Gender, Culture and the Media Essay

Media, in the context required, is a term used to define an interactive transmission that is visualized and then especially designed to reach a large audience, for e. g. a whole nation. These audiences, however, are very different from one another, depending on their culture and gender identities. The variance in culture and sexual identities, have an obvious impact on media which is why there is a dire need for exploring the relationship between the two. The most important tool in exploring and understanding the relationship between media and culture is communication. This is because communication plays a very effective role in the manner through which interaction is carried out with the masses (Gaunlett, 2002). For this purpose, extreme emphasis is given to the cultural differences that may occur. Such is the case of international campaigns or chains of restaurants; whenever they want to promote any product, they have to consider the differences, and keeping these differences in mind, they alter their product accordingly for e. g. , McDonalds in India, do not usually serve their people beef burgers as cow is sacred to them. Likewise, Indian people can relate more to it than others who are just viewing this product on an Indian channel. On this note, I would like to add that it is also a TV channel’s responsibility to be aware of the ethics with regard to culture. Although, media is known to show us situation and relationships from other people’s point-of-view, the impact is originated from a certain culture or social class, for that matter. However, it has been changing from time to time with the global development. So, we can say that the relationship between media and gender today, is different from how it was years ago. The reason is because people’s thought have changed in the passing years, the role models have changed and the attitudes of people have changed, which without doubt influences media. It is for these contemporary audiences that the media has to alter whatever it promotes, in the manner that is much acceptable to them. The rest is mere perception on the audience’s part. Talking about the perception of various people and how they interact with things like talk shows, MTV, the Internet, soap operas, television sitcoms, dramatic series etc. , it is very likely to notice that the people interact with the media on the basis of their culture and gender identities (Dines, 2008). An example is that of Lorillard’s Newport cigarettes, introduced in 1957, which after its struggle period in the early stages of introduction, became very popular with the African American crowd. Another comment on the same example is that Newport cigarettes contain menthol, which is supposed to be associated with women mostly. Relating this with media, the advertisements for this brand also focused on African American people in the beginning, as they had identified them as their target market. With the change in society and changing views of people, Newport gained its market recognition and broadened their target market and today it owns a most coveted place in the tobacco industry. In the society that we live in today, people dedicate a lot of time to television, magazines, surfing the net, and other publications. As a result, it is very inevitable to say that they come across culture and advertising almost everyday. Among these people, a large segment belongs to the younger generation, who are particularly sensitive and relatively effected much easily by the same. Childhood culture is an inter-textual universe which connects TV programs to movies, videogames, toys, T-shirts, shoes, games, crayons, coloring books, bed linens and towels, pencil cases, lunch boxes etc. This is where the impact part comes into play, which media has on children and that which the children have on the media (Geertz, 1977). One of the greatest impacts of the above stated example on media is that when a television program (for kids) is produced, a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. Not too much violence, abusive language or false imagery should be used. As far as sexual identity is concerned, men and women have different views, likes and dislikes, regarding different things. Women are more likely to read magazines like Gourmet, Culinary Trends, Bon Appetite, Food and Wine etc. Lately, men have also developed a similar trend in reading magazines but there choices are those like Extreme Sports, Chicago Sports, and Sports Illustration etc. Another aspect is that of men leading the global scene. When it comes to voiceovers, men dominate, regardless of the product. Men continue to work in their late ages on screen whereas women tend to disappear in their late thirties. Facial lines and grey hair are considered to be signs of maturity in males, while the same would pronounce females ‘old’ and not fit for TV (Buikema, 2009). On the other hand, it is also reported to have said that with the developing sense of equality with regard to sexes, the Times magazine cover wondered if feminism was dead in June 1998. To sum up, the media shows us situations and relationships from other people’s point-of-view and we begin to think that we can now see ‘how the world works’, in lives other than our own. Soap-operas showing how neighbors, friends and lovers interact with each other are not behaviors that the media has created by itself. It is the likes of people that have affected media to follow the same. That too, varies from culture to culture. Some counties believe in open cultures while others observe closed culture where too much intimacy and involvement is not look upon as appropriate. People claim that the reference points for them are film and TV but actually it’s the way round- people, their cultures and genders influence upon the way they interact with the media. References: Buikema, R. , Tuin I. , (2008), â€Å"Doing Gender in Media, Art and Culture†. Routledge Dines G. , McMahon J. , (2008), â€Å"Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-reader†. Sage Publications Gauntlett D. , (2002), â€Å"Media, Gender, and Identity: An Introduction†. Routledge Geertz, C. (1977). The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books

