Rhetoric in Writing and Audience

Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing. It is the art of persuasion and many other things. Over its long history there have been many different definitions of rhetoric, which stretches back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans in particular. In its long and vigorous history rhetoric has enjoyed many definitions, accommodated differing purposes, and varied widely in what it included. And yet, for most of its history it has maintained its fundamental character as a discipline for training students 1) to perceive how language is at work orally and in writing, and 2) to become proficient in applying the resources of language in their own speaking and writing. To see how language and thought worked together, however, it has first been necessary to artificially divide content and form what is said and how we say it. How we say things is precisely the way in which we ensure that our desired meaning has been transmitted to others, so there can be no passing on of ideas without also taking into account lexis. Because rhetoric examines so attentively the how of language, the methods and means of communication, it has sometimes been discounted as something only concerned with style or appearances, and not with the quality or content of communication. For many (such as Plato) rhetoric deals with the superficial at best, the deceptive at worst (â€Å"mere rhetoric†), when one might better attend to matters of substance, truth, or reason as attempted in dialectic or philosophy or religion. Rhetoric studies the effectiveness of language comprehensively, including its emotional impact, as much as its propositional content. Why Rhetoric is Important? The importance of rhetoric provides significant changes in the areas of learning and the development of a persons and institutions. The study of rhetoric, nearly continuous over 2500 years, has always been central to the objectives of a liberal arts curriculum. Extending that study to film, television, protests, politics, debates, philosophy and all forms of discourse has advanced such study into the 21st century. Here are the following reasons why the study of rhetoric is essentially important. It gives scientific writing a focus on argument in scientific debate Numerous studies have called attention to the importance of rhetoric in scientific writing by focusing on arguments presented in scientific debate articles. Rhetorical analysis and textual analysis stress the importance of studying scientific writing to provide better instruction of students learning the genres of academic writing. For example, Swales describes the difficulties of novice researchers or students with English as a second language in learning the literary conventions of American journals. Gusfield is one of the early writers to argue that scientific methods courses should include the study of literary techniques as well as statistical procedures. Davis subscribes to a similar view in that he claims only to be formally describing a model that he believes many social scientists intuitively or inadvertently follow. Davis argues that a conscious awareness of the importance of defining and then denying audience assumptions would ‘increase the Interesting Quotient (I. Q. ) of their discipline relative to the Interesting Quotient of other disciplines. It enables to better understand the processes of communication. Rhetoric is a subject of importance because its study enables us to better understand the processes of communication that underpin decision making in free societies. Judgments on matters of public policy take their cues from rhetoric, and so an understanding of any society's rhetoric will tell us a lot about its ideas, beliefs, laws, customs and assumptions – especially how and why such social features came into being. We don't typically think of it this way, but every law that is on our record books began as an act of rhetorical undertaking by some public or private citizen trying to fix a problem. Statutes and policies are the ends; rhetoric is the means. If law is the architecture of public life, rhetoric is the art that brings it into being. We don't typically think of it this way, but every law that is on our record books began as an act of rhetorical undertaking by some public or private citizen trying to fix a problem. Statutes and policies are the ends; rhetoric is the means. If law is the architecture of public life, rhetoric is the art that brings it into being. It serves as a means for public deliberation about public issues Those who identify rhetoric primarily with ornament, passion, specious argument and deceit, and even those who defend rhetoric as a desirable alternative or supplement to legal reasoning, fail to do justice to the signal importance of rhetoric in the ancient world as a means for public deliberation about public issues under conditions of uncertainty. Despite Plato's famous criticisms of rhetoric as mere flattery, the ancient world well understood that rhetoric had a substantive as well as a stylistic dimension; hence the common association of rhetoric with the merely stylistic aspects of deliberation is entirely misleading. It provides as a precursor for the semiotic study of communication Under the influence of Structuralism, rhetoric has been seen as a precursor for the semiotic study of communication, as in the work of Genette and the Rhetorique generale by a group of scholars headed by J. Dubois. More in keeping with the pragmatic nature of ancient rhetoric, Chaim Perelman and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca attempt in their La Nouvelle Rhetorique (1958) to formulate a modern rhetoric of persuasive argumentation. At the other end of the spectrum, writers associated with Post-Structuralism stress the playful, subversive side of the subject. And finally, the 1980s saw the revived use of explicitly rhetorical models in composition classes in secondary schools to combat an apparent decline in pupils' communication skills. How to Apply Rhetoric in Writing? In order for a writer to know how to apply rhetoric to his writing, he must first know and understand the fundamental forms of persuasive appeals, encompassing forms and rhetoric devices. Persuasive Appeals According to Aristotle, rhetoric is â€Å"the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion. He described three main forms of rhetoric: Logos, or the appeal to reason; Pathos, or the appeal to emotion; and Ethos, or the appeal to character. Logos, pathos, and ethos are completely different, yet, they all correlate. In order to be a more effective writer, you must understand these three terms. Logos meant more in ancient Greek than logic or reasoning, it meant â€Å"thought plus action†. It appeals to patterns, conventions, and modes of reasoning that the audience finds convincing and persuasive. Ideally, a writer should be able to persuade someone based solely upon reason. Although the ability to reason and to think are abstractly two of humanity’s defining characteristics, we are often guided by our passions—even if they lead to our ruin. Pathos is appeal to emotion. a writer needs to consider the things that the listeners value, need, hope for, fear, and so on; once the writer understands the things they care about, he or she can show how what the readers is asked to do is in accord with values they already hold. Ethos is your persona or â€Å"image† as a writer—your ethical character. If a writer communicates good will, good character, and good judgment, the reader will be far more likely to trust him or her. Trust is at the heart of effective communication, and without careful attention to ethos, the effectiveness of the other two modes of persuasion — logos and pathos — is also diminished. Encompassing Terms Next a writer should learn apply the three-ways, of rhetoric in the larger sense. Which can be distinguished between: Kairos, or the occasions to write, which include considerations like the contexts for piece of writing, while audience, or who will read it, looks at where a discourse may take place. Decorum, or fitting words and subject together, lastly, deals with making appropriate use of rhetoric, depending on both kairos and audience. Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the â€Å"right or opportune moment†. You should take time to consider what possible considerations for a piece of writings. Isocrates writes that educated people are those â€Å"who manage well the circumstances which they encounter day by day, and who possess a judgment which is accurate in meeting occasions as they arise and rarely misses the expedient course of action†. As a writer you should develop the ability to adapt to and take advantage of changing, contingent circumstances of your environment. Audience, all rhetorically oriented discourse is composed in light of those who will hear or read that discourse. Or, in other words, rhetorical analysis always takes into account how an audience shapes the composition of a text or responds to it. As writer you should choose an appropriate subject to the prospective readers. Make sure that your reader is appropriate to your purpose, because when it’s not your ideas will just be set aside. Decorum, lastly, refers the appropriateness of style to subject. It involves a range of social, linguistic, aesthetic, and ethical proprieties for both the creators and critics of writing. Each of these must be balanced against each other strategically in order to be successful in understanding or creating discourse. A writer should learn the degree appropriateness or suitability on the use of his words and language in his writing, to enable the interest of the readers to his own discourse. Rhetorical Devices. Good writing depends upon more than making a collection of statements worthy of belief, because writing is intended to be read by others, with minds different from your own. A writer should know how is to get through his readers–or even to be read and considered at all–it must be interesting, clear, persuasive, and memorable, so that he will pay attention to, understand, believe, and remember the ideas it communicates. To apply rhetoric in writing you must know, learn, and understand rhetorical devices in how they have be employed, as well as learning how to use them ourselves. The following are common rhetorical devices used in writing. Apophasis Apophasis asserts or emphasizes something by pointedly seeming to pass over, ignore, or deny it. This device has both legitimate and illegitimate uses. Legitimately, a writer uses it to call attention to sensitive or inflammatory facts or statements while he remains apparently detached from them. Example: 1) Luckily we need not discuss my opponent’s marital infidelities when evaluating his claim to hold the moral high ground. ) I would call you a liar and a cheat if you weren’t my best friend. Aporia Aporia expresses doubt about an idea or conclusion. Its several uses are the suggesting of alternatives without making a commitment to either or any. Such a statement of uncertainty can tie off a piece of discussion you do not have time to pursue, or it could begin an examination of the issue, and lead you into a conclusion resolving your doubt: 1) I have not been able to come to a decision about the new policy, since there seem to be good arguments both for and against it. ) I am not sure whether to side with those who say that higher taxes reduce inflation or with those who say that higher taxes increase inflation. Asyndetons and Polysyndetons Asyndeton is consists of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. In a list of items, asyndeton gives the effect of unpremeditated multiplicity, of an extemporaneous rather than a labored account: On his return he received medals, honors, treasures, titles, fame. Polysyndeton, the opposite of asyndetons, is the use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause, and is thus structurally the opposite of asyndeton. The rhetorical effect of polysyndeton, however, often shares with that of asyndeton a feeling of multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up. Example: They read and studied and wrote and drilled. I laughed and played and talked and flunked. Enthymemes Enthymemes is a figure of reasoning in which one or more statements of a syllogism (a three-pronged deductive argument) is/are left out of the configuration; an abbreviated syllogism or truncated deductive argument in which one or more premises, or, the conclusion is/are omitted. Ex: 1) Since she lost the case, she must have been guilty. ) There are only two options available to us and we have seen that the first failed. Expletives Expletive it is a figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal speech, is used to lend emphasis to the words on either side of the expletive. Typical examples include: in fact, of course, to be sure, indeed, I suppose, I hope, you know, you see, clearly, in a ny event, in effect, certainly, remarkably. Metanoia Metanoia qualifies a statement by recalling it (or part of it) and expressing it in a better, milder, or stronger way. A negative is often used to do the recalling. Example: 1) Your proposal will affect everyone is this area, or even the entire region. 2) You fail to realize the impact of these measures – or at least you have not considered the consequences in enough depth. Parallelism and Chiasmus Parallelism is recurrent syntactical similarity. Several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed similarly to show that the ideas in the parts or sentences are equal in importance. Parallelism also adds balance and rhythm and, most importantly, clarity to the sentence. Example: Quickly and happily he walked around the corner to buy the book. Chiasmus might be called â€Å"reverse parallelism,† since the second part of a grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order. Example: He labors without complaining and without bragging rests. Questions: Hypophora, Rhetorical and Procatalepsis Hypophora is one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one's own question(s). Example: 1) What are the consequences of such an approach to history? There are several, of which the most important is†¦ 2) What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?. . . What does the Scripture say? â€Å"Abraham believed God. –Rom. 4:1, 3 (NIV) Rhetorical Question is a question which ask, not for the purpose of further discussion, but to assert or deny an answer implicitly; a question whose answer is obvious or implied. Example: What kind of person would bet against the sun rising tomorrow, though? Procatalepsis is when questions are asked and answered by the writer or speaker, usually by anticipating objections: It is typically suggested that this team will lack the strength in midfield to cope with the opposition, but this neglects the experience gained in the recent tour against†¦ Analogies, Metaphors and Similes Analogy is a kind of extended metaphor or long simile in which an explicit comparison is made between two things (events, ideas, people, etc) for the purpose of furthering a line of reasoning or drawing an inference; a form of reasoning employing comparative or parallel cases. Example: You may abuse a tragedy, though you cannot write one. You may scold a carpenter who has made you a bad table, though you cannot make a table. It is not your trade to make tables. Metaphor is figure of explication occurring when a comparison made by speaking of one thing in terms of another; an implied comparison between two different things which share at least one attribute in common; an association between two unlike things (A vs. B) achieved by borrowing the language that refers to thing A and applying it to thing B. Example: Then Jesus declared, â€Å"I am the bread of life. † –John 6:35 [And compare the use of metaphor in 6:32-63] Simile is a comparison between two different things that resemble each other in at least one way. In formal prose the simile is a device both of art and explanation, comparing an unfamiliar thing to some familiar thing (an object, event, process, etc. ) known to the reader. Example: After such long exposure to the direct sun, the leaves of the houseplant looked like pieces of overcooked bacon. Hyperbole, Litotes and Understatement Hyperbole is ,the counterpart of understatement, deliberate exaggeration of a person, thing, quality, event to emphasize a point external to the object of exaggeration; intentional exaggeration for rhetorical effect. Example: There were millions of people at the bus stop today. Litotes is an understatement formed by the denial of an opposite. This sounds confusing but is actually quite straightforward and a common rhetorical device. For example: Performances like that from the All Blacks are not uncommon. Understatement deliberately expresses an idea as less important than it actually is, either for ironic emphasis or for politeness and tact. When the writer's audience can be expected to know the true nature of a fact which might be rather difficult to describe adequately in a brief space, the writer may choose to understate the fact as a means of employing the reader's own powers of description. For example: 1) I think there may be some additional factors that you may not have accounted for. 2) Your analysis is far too simplistic. Amplification Amplification involves repeating a word or expression while adding more detail to it, in order to emphasize what might otherwise be passed over. In other words, amplification allows you to call attention to, emphasize, and expand a word or idea to make sure the reader realizes its importance or centrality in the discussion. For example: This orchard, this lovely, shady orchard, is the main reason I bought this property. In conclusion lots of practice and experimentation are necessary to develop your rhetorical ability. A best way to experiment is writing in a journal or notebook. Consistency in doing such experiment will develop a natural ability and theory or art in rhetorical aspect. Remember that rhetorical devices are aids to writing and not ends of writing. Further, if used carelessly or excessively or too frequently, almost any one of these devices will probably seem affected, dull, awkward, or mechanical. But with a little care and skill, developed by practice, anyone can master them, and their use will add not just beauty and emphasis and effectiveness to your writing, but a kind of freedom of thought and expression you never imagined possible.

