Longest River Denial Essays - Behavior, Human Behavior,

Longest River: Denial The Longest River: Denial A hallmark of someone who is engaging in this addiction pattern, but who has not accepted that their behavior is out of their control, is denial. Denial is a psychological defense mechanism that enables a person to continue to engage in a behavior in spite of relatively obvious negative consequences on their life. Its a way to protect ourselves from seeing or feeling things that are unpleasant. In the case of the gambling addict, there may be repeated warnings from his or her spouse that they will not tolerate continued spending of household savings, job loss, and constant harassment by creditors. In light of this, the gambling addict will still deny that they have a problem with gambling and will believe that they have complete control over their actions. Denial permits one to distort reality, a very powerful psychological defense; it can have devastating consequences on our life, and the ability to disregard such negative consequences while continuing the behavior is a hallmark of denial. Denial is present, to some extent or another, in all addictions. Its necessary, in the development of an addictive process, to experience a sense of denial while the addiction is beginning to take hold. Otherwise we would not continue with the addictive behaviors. Because of denial, the impact of our negative behavior is never fully appreciated until the consequences become so overwhelming that they can no longer be ignored. This is sometimes referred to as hitting bottom. People may continue their behavior indefinitely, with no recognition of the negative consequences of their actions, in spite of numerous personal disasters. Often an individual will not seek help for a specific problem, unless theyve recognized that they are no longer in control of the situation and need help. This usually happens at a point when the negative impact of their addiction has become grossly obvious and their denial is broken. It is a process that cannot be rushed. Each person has to discover their own time frame for how and when to deal with their addiction. This, of course, can be very frustrating for family and friends of the addict, who often notice the problem long before the addict does. Negative consequences of Internet use vary considerably. I have been consulted on Internet cases where employees have been caught using their work computer for personal Internet access (in some cases wasting considerable company time and/or downloading sexually related material onto their computer). In some cases, individuals could be charged with sexual harassment as a consequence of exposing fellow employees to sexually explicit material against their will (even accidentally!). There may even be a legal liability for employers who allow (even unknowingly) their employees to use the company network to send personal email or other material that might be seen as objectionable by others. Ive also seen numerous cases of couples with significant marital or relationship problems due to Internet abuse; at times even resulting in child custody investigations! Everyday I hear or receive stories of people who are getting into trouble with their online behavior at home or at work. It may take the form of abusing the Net by staying online longer than you had planned, having cybersex/cyberaffairs, or spending too much money online by gambling, stock trading, shopping, or auctioning. . I fear that as broadband access increases from the current 6% level, that we will see an increase in compulsive Internet use; The increase may occur because just as the faster modes of absorption of a drug increases the addictive potential a drug. Broadband Internet access could provide the hit in a much more rapid manner enabling a faster psychological impact and effect. This may translate into a more habit-forming experience. Few people, except for those who have had a problem, recognize the power and attraction of being online. This is changing rapidly however. Although it is probably not an epidemic, I have little doubt that millions of people are experiencing a negative impact in their lives because of their compulsive use of the Internet and I believe that number will continue to grow. Recognition of both the dark and light side of the Internet will enable us to be served by technology, instead of

Integrated Marketing Communication

Integrated Marketing Communication Abstract The currently integrated marketing communication concepts have been developing overtime. They have moved from the historical marketing approaches that focused on the 4Ps to the current interactive market-place IMC.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Integrated Marketing Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The argument is that marketing itself and marketing communication concepts are developing. The development of the integrated marketing communication is illustrated through structural and theoretical perspectives of three market-places which are presented according to location and information technology control. The assertion is that as information technology changes from one market-place to the next, definitive changes in the need for communication also develop. In addition, a furnished description of integrated marketing communication concept is provided. Based on this description, a four-stage alt eration of IMC progression has been anticipated as businesses move from one period of IMC to the next based on their capabilities in capturing and managing information technology. Introduction In the last two decades, marketing and marketing communication have been working differently from the previous periods. In fact, marketing and marketing communication are under crucial scrutiny especially with the advent of information communication technology (Cornelissen Lock, 2000).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marketing and marketing communication emerge not only under the scrutiny of the organization boardrooms but also questioned around the globe. This scenario is quite unique, given the current information age. From this contrast, it can be deduced that marketing and marketing communication are undergoing a transformation. These evolutions provide a stage in which new approaches to marketing, communication and marketing communication could be innovated and implemented. Various researches recently done indicate that the integration of marketing communication tools offer the best solution to the current problems being faced. Integration is the incorporation of a wide range of activities and functions that have influence and impact on the dynamic flow of information between the firm and the stakeholders (Belch Belch, 2006). The stakeholders in this case comprise of the customers, employees, shareholders, prospects as well as other crucial audiences. In other words, focusing on independent disciplines such as the public relations, advertising and sales promotion no longer holds true. It is also inappropriate to limit the responsibilities of marketing communication to a single outbound channel of communication. These are old concepts that have been found to be unable to fit and fulfill the needs of the current organization, customers or prospects .Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Integrated Marketing Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These concepts no longer fit the current firms because they were developed for those organizations that no longer drive businesses and for the market-place that do not exist as well as for media organizations whose dominances are long gone (Belch Belch, 2006). Therefore, there is need for an integrated form of marketing communication that incorporates all the disciplines of marketing, and that can fit the current scenario alongside meeting the need of the current market. This paper will be discussing this form of integrated marketing communication as it appears in the twenty-first century, putting emphasis on its application in the last twenty years. The paper will discuss how organizations have been applying the integrated marketing communication giving detailed applications, providing examples of those organizati ons which have failed and those that have succeeded in their quest for integrated marketing communication. The discussions will be in relation to the approaches of IMC applied in the current global market-place. Transformations of marketing communication It has been found that approaches to IMC have gone through minimal changes. However, the market-place where most organizations operate have transformed substantially (Fill, 1999). The dynamic transformations have been driven by the application of information technology. The traditional market-place was dominated by the mass market where the mass media-driven organizations were devoted to product differentiation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These organizations employed the information technology in areas including mass distribution systems, consumer research and mass media to capture the largest share of the market (Cornelissen Lock, 2000). They also applied such strategies, including product differentiation and brand development in order to dominate the market. Early market-places were dominated by first entry organizations. By virtue of being the first in the market-place, these organizations captured the larger market share, dominated the media and distribution channels as well as consumer using distinguished services or products which could not easily be simulated (Hutton, 1996). With the development of technology, market-place began to change as products proliferated, albeit few attributes to distinguish them from their competitors (Hutton, 1996). In addition, the media became more specialized and fragmented. There was tremendous consolidation within channel segments. The acquisitions and integration of business have been occurring at a higher frequency as stronger organizations continue to acquire weaker competitors and expand the franchise into new regions and markets (Kitchen De Pelsmacker, 2004). As a result, businesses that were traditionally localized have expanded to international levels giving buyers massive influence on bargaining with the manufacturers (Fill, 1999). As the organizations go through these changes, information technology also shifted its focus to the distribution channels away from the marketers or manufacturers. The computers, Universal Product Code dubbed UPC, magnetic strip bank, scanners and credit cards made it cheap, easy and fast to capture data on consumers (Pickton Broderick, 2005). For instance, who the consumers are, where they buy and what are their preferences. The shift in IT altered the power in the market-place with the distribution channels being favored over the marketers and the manufacturers (Schultz Schultz, 1998). The reason is that the distr ibution channels have more information than the markets or the manufactures. Today, the consumer product categories are dominated by retail that has close relationship with the consumer. With this realization, the large organization has changed their marketing strategy using highly sophisticated retail distribution channels. Changes in the market-place as a result of information technology determines the way large organizations will be spending their marketing funds through pricing and location to sway and hold the customers (Schultz Schultz, 1998). Currently, the market-place is dominated by the retail and distribution systems that control the direct access to consumers and end-users. However, a new model is emerging where the consumers are dominating. The reason is that the consumers have become the controller of IT. Systems such as the tall free numbers, international credit cards, overnight delivery services have already been developed and in the hands of the consumer (Schultz Schultz, 1998). With these technology consumers can identify the products, easily access information and make purchases at any time and in any place they find convenient. The current market-place is interactive, fast and easy, driven by internet and World Wide Web and it is more convenient than ever before (Shimp, 2008). This form of market is brought about by IT, which in effect drives the electronic commerce. In other words, IT has changed the status quo where the market-place is driven by the needs of the consumers, when they need the product and the condition in which they want their products. In addition, the consumers have a direct linkage with the producers; make a decision on important issues, the product values and the type of correlations are required (Schultz Schultz, 1998). The need for new approaches to marketing communication It is unfortunate that the existing marketing and marketing communication advances and theories are intended for the conventional market-place. The indication is that new changes that are taking place in the current market-place have not been tested or new models have not been developed for the current market-place practices. The market-place is currently moving towards the consumer from the marketer/manufacturer domination (Pickton Broderick, 2005). It is as a result of IT that these changes are taking place. The transformation of IT is the driving force for these changes and at the same time, enables communication solutions. As discussed, IT was formerly used by the marketing/manufacturing organizations so as to have the market power, it then used by the distribution channels and eventually exceeded to the consumer (Schultz Schultz, 1998). Each of these market-places has specific needs of marketing and marketing communication tools. Moreover, every market-place has a fundamental necessity to put together the communications. However, these integration communication need becomes more complex as market-place changes (Schu ltz Schultz, 1998). As was mentioned before, marketing and marketing communications must transform to be in accordance with the needs of the current market-place (Pickton Broderick, 2005). Successful organizations tend to adopt new communication tools that are appropriate to each market position. Moreover, as the organizations changes to the new market-places, they encounter various challenges in their marketing communication program (Hutton, 1996). These challenges signify the stages of integrated marketing communication. In as much as organizations have moved away from the traditional market-places, some categories of organizations in some places are still found in such market. For instance, those organizations protected by