Fashion Promotion of Dior JAdore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Fashion Promotion of Dior JAdore - Essay Example The essay "Fashion Promotion of Dior J’Adore" discovers the Promotion of Dior J’Adore. Francis Demachy enjoyed a very good repute since his past experience was with another luxury brand, Chanel, and was responsible for managing the in-house creation of the perfumes. There is a long history associated with the creation of J’Adore , where the founder of the Dior, Christian Dior always expressed his passion towards the flowers and wanted to incorporate the fragrance of the flowers in a bottle so that the scent was at the disposal of the users. This is known as one of the most feminine scents of the modern world were the glamorous fragrance of the perfume has not only made it incredibly popular in the market of the luxury goods but at the same time the popularity of the perfume had enabled the House of Dior to even introduced the several variants which have different concentrations. The scent of the J’Adore is gleaming, brilliant and luminous and thanks to the shimmery texture of the perfume, that when it is applied it leaves golden scent shimmers on the skins of the users which look very much like the sunbeams. J’Adore is regarded as one of the most incredible female brands and it depicts a feminine and delicate touch which is in line with the style which has been adopted by Dior. It is sweet but bamy at the same time, which a very sharp floral with an addition of the fresh mandarin , jasmine, plum and roses and musky scent to it at the same time. The brand identity which has been established with J’Adore.... It is sweet but bamy at the same time, which a very sharp floral with an addition of the fresh mandarin , jasmine, plum and roses and musky scent to it at the same time. Overview of the Brand Identity The brand identity which has been established with J’Adore is that there is touch of sophistication and glamour attached with it, giving the user a very lush , high quality experience. It uses a brand enforcing strategy where a class division has been added by enforcing the superiority in the product. The conventional and the traditional approach which had previously been adopted by the luxury products has been rejected by J’Adore and denounces the materialistic view, which not only gives the brand a strong brand identity but at the same time has been able to give J’Adore a competitive edge as well. It very clearly states in the advertisements and the marketing strategies that the gold , expensive cars , jewellery do not play any role in making you stand out from th e crowd, but instead it is your unique fragrance that plays a part in helping you stand out. Brand has projected its tag line stating : ‘wear J’adore and you can regain your sense of humanity.’ (When The World Whispers†¦Shout | Corporate Brand Management) â€Å"Gold is cold. Diamonds are dead. A limousine is a car. Don’t pretend. Feel what’s real† is the line which has been used in many of the advertisements of the perfume, which adheres to the view point, stated above. â€Å"(When The World Whispers†¦Shout | Corporate Brand Management) The uniqueness of the perfume can be displayed in the bottle which is in the shape of a Greek Amphora which exhibits

The State Children's Health Insurance Program Essay

The State Children's Health Insurance Program - Essay Example Before the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was enacted, Medicare and Medicaid was the only available, federally funded health insurance program offered by the government. Medicare was specifically designed to help the aged, the retirees, the survivors, and the disabled among others, pay for health care services like: inpatient hospitalization, home health care, hospice care, physician consult, outpatient hospital, prescription drugs, and the like (Klees, Wolfe, & Curtis, 2010). Medicaid, on the other hand, is the biggest source of government funding that covers medical, and other health-related services for the poorest people in the United States (Klees, Wolfe, & Curtis, 2010). However, Medicaid does not provide for all poor people; it covers only those who qualify for the inclusion criteria set by the legislators (Klees, Wolfe, & Curtis, 2010). The State Children’s Health Insurance Policy was established in 1997 to afford health care services to unins ured, low-income children; who were not eligible for Medicaid (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 1997).

The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poes Works Essay Example for Free

The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poes Works Essay Thesis Statement: Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be one of the greatest and most brilliant American writers in history. Many people considered him the first master of the short story form, and the father of the mysterious and the modern detective stories. Outline: I. An Introduction to Poe life and works. A. Due to Poes great works, many writers were influenced by these works. II. The early life of Poe and how it affected his life. A. His parents died so Allan raised him up. B. Allan ill-treated him and this affected his life and works afterwards. C. Poes education in England enriched his knowledge. D. Poe joined the University of Virginian and the army afterwards. III. What affected the works of Poe. A. Learning a lot of language enabled Poe from knowing different nations cultures and literature. B. Poe was good at the field of Art as well. C. Poe read to famous philosophers. IV. Analysis of the stories and poems of Poe. A. Poe was a talented writer. B. He excelled in poetry and in fiction and detective stories. V. Poe excelled in the field of detective stories, as he was the inventor of the short detective story. A. Many famous writers based their characters on Poes stories. B. The Murders in The Rue Morgue an example to show the excellence of Poe in the filed of Short story. C. Another detective story: The Purloined Letter. VI. The life of this great writer ended in New York after amusing the readers by his great works. ECLT 113 Mohamed Abdel Raouf Paper #2: Individual research projects 900-00-1018 The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poes Works Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be one of the greatest and most brilliant American writers in history. Many people considered him the father of the mysterious modern detective story, and the master of the short story form. The Works of this famous writer were remarkable to their flawless literary construction and for their haunting themes (The Columbia Encyclopedia). Jeffrey Meyers states that this great writer was considered to be the first American Writer whose personal reputation influenced the reception of his work. He was also the only nineteenth century American writer whose poems and novels were valued more highly in Europe than in his homeland. However, In spite of all his great works, it was argued that the creator of these hallucinating murders and that horror atmosphere must himself be evil, to have so evil imagination (258). Edgar Allan Poes life is considered to be a story of misery and oddness. Edgar Allan Poe, the greatest writer that was ever born in the American history, was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. His parents whom were touring actors, both died in Poes early childhood, and the little boy Edgar Allan Poe was raised by a rich man whom was called John Allan (Funk Wagnalls Encyclopedia). Edgar had a brother whom was rover and a sister that have seemed to be mentally retarded (Rieselbach 1), that is probably the reason why it was said afterwards that all the horrifying works of Poe were a result of an unstable mind. John Allan was a successful businessman from Richmond, whom was working in the merchandise. Nevertheless, he ill-treated Edgar and confused the poor Edgar by alternately spoiling and scolding him. Edgar was taken to England to attend private schools there. Edgar was affected by the travels that the Allans made in England. Many Poes weird stories reflect his own experience like Why the Little Frenchman took place in towns where he had lived and A Tale of The Ragged Mountains took place in Charlottesville (Meyers 8+). Furthermore, his poems reflected his miserable life with the Allans and his rift with them (Poe and Richmond). This proves that Poe have been taking his ideas and thoughts for his novels and poems from his own miserable life, that may be the cause of his invention of those horrible and horrifying prospects in his short stories and novels. After staying in England more than thirteen years, Edgar was more