State of the economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

State of the economy - Essay Example It means that the U.S. economy has improved a lot as compared to the U.S. economy back in 2008. Based on the historical trend of quarter-to-quarter growth in real GDP, the U.S. real GDP tend to increase during the 4th quarter of each year. The trend strongly suggests that demand for products and services usually increase between October to December of each year. (See Figure I – Quarter-to-Quarter Growth in Real GDP on page 2) CPI is defined as â€Å"a measure of the overall cost of the goods and services bought by a typical consumer† (Mankiw 834). There is a significant relationship between the real GDP and CPI. Given that the real GDP falls into negative values, the CPI also tends to be at the lowest value. For instance, the real GDP during the 4th quarter of 2008 was -9%. As a result, the CPI during these periods was following a declining trend from 216.573 in October 2008 down to 210.228 in December 2008. (See Table I – Five-Year Summary of CPI below; Figure II – Five-Year CPI Trend in U.S. on page 3) Unemployment rate is defined as â€Å"the number of unemployed people who want to have a job but do not have one† (Kennedy 36). The U.S. unemployment rate is somehow related to the county’s real GDP. Since the real GDP was at the lowest during the last quarter in 2008, its unemployment rate started to rise significantly on January 2008. It means that there were a lot of companies in the U.S. that had to implement a massive lay-off or close down the company due to bankruptcy. Since the 4th quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate in the United States was moving on a downward trend. The continuous decrease in the U.S. unemployment rate was possible since the U.S. real GDP and CPI was somehow increasing. (See Table II – U.S. Unemployment Rate below; Figure III – Trend of U.S. Unemployment Rate on page 4) Other useful economic indicators include: the producer price index (PPI), interest rates, and export and imports. Specifically the PPI

Information Technology Advances In Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Information Technology Advances In Hotel Industry Tourism Essay 4.1 Introduction Differentiation in competitive services virtually in all sectors has been characterized by growing commoditization Six Degrees, (2011) The purpose of this research was to identify the impact of Multi sensory marketing in Hotel industry, how modernization in Information technology trends reflect in Hotel industry and how International Hotel Chains compete in markets across India, UK and Singapore. The same has been discussed in Chapter 2 The surveys and interviews (structured and unstructured) generated the data apart from direct observations at brand agencies specialized in sensory branding. Throughout the process of research findings and gathering, the author was influenced (and indeed acted as a benefit) by the 5 years experience in hospitality industry. Communication therefore was smooth, flowing and evidently corporate as expected ensuring the interviewees were aware of the ethics followed in conducting this research. What acquainted as a golden thread in the research during the findings process were the objectives and research questions. Critical analysis of the impact of multi sensory marketing in Hotel industry Influence of Information technology on growth and development of Hotel industry Critical analysis of International Hotel chains and their competitive edge considering sensory branding in UK, India and Singapore. Recommendations on future research prospects, academic literature proposition and conclusion 4.2 Current trends in Hotel Industry The above topic is discussed in chapter 2, however the author has considered the impact of sensory branding in International Hotels considering each sense, what problems did International Hotels face and how the sensory branding strategies actually created a revolution. (Scentair, 2011) With the great economic crisis, political unrest, unfavorable factors evidently declined sales of travel accommodation by 4% in 2009 to  £10.3 Billion where London, Manchester and Edinburgh saw a decline in average daily room rate (ADR) by 8% (Euromonitor, 2009). Table 4.1 shows the Sales trend from 2004 2009 Even with these declining figures, restructuring, International Hotel Chains have ramped. (4hoteliers.com, 2011). Table 4.2.2 shows the World Travel Awards in Excellence, Business Services in Travel Accommodation, Nominees and the winners) Table 4.2.2 (Source: World Travel Awards, 2010) 4. 3 Information Technology advances in Hotel Industry The survey findings relating awareness of modernization in Hotel industry was time consuming. Unstructured interviews conducted at Ramada Jarvis Birmingham, Newcastle under Lyme, Marriott Birmingham, Hilton Park Lane reveal that the marketing triangle (consumers, organization and employees) were now remarkably aware how information technology influences corporate. Retail Travel giants like Tripadvisor forged a virtual relationship with consumers. My providing first hand information to consumers, the website translates the word of mouth into a World of mouth philosophy (Hotelmarketing.com, 2010). 88% of Tripadvisor visitors were influenced by the comments posted by first hand consumers. With corporate travel growing to 52% in travel and tourism in 2010, tripadvisor is one of the highly trusted sources for corporate buyers as well as domestic consumers. How a Guest iss purchasing decision influenced with Information Technology? The author has read a lot of articles of current trends introduced in information technology within the hotel industry. While conducting the unstructured interviews, the latest design in Information technology was a popular discussion. Accordingly, The InterContinental Hotel Group, introduced iPad2s in 10 hotels globally. The reason for doing so was to provide real time, recommendations to Guests (even corporate consumers). A 360 virtual concierge provide maps, videos and information (Melanie Nayer, 2011). Technology, space and color concepts create an edge to develop a Hotels persona, however more so is partially dependent on how functional the Hotel is. Enjoy the dream not only by luxury but also by scents, technology and experience. We bring happiness away from your everyday home Charles Yap, 2011 Table 4.3.1 shows the Sales value of Internet Transactions forecasted and actual. Between 2009 and 2010 there has been a growth of 8.9% in the internet transaction Sales. With corporate customer engagement channel in hotel industry (use of social media and information technology) travel consumers are engaged in mobile technology and virtual apps world. Because information is available in abundance on real time keeping consumers on a fast pace environments, the need to re centralize, change in marketing approaches have emerged in form of Customisation. This kind of hyper interactive behavior is termed as Impulse buying (Starkov, 2011). Gartner Inc, 2010 highlights a key factor to include while considering change in marketing strategies. Table 4.3.2 shows the 10 strategic technologies that will be implemented by hotel industry globally in 2011. (Please refer to video by Amadeus Jerome Destor, Director IT, Amadeus) and (Video by CIO Hyatt on IT in Hotel Industry) 4.4 Multi sensory Marketing in International Hotel Chain across UK, India and Singapore With dynamic changes in hotel industry, International giants are sustaining challenges. From Product extensions to Brandicide, meeting quality standards guaranteed globally in complex (Amadeus, 2011). What Hotels have now noticed is a shift in Paradigm. From a 2 dimensional approach to a 5 D holistic approach, because consumers demand sophistication in form of customization. The key to Business transformation is changing with time, adapting new environments, innovation and simplicity to emotional impact the customer experience. Building on this theory, the author noticed not much of innovational and change information is academically expressed in the marketing industry. What the author wants to convey is when Lecturers from universities across Manchester, Newcastle under Lyme , Stafford, Birmingham were interviewed to get an academic background, very little of information was actually discussed or observed. More surprisingly, some of the academic sources had interests in Hospitality industry and travel accommodation because of its diverse operations but yet Literature on hotel industry in Universities is limited in terms of Studying Modules. One of the reasons observed during interviews with Hoteliers and staff was of corporate rigidness, inflexibility to adapt or expose to new environments. Shockingly, Operations Manager Marriott Birmingham, Balaji Subramaniam along with Debbie Wyatts (HR and Events Manager) agreed to the extent of this rigidness. They added, Inflexibility has always been associated with Hotel industry because it is diverse and seasonal, of course we would like to share the Best practices with healthy competition. Senior Manager, Mark Starfov (Ramada Jarvis Group) shared that hotel industry or rather hospitality is closely linked to sophistication. That itself describes why the industry is not open to discussions or changes. Mark added that considering the economic crisis there could be a shift in their approaches but the corporate thinking a nd operations (rigid he claims) is always evident. Table 4.4.1 shows the impact of each form of sensory element interlinked yet utilized in marketing across these International Hotel Chains in UK, India and Singapore. To conduct the questionnaire survey, survey monkey tool was used. The survey was done in 3 parts. Part 1 and 2 for corporate users across India, Singapore and UK in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, London, Manchester , Birmingham and Newcastle under Lyme. Part 3 of the survey was a questionnaire discussing employee engagement and their awareness of sensory branding associated in their Chain Hotel. In order to understand the effects on purchasing decision few experiments included blind folding customers to understand how sensory environments are created (Heston, 2011). Four commonly used Mild fragrances were used to understand the customer experience phenomena. Also for Tactile Influence purposes, fruit flavored ice candies were used. What was particularly changed was the taste and color. Since interviewees were blind folded, ice candies like orange, pineapple, raspberry and vanilla were used to understand the pallets. However as we all know the color of Orange is o range, this time the author used Edible food coloring in Ice candies that changed the color from what consumers perceived. Again understanding that these interviewees were highly sophisticated all ethical aspects were discussed with prior permission. As we eat with our eyes, visual perception has always been the first element to influence purchasing decisions (Ramsay, 2009) When the interviewees were unfolded, they were shocked to notice the particular blend of flavor and color and admitted that there can be a shift in visual perception. Considering Scent marketing to be highly expensive and social, fragrances used included Rainforest (blend of aromatic spices with patchouli), Fresh Linen (Lavender, Orange and Caribbean Sea salt), Gardenia (Floral aromas with hint of citrus extracts) and Fresh Magnolia (vanilla and chocolate with lavender verbena and hints of aromatic ginger root). Each of the above mentioned were experimented at Marriott, IHG hotels, Ramada Jarvis, Hilton Park Lane and Westin Group Hotels with the help of Britains only sensory branding scent development company Scentair. Figure 4.4.1 shows the impact of sensory branding in Hotel Industry globally Figure 4.4.1 The sense of Visual Marketing The question is not what you look at, but what you see Henry David Thoreau cited by Lindstorm, 2005 From Figure 4.4.1 it is evident that marketers have only been targeting the visual impact of products and services, however the rest 4 senses are rationally ignored. Color, space and architecture included in the experiential branding are part of the Visual Holistic Marketing concept. (Aroma Logo, 2010). How can a sense as strong as this be interlinked with the others. In earlier chapter the experiment done clearly indicated that when Ice candies were provided to B2B customers, on seeing the ice candies, considering color, texture, individuals created a perception. To carve innovation in a perception involves high concentration on impulse timings and reactions from consumers. The focus on Customer engagement plays a vital role. Naturally because we eat with our eyes, consumers witnessed a shift in paradigm as the color of the ice candies actually differed to the flavor. (Lindstorm, 2005). To create a sophisticated impacting environment, during the survey 92% of the individuals said th e lobby was the most impressive part of the hotel, with proper lighting and Staff Uniforms being the highlight (Survey Monkey, 2011). The sense of Auditory Marketing in Hotel Industry Rhythm is a spice of life. As the Inuit asks the visitor out of the cold:Speak so I may see you. Add a voice, even a whisper, so that the other is really there David Rothenberg cited by Lindstorm 2005 Survey conducted indicated, 75% of B2B guests preferred the music in Lobbies, restaurants and passages. Ronal E. Millman published a study in the Journal of Consumer Research indicating that if the tempo is precise, music played in the background actually affected the service stations particularly hotel restaurants and events. The slower the music the more time guests spend at these places. Another experiment at the Ramada Jarvis, Newcastle revealed that when background music was stopped at the Lobby, guests rather would not prefer waiting or move to another area where music is played. 55% of the individuals said that they prefer to conduct meetings, events, conferences in places where music is customized and according to their needs. While 77% said that the tempo makes changes in the mood, on Fridays if the tempo of the music is high, loud on Bose components, more people start visiting pubs and restaurants. While 78% of those that were occupying the hotel said, it helps them relax w hen music is soft and base. Contradicting attributes but works in the hotel industry. For hotels like Hilton, InterContinental that bank of their In house pubs on Fridays and Saturdays impressing with elegance via music is quick pro (Rocha, 2011)