How to Increase Your Chances for SSD Application Approval

How to Increase Your Chances for SSD Application Approval Top 5 Things You Need to Know to Increase Your Chances for SSD Application Approval Do you suffer from an injury or illness that prevents you from working like you did before or this injury keeps you from adjusting to a new line of work?Are you worried about your eligibility of qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits? If so, chances are you are not alone.The Social Security Administration (SSA) reports that:1-in-4  20-year-old workers in the U.S. will become disabled before reaching retirement age.1-in-5  Americans (56 million) live with some form of disability.1-in-10  Americans (38 million) suffer from a severe disability.Fortunately, you may be eligible to receive Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. These benefits may represent only a portion of the income you previously earned. However, they can still play a major role in helping you and your family to meet your monthly expenses.Click here to  See our infographic  Top 5 Things You Need to Know to increase your chances for SSD application approvalHow Do You Qualify for SSD Benefits?To be eligible for SSD benefits, you must meet the SSA’s work and medical requirements. Let’s look quickly at each one:Work requirement– You must have paid into the program through the taxes deducted from your earnings. Generally, this means that you must have earned: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At least 40 work credits. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With 20 of those credits earned in the 10 years before your disability arose.However, if you are a younger person, you may qualify with fewer work credits.Medical requirement– You must meet the SSA’s definition of â€Å"disabled.† This means that you suffer from a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity and o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 consecutive months or to result in death.In Michigan, your medical eligibility will be determined by a Disability Determination Services ( DDS) examiner in Detroit, Lansing, Traverse City or Kalamazoo.How Do You Apply for SSD Benefits in Michigan?You must prepare your application and submit it in one of three ways:Use the SSA’s online application form.Call the SSA at  (800) 772-1213  or (800) 325-0778 (TTY) and mail in your documentation.Go in person to your local SSA field office in Michigan.What Happens If Your Application for Benefits Is Denied?Many people experience the frustration of seeing their application for SSD benefits denied. If you find yourself in this situation, you can request a hearing at your nearest Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in Michigan.The good news: You have a  49.14 percent  chance of getting your application approved at the hearing level in Michigan.The bad news: In Michigan, on average, it takes  516 days  to process your case. The processing time includes waiting, on average,  17.2 months  for your hearing.Consider this chart, which shows informa tion for Michigan’s seven ODAR offices for the 2016 fiscal year:Sources: https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/01_NetStat_Report.html https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/05_Average_Processing_Time_Report.html https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.htmlYou can file an appeal with the Appeals Council if your application is denied after a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. If you are denied again, you can file a lawsuit in the nearest U.S. District Court.What Can You Do to Help Your Application Get Approved?If you believe that you qualify for SSD benefits, you should stay determined and keep fighting. However, each stage of an appeal can add significantly more time to your case.This is why you should do as much as possible to get your application approved at the initial stage. Here are five ways to improve your chances1. Establish That Your Income Does Not Exceed The SGA Threshold.To be considered â€Å"disabled,† you cannot earn monthly incom e above the â€Å"substantial gainful activity† (SGA) threshold. The SSA adjusts this threshold every year. In 2017, it is:$1,170per month for non-blind individuals$1,950per month for blind individuals.When you apply for benefits, provide accurate and up-to-date information about your income. To support your claim, you should provide documentation such as pay stubs and W2 forms.2. Provide Complete And Relevant Medical Information.Your application must establish that you suffer from a qualifying disability. For this reason, you need to provide complete and relevant medical information.You must provide medical records from an accepted medical source such as your treating doctor. These records could include:X-ray, MRI or CT scan resultsBlood and other test resultsTreatment plansPrescription information.These records need to establish the onset date of your disability. They should also show the nature and severity of your condition. Ultimately, these records should demonstrate ho w your condition limits your ability to work.Finally, provide the names and contact information for your regular doctor or any other physician who has diagnosed and treated your condition.All of this information will be helpful to the DDS examiner who reviews your application.3. Ask Your Doctor To Provide A Written Statement.The SSA gives significant weight to the opinion of your treating physician. It will help your application if you ask your doctor to provide DDS with his or her assessment of your â€Å"residual functional capacity† (RFC).Your doctor can describe your symptoms. The doctor can also discuss the likely course of your condition as you receive treatment . Most importantly, the doctor can give his or her professional view on whether you can meet the physical, mental, sensory, and other requirements of working.4. Cooperate With The DDS Examiner.Your goal should be to give the DDS examiner who reviews your case as much information as the examiner needs to make a d ecision on your claim.However, in some cases, an examiner may want more medical evidence and ask you to undergo a consultative examination. This is a physical or mental examination by an independent doctor. The SSA will pay for this examination.You should comply with this request in order to keep the review of your application moving forward.5. Stay On Top Of The Review.If you do not get a response after a long period of time, it may be a good idea to check on whether the DDS examiner needs any additional information. Additionally, you should make sure that you have provided your current contact information.Applying for SSD Benefits in Michigan? We Can HelpIf you are considering whether to apply for SSD benefits, or if you have already started the process and need help, contact us for a free case review. We serve clients throughout the state of Michigan. We can guide you through the process of applying for benefits and fight for you on appeal if your claim is denied.

