Thursday, November 28, 2019

Sexualization of Children

Introduction Bare midriffs, spaghetti strap tops, skinny jeans and short shorts all once belonged in the realm of teen/young adult clothing yet as of late there has been a growing trend wherein such clothing choices have now become common place among children aged 12 and below (Gill, 137-160).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sexualization of Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such is the influence of modern day popular culture that sexualization and objectification has not been limited to adults and teens but has now begun to encompass children as young as 7 to 10 years of age (Bill, 1). Sexualization can be defined as process where an individual’s sense of personal â€Å"value† is actually based on sex appeal or a predefined and narrow standard of attractiveness (Goodin et al. 1). This has resulted in the proliferation of numerous clothing lines, products and even popular culture sh ows which place a certain degree of sexualization on children resulting in the creation of what is now perceived as a cultural norm when it comes to children wearing clothes or displaying behaviors with distinct sexual undertones that is many years ahead of when they should be displaying such attitudes (Bartlett, 106-11). Even parents themselves have contributed to the modern day adoption of the idea that it’s perfectly alright to employ a certain degree of sexualization on children as evidenced by their continued patronage of toys, clothing styles and TV shows for their children that have themes depicting early child sexualization (Albiniak, 1). Based on this it can clearly be seen that children have been sexualized at an earlier age as compared to their counterparts form 30 years ago yet it must be questioned whether such an early rate of sexualization actually has an adverse impact on their emotional, behavioral and social development. Several studies examining early child hood development do indicate that a child’s formative years (age 4 to 12) is a period in which they begin to develop the behavioral characteristics and ideologies that influence their subsequent adult behaviors and actions. Aspects related to religion, culture and ideologies introduced during this early stage of development reflect well into adulthood and become an integral aspect of who a person is to become. It is based on this developmental backdrop that parents and society developed the notion that early onset exposure to sexualized content will have an adverse effect on a child’s development and as such children should be inculcated early on with positive societal messages in the form of cooperation, peaceful action and other similar behavioral characteristics that espouse the creation of a socially acceptable persona (Kopkowski, 220).Advertising Looking for research paper on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other studies though have stated that sexualized media in modern day popular culture such as those seen in TV shows, movies and magazines and other similar forms of consumable media actually have a positive effect on children resulting in the development of independent, socially well adjusted children that from an early age are capable of utilizing what they perceive from sexualized media to become more socially well adjusted as compared to their peers that have been exposed to little if next to no sexualized content. What such studies are attempting to suggest is that the early sexualization that children are exposed to as a result of modern day pop culture and the media actually leads them to experience the full gamut of emotions denied to them by their parents and society as a direct result of the prevailing social idea that children should not exposed to sexuality at an early age (Merskin, 119-129). In the words of Melanie Moore â€Å"it enables them to explore the inescapable feelings that they’ve been taught to deny and to reintegrate those feelings into a more whole, more complete and more resilient selfhood†. While such notions are relatively alien to the current prevailing societal consensus regarding children and sexuality it does make a valid argument. Sexuality is an aspect of normal human behavior, while society disparages its utilization and expression it must be noted that it is a normal feeling that has been with humans since the beginning of evolution. Coming to a complete realization of its effective utilization while at the same time limiting its use through calm analytic thinking is actually a rite of passage for most individuals. It is based on this what this study will attempt to confirm is whether the current trend in the early sexualization of children has a purely negative effect or if there is an underlying positive effect to this level of exposure. From a certain perspective it can be stated that: it is only due to age old conservative social institutions that it is believed that children are being sexualized at an early age when it fact there is no particular limit to the age in which children should learn aspects related to being a mature individual. Negative Influence of Popular Culture on the Concept of Beauty and Sexuality The influence of popular culture on modern day society can be interpreted as a form of irrational exuberance which is defined as the act of people modeling their behavior on the actions of other people without sufficient justification for doing so. In the case of children models/child actors seen in magazines and print ads children/parents see these models, which pop culture defines as the epitome of beauty, and attempt to emulate them by buying the products that the magazines say can help you achieve the same level of flawlessness as them (Schwed, 19). Yet this beauty is nothing more than a false image made to entice the masses towards buying a particular p roduct however this doesn’t stop people from attempting to emulate them in whatever way they possibly can.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sexualization of Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More What must be understood is that ours is a culture obsessed with the idea of perfect beauty; flawless skin, blemish free features, thin waistlines, striking eyes, perfect noses and not a pimple in sight yet such an obsession has been fueled by nothing more than lies and hypocrisy which has all been for the sake of making money (APA: Analysis Of Published Research Shows Sexualized Images Harmful To Girls, Women, 1). The fashion industry alones makes billions of dollars a year by presenting women with products and clothing styles that are meant to emphasize sexiness or make them look more like the â€Å"standards† of physical attractiveness that many magazines espouse. Yet this is nothing more than a farce; such beauty and elegance can be summed up in one word â€Å"Photoshop†; they aren’t real, no one has eyes that striking, no one has legs that flawless, people don’t glisten in natural light, they really aren’t that thin, and hair doesn’t normally shimmer that way as if they stepped straight out of a Palmolive commercial. It is fake, unnatural yet it has created an obsession with beauty and perfection that has dominated the fashion industry