sophisticated and cosmopolitan, and far better educated than his mates in Richmond (Meyers 14). The education of Edgar in England had a great effect on him as this education widened his horizon of writing, as he read in his childhood many books and novels to great writers. Poe returned to the United States and entered the University of Virginia. Allan gave him too little money to pay for his classes (Rieselbach 1). Nevertheless, he showed remarkable scholastic ability in classical and romance languages but was forced to leave the university after only eight months because he made a fight with Allan over his gambling debts (The Columbia Encyclopedia). After leaving the University of Virginia, he worked as a clerk for a while at a warehouse. Afterwards he joined the army, because the army would alleviate his poverty, offer security and provide the basic necessities of the life (Meyer 32). What has the great affection in his lifetime is that he learned foreign languages as Latin, French, German, Spanish and Italian (Campbell 6+). He studied Latin when he was nine years old. He excelled in reading and writing Latin sharply. It is the same with his knowledge of French. He used to read works in French in the university of Virginia. Also his knowledge of German, Spanish and Italian made him talented in understanding the works of many of these countries writers, which made him talented in reading and writing stories and poems (Campbell 7+). Moreover, he was good at the field of fine arts as well. Poe knew music, painting, sculpture, theatre and dancing. He had been taking lessons in dancing and he sang well (Campbell 11). He was fond of the piano and of musical instruments in general. Poe early developed an interest in philosophy. Because he knew the German language, he was attracted to the philosophical thinking of the German philosophers. He knew about Kant, Hegel and Fichte (Campbell 12+). He drew ideas for his stories and poems from all the knowledge he had from the German philosophy. He also read to English philosophers as Bentham and Mill (Campbell 13). The works of Poe shows that Poe was a talented writer and a gifted poet. As an example to his great success is that his first volume of poetry Tamerlane and Other Poems, which he have written when he was eighteen years old, is such a rare book now that a single copy worth two hundred thousand dollars (Wilson 1). Daniel Hoffman states that the writings of Poe demonstrates Poes critical mind, his analysis of the structure and texture of poetry, the need for all details of diction and form to contribute to single effect (1). Poe was considered to have influence on the literature of twenty cultures and on fifteen major writers around the world (Hoffman 1). Poes influence on European and American art has been extraordinarily wide. Poe had a short life and a few unfinished works; however, he possessed great originality and imagination. His poems influenced the French symbolists and English writers (Meyers 280). Thus, he is considered to be one of the greatest writers in the whole literatur e history. Poe wrote in many fields and in many ways and styles. He excelled at poetry and wrote great poems as The Raven. In addition to poetry, Edgar Allan Poe wrote many kinds of stories. However, Poe excelled at writing detective stories. His superiority at detective stories may be for the reason that he was fond of puzzles and mental games, and both his fiction and nonfiction often included such mental exercises (Unrue 3). He published tales of detection, the first being The Murders in The Rue Morgue and he introduced his famous character Auguste Dupin. These kinds of stories incorporate many of the themes and techniques Poe was developing all over his life (Unrue 3). This famous American writer spent a miserable living while inventing the modern detective story and science fiction as well. He perfected the horror tale and wrote unforgettable stories, as his works continues to be a significant presence in world literature. Poe is considered the father of the modern detective story, as he was the first writer to put pen to paper and write his detective stories, and it is possibly that Poe was the inventor of the detective stories as Umberto Eco said that Edgar Allan Poe is considered by most detective fiction historians to be the founding father of the detective story, and his Murders in The Rue Morgue the worlds first detective story (179). His mind brought to reality the greatest stories in detection as The Murders in The Rue Morgue, The Purloined Letter, The Gold Bug and The Mystery of Marie Roget (Funk Wagnalls Encyclopedia). Not only did he write stories, but also he influenced by his stories the most brilliant writers in the field of detective story. Poe influence on Conan Doyle, the great writer that invented the character of Sherlock Holmes, cannot be disregarded. However, its obvious that Conan Doyle used the stories of Edgar Allan Poe as a guide in the begging of his writing because the character Sherlock Holmes have some similarities from Dupin, the character of Edgar Allan Poe. Moreover, Poe influenced Swinburne, the English poet, Dostoyevsky, the Russian novelist, and the French symbolists (The Columbia Encyclopedia). Many of Poes tales have been distinguished by the authors unique bizarre inventiveness in addition to his superb plot construction (Funk Wagnalls Encyclopedia). The Murders in The Rue Morgue is an excellent example of the detective story, which Poe had written. Stuart and Susan Levine stated in their book The Short Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe that in this tale, Dupin, Poes hero in his detective stories, is superior to the perfect of Police in that he logical. Dupin actually uses what looks like artistic inspiration to solve the problems posed by crime and conspiracy. If the private hideout of Dupin and the narrator seems to be familiar, it is because subsequent writers have made it so. The idea of the heros hidden residence has passed into popular culture. Poe invented a great deal of the claptrap and many of the conventions of the modern detective stories. As Conan Doyle said: Sherlock Holmes owed to much to Dupin, as did the detective heroes of other writers(153). In this story, Dupin and the narrator first learn from an evening newspaper that Madame LEspanaye and her daughter Camille were murdered. Newspaper accounts the next day carry depositions by links of the victims and the people in the vicinity where the crime took place; these conflicting accounts and the absence of evidence lead the narrator and the police to consider the crime insolvable. Dupin, however, places an advertisement in the newspaper after having inspected the house where the woman and her daughter have been murdered. When a sailor in search of a missing orangutan, which has killed the victims, responds to the newspaper advertisement, Dupin finds the solution to this murder, and after wards he explained the clues that led him to this solution. Dupins analytic method of solving the crime has made the tale a classic in the detective mystery genre. As the first detection in fiction, Dupin was the sample that Conan Doyles based on it his famous detective Sherlock Holmes (The Murders In The Rue Morgue 1). Another Example of Poes detective story is The Purloined Letter. This tale is also one of Poes vengeance stories; Dupin has scores personal and political to settle. The tone of the closing paragraphs of the tale is bitter and the final allusion literally bloodthirsty (Stuart and Suzan Levine 154). As he did in the other tales of Poe: The Mystery of Marie Roget and The Murders in The Rue Morgue, Dupin beat the police in solving these seemingly insoluble crimes. However, unlike the other tales, which involve murders of women, The Purloined Letter presents only petty thievery and trickery of the crime. The Prefect of the Parisian Police actually knows the thief, but the letter had to be found in order to protect the honor of a lady being blackmailed. The police department searches for the letter, but it appears that no one could found it. So the Prefect asks Dupin for help. And as usual, Dupin find the clue to this thievery and get the letter. Afterwards Dupin explains what has been the reason that led him to that solution (The Purloined Letter 1). These evidence and examples shows that Edgar Allan Poe was the inventor of the detective short story and his main character, Dupin, was the prototype that all the subsequently writers used him and invented their characters upon as Sherlock Holmes. And this success was a product of his hard work and also because of his talents. Edgar Allan died on Sunday, October 7, 1849 at the age of fourty. Poes spent his last days in a New York hospital, after taking an alcoholic overdose, became unconscious, suffered delirium tremens, fell into a coma and died four days later. Poes life was not very long, however during this short lifetime, he enriched the American Culture and all the world culture with many stories and poems that are still discussed and criticized by people all around the world. Poe (Meyers 255). Works Cited Campbell, Killis. The Mind of Poe and Other Studies. Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press, 1933. This book introduces to the reader seven papers that were published and talking about Poe. These papers are: Contemporary Opinion of Pe, The Poe-Griswold Controversy, The Poe Canaon, The Backgrounds of Poe, Self-Revelation in Poes Poems and Tales, The Origins of Poe and The Mind of Poe. Eco, Umberto, and Thomas A. Sebeok, eds. The Sign of Three. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983. This book discusses the detective stories and that Dupin (Edgar Allan Poes detective character), Sherlock Holmes and Peirce were the greatest character invented by writers in the whole history. The book also discusses how Conan Doyle, before writing Holmes stories, used the stories of Edgar Allan Poe as a guide to him and he was very impressed by Dupin. Edgar Allan Poe Museum. Nov. 2000. Clever Net. 1 May 2001. http://www.poemuseum.org The Museum of Edgar Allan Poe on the Internet. It contains all the works of Edgar Allan Poe and his biographical information. Hoffman, Danile. Poe As Critic, Poe Abroad. Sewanee Review. 108.2 (2000) : 11 pars. 2 May 2001. Academic Search Elite An article that includes the review of books of Edgar Allan Poe and his literary theory and criticisms. It also includes Poes influence on the non American writers as Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells. Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. New York. Charles Scribners Sons., 1992. The complete biographical information about Poe. This book includes extendedly the life of Poe and the circumstances of his life and death. Poe, Edgar Allan. Funk Wagnalls Encyclopedia. Versaware. 2 May 2001 http://www.funkandwagnalls.com An article of the biography of Poe. Poe, Edagr Allan. The Columbia Encyclopedia. Six Edition. 2001. Columbia University Press. 2 May 2001. http://www.bartlebay.com Some biographical information about Edgar Allan Poe. Rieselbach, Erik. Poe, Edagr Allan Bibliography. American Spectator. 26.3 (1993) : 58 pars. 2 May 2001. Academic Search Elite An article that discuss the life of Poe and what reasons lead him to write his novels and poems. The article also include the evidence of the influence of Poe on other writers. Sturat, and Susan Levine. The Short Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company Inc., 1976. The book introduces the fiction and detective stories that Edgar Allan Poe wrote in his life. It also gives short analysis and criticism to those stories and the circumstances of this tale. The Murders In The Rue Morgue. Academic Search Elite. Magill Book Reviews. 5 May 2001 Academic Search Elite The complete analysis of the story The Murders in the Rue Morgue that wrote by Edgar as an example of short detective story. The Purloined Letter. Academic Search Elite. Magill Book Reviews. 5 May 2001 Academic Search Elite The complete analysis of The Purloined Letter which was written by Poe as another good example for the short detective stories wrote by Poe. Unrue, Darlene Harbour. Edgar Allan Poe: The Romantic as Classicist. International Jouranl of The Classical Tradition. 1.4 (1995) : 112 pars. 2 May 2001. Academic Search Elite This article reveals that Edgar Allan Poe measured romantic stance determinedly against the objectivity and rationality of the classical. Distinction on the use of romantic materials and themes between Poe and gothic writers. Wilson, James Southall. A Summary of Facts Known about Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe Museum. 5 May 2001. http://www.poemuseum.org

Ecuadors Adoption of Finlands Education System

Ecuadors Adoption of Finlands Education System ABSTRACT This research is focused on the most viable solutions that Ecuador has to improve its educational system, based on certain characteristics and key factors of the best education system in the world that is Finnish according to the TEST PISA (2012). The three most feasible alternatives that can lead the Ecuadorian educational system to rise in the ranking of education worldwide. The possible solutions are: first, teachers will be more qualified, and thus incorporate more dynamic techniques; Second, small classes will allow for personalized learning; And third, students will develop language and artistic skills from an early age. Ecuadorians would be the ones who would benefit most, since a good quality education implies that the student has a good academic level at the regional level, therefore implies that he will be able to perform optimally in the future and in that way to help in the academic development of the country. How Would Ecuador Benefit From Adopting Finlands Education System? Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. (Benjamin Franklin, n.d), education system in Ecuador is not at higher level at regional level, much less at worldwide level, the Ecuadorian system is based in memorization and huge amounts of tests, making the classes boring for the students, moreover as Susan Segal (2016) said, the education system in Latin America is antiquated and uses a defective model. as a result, students are suffering the consequences; the Latin American students do not receive a quality education, and they achieve the minimum level of learning as shown by the results of the 2012 PISA TEST (para. 1). Ecuador need to change the system education, Ecuador need to focus and start from the bottom, this means that Ecuador need to start the change with the lowest level, from kinder garden, the children need to develop new skills related with creativity and team work, with these skills they will start to add great learning fundamentals, this will help them in their path of knowledge until their adulthood. The best way to try a change is adopting the Finland education system, which is the number 1 according 2012 PISA TEST. Because the Finnish education system is the number 1 all around the world, society thinks that their system education is strict, tedious and even boring for their students. However, the reality is the opposite, according to Dr. Tony Wagner from The Finland Phenomenon, children develop a certain kind of passion for learning and the reason is the environment, a safety, lovely and full of confidence environment between students, teachers, parents and government create the perfect environment for learn (Compton, 2011). Ecuadorian students can benefit from adopting Finlands education system in three ways: first, teachers will be more qualified, and thus incorporate more dynamic techniques; second, small classes will allow for personalized learning; and third, students will develop language and artistic skills from an early age. First of all, one of the greatest characteristic that Ecuador need to adopt form Finnish education system is lead to teach only hiring professionals qualified with a masters degree; according to William Doyle (2016), the minimum request for being a teacher in Finland is having a masters degree in education, in preference with specialization in research and classroom practice (para. 13). Teachers with higher degree of education greater number of knowledge, this is basically a fact. Due to teachers have a masters degree they know how to treat with their students, teachers can design and choose an ideal model of learning for their students with the final purpose to make easier the understanding of the knowledge imparted towards the students. The fact that teachers have a masters degree in education makes it possible for them to find the simplest, most dynamic and ideal way to get students to improve the way they absorb knowledge. Teachers besides of been fundamental is the educational aspect they are also fundamental in the emotional aspect. According to Edutopia Team (2005), one important role that teachers have is to coach a guide their students through their educative journey; teachers can manage the time reducing the lecturing time in classes for adding more time to mentoring them. (para. 8). Teachers can support to their students giving to them motivation for learning, for example putting an exercise and the first 3 students will have extra points, or giving candies for each question well attended. Having better academic preparation the teacher will be