Analysis of B School Dress Code Essay

Objective – to know the preference of students regarding dress code in a B school Reason – there was a lot of debate relating to the dress code and hence we thought of picking this as the survey topic .Earlier 1st 2 days of the week students were compelled to wear formals which has been lately scrapped creating a lot of confusion in the college . Results of the survey A sample size of 30 comprising of students of Ibs was taken 1. Questions regarding which dress code would be ideal for a B school Formal -16 Casual – 3 Smart casual -9 Any -2 2.should formals be made compulsory in B schhol Yes -11 No-19 3.was the college right in restricting students from wearin capris and sleevless Yes 18 No 12 4.How’s do you rate the dressing of students in B school Good -13 Below average -4 Avg-11 V good – 2 5.Other comments 1. Strict actions should be taken against the students who don’t abide by the rules . 2.everyone has the right to wear whatever they feel they are comfortable with , and there shouldn’t be any compulsion and restriction . 3.no t-shirts with improper sayings or picture 4.students by self should pick on wearing formal clothing as this creates a corporate atmosphere 5.comfort is important where people have to sit forlong hours, so casual but decent clothings should be allowed. Conclusion – maximum students believe formal clothing is the right dress code for a B school , but they need no force for the same . 19 of 30 Students think wearing capris and sleeveless does not suit the b school arena .the current rating on the dressing of the students is a close tuff between good and average . From the comments we conclude that there is a close tiff but all believe indecent clothes should not be selected but comfort can be given preference.

