Incidences of Sexual Harassment: Cases from Nortern Cyprus

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Sexual harassment is not a new phenomenon. It has probably existed as long as both sexes have been in existence. Sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. It includes a variety of behaviors, including mild transgressions and annoyances to serious abuses, which also involves forced sexual activity (Boland, 2002). Males as harassers and females as victims are the most common types of sexual harassment (O’Donohue et al, 1998). Research on sexual harassment usually falls into two categories: (1) investigating the dimensions of sexual harassment, and (2) investigating the factors that influence an individual’s perception of sexual harassment (Tata, 1993, cited in LaRocca, 1999). These factors include severity of the behavior, context in which the behavior occurs i. e. , power differentials, and incidental attributes of the persons involved i. e. , physical attractiveness. Rubin and Borges (cited in LaRocca, 1999) found that about 70 % of the women they surveyed reported some form of sexual harassment while attending classes at a university, and that majority of these sexual harassment incidents went unreported. Sexual harassment has been acknowledged to be a widespread and recurring problem in employment as well as educational settings (LaRocca, 1999). Sexual harassment in schools is recognized as a public health problem detrimental to students’ psychosomatic health (Gadin, 2002, cited in Witkowski, 2005). Awareness of harassment in an organization gives rise to psychological distress among individuals who have not been directly victimized (Schneider, 2001, cited in Witkowska, 2005). Studies have usually examined harassment and abuse in isolation rather than in the context of the total academic experience (Carr et al, 2006). Financial loss is a major consequence of sexual harassment to organizations (Worsfold and McCann, 2000), and it is more expensive to ignore the problem of sexual harassment than to provide training to the employees and employers, or students as the case may be. Sexual harassment has negative repercussions on the individual, the organization, and the community in general (O’Donohue, Downs, and Yeater, 1998). Headaches, backaches, nausea, weight loss or gain, sleep disturbance, neck pain, tiredness and psychological reactions, such as depression, anxiety, fear, anger, shame, guilt, helplessness, isolation, lowered self-esteem, lowered self-confidence, and nervousness are common for both working women and female college students who fall prey to sexual harassment (American Association of University Women, 2002). College students are known to have forfeited work, research, education comfort and even future career, due to sexual harassment (American Association of University Women, 2002). Thacker (1996), further states that formal education is an important factor in an individual’s career and personal development, and so stunting or obstructing a person’s educational accomplishment can have severe consequences. Formerly, sexual harassment has been seen largely as an instance of regular males’ sex pursuit of women in the workplace or classroom. However, researchers have begun to turn from studying sexual harassment as a problem between individuals, to a problem of organizational climate (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). Thus, this study hopes to shed light on the nature of the organizational climate of E. M. U. This is because studying the perception of students on their understanding of what construes sexual behavior will provide an avenue for E. M. U to create and implement sexual harassment policies that will provide a sexual harassment-free studying environment for students. It also creates a foundation for further research. Schools may be considered as workplaces for students, just as they are for adult employees (Witkowska and Menckel, 2005). The school is an arena for students’ first contact with working life, and a place where they spend a large proportion of their time. 1. 1 Rationale for the Study In the course of carrying out a study on the incidences of sexual harassment of trainees in the tourism and hospitality industry of North Cyprus, the researcher found out that there was no clear cut definition of what sexual harassment means to these students. It is essential that we reformulate our focus to identify what sexual harassment means for students of E. M. U. The study hopes to provide data and theoretical evidence on the context in which E. M. U students perceive sexual harassment. To be successful in today’s competitive organizational environment, it is important for the administration of Eastern Mediterranean University to realize the significance of a sexual harassment-free school environment. It is also important to understand how students feel about the issue. Without a clear-cut definition of what constitutes sexual harassment, it will be difficult for the university to identify and deal with it. Because of the increase in incidences of sexual harassment in higher learning institutions (American Association of University Women, 2006), the negative psychological effects it has on students, e. g. , anxiety, tension, irritability, depression, headaches, lower morale, and the costs of lawsuit settlements increasing all over the world, it is with a pro-active view that this research looks at the perspective of sexual harassment by students in E. MU. Previous studies have contended that the best way to reduce sexual harassment is through prevention (Newman, 2000, cited in Wanthanee et al, 2006). Most of the studies that have examined sexual harassment have been conducted in the United States and other Western countries, thus; the findings from these studies may not be applicable in North Cyprus, given the difference in values and culture between countries. Social-sexual behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment in some countries may be perceived as acceptable in another (Hardman and Heidelberg, 1996, cited in Limpaphayom et al, 2006). Organizations need to establish effective sexual harassment policies and procedures, interventions and training programs to combat the problem (Newman, 2000, cited in Witowska, 2005). However, without a commonly accepted, behavioral –based definition of what constitutes sexual harassment, the degree to which the problem exists cannot be accurately assessed, an understanding of complaints and reactions cannot be reached, and organizations cannot accurately address the problem through policies or training (Nielson, 1996). More research is needed in terms of the effect of gender difference on sexual harassment perceptions and reactions. Current literature based on the United States sample shows no clear consensus whether males and females agree on what behaviors constitute sexual harassment. Perceived gender difference on sexual harassment perceptions in other countries or cultures remain largely unexplored (Wanthanee et al, 2006). 1. 2 Aims of the Study Despite recent interest in sexual harassment in schools around the globe, research in North Cyprus and other European countries remains limited. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to investigate the perception of male and female students of E. M. U in North Cyprus on sexual harassment. Thereby, the study aims to examine whether the sexual harassment construct varies across two specific genders, comparing male and female samples as to what behaviors may be perceived as sexual harassment. The present study builds on previous exploratory studies on sexual harassment and attempts to add to the development of a commonly accepted, behavioral based definition of a hostile work or school environment by identifying specific behaviors perceived by students to create a hostile school environment. Therefore, the aims of this study are: 1. To identify specific sexual behaviors perceived by students as contributing to the creation of differing levels of a hostile work environment. 2. Identify how these perceptions vary across selected demographic factors. 3. Identify how these perceptions are formed. 4. Provide recommendations to E. M. U. concerning the development and implementation of sexual harassment policies and procedures. 1. 4 Scope Of The Study The study will discuss the definition, theories and effects of sexual harassment, with emphasis on perceived differences of male and female gender. It will also give details of the classifications and categories of sexual harassment, with in-depth review of past research on the topic. Further, the study will focus on students who are registered full time in E. M. U. Based on the findings of the study and previous research, results will be analyzed and concluded. 1. 5 Outline of the Thesis The thesis has four chapters will comprise of 5 Chapters. Chapter One gives a background of the entire study, outlining a brief background of the topic, and stating the aims and objectives of the study. It also states the rationale as to why the subject of sexual harassment was chosen for the study. Chapter Two presents a review of the literature. It discusses what previous researches have concluded about the definition, classification, effects and incidences of sexual harassment, placing emphasis on the perceived differences of males and females on sexual harassment. It will also give information about Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus, where the sample will be taken. Chapter Three gives detailed information about how the data set for the study are collected. Data for the study were collected through survey of the students, with questions asked based on the 5 categories of sexual harassment. Thus, the research will use quantitative methodology, using target sampling method to collect primary data. Chapter Four presents the findings. This section presents a detailed report on the perception of the respondents on the context of sexual harassment, supported by the researcher’s conclusions based on past literature and research. Respondents are categorized based on how they report their perceptions, experiences, and how they feel about it. Chapter Five presents a discussion of the findings, limitations faced in collecting data, and the conclusion. In this final chapter, suggestions are proffered to the University administration on how to educate students on issues and policies of sexual harassment. Finally, future research areas are proposed. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2. 