United Kingdom Political System

The United Kingdom is a unitary democracy governed within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is the head of state and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by Her Majesty's Government, on behalf of and by the consent of the Monarch, as well as by the devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales, and the Northern Ireland Executive.Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as in the Scottish parliament and Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The highest national court is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The UK political system is a multi-party system. Since the 1920s, the two largest political parties have been the Conservative Party and the Labor Party.Before the Labor Party rose in British politics the Liberal Party was the other major political party along with the Conservatives. Though coalition and minority governments have been an occasional feature of parliamentary politics, the first-past-the-post electoral system used for general elections tends to maintain the dominance of these two parties, though each has in the past century relied upon a third party to deliver a working majority in Parliament. The current Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government is the first coalition since 1974.With the partition of Ireland, Northern Ireland received home rule in 1920, though civil unrest meant direct rule was restored in 1972. Support for nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales led to proposals for devolution in the 1970s though only in the 1990s did devolution actually happen. Today, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each possess a legislature and executive, with devolution in Northern Ireland being conditional on participation in certain all-Ireland institutions.The United Kingdom remains responsible for non-devolved matters and, in the case of Northern Ireland, co-operates with the Republic of Ireland. It is a matter of dispute as to whether increased autonomy and devolution of executive and legislative powers has contributed to a reduction in support for independence. The principal pro-independence party, the Scottish National Party, won an overall majority of MSPs at the 2011 Scottish parliament elections and now forms the Scottish Government administration, with plans to hold a referendum on negotiating for independence. In Northern Ireland,the largest Pro-Belfast Agreement party, Sinn Fà ©in, not only advocates Northern Ireland's unification with the Republic of Ireland, but also abstains from taking their elected seats in the Westminster government, as this would entail taking a pledge of allegiance to the British monarch. The constitution of the United Kingdom is uncodified, being made up of constitutional conventions, statutes and other elements such as EU law. This system of government, known as the Westminster system, has been adopted by other countries, especially those that were formerly parts of the British Empire.The United Kingdom is also responsible for several dependencies, which fall into two categories: the Crown dependencies, in the immediate vicinity of the UK, and British Overseas Territories, which originated as colonies of the British Empire. The British Monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is the Chief of State of the United Kingdom. Though she takes little direct part in government, the Crown remains the fount in which ultimate executive power over Government lies.These powers are known as Royal Prerogative and can be used for a vast amount of things, such as the issue or withdrawal of passports, to the dismissal of the Prime Minister or even the Declaration of War. The powers are delegated from the Monarch personally, in the name of the Crown, and can be handed to various ministers, or other Officers of the Crown, and can purposely bypass the consent of Parliament. The head of Her Majesty's Government; the Prime Minister, also has weekly meetings with the sovereign, where she may express her feelings, warn, or advise the Prime Minister in the Government's work.According to the uncodified constitution of the United Kingdom, the monarch has the following powers: Domestic Powers The monarch appoints a Prime Minister as the head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, guided by the strict convention that the Prime Minister should be the member of the House of Commons most likely to be able to form a Government with the support of that House. In practice, this means that the leader of the political party with an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons is chosen to be the Prime Minister.If no party has an absolute majority, the leader of the largest party is given the first opportunity to form a coalition. The Prime Minister then selects the other Ministers which make up the Government and act as political heads of the various Government Departments. About twenty of the most senior government ministers make up the Cabinet and approximately 100 ministers in total comprise the government. In accordance with constitutional convention, all ministers within the government are either Members of Parliament or peers in the House of Lords.As in some other parliamentary systems of government (especially those based upon the Westminster System), the executive (called â€Å"the government†) is drawn from and is answerable to Parliament – a successful vote of no confidence will force the government either to resign or to seek a parliamentary dissolution and a general election. In practice, members of parliament of all major parties are strictly controlled by whips who try to ensure they vote according to party policy. If the government has a large majority, then they are very unlikely to lose enough votes to be unable to pass legislation.The Prime Mini ster and the Cabinet David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2010) The Prime Minister is the most senior minister in the Cabinet. She/he is responsible for chairing Cabinet meetings, selecting Cabinet ministers (and all other positions in Her Majesty's government), and formulating government policy. The Prime Minister is the de facto leader of the UK government, since s/he exercises executive functions that are nominally vested in the sovereign (by way of the Royal Prerogatives). Historically, the British monarch was the sole source of executive powers in the government.However, following the rule of the Hanoverian monarchs, an arrangement of a â€Å"Prime Minister† chairing and leading the Cabinet began to emerge. Over time, this arrangement became the effective executive branch of government, as it assumed the day-to-day functioning of the British government away from the sovereign. Theoretically, the Prime Minister is primus inter pares (Latin for â€Å"first among equals†) among his/her Cabinet colleagues. While the Prime Minister is the senior Cabinet Minister, s/he is theoretically bound to make executive decisions in a collective fashion with the other Cabinet ministers.The Cabinet, along with the PM, consists of Secretaries of State from the various government departments, the Lord High Chancellor, the Lord Privy Seal, the President of the Board of Trade, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Ministers without portfolio. Cabinet meetings are typically held weekly, while Parliament is in session Government departments and the Civil Service The Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of ministries known mainly, though not exclusively as departments, Ministry of Defense.These are politically led by a Government Minister who is often a Secretary of State and member of the Cabinet. He or she may also be supported by a number of junior Ministers. In practice, several government departments and Ministers have respo nsibilities that cover England alone, with devolved bodies having responsibility for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, (for example – the Department of Health), or responsibilities that mainly focus on England (such as the Department for Education). Implementation of the Minister's decisions is carried out by a permanent politically neutral organization known as the civil service.Its constitutional role is to support the Government of the day regardless of which political party is in power. Unlike some other democracies, senior civil servants remain in post upon a change of Government. Administrative management of the Department is led by a head civil servant known in most Departments as a Permanent Secretary. The majority of the civil service staff in fact work in executive agencies, which are separate operational organizations reporting to Departments of State. â€Å"Whitehall† is often used as a metonym for the central core of the Civil Service.This is because m ost Government Departments have headquarters in and around the former Royal Palace Whitehall. Legislatures The UK Parliament is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom (i. e. , there is parliamentary sovereignty), and Government is drawn from and answerable to it. Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. There is also a devolved Scottish Parliament and devolved Assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland, with varying degrees of legislative authority. UK ParliamentHouse of Commons It is a Sand-colored building of Gothic design with large clock-tower. Parliament meets at the Palace of Westminster British House of Commons The Countries of the United Kingdom are divided into parliamentary constituencies of broadly equal population by the four Boundary Commissions. Each constituency elects a Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons at General Elections and, if required, at by-elections. As of 2010 there are 650 constituencies ( there were 646 before that year's general election.Of the 650 MPs, all but one – Lady Sylvia Hermon – belong to a political party. In modern times, all Prime Ministers and Leaders of the Opposition have been drawn from the Commons, not the Lords. Alec Douglas-Home resigned from his peerages days after becoming Prime Minister in 1963, and the last Prime Minister before him from the Lords left in 1902 (the Marquis of Salisbury). One party usually has a majority in Parliament, because of the use of the First Past the Post electoral system, which has been conducive in creating the current two party system.The monarch normally asks a person commissioned to form a government simply whether it can survive in the House of Commons, something which majority governments are expected to be able to do. In exceptional circumstances the monarch asks someone to ‘form a government' with a parliamentary minority which in the event of no party having a majority requires the formati on of a coalition government. This option is only ever taken at a time of national emergency, such as war-time. It was given in 1916 to Andrew Bonar Law, and when he declined, to David Lloyd George and in 1940 to Winston Churchill.A government is not formed by a vote of the House of Commons; it is a commission from the monarch. The House of Commons gets its first chance to indicate confidence in the new government when it votes on the Speech from the Throne (the legislative program proposed by the new government). House of Lords The House of Lords was previously a largely hereditary aristocratic chamber, although including life peers, and Lords Spiritual. It is currently mid-way through extensive reforms, the most recent of these being enacted in the House of Lords Act 1999.The house consists of two very different types of member, the Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual. Lords Temporal include appointed members (life peers with no hereditary right for their descendants to sit in the house) and ninety-two remaining hereditary peers, elected from among, and by, the holders of titles which previously gave a seat in the House of Lords. The Lords Spiritual represent the established Church of England and number twenty-six: the Five Ancient Sees (Canterbury, York, London, Winchester and Durham), and the 21 next-most senior bishops.The House of Lords currently acts to review legislation initiated by the House of Commons, with the power to propose amendments, and can exercise a suspensive veto. This allows it to delay legislation if it does not approve it for twelve months. However, the use of vetoes is limited by convention and by the operation of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949: the Lords may not veto the â€Å"money bills† or major manifesto promises (see Salisbury convention). Persistent use of the veto can also be overturned by the Commons, under a provision of the Parliament Act 1911.Often governments will accept changes in legislation in order to avoid b oth the time delay, and the negative publicity of being seen to clash with the Lords. However the Lords still retain a full veto in acts which would extend the life of Parliament beyond the 5 year term limit introduced by the Parliament Act 1911. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 outlined plans for a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to replace the role of the Law Lords. The House of Lords was replaced as the final court of appeal on civil cases within the United Kingdom on 1 October 2009, by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.Devolved national legislatures Though the UK parliament remains the sovereign parliament, Scotland has a parliament and Wales and Northern Ireland have assemblies. De jure, each could have its powers broadened, narrowed or changed by an Act of the UK Parliament. However, Scotland has a tradition of popular sovereignty as opposed to parliamentary sovereignty and the fact that the Scottish parliament was established following a referendum would make it p olitically difficult to significantly alter its powers without popular consent.The UK is therefore a unitary state with a devolved system of government. This contrasts with a federal system, in which sub-parliaments or state parliaments and assemblies have a clearly defined constitutional right to exist and a right to exercise certain constitutionally guaranteed and defined functions and cannot be unilaterally abolished by Acts of the central parliament. All three devolved institutions are elected by proportional representation: the Additional Member System is used in Scotland and Wales, and Single Transferable Vote is used in Northern Ireland.England, therefore, is the only country in the UK not to have a devolved English parliament. However, senior politicians of all main parties have voiced concerns in regard to the West Lothian Question, which is raised where certain policies for England are set by MPs from all four constituent nations whereas similar policies for Scotland or Wa les might be decided in the devolved assemblies by legislators from those countries alone.Alternative proposals for English regional government have stalled, following a poorly received referendum on devolved government for the North East of England, which had hitherto been considered the region most in favor of the idea, with the exception of Cornwall, where there is widespread support for a Cornish Assembly, including all five Cornish MPs. England is therefore governed according to the balance of parties across the whole of the United Kingdom. The government has no plans to establish an English parliament or assembly although several pressure groups are calling for one.One of their main arguments is that MPs (and thus voters) from different parts of the UK have inconsistent powers. Currently