Literary Modes in War Literature, Such as The Things They Carried Essay

Literary Modes in War Literature The immediate impact of The Things They Carried is based on O'Brien's fidelity to detail. The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the necessities or near necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. Together these items weighed between 15 and 20 pounds. These facts are combined with the intangible and the psychological. They all carried ghosts, they shared the weight of memory and they carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die or already have passed away. O'Brien uses his detail and sense of war to bring meaning to his war story. I felt that the use of Tragedy, Myth and Gothic were well constructed literary modes in the novel "The Things They Carried". These men in the story carry heavy physical loads, they als o all carry heavy emotional loads, composed of grief, terror, love, and longing. Each man's physical burden underscores his emotional burden. After the war, the psychological burdens the men carry during the war continue to define them. Those who survive carry guilt, grief, and confusion, and many of the stories in the collection are about these survivors' attempts to come to terms with their experience. Repeatedly in The Things They Carried O'Brien forces this image before us to convey the tragedy of war. It also serves as a metaphor for combat to American soldiers in Vietnam "the shit" referred to "the day-to-day combat operations endured by GIs in the field" (Clark 463). O'Brien relays this conventional metap... ...trasting external mythologies to internal mythologies and comparing them both to real truths. O'Brien begins to make these comparisons right from start, as he presents the external mythology of courage in opposition to the experience of his soldiers. O'Brien says, "The war is entirely a matter of posture and carriage" (15). This is not merely a reference to how the soldiers must stand or how they carry their packs. It is also about the things the soldiers carry in their minds, and the posture they must maintain is the challenge to show bravery in the face of immense fear. Myth, such as O'Brien at the helm of modern war novels, the term courage takes on new dimensions. It becomes more personal. It requires an honest quest by the individual to discover his or her own internal truths. Once found, we need to have the courage to defend it against the enemy that is myth.

Organizational Structure and Design Essay

1.1 Introduction Samsung India Electronics Ltd is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation headquartered in Seoul, Korea. The company was incorporated in the year 1995. The company is having their head office at Delhi and branch office at 16 locations all over the India. Their manufacturing facilities are located at Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Sriperumbudur in Chennai. The company is having two R&D centres in India, at Bangalore and Noida. Both the R&D centres are involved in cutting edge research and development. The company is dealing in the business of IT, Consumer Electronics and Household businesses. They provide high technology consumer electronics. Their products in India are colour television, colour monitors, refrigerators, washing machines, mobile phones, microwave ovens etc. The company is the first in India to introduce fuzzy logic based washing machines, silver nano refrigerator and flat screen TVs. Samsung phones support five Indian languages, namely Hindi, Marathi, Bangla, Punjabi and Tamil. 1.2 Organization Strategy Strategically the electronics industry was considered suitable for countries with poor natural endowment and high skilled labour like Korea. This industry required labour intensity, knowledge intensity but low input  requirements of energy and raw materials. Samsung electronics has not only utilised status-quo resources but also developed dynamic capabilities as it rose to the top. Aggressive and risk-taking investment behaviour in search of entrepreneurial rent and the effective policy of managing technology development contributed to the extraordinary achievement of Samsung Electronics. The company’s remarkable transformation over the last decade or so can shed light on how a firm’s dynamic capabilities, the ability to improve its O-advantages by reconfiguration, transformation and learning, contribute to its home country’s idiosyncratic development path. The company transformed itself from a sub-contractor to a manufacturer to a leading creator of many electronic components by harnessing a talented team. Samsung took quite a few risks initially to achieve its goals, it kept its winning team refreshed by constant vigilance and talent renewal. Samsung employees put leadership ahead of excellent personal development courses and structures which Samsung Electronics evolved in the 2000s. The same quality could be seen in the company’s Suwon campus. That leadership came primarily from Yun Jong Yong and Lee Kun-hee above him. There was full inter relationship between the Samsung group and Samsung electronics which also lead to a coordinated and smooth functioning of Samsung. 1.3 Organization Structure Samsung Electronics organizes its businesses according to its different characteristics in technology, markets and consumers as either Digital Media & Communications (DMC) or Device Solutions (DS) division, strengthening their independent operating structure. DMC is grouped into Consumer Electronics (CE) and IT & Mobile Communications (IM) divisions. The CE division took charge of the visual display business department and home appliances department. The IM division is in charge of managing wireless businesses, IT Solutions, Network business, digital imaging displays and the Media Solution Center. This restructuring reflects changes which were made to the workforce with the hiring of soft power experts which has become more important than ever  in the ‘Smart’ age. They have already announced their intention to make a paradigm shift by becoming a soft driven company and established a ‘Software’ center in order to increase their software capacity until it’s on a par with their world renowned manufacturing. Changes in the Device Solutions (DS) division also took place including expansion of the organizations in charge of software, controller and solution development to ensure separate teams for each. The expansion of the software related organizations was done to realize Samsung Electronics vision of creating new values and experiences by combining Samsung’s existing strength in hardware design with optimized software and an emotionally appealing user interface. Samsung Electronics also expanded the organization in charge of bio and medical device business and expanded the Bio Lab at Samsung Technology Research Center into the Bio Research Center. They also hired bio material experts to strengthen their research in this area and increased support for bio similar and bio medical research. Organization Chart Refer Exhibit 1 for detailed description of Samsung’s organizational chart with respect to Samsung mobile division of India. 1.4 Organization Culture It has become increasingly important for employees to have vested stake in the growth potential of its company. People expect a participatory work environment where they can feel a sense of dignity, pride, and ownership of the organization’s vision. Samsung Electronics strives to build a creative organizational culture, and acknowledges that the investment they make in strengthening the core competencies of their employees will have a direct impact on their competitiveness. They actively promote a flexible organizational culture that allows employees to pursue a healthy work-life balance, in a dynamic, creative and challenging work environment that is not risk-averse. As an international company they embrace individuals with  different background and abilities. Work and Life Balance through Work Smart: Establishing a Work Culture that Encourages Learning and Development: Samsung Electronics has established a Creative Development Research Institute System to provide employees with opportunities to pursue creative new ideas that take full advantage of their talents and professional passions in a way that encourages taking risks. This new initiative encourages employees to be more entrepreneurial in developing creative ideas that can become new businesses. Once an employee’s plan is accepted, they may concentrate on the project as a member of a task force for up to one year. During this period, they will be free from their usual responsibilities and may receive a dedicated work space, development expenses and necessary equipment as appropriate. Successful outcomes are encouraged through an incentive program; however they are not subject to penalty if they don’t achieve their goals. Some of the other key-features of Samsung’s culture are: * Talent based recruiting of Software and Design experts * Diversity Management * Employees Health and Safety * Integrity Management * Increasing Social Contribution 1.5 Technology Employed: The organization’s core technology is manufacturing which consists of raw material inputs, a transformation work process that changes and adds value to the raw material and produces the ultimate product or service output that is sold to the consumers in the environment. Core Technology On the other hand, Samsung Electronics has also a department work process  that is important to the organization but is not directly related to its primary mission and that we call as non-core technology. For Samsung Electronics, that major non-core technology is Research and Development (R&D) which transforms ideas into new products. Some of the other departments of non-core technology are Human Resources, Accounting, and Marketing etc. Refer Exhibit 2 for Samsung’s Mobile division R&D office structure in India. 1.6 Organization Size: Samsung Electronics has a total of 196 subsidiaries around the world. As of the end of 2011, Samsung Electronics’ total employment stood at 101,973 working in Korea and 119,753 outside of Korea, with the overseas workforce surpassing the domestic workforce for the first time in the history of Samsung Electronics. Currently, Samsung’s total employment is more than 344,000 employees globally.

