Monday, December 30, 2019

The Career Builder - A Masters Degree in Computer Science 2019

A career in computer science can take you in a number of directions. Computer engineering is akin to electrical engineering: it deals with the machines hardware. Computer programming includes the fields of computer operating systems and software. In some schools, software design is a separate discipline from programming designing software is conceptual, while programming that design means writing the code that turns the concept into reality. Computer networking is a specialty all its own. Information technology is a term that can refer to some or all of these specialties. All of these terms and professional fields, in turn, fall under the umbrella of computer science. Getting to the masters level in computer science requires working your way up the academic ladder, usually earning a bachelors degree in information technology as a platform for pursuing a masters. In the field of computer science, many professionals in the field who entered it at a relatively low level have chosen to pursue a masters in order to work their way up the management ladder. Masters programs in computer science and information technology are designed to provide the necessary professional skills for this pursuit. Often, people with undergraduate degrees in other fields will enroll in a computer science masters degree program, transferring as many credits as possible and making up the missing pieces with spot course work. .ufab1e03af82b6ea40eaa85bdf204d049 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .ufab1e03af82b6ea40eaa85bdf204d049:active, .ufab1e03af82b6ea40eaa85bdf204d049:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .ufab1e03af82b6ea40eaa85bdf204d049 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .ufab1e03af82b6ea40eaa85bdf204d049 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .ufab1e03af82b6ea40eaa85bdf204d049 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .ufab1e03af82b6ea40eaa85bdf204d049:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Why Startups Should Seek Help From The Small Business AdministrationOnline colleges are accustomed to continuing education and are prepared to help students achieve their goal regardless of their starting point. The online educational institutions take a pragmatic approach to their business, assuming that most of their students are working adults with ambition and initiative. For that reason, the online masters programs in computer science are an excellent option at the masters level because the schools understand that the academic goal is part of a professional goal. They are efficient and are completed in as short a time frame as possible. Capella University Online has a masters in science degree program with five choices for computer science specialization. Any one of them would be a good choice for a student interested in computer networking systems, database development and use in a business environment. Capellas curriculum choices for a computer science masters are: Information Technology General Information Security Network Architecture and Design Project Management and Leadership System Design and Programming Information Technology Management .udf75c4b935e83d10fdbb2e1d286c3675 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .udf75c4b935e83d10fdbb2e1d286c3675:active, .udf75c4b935e83d10fdbb2e1d286c3675:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .udf75c4b935e83d10fdbb2e1d286c3675 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .udf75c4b935e83d10fdbb2e1d286c3675 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .udf75c4b935e83d10fdbb2e1d286c3675 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .udf75c4b935e83d10fdbb2e1d286c3675:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Commerce 101 - The Business Administration CertificateBoth University of Phoenix Online and Kaplan University have online programs for an MBA (masters in business administration) specializing in information technology management. That academic concept is a great mix of a highly marketable degree with perhaps the most critical computer science field in the corporate world. The University of Phoenix online masters programs in technology are: Master of Business Administration/Technology Management Master of Information Systems Master of Information Systems/Management Colorado Technical University has four masters degree programs oriented in computer science. In this list, you can see some choices in the programming area. Computer Engineering Computer Science Software Engineering Computer Science Computer System Security Management Information Technology/Project Management Management Information Systems Support These are only examples. Masters degrees in computer science can take you in any number of professional directions, and they can be achieved online in less time than you might think. .uad0c78ff5c39b00be781b58337dc5c8e { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .uad0c78ff5c39b00be781b58337dc5c8e:active, .uad0c78ff5c39b00be781b58337dc5c8e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .uad0c78ff5c39b00be781b58337dc5c8e { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .uad0c78ff5c39b00be781b58337dc5c8e .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .uad0c78ff5c39b00be781b58337dc5c8e .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .uad0c78ff5c39b00be781b58337dc5c8e:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Online Computer Science Courses Offer Multiple SpecialtiesRelated ArticlesComputer Science TechnologyThe Relationship Beteween Computer Science and EngineeringComputer Programming What is itFind Online Computer and Technology Degrees and ProgramsThe Future of Computer ScientistsEarning a Masters Degree in Computer Science

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Assassination of John F Kennedy Essays - 1761 Words

Imagine walking down the street on a sunny, fall afternoon. You watch all of the happy kids and their parents enjoying the day as a parade goes by. All of the happy people in the street are eagerly jumping up on their toes attempting to get a glimpse of the president. The weather is practically perfect, so when the president comes around the corner of the street, he has the top down on the convertible to experience the beautiful weather. All of the sudden you hear a loud bang, and see many people scattering and dropping to the ground to cover their heads. You slowly begin to understand that a gunshot has been fired and panic sinks in. About 100 different case scenarios race quickly through your mind. This was the scene November 22, 1963†¦show more content†¦With today’s technology, the spread of any media, true or false, is almost instant. Anything can show up on a news website or on any of today’s many social media sites, like Facebook, or Twitter in a matter of seconds. They can also just as easily be sent around and forwarded to large amounts of people by email. In Belsi’s article UFOs? Secret agents? On the Net, conspiracy theories abound,† he recalls that within minutes of Princess Diana’s tragic car accident, articles about the tragedy had already been posted online. Most of the articles revolved around the idea that supposedly the British Intelligence was to be held responsible for such a tragic event. People were making these claims before anyone had even had a chance to investigate the content of that day. Minutes are important! Belsi explains how â€Å"What the net (internet) allows, is an international articulated discussion.† This can be good and bad. It can be good in the sense that people can come up with reasonable explanations for such events. It is bad in the sense that the internet allows anyone with some sort of computer to become an author. This can cause incorrect information to be passed on extremely fast. Everyone, educated or not, can put forth their own ideas and attempt to make people believe whatever point that they may be trying to get across. (Belsi.) The author of the article could be a 10 year old child letting their imagination go wild. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy982 Words   |  4 Pages O’Reilly and Dugard’s book, Killing Kennedy, is about the events leading to President John F. Kennedy being shot, as well as what happened after the assassination. This book also describes the rise and fall of John F. Kennedy. The authors also wrote about the Cold War, Kennedy dealing with communism, and threats of crime. January of 1961, the cold war was growing stronger and Kennedy was struggling with communism. During all of this happening, he was learning what it meant to be a president. HeRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1620 Words   |  7 Pages Ever since the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, there has been controversy over whether the true gunman was held accountable. The United States Government claimed that it was an easy, open and closed case. They found Lee Harvey Oswald, close to ground zero, with a freshly fired riffle, immediately after JFK was shot. Contrary to the governments report, skeptics argue a vast scope of conspiracies to shed light on what they believe happened that day; ideas ranging from magic bullets, multipleRead MoreThe Kennedy Assassinations By John F. Kennedy Essay1486 Words   |  6 Pages Decades later, the Kennedy assassinations and surrounding mysteries continue holding public interest. Although their notoriety as charismatic leaders is a significant contribution, other factors regarding societal psychology deserve consideration whilst exploring this phenomenon. With these events occurring during a time that allows living witnesses, modern accessible evidence, various media covera ge, and visible modern impact, the mysterious Kennedy assassinations have the capacity to encourageRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy Assassination1618 Words   |  7 PagesJohn F. Kennedy Assassination Was John F. Kennedy’s assassination a single shooter or was it a conspiracy? Since November 22, 1963 people around the world have wondered who it was that shot President Kennedy, and what for. So many questions have formed around this event, not just about who the shooter was, but also questions like what might the world have been like today if the shooting didn’t happen? The Kennedy assassination has been a mystery for many years. A lot of people hear about the differentRead MoreAssassination Of John F. Kennedy1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Assassination of John F. Kennedy â€Å"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.† President Kennedy stated in his commencement speech at American University on June 10, 1963. John F. Kennedy was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 to his assassination in November 1963. There are numerous conspiracy theories involving Kennedy’s assassinationRead MoreAssassination of John F. Kennedy931 Words   |  4 PagesThe John F. Kennedy assassination is believed to be one of the most controversial and debated topics in American History. JFK was one of the most beloved presidents of our time. Other assassinations of presidents didn’t have as many Conspiracy theories compared to the JFK assassination on November 22nd, 1963. Some of the theories include a Government cover-up, Mafia influence, and Cuban President Fidel Castro (Stern). T he assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, raised many questions thatRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1500 Words   |  6 PagesOn November 23, 1963, three shots were fired at President John F. Kennedy’s limousine in Dallas, Texas. The first shot went through the president’s neck, the second was the fatal shot that would ultimately end Kennedy’s life. There is a lot of speculation about what really took place in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Many people believe that Lee Harvey Oswald worked alone, but there are many people across the nation who think differently. Many theories can both support and disprove that LeeRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy Essay967 Words   |  4 PagesThe book I chose to read is The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by Lauren Spencer. It was published in 2002 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. It contains 64 pages. This book not only provides information on the killing of President Kennedy, b ut also information on his life, the arrested murderer s life, and more interesting background information and details. This books main objective is to go deeper into the case of John F. Kennedy s assassination, to discuss personal information about suspectsRead MoreAssassination of John F Kennedy1119 Words   |  5 Pagessixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository Building. However, did Lee Harvey Oswald, a crazy lunatic act alone in the assassination of President Kennedy. Both first – hand knowledge and visual evidence allows people to re – examine the events of this day and prove that there were other gunmen involved in the bombardment of our youngest elected president. John F. Kennedy was depicted as a nationwide hero to many Catholics living in the U.S. during the early 1960’s. He was idolized by severalRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1626 Words   |  7 PagesThe Assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated on November 22, 1963 at 12:30 p.m Central Standard Time in Dallas, Texas while riding in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza.[1] Kennedy was fatally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald while he was riding with his wife, Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally s wife, Nellie, in a presidential motorcade. A ten-month investigation by the Warren Commission from November 1963 to September 1964