resulting in the proliferation of photoshopped imagery on almost every page of major fashion magazines around the world (Reynolds, 9). Not only that, sensuality and sexiness have now become so integrated into modern day popular culture that the sheer proliferation of ads, commercials, movies and TV shows that emphasize the necessity of women appearing in this particular fashion has begun to affect children wherein they themselves look at the sensual and the sexy and develop the notion that this is what they should be (Harris, 1). Evidence of this can easily be seen in the current proliferation of modern day media in the form of TV shows and movies which also show child stars and actors in various revealing styles of sexualized clothing, scenes or basically wearing a lot of makeup that is more suitable for adults (Odone, 18). This has furthered reinforced the message being presented by photoshopped model images in that in order to be considered beautiful you must try to emulate the model that the pictures in magazines show (International Business, 12). Media/Social Media that Causes Kids to be Sexualized at an Early Age Action figures, dolls and cartoons are an ubiquitous part of the childhood of most people within the U.S., with various individuals owning/ watching some variation of these aspects of popular culture in one form or another. Based on various studies of childhood development children actually looked up to and tried to emulate the attitudes and characteristics of the c artoons they saw on television.Advertising Looking for research paper on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When examining past and current trends in cartoons, action figures and dolls a rather strange phenomenon was noticed wherein over the years since the 1980s action figures and cartoon heroes took on greater degrees of musculature and size resulting in almost freakishly large heroes as compared to their counterparts prior to the 1980s. Even dolls for girls took on greater degrees of overtly sexual characteristics with emphasis being placed on looks, sexuality and fashion. Behavioral Development While most individuals merely categorized this as a changing trend which was a direct result of the shifting nature of popular culture it must be noted that such changes had a distinct impact on the mannerisms, attitudes and manner in which children believed they should act and mature into. Studies examining the resulting developmental characteristics of children who grew up prior to the overly muscular and sexual trend of the 1980s showed nearly opposite developmental beliefs compared to child ren who grew up during and after the 1980s trend. It was noted that male children who grew up during and after the trend developed the notion that being overly muscular was normal and a state to develop into. It was a notion that was completely at odds with the idea of children who grew up prior to the trend who believed an average non-muscular physique was normal and what should be attained. This particular difference was also noted in female children who believed that the overtly sexual style and concentration on appearance, fashion and sexuality was what they needed to become in order to be considered normal as compared to the popular notions among children prior to the 1980s which showcased a vastly different and more conservative view on what was considered normal (Helping Kids Manage Their Media, 37). Cultural Impact What must be understood is that the resulting cultural impact of the change in the depiction of toys and cartoon heroes into either overly muscular or overly sexu al characters was noted as being one of the reasons behind the prevalence of various individual behavioral characteristics today such as the belief that looking muscular will make a person popular, that overly sexualized clothing is normal and that violence is a regular aspect of life (Helping Kids Manage Their Media, 37). While it may be true that such characteristics do not define a majority of the population it is still prevalent in large percentages with various studies confirming that one of the reasons behind their prevalence is their connection to the trend mentioned throughout this paper that began in the 1980s and continues to this day. Pop Culture and Identification One of the prevailing arguments against letting children see sexualized media is the supposed potential that exists of children imitating what they see in magazines, movies and television shows (Helping Kids To Stop Celebrating Consumption, 11) (Let’s stop teaching preschoolers to be sexy, 220). Studies examining the effect pop culture has on children reveal that on average children, especially young children, have the tendency to emulate child pop culture icons such as Hannah Montana, Spongebob Squarepants and other similar forms of identifiable imagery (Nairn, 54-60). In fact this behavioral aspect is even noted in members of the adult community and as such is the basis for many arguments stating the potentially harmful effects sexualized media could have on a child’s â€Å"proper† sexual development. What must be understood is that the arguments being presented neglect to take into account the fact that parental influences play a contributing and limiting factor to some aspects of a child’s behavior and as such should be trusted as a means of enabling children to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong (Young, 10). In fact, various studies have even shown that parental influences play a major role in personality development resulting in either pr oper growth and maturity or the instilment of negative personality traits similar to immaturity, dependence, and an overall sense of being unable to become self-reliant (Parsons, 5). The development of a child’s behavior is not dependent on consumable media alone but rather on how parent’s influence and mold a child’s behavior. As such even though sexualized media content is introduced to a child it can be stated that so long as parents are there to enable a child to distinguish right from wrong then there is little cause for concern (Egan and Hawkes, 307-322). It must be noted though that in cases where there is a distinct degree of parental absenteeism a child’s behavioral development will thus be predominantly influenced by external sources which should be a cause for concern since such instances have been shown to be influential factors in the development of abnormal personality traits which manifest in early onset sexually deviant behavior. Developme nt and Human Emotion Studies examining the prevalence of independent action and initiative in children show that on average children with the most well rounded set of emotional development often show the most drive and initiative when it comes to independent action and leadership roles. While various studies which have examined the potential effect of early child sexualization may not explicitly state it in their articles it is actually implied that children who are not exposed to certain types of â€Å"mature† media tend to not develop independent personalities but rather take on dependent behavioral characteristics (Hatch, 195-211). It must be noted that society’s adherence to the belief that