patents and organizations that enjoy near absolute or absolute monopolistic distribution advantages or products (Schultz Schultz, 1998). However, as deregulation and competition increase the advantages these companies enjoy will eventually erode. In this tra ditional market-place, the main communication challenge is to come up with compelling and concordant massages, which can be delivered in a coordinated and synergistic way (Schultz Schultz, 1998). This is a challenge particularly as the structure of the companies operating in these markets expands and they become international. Initially, integrated marketing communication was a response to the practical needs of the organization to achieve greater impact and consistency across diverse products divisions and regions (Schultz Schultz, 1998). Some organizations still use the same approach. As the market develops into the current market-place, organizations need to be imaginative and novel in their marketing plan. In addition, they must create a better configuration between the marketing and marketing communication as well as field sales forces to enhance the significance of their brand in the eyes of both the channel and ultimate purchasers (Schultz Schultz, 1998). This demands for coordinated, multi-level approach to communication that take into consideration end-users channel customers, consumers and the organization employees (Schultz Schultz, 1998). The evolving IMC concept IMC has been discussed by both practitioners and academics for approximately a decade before they can reach an accord on what exactly is IMC and how marketers benefit from it. Major agencies and advertisers in the United States in their studies acknowledge IMC as a marketing communication planning concept which is acquainted with the added values of an all-inclusive program that assesses the premeditated functioning of various communication disciplines. The disciplines include public relations, sales promotion, direct responses and general advertising. IMC merges all these disciplines to offer maximum communication impact, consistency and clarity. Schultz and Schultz (1998) conducted a research in 1996 to find out whether the IMC definition was adequate. Their findings indicated that e xecutives from most advertising agencies had nothing to add in this definition. However, other executives quoted that the product message and consumers materialize as the starting points. Others claimed that IMC is more than just a plan and should incorporate quantifying and measurement elements since it emerges as a product-oriented concept. It commences with clients orientation and initiates integrated strategies that other disciplines might endeavour to work against. Initially, organizations concentrated on marketing communication operations and tactics. Such organizations have recently recognized that there must be a more comprehensive and holistic approach to justify their actions to the corporations management and build customer relationships (Belch Belch, 2006). Considering changes in marketing communication management context and how organizations have implemented IMC, a novel definition capturing both the future and current IMC scope have been developed. According to the n ew definition, integrated marketing communication is observed as a strategic business procedure. It can be utilized in planning, developing, executing, and evaluating persuasive, measurable, coordinated brand communiquà © programmes overtime with prospects, clients, consumers as well as other relevant internal and external objectives. The current definition of IMC is distinct from the previous attempts given that its concentration is on business procedures and actions. Since the main target for all businesses is to attract and retain clients, the currently applied IMC concept creates systems that are closed-looped. These enable each communication activity to be properly evaluated, implemented and planned. In fact, IMC is presently being driven or directed by clients’ information. It requires corporations to comprehend clients brand contacts and perceptions, but of great essence is to offer fundamental methodologies unto which all investment decisions can be evaluated and com municated. That is, when compared to the past, IMC currently lays more emphasis on potential and current values of consumers to a corporation by focusing on clients evaluations (Shimp, 2008). The current levels of Integrated Marketing Communication Apparently, integration does not have a single path. Every corporation tends to approach the IMC opportunities and challenges based on the availability of clients’ information, channel dependency and business nature. These must, however, have the support of the management and strategically directed by the corporation. Due to IMC implications, barriers and issues, organizations have adopted a sequential pattern of achieving success in their business endeavors and the main focus is to satisfy clients’ needs. Thus, corporations that are truly integrated are obliged to display competencies in the requirements and activities in all the four phases (Cornelissen Lock, 2000). First phase: Tactical coordination Most corporations ent er into integrated marketing communication system to synchronize varied communication activities across countries, regions, divisions and products. From the fiscal 1980 to 1990s, corporations adopted various techniques and tools in sending messages to business prospects and clients. During these periods, marketing communication as was used in earlier markets constituted mostly of partial options. These included broad-based public relations, outdoor billboards, mass circulation of magazines, major metro newspapers and broadcast advertising. Nevertheless, as most media systems emerged to be more fragmented and specialized, each of them had tailored campaigns directed towards delivering typical messages to the specialised consumers segments (Jackson, 1987). Furthermore, the customarily used marketing communication tools that experienced tremendous growth. Such marketing tools included sponsorships, cooperative ventures, custom publishing, event marketing, sales promotions, direct marke ting, as well as interactive and electronic tools. According to this phase, IMC initially promised to create one sound, one sight through instituting a general organization intended to merge communication forecast. Often, marketing communication was centralized, whereby planning each and every campaign element took place in concerts to help realise enhanced success. Others promoted the development of strong business strategies on tones, usage and instituting business messages whilst leaving the marketing managers to execute the whole plan to help achieve business outcomes (Belch Belch, 2006). The main aim of the adopted IMC strategies was to ensure that all the consumers and clients’ needs are met. Cross functionality is an added hallmark in the first phase of integration. Various corporations have developed different cross-functional approaches to realize advance competencies. This is not only meant to manage personal communication efforts but to similarly achieve dynamism and synergies athwart all the undertaken activities. Beside, marketing divisions in the last twenty years have created cross-functional marketing teams that