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Children’s Literature Review Free Essays

Introduction This literature review explores the contemporary assumptions that underpin the theories and criticisms in children’s literature. Although this genre of literature has fairly recently been made into an academic discipline, it has become an increasingly important area in literary scholarship. Criticism of children’s literature has expanded beyond the field of pedagogy and literary studies and has been intersected by numerous other disciplines including psychology, history and queer theory. We will write a custom essay sample on Children’s Literature Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are four main approaches to criticism of children’s literature; firstly, the â€Å"child-centric† approach, which attempts to define books that are inherently ‘good’ for children to read and why. The second approach concentrates on the construction of the child and their identity. The third approach merely focusses on the text itself, and completely disregards the audience in question. The value of the text is therefore measured only through the author’s standard of writing. The final approach focusses on children’s literature as a cultural study, and analyses the genre as an aspect of contemporary culture. This topic can be fairly broad, and as such, this analysis must be narrowed and focussed. This review therefore concentrates on drawing together significant theories and criticisms relating to children’s literature, and does so specifically through means of the second main approach to criticism; analysing how the child and their identity are constructed. Four topics divide the paper and directly relate to my doctoral research: â€Å"The difficulties in defining children’s literature†, â€Å"The rejection of simplistic texts and the underlying ideologies that are present†, â€Å"The problematic colonialism of the child debate that exists within the adult-child relationship† and â€Å"Presenting the postcolonial in children’s texts – defining ‘the other’ and identity in literature†. Defining Children’s Literature – â€Å"The Difficulties† Defining children’s literature can be quite problematic, as one definition can differ extensively from another; depending primarily on the culture in question. For instance, the age range of the ‘child’ can vary from 0-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12 in western culture.[1] Furthermore, the reading level of children is under constant scrutiny, as it can be argued that children have no input in the creation of the texts that they are subject to. In his recent attempt to generate a working definition of this diverse group of texts, Perry Nodelman contends that â€Å"defining children’s literature has been a major activity of criticism throughout its history†.[2] John Rowe Townsend suggests it is impossible to define children’s literature as the possession of ‘the child’: â€Å"Children’s implies that young people own or control a body of texts that are generally written, published, reviewed and bought by adults†.[3] Townsend also suggests abandoning such definitions.[4] Karin Lesnik-Oberstein asserts that there is a faulty grouping of children into one neat category as â€Å"children†, with no regard to their individualism.[5] Oberstein also introduces a paradox within children’s literature that denotes: â€Å"Children’s literature repeatedly refutes this; claiming that ‘individuality’ is its priority above all else†¦ This is precisely the claim which cannot be sustained and is undermined within the field itself†¦ The ‘child’ is an ‘individual’ within the category of ‘childhood’†.[6] The author is suggesting that the literary world deems the child as being part of an autonomous group rather than the child being a ‘young adult’ or moreover, a sentient being. Nodelman observes that although it is difficult to clearly define what is considered children’s literature, it does not mean that some texts do not clearly fall into the category.[7] For instance, classic fairy tales such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs[8] have and always will be judged as part of the child’s canon of literature, if only for its extensive history. In Nodelman’s The Hidden Adult, McDowell presents the obvious defining characteristics that set children’s texts apart from other genres of literature. Namely, these characteristics include universality; ‘good over evil’ and moral teachings.[9] Although defining characteristics in children’s texts serves to neatly organise muddled definitions, it is perhaps too ideological and simple an approach. Just because children’s texts have â€Å"universal structural traits and patterns common to all children’s literature†[10]; to link them is impossible. This theory assumes that children’s texts remain similar at all times and do so within all cultures. This is certainly not true. The prospect of ‘good and evil’ is subjective amongst all cultures. By linking this philosophy to children’s texts, Shavit is thereby declaring that all tales that oppose the western ideal of universality (for example) can’t app ropriately be labelled as children’s literature as differing views of what is inherently ‘good’ will surface from culture to culture. Thus, it is with the boxed definition that Shavit and Nodelman employed that the definition of children’s literature is explained in a very Eurocentric manner.[11] Recent definitions of the genre have attempted to avoid the generalization of children; although this has proven extremely difficult because of contemporary ideology that states plots do not deviate from the same basic forms.[12] Children’s literature is extraordinarily simplified as a result of this theory, and conforms to the â€Å"binary approach that underlies all adult thinking about children in the centuries in which a ‘special’ literature has existed. The understanding of children is determined purely in terms of their opposition to, lack of, and subordination to maturity.†[13] This demonstration of children’s literature arguably only serves to stereotype and de-humanise its adult authors, who have since become the harbingers of patronising connotations. Throughout the literature’s history, they have depicted children as fundamentally incapable, single-minded, vulnerable, and above all, completely innocent. Adult’s definitions of child-driven narratives have consequently indoctrinated this view onto their child readers’ minds. The hierarchy of age is still present, whether or not the intent is for the best. In The Hidden Adult, Nodelman proposes: â€Å"In working to construct childhood as a smaller and more protected version of being human; a safe home separate from the more dangerous world around it, children’s literature paradoxically closets its adulthood and keeps it a safely hidden secret that allows for the supposed safety and innocence of the protective structure that surrounds it.†[14] Here Nodelman has clearly highlighted the difficulties of defining children’s texts. Doing so works only to alienate children from the real ‘adult’ world, he suggests, which results in children being judged as completely un-educated, delusional and almost mythical in their state of innocence. Would it not better treat the child to expose them to more practical scenarios that they could relate to in realityThis will be answered later. As it stands, children’s literature is defined through its message rather than its artistic value. However, Marah Gubar has counter-acted this point and argued in Artful Dodgers: Reconceiving the Golden Age of Children’s Literature that children’s literature can be â€Å"rich in irony, in ambiguity and in linguistic subtlety† and suggests that the essentialism of children tends to narrow out vision.[15] It should not be forgotten that these texts are still works of literature; and their construction, together with their command over language is the cornerstone for their success. The fact of the matter still remains that children’s literature is arguably indefinable, being as though the child readers themselves do not take part in their construction at all. One can still afford to discuss and dissect the genre, however, as it is part of the literary world. In light of this, and in order to distinguish children’s texts from other texts, it has been largely determined that the genre deals with literature written for, or mainly read by, children between the ages of 1 and 16, in formats and styles ranging from the picture book to the young adult novel. Ideology – â€Å"No Text is Simple† Children’s literature is most usually seen in binary of â€Å"good† for children, or as â€Å"bad† for children. Child-centric criticisms usually focus upon this binary divide and look at what is â€Å"good† for the child – in reading and in types of texts the child reads. Although this approach is fairly out-dated in children’s literature studies, it is still used by many educators and librarians around the world. It is also included in the many â€Å"best of† collections for analysing children’s literature. Keeping in mind the development of the child, child-centric ideology considers this the most important aspect of children’s literature. To further this point, Bruno Bettelheim reinforces the importance of fairy tales in his book The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales[16]. Here, Bettelheim asserts that fairy tales are an integral part of a child’s development and that they are of the utmost importance in nurturing the child’s growth and understanding of the world. He emphasizes that by dealing â€Å"with universal human problems, particularly those which pre-occupy the child’s mind, these stories speak to the child’s budding ego and encourage its development†[17]. Although Bettelheim only assesses fairy tales, this theory of a â€Å"moral good† is still a method of judgement used today. Adult readers and parents of child readers will seek out the morally good message in children’s literature in order for their consent to be given. This is severely problematic, as Jack Zipes points out in Second Thoughts on Socialization Through Literature for Children[18]. He rejects Bettelheim’s analysis of fairy tales and argues that, along with the rest of children’s literature, the texts are not for children. Instead, Zipes stresses that children’s literature never belonged to children in the first place, and that it is in fact â€Å"a script coded by adults for the information and internalization of children which must meet the approbation of adults†.