A Marketing Strategy

â€Å"Health is Wellness, Relieve Stress and Feel Better Today† is an adage that most people are adopting today to find relief from the stress and strains of a hard day in the workplace. More and more people are increasingly realizing the importance of exercise and mental well being in their daily lives. The growing number of people opting for memberships to health clubs and local gyms are an indicator of changing lifestyle and health awareness. Unwinding in the gym at the end of a stressful day is catching on. The fact that people are well informed about the ills of an unhealthy lifestyle and the repercussions that it may have on the body is one of the major factors contributing to the mushrooming of fitness and wellness services across the world. High stress levels at work and multi-tasking roles and responsibilities assumed by an individual are weaning away the energy levels and coping abilities. These are some of the other factors that have led people to join the fitness and wellness centers. Exercising can not only help maintain weight, avoid health problems that infect millions in the world today, relieve stress but also infuse a feel good and look good attitude. A positive outlook to life and high energy levels to do things better are some of the side effects of following a strict fitness routine. The term wellness indicates the willingness to manage stress, a good health score, and a positive attitude to life. Moreover the gym provides a platform for social interactions that bring up the motivational levels for daily exercising. The gyms and spas that were considered a luxury lifestyle yesterday have become a part of the lifestyle today. The extra cost is not an important factor to those who believe in the wellness of the inner self. The health and wellness industry is a billion dollar industry having a simple product that appeals to all – a healthy lifestyle. Executive Summary The high revenue earning potential of this industry has offset many enterprises to launch healthcare and wellness service centers across the globe. Small local gyms to luxurious health resorts have paved their success stories by enticing millions of clients with their personalized health and wellness programs. The changing dynamics of the industry has redefined the health and wellness concept. The industry now offers a total image change to its clients who want an overall improvement in their looks and physique. The Company Background Health to Wealth Associates is one such facility located in the heart of the Kansas City provides health solutions and fitness regimes for all age groups. The facility employs well-trained, certified staff with fitness equipment catering to the wide-ranging consumer needs.   The company has invested in attractive interiors and latest gym equipment in a wide spread out area where clients can feel the relaxing ambience of the place. The facility offers – Spa and massage services Personalized fitness programs with personal trainers Exercising in groups for higher motivational levels Diet and nutrition plans Gym equipment for cardio and weight training The company motto â€Å"Health is Wellness, Relieve Stress and Feel Better Today† relates easily to the consumers and has helped tremendously in gaining popularity and attracting more clients.   The company has witnessed an overall increase of 6% in revenue earnings in the past five years of operation. The company endeavors to open two more locations in the next five-year period as part of its expansion program. Great location, high quality service from well-trained staff and an aggressive market penetration strategy has given this company a competitive edge over the other players in the industry. Market SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis of the Health to Wealth Associates reveals the market dynamics that govern the industry trends. Strengths: Well-trained staff providing excellent customer service. The state of the art equipment catering to wide variety of client exercising requirements with personal trainers and fitness programs A well-designed spa with wide range of massages services with diet and nutritional counseling. Weaknesses: The facility can cater to only 30 clients at a time. The premium pricing of the services and membership fees as opposed to local gyms. Non-existent baby-sitting facilities for women with children. Opportunities: Plans for expansion with more outlets opening in different geographical areas. A well-planned brand positioning and awareness marketing strategy using advertising and publicity campaigns. Tie up with other leading nutritional supplements shops to entice the customers. Introduction of family-oriented fitness training programs to attract more customers Addition of baby-sitting facility or children’s play area. Threats: Local gyms and massage parlors offering services at cheaper rates. Entry of leading brands and outlets in the vicinity. Enrolling enough members at the onset. Getting a steady supply of qualified and well-trained employees. This SWOT analysis highlights the issues and concerns that face the company along with the competitive and operational advantages that will steer the company in its aggressive marketing and promotional strategy. Market Analysis A health and wellness center that offers holistic and healthy lifestyle and one that encompasses the three facets of health – physical, emotional, and spiritual is required for a successful venture. The rising attraction of consumers towards gyms and spas has inculcated a healthy lifestyle that has become synonymous with healthy profits in the industry. It has been observed that people are not averse to paying more for quality and personalized services in this sector. This is one of the most attractive elements of the industry – a high market demand and high revenue prospects. But the industry is capital-intensive. The high profile equipment and gadgets are essential capital investment items and cannot be compromised in terms of quality. The business requires substantial funds for start up though the returns are high. The key ingredients to running a successful venture is – Well-trained and certified employees to ensure quality service. An aggressive and effective advertising campaign to create consumer awareness and entice more clients. As part of its market expansion strategy Health to Wealth Associates plan to adopt the following strategy to penetrate the market segment: Employ health experts to counsel the needs and requirements of the clients. Rolling out membership schemes that provide the members with discounted services and free consultations. Introduction of guest passes that will enable non-members to enjoy the services of the facility based on their income. Promotional campaigns for healthier lifestyle using the company slogan â€Å"Health is Wellness, Relieve Stress and Feel Better Today.† Health and wellness workshops for promoting the client base. A web site promoting the services of the facility. Tie up with nutritional supplement provider as a strategy for client retention. Financial Projections The company has reported a 6% annual increase in revenues. Based on the last few years’ performance and the implementation of the above-mentioned strategies the company projects an annual increase of 10% in the revenues earned in the next five years. The company envisages an increase of 8% in the net profit in the next two years’ of operation. Conclusion The company should endeavor to capitalize on the growing fitness and wellness concept in the industry. Adopting changes in the service delivery, offering wide range of choices to the customer, and an aggressive advertising campaign to push the company’s products will lure the consumer senses. The essence of success in this industry lies in identification of niche markets, use of updated technology and strategic partnerships with influential and well-known brands in the industry. References: 1.   Living the Good Life – http://www.goodlifefitness.com/newsletter.aspx – accessed on 18th December,2007 2.   The ISPA 2004 Spa Industry Study – Executive Summary – accessed on 18th December, 2007 3.   How to Start a Gym – http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Start-a-Gym&id=749346 – accessed on 18th December, 2007 4.   The menu of Spa Experiences   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ accessed on 18th December, 2007 5.   Gym Business Plan – http://www.briangreens.com/gym-business/gym-business-plan/ – accessed on 18th December, 2007   

A Brief Biography of Princess Diana

A Brief Biography of Princess Diana Who Was Princess Diana? Princess Diana, the wife of British Prince Charles, endeared herself to the public through her warmth and caring. From her picture-perfect wedding to her untimely death in a car accident, Princess Diana was in the spotlight nearly at all times. Despite problems with so much attention, Princess Diana tried to use this publicity to bring attention to worthy causes such as the elimination of AIDS and landmines. She also became truly a princess of the people when she publicly shared her struggles with depression and bulimia, becoming a role model for those who suffer from those ailments. Dates July 1, 1961 - August 31, 1997 Also Known As Diana Frances Spencer; Lady Diana Spencer; Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales; Princess Di; Diana, Princess of Wales Childhood Diana was born in 1961 as the third daughter of Edward John Spencer and his wife Frances Ruth Burke Roche. Diana grew up in a very privileged family that had a long history of close ties with the royal family. When Dianas paternal grandfather passed away in 1975, Dianas father became the 8th Earl of Spencer and Diana gained the title of Lady. In 1969, Dianas parents divorced. Her mothers affair helped the court decide to give custody of the couples four children to Dianas father. Both of her parents eventually remarried, but the divorce left an emotional scar on Diana. Diana attended school at West Heath in Kent and then spent a short time at a finishing school in Switzerland. Although she was not an excellent student academically, her determined personality, caring nature, and cheerful outlook helped her through it. After returning from Switzerland, Diana rented an apartment with two friends, worked with children at the Young England Kindergarten, and watched movies and visited restaurants in her free time. Falling in Love With Prince Charles It was about this time that Prince Charles, in his early 30s, was under increasing pressure to choose a wife. Dianas vibrancy, cheerfulness, and good family background caught the attention of Prince Charles and the two began dating in mid-1980. It was a whirlwind romance for on February 24, 1981, Buckingham Palace officially announced the couples engagement. At the time, Lady Diana and Prince Charles seemed truly in love and the whole world was awed by what seemed like a fairytale romance. It was the wedding of the decade; nearly 3,500 people attended and approximately 750 million people from around the world watched it on television. To the envy of young women everywhere, Lady Diana married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, at St. Pauls Cathedral. Less than a year after the wedding, Diana gave birth to William Arthur Philip Louis on June 21, 1982. Two years after William was born, Diana gave birth to Henry (Harry) Charles Albert David on September 15, 1984. Marriage Problems While Diana, now known as Princess Di, quickly gained the love and appreciation of the public, there were definitely problems in her marriage by the time Prince Harry was born. The stresses of Dianas numerous new roles (including wife, mother, and princess) were overwhelming. These pressures plus the extreme media coverage and post-natal depression left Diana lonely and depressed. Although she tried to maintain a positive public persona, at home she was crying out for help. Diana suffered from bulimia, cut herself on her arms and legs, and made several suicide attempts. Prince Charles, who was jealous of Dianas extra media attention and unprepared to handle her depression and self-destructive behavior, quickly started to drift away from her. This led Diana to spend the mid- to late-1980s, unhappy, lonely, and depressed. Dianas Support of Many Worthy Causes During these lonely years, Diana tried to find a place for herself. She had become what many describe as the most photographed woman in the world. The public loved her, which meant that the media followed her everywhere she went and commented on everything she wore, said, or did. Diana found that her presence comforted many who were sick or dying. She dedicated herself to a number of causes, most especially to the elimination of AIDS and landmines. In 1987, when Diana became the first famous person to be photographed touching someone with AIDS, she made a huge impact in dissolving the myth that AIDS could be contracted merely by touch. Divorce and Death In December 1992, a formal separation was announced between Diana and Charles and in 1996, a divorce was agreed to which was finalized on August 28. In the settlement, Diana was given $28 million, plus $600,000 per year but she was to give up the title, Her Royal Highness. Dianas hard-won freedom did not last long. On August 31, 1997, Diana was riding in a Mercedes with her boyfriend (Dodi Al Fayed), bodyguard, and chauffeur when the car crashed into a pillar of the tunnel under the Pont de lAlma bridge in Paris while fleeing from paparazzi. Diana, age 36, died on the operating table at the hospital. Her tragic death shocked the world. Initially, the public blamed the paparazzi for the accident. However, further investigation proved that the primary cause of the accident was that the chauffeur had been driving under the influence of both drugs and alcohol.

Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Psychopathology essays

Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Psychopathology essays Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Psychopathology Defense mechanisms are in place in animals to protect them from threats in the environment. However, in humans, too much attention to perceived threat stimuli can result in mental disorders such as anxiety disorders and depressive illness. Perceived threats are processed through areas of the brain designed for fast action, which can result in overreaction. Defense mechanisms can be triggered so quickly that they take precedence over conscious thinking. Defense behaviors can be active-energized, such as fight or flight, or passive inhibited, such as passive avoidance. One example of this is social phobia, which is related to avoidance. If a person perceives a social situation or some element of it as threatening, he or she may avoid social situations altogether and hence misses the opportunity to derive the benefits that can result from positive social interaction, such as making new friends or meeting potential romantic partners. Another way to deal with perceived threats is the attack first strategy, in which a person feels threatened and deals with the situation by attacking the person (or animal) first. In humans this can lead to bullying, the purpose of which is to express a sufficient amount of aggression so that potential challengers will not choose to make a challenge. Another way that this could be handled is through the forming of social alliances, which a person would not be able to do if he or she had trouble as mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The origins of social threat originate from the attempts of people to meet biosocial needs, i.e. seeking sexual partners, forming alliances, and acquisition of resources. ...

Definition and Examples of Explication

Definition and Examples of Explication Explication is a term in research and literary criticism for the close analysis of a text or of an excerpt from a longer text. Also known as  exegesis. The term is derived from explication de texte (explanation of text), the practice in French literary studies of closely examining the language of a text to determine meaning. Explication de texte entered English-language criticism with the help of the New Critics, who emphasized a text-only approach as the only valid method of analysis. Thanks to the New Criticism, explication has become established in English as a critical term referring to the nuanced and thorough close reading of textual ambiguities, complexities, and interrelationships (Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, 2003). See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: The Advantages of Slow Reading and Slow WritingAnalysisClose Reading and Deep ReadingCritical Analysis and Critical EssayRevision and Editing Checklist for a Critical EssayRhetorical Analysis EtymologyFrom the Latin, unfold, explain Examples and Observations [An explication  is an] attempt to reveal the meaning by calling attention to implications, such as the connotations of words and the tone conveyed by the brevity or length of a sentence. Unlike a paraphrase, which is a rewording or rephrasing in order to set forth the gist of the meaning, an explication is a commentary that makes explicit what is implicit. If we paraphrased the beginning of the Gettysburg Address, we might turn Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth into Eighty-seven years ago our ancestors established, or some such statement. In an explication, however, we would mention that four score evokes the language of the Bible, and that the biblical echo helps to establish the solemnity and holiness of the occasion. In an explication, we would also mention that fathers initiates a chain of images of birth, continued in conceived in liberty, any nation so conceived, and a new birth.(Marcia Stubbs and Sylvan Barnet, The Little, Brown Reader, 8th ed. Addiso n-Wesley, 2000) Ian Watts Explication of the First Paragraph of The AmbassadorsAn unusually brilliant example of the analysis of a single paragraph of prose is provided by Ian Watts The First Paragraph of The Ambassadors: An Explication, Essays in Criticism, 10 (July 1960), 250-74. Starting out with objectively observable idiosyncrasies of Henry Jamess syntax and diction, Watt relates these features to their function in the paragraph, to their effects on the reader, to the character traits of Strether and the narrator, and ultimately to the cast of Jamess own mind. He attempts then to persuade us that the stylistic features of this one paragraph are not only characteristic of Jamess later prose but also indicative of Jamess complex vision of life and his conception of the novel as an art form.(Edward P.J. Corbett, Approaches to the Study of Style. Teaching Composition: Twelve Bibliographical Essays, rev. ed., edited by Gary Tate. Texas Christian University Press, 1987)Explication as a Writing Assign mentYou may be assigned a paper asking you to analyze a book or portion of a book . . .. We call this method textual analysis because the text itself, what the author wrote, provides your data. Your paper is about the text itself, not about the texts subject matter. . . . Your paper is called an analysis because you take the authors work apart to examine the different components and then put them back together. This activity is called explication: a textual analysis explicates, or explains, what the authors main points are and how they are connected, and offers a critique of the authors argument. An analogy would be taking a car engine apart, explaining each part and how the parts work together and evaluating whether the car is a good buy or a lemon.Mastering the skill of explication will help you write better papers when a textual analysis is assigned. But, perhaps as important, this skill will help you evaluate more clearly all the books and articles you encounter in your academic career.(The Sociology Writing Group, ​A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers, 5th ed. Worth Publishers, 2001) Explication de Texte[Explication de texte is a] step-by-step way of explaining the details of a literary text, practiced in the French school system. Explication de texte differs from the close reading advocated by New Criticism because it restrains itself from acts of interpretation, focusing instead on providing the information that will enable a basic understanding of the work under discussion.(David Mikics, A New Handbook of Literary Terms. Yale University Press, 2007) Pronunciation: ek-sple-KAY-shun (English); ek-sple-ka-syon (French)

Which is best Private or Public Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Which is best Private or Public Schools - Essay Example Some of the above domains are similar both in private and public schools whereas some others are different. Facilities are similar in most of the private and public schools; but are different in their source of revenues. Private schools look for endowments and tuition fees to develop facilities. Public school facilities depend on the economy of the place of operation. In rural areas the facilities may be less for both private and public schools whereas in urban areas the facilities may be better. Private schools are better for the students as far as the class sizes are concerned. Most of the private schools have smaller class sizes compared to the public schools. Individual care is more in private schools because of the smaller class size. The teacher would be able to give more focus to the needs of the students in private schools. On the other hand, public schools have bigger class sizes and hence less individual attention is offered in such institutions. Because of the high salaries in public schools compared to private schools, the teachers are more loyal to their profession in public schools. On the other hand, private schools are hiring professionals of higher academic qualifications which help them to provide quality education to their students. Comparing the above two facts, the general quality of education both in private and public schools are almost same. Public school budgets depend on the economy of its place of operation whereas private schools have lot of other channels for raising funds. Heavy tuition fees is the main revenue source for the private schools whereas in public schools the tuition fees are much low. â€Å"The good news for parents is that public schools cannot charge tuition. The bad news is that public schools are complicated, often underfunded operations influenced by political winds and shortfalls† (Great schools

Humans versus Nature-- which selects better for human survival, from a Essay - 3

Humans versus Nature-- which selects better for human survival, from a biological point of view - Essay Example All through the peoples lives, their genomes cooperate with their surroundings to cause varieties in attributes. Nature of a genome incorporates the atomic science in the cell, different cells, different people, populaces, species, and in addition the abiotic environment. Individuals with specific variations of the attribute may survive and duplicate more than people with other, less fruitful, variations. In this way the populace advances as the components that influence conceptive achievement are additionally imperative, an issue that Charles Darwin grew in his thoughts on sexual choice. Characteristic determination follows up on the phenotype, or the recognizable attributes of an organic entity, yet the hereditary (heritable) premise of any phenotype that gives a regenerative point of interest may get to be more normal in a populace (see allele recurrence). In the long run, this procedure can bring about populaces that practice for specific natural specialties and may in the end bring about the development of new species. At the end of the day, characteristic determination is a vital methodology (however not by any means the only process) by which advancement happens inside a populace of life forms (Wilson). Common determination can be diverged from counterfeit choice, in which people purposefully pick particular characteristics (in spite of the fact that they may not generally get what they need). In natural selection there is no deliberate decision as such, counterfeit determination is teleological and characteristic choice is not teleological. Natural selection is one of the foundations of present day science and the term was presented by Darwin in his persuasive 1859 book On the Origin of Species, in which natural selection was portrayed as comparable to manufactured choice, a procedure by which creatures and plants with qualities

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Case Study Example This person has been found to be an average performer in the company. If this person gets promoted, then this would mark his last promotion before retirement. The last candidate is Quang Yeh, who has been a brilliant student in her class and is associated for almost three years with the company. This person has been found to be very ambitious and is a target oriented person who goes to any extent to meet her set goals. She is also a sincere and efficient employee and makes a point to attain her set goals at any cost. Roy and Quang were preferred by many employees as the most eligible person to get promoted and were found to have personal ties with many powerful people within the organization. On the other hand, Lael was very closely attached with Liz’s daughter, this was again creating a mental block for Lael to take a decision. Lael could not understand which person she should recommend for promotion. She was very confused and could not identify the right person who should be promoted and would be the ideal person for a higher position in the organization. Liz, Roy and Quang are three candidates who are qualifying for the higher managerial position in the organization. All the candidates are being backed by higher authorities in the organization. In support of Roy, one of the senor manager’s of the organization told Lael that â€Å"Roy has been with us a long time. He has done many good things for the company, sacrificing not only himself but also his family. I really hope that you can see your way to promoting him. It would be a favor to me that I wouldn’t forget.† (OLS 263: Ethical Decisions in Leadership Mid-Term Case Study: â€Å"An Ethical Dilemma†, n.d.). This statement shows that this manager wants Roy to get promoted and is trying to influence Lael so that Lael recommends Roy for being promoted. On the other hand, a top management personnel

Triple entry accounting and financial statements Assignment

Triple entry accounting and financial statements - Assignment Example Today many companies often use statements from previous periods or years in order to project the likely outcomes of current finances. This method is not always accurate. Triple-entry accounting is intended to provide predictive accounting that is more accurate than basing results solely on previous outcomes.(Henke)The process of triple-entry accounting is a complex process. It is believed that these methods may be able to predict the future of the business and, even allow, for unforeseen expenditures and happenings. The intention of the triple-entry accounting is to give businesses a clearer view of financial earnings based on an equation that takes into consideration the past, present and future; not just historical data.(Henke)This could be considered a great improvement over current financial statement methodology. Essentially the articulation of the four relevant financial statements simply means that the numbers in the statements among all the statements provided are in agreement with one another. However, there is a lot that goes along with that simple definition The four statements that need to articulate properly are the balance sheet, income statement, Statement of Stockholder Equity, and the Statement of Cash Flow. The balance sheet, is divided into three sections: assets, liabilities, and stockholders’ equity, provides the information concerning the available resources the resources to management and any claims against those resources by present creditors and shareholders. ("Cambridge Publications") All the gains and losses are recorded and then transferred to the income sheet as necessary. The Stockholders Equity reflects the all of the financing provided by the company’s owners. The stockholders hold a claim on residual interest which is accrued via, common stock, prefe rred stock, treasury stock, retained earnings, additional paid capital, any other accumulated income or loss. the statement of cash flows provides

