Socio-Political Factors And Mental Health Essay

Socio-Political Factors And Mental Health - Essay Example Some of these factors include race, culture, ethnicity, gender, social class, and other similar factors. This double burden is referred to as double stigma (Corrigan et al. 2004; Rowe 2005). The double stigma does not only perpetuate the self-depreciation that patients experiences, but it also fortifies the public stigma that is manifested in the forms of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping against mentally ill patients. In this effect, double stigma heightens the negative impact of the stigma that mentally ill patients experience. Recognising the seriousness of the condition, this study will answer the question how socio-political factors may influence mental health? In attempting to answer the question, the study will focus only on one socio-political factor – ethnicity. This acts as a form of limitation and the focus needed in addressing the query of the study. Ethnicity is now used to indicate, â€Å"the different and unequal experiences of social groups with spec ific social attributes such as language, religion, and dress codes† (Giddens & Sutton 2010, p. 136). Ethnicity is necessary because it is one of the foundations of a person’s worldview (Sue & Sue 2003; Sumari & Jalal 2008). The motivation behind choosing ethnicity over other socio-political factors is the fact that one of the key aspects of contemporary society is pluralism and ethnicity is its concrete reality. In a pluralistic society, there is the increasing tendency that the minority group is viewed from the perspective of the majority group as they cohabit within the same physical space. This creates pressure since there are mark distinctions among ethnic groups. In this regard, ethnicity is pivotal in mental health because of the double stigma that patients in the minority group are experiencing. Its negative impact will continue if it is not consciously addressed. In addressing the problem of this study, the answer is drawn both from the experience of the service user and scholarly journals and books dealing with the issue of ethnicity and mental health. The Response Mental health practitioners have the ethical and moral obligation to respect the cultural context from where the patient is coming (Trimble & Fisher 2006). The increasing multicultural diversity of patients with mental illness increases the responsibility of mental health practitioners in providing the venue wherein the patient’s cultural heritage is included as an integral component in formulating accessible and quality therapy for the patient (Sue & Sue 2003). Nonetheless, it has been observed, there appears to be a gap between the theoretical knowledge of the role of ethnicity and the empirical belief justifying that health care providers have to respect the reality of ethnicity since some practitioners are reluctant to modify their current practices to accommodate ethnicity (Griner & Smith 2006). This situation amplifies the double stigma among ethnic groups. The Wes tern Approach of Self-Disclosure. PA, an Asian and one of the patients in the Community Health Centre, shares, â€Å"I do not understand why I have to tell somebody my fears, my thoughts, my delusions.

Legal Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Legal Issues - Essay Example Very recently, an international incident happened to precisely involves a competition between two equally-important values: free speech and religious freedom. Last year, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of cartoons – twelve in all – about Islam and the Prophet Mohammad that was deemed offensive by the Islamic community at large. To illustrate, one cartoon showed Mohammad with a turban in the shape of a bomb. The issue generated international controversy. Some newspapers outside Denmark reprinted the cartoons in support of the concept of free speech. Flemming Rose, the culture editor of the newspaper, stated: The cartoonists treated Islam the same way they treat Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. And by treating Muslims in Denmark as equals they made a point: We are integrating you into the Danish tradition of satire because you are part of our society, not strangers. The cartoons are including, rather than excluding, Muslims. On the other hand, the Islamic community demonstrated their outrage at the cartoons through worldwide protests and calls of boycotts. They condemned the drawings as a form of hate speech and decried what they consider to be the offensive depiction of the Prophet Mohammad as well as the not-so-subtle link made between Islam and terrorism. This whole controversy makes a very interesting case for examining the role of the law in settling disputes that involve competing legal concepts reflective of competing values. There is a clear diversity issue at stake, it is not difficult to give credence to the arguments of Muslims all over the world that such depiction of their leader will foment even further inter-religious conflict, will marginalize Muslims and will be a setback for the cause of diversity and pluralism. On the other hand, there is no dispelling the argument as well that free speech is a right that should be cherished and protected. It protects not

Strategies to Determine Art Work Authenticity