exposure to sexuality is bad for children has in fact resulted in parents developing parental practices that espouse isolation from any and all forms of reference to sexual behaviors (Combe, 104). In fact such practices have grown to such an extent that the concept of social con formity and how the expression of sexuality is an adverse form of behavior is often forced upon children resulting in the suppression of the development of certain aspects of their emotional makeup. This has resulted in children developing behavioral characteristics akin to dependence, conformity and a distinct lack of initiative due to a form of trauma in which they associate aspects related to socially unacceptable conduct to the suppressive actions of their parents. This causes them to withdraw into themselves rather than become more expressive. As various studies have noted which have examined this type of phenomena children that are allowed to be exposed to â€Å"mature† media (sexualized content, violent shows etc.) tend to be more expressive, open minded and have more access to the full gamut of their emotional capacities compared to children whose emotional growth has been inadvertently suppressed by their parents. What must be understood is the fact that current day parental practices assume that exposure to sexualization is bad based on preconceived societal notions when in fact there have been few studies which have actually successfully connected early sexualization to children developing into sexually deviant adults (Fox, 77). In fact, for the most part children exposed to various forms of sexualized media and products appear, for all intents and purposes, perfectly normal and turn into well rounded individuals. It must be noted that the parental predilection to believe that sexualized media has negative implications on children is grounded in institutional theory. Institutional theory specifically states that people have the tendency to adhere to traditional institutions rather than move towards more efficient newer institutions due to their belief that older institutions are more stable due to prolonged length of time that they’ve been around. In this particular case parents adhere to a specific type of social institution that beli eves that sexualized media and advertisements will create sexually deviant children and adults. Several studies examining parental predilections towards this particular type of institution have noted that when questioned as to why they adhere to the social institution in question the essence of all answers given show that parents do so due to their belief that since the institution has been around for such a long period of time and that it is widely accepted means that it must be right. What must be understood is that just because a social institution is widely accepted and has been around for a long time doesn’t make it automatically right. For example, one of the most widely accepted social institutions in the past was the belief that men were superior to women, this resulted in women being thought of as incapable of doing certain jobs, that the place of a woman was at home and that women did not have the right to decide the future of a country. Suffice it to say, such a vi ew has been recently debunked however it must be noted that it had persisted for several hundred years with most of human culture adhering to its tenets. It is based on this that the social institution advocating that sexualized media is bad for children should not be immediately credited as being absolutely correct. Historical precedent has shown that not all widely accepted societal views are correct and thus this one should not be considered as an absolute truth. Conclusion Based on the various examples presented it can be seen that the preconceived notions attached to sexualization is in fact fallacious and heavily embedded in parental practices that originate from a social institution that may not necessarily be correct. As it was shown by the various studies cited, children that are exposed to sexualized media in the form of advertisements, movies and TV shows develop into mature and behaviorally stable adults with few problems. In fact when taking the views of articles presen ted into consideration it can even be stated that the introduction of sexualized media can in fact enable children to develop stronger and more independent personalities that will enable them to express themselves better, take the initiative more and be more likely to overcome adverse situations as compared to their peers that were not exposed to sexualized media. While it may be true that when parents prevent their children from viewing â€Å"mature† media they are under the belief that they are in effect helping their children grow into better adults but the truth is what they are doing is in effect stunting the full emotional growth of their children. As explained earlier, traits related to sexuality are inherent parts of a person’s normal emotional makeup and as such are a necessary aspect in enabling an individual to grow into an emotionally stable person. Negative emotional qualities help to balance the positive aspects of an individual’s personality so as to enable them to live a balanced life. By denying children the ability to develop the full gamut of their behaviors from an early stage parents are in effect hindering them from being able to mature at a normal pace which may actually lead to the development of abnormal personalities. This can take the form of dependence, childishness and the inability to take care of oneself without being instructed. It is based on this that in the case of the early sexualization of children this paper agrees with the assessment that it is up to the parents to properly guide children regarding aspects related to sexuality and sexualization and that it cannot really be stated that it is ever too early to start the building blocks of developing a more well rounded set of behavioral traits within a child and as such this paper suggests that while children are being sexualized at an early age as compared to their counterparts from 30 years ago this may not necessarily be an adverse situation based on the data that has been presented in this study.. Works Cited Albiniak, Paige. â€Å"Ad Market Shows Signs Of Recovery.† Daily Variety 310.50 (2011): A1.Print â€Å"APA: Analysis Of Published Research Shows Sexualized Images Harmful To Girls, Women.† Media Report To Women 35.2 (2007): 1. Print Bartlett, Myke. â€Å"Sex Sells: Child Sexualization And The Media.† Screen Education 51 (2008): 106-11. Print Bill, O’Reilly. â€Å"Unresolved Problem: The Sexualization Of American Children.† O’reilly  Factor (FOX News) (n.d.). Web Combe, Rachael. â€Å"Little Girls Gone Wild.† Redbook 216.2 (2011): 104. Print Danielle Egan, R., and Gail Hawkes. â€Å"Girls, Sexuality And The Strange Carnalities Of Advertisements: Deconstructing The Discourse Of Corpoarte Paedophilia.†Ã‚  Australian Feminist Studies 23.57 (2008): 307-322. Print Fox, Roy F. â€Å"Manipulated Kids: Teens Tell How Ads Influence Them.† Educational  Leadership 53. 1 (1995): 77. Print Gill, Rosalind. â€Å"Beyond The ‘Sexualization Of Culture’ Thesis: An Intersectional Analysis Of ‘Sixpacks’, ‘Midriffs’ And ‘Hot Lesbians’ In Advertising.