Business Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Business Decision Making - Assignment Example Secondary and primary data will be used to gather the data which will help in making the decision of opening a new branch of the restaurant. The restaurant is very successful and in a short span of time it has earned the company big profits. The taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the top priority because of which it gathers the attention of more and more customers. In addition to it, the price of the food is not very high and it is easily affordable by many. The success of the first restaurant and the increasing number of restaurants in London has encouraged the owners to open a second branch of this restaurant. It is expected that the second branch of the restaurant will also be successful and will also contribute in the profits of the company. Taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the two most important factors that influence the decision of a person to go to a restaurant and these factors will be determined by a market survey of restaurant goers. Financial effectiveness of the plan that will be made will be determined through Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). From the articles of Chen et al. (2015) and Stroozas (2014) it is extracted that the ambience of the restaurant has a big impact on the minds of the customers. The ambiance of the restaurant influences a person to opt for a better restaurant. The customers are more attracted towards a restaurant which have a good quality environment, this factor increases the profitability of the restaurant. It is also observed that the emotions and loyalty are also connected with the ambiance of the restaurants which allows a person to come again and again to the same particular place (Chen et al., 2015; Stroozas, 2014). According to Ivanova et al. (2012), a healthy nutrition environment of the restaurant plays an important role in gaining the attention of people. The tourists are also attracted towards the restaurant where there is a healthy

Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Presentation - Essay Example Though their disillusion with the government hugely influences their active participation into the voting process they are not totally disinterested as shown in 2012 election where two-third had backed Obama! It is not as though the young people do not take part in the political activities or have strong opinion about burning social issues. They support gay marriage, want to legalize abortion and of course, want the drinking age to be lowered. Even though the authenticity of the chart is not established, the information does give insight into the general interests of the young people. Their concern can be accurately gauged from survey result that stress that youngsters are of the view that 57% want smaller government, fewer services and lower tax. At the same time, 66% think government runs programs which are inefficient and wasteful! So when students and the young people reel under the burden of student loan with little employment opportunities, their dislike for the politics is

Business Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Business Decision Making - Assignment Example Secondary and primary data will be used to gather the data which will help in making the decision of opening a new branch of the restaurant. The restaurant is very successful and in a short span of time it has earned the company big profits. The taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the top priority because of which it gathers the attention of more and more customers. In addition to it, the price of the food is not very high and it is easily affordable by many. The success of the first restaurant and the increasing number of restaurants in London has encouraged the owners to open a second branch of this restaurant. It is expected that the second branch of the restaurant will also be successful and will also contribute in the profits of the company. Taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the two most important factors that influence the decision of a person to go to a restaurant and these factors will be determined by a market survey of restaurant goers. Financial effectiveness of the plan that will be made will be determined through Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). From the articles of Chen et al. (2015) and Stroozas (2014) it is extracted that the ambience of the restaurant has a big impact on the minds of the customers. The ambiance of the restaurant influences a person to opt for a better restaurant. The customers are more attracted towards a restaurant which have a good quality environment, this factor increases the profitability of the restaurant. It is also observed that the emotions and loyalty are also connected with the ambiance of the restaurants which allows a person to come again and again to the same particular place (Chen et al., 2015; Stroozas, 2014). According to Ivanova et al. (2012), a healthy nutrition environment of the restaurant plays an important role in gaining the attention of people. The tourists are also attracted towards the restaurant where there is a healthy

Fact Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fact Paper - Essay Example Baking soda is generally naturally occurring because it is mined from trona ore, although it can also be chemically made (â€Å"Soda Ash† 1-1; â€Å"What is Baking Soda?†). Baking soda is an alkali that can be applied on conditions or materials that need pH levels to be adjusted by decreasing the quantity of acid in it (Garvin). It has a gritty structure, and it gives off carbon dioxide when heated (â€Å"What is Baking Soda?†). Because of these properties, baking soda can serve numerous beauty, cleaning and health purposes (Fassa; Halvorson; Mercola). Baking soda can be used for beauty purposes. Baking soda can be put in one’s underarms to serve as a deodorant (Marvin). It does not stop sweating, but it can prevent the production of body odour (Marvin). Doctor Joseph Mercola recommends baking soda as a deodorant because it does not have harmful parabens and aluminium that are usually found in commercial deodorants. Apart from baking soda’s deodoriz ing effect, it can also exfoliate the skin. Doctor Mercola states that a â€Å"paste [can be] made from three parts of baking soda combined with 1 part water [and it] can be used as an exfoliator for your face and body. It’s natural, inexpensive and gentle enough to use every day.† Baking soda can exfoliate the skin gently and naturally, so it can be used as a facial and body scrub (Marvin). In addition, baking soda can be used as a teeth whitener. Doctor Mercola suggests that people can crush a ripe strawberry and mix it with half a teaspoon of baking soda, spread it on their teeth, and leave it on for five minutes. People should brush their teeth and rinse after (Mercola). He recommends for this to be done only once a week for teeth whitening because baking soda can corrode tooth enamel (Mercola). Wendy Michaels reports that Julia Roberts only uses baking soda as her toothpaste, and she has white teeth, which could be proof that baking soda can whiten and clean teeth . Furthermore, baking soda can make skin feel softer (Marvin). For those who want a baking soda soak or baking soda bath, they can use a cup of baking soda and mix it with their tub, and they can have soft skin afterwards (Marvin). Baking soda can also be used as shampoo. People can add a teaspoon of baking soda to their shampoo bottle to help eliminate build-up of chemicals from conditioners, mousses, and sprays and to better manage hair (Halvorson). Some people also use baking soda as shampoo, also called as no ‘poo method (Oxenreider). Tsh Oxenreider advises adding one tablespoon of baking soda to one cup of water and to use that as shampoo. She explains that shampoo products mostly have chemicals that actually dry scalp and hair, but baking soda will not because it is a naturally occurring substance that adjusts pH levels of hair and scalp (Oxenreider). These are some of the beauty uses of baking soda that people can try. Baking soda can also be used as a purifying and cle aning agent. Baking soda is often sold as an air purifier that can be used inside refrigerators, cars and other containers (Fassa). It can also deodorize many things, such as carpets and shoes (Fassa). Just sprinkle them on these objects, let it sit for fifteen minutes, and then remove it to minimize odour (Mercola). Baking soda can be sprinkled on slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to get rid of foul odour too (Marvin). Moreover, baking soda is a cleaning agent in the kitchen and bathroom. Baking soda can