1 Defining Sexual Harassment The definition of sexual harassment adopted by the European Commission in 1991 refers to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, or other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of women or men at work. This includes unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct (Witkowska, 2005). According to Dziech et al (1990), sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. It includes a variety of behaviors that include mild transgressions, serious abuses, and can involve forced sexual activity. EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) in the United States, defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting an individual, or where such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering unreasonably with the individual’s work performance, or creates an offensive, hostile or intimidating working environment. (US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1992, cited in Limpaphayom et al, 2006). One chief difficulty in defining sexual harassment is that people with different demographic and/or social backgrounds have different perceptions of what sexual harassment consists of (Foulis and McCabe, 1997, cited in Lin, 2004). Inconsistencies and disagreements on what actually constitutes a hostile working environment and the degree to which sexual harassment is present in the workplace may be the result of two important factors: first, sampling differences found in previous research, and second, lack of a commonly accepted, behavioral based definition of sexual harassment (Nielson, 1996). In November 1993, the Supreme court handed down a decision in Harris versus Forklift Systems Inc, that no longer required complainants to prove that a hostile or abusive environment caused them psychological injury- the complainant needed to simply show that the defendant’s behavior was either physically threatening or humiliating or unreasonably interfered with his or her work (Reynolds, 1994, cited in Nielson, 1996). Based on the above decision, it is clear that there is still no accepted definition of sexual harassment. Individual interpretation is inherent in the identification of a hostile work environment. Behavior that is considered harassing by one individual may not be harassment to someone else, and the reason for these differences in perceptions remain unclear. Sexual harassment seems to be in the eyes of the person being harassed, and it is left to the courts to decide what constitutes acceptable or unacceptable behavior. Although the researcher realizes that it is difficult to define the exact boundaries of sexual harassment, for the purpose of this study, sexual harassment is defined as unacceptable conduct of a sexual nature, or other conduct based on sex that interferes with a student’s right to a supportive, respectful and safe learning environment in school, or that affects a student’s dignity in a negative way. This definition includes both the quid pro quo and hostile work environment types of harassment listed by the European Commission, which captures a broad range of behaviors so as to better describe the nature of sexual harassment in school. Also, because schools are mainly educational institutions, it is necessary to evaluate standards of school behavior related to sexual harassment in a broader learning context than is the case for working adults. 2. 2 Theories of Sexual Harassment. 1. Sociobiology- This perspective argues that males are biologically programmed to be sexual aggressors and that sexual behavior in the workplace is an aspect of biological inheritance (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). Proponents of this theory agree that though sexual behavior in the workplace is inappropriate, it is however, unavoidable, and argue that acting in accordance with one’s biological impulses should not be considered offensive or illegal ( Murrey, 2000). 2. Patriarchy- This perspective holds that men have social, political and economic power over women, and women are defined by the system as sexual in nature (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). In some cultures, women are confined to the home as wives and mothers and female children are not formally educated. In other cultures (such as that of the researcher of the present survey, in Nigeria), women are not confined to the home, but, stereotypes about appropriate male and female behavior assign women a subordinate sexualized identity. Proponents of this theory believe that social structure must change before harassment can be eliminated. This can be done if both men and women are taught about the nature of stereotyping, and there are no links between power and sexuality (Barth and Raymon, 1995). 3. Culture- This perspective maintains that men and women are socialized into different cultures, different beliefs, values and ways of communication (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). Proponents here believe that traditionally, the workplace has been a male culture where men joke and tease each other, and talk about women in a not too respectful manner, so, women who want to enter this scene should not expect men to change their culture in a minute; however men must learn to work along with women in the workplace (Taylor, J. K, 1999). Another argument here is that, suggesting that comments about sex are more offensive to women than men is stereotyping and it is gender discrimination, so the culture of the workplace should be a culture of respect towards all persons. 4. Discourse-The discursive perspective holds that communication creates and shapes social reality, so that communicative practices create assumptions about the nature of the world, which influence our opinions and behavior (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. tml). This means that feelings and emotions are defined and taught so that people who harass and people who are harassed come to feel these behaviors are normal. Until recently, incidences of sexual harassment were not seen as inappropriate, but instead seen as normal in men’s conduct towards women (Wood, J, 1994). 2. 3 Classification of Sexual Harassment Hadjifotou (1983) classified sexual harassment into 5 categories: 1. Sexual remarks, jokes, catcalls, whistling and teasing, or pe rsonal remarks about parts of the body, particularly legs, breast and hair. These forms of harassment are the hardest to identify and tackle. 2. Suggestive look and gestures, staring and leering. Such unwanted behavior is threatening because there is no immediate escape at work. Ignoring this behavior carries the risk of the harasser increasing his actions; acknowledging the harasser’s interest may be taken as acceptance; and complaining may be difficult if the harasser has power over the woman’s job. For example, a lady narrated how her boss will stand with his hands in his pockets as if rubbing his genitals. (Farley, p. 116, cited in Hadjifotu, 1983). . Persistent demands for dates and sexual favors either from a supervisor or co-worker. Direct questions and comments of the sort cannot be easily ignored. Two scenarios may result from this: rejection or avoidance of the harasser may fuel the myth that women ‘like to play hard to get’, and/or it may be difficult to persuade the harasser that his attentions are unwanted. An example is given of a woman whose boss visited her at odd hours during her night shift, asking her to have an affair with him, a night out, an afternoon, or just half an hour. (Night Nurse p. 4, cited in Hadjifotou, 1983). 4. Touching, pinching, caressing and hugging. A familiar excuse for this type of behavior is that it demonstrates friendship, but when the action is unwanted and repeated, it cannot be mistaken for genuine concern for a person’s well-being. (Kitchen Helper, p. 67, cited in Hadjifotou, 1983. ) 5. Violent sexual assault, rape or attempted rape. Such cases account for a very small proportion of sexual harassment at work. Fitzgerald et al (1988), using Till’s (1980) study on sexual harassment of college women, identified how sexual harassment progresses. This study describes 5 categories of sexual harassment which are all similar to that of Hadjifotou (1983) above to describe the 5 levels of sexual harassment: 1 -gender harassment: generalized sexist remarks and behavior. 2 -seductive behavior: inappropriate and offensive, but essentially sanction-free, sexual advances. 3 -sexual bribery: solicitation of sex activity or other sex linked behavior by promise of rewards. 4 -sexual coercion: coercion of sex activity by threat of punishment. 5 -sexual assault: gross sexual imposition Fitzgerald et al (1988) believe that gender harassment is perceived as the east serious behavior of sexual harassment, while sexual assault is perceived as the most serious of all the behaviors of sexual harassment. This means that the 5 levels of sexual harassment that have been identified is on a 1 to 5 scale where 1 is equal to less severe and 5 is equal to most severe. However, it is believed that gender harassment often leads to eventual sexual assault. Pattinson (1991) states that though sexual harassment does not just involve having sexual intercourse, it is more often than not the prime motivation. 2. 4 Effects Of Sexual Harassment on University Students It is difficult to assess the actual extent of the effects of sexual harassment as a whole. Though many studies indicate the issue to be widespread and take a serious toll on the victim, critics say that many studies get response only from people who have experienced sexual harassment, and such experiences might be exaggerated (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). In schools however, many scholars complain that sexual harassment remains an unspoken secret, with teachers and administrators refusing to admit the problem exists in their schools, thereby, not accepting their legal and ethical responsibilities to deal with it. Dziech and Weiner, 1990). A 2002 study of students in the 8th to 11th grade, undertaken by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), revealed that 83% of girls have been sexually harassed and 28% of boys have been sexually harassed, by teachers and colleagues, (AAUW, 2002). Also in the association’s study, it was reported that 62% of fe male college students and 61% of male college students have been sexually harassed in their universities, with 80% of the reported harassments being peer-to-peer (AAUW, 2006). Headaches, backaches, nausea, weight loss or gain, sleep disturbance, neck pain, tiredness and psychological reactions, such as depression, anxiety, fear, anger, shame, guilt, helplessness, isolation, lowered self-esteem, lowered self-confidence, and nervousness are common for university students who fall prey to sexual harassment (AAUW, 2002). College students are known to have forfeited work, research, education comfort and even future career, due to sexual harassment (AAUW, 2002). Thacker, (1996) argues that formal education is an important factor in an individual’s career and personal development, and so stunting or obstructing a person’s educational accomplishment can have severe consequences. Further negative effects include lower morale, decreased job satisfaction, and poor time-keeping (Stanford and Gardiner, 1993). Previous researches have shown that over a period of time, even low level frequent sexual harassment can lead to significant negative consequences for student victims. (Schneider et al, 1997). According to Hadjifotou (1983), common effects on the college victims are: – Decreased work or school performance, and increased absenteeism. – Loss of job or career, which in turn leads to loss of income. – Having to drop courses, change academic plans. – Defamation of character and reputation. – Loss of reference and/or recommendations. In addition to the above, a survey of 903 female students conducted by Fitzgerald et al in 1988 (cited in Lin, 2006), at a University in the US Midwest, reported that victims of sexual harassment did not report their experiences because of 3 reasons: 1. They felt they might not be believed. 