better able to adapt to the student and develop better learning methods. Second of all, A normal classroom in Ecuador is between 30 to 50 students, this fact makes to teachers more difficult to take control of the class in every aspect, as the behavior of the students or having enough time to address the doubts of all students. Meanwhile, in Finland the maximum capacity is around 20 students per each classroom, this characteristic can solve in an efficient way the problems previously mentioned. Also, a main idea is implement technological resources such as electronic devices as tools for teachers and students with the objective of develop the academic performance. It is a logical fact all around the world that while lower number of students in a classroom, higher quality of learning; how is this possible? Well, according to OCDE, There is a general perception thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the size of the class, understood as such, could be seen as an indicator of the quality of the education system. (Education Indicators in Focus, 2012). Third of all, the Finnish educational system has a solid base from the start of education in their youngest students, it means their kindergarten students develop many skills and habits for learning and behavior in-and-outside the class. Ecuador need change from the bottom of the academic pyramid. Starting with a whole change in the educational system with kindergarten students. Also, implementing the learning-through-play-based preschools and kindergartens. Ecuador can restructure the methodologies and contents of childrens centers throughout the country. After the process of restructuring Ecuador will be ready for a future with a solid educational structure that will allow a change with respect to the new generation to the previous generations, would be an educational revolution that has as a protagonist the kindergarten children as Finnish educational system. Besides the restructuration of the educational system, the other necessary change in Ecuador would be education of quality for everyone, it means that whoever can receive education independent from the economic or social situation. The final step of the restructuring in the educational system is to provide kindergarten students with skills and habits oriented and related to the educational world. According to William Doyle (2016), children in Finnish schools not only receive basic knowledge in math, language and science. Finnish children through learning-through-play-based preschools and kindergartens, this method is used to teach second languages, arts, physic education, ethics, between others. This kind of learning is necessary because children will be able to develop concentration and cognitive focus (para.21). These fundaments will allow to students an academic progress through their educational journey. In Summary, if well the educational system of Ecuador is not the worst all around the world, is one of the worst a Latin American level. Is for this reason that the Ecuadorian educational system need to change. Due to Finnish educational system is the number one worldwide, the most recommendable option is adopting fundamental principles and characteristics from Finnish educational system that allow it to be the best in the world. In this way, we can change the future of Ecuador. What Ecuador can adopt from the educational system of Finland are: master degree teachers, more qualified teachers will incorporate more dynamic techniques and better methods to improve the education. Also, developing arts and science skills in an early age with learning-through-play-based preschools and kindergartens will allow develop concentration and cognitive focus. Finally reducing the number of students per class and adding technological tools as personalized platforms where teachers and students can interact between them and the use of applications developed to teach, for example Duolingo that teach english. In this way with this options Ecuador can change in the educational field for better. References Education system of Finland. (2013, 25 June). [Documentary]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnRb_PtpN7I Segal, S. (2016, May 20). The case for disruption in Latin Americas classrooms. Mecd.gob.es. (2016). Citar un sitio web Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: http://www.mecd.gob.es/dctm/inee/indicator-in-focus/edif-2012n9-esp.pdf?documentId=0901e72b814703c2 [Accessed 19 Dec. 2016]. Edutopia. (2016). Big Ideas for Better Schools: Ten Ways to Improve Education. [online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/big-ideas-better-schools [Accessed 19 Dec. 2016]. The Hechinger Report. (2016). How Finland broke every rule and created a top school system The Hechinger Report. [online] Available at: http://hechingerreport.org/how-finland-broke-every-rule-and-created-a-top-school-system/ [Accessed 19 Dec. 2016].

Effect of Social Policy on Personal Life

Effect of Social Policy on Personal Life ‘Discuss the claims that social policy constructs personal lives   In evaluating the evidence that social policy constructs personal lives, it is necessary to explain the terms ‘social policy’ and the ‘personal’ as they are both imbued with ambiguity and complexity. For example, the meanings inherent in social policy can be understood two-fold as both sets of government policies which have specific aims or intended outcomes as well as the academic study of such policies in relation to their causes and consequences. Thus the ‘policy’ and the ‘social’ can be separated to determine greater understanding when discussing the interaction between personal lives and social policy. The complexity of the ‘personal’ lies in that it is not simply the intimate aspects of someone’s life but that it is a multi-layered reflection of wider influences, such as sexuality, age, emotions, friends, family, social networks and societal expectations. Thus while it will be argued that social policy cons tructs personal lives, evidence will be produced to illustrate that it is not a one-way top-down process, but a multi-directional interplay of interactions between the two as they collide at different times and locations at the three levels of mutual constitution; the individual/psychic level; the service user level; the national level. As a result, by means of resistance, challenge or negotiation, the ‘personal’ both, individually or collectively not only impacts upon, but also has consequences for, social policy in ways that partially shapes or constructs the other thus forming new or different policies. This complex process of mutual constitution, will be expanded upon in context to reveal this relationship at the individual and psychic level, the service-user level whereby it effects the ‘personal’ of welfare professionals, and the national level. The primary focus of this discussion relates children and young people and their issues in the context of ‘sexuality’ and ‘care’ although this will inevitably overlap with ‘work’ and ‘citizenship’ as multiple sets of relationships and sites of policy intervention are revealed such as the family, health and social care. Further to this, I will apply evidence from my own qualitative research which was compiled from two interviews with an adult care-giver (Brennan, 2008b) and a young care-recipient in a children’s residential home (Brennan, 2008c). The focus on children and young people will also be further analysed through the lens of poststructuralism and feminism although again, there will be overlapping elements of Marxism and psychoanalysis imbedded within the discussion. These perspectives when viewed through their various theoretical lenses help to provide a more multi-dimensional view of how social policy is experienced in its mutual constitution with more diverse subject-positions occupied by ‘personal’ lives. In taking on a more subjective view it reveals how and in what ways social policy is inclusive to some and exclusionary to others triggering challenges, negotiations and resistance. The conclusion will indicate that while there is evidence that social policy constructs personal lives, the challenges, negotiations and resistance or what Lewis and Fink conceptualise as ‘excess’, ensures that the ‘personal’ both collectively and individually also constructs social policy thus ensuring that the dynamic processes of society are constantly evolving and producing what one hopes will be positive and equal social change (Lewis and Fink, 2004, ‘Course Companion’, p.22). When conceptualising care from a poststructural perspective, its meanings become fluid and unstable as continuity and change informs the mutual constitution