Strategies to Determine Art Work Authenticity Examination of the scientific techniques used to determine the authenticity of ark work Abstract The essay will detail the many different scientific techniques that are used to determine the authenticity of art work. Various pieces of artwork will need to be authenticated as there are many fraudulent artwork being sold worldwide. This essay will discover whether scientific techniques are the best process in authenticating art work, the many paintings that have undergone examination with scientific techniques and whether these techniques help to distinguish the original from fake. Introduction Authenticity in art can be defined as the real, genuine and true likeness of a piece of art work done by the artist themselves. There are a high percentage of paintings that have been sold and that are waiting to be sold which are fraudulent. This paper will outline the different types of art crimes that are committed, reasons why these art crimes are committed and the scientific techniques that are used to distinguish original and forged paintings. Many scientific techniques such as infrared are used on art work pieces that are believed to be counterfeit and with the use of theses scientific techniques, many art associations can distinguish between the paintings that are genuine. Although it may seem strange that a scientific technique such as IR can be used in detecting authenticity, there are many cases where fraudulent paintings have be detected using such techniques. The Han Van Meegeren case further examines the background information as to how his paintings where forged and how, using scientific techniques, they were detected as fraudulent. This will be discussed further. Another case being examined is the Leonardo Da Vinci case, which details how an authentic painting could have not been detected if it were not for the use of scientific techniques. Many artists have left their identities on their art paintings such as fingerprints and signatures, which help in the aid of authenticating a painting. Personal identification such as finger printing and signatures can be compared to reference samples taken from the artists themselves. Is it possible to view a painting, with human judgement and detect whether a painting is authentic? Or could using scientific techniques detect how legitimate a painting really is? Main Section There are many art crimes that are committed worldwide. Crimes such as theft, money laundering and forgery all take place in the art world. In the UK, approximately  £300 million art and antiques are stolen each year and is the second highest crime rate behind drug dealing now in the UK (1). Art theft has a very high crime rate because it has been known to be difficult to track and because of this, the recovery rate of getting art and antiques back to the owners are very rare. Art paintings and antiques that can be easily copied, are mostly likely to be forged; the more complex a painting, the harder it is for one to forge. Artists that forge paintings not only replicate a painting but they also go about making fraudulent copies of provenances. The certificate of origin is very easy to forge as the history of a painting can be easily fabricated. There are different scientific techniques that are used to examine art fraud such as Infrared, Ultraviolet, Digital Analysis and Optical Microscope. All techniques used, examine and result in mixed conclusions about a painting. The common aspect of all techniques used can all determine whether an art piece is authentic. Two or more scientific techniques are often used when authenticating art work to ensure accurate findings and support the results of the previous testing. A scientific technique such as IR, is a non-destructive analysis, which absorbs carbon based materials such as graphite and determines the underlying layers of a painting. Small sections of a painting can be enhanced to show the artists original intent and validate whether the painting is an original (2). Using infrared light, wavelengths are absorbed and reflected to show different pigments in the paint, which are used in the underlying drawing, if any. Another scientific technique used to determine the authenticity of art work is Ultraviolet radiation. This analysis is often the primary technique as it is a quick and inexpensive test that can prove to be very significant. The UV light reveals any change within a paintings’ surface. Ultraviolet radiation of the light reflects the surface of the layer of the painting and shows what condition the varnish layer of the painting is in. Another UV analysis is UV fluorescence. UV florescence can detect varnishes and pigments present on the painting and whether varnishes have been removed. This is an important feature as newer, modern varnishes used on paintings do not fluoresce under UV light compared to the varnishes used in older paintings. Natural resin varnishes were the most commonest varnishes used and these particular varnishes do fluoresce. UV is also an important technique as it can also detect any retouching and over paintings made on a previous painting. Paintings which a re under the seen image, when fluoresced, appear darker than the original fluorescent areas (3). Optical microscopy is a technique which sequences and studies the layers of an art piece. It can also be used to analyse the surface, condition and the size of pigment grains (4). When a painting is viewed under normal light, an analyst can see many details