The Role of Internet in Marketing Essay Example for Free

The Role of Internet in Marketing Essay In this task I will be discussing a very important subject of today’s world of business which is internet marketing. To start off my task, I am going to give a general idea of history of the internet, general functions it can perform and how the internet has generally changed the society in many different ways and aspects. The history of establishing the internet originally goes back to 1950s and that’s when it first came on the scene, no one ever thought of the possibility that this project of internet would go quite far with the time. Nowadays, there’s no one that doesn’t depend on internet/computer usage. We’d clearly see that most of the important daily processes and work are most likely to be done through the use of the internet; there would be no such big popularity for computers in our today’s society if it wasn’t for the internet. The 1970s was the period when networks were interlinked, 1982 is the date when worldwide network was established and 1995 can be pointed at as the year when internet was widely commercialised. The internet functions in many different areas and it’s always useful and helpful to everyone in order to accomplish their different needs. For example, internet services such as E-mail provides a great mean of communication, not only between businesses (B2B) but also its very useful between businesses and customers (B2C) as well and customers to customers’ (C2C) communications too. The Internet is also considered to be the most common, advantageous and fastest source of gathering information, for instance the services that the internet presents such as the World Wide Web (WWW) holds tremendous amount of information, much of which is easily accessible and available 24 hours per day. Also, another use of internet’s wide services is that you can process payments through it very easily and smoothly; there are so many advantages of online payments/transactions which the internet’s service provides. Some of these advantages include businesses earning more by enabling customers globally to make their own purchases at any time of day or night, which basically means that an online store-front is open for shoppers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Also, online banking services provided by a lot of banks is considered to be hugely cost effective, that’s because banks don’t need to have too many personnel or clerical staff around to help getting the banking transactions done. Example of B2B: the internet is very useful in B2B operations generally, for instance a company like HM are cooperated with the Royal Mail for the purpose of delivering the goods to customers and that requires HM to be in consistent interaction with the Royal Mail. The internet has made it a lot easier for HM to interact with the Royal Mail and track the items they sent and the orders they receive from their different warehouses across several countries. Example of C2C: there are many examples for how easy the internet has made it for C2C operations and interaction, the example for this would be the service that Facebook and other communication websites provide like Twitter and that service is basically the accessibility to all people to communicate and interact so this interaction can involve customers messaging each others to enquire about products and goods. Now I’m going to relate the marketing mix to internet marketing and how it developed into the extended marketing mix. This will be done by taking each element of the marketing mix, describing how the internet has affected them. Extended Marketing Mix: This marketing mix is a tool which marketers use to describe their marketing strategy. It is constructed of the original 4P’s and it expands the number of manageable variables from the four in the original marketing mix model to seven. Product: there are some products/services that wouldn’t exist without the internet, for instance the service that Skype and Yahoo Messenger provides which includes the ability to make free computer-to-computer calls and the utter cheap calls from computer to phones and mobile phones globally. These services/products are obviously not tangible which means that they’re nonphysical sort of services unlike services such as personal training for instance. Place (non physical boundaries): The internet in itself is considered to be the biggest non-tangible place for communication where most people from all over the world get the chance to communicate and interact. This is widely and commonly used by individuals through websites such as Facebook, Twitter etc. also virtual tours that are web-based accessible gives better experience of getting to discover places that users would generally be unable to interact with, this can be done through Google Earth, Google Maps for instance. Price: Disintermediation is a term that basically defines trading directly without needing any sort of mediation. This word is used to describe many internet-based businesses such as eBay and Amazon, these businesses offer products directly to customers online rather than going through traditional retail channels. By doing so, companies and businesses can sell their products a lot cheaper and faster as well because the goods would be directly delivered to customers without no involvement from the middlemen. It