American Culture and Childhood

American Culture and Childhood Introduction Action figures, dolls and cartoons are an ubiquitous part of the childhood of most people within the U.S., with various individuals owning/ watching some variation of these aspects of popular culture in one form or another. Based on various studies of childhood development children actually looked up to and tried to emulate the attitudes and characteristics of the cartoons they saw on television.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on American Culture and Childhood specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When examining past and current trends in cartoons, action figures and dolls a rather strange phenomenon was noticed wherein over the years since the 1980s action figures and cartoon heroes took on greater degrees of musculature and size resulting in almost freakishly large heroes as compared to their counterparts prior to the 1980s. Even dolls for girls took on greater degrees of overtly sexual characteristics with e mphasis being placed on looks, sexuality and fashion. Behavioral Development While most individuals merely categorized this as a changing trend which was a direct result of the shifting nature of popular culture it must be noted that such changes had a distinct impact on the mannerisms, attitudes and manner in which children believed they should act and mature into. Studies examining the resulting developmental characteristics of children who grew up prior to the overly muscular and sexual trend of the 1980s showed nearly opposite developmental beliefs compared to children who grew up during and after the 1980s trend. It was noted that male children who grew up during and after the trend developed the notion that being overly muscular was normal and a state to develop into. It was a notion that was completely at odds with the idea of children who grew up prior to the trend who believed an average non-muscular physique was normal and what should be attained. This particular differenc e was also noted in female children who believed that the overtly sexual style and concentration on appearance, fashion and sexuality was what they needed to become in order to be considered normal as compared to the popular notions among children prior to the 1980s which showcased a vastly different and more conservative view on what was considered normal. Cultural Impact What must be understood is that the resulting cultural impact of the change in the depiction of toys and cartoon heroes into either overly muscular or overly sexual characters was noted as being one of the reasons behind the prevalence of various individual behavioral characteristics today such as the belief that looking muscular will make a person popular, that overly sexualized clothing is normal and that violence is a regular aspect of life. While it may be true that such characteristics do not define a majority of the population it is still prevalent in large percentages with various studies confirming that on e of the reasons behind their prevalence is their connection to the trend mentioned throughout this paper that began in the 1980s and continues to this day.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gender Roles Another aspect to take into consideration were the various methods in which gender roles were established at the time of the trend. It was noted that while various cartoons and toys for young girls did place an emphasis on sexuality with toys today possessing even greater levels than they did before, they also placed emphasis on various aspects related to female independence and the importance for girls to become independent from relying on men. Cartoons and action figures geared towards young boys on the other hand gave a more traditional version of gender roles wherein women were often portrayed as needing saving and being dependent on men resulting in the development of the early onset idea that women are inherently in need of and are dependent on the help of a man. These differing portrayals could be considered one of the reasons behind the apparent split in attitudes between men and women characterized during the early 1990s to the present wherein differing ideas existed between perceived responsibilities and gender roles as noted by various studies examining behavioral and thought characteristics of adolescents at the time.

Something to Remember You By

Something to Remember You A lock of hair might be fitting (albeit obsolete, overly sentimental, and just plain weird.) A wallet photo maybe? Awkward. So what could you possibly give an editor or agent at a conference to help them remember you or your project once they shuffle back into their office the following Monday? I’ll tell you: The author one sheet. I recently attended a writer’s conference in which I was scheduled to pitch my new novel. To better my odds, I researched book pitches, and discovered the one sheet – a single-paged marketing document, aka author one sheet or pitch sheet, which describes a person, project, or concept. Brilliant! When one considers how many book pitches an editor or agent has endured, or how many queries and manuscripts they have likely slogged through in their career, the odds of an author or book standing out – being remembered – are not great. Anything you can get into an agent’s hands to take back with them from a conference will help, other than handing them your complete manuscript, of course. You’d never bring a manuscript to a conference, right? Everything you’ve ever read and heard has stated unequivocally not to. (Admit it – you brought it anyway.) Some one sheets are more elaborate, including word count, genre, endorsements, and agent name and contact info – designed more for promoting already-published works. Or you could opt for one more basic, including only information that one would find on a back cover of a novel. I chose the latter, since I was seeking publication. At the very least, your one sheet should include: Book title Logline/hook – One sentence that describes the concept of your book, and gets their attention. (My entire novel was easier to write.) Blurb – Short 3-4 sentence paragraph that describes your book and defines genre/audience. Who is the protagonist, what do they want, what’s in their way, and most of all, what makes your story unique? Think â€Å"back cover.† Author