2. They did not want to cause trouble or be labeled as trouble makers. 3. They rather dealt with the problem themselves or, they had not perceived it as serious enough to be reported. 2. 5 Effects of Sexual Harassment on the Organization and the Community Sexual harassment is a widespread and continuing problem in workplaces and schools that cuts through occupational and professional categories, age groups, educational backgrounds, racial and ethnic groups and affects everybody (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). On October 6, 1991, Anita Hill, a University Law Professor, notified the United States Judiciary Commission that she had been repeatedly harassed by Judge Clarence Thomas, a Washington DC Circuit Judge nominated to sit on the US Supreme court by President Bush. This incidence, Anita reported, occurred a decade earlier when they both worked at the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Barton and Eichelberger, 1994). The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported a $1 million settlement of a class action lawsuit against Grace Culinary Systems, Inc. and Townsend Culinary, Inc. lleging egregious sexual harassment of 22 Hispanic women at a food processing plant in Laurel, Maryland. The suit charged the companies with routinely subjecting the female workers, all recent immigrants from Central America who spoke limited English, to unwanted groping and explicit requests for sexual favors by male managers and co-workers over several years (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment /generalinfo. html). The governor of Osaka was ordered to pay $ 107,000 to a university student in Japan's largest sexual harassment verdict, a ruling described as revolutionary in the size of the award and one that is expected to lead to more court cases. Japan has seen a growing number of lawsuits since a revised labor law prohibiting sexual harassment and sex discrimination took effect last April. In July, a court awarded $87,000 to a woman who said she was harassed and forced into a sexual relationship by a piano teacher while she was a university student (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). WR Grace & Co agreed to a $1 million settlement in a sexual harassment suit. Managers at a food processing facility in Maryland were charged by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the harassment of 22 female workers from Central America. The violations included the demanding of oral sex, touching of the women and exposing themselves to the women. According to commission officials, two pregnant women who refused the men's advances were fired (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). As is seen in the examples above, financial loss is a major consequence of sexual harassment to organizations (Worsfold and McCann, 2000), and it is more expensive to ignore the problem of sexual harassment than to provide training to the employees and employers. Government officials are not left out in the criticisms and lawsuits levied against them on sexual harassment matters. In a 1990 survey of employees of the US Defense Department (Barton and Eichelberger, 1994), 64 percent of the findings in the military reported that they had endured sexual harassment while in service. Also surveyed are the cases of at least a dozen Senior Naval Officers who had been reassigned or demoted over charges of them harassing female Officers at a Las Vegas convention in the summer of 1991 (Barton and Eichelberger, 1994). O’Donohue et al (1998), summarize some of the effects of sexual harassment on the organizations as follows: -Decreased productivity: when sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, the individuals involved will be psychologically affected and may not perform as well as they ought. -Increased absenteeism of staff: staff that experience sexual harassment behaviors in the workplace tend to make excuses for not showing up for work. Increased healthcare costs and sick pay costs: in organizations where sexual harassment behaviors are prevalent, staff will incur more healthcare and sick pay costs during post harassment treatment. -Decreased ethical standards and discipline in the organization: organizations that condone sexual harassment behaviors and do not do anything about it will find a decrease in their ethical standards and discipline because employees will act in anyway they like knowing there will be no consequences. This is also bad for victims as they will feel no one cares about their predicament. Legal costs if complainants take issue to court: when victims file lawsuits against organizations, costs are incurred in settling the complainants or paying for the services of attorneys. 2. 6 Effects of Sexual Harassment on the Individual Rubenstein (1992) identifies anxiety, tension, irritability, depression, headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue and deterioration of personal relationships as stress related consequences of sexual harassment. Further negative effects on the individual include lower morale, decreased job satisfaction, and poor time-keeping (Stanford and Gardiner, 1993). Previous researches have shown that over a period of time, even low level frequent sexual harassment can lead to significant negative consequences for the victim (Schneider et al, 1997). 2. 7 Gender Differences In Sexual Harassment Sensitivity Gender has been a dominant aspect of sexual harassment research and has been shown to be a predictor of sexual harassment sensitivity (Crow et al, 1995). Research by Crow et al also suggests that males and females, do, in fact, differ in sensitivity to harassment. Major differences were found in the reaction to harassment of a non-sexual nature where women were more likely than men to perceive a given incident as harassment. As human beings, we grow up to be aware of who we are through being exposed to particular interpretations of what it is to be human- in this case, either male or female, masculine or feminine (Linstead et al, 2005). Traditionally, sexual harassment sensitivity has been looked at in terms of social-sexual behaviors based on gender (Crow et al, 1995). The traditional view from research is that gender has a significant impact on sex-role behaviors and sexual behaviors. It has become apparent that men and women automatically have different orientations towards sexually-related behaviors, which in turn results in different perceptions to sexual harassment (Reilly et al, 1986, cited in Crow et al, 1995). Tangri et al in their 1982 study (cited in Lin, 2006), state that females are more sexually attractive and so are more socially disadvantaged than their male counterparts. Therefore, Lin (2006) argues that females are more vulnerable to harassment than the males. Males as harassers and females as victims is the most common type of sexual harassment (O’Donohue et al, 1998). Men seem to be more tolerant of sexual harassment than women and tend to rate hypothetical scenarios and specific social behaviors as less harassing than women (Gutek, 1985 cited in Crow et al, 1995). Women are assumed to resent sexual overtures at work and tend to react more negatively to sexual harassment scenarios than men. Gender differences occur because men and women weigh information about the victim and the harasser differently (Carr et al, 1999). Men tend to be more influenced by incidental behaviors of the victim. For example, Pryor and Day, in their 1988 research (cited in Carr et al, 1999), found that men were more influenced than women by the information of how the victim dressed, thereby, attributing more blame to the victim than the harasser. Researchers of past surveys have had difficulty in defining sexual harassment and have attempted to identify behaviors that constitute sexual harassment by respondents of their survey (Worsfold and McCann, 2000). However, the most commonly reported forms of sexual harassment are gender related derogatory remarks, suggestive looks, and sexual comments ( Stanford and Gardiner, 1983). CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 1. Introduction This chapter outlines the research method, research design, and the research sample. The research method gives detailed information about the type of research that was utilized for this study and gives reasons why it was used. It also gives information on the kind of data that will be collected and which sources will be used. The research design gives information on the survey instrument used for the study, explaining the questions and their source. The research sample provides the reader with the population used for this survey and the reason why it was used for this study. 2. Research Methodology This research is an inquiry into the perceived differences on sexual harassment between male and female students of EMU, examining the size of the gender difference within specific behavioral categories in an attempt to identify those behaviors that produce the largest difference and provide accurate information about the actual size of the gender difference. Thus, this study uses the quantitative approach to test the hypotheses. The aim for using this method is to determine whether the predictive generalizations of the hypotheses hold true. The researcher uses questionnaires to collect data, and remains objectively separated from the subject matter of the research. 3. Survey A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires were chosen for this research because this research involves a large sample, thereby making data entry and tabulation easier to analyze. Also, questionnaire surveys are familiar to most people, and generally do not make people apprehensive in answering questions. In addition, the researcher’s own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer questions in a certain manner, reducing bias, and also are less intrusive than telephone or face-to-face surveys, as the respondent is free to complete the questionnaire on his/her own time-table. 3. 1 Questionnaire Design This survey is designed to provide information distinguishing between reactions to both pervasiveness and severity of particular behaviors, as well as to provide information distinguishing between reactions to gender harassment, seductive behavior and sexual imposition. The questionnaire design used for this research was adopted from Nielson (1996). Nielson (1996) examined the perception of sexual harassment, focusing on the female office professional’s perspective. Self administered questionnaires will be given to respondents with assurance that data will only be used for this thesis research and not for any other purpose. The items of the survey instrument will be prepared in English and then translated into Turkish by using the back translation method. There will be a pilot study of students who will be given questionnaires to complete, so that the researcher could confirm if the questionnaire was well understood by the respondents. After confirming the questions were understood, the researcher will hand out the questionnaires to students in various classrooms after taking permission from the University administration. Questionnaires returned by the espondents will be analyzed using Windows SPSS 0. 