consist of direct marketing, public relations, communication experts and specialties. The main aim of these teams is to attract and retain the attention of consumers. Such teams create multidimensional communication and media on particular services and products (Kliatchko, 2008). Investing in cross-functional communication expert training is another approach that currently enables departmental market members to have confidence in the most efficient strategies and applications in various communiquà © tools. Marketing agencies have particularly adopted the one sound, one sight promise approach. This is because they have seen integrated marketing communication as an opening for offering greater service menus to the consumers. Basically, key marketing agencies have gone thru a frantic period as they try to purchase particular disci pline associates across the globe and acquire specialty stores in public relations, sales promotion and direct marketing. The aim is to effortlessly service all the consumers’ demands using a broad-based agency umbrella (Hutton, 1996). The approach is actually diverse. Whereas many companies search for agency conglomerates so as to organize and integrate the assorted programmes across the universe, other corporations give preferences to managing the processes of integration themselves. This means that various suppliers and agencies that hardly have direct contacts are used by these corporations that keep the coordination tasks in-house. The second phase: Redefining the marketing communication scope The level of consistency and coordination is hardly enough for most corporations. This obliges them to redefine the marketing communication scope. In reality, corporations are currently attempting to switch to the viewpoints of the end-users, consumers, and clients from the widely embraced corporate operation driven viewpoint. Instead of seeing marketing communiquà ©s as outbound activities sequences that ought to be managed to attain the desired level of efficiency and effectiveness, marketing organizations are currently considering each probable point via which the consumers and clients alike might come in touch with the products or marketed brands. Usually, the product or brands contacts have information that bear clients experience with the product or brand categories. As a result, product brand contact experience is regarded as an aspect that varies from a particular client to next, hence a highly personalized subject (Pickton Broderick, 2005). Whereas the customary brand communication activities are apparently the most essential contacts for product brands, marketers are forced to look for the most effective marketing communication channels that would create an influential contact to challenge the consumers purchasing decisions. The consumers are boun d to be driven by marketing communication functions which either subtract or add substantially to the product brand identity and messages that area communicated via outbound communication actions. As a matter fact, customers do not differentiate marketing messages coming from the accounting, operations and marketing departments. The clients and consumers only observe their complete experiences with a corporation and accordingly form their preferences and perceptions (Duncan Everett, 1993). Thus, it is an essential facet of an integrated marketing communiquà © to realign the communication strategies so as to appear as the clients observe them. Corporations stand a chance of putting their marketing communication programmes under decisive reality checks when they put brand contacts and messages at each point. This assists in shifting the message focus to a clear comprehension of what consumers receive. Besides, it would enable a corporation to understand the manner in which consumers perceive relevant brand messages. Third phase: Application of information technology In the past twenty years, IT has enabled business solutions and drove the marketing communication changes. Organizations through the third phase have been able to harness the emerging technologies potentials and power to improve marketing performances. The application of IT has facilitated the manner in which product marketing messages are delivered to various targets, including business prospects and consumers. Sophisticated mailing systems could be utilized to customize offers and generate personalized messages. Moreover, databases have been used as benchmarks for storing and capturing information related to prospects, consumers and clients (Kliatchko, 2008). Fourth phase: Financial and strategic integration To orient an IMC, the organizations management must play decisive roles, including aligning the organization and allocating resources. From the closed-loop marketing communication system diag ram below, it emerges that two issues are critical. These include the capacity to measure clients’ investments returns and the capacity to utilize integrated marketing communication in driving strategic and organizational resources (Schultz Schultz, 1998). These instigate from the present clients databases directly to indirect or direct measurement of the clients’ behaviours. Figure 1: Closed-loop integrated marketing communication system An example of a successful IMC campaign â€Å"Just Do It†, is one of the integrated marketing campaigns that hard hit the market in the fiscal 1998. This campaign strategy came in when Reebok dominated the sportswear market. In fact, the Just Do It IMC campaign saw Nike Company making sales return amounting to $9.2 billion. The campaign was indeed sweet, short and summarize anything individuals and groups felt they wanted training. An example of an unsuccessful IMC campaign Basically, Wal-Mart Consumer retail stores had one o f the worst IMC campaigns that were deemed very unsuccessful. The IMC campaign, â€Å"The Hub† really failed to draw and attract the attention of consumers and clients alike. Wal-Mart failed because it went and cloned MySpace and whoever the site was called â€Å"Hubsters†. References Belch, GE Belch, MA 2006, Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective, McGraw-Hill, Boston. Cornelissen, JP Lock, AR 2000, â€Å"Theoretical concept or management fashion? Examining the significance of IMC,† Journal of Advertising Research, vol.40 no.5, pp.77-89. Duncan, TR Everett, SS 1993, â€Å"Client perceptions of integrated marketing communications†, Journal of Advertising Research, May/June, 30-9 Fill, C 1999, Marketing communications: contexts, contents and strategies, Prentice Hall, London. Hutton, JH 1996, â€Å"Integrated marketing communication and the evolution of marketing thought,† Journal of Business Research, 37, 1 55-62 Jackson, P 1987, Corporate communications for managers, Pitman, London. Kitchen, P De Pelsmacker, 2004, Integrated marketing communications: A primer, Routledge, New York. Kliatchko, J 2008, â€Å"Revisiting the IMC construct†, International Journal of Advertising, pp.133-160. Pickton, D Broderick, A 2005, Integrated marketing communications, Pearson Education, England. Schultz, DE Schultz, HF 1998, â€Å"Transitioning marketing communication in the twenty-first century†, Journal of Marketing Communication, vol.4, pp.9-26. Shimp, TA 2008, Integrated marketing communications: Advertising and promotion, Thomson South Western, USA.