an MP from Scotland can vote on legislation which affects only England but MPs from England (or indeed Scotland) cannot vote on matters devolved to the Scottish parliament. Indeed, the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is an MP for a Scottish constituency, introduced some laws that only affect England and not his own constituency. This anomaly is known as the West Lothian question.The policy of the UK Government in England was to establish elected regional assemblies with no legislative powers. The London Assembly was the first of these, established in 2000, following a referendum in 1998, but further plans were abandoned following rejection of a proposal for an elected assembly in North East England in a referendum in 2004. Unelected regional assemblies remain in place in eight regions of England. There are two main parties in the United Kingdom: the Conservative Party, and the Labor Party.There is also a significant third party, the Liberal Democrats. The modern Conservative Party was founded in 1834 and is an outgrowth of the Tory movement or party, which began in 1678. Today it is still colloquially referred to as the Tory Party and its members as Tories. The L iberal Democrats were formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a Labor breakaway formed in 1981. The Liberals and SDP had contested elections together as the SDP–Liberal Alliance for seven years before.The modern Liberal Party had been founded in 1859 as an outgrowth of the Whig movement or party (which began at the same time as the Tory party and was its historical rival) as well as the Radical and Peelite tendencies. The Liberal Party was one of the two dominant parties (along with the Conservatives) from its founding until the 1920s, when it rapidly declined and was supplanted on the left by the Labor Party, which was founded in 1900 and formed its first government in 1924.Since that time, the Labor and Conservatives parties have been dominant, with the Liberal Democrats also holding a significant number of seats and increasing their share of the vote in parliamentary general elections in the four elections 1992. Conservatives; The Conservative Party won the largest number of seats at the 2010 general election, returning 307 MPs, though not enough to make an overall majority. As a result of negotiations following the election, they entered a formal coalition with the Liberal Democrats to form a majority government.The Conservative party can trace its origin back to 1662, with the Court Party and the Country Party being formed in the aftermath of the English Civil War. The Court Party soon became known as the Tories, a name that has stuck despite the official name being ‘Conservative'. The term â€Å"Tory † originates from the Exclusion Bill crisis of 1678-1681 – the Whigs were those who supported the exclusion of the Roman Catholic Duke of York from the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland, and the Tories were those who opposed it.Both names were originally insults: a â€Å"whiggamore† was a horse drover (See Whiggamore Raid), and a â€Å"tory† (Tà ³raidhe) was an Ir ish term for an outlaw, later applied to Irish Confederates and Irish Royalists, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Generally, the Tories were associated with lesser gentry and the Church of England, while Whigs were more associated with trade, money, larger land holders (or â€Å"land magnates†), expansion and tolerance of Catholicism.The Rochdale Radicals were a group of more extreme reformists who were also heavily involved in the cooperative movement. They sought to bring about a more equal society, and are considered by modern standards to be left-wing. After becoming associated with repression of popular discontent in the years after 1815, the Tories underwent a fundamental transformation under the influence of Robert Peel, himself an industrialist rather than a landowner, who in his 1834 â€Å"Tamworth Manifesto† outlined a new â€Å"Conservative† philosophy of reforming ills while conserving the good.Though Peel's supporters subsequently split from t heir colleagues over the issue of free trade in 1846, ultimately joining the Whigs and the Radicals to form what would become the Liberal Party, Peel's version of the party's underlying outlook was retained by the remaining Tories, who adopted his label of Conservative as the official name of their party. The crushing defeat of the 1997 election saw the Conservative Party lose over half their seats from 1992 and saw the party re-align with public perceptions of them.In 2008, the Conservative Party formed a pact with the Ulster Unionist Party to select joint candidates for European and House of Commons elections; this angered the DUP as by splitting the Unionist vote, republican parties will be elected in some areas. After thirteen years as the official opposition, the Party returned to power as part of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats in 2010. Historically, the party has been the mainland party most pre-occupied by British Unionism, as attested to by the party's full name, the Conservative & Unionist Party.This resulted in the merger between the Conservatives and Joseph Chamberlain's Liberal Unionist Party, composed of former Liberals who opposed Irish home rule. The unionist tendency is still in evidence today, manifesting sometimes as a skepticism or opposition to devolution, firm support for the continued existence of the United Kingdom in the face of separatist nationalism, and a historic link with the cultural unionism of Northern Ireland. Labor; The Labor Party won the second largest number of seats in the House of Commons at the 2010 general election, with 258 MPs.The history of the Labor party goes back to 1900 when a Labor Representation Committee was established which changed its name to â€Å" ­Ã‚ ­The Labor Party† in 1906. After the First World War, this led to the demise of the Liberal Party as the main reformist force in British politics. The existence of the Labor Party on the left of British politics led to a slow waning of energ y from the Liberal Party, which has consequently assumed third place in national politics.After performing poorly in the elections of 1922, 1923 and 1924, the Liberal Party was superseded by the Labor Party as the party of the left. Following two brief spells in minority governments in 1924 and 1929–1931, the Labor Party had its first true victory after World War II in the 1945 â€Å"khaki election†. Throughout the rest of the twentieth century, Labor governments alternated with Conservative governments. The Labor Party suffered the â€Å"wilderness years† of 1951-1964 (three straight General Election defeats) and 1979-1997 (four straight General Election defeats).During this second period, Margaret Thatcher, who became leader of the Conservative party in 1975, made a fundamental change to Conservative policies, turning the Conservative Party into an economic neoliberal party. In the General Election of 1979 she defeated James Callaghan's troubled Labor governme nt after the winter of discontent. For most of the 1980s and the 1990s, Conservative governments under Thatcher and her successor John Major pursued policies of privatization, anti-trade-unionism, and, for a time, monetarism, now known collectively as Thatcherism.The Labor Party elected left-winger Michael Foot as their leader after their 1979 election defeat, and he responded to dissatisfaction with the Labor Party by pursuing a number of radical policies developed by its grass-roots members. In 1981 several right-wing Labor MPs formed a breakaway group called the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a move which split Labor and is widely believed to have made Labor unelectable for a decade. The SDP formed an alliance with the Liberal Party which contested the 1983and 1987 general elections as a centrist alternative to Labor and the Conservatives. After some initial success, the SDP did not prosper (partly due to its unfavorable distribution of votes in the FPTP electoral system), and wa s accused by some of splitting the anti-Conservative vote. The SDP eventually merged with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democrats in 1988. Support for the new party has increased since then, and the Liberal Democrats (often referred to as LibDems) in 1997 and 2001 gained an increased number of seats in the House of Commons.The Labor Party was badly defeated in the Conservative landslide of the 1983 general election, and Michael Foot was replaced shortly thereafter by Neil Kinnock as leader. Kinnock expelled the far left Militant tendency group (now called the Socialist Party of England and Wales) and moderated many of the party's policies. Yet he was in turn replaced by John Smith after Labor defeats in the 1987 and 1992 general elections. Tony Blair became leader of the Labor party after John Smith's sudden death from a heart attack in 1994.He continued to move the Labor Party towards the ‘center' by loosening links with the unions and embracing many of Margaret Thatc her's liberal economic policies. This, coupled with the professionalizing of the party machine's approach to the media, helped Labor win a historic landslide in the 1997 General Election, after 18 years of Conservative government. Some observers say the Labor Party had by then morphed from a democratic socialist party to a social democratic party, a process which delivered three general election victories but alienated some of its core base – leading to the formation of the Socialist Labor Party (UK).Liberal Democrats; The Liberal Democrats won the third largest number of seats at the 2010 general election, returning 57 MPs. The Conservative Party failed to win an overall majority, and the Liberal Democrats entered government for the first time as part of a coalition. The Liberal Democrats were formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party with the Social Democratic Party, but can trace their origin back to the Whigs and the Rochdale Radicals who evolved into the Liberal Pa rty. The term ‘Liberal Party' was first used officially in 1868, though it had been in use colloquially for decades beforehand.The Liberal Party formed a government in 1868 and then alternated with the Conservative Party as the party of government throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century. The Liberal Democrats are heavily a party on Constitutional and Political Reforms, including changing the voting system for General Elections (UK Alternative Vote referendum, 2011), abolishing the House of Lords and replacing it with a 300 member elected Senate, introducing Fixed Five Year Parliaments, and introducing a National Register of Lobbyists.They also claim to champion of fairness and social mobility, notably in government where they have introduced legislation introducing a pupil premium – funding for schools directed at the poorest students to give them an equal chance in life – equal marriage for homosexual couples and increasing the income tax thresho ld so that no one will pay anything on the first  £10,000 they earn. Other parliamentary parties The Green Party of England and Wales gained its second MP, Caroline Lucas, in the 2010 General Election (the first MP was Cynog Dafis, Ceredigion 1992 who was elected on a joint Plaid Cyru/Green Party ticket).It also has seats in the European Parliament, two seats on the London Assembly and around 120 local councilors. The Respect party, a left-wing group that came out of the anti-war movement has one MP, George Galloway. It also has a small number of seats on local councils across the country. There are usually a small number of Independent politicians in parliament with no party allegiance. In modern times, this has usually occurred when a sitting member leaves their party, and some such MPs have been re-elected as independents.The only current Independent MP is Lady Hermon, previously of the Ulster Unionist Party. However, since 1950 only two new members have been elected as indepen dents without having ever stood for a major party: Martin Bell represented the Tatton constituency in Cheshire between 1997 and 2001. He was elected following a â€Å"sleaze† scandal involving the sitting Conservative MP, Neil Hamilton—Bell, a BBC journalist, stood as an anticorruption independent candidate, and the Labor and Liberal Democrat parties withdrew their candidates from the election.Dr. Richard Taylor MP was elected for the Wyre Forest constituency in the 2001 on a platform opposing the closure of Kidderminster hospital. He later established Health Concern, the party under which he ran in 2005. Current political landscape Since winning the largest number of seats and votes in the 2010 general election, the Conservatives under David Cameron are now behind the Labor Party now led by Ed Miliband. Their coalition partners have also experienced a decline in support in opinion polls.At the same time, support for the UK Independence Party has shown a considerable a dvance, with some polls now placing them in third place ahead of the Lib Dems. UKIP's growing strength was illustrated by the result of the Eastleigh by-election in which the party advanced by 24% to take second place from the Conservatives, less than 5% behind the Lib Dems who retained the seat. Local government The UK is divided into a variety of different types of Local Authorities, with different functions and responsibilities.England has a mix of two-tier and single-tier councils in different parts of the country. In Greater London, a unique two-tier system exists, with power shared between the London borough councils, and the Greater London Authority which is headed by an elected mayor. Unitary Authorities are used throughout Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. European Union Further information: European Movement UK, Euroskepticism in the United Kingdom, and Members of the European Parliament from the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom first joined the European Economic Comm unity in January 1973, and has remained a member of the European Union (EU) that it evolved into; UK citizens, and other EU citizens resident in the UK, elect 78 members to represent them in the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg. The UK's membership in the Union has been objected to over questions of sovereignty,[27] and in recent years there have been divisions in both major parties over whether the UK should form greater ties within the EU, or reduce the EU's supranational powers.Opponents of greater European integration are known as â€Å"Euroskeptics†, while supporters are known as â€Å"Europhiles†. Division over Europe is prevalent in both major parties, although the Conservative Party is seen as most divided over the issue, both whilst in Government up to 1997 and after 2010, and between those dates as the opposition. However, the Labor Party is also divided, with conflicting views over UK adoption of the euro whilst in Government (1997–2010) , although the party is largely in favor of further integration where in the country's interest.UK nationalists have long campaigned against European integration. The strong showing of the euroskeptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in the 2004 European Parliament elections has shifted the debate over UK relations with the EU. In March 2008, Parliament decided to not hold a referendum on the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, signed in December 2007. [28] This was despite the Labor government promising in 2004 to hold a referendum on the previously proposed Constitution for Europe.