of care policies and the ‘personal’ of both caregivers and receivers. As Fink (2004) argues, the normative assumptions about care practises, identities and locations are challenged because care is dependent upon the discursive properties inherent at the various levels of care both as a provision and as a recipient (Fink, 2004, ‘Care’, p.3). Care is relational and reciprocal and often perceived as an unspoken, unwritten taken-for-granted aspect of the everyday on many levels. In reality however, the giving and receiving of ‘care’ can be a burden to some, a source of discomfort for others, and a site of oppression for many. This is because levels of care vary in different situations and for different actors as the overlapping dualisms of male/ female, adult/child, private/ public, paid/ unpaid , deserving /undeserving inform political agendas that shape ‘care’ policies. Such dualisms are explained by Foucault’s (1970) poststructural analysis in how language is utilised to define the differences between the dominant norms and those which stand outside the accepted criteria (Fink et al. 2004, Course Companion, p.62). In other words, something is defined by what it is not – for example, it is light simply because it is not dark. Similarly this is exacerbated and utilised discursively in relation to class, ‘race’, gender, age and disability. Thus a suitable place to commence a discussion about the mutual constitution of policies surrounding care and its interaction with the ‘personal’ of children and young people lies within the home – the family. Poststructuralism reveals how the normative assumptions surrounding the caring identity is gendered and subsequently ‘naturalised’ into a traditional female role. Thus the dominant identity of carer of children within the family is generally the mother – an unpaid, taken-for-granted given role based upon the essentialist model of the biological attributes and ability to give birth. As Foucault (1979) argues the subject-position of mother is not rooted in biology, but discursively rooted in culture and history. Similarly, a feminist analysis argues that the so-called ‘natural’, ‘caring disposition’ of women is a myth stemming from the post-war Beveridgean welfare state which claimed to privilege married woman by enabling them to stay at home full-time and raise the children while caring for their husbands. If they do not fit with the these norms then they are deemed as bad mothers as expressed by one of my interviewee’s in my own research when he declared that in four months; â€Å"I have only seen my mum once since I moved in here, and then she just dropped in last February, it was not an arranged visit or anything† (Brennan, 2008c). Here, the mother is negatively perceived, thus it is with certain irony that despite no mention of his father, the status of men remains greater than that of women. For example the construction of the homemaker/carer/ within the nuclear family norms was enabled based upon their husband’s contributions to the state. However, feminists argue this served only to restrain and subordinate women further by extending their dependency. The home became the site of oppression and struggle which the second and third wave feminists have sought to ameliorate as subordinate female positions shifted ‘paid’ work to one that is ‘unpaid’ ‘work’ within the construction of the nuclear family. However, when those dominant nuclear family norms and values are destabilised, the assumption is that it is anything but ‘normal’ and considered a threat to the welfare of children and young people. This demonstrates how the ‘personal’ in its c ollective form as inherent in all New Social Movements of ‘race’ and disability among others, produces social change as it impacts on social policy in the implementation of excess against these norms and values. Demonstrating the psychic element of the ‘personal’, a poststructural analysis argues that such normative assumptions of childcare are internalised which is evident when Carabine (2004) draws on the personal narrative of Max, for whom, a heterosexual marriage stood outside of his comfort zone. However, social policy dictated his public heterosexuality based upon learned expectations which relates to what Lewis Fink (2004) argue are processes of non-identification, are commonplace within both racialized and sexualised discourses, as they subsequently trigger the expansion of the ‘personal’ to wider social relations in a bid to find a collective socio-cultural identity and meaning outside of the psyche. Closely related to postructuralism, a psychoanalytic lens reveals that being physically in but not of the imagined community negatively affects the ‘personal’ in lacking any sense of belonging (Carabine, 2004, ‘Sexuality’, p.5). Meanings produce assumptions which, in identifying Max as a homosexual ensured he exercised what Lewis conceptualised as passing, as deviating from the heterosexual ‘norm’ is problematized indicating the inequalities of citizenship and social power derived from the ‘hierarchical ordering of difference’ (Lewis, 2004, ‘Citizenship’, p.20). This demonstrates how social policy produces normative assumptions that identified the signifying practices that placed Max outside of the hegemony of heteronormative nuclear family. Marriage is an expected trajectory in life’s path, which he obligated through denial of his own private emotions and self-identification. While, his dream of becoming a fathe r was realised, the marriage ended upon meeting a man and embracing his homosexuality. This dispels two myths, as Max resistance to the dominant norms ensured that heonly became full-time carer to his children but also his wife had not taken to motherhood so enthusiastically and therefore became the part-time mother with fortnightly access (Rice, 2002:p.27, in Carabine, 2004, p.5). Max states that even in 2002 it remains unusual for men to be the primary care-giver. Carabine (2004) argues that the notion of sexuality maintains the heteronormative assumptions that heterosexual intercourse occurs in the private sphere, within the legally binding contract of marriage. Children born out of wedlock or the victims of divorce are therefore excluded from certain social policies such as decent housing and education or simply enough money to lead a life similar to their peers which negatively impacts on their ‘personal’. Despite this, marriage is historically and socially specific and therefore continues to discursively subordinate the personal lives of women and children in the private sphere in the policies made by men, for men, in the male dominated public sphere. One such policy ‘Every Child Matters’(2003) focuses on a different element of private and informal methods of care within the home and unpaid, which are an ongoing concern for many British families. While the policy pledges to reward informal carers as being an asset to society, parents of disabled children are, it claims, not using local authority direct payments. However, the policy then states that many local authorities are reluctant to administer direct payments. The ambiguity of direct payments is evident when used by the middle classes who already possess the cultural capital to secure the best care and the ability to cover any financial shortfall. In contrast, the working class, direct payments would be frugal to prevent over-expenditure, thereby potentially excluding their child from all the care available. This again indicates a poststructural perspective as it demonstrates how knowledge is in fact power. When coupled with issues of guilt about hiring a strange r to care for their disabled child, psychoanalytic issues re-emerge in this mutual constitution at the individual level and at the service-user level because for the carer, inflicting pain on a child in need of treatment triggers a defence mechanism that blocks awareness of their pain, which, Mawson argues, prevents job satisfaction. As such, as well as infantalizing clients, many caring practises deny dignity, privacy, and autonomy to the client, affecting their ‘personal’, as care becomes a public issue(1994, p.68, in Fink, 2004, ‘Care’, p.22).. Similarly, the feminization of care is embedded in discourses of sexuality as male carers doing ‘women’s work’ are assumed to be gay; therefore they are considered to possess ulterior motives – a gender differential that affects the ‘personal’ of men with potentially serious consequences. This no doubt was an issue that underpinned my first interviewee’s lack of success in his attempts to work with social care; â€Å"It was something that always interested me I suppose, while I was working I decided to do some volunteer work