8 and used according to the respective objectives and occasions. 300 questionnaires will be distributed. Demographic explanations for differing perceptions of sexual harassment will be tested based on the following research and proposed hypothesis. Based on the assumption that females are inclined to find social sexual behavior (dating and flirting) as more severe than boys, this study proposes that: H1- F emale students will perceive potentially harassing behavior as more severe than male students. Research found that men were more influenced than women by the information of how the victim dressed, thereby, attributing more blame to the victim than the harasser. Based on this information, the study proposes that: H2- male students will judge the victim more harshly than female students. Research shows that a person’s previous experience with regard to sexual harassment influences gender difference in perceptions of sexual harassment (Blakely et al, 1992, cited in Nielson, 1996). This means that if one has experienced sexual harassment behaviors, he/she will be more conscious and less tolerant of behavior considered as harassment. Based on this, this study proposes that: H3- students who respond to having been sexually harassed will perceive potentially harassing behavior as more severe than those who respond to not having been sexually harassed. Previous research shows that studies investigating sexual harassment has tended to exclude behaviors which are perceived to have a low potential to harass and have also provided respondents with limited responses. In attempting to deal with these issues, this survey utilized in this study is designed to measure students’ perceptions of a wide range of actual workplace behaviors which create varying levels of a hostile work environment. Within this variety of behaviors, both severity and frequency of the behavior will be manipulated. Therefore, the continuum to be used for this study is as follows: 1. Likely to consider it a compliment 2. Socially acceptable behavior 3. Annoying, but not likely to affect my studies 4. Disturbing to the point of affecting my studies, but no formal complaint 5. Basis for formal complaint, but not a lawsuit. 6. Basis for a lawsuit. The use of response options beyond formal complaint is to enhance the identification of behaviors that create a hostile work environment. Though such behaviors are typically not reported, they may have an adverse effect on the victim’s productivity, moral absenteeism and turnover. 3. 2 Survey Items. 1. Comment: â€Å"your hair looks nice† 2. Comment: â€Å"have you lost weight? † 3. Comment: â€Å" you have nice legs† 4. Comment: â€Å"your skirt is very short† 5. Comment: â€Å"your neckline is very low’ 6. Comment: â€Å"your clothes fit like a glove† . Comment: â€Å"you have an attractive build† 8. Opposite sex touches your hands 9. Opposite sex touches your arms/shoulder 10. Opposite sex asking for a date 11. Opposite sex touches your back 12. Opposite sex telling off-color jokes 13. Student forced into sex in school 14. Opposite sex asking for sexual f avors 15. Opposite sex touches your breasts 16. Hugs with caresses from opposite sex 17. Opposite sex touches your buttock 18. Opposite sex describing sexual abilities 19. Opposite sex staring, persistently 20. Observing peers having sex in the school environment 21. Peers discussing sexually related stories 22. magazines with pictures of people scantily clothed 23. Opposite sex touches your face 4. Research Sample The questionnaire survey will focus on students of E. M. U. in North Cyprus, who are registered as full time students. Purposive sampling is a sampling method in which elements are chosen based on purpose of the study. Purposive sampling may involve studying the entire population of some limited group (example, sociology faculty at Bilkent University) or a subset of a population (example, EMU faculty who has won a Nobel Prizes). As with other non-probability sampling methods, purposive sampling does not produce a sample that is representative of a larger population, but it can be exactly what is needed in some cases – study of organization, community, or some other clearly defined and relatively limited group. In this study, purposive sampling method was used, as the researcher decided to focus on students whose profiles are given above to get the specific information for the research. Table 3. 1 Questionnaire This questionnaire survey aims to investigate the perception of male and female students of EMU on sexual harassment. The researcher wishes to find out from you, whether the sexual harassment construct varies across two specific genders, comparing male and female samples as to what behaviors may be perceived as sexual harassment. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, be assured that whatever you say or write is strictly confidential and cannot be traced back to you, as you are not requested to write your name or any other personal information. Please answer the questions honestly and sincerely, as it is important for the output of this research. 1. What is your gender? a. Male b. Female 2. What age group are you? a. 16-20 b. 20-24 c. 25-28 3. What is your educational level at EMU? a. Year 1 b. Year 2 c. Year 3 d. Year 4 e. Graduate student. 4. What is your nationality? 5. For each of the scenarios depicted below, how would you rate such behavior? (In reference to the school environment). Kindly mark ‘X’ in boxes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 (as applicable to you). Where; 1= Likely to consider it a compliment. 2= Socially acceptable behavior. 3= Annoying, but not likely to affect my studies. = Disturbing to the point of affecting my studies, but no formal complaint 5= Basis for formal complaint, but not a lawsuit. 6= Basis for a lawsuit. 1 2 3 4 56 1. Comment: â€Å"your hair looks nice† 2. Comment: â€Å"have you lost weight? † 3. Comment: â€Å" you have nice legs† 4. comment: â€Å"your skirt is very short† 5. Comment: â€Å"your neckline is very low’ 6. Comment: â€Å"your clothes fit like a glove† 7. Comment: â€Å"you have an attractive build† 8. Opposite sex touches your hands 9. Opposite sex touches your arms/shoulders 10. Opposite sex asking for a date 11. Opposite sex touches your back 12. Opposite sex telling off-color jokes 13. Student forced into sex in school 14. Opposite sex asking for sexual favors 15. Opposite sex touches your breasts 16. Hugs with caresses from opposite sex 17. Opposite sex touches your buttocks 18. Opposite sex describes sexual abilities 19. Opposite sex staring, persistently 20. Observing peers having sex in the school environment 21. magazines with pictures of people scantily clothed 22. Peers discussing sexually related stories 23. Opposite sex touches your face 6. Please define what sexual harassment means to you——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————†”————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————â €”——————————————————————- Thank you very much for taking time out to help me in my research. For more information, or if you have problems filling out the questions, or if there’s anything you wish to talk about/discuss, please contact me: E-mail: [email  protected] com. Reference: AAUW (2002) â€Å"Hostile Hallways: Bullying, Teasing, and Sexual Harassment in School†, Research by Harris Interactive: American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, 11 11 Sixteenth street, Washington D. C. ISBN: 1-879922-28-2. AAUW (2006) â€Å"Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus†, National Conference for College Women Student Leaders’ Summit on Sexual harassment, American Association of University Women, Washington D. C. , 20036. Anderson, J and Poole, M. (1994), ‘Assignment & Thesis Writing', John Wiley and sons, New York. Pp24-30. Barth, A. J. , and Raymon, P. 1995), ‘The Naive misuse of power: Non-conscious Sources of Sexual Harassment, Journal of Social Issues, 51 (1) pp 85-95. Barton, L. , Eichelberger, J. (1994) Ã¢â‚¬Ë œSexual Harassment: Assessing the need for corporate policies in the workplace. Volume 7, Number 1, pp 24-28, MCB Press, 095 3-3230. Boland, M. L. (2002), Sexual harassment: Your Guide to Legal Action, Naperville, Illinois, Sphinx Publishing, 2002. Fitzgerald, L. F. , Shullman, S. L. , Bailey, N. , Richards, M. , Swecker, J. , Gold, Y. , Ormerod, M. , and Weitzman, J. (1988), ‘The Incidence and Dimensions of Sexual Harassment in Academia and the Workplace’, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 32, 152-175. Hadjifotiou, N. (1983), ‘Women and Harassment at Work’, Pluto Press Limited, Australia and London. Lin, Y. H. (2006), ‘The incidence of Sexual Harassment of students while undergoing practicum training experience in the Taiwanese hospitality industry: Individuals reaction and relationships to perpetrators’, Journal of Tourism Management, 27, 51-68. O’Donohue, W. , Downs, K. , and Yeater, E. A. (1998), â€Å"Sexual harassment: A review of the literature†, Aggression and Violent Behavior, 3 (2), 111-128. Pahlavan, N. (2006), ‘Investigation of sources of funds in Restaurants in T. R. N. C. ‘ Masters thesis, september 2006, gazimagusa, North Cyprus. pp30-44. Reyner, C. , Sheehan, M. and Barker, M. (1999), â€Å"Theoretical approaches to the study of Bullying at Work†, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 20, No. ? , pp11-15. Rubenstein, M. (1992), ‘Preventing and Remedying Sexual harassment at work: A Resource Manual, Eclipse, London. Schneider, K. T. , Swan, S. , and Fitzgerald, L. F. (1997), ‘Job related and Psychological effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Empirical Evidence from 2 Origins’, Journal of applied Psychology, Volume 82, Number 3, pp 401-410. Stanford, J. , and Gardiner, J. (1993), ‘Sexual Harassment: how it happens and how to beat it’, The Industrial Society, London. Taylor, J. K. 1999), ‘What to do when you don’t want to call the Cops’, New York: NY University books, p 8. Thacker, R. A. (1996), â€Å"A Descriptive Study of Situational and Individual Influences upon Individual’s Responses to Sexual Harassment†, Human Relations, 49 (8), 1105-1122. Thomas, M. (2005), â€Å"Bullying among support staff in a higher education institution†, Journal of Health Education, Vol. 105, No. 4. pp 273-288. Worsfold, P. , and McCann, C. (2000), â€Å"Supervised Work Experience and Sexual Harassment†, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Volume 12, Number 4, pp 249-255. Woods, J. (1994), ‘Saying it makes it so: The Discursive Construction of