Consumers as Individuals Essay

The self-concept refers to the beliefs a person holds about their attributes, and how they evaluate these qualities. Components of the self-concept It is composed of many attributes, some of which are given greater emphasis when the overall self is being evaluated. Attributes of self-concept can be described along such dimensions as their content (for example, facial attractiveness vs. mental aptitude), positivity or negativity (i. e. elf-esteem), intensity, stability over time and accuracy (that is, the degree to which one’s self-assessment corresponds to reality). Self-esteem Self-esteem refers to the positivity of a person’s self-concept. People with low self-esteem do not expect that they will perform very well, and they will try to avoid embarrassment, failure or rejection. People with high self-esteem expect to be successful,, will take more risks and are more willing to be the centre of attention. Self-esteem is often related to acceptance by others. Marketing communications can influence a consumer’s level of self-esteem. Exposure to ads can trigger a process of social comparison, where the person tries to evaluate their self by comparing it to the people in these artificial images. Real and ideal selves Self-esteem is influenced by a process where the consumer compares their actual standing on some attribute to some ideal. The ideal self is a person’s conception of how they would like to be, while the actual self refers to our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have or lack. And we often engage in a process of impression management where we work hard to ‘manage’ what others think of us by strategically choosing clothing and other cues that will put us in a good light. The ideal self is partly moulded by elements of the consumer’s culture, such as heroes or people depicted in advertising who serve as models of achievement or apprearance. Products may be purchased because they are believed to be instrumental in helping us achieve these goals. Some products are chosen because they are reaching the standard set by the ideal self. Multiple selves We have as many selves as we do different social roles. Depending on the situation, we act differently, use different products and services, and we even vary in terms of how much we like ourselves. A person may require a different set of products to play a desired role. The self can be thought of as having different components, or role identities, and only some of these are active at any given time. Symbolic interactionism If each person potentially has many social selves, how does each develop and how do we decide which self to ‘activate’ at any point in time? The sociological tradition of symbolic interactionism stresses that relationships with other people play a large part in forming the self. This perspective maintains that people exist in a symbolic environment, and the meaning attached to any situation or object is determined by the interpretation of these symbols. Like other social objects, the meanings of consumers themselves are defined b social consensus. The consumer interprets their own identity, and this assessment is continually evolving as they encounter new situations and people. The looking-glass self When you choose an article of clothing, the mirror superimposes it on your reflection so that you can see how it would look on you. This process of imagining the reactions of others towards us is known as ‘taking the role of the other’, or the looking-glass self. According to this view, our desire to define ourselves operates as a sort of psychological sonar, we take readings of our own identify by ‘bouncing’ signals off others and trying to project what impression they have of us. Self-conciousness There are times when people seem to be painfully aware of themselves. If you have ever walked into a class in the middle of a lecture and noticed that all eyes were on you, you can understand this feeling of self-conciousness. Some people seem in general to be more sensitive to the image they communicate to others. A heightened concern about he nature of one’s public ‘image’ also results in more concern about the social appropriateness of products and consumption activities. Several measures have been devised to measure this tendency. Consumers who score high on a scale of public self-conciousness, for example, are also more interested in clothing and are heavier users of cosmetic. A similar measure is self-monitoring. High self-monitors are more attuned to how they present themselves in their social environments, and their product choices are influenced by their estimates of how these items will be perceived by others. High self-monitors are more likely than low self-monitors to evaluate products consumed in public in terms of the impressions they make on others. Products that shape the self: you are what you consume Recall that the reflected self helps to shape self-concept, which implies hat people see themselves as they imagine others see them. People use an individual’s consumption behaviours to help them make judgements about that person’s social identity. A consumer exhibits attachment to an object to the extent that it is used by that person to maintain their self-concept. Objects can act as a sort of security blanket by reinforcing our identities, especially in unfamiliar situations. Symbolic self-completion theory predicts that people who have an incomplete self-definition tend to complete this identity by acquiring and displaying symbols associated with it. Self/product congruence Because many consumption activities are related to self-definition, it is not surprising to learn that consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy. Self-image congruence models predict that products will be chosen when their attributes match some aspect of the self. These models assume a process of cognitive matching between these attributes and the consumer’s self-image. Research tends to support the idea of congruence between product usage and self-image. Congruity has also been found between consumers and their most preferred brands of beer, soap, toothpaste and cigarettes relative to their least preferred brands, as well as between consumers’ self-images and their favourite shops. Some specific attributes that have been found to be useful in describing some of the matches between consumers and products include rugged/delicate, excitable/calm,†¦. The extended self. Many of the props and settings consumers use to define their social roles in a sense become a part of their selves. Those external objects that we consider a part of us comprise the extended self. Many material objects, ranging from personal possessions and pets to national monuments or landmarks, help to form a consumer’s identity. Four levels of the extended self were described. These range from very personal objects to places and things that allow people to feel like they are rooted in their larger social environments. †¢ Individual level. Consumers include many of their personal possessions in self-definition. These products can include jewellery, cars, clothing and so on. The saying ‘You are what you wear’ reflects the belief that one’s things are a part of what one is. †¢ Family level. This part of the extended self includes a consumer’s residence and its furnishings. The house can be thought of as a symbolic body for the family and often is a central aspect of identity. †¢ Community level. It is common for consumers to describe themselves in terms of the neighbourhood or town from which they come. †¢ Group level. Our attachments to certain social groups can be considered a part of self. A consumer may feel that landmarks, monuments or sports teams are a part of the extended self. Sexual identity is a very important component of a consumer’s self-concept. People often conform to their culture’s expectations about how those of their gender should act, dress, speak and so on. To the extent that our culture is everything that we learn, then virtually all aspects of the consumption process must be affected by culture. Gender differences in socialization A society’s assumptions about the proper roles of men and women are communicated in terms of the ideal behaviours that are stressed for each sex (in advertising, among other places). Gender goals and expectations In many societies, males are controlled by agentic goals, which stress self-assertion and mastery. Females, on the other hand, are taught to value communal goals such as affiliation and the fostering of harmonious relations. Every society creates a set of expectations regarding the behaviours appropriate for men and women, and finds ways to communicate these priorities. Gender vs. sexual identity Sex role identity is a state of mind as well as body. A person’s biological gender does not totally determine whether they will exhibit sex-typed traits, or characteristics that are stereotypically associated with one sex or the other. A consumer’s subjective feelings about their sexuality are crucial as well.