Joints Bones One Health And Social Care Essay

Joints Bones One Health And Social Care Essay In both chapters six and seven we will take a detailed look at our skeleton and the joints and attachments. We will briefly introduce the skeleton here in chapter six but discuss it in greater detail and specificity in chapter seven. Thus our focus in chapter six will mainly be on our joints, how they allow us to move and how they are classified. You will notice that the various joints in our body allow different ranges of motion. In general, the more mobile a joint, the less stable it is, making it more prone to injury. The shoulder joint is a nice example. However, there are other factors that affect our mobility and stability such as ligaments, tendons, skin, cartilage and daily activity. We will look at these in greater detail over the next few chapters. But lets start by taking a simple look at the basic functions of the skeleton. Basic Skeleton Function The skeleton is our basic framework of support for all body tissues. It is our internal scaffolding that provides support for organs, allows movement, and gives us protection. The skeleton system is the name that is given to the collection of about 206 bones in addition to the joints and ligaments. The skeleton has many important functions that vary in complexity but generally includes the following: (insert simple skeleton schematic) 1. It protects the bodys vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs and other organs. 2. It gives us our shape, posture and support. 3. It provides sites for muscular attachment that allows us to move. 4. It provides a reservoir for the storage of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, fat, magnesium and many other minerals. 5. It is an important site for the production of blood cells, specifically red blood cells that allow us to transport oxygen. Our skeleton is a complex living system that is constantly changing. We will discuss many of these components in Chapter 7. However, at this stage we are interested in the role of the skeleton in how it allows us to move. In order to do this we need to take a look at our joint structure. The 206 bones in our body form approximately 230 joints. The joints are simply the place where two bones meet. Joints, which are also referred to as articulations, come in many different forms and not all are movable. The degree of mobility in a joint has a lot to do with its role or addition to its shape. The joints fall into three categories: synovial, fibrous or cartilaginous. They vary in movement and design. Types and Classification of Joints Joints are found anywhere that two bones meet. They have a specific and natural range of motion ranging from highly movable to unmovable. While most of our joints are freely movable, many are not. Joints are classified in several ways. For example, we classify some according to their architecture or their range of motion. Commonly, we use a mix of anatomical architecture and range of motion. In terms of movement, joints can also be classified according to the number of cardinal planes in which they can move. Therefore, joints can be non-axial (allowing no movement in any plane), uni-axial (movement in one plane of motion), biaxial (movement in two planes of motion), or tri-axial (movement in three planes of motion). Those joints that are freely movable are also referred to as synovial joints because at the end of the bone is a smooth covering layer called the synovial membrane. This membrane secretes a lubricating substance called synovial fluid which allows the joints to move in a s mooth and fluid fashion. As this membrane breaks down over time we often experience more discomfort in our joints with movement. This is a form of arthritis. (Chapter 8 in Seeley has great illustrations for all of this chapter) Joints are normally classified as belonging to one of three sub-classes. These classifications are based on several factors, including: a. the presence or absence of a joint cavity b. the shape and nature of the connection c. the degree of movement. The three sub classes are as follows: Synovial or Diarthrosis joints (freely movable). Fibrous or Synarthrosis joints (immovable). Cartilaginous or Amphiarthrosis joints (slightly movable). Synovial or Diarthrosis Joints These are the freely movable joints such as the shoulder, knee, ankle, etc. With this type of joint the articulating bones are covered with articular cartilage which is surrounded by an articular capsule which is lined with a synovial membrane. The articular surfaces are smooth and allow easy fluid movement. The synovial joint has two main functions. One is to allow movement, while the second is to transmit forces from one segment of the body to another segment, or one part of a limb to the other. The interactions between bones at an articulation are regulated by several types of structures. There include the joint capsule, synovial membrane, ligaments, bone shape, articular cartilage and pressure. However, it is the general structure of the synovial joint that permits smooth movement. Synovial joints have five characteristic features. They all contain the following which facilitates their range of motion: a. articular cartilage b. joint cavity c. articular capsule d. synovial membrane e. synovial fluid These contents and arrangements allow the bones to move and glide across each other. This synovial arrangement allows for the greater range of movement of any joint types and movements permitted include the following: gliding, hinge, pivot, circumduction. Of these movement types gliding is the most common as it occurs in every synovial joint since it allows them to simply glide over each other. In some joints, like the carpal and tarsal joints, gliding is the only movement possible. The articular end of bones in a synovial joint are covered with hyaline cartilage (articular cartilage) and a surrounding tubular capsule which we call the joint capsule. The joint capsule is composed of an outer layer of ligaments and on the inside contains a synovial membrane which secretes synovial fluid. Some synovial joints have additional features. For example the knee contains small shock absorbing pads called menisci. Menisci are actually small pieces of fibrocartilage situated between the bones t o absorb shock. Joints with menisci also have small fluid filled sacs called bursae. Bursae are also lined with synovial fluid and also help with smooth joint movement. Lets look at the synovial joints in more detail. There are six types of synovial joints. If you read different textbooks you will notice several different terms for the same type of joint. Where appropriate the other terms are also provided. (Insert Figs 8.8-8.12 from Seeley) (Also insert table 7.4 from Shier) a. Pivot Joint. This joint comprises a ring of bone that rotates around another. An example of this is found in the neck (the atlanto-axial joint). This joint is also referred to as a troichoidal or screw joint. This type of joint can also occur when two long bones fit against each other so that the bones roll around each other as with the radius and the ulnar in the forearm. The only type of movement that pivot joints allow is rotation. This movement only occurs in one plane and is therefore uni-axial. b. Ball and Socket Joint (enarthrodial, spheroidal). This joint is the most mobile and allows movements in all directions. Examples include the hip and shoulder. The high degree of mobility also causes the joint to be less stable. In this type of joint, the head of a long bone fits into a cuplike structure of the other bone. If you think about the trailer and hitch setup on a car, the joint is highly mobile and allows movements in the three cardinal planes and is therefore referred to as tri-axial. c. Hinge Joint (ginglymus). This joint allows flexion and extension (but not rotation). For this reason it is referred to as a uni-axial joint. Examples are the elbow and the knee joint. This joint structure contains strong ligaments and is therefore a very stable joint. d. Ellipsoid (condyloid, ovoid). This joint is essentially a less flexible version of the ball and socket joint. This joint has an oval surface that fits into a reciprocally shaped concave disc surface. This joint allows movements in tow planes and is therefore biaxial. It allows flexion and extension movements, and abduction and adduction and therefore circumduction as these movements can occur together. Examples include the radiocarpal joints. e. Saddle (sellar, carpometacarpal). The visual of a riding saddle is a good image to depict this joint. The bone surfaces are both shaped like a riding saddle and therefore fit over each other allowing flexion and extension, and abduction and adduction. Even though this joint has the same movement capabilities as the ellipsoidal, it has a greater range of motion. The joint is therefore biaxial. An example is the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. f. Gliding (plane, arthrodial). In this type of joint the articulating surfaces are almost flat and so the surfaces glide over each other. This motion is fairly limited and the joint is viewed as a non-axial joint. Examples of this joint include the intercarpal and intertarsal joints. There are also other synovial type structures that are associated with the diarthrodial joints. They are called bursae and tendon sheaths. Like other aspects of the joint capsule these are susceptible to injury and breakdown over time causing discomfort and pain. The bursae are small capsules lined with synovial membranes that also contain synovial fluid. Their role is more for cushioning between the bones as opposed to providing a fluid lubrication surface (although they do that also). A primary role of bursae is to separate tendons and bone which reduces the friction during movement. Tendon sheaths are also synovial structures that surround tendons. Tendon sheaths are double layered structures and they also add an element of protection to many tendons that cross joints, such as those in the hands and wrist. Fibrous or Synarthrosis Joints These joints do not contain an articular cavity and are generally viewed as immovable. These joints are made mainly from fibrous connective tissue and can move very little. They are mostly concerned with absorbing shock. In this type of joint two bones are joined together by a fibrous connective tissue. There are two basic types of fibrous joints. a. Sutures. This type of joint is found only in the skull. They are very rigid joints designed mainly to absorb impact. The design of these joints is such that grooved or serrated bone ends are attached by tightly connected fibers. This also allows skull growth. As an adult these fibers begin to ossify and are eventually 100% replaced by bone and then are basically immovable versus somewhat movable in growing children. b. Syndesmoses. Like sutures, dense fibrous tissues bind the bones together allowing limited movement (although more than sutures). Examples in the body include the coraco-acromial joint. In this joint arrangement the bones are usually further apart than they are in sutures and are joined by ligaments. Hence, allowing some movement. The teeth are also an example of a particular type of fibrous joint. Sometimes they are called peg and socket joints. This joint is more accurately referred to as a gomphosis joint. Gomphosis literally means a bolt in Greek. A gomphosis joint is an articulation via the insertion of a conic process into a socket (hence the bolt). If you envisage the root of your tooth into an alvestus (small hollow) in your jaw, this is the