Louis Sullivan essays

Louis Sullivan essays The Autobiography of an Idea was published 1924. Louis Sullivan wrote this autobiography as a way to let you know who he was and what he believed in. He felt that his life was dedicated in forming a new style of architecture that would set the United States apart from the European countries. He wanted to break away from the tradition styles that have been used for the last century and a half. This tribute shows you that architecture was his passion, and he wanted everyone to follow him. Louis Sullivan was born on September 3rd 1856 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father Patrick, and his mother Andrienne, had a rough way of life. They both made their way to America from different regions of Europe. Louis was raised by his parents until he was the age of five. He then was taken to his grandparents in a small town called South Reading. As he grew he found that he enjoyed to art of dancing and began to love natures beauty. Louiss father opened a summer school in Newburyport. Patrick had told Andrienne that her parents were too soft for their son, and they pampered him. His mother arrived to reclaim her son and also to visit with her parents. Soon after, both left for Newburyport by train. He later endured another move, the return to Boston. Here he would join another school that would help him with his creative mind. At the age of 9 Louis was enrolled in The New Rice Grammar School. He later entered the Boston English High School where he dropped out at the age of 16 to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After only one year he dropped out once again to move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to live with his grandparents. In Philadelphia, while living with his grandparents, he decided he would try to gain employment with Furness and Hewitt. He later had a disagreement with George Hewitt and moved to Chicago, Illinois with his parents. There he gained employment with William Jenney. ...