Organic Foods Essay

When we see the word ? organic’ on a carton of an organic whole milk or on a plastic bottle of Stonyfield Farm’s organic low fat yogurt, the words and phrases such as ? pure’, ? chemical-free’, ? natural’ and ? healthy’ naturally comes to mind, and there is little doubt in these assumptions. Organic foods are dairy, produce and poultry products that were treated with no pesticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Organic foods have been generating a lot of hype because of the food safety that it offers an individual. Another reason is the documented claims proving organic foods having a generally fresher taste than their conventional counterparts. And lastly, organic foods offer much more healthy benefits, meaning it has a higher nutritional amount than a non? organic food. The question that potential organic consumers seem to ask pertaining to this issue is that is it worth paying for. Even with its higher cost, organic foods are a worthwhile choice for a better health and nutrition. Various tests by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization demonstrated that some apples, such as the Golden Delicious, scored higher taste scores when grown organically. Also, because organic farms tend to be smaller, they often sell their products closer to the point of harvest. Thus, organic fruits and vegetables taste more farm fresh than comparable conventional produce. However, organic foods might also have more flavor because organic farmers often breed with taste instead of marketability as the primary factor. Conventional tomatoes, for example, are often bred to be perfectly red and round, to match the ideal appearance of a tomato, meaning that taste is an attribute that has a lower priority in these products. In addition to crop diversity and selection practices, organic farming emphasizes soil nutrition, which can positively influence the taste of the food. The main criticism surrounding organic food is that its costs are expensive and is elitist, because of how only rich people can afford it. The magazine Consumer Reports stated in its article â€Å"When It Pays to Buy Organic† that typical organic foods costs from 50% to 100% the price of conventional items, but according to a Primary Health Care article, published studies concluded that an organic produce is packing with a significant increase in nutrients and dry matter. Organic produce has 27% more Vitamin C, 29. 3% more magnesium, and 21% more iron compared to the non-organic; also contain 26% more dry matter, which means that it does not shrink as quickly when cooked as there is less water that will evaporate. Organic food may seem to be expensive at first glance, but when you look at all the factors that come with the product, it is a better buy in the end. Knowing what organic products to buy, and what not to buy will also help out cut the unnecessary purchases of everything organic. The United States of Department of Agriculture listed apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries as the â€Å"dirty dozen† that should be consumed as often as organic. The USDA’s own testing reports that their conventional counterparts accumulate a good number of pesticide residues, which has numerous negative effects. The USDA continues by suggesting to consume organic meat and poultry to help avoid the effects of the mad-cow disease, and buying organic baby food in order to prevent the baby from having exposure to toxins. Organic seafood, on the other hand, were not suggested to be purchased, for there is not enough documentation that it has significant differences with its conventional counterpart. The health benefits that organic products offer just outweigh the costs so far. In 2002, Danny Asami et al.of the Department of Food Science and Technology did a research on the amount of phenolic content (which provides protection against cancer) and Vitamin C content of conventional and organic produces, and concluded that the fruits that were grown organically possessed significantly higher concentrations of both phenolic and Vitamin C. Organic tomatoes have much more lycopene in them, and organic fruits and vegetables contain more flavonoids. Organic milk has its perks too, for Danish Institute of Agricultural Research proclaimed that it has higher amounts of Vitamin E, beta-carotene and several antioxidants than regular whole milk. The food safety that organic products offer can’t be denied either. Pesticides that are often found on non-organic foods have its obvious negative effects, and also some subtle ones. Such effects like immune suppression, hormone disruption, neurological damages are the risks that pesticide residues are leaving in a non-organic food. New studies also show that pesticides are capable of being passed from the woman’s womb to its offspring, which may cause numerous implications to the fetuses’ brain. Unfortunately, organic products do contain pesticide remains at all, however for the people who seek to reduce the risks of a pesticide residue, organic products are a much better option. Organic foods can not only give us peace of mind, but it provides us with such substance that non-organic food is lacking. It gives us the freshness that nature has intended for us all along, and in a society where health gives us power, we cannot go wrong on eating healthy and enjoying it at the same time. Our health is worth everything, so while the cost may be too steep, the profits that it brings back to us are far more redeeming.

Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of labour process Outline - 1

Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of labour process theory for our understanding of the impact of information and communication technologies in the workplace - Outline Example In this regard, the workers will lack an opportunity to develop and build on their talents. It is important to note that the adoption of LPT leads to the compromised output to the work done. The affinity of the machines to making mistakes is higher than that of human skills. LPT limits the aspects of innovation in that discoveries are hard to be deduced by the use of machines as opposed to the use of skilled work force (Price & McConney, 2012). Conversely, LPT fosters management control in that by using the ICT, the management system of the organization enables the management of the organization network and monitors all transactions done by the respective employees. LPT enables the use of various softwares such as the use of the Transaction processing systems among others. Data mining and cloud computing enables the activities of the organization to be managed from one central point. This is beneficial to the organization in that it is able to monitor the trend and performance of its employees (Downard 2009). Price, A, Mansfield, C, & McConney, A 2012, Considering ‘teacher resilience’ from critical discourse and labour process theory perspectives, British Journal Of Sociology Of Education, 33, 1, pp. 81-95. Pushenko, SL 2013, Risk-management and its integration to the system of labor safety management. (Russian), Vestnik Volgogradskogo Gosudarstvennogo Arhitekturno-Stroitelnogo Universiteta. Seriya: Stroitelstvo I Arhitektura, 34, 53, pp.

Book Analysis The End of Blackness by Debra. J Dickson Essay

Book Analysis The End of Blackness by Debra. J Dickson - Essay Example (Jayne O. Ifekwunigwe, 2004) The notion of "blackness" has to be refurbished if black Americans are to countenance the future with confidence. For too long, the writer argues, blacks have tried to mangle shame and get endorsement from whites, when they ought to be striving for black excellence despite of white opinion. If you think you know what comes after that a request for blacks to drag themselves up by their boot-straps and totally join in mainstream American society - you're right, fairly. Even though Debra Dickson gives emphasis to black accountability and intra-community black fortify, her endeavor is not to disembowel fellow blacks for their supposed failings. Nor does she allow whites off the hook. Their racism against blacks, she assert, "has been defined out of existence and repackaged so that whites retain its perks. It has undergone existential plastic surgery." Therefore, she concludes, "many whites believe that nonwhites have no right to criticize them since whites are superior and alone respons ible for the success of America." (Jayne O. Ifekwunigwe, 2004) For more or less anyone recognized with any kind of political ideology, Dickerson's analysis is a sour pill to swallow. Sorry to say, the book tops out at just that.

Booktalking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Booktalking - Essay Example This is like a trailer of a movie-the good snippets to get their attention Type B : The Discussion: This kind of booktalk generally begins by the booktalker asking a few questions of The questions generally summon them to step into the character's shoes and draws out answer in the form of yes or no from them. From here on he moves to discuss an interesting scene or plot from the book intermittingly asking the questions to build up the audience's interest. Type C: First person: This requires acting skill on the part of booktalker as he becomes one of the characters from the book. No reading from the book .He becomes an actor and plays the character himself Its human nature not to be satisfied with what one has. Some of us wish for longer hair, the ones with long hair would like to have straight hair, people with straight hair would ask for curls .the wishes are endless. But imagine if your wishes are granted and you get a chance to change your looks. Yes, the character of our first book, Tally, is a teenager who definitely is getting such an opportunity .She basically lives in this town called Uglyville, where all the "Uglies" live .Now this town is a strange one. Strange in the sense that when some inhabitants of this town turn sixteen he or she undergoes an operation that changes the physical attributes of him or her completely. Pre operation they are Ugly (as all the inhabitants of this town are) and post operation they are pretty and are transported to another town, which has all pretty people and where fun never ends. Now Tally has still two months to wait before she gets a make over. But she cannot wait .she plans to spy on the newly turned pretties. She sneaks into their town and meets Shay. Now Shay is also ugly, but he is smart, adventurous and full of life .He shares his birthday with Tally and is lined up to turn pretty on the same date as her. They hit off very well. He talks to tally about a town where they can live as they are. No operations, no makeovers for the uglies of that town. Shay has now become very close friend of Tally, but she is now torn between two choices,.first one to turn pretty and .second to be with shay who doesn't want to turn pretty. So what would you do had you been in her shoes Turn pretty or be with Shay and be happy with your status quo. What if you opt for choose one but to reap its dividend you have to betray your best friend. What would you do TRANSITION: A tough decision indeed lets read the book to find out what Tally does .Did she betray Shay Did she turn pretty Meanwhile lets move on to the next book in which we have another girl Ursula Riggs who is rendered emotionless because of being Ugly. This is a first person booktalk and for next five to ten minutes I am Ursula Riggs of BIG MOUTH & UGLY GIRL I am Ursula Riggs and "Since that day I woke up and knew I wasn't an ugly girl, I was Ugly Girl" so you can chose to call me an "Ugly Girl" .I am a loner and have fierce eyes. People often find me as staring directly into their eyes .I don't know whether I do it consciously or it's just an illusion. Whatever be the case I am least bothered. . I am a student of high school and unlike other children of my age I have no time for dating, friends and other petty things .I would rather play basketball and mind my own