[19] In The Hidden Adult, Nodelman agrees that adults write these stories in order to acculturate the child towards the adult’s definitions of proper behaviour, mannerisms and socialization.[20] Whilst this might seem like warped philosophy, it does give reason for the texts to be created; to compliment the lower-reading level standard that is more easily relatable to children who wish to involve themselves in reading as a hobby or past-time . The adult writer-child reader relationship also presents another method of acculturating the child. Nodelmen in The Hidden Adult shed some light on how engrained adult assumptions are in supposedly innocent and simplistic texts: â€Å"Children’s literature is not simple. The most rudimentary of baby books comes to exist and has meaning only within a complex context of assumptions about books, about babies, about books for babies, about language and visual imagery, about education, about pleasure, and about the economy and the marketplace†.[21] Regardless then, of complexity or artistic construct; no form of text is without ideology. It is inevitable, and a product of contemporary belief; not to mention a product of what will sell a good amount of copies in the marketplace, as stated by Nodelman. In Ideology and the Children’s Book[22], Peter Hollindale assumes this position as well, and advocates it is â€Å"because of the multiplicity and diversity of both ‘book’ and ‘child’ and of the social world in which each of these seductive abstractions takes a plenitude of individual forms†. Hollindale also suggests three levels of ideology in texts. The first is formed of â€Å"the explicit social, political and moral beliefs of the individual writer and his/her wish to recommend them to children throughout the story†. Hollindale believes that this type of ideology is mostly deliberate, and overtly promotes the message that the writer wishes to convey. However, Hollindale argues that this is mostly to an unhappy consequence, in which the â€Å"ideological explicitness is often achieved at the cost of imaginative depth†. The second category of ideology within children’s texts is the un-examined assumptions and ideologies that the writer infuses into the work. It is nearly impossible to confine the subliminal or passive values of the writer. These values will be relocated into the text and into the overall sense of the storyline. They are then relayed to the reader through subtle and often unconscious choices of language and imagery. Furthermore, Hollindale affirms that â€Å"un-examined, passive values are widely shared values†¦ (and one should not) underestimate the powers of reinforcement vested in quiescent and unconscious ideology†. The third category of ideology is one that suggests our thinking â€Å"may be affected by an over-simplified stereotype of possible authority and influence†¦. (and that) writers for children are transmitters not of themselves uniquely, but of the worlds they share.† The fictional universe that is made up for children in their literature is therefore a product of not only the individual writer, but of the values that were bestowed upon them when they were a child themselves. Colonialism of the Child Jacqueline Rose in The Case of Peter Pan or the Impossibility of Children’s Fiction[23] looks at J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan[24] in order to present differing interpretations of children’s literature and asks â€Å"what adults, through literature, want or demand of the child,† rather than â€Å"what children want, or need from literature.† Furthermore, she identifies a problematic adult-child relationship in literature. She explains that children’s literature published for children is â€Å"a way of colonizing (or wrecking) the child†.[25] Nodelman, in The Hidden Adult argues using similar threads and relates Edward Said’s Orientalism to the case of children and their literature. The adult is seen as the colonizer and the child is seen as the colonized. Peter Hunt (literary critic) reinforces this point by concluding books that are ‘written for’ children are more appreciated by their adult counterparts.[26] As a result, the relationship between writer and reader seems to be fairly one-sided, as the books then become texts that are written by adults, for adults. The child, quite notably, is taken out of the picture all together, as if they have been thoroughly colonized by adults and forced to grow up. Nodelman explains that ultimately, adults can’t escape the role of the colonizer because they are the only party that has the ability and foresight to write children’s books that will withstand the test of time. â€Å"In order to combat colonization, I am recommending a benevolent and helpful colonizing attitude towards children†,[27] Nodelman suggested. However, if one is to conclude that no children’s literature exists that is not colonizing, what does this mean for the future of children’s booksAre we to simply stop writing books that have been read and loved by generations of children over centuriesOr is contemporary society merely becoming too carried away with social practiceOr furthermore; are we too afraid of damaging children’s innate â€Å"innocence† with any pre-mature thought of the adult world? Granted, this lack of urgency is less prominent in literature targeted at adolescence, but the types of literature published and chosen to be highlighted must also be taken into consideration in that genre as well. In conclusion, it seems that in terms of controlling relationships, adults are continuing to colonize children in literature, through an un-avoidable turn of events. Post Colonialism – The â€Å"Other† and Identity in Literature â€Å"Child psychology and children’s literature can be discussed and analyzed as the corporate institution for dealing with childhood – dealing with it by making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it, ruling over it; in short, child psychology and children’s literature as an adult style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over childhood.†[28] This quotation demonstrates the thorough colonization of the child through literature that is aimed solely at them. Whilst this section deals with post-colonization, it is necessary to address the effects that colonization had on the world in a political and social sense. For instance, a divide was created between the West and the Orient. Both senses of each culture’s identity were molded within their given territories, as well as against one another’s given territory. A western child grows up knowing that he is a western child, and at the same time develops knowledge of the oriental child. Therefore an identity is made to suit himself, whilst another foreign identity is made to suit the oriental child in his eyes. In post-colonial society, the decolonized child develops a post-colonial identity that has since stemmed from being colonized by their own society. Children are influenced by the â€Å"good and the bad† of the previous generations. They are influenced to read materials given to them by their parents – materials that the parents themselves have deemed worthy and acceptable of the child’s embrace. Again, there is no possible room for a world in which colonization does not exist in the parent-child relationship. There is still the role of the colonizer (played by the parent) and the role of the colonized (played by the child). The colonizer’s influence is strong and un-deniable on the child, much like the influence that the British Empire had during its reign over India. Clare Bradford exhibits this point well in her book Unsettling Narratives: Post-Colonial Readings of Children’s Literature[29], in so far that she observes how mainstream cultures have used and recycled the same classic narrative discourses for decades. Clare suggests that this is a mere reinforcement of colonization, and that the movement is a product of children having been colonized by their parents for the whole of child literature’s history. Bradford has pointed out the perpetuating cycle of this activity; and how it will never change because of the relationship found between the colonizer and the colonized i.e. parent and child. With this passing down of identity from colonizer to colonized, the child begins to forge his or her own will to carry on the generational hierarchy, and indeed, their own will to recognize their identity from others. Nodelman touches upon this point very well in The Other†¦, by comparing Orientalism to common assumptions about children’s literature and childhood itself. His discovery was triggered by Edward Said’s Orientalism[30], which acts as a commentary about the ways the West views the East. It dictates that by analyzing and authorizing views about the Orient, we are also dominating and restructuring it, much in the same way as we are dominating and re-structuring childhood by allowing adults to write about it. Roderick McGillis reinforces this point by using the example of cowboys and Indians at the start of his book Voices of the Other: Children’s Literature and the Postcolonial Context[31]. After observing how some boys act out the massacre of 40,000 native Indians because their cowboy idols are doing so, he determines that â€Å"the success of American culture amounts to a colonizing activity that these boys appear to accept readily and unquestioningly.† The same activity that McGillis noticed in these boys happens within all veins of children’s literature; children are accepting Peter Pan (for instance) without question, and addressing morals and universalities much in the same way as their beloved protagonist does. In conclusion, it is evident that modern post-colonial society can’t escape the relationship it has between adult-writer and child-reader. It is an observation that could be seen on the surface as being sinister, but one has to remember that adults were children once too. Who better is there to teach a child how to actDevelopmentally, humans are creatures of imitation. In this respect, literature should also be deemed as so. Bibliography Barrie, J.M. 2013. Peter Pan. UK. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN-10: 1484102827. Bettelheim, B. 1991. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. UK. Penguin Books. ISBN-10: 0140137270. Bradford, C. 2007. Unsettling Narratives: Postcolonial Readings of Children’s Literature. UK. Wilfrid Laurier University ISBN-10: 0889205078. Brothers Grimm. 1987. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. UK. Square Fish. ISBN-10: 0374468680. Gubar, M. 2010. Artful Dodgers: Reconceiving the Golden Age of Children’s Literature. S. OUP USA. ISBN-10: 0199756742. Pp. 45. Hollindale, P. 1988. Ideology and the Children’s Book. UK. Thimble Press. ISBN-10: 0903355264. Hunt, P. 1994. An Introduction to Children’s Literature. USA. Oxford University ISBN-10: 0192892436. Lesnik-Oberstein, K. 2004. Children’s Literature: New Approaches. UK. Palgrave Macmillian. ISBN-10: 1403917388. 2008. The Hidden Adult: Defining Children’s Literature. UK. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN-10: 0801889804. Pp. 188. McGillis, R. 2012. Voices of the Other: Children’s Literature and the Postcolonial Context (Children’s Literature and Culture). UK. Routledge, ISBN-10: 0415653150. 14-20, Chp. 43. McGillis, R. 2000. Voices of the Other. UK. Routledge. ISBN-10: 081533284. Nodelman, P. 2008. The Hidden Adult: Defining Children’s Literature. UK. Johns Hopkins University ISBN-10: 0801889804. Pp. 163. Nodelman, P. 1992. The Other: Orientalism, Colonialism and Children’s Literature. Children’s Literature Association Quarterly. Vol. 17, No. 1. Pp. 29 – 35. Penguin Group USA. 2013. Accessible: http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/youngreaders/children/booksbyage.html. Last Accessed 24/10/2013 Rose, J. 1984. The Case of Peter Pan or the Impossibility of Children’s Fiction. S. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN-10: 0812214358. Said, E. 1979. UK. Vintage. ISBN-10: 039474067X. Shavit, Z. 2010. Poetics of Children’s Literature. S. University of Georgia Press. ISBN-10: 0820334812. Townsend, J. R. 1971. Standards of Criticism for Children’s Literature. S. American Library Association. Pp. 194. Zipes, J. 1981. Second Thoughts on Socialization Through Literature for Children. The Lion and the Unicorn Vol. 5. UK. The Johns Hopkins University Pp. 19-32. How to cite Children’s Literature Review, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Strategic Vehicles Import Supply Chain †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Vehicles Import Supply Chain. Answer: Introduction The Australian automotive industry is witnessing major changes represented in the closure of the three major vehicle manufacturers, Ford, Holden, and Toyota by the end of 2017. Australia is a well-known country as a leader in car manufacturing since 1890's. The global changing conditions represented in the trade liberalization forced global vehicles manufactures to withdraw from high cost countries to low cost countries including Australia. According to the estimates of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) as cited in Neale (2017), about 25 thousand workers in the automotive supply chain business will lose their jobs and about 50% of the automotive component industry firms will close, and the other firms could adapt to change their business into other markets. However, the optimistic scenario suggests that the automotive industry would adapt through involvement in wholesale and retail of imported parts, and vehicles. The incentives offered by the Australian government and the low interest rates indicate that the Australian automotive industry shall witness a positive growth in the mid of 2018 (Motor trade association in Australia, 2016). The Australian economy is stable and the social protection scheme is strong which illustrate the optimistic scenario. The following sections address the Australian automotive industry background, the research objectives, the research questions, the reasons behind the withdrawal of the major three automotive companies from the domestic market, the impact of their withdrawal on the Australian economy and the industry workforce, the main causes of the closure decision and the actions that could be made by the government to manage the risk of the closure decision. History and background The Australian market used to offer an attractive climate for car production. Australian automotive industry has an innovative long history of car manufacturing. In the past, Australia was one of the 13 countries who owned the capabilities of producing a car from scratch. It could produce about half a million cars in 1974. Ford was the first car manufacturer in the Australian market, as it introduced its first car in 1896 (Barclay, 2017). The car industry, mainly focuses on producing large vehicles which attracted a large base of customers. The automotive companies operating in the Australian market are represented in Ford, Toyota, Holden, Nissan, Chrysler, British Leyland, Renault, Volkswagen and Rootes. The Australian government imposed high protection regulation on the automotive industry since 1965, including certain specifications of levels of local content, tariffs, and import quotas to ensure a high degree of the industry from the external competition. In the mid of 1980, the automotive industry witnessed major changes in the governmental policies known as the "Motor industry development plan". This plan aimed at reducing the level of protection of the industry. Recently, the strength of the Australian dollar negatively affected the competitive level of the automotive industry in the export market, while the prices of imported cars are lowered. In 2012, Holden announced cutting flexible jobs, followed by further job cuttings by Toyota in the several past years (The Allen consulting group, 2013). Labor cut decisio ns by the domestic manufacturers indicate their intention of shrinking their operations in the domestic market, which may lead to a complete shutdown of the industry if the governmental policies continued to lower investment incentives. Research objectives To realize the reasons behind the withdrawal of the three major companies from the automotive industry in Australia. To address the potential risks associated with the automotive industry closure in Australia. To discuss the impact on the workers in the automotive industry and assisting industries. To analyze the governmental policies that led to the collapse of the automotive industry. To address the potential of retaining the automotive industry and the component manufacturing within the domestic market. Research questions Should the Australian car industry be kept alive? Is it right to end the long history of the automotive industry in Australia? How the automotive industry closure will affect the Australian economy? How the former factory workers will find employment opportunities in other industrial sectors? Will be there any future opportunities in automotive manufacturing in Australia? What is going to happen to the car component industry and how its capability will be affected? Is there a real opportunity in the green automotive industry? Australia and the global automotive manufacturing industry There exist different factors of success within the global manufacturing industry, including the internal and external firm competition, trade barriers, and, exchange rate risks. To take the decision of investing in a foreign market, the investor is influenced by the governmental policies, including, incentives for investment. After the global financial crisis, the support of the Australian government to the automotive industry decreased. Other factors related to the weak governmental support, include, the high labor cost, the strong currency and the liberalization of the automotive industry (The Allen consulting group, 2013). Accordingly, the investments of the three operating companies would likely shift to other countries where invest incentives exist. The automotive worldwide sales recorded 88 million vehicles in 2016, showing an annual increase of 4.8% compared to their level in 2015. Companies also enjoyed high rates of revenues and earnings, but in the next five years, only few companies who will be able to introduce creative products and utilize their limited resources will survive. The development of innovative software cost is likely to increase and mergers and acquisitions are predicted to take place to (Parkin, Wilk, Hirsh, 2017). This analysis indicates that the industry is in serious trouble. The three car manufacturers who domestically operate are represented in Toyota, Holden, and Ford. Regarding the governmental policies towards the automotive industry, they decided that they cannot continue to create a competitive business due to low governmental incentives. Noting that the automotive industry has a high multiplier; as the economy benefits between 1.9$ to 9$ for each 1$ invested in the automotive manufacturing industry (The Allen consulting group, 2013). The recent years witnessed a shortage of providing the motor machines, as demand for the machines decreases it is likely that the car manufacturers withdraw from the market (Australian government- Department of employment, 2014). It is important to think of how the economy would look like if the automotive industry shut down. Also the withdrawal of the three major companies from the Australian market is likely to shift the main source of revenue from the vehicle itself to a new reevaluated value driver business strategy (KPMG, 2017). Accordingly, data should be analyzed carefully to estimate the upcoming trends in the automotive market. Domestic market share losses The Australian economy has switched to growing levels of vehicles imports as a result of the trade liberalization of Automotive. Tariffs gradually declined from 60% in 1984 to only 15% in 2000 and continued to decline to reach 5% in 2009, as declared in figure (1). The diversification of imported brands created a fragmented market, the domestic customer was allowed to choose among different types of vehicles. The automotive industry sales decreased from 300 thousand units to 120 thousand units in 2012 in Australia. As a result of the goods and services boom, and the appreciation of the Australian dollar, the consumers demand for imported vehicles increased, leaving the domestic vehicles unsold due to their high prices (Barnes, 2015). Also, the government will face the problem of importing right-hand-drive vehicles, in this case it would have to import from Japan and the UK at least (Department of commerce, 2016). Accordingly, it seems that the automotive industry in Australia is losi ng its market share and the decision of the three major automotive companies is not a sudden decision. The average age of the passenger vehicle is about 10 years, which is considered higher than its level during 2007 to 2010, as shown in figure (2). It is also higher than the UK average age of 7.3 years, and the age in Japan. The older average age reflects that the Australian customers are relying on vehicles that lack the efficiency and safety features of the new cars. The vehicle sales in the last years does not reflect the fleet renewal (Australian automobile association, 2016). About 62% of Australians are likely to pay more money to get a vehicle with zero emissions. The growing number of population ensures that car sales would remain strong (Morgan, 2017). Consumers would benefit from the tariff reduction and competition in the global market, but the local market will lose the investments and jobs. It should be considered that when the market is not optimally operating and the characteristics of customer choices are not clear, prices would increase (Australian automotive aftermarket association, 2016). This assumption is likely to come true when the three major automotive companies shut down their business by the end of the year. The reasons behind the withdrawal of car manufacturing companies like Ford, Holden, Toyota from Australia Although Toyota sells about 3.5 Mn. cars, followed by Holden that sells about 2.1 Mn. cars and Ford that sells 1.7 Mn. cars (Morgan, 2017). The three Australian major automotive manufacturers, Ford, Holden, and Toyota announced in 2014 that their production plants are going to close by the end of 2017. Their reasons are related to the economic conditions within the Australian market, which indicate the unavailability of the car manufacturing. For example, they could export only 40% of their domestic vehicle production in 2012 and the imported new vehicles represented 92% of sales, representing more than one million car sales per year, as shown in figure (4). Cars imported from USA, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Germany are preferred by the local customers. Moreover, the decision of the government to cut the import tariff with Japan because of the free trade area agreement means that imports from Japan will increase, and imported car prices will decrease during the following years. Recently, the medium size sedan cars are the focus of the car manufacturing assembly, which also shows unsustainability, for example, the Toyota Camry (Malihi Shee, 2017). Australia also agreed to lower the import tariff on vehicles from Thailand, this policy resulted in importing of 2 Mn. cars of familiar brands, including, Ford, Holden, and Toyota, the three companies who decided to close their plants. Also imported brands extended to include Nissan, Honda, Mazda, and Mitsubishi. Australia could only export 100 vehicles in return to Thailand as, the latest impose non-tariff barriers. The major car exporters to Australia are Japan and Thailand (Dowling, 2017). T his implies that the car manufacturers will move away from export-based manufacturing to the closure of their plants. The employment will be affected in both of the component making and automotive assembly. The vehicle manufacturing industry is switching