is believed that the internet will transform the way products are bought and sold, and disintermediation is the motivating force behind this revolution. Promotion: Promotion is basically the method by which businesses communicate with customers. By promoting, customers get to make a decision to purchase a product or service. This can be done through the use of internet by nearly most of the online-based companies such as eBay and Amazon, this is called e-mail promotion, eBay and Amazon in particular can reach and target their customer needs and send them matching offers to what they’re interested in through their online marketplace which helps both companies to reach new customers and promote and advertise very widely. This also gives the ability for businesses to spot what their customers’ different needs are and by doing so they can offer them specific products matching their specific needs. Cookies are very helpful on promoting for businesses as well; cookies are basically bits of information associated with the accounts of online market customers’ and shoppers such as on eBay and Amazon, they are normally saved on customers’ computers to make their online shopping experience quicker and easier. Cookies are used by eBay for instance to recognise customers when they sign in to their website for the purpose of remembering their preferences , and by doing so, eBay and Amazon are able to send their customers the offers they’re most likely to be looking to and the products and goods they’re interested in. People: It’s very vital and crucial for any business to have the right people/staff in order to provide sufficient service to the customers. For example, the admin team behind FAQs, forums with other customers. I would say that it’s impossible to close a sales deal without the interaction with customers. Also, the business blogs which are a corporate tool for communicating with customers are very helpful in terms of sharing knowledge and expertise with all the customers. These blogs basically aims at sweeping the business community in a smart way of sharing information about the business online, they’re really an example of an excellent method to share a company’s expertise, build additional web traffic, and connect with potential customers. It’s fundamental for any online-based business to anticipate and understand their customer needs that’s why understanding customers’ profiles in terms of their demographic, psychographic, economic and usage-based segmentation is vital to businesses; in order to achieve that, marketers must get serious about matching their site strategies to the needs of their target customer market segments. Process: Using the internet to do shopping, online banking, and other different types of practices and operations made it a lot easier for businesses as well as different types of people. In our modern world, the internet has grown its popularity and become one of the important methods in linking between businesses and customers as well. One role of internet in business is also the ecommerce websites and online payment solutions that allow people to shop online from the comfort of their homes. Also, another thing the internet has also provided is online banking which has made it a lot easier for people involved in banking activities to manage their accounts, pay bills, and manage their bank accounts generally. Physical Evidence: In terms of Physical Evidence, the internet has provided lots of services that allow the users of it to have access to different types of media resources by which they can gain knowledge about a specific product/service. For example, if someone is thinking of buying a new mobile, they can have access to lots of video reviews of it online in different websites and places. Also the internet has made price comparison service very profitable, that’s because the number of online shopper is increasing daily and the internet has made it at ease for them to compare prices between different online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay etc.

Is There Life On Mars?

Is There Life On Mars? In order to conclude whether a life-form can exist on Mars, much research must be done in order to gain an understanding of its atmosphere, surface, nutrients and minerals available to possible biological life-forms on the planet. Mars is the fourth planet in our Solar System and is known as the Red Planet due to iron oxide found on the surface. Having been studied for decades, Mars shows the most suitable conditions, of all the planets in our solar system, for our presumptions of evolution of life (Klein, Lederburg et al. 1976). There has been much evidence put forward contributing to the theory of a biological life-form on Mars, the most documented and well known of which being the study of the meteorite ALH 84001. This meteorite was believed to have been projected from the surface of Mars around 16 million years ago and landed in Antarctica 13,000 years ago(Frankel Buseck, 2000). The 2kg carbonaceous meteorite studied by McKay et al. contained globules of chemicals and also conta ined bacterial-shaped objects which resembled fossilized terrestrial microorganisms, ranging from 10-100nm long (McKay, et al., 1996). It is believed by many that there are too many factors such as UV radiation and extreme temperature environments which could inhibit a life-form on Mars. Although