History of Washington State Wine industry and it's global future Research Paper

History of Washington State Wine industry and it's global future - Research Paper Example This will be followed by the global future of the industry. The Washington wine is produced from grapes grown in the Washington region and this industry ranks second in the overall production of wine, falling only second to California. The industry has seen immense growth and development and the number of vineyards has grown to over 30,000, which cater to the export needs to almost forty different countries from around the world. The main production of wine takes place in the eastern half of the state, and this half is desert like in nature. Irrigation and water rights are a major interest to the industry and this is solely due to the rain shadow of the Cascade regions (Matthews). Also the Viticulture of the state is also a result of the high levels of sunlight that the area receives. The wine industry was started way back in 1825, when the first wine grapes were planted by Hudson’s Bay Company at the Ford Vancouver. As time passed by 1910, the state saw a high level of increase in the growing of grapes across the state (Gregutt). The credits for pioneers of the plantations however go to the French, Italians and Germans. There were number of efforts for the Wine Projects from wine experts and historians like Ron Irvine and Dr. Walter Clore. These experts were the ones to start the early planting at Fort Vancouver. The year 1854 saw the hybrid varieties of grapes and these were got to the Puget Sound region. As time passed by 1860, wine grapes were being started to plant in the region of the Walla Walla valley. The early 1900s specifically around 1903, found a large number of irrigation projects that were developed. During this time there was a large melt down of the Cascade Mountains and this was a huge opportunity for the people as the soil in these areas was rich volcanic and the weather here was sunny and arid. It was now that the Yakima and Columbia regions also saw the plantations of Italian and German varieties. As time passed by this

Drawing from the course materials, discuss one challenge and one Essay

Drawing from the course materials, discuss one challenge and one opportunity presented to a person who takes on the role of frontline manager in a health or social care service - Essay Example The essay also sheds light on two important aspects of a manager’s role: one challenge and one opportunity that he is presented with and the ways in which he can handle them. The role of a manager is easier said than done. That’s because he has to shoulder many responsibilities. His actions are under constant vigilance by his peers, subordinates and superiors. Anything good that a manager may try to implement can have possible negative as well as positive effects on the entire organization. Thus well analyzed action plan is a must. Becoming a manager requires constant efforts and determination. It also requires leadership qualities such as patience, ability to lead and guide, perseverance, ability to interact well with everyone, etc. A person achieves this through hard work. Along with the respect that it brings, the managerial responsibilities seep the manager of all his energy and demand careful work at every stage. At a health care service unit, a manager comes to deal with a variety of people such as the care takers or the doctors, the accounting department, the staff, the patients or the consumers or the victims of health problems, managers from other branches of the health care unit and so on. While discussing the manager’s role let us analyze for him, Managerial activity is a process of continuous change (Activity 3.2, p.33). One has to understand the current situation and implement new policies accordingly. No matter whatever are your previous experiences, being a manager is every time a new lesson. The first thing that comes to our mind about a manager is the amount of power that he is entrusted with! Indeed this power can work wonders if handled with opportune execution. He needs to be flexible enough to shape circumstances and adapt to demands of employed people and consumers. With all his powers he has the authority to regularize and implement changes such as discipline, better dress codes,

I set about learning Welsh, in order to be able to return to the true Essay

I set about learning Welsh, in order to be able to return to the true Wales of my imagination (R.S Thomas). How are questions of language, place and national identity inter-related in literary texts - Essay Example Moreover, he argues that ‘nationalism is an ideological movement for attaining and maintaining the autonomy, unity and identity of a nation’2. It is this concept of ‘sameness’ and belonging which unifies us individuals to have a sense of pride attached to our country. This issue of national identity is one which is distinct within Welsh Anglo-Saxon writer R.S. Thomas’ Collected Poetry and Irish writer Roddy Doyle’s Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. It is interesting to compare the confused identity of Thomas, who was born in Cardiff yet spoke English as a child, to a dominant Irish figure such as Doyle who was born and bred in Ireland, and hence feels justified in glorifying his own country. He does this by using Gaelic phrases in order to present it in a more idealised category compared to the other cultures. Doyle too betrays anguish in his own culture as he presents the underlying woes within an Irish household being those of violence which was common in the 1960’s when the book was written. Nevertheless, one notes a sense of pride and belonging in Doyle, whereas Thomas is still searching in order â€Å"to be able to return to the true Wales of my imagination†3. In this essay, I will explore issues of language, place and national identity that are manifest within Thomas’ Collected poems and Roddy Doyle’s Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. R.S. Thomas focuses on Wales as his own national identity. For example, in A Welsh Testament, he writes, ‘All right, I was Welsh. Does it matter? I spoke the tongue that was passed on to me in the place I happened to be’4. We find Thomas telling us that although he speaks English, he is unable to speak his ‘mother tongue’, which he believes to be Welsh. There is a defensive hue in his words, as though he is trying to justify his inability to speak their language. This speaks of an anguish in him resulting from not having a full sense of belonging. In the poem