Using ACE to Improve Communication Results Case Study

Using ACE to Improve Communication Results - Case Study Example I would also issues a direct answer to Q2 and inform the employees that, attending the workshop is very essentials because the management plans to revise the working procedures and those that fail to adhere to the new working conditions might be laid off. The internal website is reliable and covers a wider audience as opposed to using the Memo. The information communication will reach to the employees present and those that are absent. In addition, the information provided is detailed and the employee’s questions and objections are responded to before even they ask them. In essence, the information provided is clear and can be reviewed from time to time, as opposed to using the Memos which are issued once. Even though, most companies may prefer using company’s internal website in communication, it is not a reliable communication channel. Some employees may not get a chance to visit the website. Together with that, those that are not within the company and do not have an access to the internet may not get the information. In addition, in case the websites breaks down, the communication also breaks down and it becomes difficult to reach out to everyone. It is an efficient way of communicating to each employee since the management is aware that every person is aware of the meeting held. The employees prepare in advance and lack an excuse of failing to attend. It is a clear indication that the meeting is vital and intendance is least expected. It is ineffective and one is not quite certain to reach out to all the employees. There is likelihood that the absent employees may not get the information. It is expensive considering that memos are to be printed and issued to all the employees. In connection to that, it is tiresome to address a memo to each and every employee within the company. The information sent via the email is detailed and responds to the possible questions and objections that the employees might have. Also, employees have a chance of asking

Human traficking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human traficking - Assignment Example Women and young girls may engage in prostitution in their accord and is mostly not a mandatory involvement(Kligman & Limoncelli, 2005). Another type of human trafficking is immigration purposes where many people wished to join other countries. Countries in Europe like German are prime countries, and many people want to enter the (Kligman & Limoncelli, 2005). Statistics shows that over thousands of people were trafficked to and away ofEastern Europe. Most countries that had less Visa regulation made more people be trafficked into the country because trafficker could freely roam across the countries border. Poverty and low economic level in our society mostly faces women. From a statistic carried out it showed that the number of women being unemployed keeps raising this had pushed women to search for low paying jobs. Most women, therefore, are exploiting new ways of making the ends meet leading them to be victims of human trafficking. Push and pull factors are like gender discrimination where women are discriminated and seen as lesser beings. Pull factors like human trafficking are profitable businesses in many European countries (Kligman & Limoncelli, 2005). There should a complete shutdown of human trafficking in Europe. All underground ready markets for human trafficking are illegal. The United Nations define human trafficking as the process of using threat, deception, fraud or coax people so that they can be recruited and transferred to the individual country. Trafficking is mostly due to the greed of money by traffickers so that they can have people to work as slaves, laborers or slaves in their host country. The humans trafficked are prone to be exploited so that their body organs can be removed and sold or given to an influential person (Kligman & Limoncelli, 2005). In Eastern Europe, socioeconomic factor links to vulnerable people in a number of ways. Vulnerable individuals in societies face challenging life

Museum of Fine Arts in Houston | Reflection

Museum of Fine Arts in Houston | Reflection Cultural Response This cultural response essay will discuss my trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. I will be describing my favorite works of art, compare two pieces of art by Do Ho Suh, and then describe my experience at the museum. The first part of the museum that I visited was the Audrey Jones Beck building on level 1. The exhibit was the Antiquities and American Art 1800-1970. I saw art given by Ima Hogg, Jackson Pollock, Severin Roesen, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Christian Edward Bottcher. I have visited the Hogg Plantation and being able to see the furniture and art that was given by Mrs. Hogg from her home was very interesting. The first piece of art that caught my attention was in section 107 of this level. It was called the Victorian Bouquet by the artist Severin Roesen in circa 1850-1855. Roesen was an American artist but was born in Germany in 1815. The media of the artwork is oil on canvas. The Victorian Bouquet features a wide variety of exquisite flowers and fruit. It revives the 17th century Dutch tradition of still-life portraits and paintings. The painting celebrates wealth, life, and aesthetic and physical comfort. It contains roses, poppies, morning glories, peonies, tulips, forget-me-nots, car nations, lilies, irises, peaches, raspberries, pomegranates, and a glass of wine among other things. Roesen provides a feast for the senses. What I love most about this work is how vivid, realistic, and beautiful he made the flowers and contents of the picture. The bright and rich colors chosen in contrast to the black background really create a beautiful scene. The second artwork that I was impressed with was created by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who created the Tiffany lamps. This piece was in the same building but in section 109. He was an American artist and developed Tiffany Studios in 1900. The name of the piece is A Wooden Landscape in Three Panels created around 1905. The medium is glass, copper-foil, and lead. A Wooden Landscape is far more complex than any stained glass windows I have seen, which are usually put together like a puzzle. Usually they are layered together in multiple pieces with glass, one on top of the other. This is just like a painter layered his paint of a canvas. Tiffany used subtle choices of color in this artwork which changes with the variations of light that it has been exposed to. Like a living landscape, this artwork changes in appearance responding to the light surrounding it. The thing that caught my attention about this artwork was the size. Its overall size is 7.2 x 11 feet. Another thing that I liked about this artwork was that it was stained glass. I love stained glass windows and how Tiffany did this was gorgeous. My dad has collected Tiffany lamps and so when I saw this artwork I recognized the styling and technique quickly. The Third portrait I found was in the same building as the other two but in section 113. The artist who created the work was Christian Edward Bottcher. Bottcher was a German artist who lived from 1818 to 1889. The name of the artwork was Summer Night on the Rhine which was created in 1862. The medium of the work was oil paint on canvas. It contained medieval castles, picturesque towns, friends gathered under a beautiful tree, and a vineyard sloping down the side of a hill. The Rhine valley is an extremely romantic scene which was captured perfectly in this artwork where there is an exciting, charming, and nostalgic get-together. Laughter and happiness spill from the canvas and it makes you want to be a part of the celebration. The moonlight sets the perfect shadowing and colors to reflect the mood of the painting. What I found to be charming