and liked it, so decided that I would like to continue in the care area (Brennan, 2008b). â€Å"I went for an interview and thought I did well, () to be honest I was very pleased with myself and thought I had a good chance of getting the job, unfortunately (laugh) that was not the case, they phoned me to say that I was unsuccessful but they did offer me relief work instead which I took, from there I got my foot inside the door of Social Care† (ibid). Indeed it has recently been mediated that there is a stark absence of male teachers within the primary education sector, but with assumptions such as these ensuring that the negative thinking surrounding the mutual constitution of male teachers and current policies then it is not surprising. However, it is apparent that social policies on for example discipline, falls to the male teacher who is often isolated by gender due to the vast majority being female. To be the sole person administering punishments to naughty boys has a negative impact on the ‘personal’ of both the male teacher and the one being punished in this unofficial mutual constitution (new.bbc.co.uk). However, the feminization of care is turned on its head when adults needing care are the focus as young people and children are conveniently situated to take on the caring role – free of charge (Fink et al., 2004).The policy highlights their plight and insists local authorities must assist, but in reality they are merely enable without any form of advertisement to ensure awareness of the provision, therefore little assistance is forthcoming as local authorities are keen to maintain low budgets which they depend on young carers to ensure. Furthermore, the likelihood of benefit dependency maintains material inequalities that further exclude young carers from the lifestyles of their peers. Their caring duties also impinge on education and leisure – deemed by the Green Paper as essential for their future in terms of growth, socialization, mental health and their future. However, veiled threats for parents of truants and offenders are revealed if they fail to accomplish this end as the mutual constitution of social policies and the personal of young carers renders them at risk and vulnerable to attack, by definition which serves to facilitate the intervention of Social Services, the irony of who, although not universal – are mostly women. The issuing of compulsory parenting orders that claim to halve re-offending, can also remove children from the family home – thus echoing the past. Indeed my own qualitative research indicates how this works in practise and demonstrates how lived experiences of personal lives is impacted upon by social policy as they become mutually constituted. For example, the sixteen–year-old resident of a care home was clearly unhappy with the way policies were implemented stating his distaste of social work intervention and his disappointment of his mother when stating; â€Å"Yeah well the Social Worker found where I was staying and refused to allow me to stay there.. My mother agreed to a voluntary Care Order because they [social workers]are interfering so and sos who think they know what is good for me† (emphasis added)(Brennan, 2008c). However, upon critical analysis of my research methods I also realise that my role as a residential care worker shaped the outcome in negative ways firstly by declaring that employed subject-position and then by offering advice: â€Å"All I can say is that you should take what ever is out there in the way of help and make it work for you† (Brennan, 2008c). Also in response to my question on the adequacy of care he stated; â€Å"What care? Staff dont f..g care† (Brennan, 2008c). I replied with: â€Å" Now W I am sure that is not true, perhaps you feel that staff dont care maybe because it is not the type of care that you are looking for† (Brennan, 2008c). While this demonstrates the need for reflexivity in terms of ensuring an objective approach is implemented by the researcher putting their own feelings to one side, it is illustrative of the difficulties of conducting qualitative research through semi-structured interviews to produce an empirical and valid contribution about the social world. Even classic sociologists such as Durkheim (1964), who once claimed that an experiment produced social ‘fact’ if the experiment when repeated twice produced the same outcome, was later reflexive about this upon the realisation that no research whether quantitative or qualitative can ever be value-free (in Churchill, 2004, RAAB; Part 3, 2004, p.55). Similarly, in my semi-structured interviews with a residential care manager his responses indicated that he was responding only in ways that did not reflect negatively on himself. This indicates that despite the best efforts of the researcher, the interviewee will only impart with what he he/she wants you to know, and not necessarily what the researcher should or wants to know. Despite this, measures are taken to prevent subjective shaping of the researcher such as in Goldson’s research – although again, it can never be deemed as value-free despite his lengthy experience. Nevertheless, Goldson (2004) argues these mixed messages by the social workers and by the spoken word of children in care reveals that childhood is socially constructed towards legitimizing the control of children. Again, this is discursively produced as two centuries ago, children were treated as adults until philanthropists’ and reformists’ reconstructed the childhood discourse through interventionist methods that removed children from the streets and ‘dysfunctional’ families. They were then institutionalized, until reforms by the self-proclaimed ‘public mother’ Mary Carpenter, orchestrated the emergence of ‘institutional schools’ (2004, ‘Care’ p.88). Prior to this there was little distinction between ‘deprived’ victims in need of care, and ‘depraved’ threats in need of control, as they were placed together often within adult prisons (Carpenter, 1853, in Goldson, 2004:p.88). Similarly, the G reen Paper targets families deemed unable to care adequately for children revealing how the earliest reformers constructed the idealized image of the family as a self-regulating entity. As Goldson argues, children today are constructed via inter-generational differentiation from adults, but are then further differentiated on an intra-generational level in terms of social divisions (2004: ‘Care’, p.81). The pluralism of British society problematizes any generalization of children in ways that the Green Paper states – instead they are categorised according to class, gender, and ‘race’. Goldson places the care and control theory in the context of Victoria Climbà © who was represented as a deprived victim who was in need of care (2004, ‘Care’, p.83). However, the language employed surrounding children shifts as textual connotations mediated in another headline constitutes children as depraved ‘thugs’ in need of control (ibid). This shapes public opinion, constructs negative identities and stereotypes that legitimize the dichotomy of deserving/undeserving and subsequent punishment. Thus, as Cohen argues, the ove rlapping parameters of care and control are inseparable (Cohen, 1985, p.2, in Goldson, 2004, ‘Care’, p.85). Continuing the poststructuralist view of Goldson’s research argues that the institutional fix is equal for both for victims and threats in contemporary Britain (2004, ‘Care’, p.87). He focuses on the gender differentials as a disproportionate number of boys are incarcerated within youth offender’s institutions towards protecting the community, whereas girls tend to go into secure accommodation towards protecting themselves, which is evident in the extracts reference the provision of childcare for teenage parents returning to education implicating that in their premature maturity resulting from caring for parents is evidence of embarking prematurely on sexual relationships (ibid). This again is discursively constructed as historically girls were locked up for sexual misconduct, revealing the heteronormative continuity and protectionist discourses. This is closely examined in Thomson’s (2004) research on sex education within schools which takes a feminist view that girls are responsible for avoiding pregnancy as well as ensuring the sexual health of both herself and her partner (Thomson, 2004, ‘Sexuality’, p.103). The study revealed that the power imbalance between the genders discouraged the female’s insistence on using condoms for two reasons – not wanting to gain a bad reputation; and admitting that the transition to sexual activity was taking place (ibid.). Thus risks were taken all too often. Goldson’s study of secure