† Sexualities 12.2 (2009): 137-160. Print Goodin, SamanthaDenburg, AlyssaMurnen, SarahSmolak, Linda. â€Å"‘Putting On’ Sexiness: A Content Analysis Of The Presence Of Sexualizing Characteristics In Girls’ Clothing.† Sex Roles 65.1/2 (2011): 1. Print Harris, DAN. â€Å"Little Cover Girls.† Nightline (ABC) (2011): 1. Print Hatch, Linda. â€Å"The American Psychological Association Task Force On The Sexualization Of Girls: A Review, Update And Commentary.† Sexual Addiction   Compulsivity 18.4 (2011): 195-211. Print â€Å"Helping Kids To Stop Celebrating Consumption.† Natural Life 86 (2002): 11. â€Å"Helping Kids Manage Their Media.† Natural Life 136 (2010): 37. Print International Business, Times. â€Å"‘Ashley’ Push-Up Triangle: Not the First Case of Over-Sexualization of Children.† International Business Times 12.Web Kopkowski, Cynthia. â€Å"Lolita In The Classroom.† NEA Today 26.6 (2008): 36-37. Print â€Å"Let’s stop teaching preschoolers to be sexy.† Glamour May 2007: 220.Web Merskin, Debra. â€Å"Reviving Lolita? A Media Literacy Examination Of Sexual Portrayals Of Girls In Fashion Advertising.† American Behavioral Scientist 48.1 (2004): 119-129. Print Nairn, Agnes. â€Å"Consumer Kids – The Influence Of The Commercial World On Our Children.† Education Review 22.1 (2009): 54-60. Print Odone, Cristina. â€Å"Sexy Kids.† New Statesman 131.4596 (2002): 18.Web Parsons, Russell. â€Å"NSPCC Adds Its Weight To ‘Sexualisation Of Kids’ Debate.†Ã‚  Marketing Week (01419285) 33.10 (2010): 5.Web Reynolds, Mike. â€Å"Nick Sees Kids’ Ad Sector Poised To Grow.† Multichannel News 3 2.11 (2011): 9.Web Schwed, Mark. â€Å"TV Commercials Your Kids.† TV Guide 43.7 (1995): 19.Web Young, Lesley. â€Å"A Hard Lesson.† Marketing Magazine 113.11 (2008): 10. Print This research paper on Sexualization of Children was written and submitted by user Lance V. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Monday, November 25, 2019

Reign of Terror in Tale of Two Cities

Reign of Terror in Tale of Two Cities The Reign of Terror was a period of time during the French Revolution when officials would randomly execute people who were thought to be a threat to their plans. The Reign of Terror was ran by a group called the "Committee of Public Safety." The group ruled France when it was going through a "national emergency," such as the French Revolution, and was considered to be a dictatorship.The Committee of Public Safety formed on April 6, 1793 to preserve the reform during the French Revolution. By September 6 of the same year the group took its final form. They had twelve members and their main member was said to be a man named Maximilien Robespierre.The group's prime objective was to eliminate anyone who would get in the way of the revolutionaries. Like in Tale of Two Cities, people that came into France were commonly though of as traitors and were executed immediately.The Wanderer is set during the Reign of Terror, ex...Also, the group tried to form a militia of the people in France tha t were fed up with the aristocracy. They also had to provide food supplies to people and the armies.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Book review article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Book review - Article Example ave an enormous task to create a relaxed and comfortable environment in which learners discover the complexities associated with the language and language acquisition (Kinginger, 2013, pp.21). However, knowledge of linguistics does not necessarily lead to successful language teaching practice. Jack Richards and Theodore Rodgers (2007) in the book Approaches and methods in language teaching discusses the major trends in language teaching in the twentieth century. The two authors emphasize the benefits of cooperative language teaching in contemporary classroom settings. On the other hand, Wei Li, Vivian Cook, and Flowerdew (2009) in the book dubbed Contemporary applied linguistics focus on the different perceptions, attitude and motivation that learners have toward the target language and how they (perception, attitude and motivation) affect language learning. Meanwhile, Karlfried Knapp (2007) in the book Handbooks of applied linguistics: communication competence, language and communic ation problems practical solution, discusses the domains of language awareness. Cooperative learning (CL) is arguably one of the most efficient language learning strategies for all student types, including mainstream students, English language learners (ELLs) and academically gifted students (Richards & Rodgers 2007, pp. 192). It not only promotes learning but also fosters friendship and respect among diverse groups of learners. Through cooperative learning strategies, students learn to depend on each other in a rather positive way for different learning tasks. However, it is imperative that teachers establish classroom protocols and norms that guide students to share, encourage each other, stay on task, contribute, and solve problems (Richards & Rodgers 2007, p. 192). The classroom norms will also guide students to help each other, as well as give and accept feedback from peers. Cooperative learning is particularly useful to students learning a second language. Besides, it promotes

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Marketing analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing analysis - Case Study Example The strength of the company is the exclusivity it provides through its garments. There is a prestige tag attached to the apparels it makes and that become the ‘want’ quotient for the customer. The high pricing is justified because of this prestige factor. The strength of the company also lies in the styles they have created, excellent service to the customer, wide range of sizes, colours and patterns available all come with the prestige factor. The weakness for True religion jeans comes from the marketing strategy implemented. For an average consumer the pricing is too high and the premium market cannot be predictably loyal. Additionally with launching of various apparel ranges like, swimwear, footwear etc. there could be a diversion from its core brand. According to International forum for cotton promotion the jeans market worldwide is grew from US$52 billion in 2007 to US $56 billion by 2014. North Americans have proved to be number one consumers of jeans having maximu m pairs of jeans in their wardrobes. Astonishingly the share of premium jeans is also significant. Even if it may look as mere 2 % of the total market the figures range very high as the basic market is of higher demand. Hence opportunity in the external environment is significant for the company. The threat to the company comes from the increasing share of other manufacturer’s in premium denim wear. ... Considering the analysis above it is a very wise strategy implemented by the company to market the jeans as a premium segment. The premium market share is growing at a significant rate. The organization is mainly counting on the attitude of the customers which says that as long as the garment delivers style and fit, the price for the same holds less importance. Promoting it through television and movie stars is another clever strategy as