Business Entrepreneurship for Di Bella Coffee †Visit for plete Sol

The entrepreneur chosen for the essay is Phillip Di Bella, founder and managing director of Di Bella Coffee. In a few short years, Di Bella Coffee has b e a very successful business. Many topics are discussed in the essay regarding the growth and development of the firm started by the entrepreneur along with future r mendations. The piece will provide a deeper understanding of the ideas and background of opening the new venture. The pany has been witnessed some developments along with recognition with an array of various prestigious awards. However, the success story of Phillip Di Bella is fuelled by innovation, mitment, and passion. In the year of 2006, Di Bella Coffee is recognized for its growth of business. Gradually after 2010, the pany had started to expand its business operations outside Australia i.e. in China, India, New Zealand, etc. in 2015. Di Bella Coffee is known for the leadership and business strategy of Phillips Di Bella. He is a revolutionary icon in the industry of beverage market, especially in the cafà © market. There were many petitors at that time when Phillips started his new small venture with a coffee roasting machine. He is passionate about coffee and is focused on providing an exceptional customer service to the people of Australia. Philips has understood that focusing on customers will help in growing his business at world-class level (Maher 2014). A dynamic business environment with the increase of petition in the market has lead Di Bella to introduce new and unique exceptional services to the customers. Before opening the business, Phillips had done an extensive market research about the experience of the clients with the existing cafà © present in the Australian market. Customers are not satisfied with the taste and flavor of the coffee available in the market. It is the point of opening his new ve nture in the Australian market (Paterson et al. 2014). On extensive research, Philips had found that most of the Australians drink coffee with milk without proper blend and flavor. Phillip’s vast knowledge about different types of coffee blends and perfect mixes is the key area of success of his pany in the market. He believes that focusing on business needs will not only result in success in business in the long run. However, his business focuses towards the needs of the customers. The core aspect of achieving trust from the customers is by targeting the needs. There is an another perspective that has put Philips in setting apart in the field of opening business the coffee retail chain in Australia (Featherstone et al. 2014). Thinking ability of Phillips in changing the traditional standard product into a new product with new texture and flavor helped in gaining customer preference along with loyalty. It is seen that the clients of Di Bella Coffee are very loyal to the brand. They like the products of the pany. He has also started to teach people about the coffee industry and the single cup of coffee from the enterprise. Customers can analyze the perfec t cup of coffee provided by the corporation (Glavas 2013). It is a unique approach to increasing the brand awareness among the public. Phillips Di Bella’s entrepreneurship is celebrated for many years in many parts of the world. The passion for coffee and entrepreneurial spirit had led him to open a small coffee roasting business operations in Brisbane in the year of 2002. Ernst & Young have recognized Di Bella as a finalist in the field of entrepreneur of the year in the year 2005. Finally, he received the award on 2008. Entrepreneurship of Di Bella is popular in Australia. The socio-cultural background of Di Bella is influenced by munity involvement (Dibellacoffee , 2016). Apart from his business, Phillip has many munity building roles. The significant level of participation of Philips in many munity developmental programs has helped in earning prestigious awards and recognitions. The awards include Corporate Citizenship Award, the order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, etc. for his great contribution to the Italian munity (Fritz et al. 2015). Apart from focusing on business, Philip is dedicated to encouraging environment and building relationships. Phillip is a very passionate person. However, he is also interested in developing passion among others also. It is the reason of involvement of him in the munity engagement programs (DiBella 2013). He inspires passion among others. Phillip involved in various charitable organizations and contributed a lot. The most notable organization he is involved is Pyjama Foundation.   He used to organize a recreational camp for careers and children of the disadvantaged and underprivileged children in the local munity (Kosalge and Ritz 2015). He is a keen observer of people. With the dissatisfaction in customer service in the industry, he opened his pany by convincing clients of providing better service. This had encouraged him to improve his business in the market. The exceptional signature blends of the coffee of Di Bella are now famous for the creation of the global brand. In his init ial days, Philips had visited clients to attract customers for his new business venture (Neilson et al. 2013). The petitive advantage of Philip is there in the Australian market. The main petitor of Di Bella Coffee is Victoria Coffee in Australia. Apart from that, there are other coffee retail chains such as Barista, Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc. These coffee chains are global chains and are present in many countries of the world. Di Bella Coffee not only faces petition in Australia from these retailers but also in its foreign operations. However, Philips has a different point of view (Carter et al. 2015). It is discussed earlier that, Di Bella Coffee is focused on customers more than its products. It is the reason of maintaining a strong brand image in the market. Phillip also admitted the fact that in the modern petitive business world, with the change in a business environment the taste and preference of consumers also changes. New taste has evolved in the market. This has encouraged Phillip to develop the taste of its products in the Australian market. Consumers’ preferences h ave also changed in other countries such as New Zealand, India, etc. The above petitors are present in these markets also. The innovative mind of Phillips has resulted in many methods of brewing coffee that will provide a good taste but different from the previous ones. The cafà © specializes in bringing coffee from various parts of the world (Perrone et al. 2015). Apart from these, the pany for making product differentiation also uses different brewing methods. Though Di Bella Coffee is progressing its operations towards many countries of the world, there are many restrictions that the pany has to face while entering into new countries. Phillips mainly faced cultural issues in different countries of the world. The consumers of target market may not prefer the taste of coffee that is preferable in Australia. Apart from that, Philips has to change the business strategy of its pany to capture the trust and preference of the customers in the host country (Glavas 2013). The HRM procedures are to be formulated in a way to gaining an understanding of the nature of the people. The policies that are feasible in Australia may not provide actual result in the foreign countries due to cultural differences. Out of the box, thinking is required both in the field of product variation and recruitment of a right candidate for the maintenance of branch operations. There is a need for product changes that can hit the taste buds of the customers of the target market. Apart from different blends of coffee, Phillips can innovate new ranges of food products with coffee for the customers. The pany can expand its business operations in other countries by adopting various entry modes such as mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, franchise, etc. Among these entry methods, Di Bella can adopt mergers and acquisitions for entering into a foreign market (Neilson and Shonk 2014). Apart from that, Phillips can also expand the stores of the pany by increasing the number of products. A different section of the store can sell other plementary fast foods other than coffee. It will also increase the brand image of the pany by tapping new customers. Entrepreneurship is setting a business of own. Philips had started his business initially on a small scale. It is discussed earlier that Di Bella Coffee has gradually shown the progress. Now the pany has adopted processes of globalization for expanding business operations in many countries of the world. The essay discusses entrepreneurial skills of an Australian entrepreneur. Phillips Di Bella is recognized as one of the most famous entrepreneurs in Australia. His zeal for development and passion for coffee has influenced him to achieve a great platform within such a short span of life. Apart from Phillips, many other entrepreneurs have flourished their business in Australia. Focus on people is the main area of success of the pany in the petitive market. Many technologies are used in roasting and brewing coffee. Phillips had identified the potential demands in the market to grow the business of coffee in Australia. Carter, J.F., Yates, H.S. and Tinggi, U., 2015. Isotopic and Elemental position of Roasted Coffee as a Guide to Authenticity and Origin.Journal of agricultural and food chemistry,  63(24), pp.5771-5779. DiBella, A.J., 2013. Sustainable change (or the end of change) at the US Mint: A case exercise.  The International Journal of Management Education,11(2), pp.55-65. Dibellacoffee . (2016).  About Phillip Di Bella | Di Bella Coffee. [online] Available at: https://dibellacoffee /Our-Story/About-Phillip-Di-Bella [Accessed 9 Sep. 2016]. Featherstone, T., 2014. Q and A with Phillip Di Bella. pany Director,30(9), p.12. Fritz, S., See, L., McCallum, I., You, L., Bun, A., Moltchanova, E., Duerauer, M., Albrecht, F., Schill, C., Perger, C. and Havlik, P., 2015. Mapping global cropland and field size.  Global change biology,  21(5), pp.1980-1992. Glavas, C., 2013. International marketing implementation:‘The sweet aroma of success. Modification of products for new markets: The case of TORQ by Di Bella Coffee’, case study.  International Marketing: An Asia-Pacific perspective (6e), pp.680-680. Glavas, C., 2013. The sweet aroma of success: Modification of products for new markets in the case of TORQ by Di Bella Coffee.  International Marketing: An Asia-Pacific Perspective [6th ed.], pp.680-683. Kosalge, P.U. and Ritz, E., 2015. Finding the tipping point for a CEO to say yes to an ERP: a case study.  Journal of Enterprise Information Management,  28(5), pp.718-738. Maher, B., 2014. Sardinia es to Australia: Finding spaces for Mediterranean writing in translation.  Journal of Australian Studies,  38(3), pp.304-313. Neilson, J. and Shonk, F., 2014. Chained to Development? Livelihoods and global value chains in the coffee-producing Toraja region of Indonesia.Australian Geographer,  45(3), pp.269-288. Neilson, J., Hartatri, D.S.F. and Lagerqvist, Y.F., 2013. Coffee-based livelihoods in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Paterson, R.R.M., Lima, N. and Taniwaki, M.H., 2014. Coffee, mycotoxins and climate change.  Food research international,  61, pp.1-15. Perrone, A. and Wodonga, T.A.F.E., 2015. Centralian College: Creating a strategic marketing plan for long-term growth.  Marketing, p.85. With a decade's experience in providing essay help,