the distance from Earth to the Sun is considerably less than that of the Sun to Mars, our atmosphere protects living organisms on Earth. Studies have shown that an atmosphere is present on Mars through the identification of an insignificant ozone layer, however this atmosphere is not the most suitable for living organisms but unlikely to be a life limiting factor (Cockell, et al., 2000). Some arguments which both oppose and agree with the theory of extra-terrestrial life include studies carried out by the Viking Explorers and MER programmes which landed on Mars. These man-made devices studied the atmosphere and the top layer of soil to discover a very high oxidation factor which could inhibit growth by converting living matter to CO ², as well as studying sedimentary rocks on the surface of the planet. The search for life on Mars shows interesting differences in both personal theories and scientific studies. Panspermia is the theory that living organisms can be transported throughout the Universe, travelling in meteorites. The theory was first proposed by Arrhenius who believed that living bacteria could be transported through space, and therefore believed this was the reason for the beginning of life on Earth (Tepfer, 2008). These meteorites are projected from the surface of plates through collisions of boulders and/or planets in the Solar System. Many meteorites have landed on Earth from Mars, including ALH 84001, NWA 1195, NWA 2046, DaG 476 and the latest NWA 2626. The most famous of these meteorites is ALH 84001 which shows evidence of a life-form embedded in the meteorite. The theory of Panspermia can be justified by a study carried out by D.Stà ¶ffler et al.. The range of pressures observed in Martian meteorites range between 5 and 50 GPa. Bacterial spores, cyanobacteria and lichens (all of which appear to be embedded in the meteorite ALH 84001), were exposed to this range of shoc k pressure. The study revealed that bacterial spores and lichens could withstand the pressure up to 45 GPa while cyanobacteria was killed at 10 GPa. This study implies the potential for transfer of life throughout the Universe from one planet to another(Stà ¶ffler, et al., 2007). Analyses and Results of the Martian Meteorite ALH84001 Analysis of the meteorite show results which support and oppose the hypothesis of extra-terrestrial life to be found on Mars (Gibson, et al., 2001). The meteorite, which was studied by McKay et al, showed evidence of an extra-terrestrial life-form embedded in the rock. There were globules of Ca, Mg and Fe carbonate minerals which are believed to have been distributed by a biological factor. It is believed by McKay et al. that these globules were formed at low temperature. Otherwise high temperature (over 118 °C) would have killed any bacteria which are believed to have formed these globules. However, others who oppose the theory of extra-terrestrial life, believe that these globules may have been distributed by a non-biological factor which renders this piece of evidence quite unreliable. There were other factors noted which shows the possibility of extra-terrestrial life: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were observed and showed a different distribution than that of terrestr ial PAHs. Another factor observed was bacteria-shaped objects found on the surface of the meteorite, which resemble fossilized terrestrial micro-organisms, up to 100 µm long (Frankel Buseck, 2000). Some of the bacteria shaped objects are however extremely small in size which range from 20-100nm. This piece of evidence is ridiculed by some scientists, in which they declare that these tiny objects resemble artifacts in the meteorite (Bradley, et al., 1996). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/meteorites/s9612609.gif Bacteria shaped objects on Martian meteorite, Allan H. Treiman, Lunar and Planetary Institute. The Viking and MER Missions The first Viking mission was launched in the summer of 1976. It consisted of two orbiters, which had a main objective of photographing the planet from orbit, and two landers, which studied the surface of the planet. The main emphasis was on photography, in which orbiter 1 produced over 10,000 pictures, taken from the planets orbit(Snyder Evans, 1981). In 2003, two rovers were launched, called Mars Exploration Rovers. The objective of this mission to Mars was study and to determine whether Martian conditions and its atmosphere could support the theory of a possible life-form having ever existed on the planet (Squyres Knoll, 2005). The MER missions include the Rovers; Spirit and Opportunity which carried out surveys and analyses on the surface of Mars. File:NASA Mars Rover.jpg Rover Opportunity, Maas Digital LLC for Cornell University and NASA/JPL The two Rovers covered specific regions known as Gusev and Meridiani Planum respectively for over a year and a half. The Rover Opportunity landed on the surface of Mars on January 24th and travelled through two craters (Eagle and Endurance) while carrying out experiments on both craters. Experiments and Results from Viking and MER programmes Aerosols and water vapour were detected in the Martian atmosphere by the Viking orbiter and other scientific research objects, which included: Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Atmospheric Water Detector (MAWD) and Thermal Emissions Spectrometer (TES). This