to component parts import. Also, the Australian market is limited which affects the ability of companies to exploit economies of scale, and the import penetration is considered among the major reasons for vehicles' plant closure. Component suppliers will probably switch to other manufacturing activities. For example, Ford assisted its workers to find other employers (Auto skills Australia, 2016). Toyota and Holden illustrate that high production cost, changing consumer preferences, high labor cost, the strong currency and the liberalization of the automotive industry and the fragmented domestic market are the main reasons for the closure. Automotive closure impact on the workers The automotive industry employs more thousands of workers involved directly and indirectly, representing 8.5% of the total workforce, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics as cited in Valadkhani (2016), figure (5), shows the trends and the distribution of workers in the automotive manufacturing during (2002- 2013). The job losses are concentrated in the professional, scientific, and technical services. In 2009/2010, the output of the car manufacturing industry accounted for about 20 Bn. $. The multiplier effect of the employment in the economy is seven, meaning that one million dollar demand can directly and indirectly generate seven jobs. This industry provides jobs in engineering, scientific research, design, architecture, computer systems, accounting, law, market research, advertising, management and consulting. As the sectorial linkages differ, the losses of full-time jobs also differs (Valadkhani, 2016). There is no clear vision about what is going to happen after the closure of this industry, but definitely, the car component industry will not survive and its capability will be affected. In 2013, 118 automotive supply parts were surveyed and the results showed that about 32% of the major suppliers declared that the major three vehicle manufacturers contribute to about 95% of their business (Colliers International, 2016). The full industry shutdown by the end of 2017 will negatively affect not only the parts suppliers but also more associates. Causes of the three major automotive companies withdrawal from Australia The three automotive companies produce small, medium, and large vehicles. The companies are based in Victoria and South Australia. Automotive production is supported by about 134 supply chain firms to design and manufacture car components. The share of the Australian automotive industry in the global production of automotive sector accounts for only 0.3%. There are major trends that shape the global automotive sector, according to Australian government (2014) as follows: The growing markets in Asia, especially China, the largest vehicles manufacturer and sales market. The shift of vehicle manufacturers towards the global platform to take the advantage of the large economies of scale, flexible production processes, and economic arbitrage. The change in customers' preferences towards smaller, and more fuel efficient cars. These trends are considered the main causes of the decision of Ford, Holden and Toyota to close their plants in the Australian market. It is important to focus on the cases of each company. Accordingly, Ford, and Toyota are discussed in details to provide their justifications more deeply, as follows: Toyota Australia: Is considered a leading vehicle manufacturer, distributer and exporter of cars. It operates under the Toyota and Lexus brands. The company's operations are mainly in sales and marketing, product planning and development, corporate services, and manufacturing and purchasing. Its customers include private and government buyers of cars and fleets. Following the announcement of closure in 2014, the company decided to switch its business to be a national sales and distribution company (Toyota, 2016). It is obvious that the domestic market has lost a very important investor who will withdraw his money from the market due to the economic conditions that do not support automotive foreign investments. Ford Australia: Is a global hub for designing, developing, and testing Ford vehicles. In 2012, the company invested 200 Mn. A$ in RD, with total investments of 1.9 Bn. A$ during (2007-2012). The company annual purchases from the local parts suppliers account for 545 Mn. A$. The cost of manufacturing in the Australian market is about the double of the cost of similar facilities in Europe and nearly four times greater than the cost of operating in Asia (Ford, 2013). As the Australian government did not take any protection policies, Ford had to withdraw from the local market. The recommended governmental policies to save the automotive industry in Australia The Australian government is committed to reduce the carbon emissions to zero by 2050, once the electric vehicles technology, and the battery are economically available, they will be introduced in the local market. The government started to develop policies that support investment in the electric vehicles in some states (ClimateWorks Australia, 2017). The intention of the government towards transforming into electric vehicles may reopen the market to automotive industry once again in the future According to The senate (2015), the Automotive Transformation Scheme (ATS) introduces 3.4 Bn. $ in addition to 1.3 Bn. $ to be funded to the green car innovation. The growing demand for environmentally-friendly cars offers an opportunity to car component manufacturing, which could be used in the domestic market of exported to other countries. According to Price water house Coopers (2011), the Australian government has plans for expansion in the car components manufacturing. The Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program includes, structural, and labor adjustment to provide training to redundant workers. The Government also established the Victorian Automotive Transition Taskforce to engage the supply chain companies in their diversification plans. Accordingly, Ford, Toyota and Holden will continue to operate specific plants in Victoria. Moreover, the government purchased the site that was formerly owned by Holden at Fishermans Bend, in order to maintain the Australian automotive alive with a new design, technology, and engineering (Victoria state government, 2016). Accordingly, the government took the decision of keeping the iconic presence of the automotive industry in Victoria in order maintain the minimum level of the presence of the industry and not totally shut it down. The Australian government is likely to assess the skill levels across the automotive and parts manufacturing workers, and to identify re-skilling within the workforce (Australian government, 2014). Australia is not the only advanced economy that faced the automotive industry withdrawal from its market. It can utilize its skillset through investing in emerging markets that require the same capabilities. For example, Australia could invest in the carbon fiber industry as it has the knowledge required to boost the carbon fiber component of automotive parts ( The commonwealth scientific and industrial research organisation , 2015). The Australian competition consumer commission (2017), recommends that the car manufacturers should share technical information to assist in creating schemes to be adopted to assess the cost and benefits of alternatives. The production contracts assisted in shifting the Australian companies away from the negative effects of the automotive industry shutdown towards an advanced manufacturing sector (Price water house, 2017). The transitional programs created a platform for the industrial sector to engage in global production activities. According to the Australian automotive dealer association Ltd. (2016), the new car dealers are likely to operate in new car, used car, parts, accessories, and after sales services, and finance and insurance services. Conclusion The Australian economy has switched to growing levels of vehicle imports as a result of the trade liberalization of Automotive. Regarding the governmental policies towards the automotive industry, the three car manufacturers who domestically operate decided that they cannot continue to create a competitive business due to low governmental incentives. The Australian market is limited, which affects the ability of companies to exploit economies of scale, the import penetration, the strength of the Australian dollar, and the high labor cost is considered among the major reasons of vehicles' plant closure This implies that the car manufacturers will move away from export-based manufacturing to the closure of their plants. The vehicle manufacturing industry is switching to component parts import. Component suppliers will probably switch to other manufacturing activities. The Australian government is likely to assess the skill levels across the automotive and parts manufacturing workers, and to identify re-skilling within the work force. The Australian government has plans for expansion in the car components manufacturing. References The commonwealth scientific and industrial research organisation . (2015). Advanced manufacturing - A Roadmap for unlocking future growth opportunities for Australia. Australia. Australian automobile association. (2016). ACCC new car retailing industry market study issue paper. Auatralia. Australian automotive aftermarket association. (2016). New car retailing industry - Market study issue paper. Australia. Australian automotive dealer association Ltd. (2016). New car retailing industry- A market study by the ACCC. Australian. Australian competition consumer commission. (2017). New car retailing industry - a market study by the ACCC. Australia. Australian government. (2014). Growth opportunities: south Australia and victorian competitive advantage . Australia. Australian government. (2017). 2030 Strategic Plan. Australian government- Department of employment. (2014). Industry outlook - Manufacturing. Australian government productivity commission. (2014). Australias automotive manufacturing industry. Australia. Auto skills Australia. (2016). Automotive vehicle manufacturing sector (Passenger vehicle) industry reference committee four year work plan 2016-2020. Australia. Barclay, A. (2017, April 25). This is the last year a car will be made in Australia. Retrieved from Quartz Media: www.qz.com Barnes, J. (2015, July September). Case study on the Australian automotive industry. ASCCI Quarterly. ClimateWorks Australia. (2017). The state if electric vehicles in Australia. Electric Vehicle Council. Colliers International. (2016). Time is fast approaching - Industrial motor vehicle white paper. Department of commerce. (2016). Top markets report automotive parts-Country case study. USA. Dowling, J. (2017, March 3). Why Australian car manufacturing died and what it means for our motoring future. Retrieved from The Advertiser: www.adelaidenow.com.au Ford. (2013). Submission to the productivity comission - Review of the Australian automotive manufacturing industry. KPMG. (2017). Global automotive executive survey. Germany. Malihi, K., Shee, H. (2017). Strategic vehicles import supply chain: A paradigm shift in Australian automotive industry. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 22(1), 103130. Morgan, R. (2017, March 28). State of the Nation 27: Australian Automotive Industry accelerates towards Decade of Upheaval. Retrieved from Roy Morgan research: www.roymorgan.com Motor trade association in Australia. (2016). Automotive industry in Australia. Retrieved from Motor trade association in Australia: www.mtaa.com.au Neale, T. (2017, April 13). Australian automotive industry: grounded or shifting gears? Retrieved from Manufacturers' monthly: https://www.manmonthly.com.au Parkin, R., Wilk, R., Hirsh, E. (2017). Strategy 2017 automotive industry trends - the future depends on improving. New York: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Price water house. (2017). Economic impact of the JSF program in Australia. Price water house Coopers. (2011). Potential impact of a carbon price on the Australian automotive industry. senate, T. (2015). Economics - References committee. Commonwealth of Australia. The Allen consulting group. (2013). The strategic role of the Australian automotive manufacturing industry. Australia. Toyota. (2016). Sustainability Report. Australia. Valadkhani, A. (2016, October 21). Collapse of Australian car manufacturing industry. Retrieved from Swinburne: www.swinburne.edu.au Victoria state government. (2016). Supporting Victoria's automotive industry. Australia.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Charter Communication Company Case Analysis