it instantly adds to the appeal of the jeans. The strategy also specifies that it is worth to pay a few extra as good quality comes with good pricing. Here the product promotion strategy is based on premium value for the money paid. The brand promotion is based on celebrity endorsements. The marketing strategy is based on the study of consumer of jeans and very well supported by services offered. Retail experience for a customer is memorable with good service offered across the counter. To add to it the customer is not sent away by non-availability o f the merchandise. So a customer when walks in is sure to get a memorable experience through wide range of merchandise, helping attitude of the staff and a great style and fit offered in variety of colours and patterns. This builds a strong foundation of customer relationship and makes the customer come back for more. Although the customer would want to come back for more satisfactory shopping experience, the market segment for the organization needs to expand. The current segment takes care of market which is fashion conscious and would not mind spending money to make a style statement. However as stated earlier this segment is also not very brand loyal and is more likely to switch at the first alternative available. In such case

Monday, November 18, 2019

Synthesis of Gold Particles and Their Use for Chemical Sensing Assignment

Synthesis of Gold Particles and Their Use for Chemical Sensing - Assignment Example e it clear that the gold was eligible since there was a continued accumulation that was evident by the change in the color of the solution from red to Purple color. It is important to test the foods sold in commercial markets. Notably, it had been discovered some sold in the commercial markets are toxic. For examples, some years ago, foods containing melamine were found in stores in China. Foods that contain melamine are toxic and are not fit for human consumption. Thus, foods that were found in stores in China were poisonous. Fortunately, a solution to this problem has been found. The use of citrate ions prevents the accumulation of layers of gold thereby hindering the formation of melamine that prevent the formation of nanoparticles on the surface of gold. This process enables shielding continued reaction of the gold layers. When such interactions occur in food gold solution that causes coloration of food is formed. The particle size having effects on gold can also be determined through photography. The size of gold particles ranges from 10 to 20 nm reflect light of different colors particularly red that turns to blue or purple if larger. The refore, the chemical test for melamine can reveal varied collect chemical properties that can help in drawing conclusions. Usually, there is a color changes from red to blue when a solutions nitrate ions and gold particles are mixed. The significance of this chemical experiment lies in this interaction Procedure. Take 0.2 mL of 100 mM gold salt stock solution and add 20 mL of distilled water to make 20 mL of 1mM gold salt solution. Then take 20 mL of the 1mM NaAuCl4 and place it into 50mL beaker. Place the beaker and its content hot plate and stirred the mixture using a magnetic stir bar. Heat the solution until it boil. When the solution begins boiling, add 2 mL of 38.8 mM solution of trisodium citrate dehydrate (Na3C6H5O7.2H2O). The gold solution forms gradually as the citrate reduces the Au ions to the neutral gold

Friday, November 15, 2019

The issues of Corporate Social Responsibility

The issues of Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also known as corporate responsibility and corporate citizenship, responsible action, responsible action constant (SRB), or the performance of social institutions. Ideally, the policy of corporate social responsibility is a compact, self-regulation and the mechanism by which the work would monitor and ensure the commitment to the law and ethical standards and international rules. (William et al, 2005). The development of the businesses in claiming the responsibility by the impact of its activities on the environment, consumers and workers, local communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public domain. The practice of corporate social responsibility is a subject of debate and criticism and widespread. Proponents argue that there is strong demand for the issue of social responsibility of businesses, and companies benefit in many ways by working with a broader perspective and longer than their own direct, any short-term profits. Crit ics argue that the act of corporate social responsibility is the primary economic role of companies, and others believed that no more than window surface is decorated , and some say it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog on the powerful multinational companies (Argandona, 2001). Marks and Spencer plc, also known as MS, is a world s renowned retailer with its headquarters in Westminster, London. It has more than 300 stores across 40 countries and more than 70 stores in UK. MS is famous for its clothes and food products. It was found in 1884 by Thomas Spencer and Michael Marks in Leeds. Since 2000 the company Marks Spencer began to expand and explore other areas: household products, food, furniture, products for beauty, technology, financial services, etc. In recent years, Marks Spencer stores act as full-scale shopping centres with huge grocery supermarkets, entertainment venues and cafes. The company is covering general merchandise sector and food sector. All these units have contributed in shaping up company s vision stating that they want to set a standard through which other company should be measured. These units are centralized by the values of Marks and Spencer. These include trust, service, value and innovation. (Utting, 2007, 11 13) Each of the units has developed its specific strategies of Corporate Social Responsibility that is based on the brand-value of trust. The issues that are tackled in the strategies were identified through customer research, understanding within business and by interacting with important stakeholders, government, NGO s etc. An action plan is developed for handling each issue that arises in order to balance expectations of the customers and the stakeholders and other external pressures. These issues are divided into three groups: people, products and community. People: these include the company s employees plus the people who are employed in its chain supply. Product: this division emphasizes on the production of high quality, valuing that are positive for social and environmental benefits. Community: this division emphasizes on the role of the company in helping to maintain and develop places where people can work and live easily. For all these groups, Marks and Spencer have planned a program with the name of Plan A. (Archie, 2008) WHAT IS PLAN A? Plan A is Marks Spencer s comprehensive approach to sustainability which to them is doing the right thing . Were doing this because its what you want us to do. Its also the right thing to do. Were calling it Plan A because we believe its now the only way to do business (Marks Spencer s, 2010). On 15th Jan, 2007, Marks and Spencer took an initiative