such as brushwork, textures and cracks that are present. Optical microscopy is important as it can investigate whether a painting has been altered by studying a small cross sectional piece of a painting. A cross section is removed from an edge or a previously damaged area of a painting and from this, layers of the painting can be inspected under bother normal and UV light (4). Original paintings that have not been tampered with are expected to have three layers present, when the cross section is studied. These three layers are; the prepared canvas layer, the paint pigment layer and the varnish layer. Paintings which have more than three layers are considered to be altered and questions of whether these paintings are authentic or n ot arise. An example of an altered painting layer is; canvas layer, paint layer, varnish layer, varnish layer, paint layer and varnish layer. As seen above, this example cannot be the layers of an original piece and so further analysis would be done to confirm its authenticity. Han Van Meegeren Around the 1930s Van Meegeren composed a plan to forge a large Vanmeer religious style painting. His first forgery was a painting called Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus. Meegeren studied the seventeenth century pigment formulas he was going to use to paint this and ensured he placed the painting on a recycled ‘unimportant’ canvas, which was also painted in the seventeenth – century (5). (http://www.essentialvermeer.com/misc/van_meegeren.html) On all paintings that Van Meegeren created, he used the same characters and the same location as the originals. In many of the paintings the woman and the man look very recognisable to the original paintings along with the window ledge that the paintings were painted around. Van Meegeren went on to forge many more Vanmeer paintings (5), where upon completion sold one to the Nazis. Upon his sale, he was arrested and confessed to be the forger of the recent Vanmeer paintings. To prove he was the forger of the Vanmeer paintings, Van Meegeren painted his last Vanmeer painting in front of the prison guards. After Van Meegeren was confirmed the forger of the Vanmeer paintings from sight, scientific techniques were used for exact confirmation. Such techniques used for determination of authenticity of those specific paintings were X-Radiology analysis, Chemical analysis and Microscopy analysis (6). A scientific technique such as X-Ray analysis is also a non-destructive technique, which detects any underlying substance beneath a surface of a painting, see through pigment layers and show whether there are/were any damaged areas within the art work. This can be used to build up a time line of a particular painting, age and authenticate the work (7). In the Vanmeer case, X-Ray analysis detected a previous painting that laid beneath the current painting due to the amount of lead isotopes detected in the lead based paints that Van Meegeren used to paint the Vanmeer pieces. The isotopes found were compared to the actual isotopes that would have been used if indeed the paintings were painted in Va nmeers living days (8). The chemical analysis taken from the painting ‘The Woman taken in Adultery and The Woman Reading Music’, identified traces of cobalt blue used in the pigment of the paint Meegeren used. This was found to be an artificial pigment, which was not manufactured until the 19th century. When the artificial pigment was detected and confirmed not to have been present in the Vanmeer day, it was further confirmation of the forgery committed by Meegeren (6). In this case the use of scientific techniques was essential when determining whether the Vanmeer paintings were indeed authentic. Without these techniques, visual judgement would not have distinguished the real Vanmeer’s to the fraudulent artwork as they were very good duplicates. Leonardo Da Vinci A drawing of a young womans head also known as ‘La Bella Principessa’ was discovered in 1998. It was not until many years later, that the drawing was thought to be a drawing by Da Vinci himself and was confirmed to be an authentic copy. The drawing was seen by many people in many different museums and was not thought to have been more than 100 years old. When the examination of this drawing took place, it was thought to be an important rediscovery to the artworld.(9). (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/great-works-la-bella-principessa-late-15th-century-unknown-artist-8505169.html) IR was one of the scientific techniques used to determine its authorship and authenticity. This technique was used in camera form and by scanning the drawing, it revealed a smudged partial fingerprint on the top left hand corner of the drawing. A forensic art fingerprint expert analysed the fingerprint and matched it to a known fingerprint left by Da Vinci on another piece of his work (9). Another scientific technique used was carbon-14 testing. This was used to analyse and date the paper the drawing was placed upon. The drawing was placed on a sheet of vellum and with carbon-14 testing, it dated back to 1440-1650 (9). This was around the time of Da Vinci era. These two discoveries which date back to Da Vinci era, verified the drawing to be an authentic copy. Without the use of scientific techniques done on La Bella Principessa, its ownership and authenticity would have not been known. The fingerprint and the paper this drawing was placed upon