Introduction to business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Introduction to business - Essay Example The expansion and diversification of consumer market with time has established the need for employing a diversified workforce that can satisfy the diversified demand of today’s consumer. The world’s demography is changing constantly, now no country is a complete blend of one race and ethnicity. Due to increased migrations, the minorities are increasing in world developing countries. With all of these changes, it has become important for countries to have a diverse workforce that represents all aspect of the society; this representation projects a better image of the organization in the society. A major advantage of an organization attempting to acquire diverse workforce is that it have access to a large pool of candidates by which it can hire the best possible person for the job. An organization that places importance on skills and talent over characteristics like age, gender, race etc is able to achieve competitive advantage over other organizations. Another advantage of diverse workforce besides projection of better image is that it helps diversified consumer to believe that they share common grounds with the company and it helps to increase their trust in the organization. Furthermore, employees with different perspective can provide the organization with different and varied objectives helping to identify unmet needs and new opportunities. Recruitment of a diversified workforce and creating a welcoming environment for these employees helps to increase motivation and commitment of employees towards the organization. This is because these employees feel valued. Recognition and acceptance of an employee’s unique perspective helps to create a comprehensive work environment, which is very beneficial for the organization. It is evident from the above discussion that the benefits of a diversified workforce far out-weigh the cost of it. It is an essential utensil for

Report on the Financial State of Affairs of Central Pool and Taff View Assignment

Report on the Financial State of Affairs of Central Pool and Taff View Pool - Assignment Example The important factor for consideration both in the case of Central Pool as well as Taff View is that there seems to be an immediate need for the sales to be enhanced since there is gross underutilization of the operating assets. This is evidenced by the Ratios of Operating Profit to Operating assets and the Sales to Operating assets. As against the ratio of operating assets to operating profit of 21% in the case of Field Park it is 1.55% and 4.60% for Central Pool and Taff View respectively. These ratios are very low. Similarly, the ratio of sales to operating assets is only 1.10%... We can review this report together once you have gone through the basics. We can take up from there for the implementation of any suitable plan of action for the overall financial improvement of the units concerned. The important factor for consideration both in the case of Central Pool as well as Taff View is that there seems to be an immediate need for the sales to be enhanced since there is gross underutilization of the operating assets. This is evidenced by the Ratios of Operating Profit to Operating assets and the Sales to Operating assets. As against the ratio of operating assets to operating profit of 21% in the case of Field Park it is 1.55% and 4.60% for Central Pool and Taff View respectively. These ratios are very low. Similarly, the ratio of sales to operating assets is only 1.10% for Central Pool and 1.34% for Taff View, whereas the same ratio for Field Park is 2.80%. Comparatively the ratios for Central Pool and Taff View are poor. Similarly, the profitability of both Taff View and Central Pool is well below the comparative profitability of Field Park. This is quite obviously exhibited by the operating profit to sales ratio of both facilities. The operating profit to sales ratios stands at 1.41% for Central Pool and 3.44% for Taff View. These are very low as compared to the ratio of 7.60% for Field Park signifying the profitability of both the facilities is not up to the mark.  