Course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Course - Essay Example Most often, behaviour, poor performance, and violations of the company’s policies warrant company’s discipline. Dealing with this matter is very important on the part of the company in the development in the attitude in the workforce and also for the advantage of the company’s interest to deliver good quality of products in the increasing demand in the competing world of business. In handling certain situations regarding this, companies adhere to some of the progressive disciplinary process such as verbal caution, verbal warning, written warning, suspension the decision to leave, and termination. Jack manages a call centre for a mail order company. Frequently his reps end up staying late because call volume is heavy. These results in a lot of overtime pay that Jack would like to avoid. He’s considering reclassifying the position as exempt so he wouldn’t have to pay them overtime. He would, however, give them a small raise when he reclassifies them. Do you think Jack’s idea has merit? Discuss the pros and cons. Answer: With regard to the idea of jack that represents the company as a whole, I think it would be best to lay down some of the legal basis before pursuing to these reclassifications of job. The companies, before hiring, has probably gone through job descriptions and in reclassifying those, there must be a compliance within the Department of Labor regulations or otherwise, misclassifications of a job will be subjected to fines and penalties as a part of the consequences. There are certain conditions that must be met for an employee to be exempt job classifications like lawyers, accountants and doctors. Advantages on the part of the company on the exempt job classification is that the company is not required anymore to pay any back overtime but it is also nice that the company offers to pay something even if not being required to do so. I think it is also beneficial on the part of the employee considering that the change takes place only in the classification and not on the job so it is expected that the working hours beyond 40 hours weekly is subjected to be paid as overtime. You are the HR Manager for a retail store with 4 locations within one metropolitan area. The company's sales/marketing strategy has been to be the low cost leader (i.e. have lower prices than competitors), and therefore the compensation strategy has been to pay its store employees just above minimum wage, in the first quartile. Your boss has just told you that he is changing the strategy and now he wants to provide "optimum service", and not necessarily the lowest prices. What changes should be made in the company's compensation strategy as a result of this new direction? You expect your boss will be surprised at how much impact the new pay strategy will have on the payroll budget. What could you suggest to reduce the impact? Answer: In the situation that was given above, there were two concerns involved that have to b e dealt with, the increase in the salary and implementation of the lower cost of the products against the competitors. Lowering the price of the products at the store against the rest of the competitors is a very powerful strategy in attracting more customers that would increase the sales in a certain stores. With regard to these the company is eyeing to also increase the compensation on the part of the wage of the workforce. I think that the main objective of the compensation

The Impact of Human Resource Development Programs on Employee Essay

The Impact of Human Resource Development Programs on Employee Performance - Essay Example In this research, primary data was gathered through the use of a survey questionnaire and interviews administered to two sample groups, namely managers and rank-and-file employees of ARAMCO. The 100 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling, comprising 80 rank-and-file employees and 20 managerial employees. Secondary data were gathered from existing literature on ARAMCO, particularly its annual report and documents existing in the public domain. The study determined that Saudi ARAMCO employs a best-fit approach to its human resources management, allowing for the gradual and continuous development of HRD policies and practices in the areas of motivation, rewards management, and performance management and appraisal. There are a number of gaps that exist between management and employee perceptions on these sensitive aspects of HRM; however, there are also a number of areas where the two parties commonly agree. The study concludes that a more effective HRM strategy may be arrived at by a refinement of the policies and practices currently evolving in the different internal environments of ARAMCO’s vast structure.SAUDI ARAMCO officially titled the ‘Saudi Arabian Oil Company’, is a unique organization on the global business landscape. It is the world’s singularly most valuable company, with assets currently valued (in 2010) at between $2.2 - $7 trillion. This value is likely to increase, however, as the company also presides over the world’s largest known oil reserves, an increasingly important commodity and the single most important driving factor for global business.

Strategic Plan for James Raynor Ins, Agency of State Farm Assignment

Strategic Plan for James Raynor Ins, Agency of State Farm - Assignment Example The company has several employees and 18000 state farm agents who work together to serve nearly 80 million policy holders (3State Farm, 2013). In this regard, James Raynor is one of the major contributors as the agent of the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. He provides rapid and risk-free quotes for the various insurances to serve the people by providing financial assistance. He has his own corporate State Farm Agency in Orange City, Florida (4State Farm, 2013). The company profile of State Farm reveals that the mission of the farm is to assist individuals to manage risks of their everyday life, in the occurrence of the unexpected events along with comprehending the dreams of the people. The company offers various services to help the finances of the people by investing in mutual funds and various insurances. The State Farm has been awarded as the top employer of the military veterans and is trusted as a reliable provider of services for the people of the United States and Canada (3State Farm, 2013). The key issue faced by the State Farm and the agents include the fact that there is severe competition that have recently emerged from the local companies in order to satisfy the clients. Countless policies offered by different companies for health and accidental benefits with diverse features available in the market could be a critical issue in both short and long term (3State Farm, 2013). Environment Company Environment The Annual report of the State Farm demonstrates the financial condition of the farm to be strong and profitable as per the data of 2012. The net income of the farm has exhibited an increase in the level of profit as the income in 2011 was US$ 1,088 as compared to US$1525 million Dollars in 2012. Due to the growth of the company, an expectation has materialized regarding the efficient running of the business with the valuable contribution of agents (1State Farm, 2012). Stakeholders Edward B. Rust Jr is the Chairman and the Chief Exe cutive Officer (CEO) of the State Farm and is also the member of boards of directors of McGraw Hill. The farm has several key members in the board of directors such as Gerald M. Czarneck and Dan E. Arvizu. Even though James Raynor is not the member of the board, he is still one of the major contributors in the profit of the farm (2State Farm, 2013). Strength of James Raynor Ins. State Farm Agency Strengths Communication: The key strength of James Raynor as an insurance agent is his communication skills. He possesses the capability of understanding the needs of the clients and subsequently he offers the required policies which would benefit the clients and the agency. He has a great convincing power as he can easily change the prospects into his clients. Work Ethics: James Raynor follows a rigid and methodical work ethic and has maintained integrity in his profession. He is loyal, honest and dedicated to his work and his policyholders. He is self-motivated and has over the years supp orted the people to make wise decisions regarding their investments in insurance or mutual funds. Decision Making: He possesses a strong knowledge in maintaining the finances and helping the clients in taking the correct measures, which leads to the success of the agency. He has displayed dedication, work ethic and moral responsibility

How a nurse can become a good leader Research Paper

How a nurse can become a good leader - Research Paper Example For a leader, it is essential to inspire the employees or the followers through inspiration, which is mostly achieved through effective communication skills. Establishment of clear and open communication channels is very important since it creates a sense of transparency in the organization. This builds trust mostly between the followers and the leaders (Smith, & Demand Media, 2014). This is because the followers have clear information regarding the direction of the organization, which motivates them in contributing towards achievement of the pre-determined goals. With existence of strong communication, the employees feel valued ensuring that the workplace fosters a positive environment where the staff feels safe. In addition, communication is responsible for establishing relationships in the organization. Effective communication ensures that there exist healthy relationships from both professional and social perspectives. In an organization where the leader allows the existence of healthy relationships, the employees are usually encouraged to share their ideas. This is the main reason behind innovations that mostly function as competitive advantages for organizations. Accidental innovations are usually conceived when individuals working in the organization contribute ideas towards the resolution of common problems. While good communication may encourage innovation, it also eliminates the feeling of isolation and fosters the establishment of teams (Smith, & Demand Media, 2014). This in turn brings a collegial atmosphere in the workplace, which is characterized by high effectiveness in task completion and overall performance. Communication is also responsible for determining the level of clarity in the organization. While confusion as well as ambiguity, which result from unclear communication, may create a tense atmosphere as well as negative feelings, effective

Financial Econometrics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Econometrics - Assignment Example Thus, the series has a significant autocorrelations across the years. However, compared to other years, lag 1, 5, 11 and 31 have larger partial autocorrelations. The above plot represents the difference in log of real personal disposable income. This data shows a stationary trend whereby the data points assume a straight line. Moreover, the graph shows that the data have a constant mean and variance. This implies that the first difference of the series achieves stationarity. The above graph represents the autocorrelations of DLrpdi series whereby all the years show significance autocorrelations. However, compared to other years, year 4 and year 10 have larger autocorrelations due to large variations. The above graph is a representation of the log of real personal consumption data over time. This series shows an upward trend. This implies that this variable has an upward trend across the years. This data is non-stationary since it is increasing with the change of time. The graph above shows autocorrelation of Lrc. ACF is significant across the years. At lag 1 it is quite high and it has a decreasing uniform trend across the years; implying that the data is not stationary. The above graph represents the partial autocorrelation of Lrc series whereby all the years show significance autocorrelations. However, compared to other years, year1, year 3 and year 4 have larger autocorrelations due to large variations. The above plot represents the difference in log of real personal consumption. This data shows a stationary trend whereby the data points assume a straight line. Moreover, the graph shows that the data has a constant mean and variance. This implies that the first difference of the series achieve stationarity. Therefore, since the p-values at lag 0 and lag 1 is less than 0.05 in the above tests, we fail to accept the null hypothesis which states that the difference in the Lrpdi and Lrc show a unit root; the difference does