by launching a program known as Plan A. This was to bring a dramatic increase in the environmental sustainability in five years. Plan A contains 100 commitments for five years in order to address the major environmental and social challenges faced by Marks and Spencer, today and in future (marks and spencer, 2010). They have a tag-line for it which states: Because there is no Plan B. These commitments cover five different themes: Sustainable raw material, climatic change, fair partnership, health and waste with the purpose of: I. No waste will be sent to landfill II. Become Neutral to carbon III. Bring extension in the sustainability of resource IV. Help in improving the lives of employees working in their supply chain department (Brown, 2008, 125 147) V. Provide a healthy lifestyle to the customers and the employees of the company To begin with, as a part of Plan A, the iconic reusable brown bag was introduced in the year 2007. This brought a hope that it will decrease the usage of plastic bags over the next few years. In 2008, Marks and Spencer introduced the 5p carrier bags scheme at their stores. The customers were supposed to pay 5p per vest carrier bag which was of standard size for their food purchases. This scheme was implemented as a part of Plan A, saying that it discourages the use of customary plastic bags. All the profits gained from the sale of these bags are given to the Groundwork UK. To become a carbon neutral company, Marks and Spencer committed to only using the carbon equalizers as their last resort, confining to the cases where is required by the government or where the green air, road transport and technology will not be available for the predicted future. In 2008, Marks and Spencer had 3 operational wind tribunes, one in Methlick and two near Strichen. These generate power that is enough to cover three stores through National Grid. In 2009, the company started buying 2.6TWh of the renewable energy from the Npower which was enough to provide energy to all of the MS offices and stores in Wales and England. In 2010, Marks Spencer s set out 80 new commitments with the aim of becoming the world s most sustainable major retailer by 2015. This they hope to achieve by engaging their customers in building Plan A qualities into all of its 2.7 billion products and assist the customers to develop their own Plan A eco-plan. Also, they intend to move Plan A from just a plan to How we do business by integrating it into processes and giving its people the required tools, skills and motivation to make a difference. In order to achieve this, Marks Spencer s launched a 50m innovation fund, as well as sustainability programmes for its food and general merchandise suppliers, sustainable agriculture programmes for its farmers and growers. As part of efforts to extend the Plan A to the employees, they are been offered free home insulation, a free home energy monitor and a day s paid leave each year for a volunteer work. Benefits of Incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility: Plan A of Marks and Spencer Firstly, Marks and Spencer got the value of differentiation. This does not necessarily relate to the product but also defines the moral values of the company. With the implementation of Plan A, Marks and Spencer got benefited with appeal factor. A recent research states that, 88 percent of the customers will be more interested in buying the products from the company that is actively working in the society and engages and supports the activities in improving the environment of the society. Thus, it has provided an advantage to marks and Spencer by being well known for their active participation in Corporate Social Responsibility methods. They can easily attract their existing customers to increase their sales and they can even attract new customers by their Plan A project. This in turn, helps in adding up the profits made by their stores. But these profits eventually are used by Marks and Spencer in investing in the strategies of Corporate Social Responsibility. Although, Marks and Sp encer can charge high price for their differentiated products in order to cover the cost of investment in CSR. The reason due to which they can charge higher price is their active participation in being socially responsible. This in the long run will increase their profit margin. This is a basic rule for CSR (Cuthbertson, 2011) Secondly, the workforce at Marks and Spencer is very happy with some of the programs that the company is running. One of these projects was the Ready to Work project. In this project, Marks and Spencer helped around six hundred homeless people from UK to acquire work experience while they were being mentored by a friend. Moreover, above 30 percent of these people, who were internee, were later on provided a job because of the success of the project. This program came up with a market research which was successful and was stimulated by the founders of Marks and Spencer s strategy stating that the best and guaranteed way to acquire long-term success is to have good relationship with your suppliers, employees and the society. This message acted as a backbone for all the CSR strategies of Marks and Spencer. A survey based on 500 employees of the company, stated that 75 percent of the employees felt that the projects has contributed in making Marks and Spencer a great place to work. They also said that it helped them in increasing and enhancing their skills. This also led to an extra motivated workforce who feel completely comfortable at their workplace and have led to a decrease in the rate of employee turnover. Thirdly, Plan A also covers the part of fair trade extensively. This is an issue which has gained UK s focus more than any other country. Marks and Spencer has purchased around a third of the world s fair trade cotton (Cuthbertson, 2011). Not all the achievements were remarkably good. For cutting down the emission of CO2, Marks and Spencer tightened up the needs for attaining a company car. These steps did drop the corporate auto fleet from 488 to 469, but this did not bring any significant change (Damien et al 2010) compared to other achievements, this strategy must be left out of the spotlight. The biggest disadvantage of CSR for Marks and Spencer is the cost that is invested in the implementation of these strategies. Plan A introduced by Marks and Spencer had an estimated cost of around 200 million. Although, the CSR strategy helps in gaining profits in the long run and it helps in becoming financially strong, it still requires a huge amount of investment to implement the strategies. Thus, if the strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility is not successful in producing a desired amount of effect in attracting the customers, then it could cause great loss to the investors. This loss might not be disastrous for Marks and Spencer however; it can damage its reputation. Although, the Corporate Social Responsibility is about enriching the stakeholder, but if the strategy is not successful in bringing extra profit then it depends on the morals and values of the investor to consider what a good outcome is and what a bad outcome is. Another disadvantage of this strategy would be the cost of keeping