Ethics in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Ethics in the Workplace Essay In 1995 Douglas Durand went to work for Tap Pharmaceuticals as vice- president of sales. Several months after starting at Tap Pharmaceuticals, Durand was in disbelief to find out that the company was bribing urologists to purchase the new Lupron drug for prostate cancer. Durand found the culture at Tap Pharmaceuticals to be in misalignment. In order for Durand to protect his good name, he began to document all his findings over a 6 year period and submitting the information to federal prosecutors. The documentation that Durand submitted to the federal prosecutors was so overwhelming that it caused Tap Pharmaceuticals to plead guilty to conspiring with doctors and cheating the government. As result of the guilty plead, Tap Pharmaceuticals paid a staggering $875 million dollar fine, which Durand received 14% of the settlement for his efforts to remedy the situation. The symptoms found in the Tap Pharmaceuticals case are primarily driven by numbers and monetary rewards. The more the top sales reps could sale or distribute the bigger the monetary reward. Durand tried to institute a more structured environment to help remedy some of the illegal practices he encountered. Many of the sales reps at Tap Pharmaceuticals did not accurately track the samples of Lupron given out to doctors. Durand offered a year salary to sales reps to help the company keep accurate records of distribution of the drugs offered. It worked until upper management shut down the bonus program, furthermore; the reps settled back into their old ways. Symptoms of dishonesty, unethical behavior, inadequate record keeping, crooked doctors, and a complete disregard for laws and regulations set forth by the government are derived from the root cause of poor upper management found at Tap Pharmaceuticals. The root cause and unresolved issues that Durand encountered at Tap Pharmaceuticals are a direct result of the monetary driven culture created by then president Yasu Hasegawa and senior management. Durand found that when he tried to implement new policies or practices that Hasegawa and the sales reps were not interested, or he was undermined by senior management. Tap pharmaceuticals primary sales niche was to bribe and payoff the people who prescribed the drugs offered by purchasing televisions, vacations, and  office equipment. The unethical practices are a direct result of a lack of unethical leadership and ethical standards and practices not being in place. Tap Pharmaceuticals did not have a hose counsel to help keep practices ethical and meet government requirements because it was thought to be a sales-prevention department. Durand eventually found himself excluded from marketing and sales meetings and told that he just did not understand the culture. The lack of ethical leadership in the company is the root of the problem found at Tap Pharmaceuticals and left all the issues that Durand found unresolved. Analyze and evaluate alternatives. Decide on the most valid alternative, and make recommendations. When thinking of alternatives, people think of other options that may apply in order to have a different outcome than the current outcome. When Durand was offered the position as Vice President of Sales with Tap Pharmaceuticals, he had no idea what he was getting involved with. All he saw was a potential for a promotion in an industry where he had already served his time and made a name for himself. Durand has a couple alternatives in this ethical situation. He could have kept his mouth shut and adhered to Tap Pharmaceuticals policies and procedures and unethical practices. The outcome to this alternative could have proven to be very poor for Durand. If Durand continued to allow Tap Pharmaceuticals to conduct business in the sales department as they always had in the past, eventually, the federal government would have caught on to the unethical practices and levied fines against Tap Pharmaceuticals and Mr. Durand. He could have even been prosecuted for the practices he witnessed at Tap Pharmaceuticals. When employees are directed to blatantly break the law in order to keep sales up and to give out medicine samples without charging for them, there is a huge ethical problem. Tap Pharmaceuticals instructed the doctors to charge Medicare for the samples even though they never paid for them in the first place. It seemed as if Tap Pharmaceuticals planned to break every law of the trade in order to make the most money in the least amount of time. This alternative would not work for Mr. Durand. He had a steady head on his  shoulders and would not stand for the unethical practices he had witnessed. But what would he do about the problem? This question would later come into play when Mr. Durand was faced with a tough decision. A second alternative Mr. Durand had was to leave Tap Pharmaceuticals with a resignation. But a resignation would land him and his family out on the streets. He did not want to jeopardize his familys lifestyle and affect the way his children would grow up. After all, Mr. Durand did leave a well paying job with a huge medical pharmaceutical company. This alternative would be even worse than staying with Tap Pharmaceuticals and pretending nothing wrong was going on. He had to support his family and to Mr. Durand this was the most important issue to handle. If Mr. Durand resigned from Tap Pharmaceuticals, he would have to start all over again and work his way back up the corporate ladder as he did 20 years before with Merck Co. Mr. Durand had very few options or avenues to take in his ethical dilemma. He was virtually stuck between a rock and a hard place. He truly made the perfect decision when he decided to file suit against Tap Pharmaceuticals. This was the best possible option he could have used. First, Tap Pharmaceuticals was breaking the law and if they continued to practice unethical business, they could have hurt someone or continued to defraud the United States government and Medicare. Since Mr. Durand was familiar with the practices of the pharmaceutical industry, he had no other choice but to blow the whistle on Tap Pharmaceuticals. TAP Pharmaceuticals, a physician, and 7 employees of TAP Pharmaceuticals were charged and indicted for bribing physicians with kickbacks to use the drug Lupron. The federal grand jury also found them guilty of Medicare fraud, and violation of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act. PSA-Rising (2001) states,The seven individuals charged in the indictment unsealed today are:Alan Mackenzie age 49, of 27068 Wellington Court, Barrington, Illinois, andformerly Vice President of Sales for TAP, Janice Swirski, age 40, of 6 BellinghamDrive, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and formerly a National Account Manager with TAP,Henry Van Mourick, age 43, of 23 Golfwood Court, Roseville, California, andcurrently a District Manager employed by TAP,  Donna Tom, age 37, of 141 East 56thStreet, New York, New York, and formerly a District Manager employed by TAP,Kimberlee Chase, age 35, of 108 Dedham Street, Dover, Massachusetts, and formerly aDistrict Manager employed by TAP, David Guido, age 30, of 131 New London Road,Colchester, Connecticut, and currently a Hospital Account Executive employed by TAP, DR. John Romano, age 48, of 110 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, Massachusetts, an urologistwith a practice in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Four other physicians were indicted before the above indictment. TAP Pharmaceuticals bribed urologists to use the drug Lupron by giving them big screen televisions, golf vacations, and free sample of Lupron. The sales representatives also gave the physicians free samples of Lupron and told the physicians to bill Medicare for full price. Durand tried to change different aspects of how Tap Pharmaceuticals was run, but all to no avail. Whenever he implemented a new structural change, the employees would try it for a short while and return to the way they had done things in the past. Accurate bookkeeping was a logical idea to put into action. This would tell exactly how much each rep gave out to doctors and pharmacies as samples for them to try out. The old way never showed how much they were paid for each sample given because there was no way to know how many had been given out. Whenever new ideas are put into effect, it still takes people to uphold these new rules and regulations. When Yasu Hasegawa failed to show any sort of business ethics, why would any of his employees? A good leader will lead by example. When people follow someone he/she want to emulate his/her actions, not just his/her words. By having a person with little moral fiber lead the company, it allowed some that might have been on the fence about the situation to fall to the same side. Durands cultural change effort failed because senior management and older sales reps refused to change the company for the better. They had been doing things their way for too long and the payoff incentive was too great. The shady business practices were much easier than trying to keep records of exactly how many samples were given out and who all had been bought. When  the president of the company would not even change his ways on how he dealt with his business, how could his employees be expected to change as well? In a business that deals with healthcare, the most important aspect should always be the patients. Since nobody truly cared about them and all the employees concerns were with lining their own pockets, the business ended up being sued for quite a large amount of money. The only way for Durands changes to succeed, would be if there were a total overhaul of management. The company would need to basically start over in order to weed out all the bad eggs. That would take a great deal of time, not to mention a great deal of money. Even though Durand became a whistle-blower on Tap Pharmaceuticals and the company was fined, there are sure to be employees who were guilty but not indicted. In TAP Pharmaceuticals there was an attitude of a misalignment of culture. The profit driven only environment provided no ethical leadership. Upper management including the CEO, who set the tone of weak unethical leadership, held no interest in change. TAP had no formal cultural system. The bottom line was the only factor and how profits were obtained was of little concern. When Durand attempted to make positive changes to the system through a Reward System, upper management put a stop to it even tough it was working and labeled him a trouble maker. TAP was not interested in positive ethical change. The gifts to urologists and doctors TAP pharmaceuticals participated in set an unethical culture. ConclusionIn the end Tap received one of the largest fines in the pharmaceutical industry and the job of rebuilding its image and reorganizing its business practices. Seven of its senior management team received heavy financial and judicial penalties for their part in the Lupron scandal. Douglas Durand in the end had to start over in a new less lucrative position, furthermore; he did receive a large settlement from the federal government under the Whistle-Blowers Act and currently retired and living in Florida. References: Barrett, A. (2002, June 24). A Whistle-Blower Rocks an Industry. Business Week. RetrievedJune 19, 2007, from http://www.fairness.com/resources/relation?relation_id=9650Nelson, K., Trevino, L. (2004). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do itright (3rd ed.) . New York: Wiley. PSA Rising (October 3, 2001). TAP Pharmaceuticals Products Inc. and Seven Others ChargedWith Health Care Crimes; Company Agrees to Pay $875 Million to Settle Charges. RetrievedJune 22, 2007 from http://www.psa-rising.com/wiredbird/tap102001.php