Advertising does not affect me or other people, so they should always be allowed Essay

A husband comes home from work earlier than usual and finds his wife in bed. He finds it awkward so he thinks she is sick and then suddenly a phone with the same ring tone as his starts ringing. A naked man strangely comes out of the closet and answers his phone ignoring them and then goes back to the closet and of course the husband is shocked and frustrated with his wife. This is a funny TV commercial for Comviq company. But as hilarious, stupid and entertaining as it seems, it stills sends a message to the viewers about the Scandinavian mobile phone operator Comviq showing why they invented the silent mode on your cell phone. I disagree with the statement in that adverts have large impact on affecting the viewers in both positive and negative ways, therefore I am going to discuss why it should be allowed sometimes to and to some extent restricted. Ads are mainly known for promoting products, marketing goods and selling new products. Some advertising techniques used to promote commercial goods and services can be used to inform, educate and motivate the public about non-commercial issues, such as political ideology, energy conservation and others. Take for example Guinness, it is one of the most successful beer brands in the world, being exported worldwide. It has a long history of marketing campaigns from award winning television commercials to beer mats and posters. Some advertisements also promote â€Å"images† for companies for example most cigarette companies for example Marlboro Man has the message: â€Å"smoking cause lung cancer† written on its packet. Smirnoff a brand of Vodka also has advertisements informing viewers of the risk of drinking too much while driving. Both of these companies in a way are trying to show a positive side of them in showing that they care about the lives of their customers even though their products are more of a menace. Educating and entertaining viewers are also the affairs of adverts. Some adverts that are used to sell products for example condoms are used to motivate people to buy them by informing about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. While some ads’ main purpose is just to educate the viewers, for example opposing of selling of drugs to youth and informing why it is dangerous to their health. To capture the viewers’ attention the ads must be entertaining. Entertaining in the sense that they are funny, thrilling or captivating. These ads helps viewers a lot for example in spicing up their lives, daily conversations and humorous ones provides them with lots of laughs. Therefore helps us to fight stress. However there are times when ads should be banned for every good thing has a negative side of it. In the process of advertising some ads should be alert of who they are broadcasting to. They should be prudent to their gender, class, age and should also consider time, when the ads should be shot out. Personally I get irritated when I am watching the most fascinating part of the movie and commercial emerges on the screen or during meal times disgusting ads show up and you suddenly loose your appetite. Like I mentioned earlier the class of the viewers should also be reflected on in that some ads makes some unhappy wanting what they don’t have. This is especially the poor because of course the upper class will be happy with new products or fashion that they can afford. Some people may also be disheartened or depressed by some ads for example ads featuring beautiful or handsome models make many people who feel they are not good looking enough or beautiful bodied discouraged and they end up turning to dangerous things like drugs especially the youth for comfort. In spite of that some ads pollute our eyes and ears everywhere we go. They pollute our eyes in the sense that they show obscene pictures and videos in the course of advertising. People who have corrupted minds don’t really mind but some do especially parents who don’t want their children to be brought up in a â€Å"contaminated† manner. These ads don’t usually come a long way because some people are sued and therefore they end up getting banned from being broadcasted on t.v, internet, e.t.c. Commercials on radio may also end up getting banned especially when a lot of irritating vulgar language is used. Some ads let us realize that the world is full of lies and teaches us to be careful. Many people do watch and read ads but most of them do not believe them maybe because of an awful past experience. There are some cases when ads have been sued because of manipulating the viewers for example The Dr. James slimming pills, an American product was banned, the company was fined and the buyers of the product were refunded. Exaggeration is also another thing that is unpleasant to viewers because of the way it influences them especially small children who cannot judge lies and will only beg for things. They are simply brainwashed and end up disturbing their parents by crying and pleading for the things that they have just seen even whether they are manipulating or not. They might even try to do what their role models in the ads are doing which is very dangerous for example like dinking â€Å"red bull†, an energy drink which contains alcohol just to fly like superman. I must conclude that ads have much more positive than negative influences. Ads make many people’s life easier in that it reduces stress, entertains. They also help people with various different business firms to sell their products, market goods and also promote their organizations. However there are some special cases when ads should be careful for example who, when and why they are targeting. I belief that in this world, we cannot do without advertisements. It plays a major role in communicating between many different groups e.g a retailer and a consumer. For that reason I would call to action that instead of banning ads we should improve them by excluding exaggeration or manipulation, and vulgar language or obscene videos featuring in ads and all would be well.

Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Existentialism - Essay Example The actual life of the individual is what constitutes his or her â€Å"true essence† instead of there being a peremptorily ascribed essence used by others to define him or her. Hence, every human, through his or her own consciousness, creates his or her own value and determines a meaning to life. According to this philosophy, the source of our value can only be internal. This core view leads to several corollaries like- we have no predetermined nature or essence that controls what we are, what we do, or what is valuable for us, we are radically free to act independently without determination by outside influencers, we also create our values through these choices, we create our own human nature through these free choices, We 2 are thrown into existence first without a predetermined nature and it is only later that we construct our own nature or essence through our actions. In other words, it means, our Existence, through our act of free self creation, defines our Essence. The e xistentialist philosophy strongly suggests that the identity of any person cannot be found by examining what other people are like, but only in what that particular person has done. This implies that, we have no predetermined nature that controls what we are, or what we do. The key concepts that govern the theoretical philosophy of existentialism are Existence precedes Essence, Facticity, The Absurd, Authenticity, Angst, Despair and Opposition to Positivism and Rationalism. The theme of Existence precedes Essence which means that the most important consideration for any individual is the fact that he or she is an individual regardless of any label, role, stereotype, definition or any preconceived category the individual fits. The theme of facticity refers to the absolute realities attached to an individual like having a body and having committed certain actions independently. The theme of the absurd is the idea that there is nothing to the world beyond what meaning we see in it. The concept of Authenticity is the idea that one has to create one’s self and live according to the choices he or she makes. Angst or Anxiety, according to existential philosophy is the disposition of a person when he or she cannot live according to the choices made. Despair refers to the loss of hope when there is a dent in the Essence of an individual. 3 In summary, the philosophy of existentialism supports an individual’s free will, that an individual’s nature is defined through choices, that decisions are not without stress and consequences, that there are irrationalities in this universe, that personal responsibility and discipline is key, that society is unnatural while all social rules are arbitrary. The philosophy does not support the beliefs that wealth, honor and pleasure make a good life, social values and structure control the individual, accept the way it is, and that is sufficient in life, science is panacea for all travails, individuals are born good and are later ruined by society/environment as they age. The in-class example highlights the philosophy of existentialism from the point of view of two individuals. Here is one individual [â€Å"Existence†]. The essence that can be attributed to him is that he is a professor. He is a professor because he went through undergrad, grad and post-grad