about this scene is how all 15 or so men are trying to court the women and are giving them flowers. It is almost like an extremely large match-m aker party. Another fun thing about this picture is where the party is taking place. You can quickly tell that they are all from the upper class because of their dress and the castle that they are beside, but the party is under a big tree with a table underneath. A chandelier is tied to a limb of a tree with rope. This is a very exquisite oil painting and I sat and wondered at its detail for a very long while. In the Caroline Wiess Law building, 2nd floor, gallery 200, I found the works of Do Ho Suh, a Korean artist living in America. The first piece I found was called Fallen Star 1/5 which is 131 x 145 x 120 inches. It was created in 2008-2009 and is made up of ABS (plastic), basswood, beech, ceramic, enamel paint, glass, honeycomb board, lacquer paint, latex paint, LED lights, pinewood, plywood, resin, spruce, styrene, polycarbonate sheets and polyvinyl chloride sheets. The second piece of art created by Suh is called Home within a Home which was created in 2009. The dimensions of this piece are 131 x 145 x300 inches. It was created with resin. Do Ho Suh began using nylon and silk to create full size representations of his childhood home in Korea and his first American Apartment, a historical building in Providence, Rhode Island. The translucent quality of these materials creates the blurred line between the past and present, inside and outside. Fallen Star 1/5 is an autobiographical rep resentation of Suhs journey from Korea to the U.S. The artwork shows us a traditional Korean scholars house that has crashed into the building that housed his first American apartment. Each object in the house has been hand made by Suh. He made the house and its contents as realistic as possible to create the effect of being lived in and something the viewer can relate to. Home within a Home is a continuation of the piece Fallen Star. In the earlier work, the two buildings were very much separate entities but in Home within a Home, the Korean house and the apartment building have become a part of the same entity, growing and forming together as one. Suhs artwork is not trying to convey the idea of a violent collision between cultures, but rather about how they coexist together. He said maybe If you start to move things around, maybe the Korean house loses its identity, sort of blends in with the American style-or the other way around. I would love to build a house like this because it raises very interesting questions. Are you in a Korean house or an American house? Thats a constant question to myself (MFAH description of artwork). Both pieces of art symbolize the destroyed Old Korea coming together with the merging New Korea and America. Both pieces of art are easy to compare because of their connection that was created by the artist. Both represent the story and journey of Do Ho Suh. They both show what home means to him and how he puts importance on his culture. The only big difference between the pieces is the materials used and the fact that Fallen Star they are two different houses, and in Home within a Home they are put together and morphing into one house. My favorite out of the two is Fallen Star 1/5 because of how realistic it was. It took him 2 years to create this masterpiece and it is so amazing. I love how each room is made to look lived in and creates this warm, at home atmosphere. On the outside of the building he uses an old style of architect ure that I love and it was put together very intricately. There was a woman who was giving a tour to a middle school group and she described the artwork to them by comparing it to The Wizard of Oz. She did this because of how the Korean home is crashed into the apartment building. I thought this was humorous and helped the children relate more to the painting, Were not in Kansas anymore! The one thing I found interesting about Home within a Home was the material used, resin. Just gazing at the piece, you could see right through it and could see every detail of the staircases, hallways, windows, and the roof of the Korean house while still being very detailed on the outside. Both pieces by Do Ho Suh were very interesting and thought provoking. I would recommend any of my class mates to go see them both as soon as possible. My experience at the Museum was very enjoyable and I hope to go there again very soon. I drove there with my mom which created a good bonding time and made the experience even better for me. When we first entered Houston I was actually confused about which building the Museum was a part of and we ended up in the parking garage of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, oops! Once we figured out where we actually needed to be, the right museum, we walked into the first room and were warmly greeted by the two women up front. I had a small, fun conversation with them both and they were extremely interested in my assignment and asked me about it and what I planned to do. Once they looked over my assignment sheet they informed me that my entrance into the museum would be free of charge. That was extremely nice of them to put that much importance into learning and reward students that way! As my mom and I wandered aimlessly around the building taking in all there was to see, all of the empl oyees greeted us and smiled. I noticed quickly that all of them were from different countries, mostly Asia and one man was even from Africa. While my mom and I walked around, we get turned around and confused as to where we were and every single employee we asked to help us was extremely kind. I have already recommended many of my friends to go visit this museum. The pieces of art I saw were amazing and I love that an establishment like this is as close to me as Houston. This trip was a great experience but unfortunately I did not have the time to stay and see all of the pieces and so I hope to go again very soon.

The Implementaion of Reverse Policy for Discrimination

Should we be punished for the mistakes of our ancestors? In recent times, Affirmative Action has implemented policies of reverse discrimination to help oppressed minorities gain an advantage over majority groups in college admissions and in employment. The term â€Å"Affirmative Action† was originally used by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 when referring to his executive order that required all federal contractors treat their employees and applicants â€Å"without regard to their race, creed, color or national origin. † In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order #11246 at Howard University that required federal contractors to undertake Affirmative Action to increase the number of minorities that they employ. He wanted to ensure that minorities were recruited to have real opportunities to be hired and then eventually get a promotion. In 1969, the Department of Labor exposed widespread racial discrimination of the Construction Department so President Richard M. Nixon decided to incorporate a system of â€Å"goals and timetables† to evaluate federal construction companies according to Affirmative Action. This idea of â€Å"goals and timetables† provided guidelines for companies to follow and comply with Affirmative Action regulations. During the presidency of Gerald R. Ford, he extended Affirmative Action to people with disabilities and Vietnam veterans but there were no goals or timetables for these two groups. This type of Affirmative Action required recruitment efforts, accessibility, accommodation and reviews of physical and mental job qualifications. President Jimmy Carter consolidated all federal agencies that were required by law to follow the Affirmative Action play into the Department of Labor. Before Carter did this, each agency handled Affirmative Action in its own individual way, some were not as consistent as other agencies were. He created the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) in 1978 to ensure compliance with the Affirmative Action policies. Affirmative Action began to go downhill when Ronald Reagan and later George Bush came into office. Affirmative Action lost some gains it had made and was more or less ignored by the Republicans in the White House and in Congress. Affirmative Action was silently being â€Å"killed† by our federal administrators. In the Civil Rights Act of 1964, initiated by Kennedy, and the Equal Opportunity Act of 1972, equal opportunity was established. While there was little controversy over equal opportunity, the main issue with Affirmative Action was equal results. Although equal opportunity was established with Kennedy's original executive order in 1961, the statistical results showed that the number of minority workers employed or in certain higher level positions was not in proportion to the surrounding population, making the actual existence of equal opportunity suspect. As a result of this discrepancy, it became necessary to create more aggressive legislation that ensured equal opportunity and equal results. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 required both, and new Affirmative Action programs were instituted to further support this. These programs range from encouraging minorities and women to apply for certain positions to setting up actual numerical goals, such as quota systems and set-aside programs. However, is Affirmative Action, as many critics assert, just passing on the oppression? The basis behind Affirmative Action is that because of past discrimination and oppression, such as the dispossession of Native Americans, the unequal treatment of women, and the enslavement of Black Americans, minorities and women have difficulty competing with their white male counterparts in mainstream American society. But is this true? Why must white males be oppressed by Affirmative Action just because their ancestors enslaved and oppressed another race and gender, and be victims of reverse discrimination in college admissions and employment? The U. S. Supreme Court has faced many cases regarding this controversial issue, including The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. Bakke, a white medical student, was denied admission to a University of California medical school because of a quota system. Bakke claimed that he was a victim of â€Å"reverse discrimination† and sued. In a close decision, the Court ruled that schools might not enforce a rigid quota system if whites are not allowed to compete equally. The issue was still muddied, however, because in the same decision, the Court ruled that race could be used as a factor. The various regulations and court rulings have made Affirmative Action one of the most paradoxical issues facing America. On one hand, differing local, state, and federal laws require employers to avoid discrimination in up to nine criteria: race, color, sex, age, national origin, sexual preference, handicap, veterans' status and religion. On the other hand, Affirmative Action rules also require certain employers, such as companies with federal contracts, to give preference to racial minorities, women, and others. Consequently, when considering both sides of the issue, it becomes apparent that reverse discrimination and preferential treatment of minorities is absolutely ludicrous when people are preaching equal rights and that â€Å"all men are created equal,† and that Affirmative Action should be outright abolished from all aspects of society as an unnecessary evil in order to ensure an equal playing field for all. Those who wish to retain Affirmative Action regulations argue that America has a moral obligation to right the wrongs of the past – that Blacks and other minorities, whose ancestors have suffered institutionalized discrimination for hundreds of years, have earned preferential treatment. Race-neutral hiring, say proponents, actually discriminates against minorities because the majority of available jobs are not advertised. Rather, they are learned about by word-of-mouth, and minorities are not plugged into the â€Å"old-boy networks† through which they might hear of these jobs. Affirmative Action must be maintained for minorities to rise above the glass ceiling to management positions, and for poor minorities to rise from poverty and unemployment. Affirmative action has been the subject of increasing debate and tension in American society, and through this heated debate, the fight between Angle males and minorities actually sets the two groups apart instead of bringing them together. However, the debate over affirmative action has become ensnared in rhetoric that pits equality of opportunity against the equality of results. The debate has been more emotional than intellectual, and has generated more tension than shed light on the issue. Participants in the debate have over examined the ethical and moral issues that Affirmative Action raises while forgetting to scrutinize the system that has created the need for them. Too often, Affirmative Action is looked upon as the panacea for a nation once ill with, but now cured of, the virulent disease of racial discrimination. Affirmative Action is, and should be seen as, a temporary, partial, and perhaps even flawed remedy for past and continuing discrimination against historically marginalized and disenfranchised groups in American society. Working as it should, it affords groups greater equality of opportunity in a social context marked by substantial inequalities and structural forces that impede a fair assessment of their capabilities. However, its failure highlights the potential for an aura of racism in this country which may perpetuate for many generations on. As Martin Luther King once said, â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. † Affirmative Action would make this dream virtually impossible, bringing race in as a factor in judging college admissions and employment. Those who want to eliminate Affirmative Action regulations argue that preferential programs encourage racial tensions when white students and workers feel they are not getting fair consideration. Why should whites suffer for society's past mistakes? ask Anti-Affirmative Action activists who also note that Affirmative Action programs make whites the victims of reverse discrimination. Affirmative Action works against minorities, the argument continues, because it is assumed that an individual who benefits from such programs is automatically considered inferior to other candidates for jobs or schools, and because the majority who benefit from Affirmative Action are already middle-class, those most in need of the programs, rural and inner-city blacks, have gained nothing. Protestors against Affirmative Action have already taken steps to abolish the abominable doctrine through the passing of Proposition 209 in California. The measure would eliminate Affirmative Action programs used to increase hiring and promotion opportunities for state or local government jobs, where sex, race, and ethnicity are preferential factors in hiring, promotion, training, or recruitment decisions. In addition, the measure would eliminate programs that give preference to women-owned or minority-owned companies on public contracts. Contracts affected by the measure would include contracts for construction projects, purchases of computer equipment, and the hiring of consultants. These prohibitions would not apply to those government agencies that receive money under federal programs that require such Affirmative Action. The elimination of these programs would result in savings to the state and local governments. These savings would occur for two reasons. First, government agencies no longer would incur costs to administer the programs. Second, the prices paid on some government contracts would decrease. This would happen because bidders on contracts no longer would need to show †good faith efforts† to