the customers happy. In the Plan A of Mark and Spencer, there are twenty targets for enhancing the fair partnership between the suppliers. Initially, the investment should be large as it targets the suppliers belonging to the international market (Beder, 2007). The most essential factor in this Plan is the consumer power. According to the research, around 88 percent people would prefer buying a product of the company which is highly active in social activities and are working with the concept for enhancing the quality of life. Therefore, Marks and Spencer cannot bypass this point as according to the economic climate these days, a customer moves on to the next best solution available depending on the morals they chose to follow. Thus, to build up CSR strategies are a positive investment in holding back the goodwill and image of the company, which Marks and Spencer has already established. In line to achieve a target of been the most sustainable retailer in the world, Marks Spencer s have over the years shifted from philanthropy to community investment and subsequently corporate social responsibility. Launching Plan A was its next logical step but there is still a long way to go. To ascertain the extent to which the achievements of Plan A would result in Marks Spencer s being the world most sustainable retailer, it will be important to understand what sustainability means. Brundtland s (1987) defined Sustainability as the development that meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs . This approach to economic growth perhaps includes a social responsibility to its stakeholders and a wider responsibility for the impact of its activities on the environment. With the sustainability plans on the report being that of Marks and Spencer s alone, there is no basis for comparison with other major retailers to know the extent to which its sustainability measures surpasses them. Also, by using the word sustainable, they universalised it to their meaning. They fail to know that sustainability could have several meanings for people different people. For instance, findings have shown that people in poor countries see sustainability as poverty reduction where as in developed countries; sustainability is linked to climate change. It will be a fallacy to make people believe there is a universal word for the term sustainability as there is no agreement over the specific meaning of the word and this makes it impossible to measure the performance of a company in that area. ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF MARKS AND SPENCERS CSR REPORT HOW WE DO BUSINESS Corporate social responsibility reporting which is voluntary is said to be a public account of environmental, social and ethical impacts of a company. It demonstrates accountability, transparency and credibility gaining the stakeholders trust. In order to assess the quality of Marks and Spencer s CSR report, we shall employ the Global reporting initiatives which sets out the principles and performance indicators that organisations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental and social performance (GRI, 2011). These principles include materiality, stakeholder inclusiveness, sustainability context and completeness. Likewise, the standard disclosure examines the strategy and profile of the organisation, the management approach as well as the performance indicators of the organisation. So using the GRI guidelines to analyse the report (Appendix 1) I shall grade the Marks and Spencer s CSR report below a C minimal level despite it was assured by an independent third party Ernst and Young, to guarantee accuracy of the report and in line with best practice. To me, it failed to report the minimal requirements. Using the GRI framework, there was no report of some mandatory disclosures needed to attain a C level. These include (2.4) where it failed to report the location of its headquarters. Also in the profile disclosure, they failed to report on (4.15) which is the basis for identification and selection of stake holders whom they engage with. In the performance and indication section, despite not giving any report on human rights except for HR1 and HR2 where incomplete reports were given, they met the minimum requirement of the GRI framework of reporting at least one out of each Performance Indicator. In all, the CSR report could be said to focus primarily on profile disclosures and this tend s to be the major strength of the report where reports on performance indicators were incomplete and in some cases not reported. The stakeholder inclusiveness of the report was thoroughly reported. Pages 42 and 43 in the report contained a stakeholder dialogue which is quite impressive as stakeholder dialogue is one of the basic parties of a sustainability report. Marks and Spencer s reported how they engaged Ernst and Young to gather impartial feedback from a range of organisations which was also listed in the report. These organisations are NGO s which focus on sustainability. The responses of the stakeholders were also listed in the report and were quite enlightening as there were not just compliments but also suggestions for Marks and Spencer s sustainability direction. Also, marks and Spencer s responses to the suggestions were listed. The major concern about stakeholder reporting was on lack of information on how many stakeholders from each NGO who were consulted provided feedback and why they chose to use external figures to facilitate the dialogue rather than discussing with marks and Spencer s people. Also, it wasn t disclosed in the report how much stakeholder input influenced the selection of Plan A commitment. Marks and Spencer s CSR report is both wide ranging and highly focused. Under the headings of Climate, waste, Natural resources, fair partner, health and well being, each issue is broken down into targets set for the reporting year, performance in the current year and future goals. This approach is highly effective in terms of presenting a clear and thorough picture of the broad scope of Marks and Spencer s CSR related activities. The report is quite balanced as there were a handful of achievements listed in each of the headings such as cutting of carbon emissions from operations by 8% and improving store energy by 19%. Also, quite a couple of the challenges faced by the organisation was also noted which include rise in business travel emissions despite the Green travel policy. They also noted a decline in the sales of organic food despite their effort to introduce new products. So I think it just wasn t a win- win basis in the report. ACCESSING THE EXTENT TO WHICH PLAN A COULD BE ADOPTED SUCCESSFULLY BY A RETAILER IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY. The term developing countries is used to collectively describe nations that have low per capita incomes and are less industrialised (UNDP 2006). Corporate social responsibility(CSR) in developing countries have to deal with the formal and informal manner in which businesses contribute to governance, ethical, social labour and environmental condition of developing countries which they operate and perhaps remain sensitive to prevailing religious, historical and cultural context (Visser 