would never have been identified without the use of scientific techniques, which confirms that scientific techniques corrobates authenticated work. Discussion Scientific techniques used to authenticating art work as seen above proves to be an important aspect in the art world. If all art work before being sold and entering museums were to be scientifically tested, the amount of forgery done to paintings would reduce considerably more. Without the use of techniques such as IR, UV and X-Ray, the authentication of paintings would not be possible. The methods outlined are all successful methods that were used and are still being used today as they outline important aspects of artwork when examined, and can prove whether a painting is authentic or not. Many scientific techniques used are non-destructive and today the most used scientific technique is Ramen Spectroscopy (10). Ramen spectroscopy is the now the preferred technique than X-Ray as it is a technique which detects organic and inorganic pigments that are used in paints, which can distinguish the timeline of when the pigments were made (10). Conclusion From the information gathered, it is right to say that the use of scientific techniques is the right analysis used to determine the authenticity of art work. Many scientific techniques whether IR or pigment analysis aid in the authentication process and as seen above prove to be a significant process. Authentic paintings are discovered through the scientific process and counterfeit paintings are uncovered. By visual aspect of a painting and by human judgement one cannot determine whether an art piece is authentic or not. Scientific techniques prove to be a distinct process when authenticating. References (1) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10455560/More-than-300m-of-art-being-stolen-in-Britain-each-year.html (Accessed on 22/02/2014) (2) http://www.sensorsinc.com/artanalysis.html (Accessed on 23/02/2014) (3) http://fineartconservation.ie/ultraviolet-radiation-4-4-43.html (Accessed on 24/02/2014) (4) http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/microscopy.html (Accessed on 25/02/2014) (5) http://denisdutton.com/authenticity.htm (Accessed on 21/02/2014) (6) http://www.tnunn.ndo.co.uk/detectn.htm (Accessed on 25/02/2014) (7) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18502413 (Accessed on 21/02/2014) (8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535372/ (Accessed on 20/02/2014) (9) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/7582591/La-Bella-Principessa-a-100m-Leonardo-or-a-copy.html (Accessed on 26/02/2014) (10) http://www.amphilsoc.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/1570202Ragai.pdf (Accessed on 26/02/2014)

The Israel-Palestine Conflict Essay -- Middle East Politics History

Judaism and Islam are two of the world's oldest, and largest monotheistic religions. These religions share a variety of customs, beliefs, and practices. At the same time, there are enough differences that make these two clash. Even those similarities between the two have been the source of conflict for thousands of years. Although there are many conflicts going on in this particular moment in the middle east, I have chosen the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Palestine, primarily due to the death of Yasser Arafat. Primarily, I believe that unless there is a resolution of this conflict, there will never be peace in this portion of the world, and there will always exist a threat to world stability and peace. The history of the Palestinians and the Israelis date back many centuries. Judea was the home of the Jewish ancestry. Judea was conquered by the Romans and renamed Palestine. Palestine was later conquered and inhabited by the Arabs for over a thousand years. The Zionist movement arose to restore the Jews to Israel ignoring the existing Arab population. Towards the end of World War 1, the British government decided to endorse the creation of a Jewish home in Palestine. The decision was made public in a letter from Lord Arthur Balfour addressed to a lead British Zionist, Lord Rothschild. The contents of Balfour's letter which became formally known as the "Balfour Declaration." The Balfour Declaration was drafted with the assistance of United States Presisent Woodrow Wilson, who was a strong supporter of Zionism. Britain saw the need to protect the sea route to India, where most of Britain's economy relied upon. Supporting Zionism was known to be the easiest way of securing lasting British influence of the east regi... ...ty that existence can't be proven, there aren't many options for peace and soverignity. I agree excessively with Mr. Nabil Abuznaid. It takes his kind of optimism and aspirations for both sides to work in unison with each other in solving this world travesty and conflict. I strongly believe that the holy lands held by Israel and Palestine must be shared respectively and held with freedom. In order to do so, terrorist fundamentalists can not be tolerated. With the fall of Yasser Arafat, Israel must continue to rule with a leader of optimism. The United Nations must do all that is needed to work in concert with those of Israel and Arab countries. What we all must do, is educate ourselves to try to accept those of different religions and continue to look for some sort of compromise. Without doing this, there will not be a resolution to withhold world stability and peace.