Construction Project Cost Estimation Factors

Construction Project Cost Estimation Factors Construction project estimations are priced using a bill of quantities this is a detailed description of the items needed to finish the product and their costs. The first and foremost purpose of estimating is basically to set a budget for contract work. This budget is to be kept all the way through the project and is a guess of what the project on a whole will cost it should not be breached or the project is considered a failure and usually results in a loss of money. Another reason that an estimate is given is so that the contractor can obtain competitive prices from a range of companies to do the work that is needed say for instance if one company gave an estimate way lower than another competing company then obviously the contractor is going to pick the company with the lowest estimate (however the standard of materials and work comes into this also); this is how negotiations work. An estimate is given so that the company or contractor can see weather a profit can be made from the job and in construction profit is everything. If you are not going to make a profit on the job in hand there is no point taking it on. In order to prepare a detailed estimate the estimator must have with him the following data: Plans, sections and other relevant details of the work. Specifications indicating the exact nature and class of materials to be used. The rates at which the different items of work are carried out. To enable an estimator to take out the quantities accurately, the drawings must themselves be clear, true to the fact and scale, complete, and fully dimensioned. The estimator has also to bear in mind certain principles of taking out quantities. When creating the estimate the estimator must separate the costs into different sections. There are preliminary costs, net costs and gross costs Preliminary Cost The preliminary part of a bill of quantities is the section that provides a description of the project, the contractors general facilities and setup and running costs. If work is disrupted for reasons out of the contractors control, recurring costs are often used to calculate compensation for the extension on the contract period. Plant, Tools and Vehicles are included in the preliminary stage of the bill of quantities. The contractor will include the cost of buying or maintaining machinery, tools and vehicles in the preliminary section of an estimate or a bill of quantities. Also the cost of erecting, inspecting and maintaining scaffolding for a project is included in the preliminaries section. The cost will always depend on the surface area of the structure, the length of time the scaffolding is erect and the type of building that is being built. Part of the assessment of a contractors site costs will include the non-productive staff required to administer a site. This generally will include a site manager, an engineer, a store man, a safety officer and a general foreman. Site Services The preliminaries of a construction project include the costs of installing site toilets, changing rooms, offices, water and electricity, temporary roads and the installation of site security. Within a company gross profit is very important because it  shows how efficiently management uses labour and supplies in the production process. More specifically, it can be used to calculate gross profit margin. If we as a company are not making a gross profit then basically we dont have a company. This magnifies why an estimate is important because we know roughly how much we are going to make when we do a project. Therefore we must know how much we are going to spend so we can look at the correlation of the two figures and see weather the project is worth doing. Net Costs The net cost is the cost of all of the basic things you need on site to complete the job in hand. This includes labour; the wages for all of the staff and the facilities they use including food, shelter and first aid. Also all of the equipment they use. The cost of plant material also ties in with the net cost but this will all depend on the type of job you are doing; say you are building a high rise building with several floors then a large crane will be needed this obviously costs a lot of money to hire out by the hour meaning that a large sum will be added onto the estimate in comparison to building a smaller building that will need smaller less expensive plant. Materials also come into the estimation of the net cost. The materials need to be well thought out before the project begins. They must be effective for there cause and there cost. When doing an estimation the estimator must find competitive rates for materials that are to the buyers specification. The cost of these will a ll be added to the estimation. Gross Profit The definition of gross profit is: Calculated as sales minus all costs directly related to those sales. These costs can include manufacturing expenses, raw materials, labour, selling, marketing and other expenses. Within a company gross profit is very important because it  shows how efficiently management uses labour and