Ceramic Definition and Chemistry

Ceramic Definition and Chemistry The word ceramic comes from the Greek word keramikos, which means of pottery. While the earliest ceramics were pottery, the term encompasses a large group of materials, including some pure elements. A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid, generally based on an oxide, nitride, boride, or carbide, that is fired at a high temperature. Ceramics may be glazed prior to firing to produce a coating that reduces porosity and has a smooth, often colored surface. Many ceramics contain a mixture of ionic and covalent bonds between atoms. The resulting material may be crystalline, semi-crystalline, or vitreous. Amorphous materials with similar composition are generally termed glass. The four main types of ceramics are whitewares, structural ceramics, technical ceramics, and refractories. Whitewares include cookware, pottery, and wall tiles. Structural ceramics include bricks, pipes, roofing tiles, and floor tiles. Technical ceramics are also know as special, fine, advanced, or engineered ceramics. This class includes bearings, special tiles (e.g. spacecraft heat shielding), biomedical implants, ceramic brakes, nuclear fuels, ceramic engines,  and ceramic coatings. Refractories are ceramics used to make crucibles, line kilns, and radiate heat in gas fireplaces. How Ceramics Are Made Raw materials for ceramics include clay, kaolinate, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, and certain pure elements. The raw materials are combined with water to form a mix that can be shaped or molded. Ceramics are difficult to work after they are made, so usually they are shaped into their final desired forms. The form is allowed to dry and is fired in an oven called a kiln. The firing process supplies the energy to form new chemical bonds in the material (vitrification) and sometimes new minerals (e.g., mullite forms from kaolin in the firing of porcelain). Waterproof, decorative, or functional glazes may be added prior to the first firing or may require a subsequent firing (more common). The first firing of a ceramic yields a product called the bisque. The first firing burns off organics and other volatile impurities. The second (or third) firing may be called glazing. Examples and Uses  of Ceramics Pottery, bricks, tiles, earthenware, china, and porcelain are common examples of ceramics. These materials are well-known for use in building, crafting, and art. There are many other ceramic materials: In the past, glass was considered a ceramic, because its an inorganic solid that is fired and treated much like a ceramic. However, because glass is an amorphous solid, glass is usually considered to be a separate material. The ordered internal structure of ceramics plays a large role in their properties.Solid pure silicon and carbon may be considered to be ceramics. In a strict sense, a diamond could be called a ceramic.Silicon carbide and tungsten carbide are technical ceramics that have high abrasion resistance, making them useful for body armor, wear plates for mining, and machine components.Uranium oxide (UO2 is a ceramic used as a nuclear reactor fuel.Zirconia (zirconium dioxide) is used to make ceramic knife blades, gems, fuel cells, and oxygen sensors.Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a semiconductor.Boron oxide is used to make body armor.Bismuth strontium copper oxide and magnesium diboride (MgB2) are superconductors.Steatite (magnesium silicate) is used as an electrical insulator.Barium titanate is used to make heating elements, capacitors, transducers, and data storage elements. Ceramic artifacts are useful in archaeology and paleontology because their chemical composition can be used to identify their origin. This includes not only the composition of clay, but also that of the temper the materials added during production and drying. Properties of Ceramics Ceramics include such a wide variety of materials that its difficult to generalize their characteristics. Most ceramics exhibit the following properties: High hardnessUsually brittle, with poor toughnessHigh melting pointChemical resistancePoor electrical and thermal conductivityLow ductilityHigh modulus of elasticityHigh compression strengthOptical transparency to a variety of wavelengths Exceptions include superconducting and piezoelectric ceramics. Related Terms The science of the preparation and characterization of ceramics is called ceramography. Composite materials are made up of more than one class of material, which may include ceramics. Examples of composites include carbon fiber and fiberglass. A cermet is a type of composite material containing ceramic and metal. A glasss of glass-ceramics include glass stove tops and the glass composite used to bind nuclear waste for disposal.

Summer School Study Abroad Scholarship Application Essay

Summer School Study Abroad Scholarship Application - Essay Example I believe these courses would help me attain my ultimate career goal. All good packages come with costs, so is the case of YISS. I belong to a middle class family with income that just suffices living costs and does not contribute to savings. A referral to financial statement will support my stance. I will be able to bear my expenses to some extent, but I will also require financial assistance. This is the reason why I have applied for need based scholarship programme. I believe that an individual has a give and take relationship with the society. Contribution to society is paid back in the form of a better & safe community for the future generations. I respect the fact that YISS is offering need based scholarship and desire to benefit from it. But this does not end here, as a helping hand extended towards me today will encourage me to help others in future. It will also develop goodwill of Korean society on international