P&G Strategic Plan Essay

Executive Summary Our Procter & Gamble Strategic Plan makes available an investigation and assessment of the current and prospective opportunities for the company based on in-depth market and company research. Analyses are based on standard business strategy analysis tools, which are: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) analysis, External and Internal Factors Evaluation (EFE/IFE) Matrices, and standard financial analyses including competitive comparison with Procter & Gamble’s industry. Strategic alternatives were evaluated with the use of the Internal-External (IE) Matrix and the Grand Strategy Matrix which fed into the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). The results of the QSPM validated the best strategy to pursue. The best strategy for Procter & Gamble is the production of less expensive, yet same quality consumer goods, which we plan to implement without compromising our belief in quality and effectiveness. Introduction In order to begin a strategic plan for a company it is important to understand what that business does. Since 1837, P&G has built a rich heritage of touching consumers’ lives with brands that make life a little better every day (â€Å"Company Heritage,† 2011). P&G believes that innovation will sustain them. They have a broad range of brands and are known as the world’s leading branded consumer company since their products are sold in 180 countries (â€Å"Global Structure & Governance,† 2011). Buhovac, Epstien, and Yuthas, in their book Implementing Sustainability: the role of leadership and organizational culture, wrote: â€Å"P&G managers have widened their organizational perspective to see the broader picture and capture benefits beyond a particular issue or cost. They strive to create products that enable consumers to be more environmentally sustainable. Improving efficiency of the entire product life cycle from cradle to grave is a major focus of P&G’s sustainability efforts† ( p. 44.). A brief look at the history of P&G and their mission/ vision statements will provide a better understanding of what type of company P&G is and wants to be. History According to Procter and Gamble’s website, P&G was created on October 31, 1837 by brother-n-laws, William Procter and James Gamble. Each one had their own skills; William made candles and James produced soap. They formed Procter and Gamble to make and sell candles and soap (â€Å"P&G: A Company History,† 2006). The two entrepreneurs were successful in making it through the financial difficulties of the time. The largest impact on the company at this time was the civil war in which the government contracted the company to supply soldiers with soap and candles (â€Å"P&G: A Company History,† 2006). Edison’s light bulb invention caused the demand for candles to weaken and the company began to focus on making soap by opening up their first research lab. The research lab came up with Ivory flakes which served as soap to wash clothes and dishes. Chipso was the first soap designed for washing machines. Dreft was the first synthetic house-hold cleaner and Crisco, which is still around today, was an all-vegetable shortening (â€Å"P&G: A Company History,† 2006). From that time on, P&G has continued to be innovative and create new products for consumers and in 2011 ranked number 26 on the Fortune 500 list (â€Å"Fortune 500,† 2011). Mission and Vision Statement Procter and Gamble has created a mission statement to tell what their business is. â€Å"Sometimes called a creed statement, a statement of purpose, a statement of philosophy, a statement of beliefs, a statement of principles, or a statement ‘defining our business,’ a mission statement reveals what an organization wants to be and whom it wants to serve† (David, 2011, p. 44). P&G’s mission statement says, â€Å"Procter & Gamble will provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers. As a result consumers will reward us with industry leadership in sales, profit, and value creation, allowing our people, our shareholders, and the communities in which we live and work to prosper† (David, 2011, p.46). P&G has also created a vision statement that states, â€Å"Procter & Gamble’s vision is to be, and be recognized as, the best consumer products company in the world† (David, 2011, p. 44). Proctor & Gamble’s mission and vision statements explain their dedication and importance of selling high quality products in order to improve people’s lives around the world while providing jobs and stimulating the economy (â€Å"Purpose and People,† 2011). The objectives the company would like to uphold in living up to the mission statement are building existing businesses into stronger global leaders, expand to reach more markets, increase higher margins with global leadership potential, and produce more products in order to satisfy all consumers’ needs and wants. P & G believes they can improve everyone’s lives in ways that enable them to thrive, to increase the quality of living, and over time make them loyal buyers (â€Å"Purpose and People,† 2011). STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT One of the most important parts of the strategic formulation stage of the strategic management process is the assessment of a company, both externally and internally, and where that company stands in their industry. The results of these assessments will produce information that can be analyzed to determine the best strategic plans for evaluation based on the company’s present situation. The external