supplies in the production process. More specifically, it can be used to calculate gross profit margin. If we as a company are not making a gross profit then basically we dont have a company. This magnifies why an estimate is important because we know roughly how much we are going to make when we do a project. Therefore we must know how much we are going to spend so we can look at the correlation of the two figures and see weather the project is worth doing. Overheads are also included into the estimation. These are costs that cannot be controlled such as water gas and electric bills. These are hard to calculate as we never know how much there going to cost. Rent is also a good example. Single rate estimation This method of estimation is used usually by national bodies such as schools and hostpitals for measuring and estimating the cost of large floor areas. It is a usefull way of estimation when a quick cost range is needed in the early stages of design. However it is very difficult to change costs to fit different projects in different locations. So say you know it costs  £1000 to floor 1 room of a hotel and you have a budget of  £50000 then you know you can build 50 rooms that are all the same. Also when you have a set design for these types of buildings such as Holiday Inns do you know it will always be the same where ever you are Other types of buildings that this type of estimating is useful for are factory units, hotels, hostels, houses that are all the same deign and retail buildings. The floor area method is given in m ² the reason why this method is so popular is because of how simple it is. Plus most contractors know the way in which it works and are very used to the idea. It takes previous buildings that have been designed that are similar to give designers and builders a guideline on how to construct other buildings that are the same. P4 Identify and explain those factors that affect the percentage profit margins, those that affect the output of labour and those that affect the hourly/idle rates for a variety of plant items. Labour Rates There are calculations that have to be made when undergoing a project to establish a rate that the estimator can use to price the tender works which recovers all the costs involved in employing labour directly. The reason this is done is if you had employed a worker on site for  £12.00 an hour is that all you will be paying him, obviously not; there are more things that need to be included and taken into account when calculating that costs of labour. The basic rate of pay has to be agreed with both company and worker; this includes any holiday pay or sick pay that will be taken due to entitlement. Workers will still be paid for these days. Weather can restrict when workers can do the work meaning they may not get paid for some hours of the day or even the whole day. Also the employers national insurance contribution needs to be made as well as payments to the CITB (construction Industry Training Board). And, finally any bonuses that are given to the worker as extra incentives. To calculate the cost of labour per hour we must take all of the above into consideration however, one more piece of information is required, this is the output rates for labour. How fast can a brick layer lay bricks? If your paying a man by the hour, how long will it take for him to finish the job. The idea behind this calculation is to really see if its worth hiring in to do the job because obviously some workers are better than others. If you can establish the the output rate of labour, then you can calculate the cost of labour per unit of brickwork(for example). This can be applied to the tender prices. Output rates can be estimated in one of two ways. Carrying out work studies where bricklayers are timed to see how many bricks they can lay in an hour. Or using output tables from work done in the past can provide information on how long work took or on unit output rates. Plant Expenses Plant in construction can be very expensive to hire and own and even operate. It is the estimators job to be able to give a guide on how much it will cost for plant on any specific job. There are two ways of providing plant for construction sites. These are if the company decide to purchase the plant (this means they must operate and service it) or hire in the plant externally or internally. Operating costs are those that are time related. If the plant was owned by a company the calculation and estimation of how much the operating costs would be would include the amount of fuel used. This would have to be done using a consumption rate of the plant. Also any repairs on punctures etc. These will occur rarely and at random and are added in to recover costs. Also operating costs must be considered. The umber of hours that it is operating will obviously cost more in energy and make for more breakages. When hiring plant there more aspects required to take a note of there are deliver costs to think about. If your site is in the city it may be hard to get it to your site so alternative methods of transport are used but usually low loaders and tractors are used nevertheless all of