Introduction The growth and sustainability of Charter Communication Company lie in the implementation of its objectives and business strategies. The objectives and business strategies of the organization must align with the market trend and market target (David, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Charter Communication Company: Case Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Charter communications is a leading company that manufactures Internet and broadcasting cable, it provides high-speed connections to corporate organizations, government agencies and home user. The company has its headquarters in the United States. The mission of Charter Company is to offer value to all customers. The company will achieve its goal by providing quality product and services at fair prices. The strategies of the organization align with its internal and external conditions. Objectivities and Strategies of Charter Communications Inc The objectives of Charter Communications build on quality service to meet customer’s satisfaction. The objectives are highlighted below To provide high-speed Internet, digital connections to its customers. To become the leading manufacturing company in the telecom industry. To provide affordable products and service to its customers. To maintain its quality and transform the world with digital technology. Charter Communications International has a projected 5.5 million client base. The company relies on its business strategy to satisfy its clients. The objectives of the organization can be achieved with an effective business strategy. The performance of the organizations is attributed to the correlation between its objectives and business strategies (Bygrave Zacharakis, 2010). The strategies include Commitment to its customers: The Company provides customer support to its clients. The organization is committed to the improvement of its products and services. Their cus tomer support team is efficient and always ready to render its service to its customers. The internal factor of success can be used to strengthen its external factors of success. An updated information unit will assist customers to make choices from its list of products and services. Efficient Employees: The Company utilizes its internal strategy to position the organization as a leading service provider. Their efficient and productive employees provide quality service to her numerous clients. The organization synchronizes its operations and market synergy to meet customers demand. A strategy to improve its opportunity To maintain its growth, Charter Communications manufactures compelling broadband products with lower cost of transactions to meet customer’s satisfaction. The company achieves this feat by sourcing its raw materials from low-cost sites. The production cost will be reduced and thus, its sales will be lower than similar products. The company provides its sales p oints at different locations to reduce the cost of transactions. Customers will choose a favourable location to save cost. Customers are willing to patronize a particular company when the cost of business transactions is reduced (Rao et al., 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A strategy to mitigate threats The notable threat is the competition from similar manufacturing companies. Similar products flood the market, thus, reducing the sales of Charter’s products. However, the management of Charter Communications utilizes product differentiation to overcome this threat. The quality of its products and services provides the competitive advantage to mitigate this threat. The low-cost of production encourages customers to patronize Charter’s broadband products and equipment.  The advantage of a competitive profile matrix transcends its components; it compares market strengths and weakness of competing firms. The variables for the analysis include the quality of products, management, prices, to mention a few. A competitive profile matrix can be used to analyze a company’s internal and external conditions. The analysis compares the success and failures of different companies (Rao et al., 2008). The analysis is presented in a matrix format. The format includes a rating section, which indicates the firm’s response to success. The weight section indicates the relevance of the variables of change to the company. The weighted score can be compiled by multiplying the variable success with its weight. The total weighted score section is the sum of each factor for success. Competitive profile matrix Charter company Verizon communication Cox communication Key success factors Weight Rating Weight score Rating Weight score Rating Weight score Customers care services 0.2 2 0.4 3 0.6 2 0.4 Advertisements 0.1 3 0.3 4 0.4 3 0.3 Price competitiveness 0.2 3 0.6 3 0.6 4 0.8 Network coverage 0.1 2 0.2 4 0.4 0.3 0.3 Streaming speed 0.1 2 0.2 4 0.4 3 0.3 Mobile banking 0.3 1 0.3 1 0.3 1 0.3 Product Differentiation 0.4 2 0.3 1 0.2 2 0.1 Service delivery 0.5 3 0.1 2 0.1 1 0.1 Total 1.0 2 2.7 2.6 Average score 2.075 Minor weakness Major weakness Minor strength Major strength The analysis shows a strong rating between the competing firms. Charter Communications recorded high success in its customer support services. The advertisement ratings show higher value. Its service delivery is a competitive advantage for the organization. The company’s weakness in mobile banking reduces its growth. Similar firms such as Verizon and Cox Communications recorded high ratings in their network coverage. The ratings dropped significantly with their product delivery services.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Charter Communication Company: Case Analysis specifically for you f or only $16.05 $11/page Learn More External factor matrix External factor matrix assesses the business trends of a company. The analysis reveals the threats and the opportunities of an organization. The external factor matrix comprises of a list of external factors, which influences the success of an organization. The components of the external factor evaluation include cultural, political, and economic factors. The external factor evaluation matrix of the Charter Communication Company is presented below. An external factor evaluation matrix Weight Rating Weight score Globalization trends 0.11 4 0.44 Government policy 0.12 3 0.36 Foreign exchange rates 0.15 1 0.15 Taxation 0.12 2 0.24 Political situation 0.14 2 0.28 Economies of scale 0.10 3 0.30 Per-capita income 0.05 3 0.15 Growth of economy 0.08 4 0.32 Inflation 0.05 2 0.10 Stock market trends 0.08 2 0.16 Total 1.0 2.5 Average 1.75 Minor threat Major threat Minor opportunity Major opp ortunity The evaluation matrix for Charter Communications shows a strong rating in global trends and a poor rating in its exchange rates. The economies of scale, government policies, pre-capita and taxation recoded average in the rating. The success factors in the organization determine the growth of the organization and measures the strengths and weakness of the company. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and the weakness of the Charter Communication Company. The objectives and strategies of the organization provide the platform for effective management of each production unit. An effective business plan influences the critical success of the organization. The competitive profile matrix can be used to reorganize the organization. The challenges faced by the organization can be reduced using the analysis in this report. A comprehensive report includes the objectives, strategies, internal and external matrix evaluation of the organ ization.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Bygrave, D., Zacharakis, A. (2010). The portable MBA in entrepreneurship. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. David, F. (2011). Strategic management: Concepts and cases. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall / Pearson. Rao, P., Rao, A., Sivaramakrishna, K. (2008). Strategic management and business policy: Texts and cases. New Delhi, India: Excel press. This essay on Charter Communication Company: Case Analysis was written and submitted by user Johnny Harris to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Pros and Cons of Assertiveness 3 Real Life Examples

The Pros and Cons of Assertiveness 3 Real Life Examples For several weeks, I’ve had the May 2016 issue of Success Magazine open on my desk. I had gotten about half-way through the issue when I  stalled in the middle of an article by Sophia Dembling about assertiveness. More pressing papers piled on top of it. In fact, I forgot it was there until today, when I set out in search of material for my weekly blog. I’ve been looking a lot at my own methods of assertiveness lately, so the article jumped out at me this morning. Just last weekend, I participated in a workshop called â€Å"Group Process.† There, I was part of a group that spent 14 hours on Saturday and six hours on Sunday simply being with each other to see what we would create in our interactions. The feedback I got from the group is that I have a tendency to want to dominate the conversation. This did not surprise me. It’s not that I talk more than other people in the group, but I do like to get attention, sometimes by stirring things up. Being assertive often requires not being nice, and I am starting to accept the fact that I am not a â€Å"nice† person. I am willing to hurt people, and to be hurt myself, in service of telling the truth and getting satisfied. Here are some examples, along with the attendant advice offered by Ms. Dembling: 1.) Accept the Learning Curve. In our Group Process group, the topic came up of how each of us sees ourselves as functioning in a group. Someone spoke about himself, and I wanted to spend more time with him, with each group member giving him feedback before moving to the next person. So when another group member started sharing about how she saw herself in the group, I interrupted her and said I’d like to spend more time on the first person. She was hurt and angry with me for doing that. I did end up getting part of what I wanted: I shared my thoughts with the first person. But then the conversation got derailed as the second woman and I worked through what had just happened. Frankly, we did not do the best job of resolving the conflict, despite my strong desire to do so. My assertiveness had created a rift in my relationship with this woman that will take more work to repair. 2.) Control Thyself. In another group, we were voting on who would fill a particular role. One person enthusiastically went for the role and was quickly voted in with no opposition. I did not trust that he was the best person for the job, so I asked someone else if he wanted the position, which he did. We then had a vote between the two of them. Person #1 still won, and I still was not satisfied, so I asked for further consideration and discussion. As you can imagine, Person #1 had some feelings about my behavior. But in the end, the group made a much more considered decision. Person #1 still got the role, but we were all much more clear about why he was chosen and what value each member of our team could have brought to the role. As the Success Article pointed out, we can’t control people. We can only control ourselves and our own behavior and words. I felt good in this instance that I spoke up and went for my full satisfaction, and maintained the respect of my group in the process. 