accommodation reveals contradictory personal narratives of both those being cared for, and their adult carers. One girl admitted she would not be alive now if she had not be taken into care, while another declared she could look after herself thus they had no right to lock her up as she had coped alone for years. While this demonstrates Higgins’ (1988) claim that while the personal is unique, it is also mirrored and experienced by others, thus not an individualistic phenomenon (Higgins,1998, pp.3-4 in Lewis Fink, 2004,p.22). Nevertheless, both accounts were mirrored by their respective care workers (Goldson, 2004, ‘Care’. pp.99-101). Here, control is paramount to care. A Marxist analysis of teen pregnancy would argue that lone mothers are both the consumers and producers of welfare in their provision of the future child-bearers and workforce of Britain. However, the restrictions imposed on young women today is discursively imbedded in the past as the Poor Laws of 1838 dictated in its claims that illegitimacy was indisputably the fault of the young female because â€Å"continued illicit intercourse has, in almost all cases, originated with the mother† (Extract 1.16, The New Poor Law View, 1938, in Carabine, ‘Sexuality’, 2004, p.39). For example, qualitative research data on teenage conceptions linked poverty to teenage pregnancy (Thomson, 2004, p99). However, there was no consideration of what Bourdieu (1977) termed the ‘logic of practice’ for these teenagers, as the choices they make, which make sense to them, were influenced by local cultural and social class values which may see parenthood as a sign of maturity and in many ways the only route to adulthood (cited in Thomson, 2004, p96). While the ‘logic of practise’ is a convincing argument, it fails to mention how the rate of abortion for middle class girls far exceeds that of working class girls. Nevertheless, these values provided teenagers with the resources to resist, or apply ‘excess’ to the powerful effects of normalising social policy and their subject position within it (Lewis Fink, 2004, p23). Thus, these teenagers are active agents rather than passive recipients of policy discourse, and do not recognise this d iscourse that views teenage pregnancy as problematic, as being applicable to them (Carabine, 2004, p33). In contrast to the control of girls, care for boys is constructed in ways that control as Goldson’s research into young offender’s institutions embraced a different discourse – fear. Rape, beatings, extortion, and suicide were prevalent according to all the boys. This represents what Higgins’ (1988) claims that collective understanding is viewed both socially and historically which were evident in the interpellation that provided understanding of their sense of self. However, the narratives of the prison officers revealed a language shift in that child abuse claims was redefined as bullying. The mutual constitution of new social policies and the personal lives of these boys were negatively impacted, exacerbated by the resistance of staff to implement the new policy that all new inmates require proper care and counselling upon arrival. That it was never met, shows how the mutual constitution at the service-user level can become complex and dangerous as the staff’s ability to detach themselves from the caring role protected their own ‘personal’ by activating their defence mechanisms before crossing the public/private boundary to freedom at the end of the working day(ibid. pp.101-5). However, as Goldson (2004) argues, a Marxist element is more than present in the discourse of ‘care’ relating to children as all prisons in the last decade have been built by private corporations. Similarly the adult interviewee in my research stated that: â€Å"In the last year the number of Residential Homes have doubled, mmm new homes are opening every week, so therefore it will take longer to get around to inspecting all of the homes† (Brennan, 2008b). This could explain the need for Goldson to bring to our attention the U-Turn regarding Tony Blair’s pledge in 1999 to â€Å"eradicate child poverty†, which shifter two years later to how we must â€Å"catch, convict, punish and rehabilitate young offenders† (Blair, 1999/2000, quoted in Goldson, 2002d: p.687). This being a complete U-turn also on the Children’s Act 1989 which claims that every child has the right to a happy and loving childhood within the care of their families. In conclusion, it is evident that the mutual constitution of social policy and personal lives concerning sexuality and care is experienced in vastly differing ways when applying it to children and young people. This is made more apparent through the use of theoretical perspective as it provides multi-dimensional perspectives of how policies are experienced according to various levels of diversity showing therefore how this impacts upon status and citizenship. While all these critical approaches have been applied to a variety of care and sexuality discourses, they can only produce a snapshot of the social world, however, the value of research in collective forms help us to understand in part, the epistemological and substantive nature of how social policies are constantly challenged by personal lives at the psychic, individual and collective levels including by welfare professionals at the service-user level. Social policy, within the content of this essay seeks solely to enforce soci al control and economic gain by defining and redefining the shifting boundaries of power in its mutual constitution with personal lives. However, the claim that social policy constructs social lives is not as substantive as the very fact they are constantly evolving is due to the continuing challenge, negotiation, resistance and excess employed by personal lives – no matter how miniscule. Reference List Bourdieu, P. (1977) Outline of a Theory of Practise, Cambridge University Press. Brennan, A. (2008b) Unpublished TMA05 submitted in partial completion of DD305 Personal Lives and Social Policy, The Open University Brennan, A. (2008c) Unpublished TMA05 submitted in partial completion of DD305 Personal Lives and Social Policy, The Open University Carabine, J. (Ed) Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Carabine, J. (2004) ‘Sexualities, Personal Lives and Social Policy’, in Carabine, J. (Ed) Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Carabine, J. Newman, J. (Ed’s) (2004) Course Companion: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Churchill, H., Fink, J. and Harris, F. (2004) Research Analysis and Assessment Booklet. Part 3 DD305 Personal Lives and Social Policy, Copyright  © 2004 The Open University Cohen, S. (1985) Visions of Social Control, Cambridge, Polity Press. Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Fink, J. (2004) ‘Care: Meanings, Identities and Morality’, in Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Fink, J. (2004) ‘Questions of Care’, in Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Goldson, B. (2002d) ‘New Labour, social justice and children: political calculation and the deserving-undeserving schism’, British Journal of Social Work, vol.32, no.6, pp.683-95 Goldson, B. (2004) ‘Victims or threats? Children, Care and Control’, in Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Government Green Paper (2003) Every Child Matters, The Stationary Office, 2003, Cmnd 5860. Higgins, P.C. (1988) ‘Introduction’, in Higgins, P.C. Johnson, J.M. (Eds) Personal Sociology, New York, Praeger. Lewis, G. (2004) (Ed) Citizenship: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Lewis, G. (2004) Do Not Go Gently†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢: Terrains of Citizenship and Landscapes of the Personal. In Lewis, G. (Ed) Citizenship: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Lewis, G., Fink, J. (2004) Themes, Terms and Concepts. In Fink, J., Lewis, G., Carabine, J., Newman, J. (Ed’s) Course Companion: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Lewis, G., Newman, J., Carabine, J., Fink, J. (2004) Theoretical Perspectives. In Fink, J., Lewis, G., Carabine, J., Newman, J. (Ed’s) Course Companion: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Thomson, R. (2004) ‘Sexuality and Young People: Policies, Practices and Identities. In Carabine, J. (Ed) Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Other Sources: The Open University (2004) CD-ROM 1: ‘The Children’s Act 1989’, DD305 Personal Narratives and Resources [CD-ROM], Milton Keynes, The Open University. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4336092.stm 4,707 words with 700 extra words to assist the client with greater understanding of the wider aspect of mutual constitution.