these methods cost money. Erection costs are also something to think about, if it is a crane that you need then this is going to take time to erect, and time equals money not to mention the labour involved. Also when everything is finished removal costs come into place and these need to be noted and change the percentage profit in the long run The worst thing that can happen to a site manger is when he has expensive plant lying around and not doing anything; this wastes a lot of money, mainly through rental costs. The rate of rental costs per hour is very expensive as we know. The unit rate of calculation for an item of plant will depend on a number of things. The ground conditions are important, weather there are trained operators. If not then hiring someone new or investing in training is needed (training would be needed for at least 2 people to account for the absent). The dimensions of the height and reach of the plant material is also accounted for. The higher and longer the plant is the more it costs for example a crane costs more than a small digger. Finally the reliably plays an important role in how much plant costs. If you are hiring or buying brand new plant machinery then its obviously going to cost more. All of these things take off and put on percentage to the overall percentage profit. M3 Overheads and On Costs Overhead is business term that refers to fixed costs that a business incurs so that production is continued. Overheads can be cut if limits to production are made, or if production is halted completely, although some overheads are incurred whether there is and production or not. Overhead expenses are all costs on the  income statement  except for direct labor, direct materials direct expenses. Overhead expenses include accounting fees, advertising, depreciation, insurance, interest, legal fees, rent, repairs, supplies, taxes, telephone bills, travel and utilities costs. In construction the overheads of a company are the costs that must be met in order to be able to run the head office. These are things such as; departmental costs (buying the department) and insurances, also paying for company cars and basic IT equipment. They are basically costs you cant control such as wages, electricity, gas or office rent, usually you will have to recover them because they include admin. Most medium sized construction organisations recover the cost of these each year spread over the turnover of the project; this can be added as a percentage addition but may vary according to your turnover. Just the same as any other aspect of construction work this has to be added into the estimation at the start of a job and must be met from somewhere. So a percentage is used to signify the cost of these necessities. The calculation involved takes the total value of the companys overheads per year and then the turnover and divide them two totals and finally times the number by 100%. This will give us the percentage to add to tender. This percentage will always be applied to future estimates unless the turnover drops. There are a few other ways that the overheads can be set up so that the value is always known. By not including them, but using an increased profit margin to cover their costs will reconcile the overheads. But, for larger and more well-known companies working on larger projects we can move the head office into small cabins that are positioned on the site this allows us to recover the costs of overheads through the preliminaries. The turnover that comes from a company will rise and fall from year to year. It goes without saying that the risks you take and the work efficiency of your company will change all the time. No year will ever be the same as the last one; it can be similar in terms of jobs and projects and contract pricing but will usually never be the same. Risks that we take are a massive factor to the turnover. Some risks are worth it and some go wrong, thats the risk we take to get more money. As a leader of a company we have to make the right decisions when risking and always be level headed and think everything through so that in the end we make money. Work efficiency also plays a massive part in annual turnovers. Being efficient can save money and make more of a difference to your profit margins than you may think. Lastly when pricing is competitive with in the industry this takes affect. As a company you may need to lower your prices to be able to sign a deal. If you dont then you wont get a de al and you wont get work done, meaning you wont make money. When the turnover of a company drops, you loose not only profit but you loose money on overheads as well this is because the turnover will drop with proportion with the percentage. However, on the other hand if the turnover rises this can create money to compensate for overheads as mentioned earlier. In the preliminaries there are fixed and time related changes that must be considered. In SMM7 we see that these two types of charges are identified separately. A fixed charge is the cost of the work that is independent on duration and a time related charge is the cost that is dependant on others over duration.