Fashion and Marketing: Individuality vs. Conformity

Fashion and Marketing: Individuality vs. Conformity Fashion Marketing Individuality vs. Conformity. Section 1: Introduction A seemingly intractable paradox underlies Westerners choice of fashion in the twenty-first century. On the one hand, the democratic and social progress made in the West in the past fifty years has led to radical revaluations of, and profound reversals of attitudes towards, issues such as   gender, class, race, social stereotypes, cultural identity and so on: in short, the Western citizen of 2005 has far greater personal freedom for expression than could have been conceivable for a Westerner in 1905 or even 2005 (Craik, 1994). The modern student of Western fashion trends might therefore reasonably expect to notice in the clothing choices and styles of twenty-first Westerners ever greater diversity and individuality to notice a kaleidoscopic and multi-coloured efflorescence of personal freedom in fabric and cloth. And, indeed, in many instances in Western society there is a profusion of individual styles mirroring newly liberated individual personalities. Yet, on the other hand, des pite this potential for individuality, the fashion student notices, paradoxically, that Westerners are exhibiting an ever greater homogeneity and similarity in their clothing choice for instance, the ubiquitous presence, amongst certain definable social groups, of trendy brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Zara and FCUK. The principal force behind this homogeneity is argued to be (Miles, 1998 Radford, 1998) the massive and all-consuming power of giant global fashion houses and their resources for mass branding and advertising. To many fashion critics and scholars these hugely powerful companies have come to swamp the potential for personal and individual expression that was made possible by social changes in Europe and America in the past fifty years. In a further paradox, it was these very changes themselves, and the liberation and emancipation of consumer power and choice which they released, which provides the consumer markets and spending-power which make these huge companies possible. In other words, for the gender, class, and social revolutions of the twentieth century to happen this required the protests and emancipation of Western masses; but this very freedom itself created a mass homogeneous market that could be exploited by fashion corporations themselves made possible by these changes. I n   a final paradox, Rosenfeld (1997) and Davis (1993) argue that modern man is free to choose the clothes he wears and so is himself responsible for submitting himself and his individuality to temptations of mass production and consumerism   that surround him. The fascinating question before this literature review is then: why is it   that Westerners, granted at last a large measure of personal freedom for expression, ‘choose’ nonetheless to submit themselves to mass trends and to enslave themselves to perhaps an ever greater extent than when such freedom was not obtainable? Of further interest is the question: how have particular cultural groups, and fashion trends, resisted mass consumerism of fashion, and gone on to use these new freedoms to establish exciting and original expressions of their personalities? Section 2: Sources A few words about the origin and authority of the sources used for this literature review   are perhaps necessary before turning to the main themes of the review.   The principal type of source discussed in this literature review are academic books and journals; in addition, some internet sources are employed also. The academic books referred to in this review are amongst the seminal texts in the literature of fashion and marketing, their authors world-class experts in   their fields, and therefore the reliability and authority of their material is extremely high. The fashion student can have high, if not complete, confidence in his employment of these sources to illustrate his themes and arguments. Likewise, those texts from other fields in this review, such as Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud, 1900) or Lacan’s Language of the Self (Lacan, 1998), are usually included by critics and scholars in their lists of the most important works of the twentieth-century. They too then may be used by the fashion student with a high degree of trust in their authority and reliability. A note of caution might be sounded however about   the employment of internet sources in any literature review. Whereas the process of publishing work in an academic book or journal is a lengthy one, requiring considerable cost and numerous stages of scrutiny by fellow scholars and experts, thus ensuring the quality of those sources, nonetheless, the standards required for publication on the internet are often lower and less vigorous. The vast profusion material released daily on the internet requires the conscientious student to subject the internet sources he employs to greater scrutiny and doubt than might be the case with academic books or journals published in the traditional paper-based way. Consequently, the internet sources used in this literature review have been vigorously scrutinised and tested for their reliability in the fashion described above.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Section 3: Review The following literature review is discussed according to the following thematic schema in five parts: (1) The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity, (2), Global Trends and World Markets, (3) Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion Visual Communication, (4) Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities, and, (5), Sociological Philosophical   Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity. The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity The contemporary situation in Western fashion and personal clothing choice is one of apparently irresolvable paradox: Westerners are today endowed with ever greater personal freedoms, extending naturally to their choice of personal clothing and one would expect this freedom to lead to a plethora and profusion of individual styles and manners of dress: these freedoms should result in less conformity of style than was present in say 1905 when gender, class and social prejudices compelled and forced a person to dress in a particular way and style. Yet, despite these abundant new-found freedoms, Western clothing choice in 2005 seems to display ever greater conformity and homogeneity. That is, Westerners are ‘choosing’ to dress more and more alike one another Westerners’ expression of their personalities through their choice of style is showing ever greater similarities to one another. How then could this be possible? This question is discussed at the general level in great depth by F. Davis (1993) Fashion, Clothing and Identity and by Fiske (1990) in Introduction to Communications Studies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global Trends World Markets The most persuasive and frequently given answer to the above   question is that the rise of huge fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani, Prada, Zara, amongst many others along with their massive resources for branding and advertising, have drowned-out the recently attained freedoms of Western individuals to reflect their personalities in their choice of clothing. This point is powerfully made in D. Crane’s seminal text Fashion and the Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. (Crane, 2004). Crane argues that just at the critical historical moment (the end of the 20th Century) when Westerners were finally endowed with greater personal freedoms in fashion and personality expression than ever before, that these freedoms were immediately smothered by forces such as globalization and capitalism which gave birth to vast fashion corporations whose financial resources and advertising capacity have become too great and powerful for individual expr ession to poke through and flower. This point is corroborated and reinforced by numerous other scholars and authorities in fashion and marketing. F. Davis (1993) in Fashion, Culture and Identity, L. Rosenfeld (1997) in Clothing as Communication, and J. Craik (1994) in The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion all endorse Crane’s central premise that individual freedom of personality expression through clothing and style is suffocated by the capitally fuelled force of the major fashion brands to overwhelm this expression through relentless psychological pressure, carried by advertising, to conform to the style and choice ‘imposed’ and ‘decided’ by these companies and not by individuals themselves. M. Barnard in Fashion as Communication (1996) makes an interesting refinement of this basic premise by suggesting, in a further paradoxical statement, that it is the very freedom of gender, class, social status etc., of the past fifty years which has led to ever greater conformity to popular styles and to an even greater imposition of style than existed before such freedoms were possible. In other words, to echo a sentiment expressed by Nietzsche in 1888 (Nietzsche, 1888) and Freud in 1900 (Freud, 1900) human beings have natural herd instincts which are present whether people are free or not, and these instincts generate the need for leadership and imposition from one source or another. Thus, whilst before the 1960’s style conformity was forced upon Westerners by gender and class stereotypes, nonetheless, after the 1960’s when these stereotypes were lifted, Westerners became susceptible to a new ‘authority’, ‘imposition’ and ‘leadershipâ €™ in the form of vast fashion corporations whose choice of style and expression is propagated through intensive branding and advertising. According to this philosophical view, endorsed by Bruce Stella and Pamela Church Gibson (2000) in Fashion Cultures Theories: Explorations and Analysis, the personalities of Westerners today and their choice of expression of their personalities through clothing, is largely decided by fashion corporations and advertising companies thus resulting in the uniformity of style and expression which is so evident from a casual glance at our high-streets today.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion Visual Communication A interesting example of the practice of a semiotic theory of fashion promotion is that discussed in A. Rhodes’ and R. Zuloago’s paper ‘A Semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising’ published in 2003. The chief motif of Rhodes’ and Zuloago’s work is that ‘Fashion advertising is an excellent example of identity-image producing media’ (Rhodes   Zuloago, 2003: p8). They state at the outset of their paper that ‘The nature of the product is tied directly to identity those objects with which we encase our bodies for public display  ­- and fashion is acknowledged as a cultural language of style’; a little further on they add ‘Taken as a whole, high fashion media and advertising describe a spectrum of identity, unified in general types of signifiers young women, high   status, high sexuality and through the constant repetition and variation of images on these themes serve to create this identity spectrum.â €™ (Rhodes and Zuloago, 2003, p1). Thus, in their paper, Rhodes and Zuloago seek to define the symbiotic relationship between high fashion and the cultural and social identity of one particular social group: young, rich and sexually confident women. Rhodes and Zuloago argue that the advertising campaigns of companies like Prada, Donna Karen, Armani, Dolce Gabanna and others like them, speak so powerfully and seductively to these women, and that the images employed penetrate so deeply into their consciousness and social orientation, that they come to identify their personalities almost wholly with the product. Rhodes and Zulago recognise, nonetheless, that whilst the influence of major fashion brands over social groups like the one mentioned above is immense that these groups too, by their social characteristics and newly liberated personalities, constantly force the fashion brands to invent new styles and designs that evolve to reflect the changing consciousness of these particu lar and individualistic groups (Rhodes Zuloago, 2003: p5). The symbiosis is nearly total; and similar relationships between major brands and other social groups are evident throughout modern Western   culture.