SWOT Analysis for Possible Ventures. Airbus Joint Venture with Boeing Essay

SWOT Analysis for Possible Ventures. Airbus Joint Venture with Boeing - Essay Example It is evident from the study that in the joint venture, Airbus has strengths that would make it stand out from any possible competition and posed threats. Firstly Airbus has advanced technology in aircraft manufacturing as compared to Boeing, its technologies such as fly-by-wire, joy stick control and laser guided riveter would make Airbus to have a bigger share of the joint venture. Secondly, the manufacturing of Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT) would take place in Europe where the company has well-established markets. Although the company stands to benefit from the opportunities presented by the joint venture there are some threats that the company needs to consider. Competition with Boeing will make Airbus to cut its prices and this will affect its profit margins. From the venture, the company will be forced to expose its technology and manufacturing techniques to Boeing. In the joint venture, Boeing will have better opportunities than its rival company Airbus will. However, the two companies expect almost similar opportunities. Successful production and marketing of the VLCT will create deals that would increase the company’s capacity to market its other models. Due to the current condition of saturated airports and need for expansion there will be a ready demand for the proposed VLCT. Currently Boeing controls about 60% of the aircraft market and it hope to increase its niche from the venture. The initial cost of producing a VLCT stands at $5-$20 billion, which the company hopes to raise over the next 4-10 years. From the projected demand of 500 units for $150 - $250 million, Airbus expects to create a deal worth 1.25 trillion dollars, which is a remarkable return on investment. Boeing has many strengths that will enable it to benefit from the possible opportunities, unlike it rivals Boeing has a high control over its suppliers with some being sole-suppliers. This makes Boeing to stand out as a well-established aircraft manufacturer. Boeing ha s enjoyed a long-standing agreement in the production of military aircrafts and this has enabled the company to generate a lot of profit. Although Boeing is a strong company, the company has some weakness. Firstly, Boeing may lose its market share if it is unable to produce the VLCT economically. The company has a low production capacity and therefore it may not handle the extended demand adequately. These weaknesses create competition threat that the company faces from its rival company Airbus. Airbus owns or has the rights to most of the critical technologies required in the production of VLCT and therefore Boeing is threatened by possible exploitation. Part 3; Analysis of Airbus Standalone initiative Although the VLCT is a proposed joint venture,

Racial Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Racial Identity - Essay Example They impose upon individuals certain obligations and expectations dictated entirely by one’s sex. As a result, how men and women experience the world will differ accordingly. And it is precisely this â€Å"experience of the world† that shapes our identities, both as individuals and as members of groups that we strongly identify with. Ultimately, our shared experience with others molds our identity as an individual. The bifurcated experience of males and females living in antagonistic cultural circumstances provides a crucial factor, sociologically and psychologically, in the development of personal identities. Two short works by Zora Neale Hurston and Brent Staples each illustrate the unique factors that go into the construction of identity, which is largely contingent upon one’s sex. The creation of one’s social and personal identity is not something which happens in one event or experiment. It is a process of layering: the taking of particular experiences and building the edifice from those conditional factors. The gender roles that a society assigns apply to all people, independently of race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. For this reason, we might say that one’s sex comes first in determining how a person sees himself or herself in the context of the group or society. One’s racial identity thus comes conditioned by this gender role, which is often established even before the time a child first encounters any kind of racial distinction. By recognizing the fundamentality of the sexual identity, we recognize that racial identity can be bifurcated by that gender divide between man and woman. This ultimately determines how and by what process the individual assimilates his or her place in a particular racial group into a personal identity. A personal identity is the filter through which we interpret the content of our experience, and a bifurcation in one’s ability to see and interpret the world will inevitably create a

Constitutional Law Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Constitutional Law Master - Essay Example There is no technical difference between ordinary statutes and law considered "constitutional law." Therefore the Parliament of the United Kingdom can perform "constitutional reform" simply by passing Acts of Parliament and thus has the power to change any written or unwritten element of the constitution. The constitution is based on the concept of all sovereignty ultimately belonging to Parliament (Parliamentary sovereignty), so the concept of entrenchment cannot exist. The lack of a central written constitutional document explaining the fundamental principles of the state and relationship between its institutions and between the people leads some constitutionalists to regard the United Kingdom as having "no (formal) constitution." The phrase "unwritten constitution" is sometimes used, despite the fact that the UK constitution incorporates many written sources, statutory law being considered the most important source of the constitution. But the case remains that the constitution re lies far more on unwritten constitutional conventions than virtually every other liberal democratic constitution. Conventions as a source of constitutional rules have been widely acknowledged. Regardless of whether a country possesses an unwritten1 or a written constitution, constitutional conventions usually play an important role in regulating constitutional relationships among different branches of government. A common definition of constitutional conventions is: "By convention is meant a binding rule, a rule of behaviour accepted as obligatory by those concerned in the working of the constitution."2 Law and constitutional conventions are closely related. Constitutional conventions presuppose the existence of a legal framework, and do not exist in a legal vacuum. For example, in the UK, the constitutional conventions of forming a Cabinet presuppose the laws relating to the Queen's royal prerogative, the office and powers of Ministers, and the composition of Parliament.3 A difference between law and constitutional conventions is that laws are enforceable by the courts, but constitutional conv entions are not enforced by the courts. If there is a conflict between constitutional conventions and law, the courts must enforce the law. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada, the courts acknowledge the existence of constitutional conventions as aids to judicial interpretation.4 Academics consider that such acknowledgement may at 1times appear to be similar to enforcement.5 The constitution ... is seen to consist of two different parts; the one is made up of understandings, customs, or conventions which, not being enforced by the courts, are in no true sense of the word laws; the other part is made up of rules which are enforced by the courts, and which, whether personified in statutes or not, are laws in the strictest sense of the term, and make up the true law of the constitution. This law of the constitution is, as we have further found, in spite of all appearances to the contrary, the true foundation on which English polity rests, and it gives in truth even to the conventional element of the constitutional law such force as it really possesses. First, as constitutional conventions can easily be adapted to new circumstances arising, they are therefore frequently used as a means of bringing about constitutional development, provided that those constitutional co

Consumer Frugality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Frugality - Essay Example According to a survey study conducted by Booz & Company on 2,000 consumers in the U.S., there is an emergence of frugal consumers. This is mainly because of the recent recession that has shaped their consumption behavior. It is expected that such consumption behavior will persist in the future even as there are reports that the U.S. is recovering from the recession (Zavestoski, 2002). Therefore, marketers have identified a market segment consisting of frugal consumers and are making efforts to attract such customers. The frugal consumer has unique characteristics including a strong consciousness on a value which determines the level of trade -off in price and convenience. Research studies on consumption patterns among U.S. consumers indicate that almost 67 percent of customers are purchasing low priced products in order to reduce spending while improving on saving (Craig-Lees & Hill, 2002). This is evident from the decrease in the Per capita consumption expenditure across almost all demographic groups. Additionally, customers have maintained a weak sentiment which has influenced their low expenditure on consumption. The target market segment of frugal consumers can be described using a number of demographic factors that define their unique features. The demographic factors include household income and age. First, the target market segment consisting of frugal consumers is made up of middle-income households. They have an annual income between $20,000 and $50,000 and are very mindful when it comes to spending their income. They are very selective and often plan in advance before going for shopping at discount stores rather than high-end stores. Second, the target market consists of individuals aged between 35 and 40 years. This is the age gap within which people have families, are in employment, and are working hard to save for their retirement. They are very keen with their spending habits and they always ensure that they are buying goods at low prices so that they can save a significant part of their income (Zavestoski, 2002). Third, the target market consists of home owners who have a high demand for household products to use in their homes. However, they are also very frugal and have a habit of shopping from discount stores. The multiple demographics of frugal consumers make it very difficult to market products. Discount retail shops including target, Costco, and Sam's Club have developed a number of marketing mixes in attracting frugal consumers. Let us recall that frugal consumers buy less and price conscious. Therefore it is evident that any marketing mix targeting frugal consumers should heavily rely on price. However, the other 3 P’s are equally important because they complement price. It is an obvious fact that consumers are becoming very frugal these days and that businesses need to differentiate their products in order to remain competitive (Craig-Lees & Hill, 2002). The frugal consumer is looking for products that will deliver the best value for their dollar. This implies that businesses need to provide the best value to its client in order to attract a significant number of frugal consumers. The most common marketing mix among companies targeting frugal customers is that there is always a price discount. This is mainly because such consumers a re very sensitive to changes in prices. A significant decrease in