use minority-owned or women-owned subcontractors. Thus, state and local governments would save money to the extent they otherwise would have rejected a low bidder–because the bidder did not make a †good faith effort†Ã¢â‚¬â€œand awarded the contract to a higher bidder. The measure also could affect funding for public schools (kindergarten through grade 12) and community college programs. For instance, the measure could eliminate, or cause fundamental changes to, voluntary desegregation programs run by school districts. (It would not, however, affect court-ordered desegregation programs. ) Examples of desegregation spending that could be affected by the measure include the special funding given to †magnet† schools (in those cases where race or ethnicity are preferential factors in the admission of students to the schools) and designated †racially isolated minority schools† that are located in areas with high proportions of racial or ethnic minorities. Up to $60 million of state and local funds spent each year on voluntary desegregation programs may be affected by the measure. In addition, the measure would affect a variety of public school and community college programs such as counseling, tutoring, outreach, student financial aid, and financial aid to selected school districts in those cases where the programs provide preferences to individuals or schools based on race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin. Funds spent on these programs total at least $15 million each year. Eliminating Affirmative Action programs in America would thus save the government a substantial amount of money and pave the road for truly equal opportunity and treatment of all races. In light of the conflicting arguments for and against Affirmative Action, it is readily apparent that Affirmative Action essentially implements reverse discrimination as an â€Å"acceptable† solution to racial inequality in America, giving preferential treatment to minorities and women, and should thus be forbidden morally and legally if there is to be any sense of â€Å"color-blindness† in race relations in the future. As Daniel Boorstin once said, â€Å"The menace to America today is the emphasis on what separates us rather than what brings us together. † Truly, doing so would further separate embittered races and pit them against each other in heated debate and controversy. Calling for an alternative to Affirmative Action, Randall Kennedy states, â€Å"†We ought to construct a society and set of laws that focus on an individual's character, not color of skin. If Affirmative Action should be banned and society should be â€Å"color-blind,† there should be an alternative to Affirmative Action to ensure this. There are a few possible alternatives to Affirmative Action, some of them are very simple and some are a little more complex. The alternatives include reconstruction of civil society in minority communities, increasing minority and female applicant flow, and most importantly promotion of broad policies for economic opportunity and security that benefit low- and middle-income Americans, both black and white. Building up civil society means strengthening ‘intermediate' institutions, lying between the state and the individual, such as community associations, schools, media, and independent social agencies, which provide the organizational foundation for collective development and effective public representation. † If the same capital was made available for minority institutions as other institutions, they would be able to develop in the society and eventually become a strong part of the minority community. These institutions would give direction and guidance that is needed by all to play a major role in their community. Increasing minority and female applicant flow would be very easy for a company to do. They simply need to include minority colleges and universities in campus recruitment programs, place employment opportunities in minority oriented print and broadcast media, and retain applications of unemployed minority applicants to be reviewed as a position opens. This would be a great opportunity for applicants and employers. We should work toward broad based economic policies by consistently emphasizing broad-based, race-neutral policies; for example, public investment, national health reform, an enlarged earned income tax credit, child support assurance, and other policies benefiting families with young children. Widely supported programs that promote the interests of both lower- and middle-income Americans and that deliver substantial benefits to minorities on the basis of their economic condition will do more to reduce minority poverty than narrowly based, and poorly funded, measures for minority groups or the poor alone. These efforts can also be designed to coincide with intermediate institutions and thereby to contribute to the overall process of civil reconstruction and renewal. Ultimately, if there is to be any sense of racial equality and equal opportunity in this world, we must abolish Affirmative Action and ensure an equal playing field for all races in America.

Lion of the Desert

Lion of the Desert Reflection Rebellion spearhead as well as a teacher, Omar Mukhtar was a clear leader. During the brief peace talk in â€Å"Lion of the Desert,† the first demand Mukhtar wanted for his people were Muslim schools. Other requirements for peace that were requested were national protection, national parliament, and return of the lands taken from the people of Libya. Mukhtar was first a teacher, when reading, reflecting or teaching he wore his glasses. Mukhtar balanced them gently on his finger, when speaking to a class of young boys, illustrating importance of balance within the Koran.A young boy whose father was killed while fighting, clumsily puts on Omar’s glasses, it is consoling for the boy as Omar seeks a role model and new hope for him. After the father dies, the guidance of Omar shows the importance of a male influence in the boy’s life and within Islam. At the moment Muhktar picked up a gun, he transformed into the leader of the rebellion. In acts of insurgence Omar was guided by his religion and teaching. After a small victory, the men took the flag from the caravan and presented it to Omar as a trophy.Mukhtar simply responded, â€Å"They are not our teachers, he is a boy, tell your general†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and he returns the flag to the surviving Italian soldier and sends him back, as opposed to killing him. In contrast, on the scene of General Graziani’s victory, he has sand goggles on as well as wearing a flag as a cape. He is then presented with a flag raising ceremony to declare their dominance of the area. When ambushed by a gas attack Mukhtar loses his glasses, just as his comrades have fallen dying or injured. Shortly after, Graziani constructs a massive barbed wire fence to block the rebels from supplies and refuge.Muhktar then says, â€Å"What is wire to the will of God? † guiding his forces on principle and the teachings of the Koran. The nationalist rebellion also adheres to their religion whe n tying their legs to remain in the face of an attack. Islamist teaching includes the concept of jihad or self-sacrifice for the sake of the cause. Their tied leg prevented the men from retreating or running away. In the end, when Graziani offers to release Muhktar if he were to relinquish his rebellion and beliefs, Muhktar refuses.He lays down his life in order to protect his convictions. His glasses were returned to him by Graziani and Muhltar puts them on to read a passage from the Koran, moments before his hanging. As Omar drops from the gallow, his glasses drop from his clenched hand. They are retrieved by the young boy that had earlier put them. Illustrating the assertion made by Muhktar to Graziani, that the rebellion against the Italian’s would continue and as each man is killed the younger generation will rise to fill their place.