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities R. Radford points out in Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism (1998) that the mass conformity of modern fashion style and personality expression is not of course universal, and many original and fresh styles punk, gothic, ethnic, etc., have arisen from the social freedoms of recent decades, both in reaction to the preceding centuries of restricted expression and also in reaction to the monotonous uniformity of the mass-branded   and consumer-based style. As suggested in the last sentence, Radford distinguishes between styles which are (1) a reaction to the restrictions of former centuries, (2) those which are defiances of the modern branded uniformity, and, (3), those which are a reaction to neither, but rather are healthy and original efflorescences of cultural uniqueness and individual expression. In the first category Radford places the astonishing growth in popularity of ‘gender-liberated’ products like bikinis, short-skirts and casual clothing which were, in other centuries, repressed by the authorities either because of gender prejudices or inequalities, or because of antiquated ideas about the morality or sexual imprudence of certain items and styles of clothing. To take an instance of gender discrimination cited by Radford (Radford, 1998: pp. 142-148), it was not socially or morally permissible for women in former times to wear beach attire (bikinis, swim-suits etc.,) that revealed or celebrated anything of the sensuousness or beauty of the female figure; women were therefore universally condemned (in Western countries) to wear a single type plain, non-sexual beachwear. But since the lifting of this social prejudice and stigma, there has been a profusion of designers, from Gucci and Dolce Gabana to Zara and BHS, who have produced modern designs which allow women to celebrate the sensuality and beauty of   the female figure. Women today enjoy the same rights as men to wear what they like either to the beach, to the disco or to work; thus, in this instance, despite the domination of the fashion brands, women now have the opportunity to, and do indeed exhibit in practice, a greater expression of individuality of personality than was possible or permissible before the last decades. In the second category, Radford places fashion styles like punk and gothic: styles which rebel   against the conformity of modern mass-consumer culture and relish in the controversy and upsetting of convention induced by the difference of their style. Studded clothing, fluorescent coloured hair, male make-up, cross-dressing etc., are rebellions against the usual fashion paradigm and make the personality statement that some people disagree with popular sentiment and convention and express this in clothing styles that are often shocking and scandalous (Barthes, 1983).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the third category are individualistic styles, such as ethnic, which are neither reactions to historical repressions or to modern mass conformity, but which are rather healthy flourishing of individual personality or philosophy. For instance, contemporary Western style permits a greater exhibition of ethnic clothing or pride in national dress than was acceptable fifty years ago. F. Davis argued as early as 1988 in Clothing and Fashion Communication that clothing could be a vehicle for greater racial tolerance and for multi-culturalism and racial integration in modern Western society. A concomitant of this toleration is a celebration and pride in the wearing of clothes of national dress; clothes that display part of the person’s personality repressed for decades.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sociological Philosophical Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity Jacques Lacan in Language of the Self (Lacan, 1997) gives a fascinating philosophical and psychological interpretation of the individuality vs. conformity paradox, filtering it the prism of class, gender and social stereotypes, to argue that human beings are essentially language-animals and can be manipulated if one finds the key to the use of this language. Lacan argues in his seminal text Language and the Self (1997) that the social freedoms attained by Westerners in the past half century have given them Westerners unprecedented opportunities to reflect their innermost ‘self’, their basic human constituency, through new cultural media such as television, the arts, and by derivation, fashion and our choice of media. Lacan argues further that the ‘self’ of previously repressed groups such as women, homosexuals, African-Americans and so on is now able to manifest itself in cultural forms that had previously been repressed for centuries, and which are now burs ting out in the diversity of artforms prevalent in our society today. Nonetheless, through his   principal scientific and philosophical investigation into the language-animal, Lacan argues that Westerners have been seduced by the clever and innovative marketing campaigns of the major fashion brands, who use slogans and images to target specific social groups. Thus Lacan explains the phenomenal seduction of modern Western man to the worded slogans of designer labels and celebrity endorsed products. Lacan suggests that the advertising campaigns of major fashion brands seduce the consumer’s unconscious directly and that this explains the phenomenon of mass conformity to such a homogeneous type of personal expression through fashion as is evident in our society.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Section 4: Conclusion In the final analysis, the literature of the fashion and marketing texts on the subject of individuality vs. conformity, and the influence of branding upon this relationship,  Ã‚   reveals the following points. Firstly, that a curious and complex paradox deeply underpins the dynamics between individuality and conformity. To the one side, the liberation of women, homosexuals, formerly repressed racial groups, underprivileged classes and others, in the second half of the twentieth-century, has led to a huge mass of people in Western society who have previously unimaginable freedom to wear whatever styles and types of clothing they believe best express their individuality and uniqueness. For instance, gender prejudices removed, women can now wear trousers ; race prejudices declining, repressed groups can wear a city suit or opera tuxedo; in many other instances Westerners are free to dress as however their mood, philosophy and occupation inclines them. On the other hand, the ceaseless ascent to prominence and immense power of the great fashion houses and fashion brands has led to a blanket of homogeneity being spread over the personal expression of many Western consumers. Philosophers like Lacan, and psychologists like Freud and Nietzsche, suggest   that man has an innate herd instinct that compels him to conform to the trends of the crowd and to seek a higher authority and leadership to decide and impose his personal expression upon him. According to this view, despite the newly attained freedom of Westerners, they have substituted for the old imposition of gender and class barriers the new authority of the mass product and the famous brand. Thus ‘personal choice’ and ‘freedom of expression of personality’ through clothing are   merely illusions that do not   correspond to modern reality. Furthermore, the conformity of modern Western dress is, according to D. Crane (Crane, 2004), even more intense today than in other centuries, s ince in 2005 particular styles and mass produced clothing items Crane gives Levi’s jeans as an example permeate all classes and genders of society and therefore have a ‘total sphere of conformity and influence’; in other centuries a particular item or style of clothing would only dominate one social group; today brands like Nike, Zara, Levi’s, Armani and so on, can penetrate the personal expression of every social group from top to bottom. Nonetheless, the flourishing of reactionary and rebellious fashions expressions such as punk and gothic, as well as the profusion of small individualistic designers and such styles as ethnic suggest that the mass produced fashion items have not and will not dominate totally and may even be forced back a little as personal expression is allowed to bloom in the new forms and clothing styles of the twenty-first century. Our final words might be these: that the question of conformity vs. individuality now hangs in a delicate balance and equilibrium, that Western society pivots at a vital moment in the history of its ability to be able to define itself. The opportunity exists for   Westerners to dazzle the world with an efflorescence of new styles of clothing that reflect the cultural diversity, racial integration, and class assimilation achieved in the past fifty years. The danger remains nonetheless that these achievements and potential expression will be swamped by the relentless mar ch of mass consumer fashion and our seduction to it.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Section 5: Bibliography   Academic Books, Journals Articles Barnard, M. (1996) Fashion as Communication, Routledge Barthes, R. (1967, 1983). The Fashion System, New York: Hill and Wang.   Bruzzi Stella Church, P.G. (2000). Fashion Cultures Theories, Explorations and Analysis, Routledge Craik, J. (1994) The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion, London: Routledge. Crane, D. (2004). Fashion and Its Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. Oxford   University Press, Oxford.    Davis, F. (1985). Clothing and fashion as communication, in Solomon, M. R. (ed.) The Psychology of Fashion, Massachusetts: Lexington Books. Davis, F. (1993). Fashion, Culture and Identity, Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press. Du Gay, P. (1996). Consumption and Identity at Work, London: Sage.   Fiske, J. (1990). Introduction to Communication Studies, London: Routledge Freud, S. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams. Penguin, London. Lacan, J. (Reprinted 1997). Language of the Self, Baltimore, MD.: Johns Hopkins University Press Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL.: University of Chicago Press Miles, S. (1998). Consumerism as a Way of Life, London: Sage Publications Nietzsche, F. (1888). Ecce Homo. Peter Gast Books, Basel. Quirk, R. (Et al.). (1989). The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Radford, R., Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism, Fashion Theory, vol. 2, issue 2, Oxford: Berg, 1998, pp. 151-64.   Rosenfeld, L. B. and Plax, T. G. (1997). Clothing as communication, Journal of Communication, 27: 24-31. Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh.   Internet Sources Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL.: University of Chicago Press http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Mead/MINDSELF.HTML   Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh.   http://www.adamsmith.org/smith/tms-intro.htm   Rhodes, A. Zuloago, R. (2003). A semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising.   www.garhodes.com/Semiotics_of_Fashion.pdf Feminism: Sexism and Society Feminism: Sexism and Society Feminism as a concept is one with a variety of different views. While to some it may seem like a rightful assertion of what they believe society should be, some believe it to be unrealistic and too idealistic. They believe that by relying too much on the principle of feminism, they are overdoing it, thereby resulting in the loss of the effect of the concept as such. Feminism as a concept emerged during the late 19th century, where the important demands made were that of more rights in the public sphere, the right to vote, the right to own property, and obtain a reasonable education. (footnote book). As time went on, and women felt more and more comfortable with asserting their rights openly, newer topics like sexuality, reproduction, domestic violence, domestic labour etc, came into prevalence (footnote book). Feminists then believed that the major thing lacking in society was the fact that masculine ideas were being used in both the political and social fields. (footnote book). The concept also aims to be relevant in the present day context. Feminists have tried to tackle issues such as single mothers handling a household, lower wages, especially in the present day, poverty and lack of education for most women, even today.