Development of the Social Self Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Development of the Social Self - Essay Example The ability to develop and maintain a consistent and functional sense of the self in the increasingly superficial and anonymous interpersonal context of modern mass societies is widely believed to be one of the cornerstones of personal and social success (Forgas and Williams, 2003). According to Freud theory, the self is developed as the result of the conflict between id, ego and superego (Bakhurst and Sypnowich, 1995). Chapter 2 discusses the development of the self as the result of comparing the self-concept of who the person thinks he is and the possible selves as images of what the person dreams of or dreads becoming in the future. Within the social identity approach, the self is taken to comprise both personal and social identity. The developmental study of the social self is important because social identities of adults mobilize specific forms of group-related perception and actions. The understanding of the relation between social self-conceptions and social action becomes vit ally important because social identity creates and defines the individual’s place in the society. ... uch actions as supporting person’s dreams, strengthening positive self-image and inspiring for further improvements have profound and long-lasting impact. By helping people connect to their sense of optimism and individual vision of ideal self, people can highly motivate and energize others for better learning, development and change (Bennett and Sani, 2004). The main idea of the self discussed in Chapter 2 is that usually people tend to overestimate of what others think about them, thus, their behavior is limited and controlled by fear, lack of confidence and social stereotypes. When people speak in public, for instance, they usually feel nervous and think it is obvious for others. Though, if to explain about spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency (informed condition), people become more confident while speaking in public and felt better about their speech and appearance than those in the control and reassurance conditions. The development of the self starts at the early age when children learn to understand themselves through the perception of surrounding world and in relation to certain social groups. In the process of developing a theory of mind, children and adolescents gradually learn that people have thoughts, feelings, motives and behavior different from their own. The interpersonal skills are developed and nurtured through the relation to the family, friends, school mates, university mates, colleagues and other people (Bennett and Sani, 2004). Chapter 2 further discusses the sense of individualism and collectivism compared between industrialized Western cultures that have independent self and those in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America that have interdependent self. Such different perception of the self in these cultures creates different

Women in the Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Women in the Renaissance Essay â€Å"What was life like for Renaissance women? † â€Å"If you were a woman in that time, would you have liked it? † and â€Å"How was the treatment towards women? † Questions like these keep pestering my mind as I research about the Renaissance. It is preposterous at how little freedom women were given compared to this day and age. Not only that, it is clear and obvious that men in the 14th to 16th century in England were given special privileges, while females were not. This is absurd. Women should have been treated as equals with men and without inferiority. The English Renaissance was a period of time filled with great injustice, harsh treatment, and unfair consequences. The life that most women live currently is a luxury compared to the Renaissance since females may major in whatever career she wants, choose who she wants to marry, and in general, make her own decisions. Yet, it has not always been this way. In the Renaissance, females were deemed inferior to males and there were laws that restricted women’s rights. For example, Protestantism â€Å"underscored women’s wifely and maternal roles and simultaneously closing down religious orders that had heretofore offered women a realm for their exercise of spiritual and social power† (Smith 25). Men could not even give females any power, even if was just religious powers. Any authority for females was looked down upon, for men believed women would misuse it since â€Å"as inheritors of eve’s sinfulness, women were pronounced disobedient, lustful, and physically foul† (Smith 25). Females were assumed that way so thus were the inferior gender and treated differently. As males were superior, it was accepted that they had the higher authority so their wives and daughters followed his orders. The daughters had no say to who her father married her to. The main purpose of daughters was as a bride. If they could not marry or lacked the dowry to become nuns, they had to find work (â€Å"Women† 324). Almost all girls were not allowed to decide who they could wed. Their father mainly chose the groom and marriages were often a matter of business. It did not matter whether or not his daughter loved the guy. In addition, the fathers expected â€Å"certain values for girls: chastity, obedience, and silence† These were thought to prepare daughters for their second stage of life, as a wife (â€Å"Women† 324). Chastity was needed because girls could not be married without it, obedience for listening to the betrothed, and silence to not argue with the husband. Sometimes, young girls married men twice or three times their age (â€Å"Women† 324). Imagine having a spouse as old as one’s father, or worse, grandfather! In nobles, the girls had their husbands chosen already at the age of ten or eleven. After five or six years, on the actual wedding, they would meet each other for their first time (â€Å"Women† 324). They were usually married to men with power and wealth; the main reason of the wedding meant sharing a lord’s property or a noble name and continued success. Many women married men they barely knew, or never met. After following her father’s orders, she then had to obey the demands of her new husband (â€Å"Women† 324). Women in the family had different roles depending on what social class they were. The roles of mostly upper class women consisted of different struggles than that of lower class women. For example, upper class women were, â€Å"placed [with] crippling limitations [on] developing artistic or intellectual skills a woman might possess† (â€Å"Women in the Renaissance†). If a woman had sophisticated abilities and wealth, there were more marital offers that came from other nobles. Also, the girls, from a young age, were taught needlework, etiquette, and other talents. In the lower classes, women tended to have â€Å"less freedom of movement in lower classes; they were always handicapped by the physical strains and dangers of constant childbearing and by endless hard labor to provide for [the] family† (â€Å"Women in the Renaissance†). Most of the lower class had to do all their work themselves instead of hiring helping hands or servants since the majority could not afford it. All the cooking, shopping, and cleaning were usually done by the females. They had no time for etiquette and needlework but for other labors in the household. Marriage in households was not the best either. â€Å"Man ruled, women was his property, and he was free to humiliate, strike, and even murder her† (Gail 40). That sounds harsh but it happened. The husbands were even able to murder their wives if their wives were caught in adultery. Adultery was consistently viewed as a wife’s crime; punished by execution and viewed as treason† (â€Å"Women† 317). It was not unheard of for the husband to kill her since divorce did not exist. It seemed that it was always the wife’s fault for seducing other men (â€Å"Adultery†). Regularly, men engaged in sexual relations outside marriage without having to be killed. Women were often married as a matter of business and not by love so of course they would be unhappy and unsettled in their relationships with their husbands. Most tended to simply submit their lives and deal with the marriage. Others refused to accept their fate and looked to satisfy their own desires elsewhere. Yet, â€Å"for a woman who gives into her desires is thought to be deviant; however, the male supremacy in early modern England only perpetuates the female desire to be unbound by societal expectations† (â€Å"Adultery†). Would it not be frustrating to have to be with a man one did not love? Since males controlled females, it was only predictable that women would want to rebel. There were women who wanted to express their opinions but in other ways. The only way â€Å"women could rise [was] through education and struggle† (Gail 42). It was only reasonable that women could finally be noticed through their intellectual abilities. However, â€Å"most men of the day, including churchmen, scholars and educators, stood together against women, and constantly spoke of them with contempt† (Gail 42). Males believed it ridiculous for women to be able to have a formal education instead of learning how to be a proper wife. In spite of all this, the Renaissance was known as the time of the rise of women. It was Spain that â€Å"was known as the country of learned women† due to the Saracen influence (Gail 42). The Saracen women were â€Å"granted spiritual equality to men and women† because of the Prophet Muhammad, whose followers invaded Spain in 711 (Gail 42). Juan Luis Vives, a tutor in Spain, educated Queen Isabella’s four daughters and then traveled to England, where he stirred interest for educating girls (Gail 43). He published books that supported schooling for girls. He began this idea and others took it up. The notion of having almost all females literate was a new thing. Not everyone agreed but there was a slight change. â€Å"During the Renaissance women lost economic power, but, at least briefly, gained status and opportunities for education† (â€Å"Did women have a renaissance? †). The women would finally have literacy instead of lighter, more informal material. Not only that, the time of questioning of women’s inferiority was the beginning of â€Å"Querelles des Femmes,† or the disputes about women (â€Å"Women† 325). â€Å"The educated daughters of humanists, businessmen, and clergy wrote to counter arguments for female inferiority and subordination to men† (Nym Mayhall 45). The women were finally taking actions for their treatment. No more would they keep waiting on men. One such woman was Christine de Pisan who wrote Livre de la cite des dames, or Book of the City of Ladies (Nym Mayhall 45). This was the first important impact of a woman to this discussion. Pisan argued about the schooling and training of women and how it was what made them inferior to men. Not only that, she disputed that â€Å"women’s subordination resulted not from women’s natural inferiority but from men’s envy of women’s virtue† (Nym Mayhall 46). Men know what females can achieve and feel threatened by the competition! That is why there is subordination between the genders. Other European women elaborated upon these opinions. Some include the French writer Marie de Gournay, British playwright Aphra Behn, and Venetian poet Lucrezia Marinella (Nym Mayhall 46). Many early feminists wrote texts that â€Å"contradict[ed] notions of women’s inferiority inherited from classical authors and Christina texts and arguing that women were fully human, not restricted by their natures or biology† (Nym Mayhall 46). This led more females and males to participate in this heated discussion. The idea of equality between genders was beginning to change for the better bit by bit. There were famous females who began to defy men and act upon their beliefs. Some wrote and published their views, others simply followed their dreams that men had taken away, and a few noblewomen used their wealth and status to influence things. The females showed that women were as good as men, whether they liked it or not. For instance, Isabelle d’Este was a noblewoman who was the Marchesa of Mantua. She was not only a patron of the arts, but [also] an inspiration to great artists [like Titian and Da Vinci]† (â€Å"Isabelle d’Este†). To name a few other women, there was the French writer Marie de Gournay, Venetian poet Lucrezia Marinella, and British playwright Aphra Behn (Nym Mayhall 46). These people tried to defend the reputation of women and show the excellence in females by creating literal works. Further women such as Italian Gaspara Stampa and French Louise Labes wrote poetry, romances, stories, novels, and plays (â€Å"Women† 326). Many other females wrote but compared to males, the published works were little. Yet, it’s the thought that counts. Women writers published their thoughts and opinions. Life in the English Renaissance was comparably challenging to that of our current life. There were more limitations and expectations for females. It would terrify most girls in this day and age to marry at such young ages and not even know who the groom is! What if he was twenty years older? Such things were one of the many worries of girls in the Renaissance, alongside with household chores and duties. It was all because of the chance of being born female. Four hundred years from the Renaissance, there is finally equality between both genders. Though there may sometimes be evidence of inferiority, overall females have the freedom to choose and decide what they want and never have to be restricted by rules. There is no need to fear the consequences of reading a book in public or disobeying one’s father in a matter of marriage.

