave me an opportunity to apply what I have learned in a real life situation. All the concepts and course material that I studied in the course was practically applied to solve the given problem of reduced sales. Moreover, while I was studying for the course I had an impression that most of the concepts mentioned in the course books are only for theoretical purposes and are not used or helpful to the firms in real life situations. My opinion was proven wrong while I working on the module as I saw that firms do use these concepts and they do help them in understanding the behaviour of consumers which is critical for their success. This module was a great experience. Though collecting information and analysis was a little tough and tiresome but it was worth it. The data collection on the external factors influencing the consumer behavior was really difficult; classifying it and coming up with useful results and conclusions was even more troublesome. This module specifically enhanced my analytical skills and improved my confidence of practically applying theoretical knowledge. References Angus Deaton, J. M. (1980). Economics and consumer behaviour. Balythe, J. (2008). 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