How to be Creative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How to be Creative - Essay Example All animals do possess brains, and have been provided with varying levels of creativity by nature. A sparrow’s nest differs in style and capacity from that of an eagle. A honey bee stores honey in tiny pores. Likewise, rabbits dig holes in the earth to make their tunnels. All of these are signs of creativity in non-human living beings. The fact that humans are the most creative among all living beings can be estimated from the fact that all development in the world is the result of the discoveries of humans. Humans discovered ways to fly not only in the air, but also to float in the space. Humans constructed skyscrapers, invented trains and ships, and developed satellites that record information 24/7. From the first day man was sent on the Earth till today, man has been creating things that would facilitate him and improve his standard of living. The world in which we live today is much different form the way it was few centuries back. Rapid industrialization and advancement i n the field of science and technology has brought an altogether change in the life on Earth. All of this is not the result of the efforts of a single person, community or a group of people. Instead, all human beings have been playing their respective roles in developing the modern world from time to time. The modern world is the outcome of creativity of all human beings. Therefore, there is no doubt in the fact that creativity is a naturally occurring phenomenon and occurs in all living beings, but varies in extent depending upon the level of sharpness and intelligence. This paper discusses some of the ways in which creativity can be improved. Creativity as a necessity of modern age: Competition in the contemporary age has grown manifolds in all fields as compared to the past. With the increase in general awareness, people have become highly educated in order to make full use of the emerging opportunities. This has increased the competition in the market scenario. Business entrepren eurs are looking for ways to be more and more creative and innovative in their approach so as to gain competitive advantage over their parallels in the market. It would not be wrong to say that creativity is the need of the hour in the current business practices. This has generally raised the interest of people in creativity and ways and means are being suggested on organizational level in order to improve individuals’ creativity. The concept of creativity: In order to find out ways to increase creativity, it is customary to discuss the basics of the concept of creativity. Creativity is neither something that can be created nor can it be called as an event that would happen occasionally. Instead it is within ourselves and needs to be explored. It cultivates in human mind and nurtures as we go through various experiences in our life. It slowly shows up in our thinking as we mature. â€Å"There is virtually no problem you cannot solve, no goal you cannot achieve, no obstacle y ou cannot overcome if you know how to apply the creative powers of your mind, like a laser beam, to cut through every difficulty in your life and your work† (Tracy cited in Kotelnikov). Creativity is more often than not, an involuntary action. An individual can not intentionally raise his/her level of creativity at a particular point in time when he/she might need it the most. Creativity can not be invited.

Coursework assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Coursework - Assignment Example It is estimated that the expenditure of US% 2 billion will boost the secondary school enrolment rate (expressed as a percentage of the secondary school age population) by about 6%, from the current figure of 55% to an estimated 61%. However, since the previous meeting of the committee, the country has experienced a financial crash. Senior representatives from the banks have been lobbying furiously for financial support to enable the banks to continue lending, in an attempt to avert a full-scale economic recession. They have argued that by providing emergency financial support now, the government can prevent the banks from shrinking their balance sheets, and maintaining a strong and vibrant banking sector is essential if the country is to achieve the targeted growth in its per capita GDP over the medium term. It has been estimated that US$ 2 billion allocated to the banking sector now will prevent a drop in the ratio of Private Credit by Deposit Money Banks and Other Financial Institutions to GDP, from the current figure of 0.52 to an estimated 0.38. You have been asked by the Minister of Finance to investigate the empirical evidence as to whether the sum of US$ 2 billion would be spent more effectively on boosting secondary school education, or on bailing out the banking sector. You can recall an empirical model that addresses exactly this type of question, which was presented in a series of tutorials/workshops in which you participated during your time as a masters student at Bangor University in the UK. You are concerned, however, that the data that were used in this exercise are now several years out of date, and you have decided that it would be a good idea to update the data and re-estimate the model. In order to complete this task, you have been assigned the following electronic resources: 1. An Excel file struct2.xls, which has been downloaded from Ross Levine's website, in which can be found data on the financial development indicator to be used in the empirical model, the ratio of Private Credit by Deposit Money Banks and Other Financial Institutions to GDP (see column M) 2. An Excel file tab396.xls, containing United Nations data on rates of secondary school enrolment per head of the secondary school-age population in selected years: 1980, 1990 and 1997 (see column BI for the 1990 data). 3. A link to the Centre for International Comparisons at the University of Pennsylvania website, from which you can download data on all of the other variables that are used in the model. http://pwt.econ.upenn.edu/php_site/pwt63/pwt63_form.php You intend to use these data sources to compile data for the following 50 countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe Australia, Bangladesh, China*, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Phillipines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Syria, Thailand When downloading Chinese data from the University of Pennsylvania website, select 'China version 2'. The specification of the empirical model is as follows: dlypci = 1 + 2lypc90i + 3lsecedi + 4govgdpi + 5openi + 6infli + 7crediti + ui where

Greatest Speeches of All Time - Franklin Roosevelts Speech Essay Example for Free

Greatest Speeches of All Time Franklin Roosevelts Speech Essay In his first paragraph, Roosevelt states that he is certain that his fellow Americans expect he will address them with honesty and a decision which the people will push forward. He also states that this is the distinguished time to speak the truth. That Americans should not shrink from honestly facing conditions in their country today. America will endure as it has endured and will revive and flourish. So first of all, he will support his firm belief that the only thing they have to fear is fear itself- unjustified terror which stops needed efforts to transform retreat into advance. He makes a point about how values have shrunken dramatically as taxes have risen, ability to pay has fallen, the government is faced by diminishment of income, exchange means are frozen in trade, the industrial enterprise is falling (â€Å"withered leaves†), farmers cannot sell produce, savings of families are gone and there are going to be more unemployed citizens. He speaks about how America doesn’t have the problems they once had with loss of produce and how â€Å"our forefathers conquered† and that American’s should appreciate it. He says that the country has many resources and shouldn’t waste them, like leaders have wasted resources before, whether it was because they stubborn or just plain dumb, they have passed on these habits to their future rulers. He acknowledges that they have tried, but their efforts were in vain. They have only ever proposed the lending of money. People before him have not had the choice to lure people to follow him by using money promises; they resorted to persuading the people through â€Å"pleading tearfully for restored confidence. These people had no vision and only knew the rules of a generation of self-seekers, and with this vision people perish. He acknowledges that social values are more important than money values and that is where the restoration should begin. He also acknowledges that money doesn’t bring you happiness but the joy of achievement does. He also acknowledges that the joy and moral side of work no longer need to be forgotten in the chase of diminishing profits. He also states that recognition of material wealth being the standard of success being a false idea going hand in hand with the â€Å"abandonment of the false belief that public office and political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit†, also that there must be an end to the wrong doing to the citizens who trust in banking and in business. If the nation is to be restored both ethics must be changed and action must be taken. He recognises action needs to be taken so that more people are in the workforce and are able to get into the workforce. He states that we must recognise that most of the population lives in the city and that the land should be put to better use. This can be achieved by raising the value of agricultural products and with this power to purchase the output of cities. It can be helped by preventing the tragedy of the growing loss of small homes and farms. It also helped by insistence that the federal, state and local governments act on demand to have their costs reduced. If national planning for supervision of all forms of transportation and communication were in place it would also help. He states that it cannot merely be helped by talking about it and actions must be put in place quickly. He states that to return to the safeguard of work there must be strict supervision of all banking and credits and investment, there must be end to speculation with other people’s money and there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency. He goes on to explain how he will fill his duties in a fulfilling way. The event the speech addresses: The event the speech addresses was Inauguration Day, 1933. This marked the commencement of a four year term. On this day there was a swearing in ceremony which consisted of Roosevelt taking an oath of office and delivering a speech. This speech outlined that Roosevelt understood that the American Constitution had proved itself as an enduring modern political mechanism and how Roosevelt planned to ease the effects of the Great Depression. Profile of Franklin Roosevelt: Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in 1882 at Hyde Park, New York. Hyde Park (New York) is most famous for being the hometown of Roosevelt and his grandfathers’ home is located near the Riverview Circle of the Hudson River. He was born as the only child of James Roosevelt and Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt. He was born into a family of riches and the sense of self importance. He was educated by tutors and governesses and his upbringing was far different from the common people. In 1896 he attended Groton school for boys where he found it hard to fit in as most of the boys excelled at athletics while he did not. After graduating in 1900, Roosevelt attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School but in 1907 he passed the bar exam yet didn’t receive a degree. In 1905, on St. Patrick’s Day he married Eleanor Roosevelt, his fifth cousin, niece of Theodore Roosevelt, also his fifth cousin. Theodore Roosevelt was Franklin Roosevelt’s idol and Roosevelt aimed to follow in his footsteps. Theodore Roosevelt became commander-in-chief in 1901 after William McKinley was assassinated and president in 1904 after winning second term. Roosevelt won a seat in the New York senate in 1901. He was stricken with Polio in 1921, but not many people knew exactly how paralysed he was as he was never seen in a wheelchair. He fought to regain the use of his legs though hydrotherapy. Franklin Roosevelt was the only president to be elected four times. Roosevelt had become the 32nd President of the United States in 1933. In 1935 many members of the public were against Roosevelt’s New Deal program even though the Nation had received some measure of recovery as national product went up and unemployment went down. The New Deal program was a series of domestic programs enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1936. Roosevelt was re-elected in 1936 by a huge margin. Roosevelt had pledged the United States to the good neighbour policy, when France fell and England came under siege in 1940, he began to send Great Britain all possible aid short of actual military involvement. Hopes of keeping America out of the war ended on December 7, 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. Roosevelt helped in the area of advising military personnel and did this successfully in 1942 in an invasion on South Africa, in 1943 in both Italy and Sicily and followed by the D-Day invasion in Europe in 1944. During this time Roosevelt also promoted the formation of the United Nations (UN). Also in 1944 Roosevelt had been tested and diagnosed with many problems but despite this he ran for president with his running mate Harry S. Truman who he nominated as his senator and won 36 of 48 states, yet again becoming president. In February, 1945, Roosevelt attended the Yalta Conference which was held to discuss after-war reorganisation with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin. Roosevelt died on the afternoon of April 12th in 1945, as the World War II came to a close from a cerebral haemorrhage. His passing shocked America even though people knew he looked exhausted in photographs and news reels, no one was prepared for his passing. Historical Analysis: Roosevelt’s presidency had forever changed the United States and the way it was run. He led a country through the Great Depression, as well as the greatest war in human history, and his social programs during the Great Depression have redefined the role of government in Americans’ lives. He established the United States leadership on the world stage through his role in World War II. The 12 years he spent in the White House had redefined liberalism and set a precedent for the expansion of presidential power for future generations.