2007). Contrary to the nature of CSR in developed countries, CSR in developing countries present a distinctive set of agenda which are certainly different from those faced in developed countries. CSR priorities in developing countries differ. For some, improved ethical responsibilities and incorporating good governance are assigned the highest. Whereas in others, tackling HIV/AIDS, improving working conditions, provision of basic services supply chain integrity and poverty alleviation are at the peak of CSR priority. .Major issues pertaining to CSR in developing world as at large relates to the strategic motive for adopting socially responsible practices. These actions appear to reflect Carroll s (1991) competing priorities which are; firms adopt CSR in order to meet their economic, legal, ethical and discretionary responsibilities. Conventional wisdom suggests that CSR is more relevant to organisations operating in the developed countries due to elevated expectations of society responsible behaviour. In view of this, I she use Bangladesh to examine the extent to which a retailer could adopt Marks and Spencer s Plan A because it possess the characteristics of a developing country. Basically, for the success of Plan A in any developing country by another retailer, the retailer needs to operate the strategies according to the culture, ethical background, nationality, religion and race of the developing country. As Plan A is committed to improve the lives of people in their supply chain sector (Peter, 2010). With the review of the state of government policy and support for CSR in Bangladesh, corporations have hence increased their commitment to CSR other than profit making and now complying with safety regulations. For example, CARE Bangladesh initiated a successful CSR programme with BATA where the company is using the extensive network of RARE to promote its environmental friendly products door to door in rural communities. With this, Plan A will be successful due to governments supporting policies which create room for CSR investment. Also, the issue of global warming which has to deal with the climate, it is obvious that this is affecting both the developed and developing countries and therefore governments are imposing on companies to develop CSR which will minimize carbon emission. So a retailer who adopts the Plan A will definitely succeed but will result in high operation cost to the company. Plan A can also be successful in a developing country if the retailer seeks the help of its suppliers in developing the factories with either being ethical or encouraging environmental characteristics. They can even encourage 10,000 farmers to join their sustainable agriculture program just like M S (Mike, 2008). The Retailer can also implement their Plan A project and be successful by becoming an important retailer to make sure that their key raw material such as soya, palm oil, coffee, beef, leather, etc, are coming from sustainable resources which do not contribute to deforestation. Contrary to this, Plan A which according to marks and Spencer s is doing the right thing will be successful at a minimal rate if adopted by a retailer in Bangladesh. This is so because of the prevailing high rate of poverty and corruption. Basically the priority of Marks and Spencer s plan A, which focuses on climate change, waste, waste, natural resources , fair partner performance health and well being may not be in line with CSR priorities in developing countries as they are interested in tackling HIV/AIDS, improving working conditions, provision of basic services supply chain integrity and poverty alleviation. CONCLUSION In this modern era, it is 100 percent important that companies differentiate themselves from rest of the market by working on developing strategies for their Corporate Social responsibilities. In order to make their strategy work successfully, companies need to strongly highlight educate people with their CSR plans. Keeping the research in mind, it is important for the companies to differentiate themselves. The company should also be aware of the cost that involve in the implementation of the plan. Whether you do it for financial reasons or to feel morally good, CSR plans completely depend on your ethics, both economically and personally. Marks and Spencer has started their journey to make their business more sustainable. Over the past decades, the company has never been stagnant. It has been moving from philanthropy to investing in the community to investing in corporate social responsibilities. In 2007, Plan has proved to be a radical commitment by focusing on specific CSR issues and tackling the sustainability issues.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Free Grapes of Wrath Essays: Steinbecks Political Agenda :: Grapes Wrath essays

Political Agenda in The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath is a movie that was originally a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the desperate conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930's live. The movie tells of one family that migrates west to California through the great economic depression of the 1930's. The Joad family had to abandon their home and their livelihoods. They had to uproot and set adrift because tractors were rapidly industrializing their farms along with the erosion of topsoil to create "the Dust Bowl". The bank took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off their loan. The movie shows how the Joad family deals with moving to California, how they survive the cruelty of the landowners that take advantage of them, their poverty and willingness to work. The government, and political figures also abuse their powers to maintain such a lack of balance of power between the workers and businessmen, and yet some branches of the government protect the workers. During the Dust Bowl, hundreds of thousands of southerners faced many hardships, which is the basis of the movie. John Steinbeck wrote this fiction novel to portray the harsh conditions during the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl occurred in the mid-west part of America, especially in Oklahoma. Such people in Oklahoma who lost their jobs from the Depression and eventually the Dust Bowl were called "Okies." The mistreatment of the "Okies" in The Grapes of Wrath can be concluded as being valid. During the Red Scare, Americans mistrusted other Americans, especially certain government organizations. When one man was telling the "Okie" group that the pay and jobs are minimal in California, an aristocratic or government official accused the person of being a communist. This represents the hate of the communists in the view of the government. In The Grapes of Wrath, the Californians wanted to rid the "dirty" Okies from California because they were afraid of them. They were afraid that the Okie would take their land. Even the California police beat them for no just reason because they wanted the Okies to leave the state. The police, shown as corrupted thugs, killed Casey because he was "agitating" the public. Certain government organizations were aware of the harsh living and pay conditions that was upon the Joad family, and yet they tried to suppress it.