ISM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ISM - Essay Example â€Å"There are many ways to define Globalisation. Ruud Lubbets in his article â€Å"Globalisation and Sustainable Development† describes globalisation as â€Å"the phenomenon that the degree of global human interaction increases to such an extent that both its primary effects and the reactions it provokes, give rise to numerous new developments† ( Ali, Winter & May, 2007, p.1). Globalisation is the interaction between economies, technologies and politic A number of companies, increasingly, are looking forward towards breaking the cultural barriers to extend the businesses further in a global environment. This has increased the requirement of the employees to get accustomed to the foreign cultural settings. Apart from that International Marketing training demands a detailed program to make the employees aware of the various theories and practices in the arena of international marketing. The globalisation dreams have presented a new challenge for the firms including the challenge to develop competent managers, able to work in the new environments with more efficiency. With increasing numbers of mergers and acquisitions, the firms are also expected to bring in new employees with different origins, languages and national culture adding more complexities to the different organizational cultures. â€Å"The firms thus need to develop systems and processes not only to train managers for expatriate assignments but also to handle cultural diversity. This task can be achieved by well designed cross-cultural training programs which will help employees in coping up with the stress and cultural shock while dealing with a new culture† (Pande & Krishnan, n.d., p.2). In China, Telmarket would require a culture specific training to make its employees competent enough to deal with the customers with enough respect to Chinese culture and their business environments. After having a review on the respective reviews the following issues have been identified for the cross cultural training. The time factor in the training would require considering two factors including punctuality and relationship dimensions. Some cultures may take more comparatively more time for relationship building while this may not be at all acceptable in others. So, it is of utmost importance to consider Chinese business culture barriers related to time required to be taken care of. In China, there exists a linguistic barrier as Chinese people prefer their language in business contexts (METP, 2008). Adding to it, even the pronunciation is quite different in China, which is required to be taken care of. There are a number of evidences that failing to align the brand name in accordance to the Chinese language made the brands to fail in the Chinese market. So, Telmarket must consider this point with high significance and must train its employees on the linguistic factor. The training program would also include a detailed training regarding the business practices. The b usiness practices may differ in China as they encourage open discussion; although that is required to be done with enough respect to the seniority and old traditions. The training would also require introducing methods and programs to counter stress and to interpret the situations in a positive way. The employees would have to understand the situations on both from their own and from other perspectives. The way to express the

Brand Positioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Brand Positioning - Essay Example The Asian chocolate market is the driving sale and likely to hold about 20% of the market share of the global chocolate market in 2016 and sales of chocolate in the Asian market is likely to boost up share from $15billion to $19.7billion in 2016. US leads the chocolate market with a market share of 86.3% in North America, Japan has a market share of 39.7%, Europe with a market share of 16.4% and Germany accounts for 15.9% (Markets and Markets,† Markets and Markets: Global Chocolate Market worth $ 98.3 billion by 2016†). Five major brands chosen for the project in the chocolate industry includes Cadbury/Kraft, Mars, Nestle, Ferrero and Hershey. Cadbury/Kraft food generated total sales of $19,965 in 2011 and accounts for 15% of the market share in global chocolate industry; Mars generates sales of $16,200 and has a market share of 15% in 2011; Nestle sales stood at $12,808 with a marker share of 13%; Ferrero Group accounted for $9612 and market share of 7% and finally Hersh ey foods generated sales of $6112 with market share of 7% (ICCO, â€Å"The Chocolate Industry†). Selection of characteristics Brand positioning is based on certain characteristic depending on the product or the brands. The product chosen is chocolate and therefore four major characteristics of the product chosen are quality, taste, price and image of the brand. Quality forms an integral part and chocolate and quality goes hand in hand. In the chocolate industry ingredients like cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, fats, flavorings and emulsifier plays an essential role in the quality of the product. Quality of chocolate is dependent on the quality of raw materials (Chocolate Source, â€Å"What Makes a Good Quality Chocolate?†). Taste is another important factor in the positioning of the brand. Consumers tend to consume chocolate for taste. Dark chocolates are consumed only for its taste and all the brands take effective measure in order to produce and manufacture chocolates wit h good taste. Price although is not that important when it comes to brand and brand name but cannot be ruled out completely. The top chocolate brands prices their products almost at par which implies stiff competition in the chocolate industry. Therefore the four characteristic will help to determine the positioning of each of the brands in the chocolate industry. Group selection justification In order to analyze the positioning of the chocolate brands two set of groups are taken into considerations, the female consumers and the male consumers. The sample size of male and female consumers taken into consideration is above the age group of 18 years. The female consumers group usually loves chocolates and loves to consumer variety of chocolates. The other set which are the male group will help to determine the reason behind the consumption of chocolate and the most preferred brand by the consumers. The female group of consumers will help to provide feedback regarding innovation, packa ging, taste and other added feature required by a brand. Both the groups play an essential role in developing the brand name and image of the product and are core of any product. The males are taken into consideration to overrule the existing believe that chocolates are consumed and loved by females to a very high extend. The male segment of the society also prefers chocolate and to determine