Principles Of Communication In An Adult Social Care Setting

Describe two ways how effective communication can affect relationships in an adult social care setting between individuals using the service, their carers, colleagues and other practitioners. By having effective communication within a service you can encourage active participation from the service users, carers, colleagues and anyone else using the service. If effective communication is used, you are able to promote empathy and reach a shared understanding.Identify three ways of finding out the communication and language needs of an individual Asking the individual – You would be immediately be able to establish their most effective way of communicating. By observing the individual – You would be able to visually see if they need any aid to communicate Asking friends and family – They will be able to inform you of the most effective way to communicate and the most preferred by the individual Looking at the individuals care plan – You would be immediately i nformed off the preferred method of communication and the way in which is best to communicate with the individualDescribe three factors to consider when promoting effective communication There are many different factors that need to be considered when using effective communication. You need to establish whether the person needs any aids to assist them when communicating. Once you have established this, you need to find the best possible way to communicate with them. The way in which you approach that person, does your body language need to be considered or your tone of voice? This could be so you make the person feel as comfortable as possible to ensure you they are reading your body language correctly.The environment may need to be adjusted, for example , loud noises or flashing lights could distract the person ,which could lead to ineffective communication. AV – Describe three verbal and three no verbal communication methods and styles that a social care worker may use in a n adult social care setting. Verbal – Vocabulary, knowing what vocabulary to use and not to use needs to be remembered as the person you are speaking to may not understand. Verbal – The tone of your voice is very important as the individual could misinterpret what you are trying to say.Verbal – You need to ensure you are both speaking in the right language. Non Verbal – The use of written words is beneficial to communicate with someone who is deaf or someone who is unable to talk. Non Verbal – The use of body language is important as this can be misinterpreted by other people. Non Verbal – Eye contact is important as it can reassure the other person that you are listening to them. Avi – Explain why it is important to respond to an individual’s reactions during communication When you are communicating with someone it is important that you respond the correct way using different methods.This can reassure the individual that you u nderstand them and can show that you are showing empathy. If you did not show any response to that individual, it could lead them to becoming frustrated or distressed as they may feel you do not understand them and they are enable to convey what they are trying to say. They may feel they cannot communicate with you which could lead to lack of confidence with in you. Avii – Explain how an individual’s background can influence the way they communicate. The individual that you are communicating with may only speak their native language.Gestures that they use may be different. They may respond to touching for example holding someone’s hand of hugging. The tone of voice that is used may be different to what they are used to. Aviii – Identify three examples of barriers to communicate and explain how you could over come each barrier. A Noisy environment, which could distress the individual. – The environment should be adjusted accordingly prior to your me eting with the individual. Communication Aids, if not used to could prevent communication – You need to check which communication aids are needed.You need to check whether they are working, does the individual need a medical review, is that the correct aid for that person. Not allowing enough time to listen, this could stop the individual being able to communicate their needs – Finding time to listen to the individual , if they take a while to communicate , ensure you have freed up enough time, ensure you are being patient and are aware. Aix Describe two strategies you could use to clarify misunderstandings. Once you have communicated with an individual you could respond with a summarisation to clarify that you have understood.If you have not this could allow the person to correct you. If you are ensure of what someone has tried to communicate with you, you could seek clarification from another person involved with the individual. Ax A social care worker wants to enabl e more effective communication with individual’s using the service. Explain how they could access extra support or services that may be helpful. You could seek extra support from the individual’s family and friends, they may be able to help with information on the preferred method of communication and why they like using this to help you understand.Support could include attending GP appointments with that person regarding their communication needs. Speaking to their social worker who may be able to help with background information. Attending support groups to see how the individual communicates with other people. Speech and language services may be of help to educate you with different techniques and methods of communication. Translation services may help if you do not speak the individual’s language. Task B Bi How would you explain the term confidentiality to Hannah?I would explain to Hannah that confidentiality is that Hannah’s information should be tre ated confidently at respectively at all times. That Hannah’s confidential information can be shared when it is needed to ensure effective care is delivered. Also, that Hannah has the right to object to her confidential information being shared and this will be respected. Before any information has been shared to anyone involved within her care, this would have been explained and she would have needed to agree to her information being shared to benefit her health.There may be times when there are other obligations and duties that outweigh the obligations to confidently. This would purely be for the benefit of Hannah’s care. To reassure Hannah, I would explain that all staff have to follow policies and procedures on a daily basis ,to ensure confidently rules are followed and her information is treated with respect. Bii – Describe the possible tensions that may arise between telling others of Hannah’s decision and keeping this information totally confidently . Confidently could be breached as the wrong person could receive confidential information.Hannah could feel that her personal information is not being respected. There could be safeguarding issues as Hannah’s health could be affected. Biii – Describe ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication. When discussing an individual it is important that there are not people present who should not be. When passing on information it is vital that you check the identity of the person who is receiving the information. Always keeping written records safe and do not leave files lying around for other people to access.When having private conversations always ensure you have privacy. Do not discuss person information outside of work. Biv – Explain when and how a social care worker should get advice about confidentiality. If you are unsure if you are passing on confidential information to the right people or need some clarification, you could refer to you confid entiality policy within your workplace for information and guidance. If you felt that you or someone else has breach confidentiality within your workplace you could seek help and advice from your line manager.

Rationality And Sentimentalism Wives Heroic And Pitiful...

Rationality and Sentimentalism: Wives Heroic and Pitiful In spite of the fact that neither Penelope nor Jocasta is the protagonist in the two great works Odyssey and Oedipus, the two characters both play important roles in driving the plots ahead, significantly contributing to the completely different fates of their husbands, Odysseus and Oedipus. Jocasta is a typical representative of the group of women who are passive and dependent. She inevitably falls victim to the male world, in that she fades into the background of the play and is marginalized under the masculine value system. Penelope, on the contrary, is a model of the active and dynamic female image. She is intelligent and courageous enough to act on her own free will and to display her talents at the center of the male stage. Instead of complying to the given adversity, she withstands the pressure of public opinions and takes initiative to convert her unfavorable situation. Consequently, the successful return of Odysseus and the miserable banishment of Oedipus are not unpredictab le under these circumstances. The sharply contradictory decisions of Penelope and Jocasta illustrate evidently the remarkable influences the wives have on their husbands’ destinies. Penelope, as the wife of Odysseus, symbolizes the sweet and warm home that wanderer Odysseus yearns to return and also the irreplaceable history and memories of Odysseus. Hence, the actions that Penelope takes should be considered a significant component of