assessment looks at forces beyond a company’s control; opportunities that can enhance and threats that can hurt their operations. The internal assessment looks at forces from within that are either strengths that can be capitalized on or weaknesses that must be offset, or both, for success. Financial and operational analysis, using the Dun and Bradstreet business ratios, looks at a company’s financial and operational success, or failure, as compared to competition within their industry. External Forces Evaluation (EFE) Matrix The following analysis is an external evaluation of the opportunities and threats that can affect Procter & Gamble. The External Factors Evaluation matrix, Figure A-1, and this supporting summary draw data from published reports, news articles, and blogs to ensure as complete a picture as possible is presented. The following opportunities and threats discussed refer back to Figure A-1. Opportunities. As Procter and Gamble is looking to find ways to bring in customers, they have used a method of observation to see what people are concerned about and what they want (Silverman, 2011). By spending $2 billion annually on R&D, Procter and Gamble have brought upon the company an opportunity, as they think about Future Growth plans with a focus on increasing concentration on its core attractive business and enhancing its customer base. Also, Procter & Gamble has been applying for and being assigned patents for â€Å"fabric care compositions and systems comprising organ silicone micro emulsions and methods employing same†¦ assigned Patent for Automatic Dishwashing Detergent Composition†¦and Process for Treating a Hard Surface using an EO/PO Trisiloxane† (â€Å"Targeted News Source†, 2011). As more women want the natural look, there is a movement towards the use of herbal cosmetics (â€Å"The Procter & Gamble company – Financial and strategic analysis review,† 2011). As the manufacturer of cosmetics, Procter & Gamble have an opportunity to capitalize on this opportunity by shifting their production and purchase from synthetic cosmetics towards natural, herbal cosmetics. As the producer of Herbal Essences, the opportunity to increase a line of â€Å"herbal† cosmetics and healthcare products is wide open for the taking. Procter & Gamble have a great opportunity to take advantage of the emerging economies of countries like China, Kuwait, and India (â€Å"The Procter & Gamble company – Financial and strategic analysis review†, 2011). With increased employment and the growing desire for affluence, there is an increase in disposable income available for the purchase of known brands into a market that has little penetration from other organized retailers (â€Å"The Procter & Gamble company – Financial and strategic analysis review†, 2011). Another opportunity Procter & Gamble has developed is to branch out and invest in manufacturing in developing countries such as its chemical company, Procter & Gamble SA. â€Å"It is one of the newest P&G subsidiaries†¦in South Africa principally into production of cleaning products and beauty care products. P&G uses its South African base to export to neighboring SADC countries,† (â€Å"Procter & Gamble SA – Strategic SWOT Analysis Review,† 2011). This opportunity can help to offset a slowing economy in the United States where Procter & Gamble presently generate 41% of their 2011 sales (Hoovers, 2011). As the producer of Iams and Eukanuba pet foods, Procter & Gamble has a prime opportunity to capitalize on the growing trend of humanization of pets worldwide (â€Å"The Procter & Gamble company – Financial and strategic analysis review†, 2011). Procter & Gamble’s market share of pet food and personal pet care products can be increased through an increase in their line of high-quality food and luxury products (â€Å"The Procter & Gamble company – Financial and strategic analysis review†, 2011). With the decline in the market and rising government debt, Jonathan Chevreau published on his Financial Post Blog Wealthy boomer a letter written by Robert Smith, CFA, CFP where Robert wrote that investors should be moving towards purchasing stocks from â€Å"solid dividend-paying companies† ( 2011). Procter & Gamble were cited as one of the companies that are a sure bet because of the diversity and necessity of their products. Procter & Gamble can capitalize on this by continuing to provide a dividend on their stocks which should attract more investors. There is a new trend advancing in the baby diaper industry. Competitor Kimberly-Clark has jumped into the trend with Huggies jeans; a diaper that looks like it is jeans material. Now they are producing a camouflage design diaper for Wal-Mart that will support Military families. Procter and Gamble has recognized the new trend by introducing floral prints for girls. John Brase, head of North American baby care marketing at Procter and Gamble is stated in an article by Bruce Horovitz (2011) as saying, â€Å"You have a group of moms focused on fashion who think of the diaper as an extension of clothing.† Another opportunity for Procter and Gamble is the demand for environmentally friendly products. In recent years there has been an increased focus on saving the earth through green choices. This opportunity has prompted Procter and Gamble to become publicly committed to long-term goals of reducing energy consumption, converting to entirely renewable energy sources, using 100% renewable or recycled materials, and eliminating disposal of consumer and manufacturing waste in landfills (Pandis, 2011).