Mulveys Theory Of The Male Gaze |Critique

Mulveys Theory Of The Male Gaze |Critique In masochism, as in the infantile stage of the helpless dependence that marks its genesis, pleasure does not involve mastery of the female but submission to her. This pleasure applies to the infant, the masochist, and the film spectator as well. (Studlar 782) How does Studlars work on fetishism and masochism challenge Mulveys theory of the male gaze? Discuss in relation to films from classical era and contemporary cinema. Refer to film screened in this unit and films of your choice, with attention to mise-en-scene and narrative structure. Studlar challenges Mulveys theories on the male scopic pleasure as the bearer of control. Studlar also challenges Mulveys statement of the female as lack and instead suggests a sense of power from this lack; the female as a film complexity, being not necessarily the subject of the male gaze but rather the holder of the gaze. Firsly, I will discuss Mulveys theories and Studlars challenges, and compare and contrast the two. After discussing both theories in relation to one another, I will then call on examples from classic and contemporary cinema to justify my arguments and discuss the trends of Contemporary cinema with regards to psychoanalysis. In article Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Mulvey argues in mainstream cinema, in relation to patriarchal society, women are being portrayed as an erotic object to be looked at in movies as well as an attraction to male gaze. Her theory explains that women are playing passive part in movies while men hold the strong and active character and play as a prominent subject. Therefore, Mulveys theory on male gaze is determined as a sexual pleasure in which male are able to obtain by looking at portrayal of female. (Laura Mulvey (1975). Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema, in Gerald Mast, Cohen Baudry (eds). Film Theory: An Introduction. 5th ed, pp 746-757. Objectification of women in classical era and contemporary cinema as erotic and sensual figure is still applied. Mulveys work in this theory has been supported by feminist theory; it can be seen in the following quote from literary critics standpoint: In 1975, when Laura Mulvey published her groundbreaking study of woman in film her position as a signifier for the male other, as a projection of male fantasies, and, finally, as a bearer not maker of meaning she gave new shape and direction to the interdisciplinary field of womens studies, motivating scholars in many subject areas to examine and, most interestingly, re-examine the political, cultural, social and literary achievements of women through the ages (Despotopoulou, 569). (Despotopoulou, Anna. Fannys Gaze and the Construction of Feminine Space in Mansfield Park Modern Language Review 99 (2004): 569-583) Films such as The War of the Worlds (1953), The Thing from Another World (1951) give close to no female role/s who take part in advancing the narrative. But that is not to say that all films painted women as an indispensible element of spectacle (Mulvey 750). For example the 1939 film The Women by Metroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Goldwyn Mayer Productions is notable for its allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ female cast. Although the content of the film could be argued, this is a clear example of women controlling the film narrative. Furthermore, her theory of male gaze can be seen in film Fifth Element. The character Leelo which is played by Milla Jovovich in the movie portrayed her as passive object erotic to be looked at. In mise-en-scene and narrative term, it can be shown that her character was touted as the Supreme Being and regarded as the ultimate weapon to counteract the attack from the evil being harming the world. However, the Supreme Being is also subjected to objectification with repetitive display of her breasts, body and being gazed by the casts (which, in effect, also enables its spectators to look at her in an erotic manner). While she is labeled as the Supreme Being, she certainly looked inferior, weak and vulnerable to Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis). Korben was the one who rescued her after being shot in the air duct. Mulvey argues women are regarded as fetishistic display for male viewers pleasure and the spectators embodies the subject (the active role), while the narrative film stands for the object which is the passive position (Carolina Hein, 2006, p. 4). Her concept of to-be-looked-at-ness, exemplifies that women were simply shown on screen in classic Hollywood in order to provide men with visual pleasure and have an erotic impact. Mulvey argues that the distinctive key protagonist within a classic Hollywood film was male and the audience members where similarly typically expected to be men. In classical era as well as contemporary cinema, women are generally passive characters who looked to males for protection and rescue. Gaylyn Studlars theory of Masochism and Perverse Pleasure refutes Laura Mulveys theory of Male gaze. According to Studlar, the viewing pleasure are transmitted to the spectators is derived from total submission to the female. Her theory believes that by using masochism, women are portrayed as idealized power figure, which are both dangerous and comforting, not such as discarded object (Studlar, 1985) (Gaylyn Studlar (1985) Masochism and the perverse pleasure of the Cinema, in Gerald Mast, Cohen Baudry (eds). Film Theory: An Introduction. 5th ed, pp 773-790). In my point of view, Studlars theory of masochism enables bisexual dualism. It means this theory creates an ability of freeing up gendered subjectivity to spectators in mainstream cinema. It technically enables viewer to see both genders, male and female as powerful object. Moreover, this theory confirms the conventional perception of womens incapacity, means that it can influence and change peoples perspective towards woman as being lack and weak. In classical era, movie like Alien (1979) exemplifies women as powerful character. The female character Ellen Ripley leads strong, independent and professional women character. In Alien, Ripley is the strong female character who makes active judgments and survives what is trying to kill her. The male characters activity is largely passive most die quickly, others wait for her command. It is Ripley who makes the plan to defeat the alien which works, while the powerless male Captain makes bad judgments as his unsure plan fails. (Movie analysis: Women in horror films: Ripley, the alien, and the monstrous feminine by Daniel Stephen, http://www.helium.com/items/132886-women-in-horror-films-ripley-the-alien-and-the-monstrous-feminine). Studlars theory in submissive masculine look term, the masculinity factors which are men supposed to portray is symbolized through women character. Instead of being passive character in the movie, Ripley plays as an active and protagonist character which is the opposite of Mulveys theory of male gaze. Ripley holds the gaze from the beginning of the movie until the end of it. One of the final scenes of the film takes place in an escape pod where singleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ handed, Ripley manages to overpower the invading alien. Ripley is shown as a character that is able to complete tasks that men were otherwise unable to complete. Likewise, Aliens representation of feminism shows women as alien to themselves (Jeffords 74). Jeffords, Susan. Battle of the Big Mommas: Feminism and Alienation. Journal of American Culture 10.3 (1987): 74. This portrayal of women releases the character of Ripley and eventually feminism. Ripley is shown as a Company Woman, reaffirmed at the end of the film when despite The Companys betrayal of herself and the entire crew, [she] disposes of the alien only to sit down and complete her captains log (Newton 297). Newton, Judith. Feminism and Anxiety in Alien in Symposium on Alien. Science Fiction Studies 7. Ed. Charles Elkins. 1980. 297. Her place in this Company Creates the questioning of her position in a patriarchal society. Another example of Studlars theory in contemporary cinema is Disney movie called Mulan.