(4) Feminism in India has also been gaining some momentum with the new age. Womens magazines, women oriented television shows etc, are helping this new wave of feminism in the country. This paper attempts to look at the variety of ways that woman oriented mediums aim to promote feminism in our country. It also tries to decide whether these mediums are promoting or in fact contesting the concept of feminism. WHAT IS FEMINISM? Feminism is basically an idea that aims to end all forms of sexism that exist in the world presently. There are however, several variations of what this sexism actually is, and the different ways by which it can be resolved. Also argued, is the role of a man or a woman in society, and what implications each gender has in society. Nevertheless, the feminist perspective provides interesting views on matters such as reproduction, sexuality, labour, poverty, racial discrimination The meaning of the term feminism has differed greatly throughout the world. While in the U.S and the U.K it started out as being mainly a political wave, demanding for the right to vote, in other parts of the world writers have mainly looked at the injustices faced by women, although the nature of these injustices may not entirely be certain. In 1892, the first International Womens Conference was held in Paris. Only after this, did the word feminism start to be used in its serious sense in society. Second and third wave feminism was mainly generated to look at the shortcomings of earlier theories of feminism and avoid the domination of ‘white women, in the field. A sincere attempt was to be made to look at the views of coloured women and others as well. An attempt to help the situation would be to look at feminism as a set of ideas and beliefs rather than looking at it as a political ideal. A lot of occurrences take place even outside the political sphere that ascertains the need to improve a womans position in society. Although feminism may have started as focusing only on the legal and political aspects of a womans life, it has broadened to the more social issues now. Oppression is the feminists key issue. Feminists fight to resolve oppression and ensure justice. Oppression is unjust and a woman, like any other person in society has a right to ensure that they obtain justice. Another area where feminists argue the need for equality is the economic sector. It is believed that with the increase in economic equality, the society can become a better place to live in. However, it may also be said, that at times sexism also works against men. There are instances where men also may come under the radar of being victims of sexism. But, it is commonly agreed upon that women usually suffer the brunt of inequality more than the men do. Sexism, also just does not examine several harms that are committed, but looks at the fact that someone is harmed because she is a woman. There is no one single form of oppression that a woman faces, and that several forms exist and manifest themselves in a variety of ways even today. Even though there are variations in the way feminists differentiate themselves from one another, an agreed framework is being sought after to monitor equality and growth of women. There will most definitely be a set of principles that all women will look to fight and ensure parity for women in society. Such principles may include, equal wages, reproduction etc. (book 15). One of the main requests of feminists has also been to give women more recognition in the public sphere. This is the only way that women would be looked as being worthy enough to be respected even at home. (15). Liberalisation, also to a certain extent helped the cause of feminism. Liberal thought had its roots in rendering individual rights and giving an individual all the importance as may be necessary. The argument of being treated at an equal level with the men in society, sprung mainly from the liberal theory. Since the liberal theory believed that the only just and fair system was one that did not discriminate among individuals under any circumstance, feminists adopted this idea to their advantage. (26) Thus, feminism is a doctrine aimed at ensuring that women are treated on par with men in society. Although the interpretations of this doctrine may vary from person to person, the main idea is common to all- that is the progress of women in the society at the same level as men. FEMINISM IN INDIA India, as a country from time long before, has been neglected in the sense that it is a third world country and is capable of offering only so much. The concept of feminism holding a high ground in such a country would not be feasible. Womens Studies in India have been looked as a socio cultural subject as well as an effort to trace the role of women in the country and how it has changed. Footnote http://books.google.co.in/books?id=YICroPrSyz4Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=feminism+indiasig=3ws6hFGtDrSM4hgxXZD6cknaKOU#PPA3,M1 As the 19th century dawned in India women were more open to creating new roles for themselves, some that men had not thought about creating for them. Pg 6. The advent of the colonial rule was what proved to be most influential to the feminist movement in the country. With the coming of the colonial rule, women were exposed to what could be a life suited for them. There was a lot of debate concerning the fact that very difference between a man and a woman is what made women more apt for social roles, like that of a mother. However, women started organizing campaigns and joined organizations, their role as a mother was used to argue the fact that for this very reason they should be given access to education and overall emancipation. Also, during the colonial rule, Gandhi had an effect on the growing perception of feminism in the country. He was hailed as the founder of the Indian feminist movement. His definitions of the qualities of a woman were used by a variety of women during the pre- independence feminist period. Women during the pre- independence period based most of their theories on the likeness rather than the difference in ideas they might have. In post- independent India feminism achieved a slightly higher status than before. Women here asserted their rights to be treated equally and fairly within society. They dismissed the need for gender based structures in society and division of labour based on sex. They believed that there existed only a biological difference between men and women and that under no circumstance should that affect the ability of a woman to be able to perform on par with men in the society. The role of being a ‘mother and a ‘daughter was widely emphasized in the earlier Indian times. This however changed and became more to do with depicting the helplessness of these women. There were pamphlets, exhibitions held to show the vulnerability of a woman and how it was being exploited by all people in society. This in turn led to feminism being more open and resulting in there being a change of the image of a woman from someone helpless to someone economically strong and independent. While in pre- independent India it was accepted that a woman was socially backward and had only a certain fixed place in society, in the mid seventies, this changed drastically. All issues regarding unequal wages, pushing women into unskilled areas of labour were sought to be contested fiercely. It was believed that no woman, especially in that time was to be subjected to inequality. Another reason why the issue of feminism gained heavy importance was that by nature, the Indian society was male dominated and most causes of problem arose out of this very difference. The sphere of what feminism would also look to abolish was also greatly widened. The body of a woman, which had been looked at, socially, as something very disposable was now treated with much more respect. Even legally attempts were made to provide solace and justice to those women who had been raped, that had not earlier been available. This was further broadened into marital rape and rape of prostitutes alike. Women were to be treated as rightful members of society and had to be treated with equal dignity and respect. Towards the latter part of the twentieth century, women were to be given the right of self determination. They were looked as being capable of making their own decisions and therefore should be given a right to make all major decisions themselves. After independence attempts were also made by the congress to make sure that women got equality under the constitution. Feminists were in fact the first ones to start and recognize the need to codify personal laws in the country. Suggestions were made even by Dr. B.R Ambedkar to make sure that women were given a strong status in society. The age of consent to marriage was increased; the age of when a woman can be married was also increased. Several reforms were also introduced to ensure the right of a woman to a divorce and property. (96) The Hindu Marriage Act, The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act were also seen as being significant in ensuring all personal laws were codified and women had a right to claim their rights even in a court of law.Movements like the Shahada movement also became popular after the rise of feminism. The shahada movement aimed at resolving domestic violence, especially in the low down areas of society. If a man beat his woman up, he had to apologise to her in public.(101) In addition to this, there were also anti-price rise demonstrations in Bombay and Bihar. With the advent of such movements, women became more comfortable with trying and portraying themselves in public and showing that they were also capable of doing something revolutionary in society. (102)Issues were raised to contest that a family was primarily looked at as a unit of consumption than a unit of production. Furthermore, women were looked at as being the main source of this consumption. So, whenever there was an economic problem, with respect to goods, a woman was always deemed to be at fault. (104). In modern India also such issues of a womans position in society is taken into account. Even now there are disparities regarding whether a woman should be allowed to work and step out of the house or not. It was also realized that what maybe feminism for women in the urban community may not be the same for those in the lower or rural communities. What has been analysed by many women today as being problems in the urban society may differ from those that are considered to be problems in the rural communities. A woman from the labour or working class of society will have a larger set of problems than say a woman living in the city with a job.(106) Therefore, although there are irregularities regarding the actual position of an Indian woman in society, one thing that is certain, is that their role has been increasing steadily in society. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=68xTBT1-H4ICprintsec=frontcoverdq=feminism+indiasig=Y6Dw_kI47maXDQqZ1UGuIJDE7TM#PPA104,M1 WOMENS MAGAZINES IN INDIA Food, gossip, relationship advice, beauty tips, you name it; a womans magazine has it. With the new age of liberal women, womens magazines are also gaining huge popularity among the masses of women. The womens magazines are an ideal way for a woman to spend her free time, and at the same time get advice on something she probably would not find elsewhere. These magazines have become so popular today that every bookstore and every library has copies of them. No woman, in todays day would deny having read any of these magazines at one point. There are several leading womens magazines in the country now. Femina, Womens Era, Verve, Good Housekeeping, to name a few are the leading magazines sold in India currently. http://explore.oneindia.in/media/magazine/womens/ The trend of womens magazines was started mainly to infuse a new perspective in a male dominated society,as mentioned by a recently bought about magazine- Feministing. http://feministing.com/archives/004002.html The issues dealt with in these magazines are that of educational opportunities for women, food, maintaining a home, relationship advice, advice to single mothers etc. The magazines look at issues that otherwise a woman would not be too comfortable talking about with to her family members. These magazines also provide suitable solutions for various issues a woman may face. For example the magazine Femina, has divided its magazine into various sections, which include- food, health, beauty, relationship, homemaking, travel etc. Beauty and health sections, give you tips on how to maintain a healthy figure and to eat right. The relationship section gives you advice on all matters regarding relationships including how to start one, how to end one, issues regarding mother-daughter conflicts. Travel destinations are also explored thus givinG http://www.femina.in/