River Pattern Classification System

River Pattern Classification System Abstract A new empirical river pattern classification system is established based on the generalization of the famous Darcy-Weisbach equation. A parameter ψ for representing river shape is derived and defined as the river pattern discriminant criteria. After transformation, the discriminant thresholds are expressed as dimensionless form relating the resistance factor to the relative roughness factor of the channel, which reflect the channel slope, sediment size, bank strength and channel geometry integrated. Adopting the most promising discriminant mode that combines both regime theory and linear stability theory, a threshold function is used to separate single-thread channels (including straight and meandering) from multi-thread channels, and another one is employed to distinguish stable and unstable multi-thread channels (i.e., anabranching and braided) in this paper. A novel bank strength impact factor (ÃŽ ¼) is proposed herein and turns out to be rather representative. Some channel pat terns are redefined using this method and proved to be reasonable enough. Analysis of various data sets reveals that riparian vegetation condition is a sensitive part of this classification system, in particular for single-thread channels, but not braided channels, because overlarge width-depth ratio(W/d) would have strongly weaken this impact. Moreover, we support that transient anabranching or braiding pattern could also occur in single-thread typical zone following external disturbance, but would eventually go back dynamic equilibrium state. Despite some construction mechanism shortcomings, our discriminant method is supported by the selected existing data sets and could effectively distinguish three distinct types of channels by just a few hydrodynamic parameters. Keywords: river pattern; Darcy-Weisbach equation; river shape; bank strength 1 Introduction River pattern reveals the physical geometry and dynamic behavioral process of a river system (Schumm, 1985; Nanson and Knighton, 1996). It is well understood that an alluvial channel could adjust itself to the ever-changing water flow and sediment conditions. Thus river patterns could exhibit a series of continuous variations, described as straight, meandering and braided patterns in tradition (Leopold and Wolman, 1957). It is pretty necessary to distinguish several distinct types of channels for better understanding the consistent changing progresses of river channels in different environment conditions. Numerous classification schemes using discriminant functions have been proposed, based on a set of typical properties, such as discharge, channel slope, width-depth ratio, sediment grain size, etc. Noteworthy is that the still least well-known multi-thread river pattern, anabranching pattern, has been attracting considerable attention (e.g., Schumm, 1981, 1985; Nanson and Knighton, 1996; Wende and Nanson, 1998; Tooth and Nanson, 1999; Burge, 2006; Eaton et al., 2010; Kleinhans and van den Berg, 2011). It makes great contribution to the diversity of river systems (Wende and Nanson, 1998). Then based on tradition, following the popular discriminant mode and developing a novel river pattern discriminant method comprise the focus of this paper, and lead to the capture of different channel patterns, including single-thread, anabranching and braided. Many early empirical attempts used Leopold and Wolman (1957)’s method as base model, to improve understanding quantitative process of rive pattern transformation. Most of them focused on the critical discharge to construct discriminant function, later also included critical channel slope and bed grain size (Henderson, 1963; Millar, 2000). For a given bankfull discharge, braided usually corresponds to increased slope, while which in turn usually result in stronger sand transport rate, increased bank erosion and coarser bed surface sediment (Eaton et al., 2010). Due to powerful impediment that almost all channel properties have been varying desultorystrickly or methodically with flow progression downstream, some newly threshold schemes successively appear on related research hotspot topics, of which critical specific stream power(Nanson and Croke, 1992; Van den Berg, 1995; Lewin and Brewer, 2001; Petit et al., 2005) is outstanding. It can be viewed as a potential status with max imum flow energy and minimum sinuosity condition (Van den Berg, 1995). The classification between braided and meandering channels with high sinuosity in unconfined alluvial floodplains is well acceptable. But the argument about it also exists all the while. Lewin and Brewer (2001) argued that the analysis of potential bankfull stream power and grain size by Van den Berg (1995) is virtually ineffective; the classification of river pattern should not be limited to obtain an all-sided discriminant method, but the thresholds integrated with patterning process domain. Petit et al. (2005) conducted experiments on different sized rivers and concluded that critical specific stream power is the smallest for the largest river, while turns to the higher value in intermediate rivers, then becomes the highest in head water streams. The reasons are down to the bedform’s larger resistance that consumes energy for bedload transport. Recently, Kleinhans (2010) emphasized that channel pattern is directly bound up with the presence of bars. Then, Kleinhans and van den Berg (2011) combined the empirical stream power-based discrimination method and a physics-based bar pattern prediction method to undertake bold exploration about the underlying reasons of different river channel patterns. It was found that the range of specific potential stream power is rather narrow in gravel-bed meandering channel due to nonlinearity of sediment transport; anabranching channel is irrelevant to stream power but subject to additional factors such as bank strength, lateral confinement, avulsion, and vertical morphodynamics change; river pattern can actually be defined by bar pattern, channel division number, and bifurcation condition. The features common in empirical methods are that more is based on statistical correlation derivation, less to clearly expound inherent processes for discriminating river pattern. These models may really be questioned about application to broader scope, due to original data restrictions. Considering the shortcomings, many researchers have been contributing to develop physically based theories, and explore the relationship variables controlling river evolution process and pattern. Leading theories are regime theory and linear stability models. Rational regime model is developed for predicting reach-averaged channel pattern response to the controlled environment variables in equilibrium, such as width-depth ratio, relative roughness and channel slope (Eaton et al., 2004). This concept employs optimization theory to achieve relative stability of the fluvial system by assessing the resistance and energy expenditure, meanwhile adjusting channel geometry to given flow conditions (Valentine et al., 2001; Huang et al., 2004). It has been proved much more successful than statistical empirical equations in predicting the variation of width and slope along downstream area and helping understanding the influence of bank stability on channel geometry (Chew and Ashmore, 2001; Millar and Eaton, 2011). While, linear stability models are used for discriminating river pattern which based on physically morphodynamic equations. This theory explains that meandering is formed along with bend instability from planimetric perturbation (van Dijk et al., 2012). As perturbation propagates downstream, pattern transition towards braided occurs associated with multiple bars. In addition, this theoretical method could predict the threshold that bifurcation occurs by width-depth ratio (W/d) (Parsons et al., 2007; Crosato and Mosselman, 2009). A significant disadvantage in this theory is that we cannot establish a typical relationship about channel geometries, such as slope with discharge and sediment size, only if the channel dimensions have been obtained (Eaton et al., 2010). However, when combining regime theory with linear stability models, means that morphodynamic condition and fluvial system stability are together considered to describe pattern transition progress, has recently been given particular attention, represented by Eaton (Eaton and Church, 2004; Eaton, 2006; Eaton et al., 2004, 2010). In this paper, we attempt to develop a physical based classification system combining regime theory and linear stability theory, just like Eaton et al. (2010). A threshold could be used to distinguish single-thread and stable multi-thread channels, and another one could be used to distinguish stable and unstable multi-thread channels, from a stability perspective. However, when rereading the original work by Eaton et al. (2010), some limitations of subjectivity becomes clear that a threshold value of W/d =50 originally recommended for discriminating braided channels was employed to derive bifurcation criteria, and the number of channel divisions exceeding four was subjectively assumed as the beginning of system instability. We hold that this treatment should be regarded warily due to lack of absolute objective stability or instability criterion in fact. We turn in another new way. The famous Darcy-Weisbach equation (Weisbach, 1848; Darcy, 1857) is generalized from artificial rectangular channel case to natural alluvial channel cases and expressed as functions of assumed river shape parameter, resistance factor and relative roughness factor. A relevant scatter diagram reveals that several typical channel patterns correspond to differentiable distribution mode. Based on strictly fitting, river shape parameter is determined and defined as river pattern discrimination criterion. After transformation, we develop a new dimensionless style threshold for distinguishing different river patterns. Then the classification system based on two dimensionless threshold equations is established. However, it is also, by necessary, practically restricted to certain subjectivity, especially the judgment of system instability. Considering the data fitting dependency, this method may be better treated as an empirical method.