3.) Pick a Delivery Mode. With the first group, we have eight more weeks of work to do together. I wrote an email suggesting that we assign roles within our group so we have specific people designated to organize our calls, take notes for the group, and support our members in various ways. I immediately got pushback on this idea, with three out of four members saying no, that they did not want to take on any more work. When I tried to explain that I wanted to make things easier, not harder, by having clear lines of responsibility for the things we were doing anyway, I was told that I was making things harder than they needed to be and that I was trying to control the group. As predicted by Randy J. Paterson, author of The Assertiveness Workbook: How to Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships, things got worse. Obnoxiousness went up. And I began to question whether I ever did what I did. Ouch. These are the times where I wish I had thicker skin – and that I had not used email, where misinterpretation is so easy, to express myself. I felt hurt, not seen, and even persecuted. But thankfully I am good at reaching out for support, which I did (by telephone!), and I was able to get more perspective. One group member was able to see things more the way I saw them and to talk through what could address my concern and the concerns of everyone else. I’m feeling confident that we will come to a solution that works for the whole group. In all of these situations, what I truly wanted in the end was to be heard and understood. Yes I take a lot of risks and,   someone observed, often â€Å"throw myself under the bus† when I see what I think is a better way to do things. As stated by Diana Bacon, a financial planner who coaches women entrepreneurs on their assertiveness, being assertive doesn’t mean people will do what you want. But it does â€Å"give you the confidence of knowing you can stake out your space in the world.† I’m encouraged by Randy Paterson’s assertion that assertiveness is a set of skills that can improve over time. I definitely have room for growth, and I look forward to what’s possible.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Profile for Talent Director and Job Description for As Human Resource Essay - 1

Profile for Talent Director and Job Description for As Human Resource Coordinator - Essay Example As a result of the various layers in a bureaucratic organization, the decision making authority actually passes through several layers. Indeed, the characterization of bureaucracy as a â€Å"substitute for leadership† has been on the rise and is seen as the best way of managing organizational communication. Within the bureaucratic organizational structure, information flows from the top management. A good leader in a bureaucratic organization should enhance clear communication channels between them and their employees (Jasper 2). Thus, they the needs of the employees should be well communicated to the leaders. In this regard, effective actions are taken due to the clear information about the employees’ needs. Therefore, staffs’ needs and problems are effectively and efficiently attended to by the director. A democratic leadership style should be enhanced by the director if the needs of the staff are to be addressed properly. In this case, the leaders who exhibit this leadership style involve the staff in the decision making process. Hence the staff is able to participate in giving opinions of how activities should be handled in the organization. In this way, the staffs’ needs are catered for as they are clearly established in the participatory leadership. The director ensures the safety of the staff and consequently their safety of the work place. If the working conditions are not conducive, staff appears to lower their output. Therefore, when the need for safety is facilitated, the staff becomes enthusiastic as they feel that their needs are part of the company’s best interest. Collaborates with the director and other staff in promoting consistency with division that include organizational workflow through the guidance of institutional and departmental practice policies and guidelines The coordinator is expected ton be a team player but often became authoritative

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Innovating the process of Custom-made Thobe by the use of technology Essay

Innovating the process of Custom-made Thobe by the use of technology - Essay Example Being custom-made, the thobe is highly unique for each customer. This is particularly true in the recent years where the process of buying a thobe has changed from just having to choose a fabric and take the size measurements, to advanced levels of specialization that are inherent in the modern process. Today a customer has to choose the color, fabric material, sleeves, collar, number of pockets, design and button style. This whole new and continuously updated process expanded the thobe market, increased the number of thobe stores and designers, and most of all, increased the need to buy thobes more frequently. In addition, these differences in styles and colors forced each customer to buy more than double the number he usually buys each year. Now he can have a different style for every occasion: work, formal look, in house, family and friends. The customer must first select a place to make his costumed thobe. This is usually done by random selection or based on advertisements or recommendations from other people. The customer then picks the fabric material, fabric colors, as well as other details including button shape and size; the shop’s staff records these specifications manually. Next, the customer goes through the measurement process where a staff from the shop makes size measurements using a measuring tape. Finally, the customer makes a down payment. Each tailor shop operates independently and relies on its own resources. For example, each tailor shop has their own garments, fabric, and staff who take body measurements. There are also tailors who work on the orders in the production facility, and some shops have their own exclusive and branded designs. The body size measurement process can be very time consuming for customers, especially when there are a lot of them waiting their turn. In many cases, new customers know how long the process could take. Therefore, if there are a number of customers being served, they are most

Monday, November 18, 2019

A Clockworkwork Orange (1971 movie) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Clockworkwork Orange (1971 movie) - Essay Example Besides, the director makes use of the characters as his mouthpiece to communicate with the viewers. Thesis statement: An investigation to unearth the scope of the problems faced by human beings, within the film A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick. Plot summary The plot revolves around the protagonist Alex DeLarge, who is an outlaw and a member of a gang involved in anti-social activities. The film unveils the near future social life in London. But Stuart Y. McDougal states that â€Å"When A clockwork orange appeared in 1971, it was attacked as an unmediated celebration of the violent young self, as a provocation to youthful viewers to imitate what they saw on the screen† (19). As pointed out, Alex represents the gangs in London. After stealing a car, Alex attempts to rape a lady. This incident distracts the members of Alex’s gang but they are helpless to revolt against him. This encourages Alex and leads him to further crimes. At last, Alex was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment (say, 14 years). Within the prison system, Alex was forced to undergo experimentation to reduce social crimes. The Ludivico technique of conditioning, under the supervision of the Minister of the Interior transformed Alex to a new individual. This is the core aspect of the film A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Study of alberto Giacometti

Study of alberto Giacometti When working on Units 1 and 2 I was drawn to the human body and this was shown in my work. The human body has always been an interest so this is why I decided to study portraits for Unit 3. There were several things about portraits that interested me. First of all the idea of drawing/painting a portrait of someone and getting it to resemble that person was an exciting idea for me. At a younger age I was interested in getting a likeness of the models I would draw. I wanted to develop that ability. In the past when I had drawn from life I had only used pencil. By choosing this as my theme I knew this would give me the chance to draw portraits using other media. The first artist who helped me start this project was Pablo Picasso. I spent much time studying Picasso by looking at his different periods. I started with his African inspired work. However it wasnt until I studied his Rose and Blue Period that I really became interested in portraits. It was this era of his work that inspired me to study portraits. His works in the Blue Period captured my imagination. I feel they are powerful in capturing mood and emotion through Picassos use of colour, realism etc. This was something that pushed me in the direction of portraiture. I wanted to capture mood and emotion in my portraits. He was the inspiration that led me to study other artists including Giacometti and Lucian Freud. I studied artists which had relevance to my work and to the themes I wanted to explore. Alberto Giacometti: The first artist which I studied was Giacometti. The son of a painter, Alberto Giacometti was born in Stampa on October 10th 1901. He began to draw and model at an early age and in 1919 he enrolled at the École des Arts-et-Mà ©tiers in Geneva. He travelled in Italy in 1920-1921. He studied with the sculptor Émile Antoine Bourdelle at the Acadà ©mie de la Grande Chaumià ©re in Paris from 1922-1925. After sharing a studio in Paris with his brother Diego from 1925-1927, Giacometti set up his own. He would often use his brother Diego as a model. I studied his portrait of Jean Genet. Giacomettis technique with line drawing and gesture was something I wanted to explore through my own work. Another painting which reminded me of his style was a portrait of Giacometti. I chose this portrait because of the artists style in gesture drawing. I was interested by his ability to capture his models expressions through line and gesture drawing. I used this technique in my initial sketches in order to feel my way around the subject. Something that I found very interesting was choice in colour. The colours he uses in this particular portrait are all very warm (consisting of different shades of browns). They give a feeling of warmth and comfort yet the expression on the models face appears quite sad and cold. I found this to be somewhat of a paradox. This use of expressive colour I found very exciting and was a concept that led to more research for my project. I decided to paint a self portrait keeping these paints in mind. It led to the creation of a self portrait in this style using similar colours too. One technique the artist has used that I tried to show in my work was the layering of paint thickly. I felt this added volume and history to the portrait. Giacometti uses strong and thick layers of paint in order to emphasise the contrast between light and dark. He paints a dark figure on light background. I found the texture of the brush strokes very interesting but also hard to create in my own work. Giacometti usually focused on sculptures of the human body and for one of many portraits he created, this one shows how skilful he was at creating figures. I think the main aspect, of his paintings I have studied, that captures my interest is his style of painting. He uses free brush strokes and brush strokes which are applied like the crosshatching pencil strokes in a drawing. The shapes he creates with these brush strokes I think are most effective. I have tried to use mark making in my own work in this way. Francis Bacon: Having completed my self portrait I began to feel that it would be a good idea to try and capture