form it takes. A gomphosis is not really a connection between two bones even though it is considered a fibrous joint. Cartilaginous or Amphiarthrosis Joints These joints do not contain an articular cavity but are viewed as slightly movable. They allow a twisting or bending motion. There are two basic types of cartilaginous joints differentiated on whether they joint together using hyaline cartilage (sychondroses) or fibrous cartilage (symphyses): a. Sychondroses. This literally means held together by cartilage. The bones are held together by a thin layer of hyaline cartilage. Examples include the sternocostal joints. The growth plates of bones are sychondroses. Interestingly, many sychondroses are temporary as bone eventually replaces the cartilage forming a synostoses (when two bones fuse together to form one bone). b. Symphyses. These joints are connected by fibrous cartilage which allows slight compression. In these joints a thin layer of hyaline cartilage separates a disk of fibro cartilage from the bones. Again, the joints allow limited movement. Examples include the vertebral joints. (Insert Table 8.2/8.1, Seeley) Joint lubrication The smooth movement of synovial joints is made possible by several features. We generally identify two forms of lubrication and refer to them as boundary lubrication and fluid film lubrication. The fluid film lubrication is really what allows us our day to day fluid movement as it comprises a thin film of lubricant that separates the bones. It functions for the most part under low loads with higher speeds. As an interesting side note; synovial joints can self-lubricate by shifting the synovial fluid back and forth under bone surfaces as the bones move. Boundary lubrication on the other hand is more important for higher stress loads over longer periods of time. Cartilage In the earlier section on synovial joints we introduced the terms articular cartilage and articular capsule. We also discussed the role of the synovial fluid in lubricating these joints. Like any mechanical device, be it a bicycle chain or car engine or human joint, lubrication is vital for proper functioning. In humans, a white connective tissue known as articular cartilage provides this lubrication. This white dense cartilage coats the ends of the bones in diarthrodial joints allowing movement with minimal friction, wear and pain. It also spreads the load at the joint over a wider area decreasing pressure and stress at any contact point. Estimates suggest that articular cartilage can reduce the contact stress on bones and joints by up to 50%. Articular cartilage is somewhat unique in its design as a living substance. Articular cartilage contains no blood vessels, nerves or lymph vessels. Water makes up most of the mass of articular cartilage with estimates ranging from 65-80% of th e weight of the time. Articular cartilage is also referred to as a viscoelastic tissue, sometimes this is referred to as biologically time dependent. What this means is that when you apply a constant load over time to the cartilage, its mechanical behavior (and shape) will also change over time. An example of this is an increase in the thickness of cartilage that occurs from exercise as greater volumes of fluid move in and out of the joint! Cartilage is a connective tissue that comes in several forms. There are three recognized types: a. hyaline b. articular c. white fibrocartilage Hyaline cartilage is smooth with shiny physical properties of a glue-like substance (even though it lubricates). The term hyal means glassy. Articular cartilage lines the articular (smooth) surfaces of the bones allowing for efficient smooth movement. White fibrocartilage is a strong fibrous tissue saturated with the glue-like cartilage that gives it a very strong tendon-like property. Articular fibrocartilage is found in amphiarthroses joints. This articular fibrocartilage is found as a fibrocartilaginous disc known as a menisci. This is the design in the intervertebral discs. The role of menisci are somewhat unclear but are believed to help reduce shock. The final articular component is that of articular connective tissue. Articular connective tissue includes both tendons and ligaments. The tendons connect muscle to bone and the ligaments connect bone to bone. These connective tissues are passive tissues comprised mainly of collagen and elastic fibers. These tissues are minimally extensible with no contraction ability and instead return to resting length as the muscle relaxes and the antagonist contracts. These tissues are elastic which helps them return to their original length. Ligaments Ligaments join bone to bone by inserting directly into the bone of the periosteum. Ligaments comprise fibers that are arranged in various directions. The major constituent in ligaments is the protein collagen and is very strong. The ligaments plan a major role in the stability of a joint. The arrangement of the ligaments varies according to the joint and the degree of mobility within the joint. In joints with greater mobility and larger ranges of motion there are usually multiple ligaments. The knee is a nice example in that its mobility necessitates four ligaments. This arrangement allows for a high degree of mobility while also maintaining its stability. Joint Problems and Injuries The basic shape of joints and they way they functions makes them prime targets for injuries. Some injuries are mild like a sprain or slight hyperextension while others are much more severe like shoulder dislocations or torn anterior cruciate ligaments. Sprains basically are a stretch of the ligaments and are usually very painful although not serious. While many joint injuries heal on their own, many do not and require either surgery or medications. Common joint injuries include the sprains and strains but also tennis elbow or nursemaids elbow. Nursemaids elbow occurs when the radius (one of the bones in the forearm) slips out of place from where it normally attaches to the elbow joint. It is a common condition in children younger than 4 years of age. It is also called pulled elbow, slipped elbow, or toddler elbow. The medical term for nursemaids elbow is radial head subluxation. A sudden pulling or traction on the hand or forearm causes nursemaids elbow. This causes the radius to sli p out of the ligament holding it into the elbow. It can occur when an infant rolls himself or herself over, from a fall or from pulling, or swinging a young child by the hand. Tennis elbow is also a very common injury and contrary to popular belief doesnt just result from playing tennis. Tennis elbow is a repetitive stress injury of the elbow that occurs when the muscles and tendons in the elbow area are torn or damaged. Tennis elbow is usually caused by repetitive activities that strain the tendons in the elbow area, such as using a manual screwdriver, using a hammer, gripping something repeatedly or of course hitting backhand in tennis. These types of injuries are usually acute and be treated effectively within a few days. Other conditions like arthritis are more chronic and require more long term treatment. Much joint soreness is caused by some sort of inflammation and the biggest cause of joint soreness in humans is arthritis which can affect any joint in the body. Arthritis is basically an inflammation of any joint in the body. Perhaps you have noticed that you are a little more stiff and slow when you get out of bed in the morning. Although we dont always feel it, arthritis is pretty much present in every person. As it develops it causes pain in the joints with movement especially after periods of inactivity. It is estimated to affect about 10% of the worlds population and 14% of the US population and is suggested as the leading cause of disability in people over 50 years old. There are many types of arthritis but the most common is probably osteoarthritis (OA). OA affects articular cartilage and results from the breakdown of the joint capsule and loss of synovial fluid. This means bones can end up rubbing together which cause pain an inflammation. However, it is not just the joint c apsule per se that is involved but also the ligaments, tendons and muscles. It has long been maintained that repetitive stresses caused arthritis but that is not always the case as we know that people who exercise regularly do not develop as much arthritis. It appears to be more due to trauma, age and infection. Summary In chapter six we provided a brief introduction of the general skeleton but paying particular attention to the role and classifications of articulations (or joints). We have learned that although there are many, many types of joints there are three basic classifications, namely, synovial, fibrous, and cartilaginous. The joints are classified according to their structure and also how much movement they allow. The joints that we are interested in the most in kinesiology are really the synovial joints. They are what permit the greatest range of motion. The structure of these joints is highly dependent upon synovial fluid which is a highly fluid lubricating substance permitting smooth movement. Joints vary in their range of motion whereby some joints do not allow any movement and some allow movement in all three cardinal planes. As a general rule, the more planes of movement a joint can move through, the less stable the joint, and the more likely we are to injure it. The shoulder joint i s a nice example of this relationship. Ligaments are also present in joints and they play a varying role in the stability of a joint. Ligaments join bone to bone and are highly tensile structures. Generally, we find a greater arrangement of ligaments in joints with greater ranges of motion. Research note: You may have noticed that women often become more flexible when they are pregnant. Naturally, this is to prepare for the action of childbirth and labor. However, for this increased flexibility to occur there needs to be structural changes in the joint structure. This is mediated by changes in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. But there is another not so common hormone, relaxin, which increases and acts to improve mobility in the symphysis pubis, allowing them to stretch more. Although this action is most pronounced in the symphysis pubis, the hormone can act on all connective tissue in the body. However, while this is beneficial, it can also be problematic as this increased flexibility can cause injury such as back pain, or in worse cases torn ligaments during a fall. For the most part the hormone levels are restored to normal levels shortly after delivery. Can you now answer the following questions related to joints and joint structure? Differentiate between a fibrous joint, a cartilaginous joint, and a synovial joint! 2. Can you identify which of the synovial joints have: a. 3 degrees of freedom? b. 2 degrees of freedom? c. 1 degree of freedom? 3. In your own words describe the 3 major classifications of joints and give two examples for each classification (if possible). Also write the synonym for the terms below. a. Synarthrodial joint? b. Amphiarthrodial joint? c. Diarthrodial joint? d. Synostosis? Can you list a motion/action that is allowed for each of the six diarthrodial joints: 5. Identify 5 primary functions of the skeleton! 6. Starting with the neck and working downwards, classify each joint. Neck Shoulder Elbow Wrist Fingers (not thumb) Thumb Trunk (bottom of spine) Hip Knee Ankle 7. Identify the type of joint shown below and then identify, where possible, two locations where one may find that type of joint on your body: Insert a picture of 6 diarthrodial joints!