Plasmodium falciparum: The Causative Agent of Malaria :: Essays Papers

Plasmodium falciparum: The Causative Agent of Malaria Introduction The protozoan Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for causing 500 million cases of malaria per year as well as 100-200 million deaths per year worldwide (Kuby, p438). The majority of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among malnourished children. Malaria is endemic in 92 countries, where 40% of the world’s population is at risk of the disease (WHO). Documentation of malaria occurs as far back as 4000BC, with mentions of the disease on clay tablets. The name of the disease originates from the late 1800’s and is derived from ‘mal aria,’ meaning bad air. There are four members of Plasmodium that cause malaria along with P. falciparum, with P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae (Schaechter, p450). P. falciparum is considered the most important as it is by far the most deadly species. The primary vector of P. falciparum is the female anopheline mosquito, which uses humans as a host for blood meals. The male anopheline feeds only on plant juices, and is not a competent vector for the disease. Humans compromise the only suitable reservoir in the enzootic cycle of the protozoa (Schaechter, p450). Both the P. falciparum and Anopheles gambiae genomic sequences have been recently published (Gardner et al. Holt et al. 2002), thus giving rise to invaluable tools in the development of new and much needed anti-malarial drugs and vaccines, as well as new targets in mosquito control. Encounter and Entry The female Anopheles interacts with the human host by piercing the host’s epithelium and releasing Plasmodium falciparum from its salivary glands into the human bloodstream while obtaining a blood meal. The form of P. falciparum injected into the human host is the sporozoite stage in the pathogen's life cycle (Kuby, Schaechter). As humans compromise the only competent reservoir for P. falciparum, the female Anopheles must have acquired the protozoan via blood meal from another infected human 9 to 17 days prior to being able to infect a new human host. Spread and Multiplication The sporozoites enter the human host and then travel via the bloodstream to the liver, where they enter liver cells and mature into schizonts after a period of 8-14 days. Sporozoites are covered with a 45-kDa protein called circumsporozoite which mediates adhesion to hepatocytes (Kuby, p439). Schizonts are released into the bloodstream as merozoites after a week, and are capable of entering and lysing erythrocytes and thus causing disease.

Palestinian Christians: The Unknown Victims :: Essays Papers

Palestinian Christians: The Unknown Victims Johnny Yousef George Thaljieh has become known as the "Martyr of the Nativity Church." He was not a suicide bomber or even a stone thrower, just a 17-year-old kid who belonged to the small Palestinian Christian minority that is often forgotten in what is seen as a war between Muslims and Jews. There was a shooting that day in late October 2001, as there often is between Beit Jala and the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo, but none near the Nativity Church. As his mother says, â€Å"Nothing was done to make the Israeli sniper think Johnny was a threat.† He had just been to church and was playing with his 4-year-old cousin in Manger Square when the bullet struck him with a fatal blow. When the siege at the Church of the Nativity ended and Johnny was forgotten, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) pulled its soldiers, tanks and armored personnel carriers from Bethlehem and lifted the curfew on the city. The remains were a fractured, disjointed and disoriented Christian community. Not only were a large number of Orthodox Christians affected directly by the closure of the Church of the Nativity, but the great majority of Christian Palestinians in general were indirectly affected by the days of curfew, and what they consider siege. Many feel abandoned by Europe and the US, humiliated by Israel, often rejected by their Muslim neighbors, and worst of all, they fear their society is just a few years from extinction. Despite the initial jubilation that erupted when Israel lifted its curfew after a 39-day grueling standoff between the IDF and gunmen holed up in the Church of the Nativity, reality has come crashing down on this community. Unfortunately, the Christian population of Bethlehem only serves as one example among many. Thousands of Palestinians throughout the Middle East and the world are subjected to prejudice and neglect. Often, they are not welcomed by their Jewish and Muslim neighbors, and are forced to live in communities of fear. Receiving no coverage and attent ion from the media, these Christians try day after day to survive in lands that have been forced upon them. Palestinian Christians are a people searching for an identity. An identity that has been lost in the turmoil of the Middle East. (Dan 14) The exodus of the Christians from the region of the Palestinian Authority acquires special significance when one realizes that the entire Christian-Arab population of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip currently totals only 61,000, about 2 percent of the Palestinian population of about three million.

Free Essays - Essay on Medea and Antigone :: comparison compare contrast essays

Medea and Antigone are two stories of women fighting back for what they want, or what they feel is right. These stories take place in ancient Greece, around the time of its rise to power. Medea and Antigone are both strong, sometimes-manipulative characters but have different moral settings that control what they do. Medea is often very demanding in getting what it is that she wants; Antigone, will do what she need to do in order to get what she wants. With Antigone she is defies the law of a king to uphold the law of her spiritual belief. In the middle of the night she lives the house and sneaks into a field to bury her dead brother. Medea killed many people, including her own sons and a princess, in order to only spite her unlawful and cheating husband. The two women are like alligators, waiting motionless for the right time to strike. In the case of Medea, swift, violent strikes. And with Antigone, a cool collected precise one. These women are always determined to get what they want.   In classic works being a strong woman seems to run hand in hand with being manipulative. Medea lied and cheated friends to try to acquire time in order to get what she wants. In this case what she wants is revenge agents her ex-husband. She tricks a friend to give her asylum in Athens after she has committed her insane task. Medea even goes so far as to be able to con Kreon, the king himself into giving her an extra day. This unwittingly gives her exactly what she needs. Antigone tries her hand at manipulation but is not as successful as Medea. Antigone tries, with no avail, to persuade her sister, Ismene, to help her give their brother Polyneices a proper burial. In this way they are more like foxes, cunning but not always getting it right. Their deceitful nature is their strength.   While both women do wrong by the law of man, and Medea against the law of the gods, they do it for different reasons.   In the beginning Medea kills many people and monsters with little or no concern of the consequence. When the story deals with modern times Medea kills out of pure revenge and spite for Jason.   She plots for weeks to kill Jason’s new bride and poisons her, and then before she leaves the country she murders her two sons, she had with Jason, before she rides off in her bright white chariot.

Ethical dillemas

The ‘Heinz' Dilemma Date Period Mr. Heinz is ordinarily a law-abiding man. One day, his wife becomes gravely ill. Heinz takes her to the doctor, who prescribes a medication for her. She does quite well on this medication and begins to recover. However, Heinz has no insurance and runs out of money quickly paying for this expensive medication. After a few months, he can no longer purchase the medication and his wife begins to take a turn for the worse. One day, he Is in the pharmacy and notices that no one Is behind the counter.The medication is in plain view. Should he steal the medication to help his sick wife? The Old Woman in the Airport You are In the airport, trying to catch a flight that is about to leave. As you run down the crowded corridor, an elderly woman suddenly slips In front of you and falls to the ground with a cry. Doyou stop to help, if you know you will miss your flight because of It? The ‘Trolley Trolley Scenario 1 A trolley Is running out of control do wn a track. In Its path are 5 people who have been tied to the track by a mad philosopher.Fortunately, you can flip a switch which ill lead the trolley down a different track. unfortunately, there Is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch? Why? Trolley Scenario 2 As before, a trolley Is hurtling down a track towards five people. You are on a bridge under which it will pass, and you can stop it by dropping a heavy weight in front of it. As it happens, there Is a man next to you – your only way to stop the trolley Is to push him over the bridge and onto the track, killing him to save five. Should you proceed? Why? How is this case different from the first?

How Does Social Media Affect Society Essay

Social media has taken a big toll on our everyday lives. Social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat allow you to connect with just about anyone. According to Cornell University’s Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. Social media has become an unquestionable part of our everyday lives. According to Booth, studies have shown that people actually are becoming more social and more interactive with others, but the style of that communication has changed so that we’re not meeting face-to-face as often as we used to and he also says, â€Å"We’d rather email than meet, and we’d rather text than talk on the phone. â€Å"Hearing from our friends and family makes us feel important and loved†¦. We don’t want to be the last to know about some important, or even trivial, event of interest,† says Dr. Joanne Cantor. And our gadgets help quell that insatiable curiosity that we’ve had since we were babies. Social media isn’t always negative. It can help build self-esteem such as when you post a picture on Instagram or Facebook and you see comments saying, â€Å"You’re beautiful† or â€Å"that’s a pretty picture.’’ Negative Effects of Social Media Teenagers are negatively impacted by social media view by the way they show their personal image and beauty standards. The sizes of celebrities often influence teens. Magazine advertisements also encourage teens to think they have to look a certain way to be considered beautiful or handsome. Teens should be taught to value their own talents and beauties. TV and movie programs encourage characters to use drugs, alcohol, and violence. The satisfaction and successfulness of drugs, alcohol, and violence are making it hard for teenagers to make responsible decisions. It is up to the parents to teach their teens about the negative consequences  that come with risky behavior activity. Being on to much social media can lead to addiction and take away time to do other tasks. Secondly, kids can see images on social media that encourage violence and sexual activity. Another negative affect of the social media is that users shares too much information which can pose a threat to them. Even with the heavy security settings your personal information may spill out on the social sites. Posting your videos or pictures and copying your status is an easy task and can be done within few clicks.