Austria Essay -- essays research papers fc

Austria Table of Contents Population Culture Tradition Way of Life Vegetation and Animal Life History Religion Arts Language Education Health Government Climate Trade Resources Agriculture Bibliography Austria Austria, a small country in Central Europe famous for its gorgeous mountain scenery. The towering Alps, and the foothills stretch across the western, southern and central parts of the country. Broad green valleys, lovely mirror lakes and thick forest cover a good portion of the land. Austria with no coastline shares its surrounded borders with Liechtenstein and Switzerland to the west; Germany and the Czech Republic to the north; Hungary and Slovakia to the east; and to the south Italy and Slovenia. North-East is Vienna, Austria's capital and largest city, where about a fifth of the people live. Population Austria has a population of about 7Â « million. Most Austrian's choose to live in the lower east areas of the country and just south of the Danube River. Also the capital and largest city, more than one and a half-million of the Austrian population lives in Vienna. Other cities with more than 100,000 people living in them consist of Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, and Scuzburg. Culture Austrians do not like being classified as Germans, Austria is basically Germanic in language and ethnic association. Some minorities include 40,000 Croats, 70,000 Solvenes, and a small group of Hungarians (11,000) and Czechs (5,000). Most Austrian's live south of the Danube River. Austrians enjoy an array of fine foods such as a Viennese Clich otherwise known as a Wiener Schnitzel, and many fine cakes and pastries. The average life expectancy for males is 72 and females 78. Traditions In May and June Vienna hosts the Vienna Festival. This festival is a celebration of music, arts, and theater. Austrians have a great love for music, many of the greatest composers were born and played there, many like Beethoven and other popular composers. Operas are also very popular, and The Vienna State Opera House is the most popular for such an activity. Festivals play an important part of Austria. One festival takes place throughout the province of Tyrol, in the beginning of spring. People dress up and pretend to chase the evil spirits of winter away. Way of Life ... ...nbsp; Austria's had a negative balance of trade since 1945, Although Austria has a large income from visitors. Austria imports transport equipment, heavy machinery, fuels, foodstuffs, and raw materials. Austria exports lumber, paper, pulp, textiles, iron, steel, electric power, and machinery. Resources The greatest natural resources in Austria is it's waterpower. "Much of the potential hydroelectric capacity, however, remains to be exploited" (Prodigy 1994) 40% of the land is taken up by forests, which is used for timber. The most important resources of Austria are magnesite graphite; iron; ore; lignite; oil, and natural gas. Agriculture "Two trends have characterized post war Austrian agriculture: a decline in the portion of the labor force engaged in farming and a decrease in small- scale farming, with farms of less than twelve acres either disappearing or being consolidated." (Prodigy 1994) Some of the leading crops include barley, wheat, rye, oats, potatoes, sugar beets, and corn. Meat production has risen sharply, and dairy farming is more than adequate to meet national needs.

Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games Essay -- Papers Children

Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games The video game technology, like most technologies, has changed drastically in the last few years. Arcades may look much the same on the surface as they did a decade or two ago, but the games have become far more violent, sophisticated and addictive. When one visits the video arcade it is not surprising to see children pointing and shooting something that looks suspiciously like a real weapon. If Pong – or, for that matter, Pac-Man and Super Mario Brothers – is one’s point of reference, one needs to think again. What one assumes about the benign, outdated games of the 1970s and the 1980s, even of the early 1990s, the research regarding them cannot be considered valid as video games put in the market in the last five years. It is a whole new world, and it is evolving at a rate that is hard for parents to keep pace with (Funk. Jeanne 1993). How fast a rate? Consider this: During the last two decades interactive video games have emerged as one of the most popular forms of entertainment, particularly among teens. According to the non-profit organization, Mediascope, â€Å"Globally, annual video games revenues now exceed $18 billion. In the United States alone, video game revenues now exceed $10 billion annually, nearly double the amount Americans spend going to the movies. On average, American children who have home video game systems play with them about ninety minutes a day. The kids are changing with the technology – how could they not be? They are riding technology curve in a way we are not and never can. On many levels, it’s wonderful to have them exposed to this brav... ...tors in Computing Systems CHI '04 Abstracts on Human factors in computing systems. ACM Press New York, NY , USA p. 1375-1378 Provenzo, Eugene. Video Kids. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1991 47-48. Schmitt, B.D. (2004). Disadvantages of Video Games. Clinical Reference Systems. Jan 1, 2004 p 3356. Behavioral Health Advisor 2004.1 McKesson Health Solutions LLC Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction Association for Computing Machinery, ACM Pres, New York, USA The First Fighting Game That Let You Just Be Friends. Take Greatest Games of All Times. Mortal Kombat II. Midway 1993. Accessed 2 Sept 2005 at: http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-17.html Videogame- mind control? Accessed 2 Sept 2005 at: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread37141/pg1