Cloning: A Good Thing Essay -- Science Genetics DNA Clone Essays

Cloning: A Good Thing A growing controversy in the world today is cloning. One stance is that cloning and cloning research should be banned altogether. Another position is in support of no restrictions of cloning and that scientists should be able to test on animals if they deem it necessary. Many other views are squeezed into different gray areas on the topic. It would be beneficial to explore the methods, benefits, moral and ethical conflicts involved with human cloning to fully understand the pros of cloning. The methods of human cloning and the research that accompanies them can provide a great deal of benefits. The benefits of human cloning include important medical breakthroughs, reproduction, and morality issues. Animals and plants could be cloned to produce lifesaving medicines through the research obtained on the way to human cloning. Human cloning research could cure many incurable diseases. â€Å"Medical breakthroughs from cloning research could cure cancer and heart attacks, lead to organs for organ transplants, and a revolution in cosmetic surgery. A balding man could have grafts made of his own hair and have it transplanted onto his scalp† (Human Cloning Foundation). Human cloning technology could allow children to lead better lives than their parents did, because of medical breakthroughs. Cloning could lead to the fountain of youth. It could allow reproduction of organs so people could transplant organs and never die. Infertile couples co...

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Indo European Folktales Study guide

Broad geographical grouping with a common linguistic background William Jones founded that Sanskrit was salary to Alan and Greek Proto-London European : no actual proof this group of people existed Folklore Colloquial definition: is a folktale true or not? Scholarly definition: how does a tale reflect the customs or values of a people Precursors to the Grimm Anne Sexton relation to the Grams Snow White – Anne Sexton Focus: female beauty Mirror motif Superficial male desire – women is an object of beauty, man knows nothing else about her Mother-daughter conflictQueen Is losing beauty with her age, Jealous of Snow White because Snow White Is becoming more beautiful Happy ending Snow White is made to look Like a china doll † she Is beautiful on the outside but empty on the Inside, an object to be viewed Similarities Real subject matter Issues/themes are similar Differences Narrative perspective – Anne Sexton uses â€Å"l† & Identifies herself as a middl e age witch She critiqued patriarchy – spoke to a contemporary New England audience New Issues/theme † she spoke to a contemporary audience, she tells her tales In modern form applying them to today's society Angela CarterThe Bloody Chamber and Other Stories Rewrote some of the Blueberry tales She wanted to focus on the desires/thoughts of women Believed women could show they had power Not romantic (as opposed to Anne Sexton who was more romantic) Wrote â€Å"Tiger's Bride† based on the Beauty and the Beast and Tigers Bride (merged stories) Her Version of Tigers Bride Narrative perspective: included thoughts of characters Characters Bride – coming of age Father – bad father, gambles everything away Tiger – beast figure – not sure what Hess Like on the Inside Father sells her In a game of cards, beast just wants to see her naked He shows her his stuff and there are sexual encounters (because she turned on by the animal inside him and he brought out the animal in her) Themes of the story: social restrictions, confinement, code of honor that restricted women, rejecting patriarchal society, liberation of women (feminism), she doesn't go to save her father Regular version of Tiger's Bride Enemy of patriarchy Patriarchy Ideals of the submissive wife Western Tradition Wives submit themselves to heir husband, husband is the head of the wife and savior of her body Russian folk The man is the head but the woman is the neck, the head will follow the neck where it turns Less patriarchal than western society Wish Tales, all the Wives tales promote patriarchal society Women's desires are irrational Female threats to patriarchy Pride (shrewdness) Insatiable and irrational desire Disobedience Women are always doing the opposite of what should be done Memento moor Reminder put into paintings that you will eventually die Ex: a feast, everyone is having fun, in a painting, and a skull or crossbones as a reminder you are going to di e Death tales – reminders of death Deaths messengers Mourning A natural process, Just grief in general Have some sort of ceremony where we can externalities the grief Monument Tale: the Mustard SeedMelancholy Initialization of grief Don't get rid of it Tale: The Place Where There Are No Graves Ate the dead bodies – literally internalized death Parody Humorous/satirical imitation Blatant discrepancies Criticizes original Sheer Objects of Parody Disney Moral structure, technology, family structures, Americanization Fairy Tales Ideals of Beauty Methods of Parody Pop culture references Irrelevant and crude humor Problems with Parody No alternative offered Must rely on what it ridicules American Dream Used music and color for the first time Made propaganda during WI for the US Disney's Reworking of Fairy Tales Challenges: Length Objectionable subject matter Moral murkiness Its hard to turn a fairy tale into a film because the fairy tales are short, there's not enough materi al, unclear at times and some things are inappropriate Disney Formula Disney took oral tales Clear structure of good and evil Heightened romance Omits a lot of the violence Romance replaces sex Clear defined value system Gender roles are traditional Cultural stereotypes Technology and form Technology as a subject: magic Visual elements vs†¦ He text Genre Hollywood musical Characterization Formulaic 19th Century Melodrama Innocent Heroine Gallant Hero Evil Villain Minor Characters Secondary wives, animals, dwarves, sidekicks for common relief Family Structures Absent mothers Absent or inept fathers Americanization Democratic Protagonists are all teens Domestic/submissive role of women Rags to riches with personal ingenuity Made fun of nobility – very much American No direct violence between humans – instead inanimate objects (candles) or animals Sublimation of Violence Irony Cinderella – violence between animals instead of humans Royal Dahl Skipping backgrou nd and analysis due to time constraints Verse form Plot somewhat different than original but still similarModern details not from ancient past – fit into modern society Tales linked together in a fairy tale world Fairy tale audience – what children want to hear, didn't take out much of the violence or crude stuff Woman as a victim – making fun of this and gives his tale a feminist twist, women have a sense of power Techniques of parody Form and style – rhyme with adult type of humor, uses a lot of slang, emphasizes the difference between tales then and now Characters and plot make us see the inconsistence in the original tale Know his version of Little Red riding Hood Gilles De Raise A blueberry figure Murdered children Gunman the Accursed Historical basis for the blueberry character Murdered several of his previous wives and his fourth wife found the body chamber Real event Fourth wife was Saint Therein Saint Therein (see above) Jane Champion (the Piano) Had a blue filter on her piano The woman was mute and only used the piano as a means to communicate Her husband (a blueberry character) chopped off her fingers so she could not communicate Margaret of Invader (the Heptathlon) Queen of Invader Defender of well known humanists and some authors in her writing Important figure in her time Story represents husband forgiving herRenaissance culture The Heptathlon Adulteress punishment Pretty high up in French nobility Progressive for her day Giovanni Vacation (The Dodecahedron) Philosophies Poetry of the people Everyday people are close to nature and the events in the past than the upper class Simplicity and authenticity Tales are something organic Monogenic One origin of the stories and then variations arose from that one version Polynesia Multiple origins of the same type of tale because the same people are going through similar experiences in different places Carol Jung – Archetypes Show us ways to transformation and development Genres of Folktale Literature Legend: has historical grounding, is unspecific Ex: Johnny Applauded Fairy Tales: rely on magic to provide fantasy solutions to overcome problems Myths: narrative projection formed into a story, relationship deeper with the universe Fable: moral, usually explicit, personification, very short stories, always have animals who talk, not like fairytale were they can talk through magical power but no magic is needed for them to talk Everyday life situations Protagonists are animals Moral truth NOT magic Animals give Didactic function The Stake Tales The PanchromaticFunction of Folktales Explanatory Traditional (accompany rituals) Social (help bring people together) Schools of Folklore Inquiry Origin Form Meaning Style Origins: Early Stages Distribution and dissemination of folktales Grimm Frederic Max Mueller Scholar of Sanskrit Solar mythology: doesn't have anything to do with the sun, but the natural world Folktales are explanations of natural phenomenon Mueller Theodore Bendy German Orientals Studied Eastern cultures Argued that tales began in India Folktales traveled through three major avenues: Oral traditions from merchants Arabic and Persian Translations Contact between Muslim and European Origins: Historical and geographical method Reconstruct the history of a particular tale – look at versions and triangulate what the common origin is Methodology: assemble all the known variants of a tale; from Motif: reoccurring theme, each element in a table Type: a bunch of motifs strung together, a traditional tale that has a unique ordering the motifs Form Two major schools Formalist Vladimir Prop Functions Actions that are taken by characters, how do these action move the tale, slow it down, or influence the overall structure of the tale Ex: LORD meeting the wolf? What function does this have?Functions happen in a certain order 31 possible functions, sequential, but not all functions appear in all tales Structuralism Levi-Strauss Myths reflect the logical structure of the human mind Binary opposition: two things in nature that are opposed See formalist and functions above Believed folklore is a special form of verbal art Works of folklore and literature have different morphologies that folklore has specific structures Literary works have an author, folklore works never have an author Literature is constant, folklore changes independently of people's will Morphology: a ascription of the tale according to its component part and the relationship of these components to each other and to the whole Max Lithium & Style Stylistic Analysis Four Features of Folklore One Dimensionality Coexistence of a real and enchanted world Happen to walk from a real world into an enchanted one Dependableness Absence of character motivation Don't need to know the character history to know their motivations Often found in fairy tales Lack of psychological depth Abstraction Extremes and conventions contrasts Ex: troll eats an ox BC H ess so hungry Fixed formulas: man living alone at top of a mountain, obviously is a troll Isolation ND Universal connection Lack of sustained relationship between characters On the other hand, everyone is connected to and affects everyone else Relationships either do not matter or you cannot escape them Style: Performance Centered Approaches Focus of studies from social context to creative process of storytelling Looking at the Changeling Definition: a child who is exchanged by a supernatural being for a good human child Anonymous take the good baby and leave evil offspring bedding Why do these stories arise?Attempt to explain natural problems, physical deformities Usually in the form off legend Luther believed in changelings Bethlehem Prefers fairy tales to other kinds of children's literature Can learn about the inner problems of human beings Children can better understand herself and complex world Fairy tales differ from children's literature Parents impact the children most, the n cultural heritage Hansel and Greeter Anxieties a child must overcome Oral fixations Mother†source of food to children, fail to meet oral demands Witch†personification of the destructive aspects of reality Gingerbread house†oral greediness and giving into primitive satisfactionsJewels†children transcend their oral anxiety and free themselves of relying on oral satisfaction for security, and can free themselves of the image of the threatening mother (witch) Birds†all white, divine intervention, guidance Breadcrumbs†starvation, anxiety Expanse of water†Christian allegory, symbolizes the way they have changed, maturity, baptism Teaches the lesson to explore your imagination, work together, and mothers are important Bluebirds Interpreted Blueberry tales as patriarchal power with violence, yet women can see through the power of men and come on top with their sight Little Red Riding Hood She is not yet ready for sexuality People say he only picke d certain parts of the fairy tale to prove his argument Promotes themes of sexuality Cinderella split of mother helps a child to preserve an internal all good mother while the mother is not good at all, but permits anger with bad stepmother as a different person to protect child from being overwhelmed Jack and the Beanstalk Transition out of the oral phase into the phallic phase Why?Boy is forced to sell cow BC it stops giving milk Beanstalk episode is Jacks dream, growth represents growth of sexual power Giants re Oedipal projections, father is rival and has to fight with his father to take his place Resolution of Oedipal conflict in the end Sleeping Beauty Undines Female virgin water spirit Defined by having to marry a man on earth to become a human SST. George / Dragon Slayers Ideals of chivalry Emblem includes red cross Symbol of England Golden Legend – Jacques De Favoring Frau Whole Freer Collected by Grimm Didactic function: teaches hard work and respect for higher bein g Typical: woman loses distaff, goes underground and meets Frau Whole who tests willingness to work Folk Hero People identify with See virtue embodied in them Teach lessons to those in power Ridicule those in power Disney (Beauty and the Beast) vs†¦ He Tale Rose in both stories, but in Vhf, the male picks a rose from the beast's estate, but in the Disney film, the rose is a different symbol Different family structure in film and Vhf – only child in Disney, in the book there are three daughters and sons Message is similar in both: looks can be deceptive, don't Judge by appearances Simpleton Stupid boy, youngest of all sons Ex: The Flying Ship and The Rabbit herd Overcomes impossible tasks to marry kings daughter, gets help from an older mentor pro-social side) Motif of three tasks to overcome The tasks usually involve the boy having a confrontation with the king (finding place in patriarchal society) Animal Brides The skin: different identity, gender roles, type of person you are, antisocial identity, sexuality can be linked to independence or freedom, put ring on finger which is the symbol of a chain, skin as protection for women Men trying to take the skin: personal violation, controlling women Incompatibility of two worlds, social classes, etc Animal Bridegrooms Morals: keep promises Arranged marriages and coming to terms with an arranged marriage Wild ManOrigins: India, Roman Empire, Grimm in Medieval Christian Europe Wild Man represents the natural, wild aggressive tendencies of boys and the boy must rely on the aggressive/courageous tendencies of wild man and rules of society to have coming of age Promote pro-social and antisocial tendencies to have coming of age Frame Narrative Story within a story 1001 Arabian Nights: someone is telling a story in the story Stake Tales Tales of Buddha Reincarnation, Buddha in different times and places Characterized by humor and imagination Jean De la Fontanne Political Unmask corruption and dishonesty of th e court Used animals not humans Criticism of political figures without using names The Paid Mostly about animals Had morals Quick thinking Oldest collection of tales in Sanskrit Nobility Teach young princes how to act Vampire Between fairy tale and legend Definition: corpse rise from the grave at night, get blood from humans Similar to today's zombies In Christian legends were souls of pain, not baptized, referred to as sorcerers Souls from purgatory Eastern European source: Alasdair Fantasy Socio-historical Reasons for Vampire Lore in Eastern Europe Improper decode Christianization of Eastern EuropeBubonic plague Vela Tepees Drachma Romania Prince Historical Vampire figure Elizabeth (Ersatzes) Battery Slovakia Countess Took virgin's blood, drank it, took a both in it, preserve youth She wasn't executed because she was a royal, but was locked in the castle the rest of her life Jeanne-Marie eel Prince De Beaumont Taught in schools for all social classes Wanted to teach proper conduct for young women Frederica Nietzsche (On the Genealogy of Morals) Good and Bad / Good and Evil Talked about power in the Catholic church Nietzsche said the Catholic church gains power by telling people they should be cake and submissive Freud – Stages of Sexual Development Oral: as a baby, you get pleasure through â€Å"oral† things, such as sucking on thumbs Sadistic/anal: little kids find pleasure in making bowel movements Phallic Genital: you want pleasure via genital contact of the opposite sex and same age Latency Period of sleep Oedipal complex Bang your mom, kill your dad Fools vs†¦ Tricksters Fools teach lessons by making themselves a fool Tricksters teach lessons by making you a fool Recitation Readings Donald Hawse: mirrors, Mine, or Ours? Perpetual, the Brothers Grimm and Ownership ofFairy Tales† Nationalistic ownership results in stereotyping Universalistic Belongs to everyone, but is wrong BC were all products of different stuff We should indivi dually own them – not owned by Disney or a corporation Soar Shaves: â€Å"The Concept of Childhood and Children's Folktales: Test Case – ‘Little Red Riding Hood† Jack Zip's: â€Å"Breaking the Disney Spell† Folklore body is a communal effort – we all own it together Marxist Corporate ownership of what should be communal The Morals/Themes of the Tales The Shrewish Wives Manipulating the women by threatening to go back to her fathers place Public immolation Weaken Grizzlier Humiliation Sexual = he made her pregnant Social = marrying a beggar Financial = marrying a beggar (previously a princess) Morally/ethically = makes her steal and get caught Women Who Rule Their Husbands Show the danger of letting women be in charge Wish Tales Plot Structure Wish(sees) granted Asks wife for advice Wastes wish Woman tells man what to do with the wishes, which is a mistake Disaster results from weak husbands Talkative Wives Motif: wife who talks too much Lesso n: women are chatterboxes, talk too much Foolish Wives Another female character flaw: foolishness