expression in my work. I was interested in Francis Bacons expressions that he created in his models faces. Often distorting the faces, Bacons portraits and self portraits push the boundaries in portrait painting. The mood in his paintings is often sombre. Bacon uses dark colours such as dark green, blue and black. Much of his work conveys feelings of suffering and despair. His work is similar to that of cubist style painting and reminds me of Picassos work, such as the Demoiselles dAvignon, in particular the facial expressions of the figures. I studied The Screaming Pope. Bacon completed this painting after being inspired by Velazquezs portrait of Pope Innocent X in 1953. Bacon creates a claustrophobic and nightmarish scene. The figure of the pope is ghost-like. He looks dead or like he is dying. There is a haunted feel about the painting. The screaming face of the pope and the strokes down the painting adds to the horror of the image. One can almost hear his cries. I am not sure why Bacon decided to create such a horrific image of a religious figure who is seen by many as someone holy and graceful. Bacon may be expressing his feeling toward religion or to the concept of the pope. The fact that Bacon was a catholic who later came out as homosexual, perhaps he was suffering from quiet retribution. He may also have been challenging the status of the pope, shocking the public. Bacon had asthma as well as allergies to horses and dogs. During his attacks, he was given morphine, a strong drug, which may explain some of the creative expression in his work which have the quality of drug hallucinations. I am interested in this portrait; the colours convey a sense of horror. The use of purple and gold compliment each other very well but also signify riches and royalty. The black shadows in the background may represent growing shadows around the figure. The use of these colours and the dark aggressive feeling Bacon creates are very effective. When looking at the painting one can almost feel shivers down ones spine. The fact that you can see through the figures robes and that no legs are visible adds to the horror of this painting. After studying this painting I felt compelled to create a piece aiming to capture emotion in a similar way. I wanted to capture the expression in my portrait as Bacon did. I did another self portrait however this one differed from the first. I used different shades of blue acrylic paint. I did not however paint the whole face. Focusing from the nose down to the neck I painted a piece in which my mouth was wide open. I did this to try and capture a similar atmosphere which Bacon captured in The Screaming Pope. By focussing on the shapes created by the lips and cheeks, I was pleased with the result. However I think that perhaps the texture of the hardboard breaks up the brush strokes and makes the brush marks difficult to see. Lucian Freud: When it came to studying Lucian Freud I was amazed by the way he creates skin texture. One of his finest pieces of work was his self portrait entitled Reflection. Portraits and nudes are Freuds specialties and with this piece it is clear to see why. The thing I found most fascinating about this piece of art is the texture of the flesh. Freud seems to capture the raw and ugly nature of the human flesh. In this self portrait Freud has successfully captured every wrinkle and crevice on the face. He uses strong contrast in shadow and highlights and this is something I took into consideration with future paintings. His brushstrokes are carefully applied to create an accurate portrait, whereas Giacomettis portraits and figure drawings have a more abstract quality. Lucian Freuds portraits are so realistic that they become almost surreal. Freud captures every shadow and highlight in a meticulous manner and I was interested in achieving something similar in my own work. There is a strong significance about the colours and paint he uses: I want paint to work as flesh my portraits to be of people, not like them. Not having the look of the sitter, being them as far as I am concerned the paint is the person. I want it to work for me just as flesh does. www.about.com/painting Freud uses a granular pigment called cremnitz white to achieve his unique painting of the flesh. I mixed sand with paint to give more texture to my paint to imitate the texture. I thoroughly enjoyed working with it. I felt it added character to the portrait and made the texture of the skin far more interesting. I found the texture of the hair quite intriguing. I liked the rough and coarse look Freud creates and it was an option to try and achieve a similar look when painting my models hair. However the hair was probably the thing I had most trouble with. I struggled with texture and colour. Perhaps I should have spent more time studying how artists paint hair put it into practice before applying it to a large portrait. The expression in Freuds self portrait is interesting in relation to what it is I am trying to achieve in my work. I have looked closely at the forehead: the lines created from the artists frown. This was something else that I wanted to achieve in my own work. Final Pieces Self Portrait: This portrait was inspired by the portrait of Giacometti which I studied. Using similar colours I attempted to get that similarity to his work. For a first attempt I do not believe I achieved this. I did however succeed in getting a self portrait to actually look like me. This was a great boost of confidence for a first self portrait. From this piece I learned that I should create the background and plan it at the early stages of the portrait. I learned that the background is just as important as the face when creating mood or atmosphere. Oil Pastels on Brown Paper: This was the first time I used oil pastels for a large piece. My aim was to try and set a mood of strong emotion, so I went for feelings of anger and rage. This idea was inspired from paintings from artists such as Picasso and Bacon who use colour to manipulate the mood of their work. I used a strong red to achieve this, combined with black for shadows, orange for mediums and yellow and white for highlights. I drew from life. While looking in a mirror I tried to draw myself with an expression of anger. From this piece I learned how effective colour is in a portrait. For example I could have used a different colour other than red and a different feeling of emotion may have been evoked. Open Mouth Acrylic on hardboard: The aim with this piece was to capture emotion, a feeling of pain, fear or shock. I thought the use of different shades of blue would emphasise these feelings. This was influenced by works from Francis Bacon. The emotion in some of his paintings such as The Screaming Pope appealed to me and I wanted to portray that emotion through my work. However, I decided to take a different approach. Rather than painting my whole face I focused only on the bottom half, from the end of the nose down to the chin. My intention was to capture the emotion from just the open mouth, as I felt that is where most of the strong feelings of emotion exist in Bacons The Screaming Pope. Eyes can often show a persons true feelings, so I wanted achieve this without painting the eyes. The recycling of the hardboard was chosen to give myself experience working with other material. I used the rough side of the board to add texture and to give the piece some more character. In all I felt I had successfully created feelings such as pain and fear through not just my use of a cold colour like blue, but by focusing on the wide open mouth. Portrait of Brother: On A3 paper, I drew a portrait of my brother in pencil, from life. Before this I had practiced drawing portraits in pencil from photographs. This was to prepare me for drawing from life. I wanted to get an idea of shading, proportion, texture, etc. It was a challenge drawing from life as I was quite comfortable with drawing from photographs, however I needed to take that step in order to develop my skills in drawing portraits. Looking at the portrait now I see it lacks in volume. An obvious problem was that I only had a 4B and 6B pencil, so I learned the importance of having different grades of pencils. The portrait required more time in capturing the highlights and shadows. I also had a slight problem with measurements, as the eyes were a little out of proportion. I learned to spend more time in studying shading and to be stricter with my measurements. After drawing this portrait I then photocopied it. Working with the photocopies I tried to capture mood atmosphere by adding colour. I used blue oil pastels in the picture which ultimately led to a colder mood. I also tried to get a different effect. After colouring the picture I scrunched up the paper into a ball and dampened it with water. This then led to cracks on the page which I felt added to the mood, perhaps suggesting a mood of feeling cold and broken, etc. I then used a photocopy to draw it in a larger scale and with different material. Drawing on a sheet of brown paper larger than A2 I used chalk pastels with colours like orange, yellow and blue to try and get different effects. However I soon learned that there is a right way and a wrong way to use brown paper. I used the smoother side of the sheet which led to problems. It proved very difficult to work with as the chalk did not stick well. Portrait of Mother Pencil Charcoal: with this piece I drew my mother from life at a profile view. This was the first time I had drew someone at this angle, so I was interested to see how it would compare with my previous portraits. I used pencils grading from 2B up to 6B. I also used a rubber for the strong highlights that appeared on her hair. I found it challenging doing a profile view. I found that I had to be much more aware of the measurements from the ear to the eye and from the eye to the bridge of the nose. This was quite a challenge but I feel I was quite successful in getting the measurements quite accurate. I achieved a likeness in the drawing to my mothers face so this I felt was an achievement. I then moved on to a bigger piece using this drawing as a guide. On A2 grey card, I created a charcoal copy of the drawing. First however, because of our schools lack of resources, I was restricted to using a sheet of card, which was of poor quality. It had a shiny texture that did no agree with the charcoal. To solve this problem I mixed grey paint with sand. This changed the colour of the sheet but also made it rougher to allow the charcoal to stick. My measurements were a little off this time leading to a failure in getting a likeness to the model. I used the black of the charcoal for the dark shadings, the grey pain acted as a medium and I used white chalk for the highlights. From this I learned that it is possible to create better textures with the use of substances such as sand mixed with paint. I also learned that I have to be even stricter with my measurements as the charcoal piece was less accurate in comparison to the pencil drawing. Portrait of Tom: I drew a classmate from life using charcoal. When drawing this I wanted to explore different effects from light. I did it in a dark room with one office lamp. I feel I was quite successful in getting a likeness. My proportion has become more accurate. I then painted a final piece from this charcoal drawing. This I found a challenge as it is the largest portrait I have done yet. My aim was to get a Lucian Freud look and feel to it. I painted on the background first as I had learned from the past that it was easier to work in this progression. I painted thick brush strokes to create texture. I used shades of cream and pink for the skin colour. Then for the highlights I mixed sand with paint to give more texture to my paint to imitate the texture of Freuds cremnitz. I enjoyed working with this as it created an unusual and interesting texture. It proved to be effective in contrasting the highlights with shadows. The size was important as I wanted to experience with working on something large scale also I felt it would have a larger impact.