Advertising media industry Essay

I am student in a work placement agency called STG Media Corporation, a company which dedicates their mission and vision in providing accountable advertising solutions. In my 7 week placement here in the corporation, I learned a lot and discovered that nothing beats on-hand experience in working. Week One (provide date) It was a week of anticipation, stress and learning. How does one person deal with work placement? The first day was dedicated with meeting the executive staff, the working staff, and introduction to what the company is. STG Media Corp. is an interesting work placement agency. I learned about the company through one of my friends and I thought that working for a media company will be so great; little did I know that it is a lot difficult. The first thing that came up in my mind when STG Media Corp. was mentioned is that it is just an advertising company. But it is different. The company details their service in the concept of accountable advertising, in which they refine print advertising media in context of the 21st century need. As a communication student, this was beginning to worry me. After the primary day of introduction, I get to know more about the company and the thought that it is not the conventional type of advertising agency made me overwhelmed with the job and the condition in the work place. This week, I was designated to the Print Media Research, print Media Planning and Market Analysis of one of the company’s client. The company of a branded sports drink is asking STG Media Corp. to help them with the advertising promotion in one of the new products they will launch in about 5 months time. The first thing I did was to interview the sports drink company representative about the nature of their company. I went to their office was so anxious to do the interview that I forgot to bring my recorder, which is considered as one of the great mistakes before doing an interview, coming unprepared. But the good thing is, I did the interview well. I was given the set questions of STG Media Corp., questions that are required to be asked to the client, and throughout the interview, I inserted some of the questions I thought myself to be able to get a good amount of fact for the company. As inexperienced as I am in working for the company, one of the greatest skill I learned is to communicate effectively and luckily I am able to do that with this interview. During the week, one of the great challenges I faced was inputting the vital information of the company’s client to their database called the Print Media Buying System. The PMBS which is the company’s own database generates detailed market research, analysis reports accounting for all aspects such as demographic information, buying trends and other print media recommendations. I really asked for help this time as since I was not acquainted with the kind of technology they used in the particular system. But later I got the hang of it and was commended for a job well done in collecting information from the client. Week 2 (provide date) Before the work placement began, I was told that I will be working full time in one of the company’s venture with a famous sports drink brand. I thought that would be easy since I don’t have to do all the other work, but the challenged I soon found out during the second week is that the process of STG Media Corp. as an advertising consultant is a process to which many steps are taken. This week I am part of the Creative Team designated by the company to help the sports drink brand. Although I must be clear that I was just a part of the team, doing menial job that the professionals are tasked to do. I learned one great thing about the print media industry, 75% of advertisement fail because of weak creative and non-compelling ad copy. It’s true that one of the strengths of a great brand is not just with its quality, but through rigorous and effective advertising that they create. Before working here, I thought that companies only advertise for the sake of advertising, but companies do take this strategy very seriously. On the third day of this week, I was asked to look at one print ad for five seconds during one of the meetings of the Creative Team. They asked me questions rigorously, whether it be based on the appearance or the content. I answered them frankly and mention the things that I would personally think about the ad if I was just a normal consumer looking at the advertisement. Several times, the Team will press and argue their points with me, but all was attributed to presenting a better advertisement for the client. During this week, as unprofessional to assume the role of being a advertiser consultant, I was placed in the position of the consumer, the Team’s viewpoint on the things they realize about the brand and how they can effectively approach working for the client. I really felt like my ideas were respected and included to the Creative Team’s analysis of the product. This week, I also was comfortable with the workplace. I am familiar with the different employees and get to have small talks with them through several breaks. Its interesting how some of them had assumed I am part of the Creative Team when in fact; I am just a student on work placement.

10 Extremely Common and Critical Themes in Literature

10 Extremely Common and Critical Themes in Literature When we refer to the theme of a book, we are talking about  a universal idea, lesson,  or message that stretches through the entire story. Every book has a theme and we often see the same theme in many books. Its also common for a book to have many themes. A theme may show up in a pattern such as reoccurring examples of beauty in simplicity. A theme may come also through as the result of a buildup like the gradual realization that war is tragic  and not noble. It is often a lesson that we learn about life or people. We can better understand book themes when we think about the stories we know from childhood. In The Three Little Pigs, for example, we learn that its not wise to cut corners (by building a straw house). How Can You Find a Theme in Books? Finding the theme of a book can be difficult for some students because the theme is something you determine on your own. It is not something you find stated in plain words. The theme is a message that you take away from the book and it is defined by  the symbols or a motif that keeps appearing and reappearing throughout the work. To determine the theme of a book, you should select a word that expresses the subject of your book. Try  to expand that word into a message  about life.   10 of the Most Common Book Themes While there are countless themes found in books, there are a few that we can see in many books. These universal themes are popular among authors and readers alike because they are experiences we can relate to. To give you some ideas on finding a books theme, lets explore some of the most popular and discover examples of those themes in well-known books. Remember, however, that the messages in any piece of literature can go much deeper than this, but it will at least give you a good starting point. Judgment - Possibly one of the most common themes is judgment. In these books, a character is judged for being different or doing wrong, whether the infraction is real or just perceived as wrongdoing by others. Among classic novels, we can see this in The Scarlet Letter, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and To Kill a Mockingbird. As these tales prove, the judgment does not always equal justice, either.Survival - There is something captivating about a good survival story, one in which the main characters must overcome countless odds just to live another day. Almost any book by Jack London falls into this category because his characters often battle nature. Lord of the Flies is another in which life and death are important parts of the story. Michael Crichtons Congo and Jurassic Park certainly follow this theme.Peace and War - The contradiction between peace and war is a popular topic for authors. Quite often, the characters are gripped in the turmoil of conflict while hoping for days of p eace to come or reminiscing about the good life before the war. Books such as Gone With the Wind show the before, during, and after of war, while others focus on the time of war itself. Just a few examples include All Quiet on the Western Front, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Love - The universal truth of love is a very common theme in literature and you will find countless examples of it. They go beyond those sultry romance novels, too. Sometimes, it is even intertwined with other themes. Think of books like Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice or Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights. For a modern example, just look at Stephenie Meyers Twilight series.Heroism - Whether it is false heroism or true heroic acts, you will often find conflicting values in books with this theme. We see it quite often in classical literature from the Greeks, with Homers The Odyssey serving as a perfect example. You can also find it in more recent stories such as The Three Musketeers and The Hobbit.  Good and Evil -  The coexistence of good and evil is another popular theme. It is often found alongside many of these other themes such as war, judgment, and even love. Books such as the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series use this as the central theme. Another classic example is T he Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Circle of Life - The notion that life begins with birth and ends with death is nothing new to authors- many incorporate this into the themes of their books. Some may explore immortality such as in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Others, such as Tolstoys The Death of Ivan Ilych, shock a character into realizing that death inevitable. In a story like F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the circle of life theme is turned completely upside down.Suffering - There is physical suffering and internal suffering and both are popular themes, often intertwined with others. A book such as Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment is filled with suffering as well as guilt. One like Charles Dickens Oliver Twist looks more at the physical suffering of impoverished children, though there is plenty of both.  Deception - This theme can also take on many faces. Deception can be physical or social and its all about keeping secrets from others. For instance, we see many lies in The Adven tures of Huckleberry Finn and many of Shakespeares plays are centered on deception at some level. Any mystery novel has some sort of deception as well. Coming of Age - Growing up is not easy, which is why so many books rely on a coming of age theme. This is one in which children or young adults mature through various events and learn valuable life lessons in the process. Books such as The Outsiders and The Catcher in the Rye use this theme very well.