water vapour was detected in the North Polar region during Spring and Summer seasons. MAWD detected twice as much vapour in the region than any of the other orbiters (Pankine, et al., 2009). The detection of water in the Martian atmosphere contributes a large amount of evidence to support the theory of a suitable atmosphere for a biological life-form to exist. Hematite was discovered on the surface of the planet, by the rover Opportunity, in the Meridiani Planum. This mineral form of iron-oxide is a possible preservative for pre-biotic and biotic processes carried out on the surface of Mars. These processes are carried out on Earth in rock varnishing, in which micro-colonial fungi and bacteria are present in rock varnish matrices, which were documented in America and Australia (Allen, et al., 2004). It is believed that water did once flow on the surface of Mars through the discovery of rippled like curves, indicating that streams once flowed through the Meridiani Planum (Horneck). Ancient, sedimentary rocks were also found at Meridiani plain by the Rover Opportunity, which consist of sandstone composed of sand grains which consisted of a variety of sulphate salts formed by erosion and re-deposition (Squyres Knoll, 2005). One of the most important findings of the mission however was a record of aqueous processes found on the Meridiani plain both in surface and sub-surface regions. Although these aqueous processes were identified, there is still no record of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Any water present on Mars, is found in the atmosphere as water vapour, located at the north Polar region. UV Radiation: Because of a thin atmosphere and an insignificant ozone layer, the surface of Mars is exposed to high UV radiation, which includes UVA, UVB and UVC. UV radiation is known to be a cause of DNA damage and mutation in bacterial species and also more developed life-forms. UV radiation is also known to inhibit photosynthesis in plants. Life-forms on Earth contain processes that protect them from exposure to UVA radiation. However, because of high UVB and UVC radiation exposure to the Martian surface, and also conditions such as extreme temperature changes and a lack of liquid water on the surface, it is unknown for any life-form to withstand such conditions(Cockell, et al., 2000). In order to understand and examine bacterial behaviour under exposure to this high UV radiation, an experiment was carried out by Scheurger et al.. Seven different Bacillus spp. were exposed to conditions similar to that of the Martian surface. The Bacillus spp. were exposed to the radiation in time sets of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. The bacteria were prepared for the experiment as thin monolayers of endospores. The results showed that B. pumilus SAFR-032 (surviving for 180 minutes) was the most resistant to the Martian conditions, while B. megaterium and B. subtillis 42HS-1 (which were inactivated after 30 minutes) were the least sensitive under exposure of high UVB and UVC radiation. Conclusion It is very difficult to conclude whether or not life does or even did exist on the surface or in the Martian atmosphere. Evidence from both sides of the theory are being analysed in extreme detail in order to come to a conclusion. The analyses and study of the Martian meteorite ALH84001, is considered the most studied and detailed analyses ever to be carried out on an igneous rock. Even with this extent of analyses being carried out on the meteorite, we still cannot come to a clear and concise conclusion to whether or not it contained traces of extra-terrestrial life. Although the detection of carbonate globules and bacterial shaped objects suggests that life theoretically could have existed on the planet of Mars, scientists who oppose the theory of extra-terrestrial life disagree that these discoveries indicate a life-form present in the meteorite. They suggest that because of the small size of these bacterial-shaped objects that they could represent artifacts in the meteorite. There was also some criticism about the Viking and MER missions. Although a small amount of atmospheric water vapour was observed, the lack of liquid water on the surface declares this evidence inconclusive. However there was some very interesting discoveries made by the Rover Opportunity, including the detection of hematite. This mineralised form of iron-oxide can be used for the preservation of aqueous processes. This discovery, along with the discovery of ripple-like curves in the Meridiani plain, could indicate a past life-form having existed on the surface of the planet many years ago. I believe that an extra-terrestrial, biological life-form could have existed on the surface of Mars, in past decades or even centuries. Evidence from both the Mars Exploration missions and the study of the Martian meteorite, ALH84001, provide much contribution to the theory that life did exist on the planet in the past. It is clear that life cannot survive in the Martian atmosphere at present because of extreme conditions. The exposure to high UV radiation, extreme temperature changes and also a lack of liquid water on the surface indicate to me that these conditions are not only unfavourable to the survival of a life-form but are far too extreme for a biological life-form to survive for a significant time frame. In relation to the theory of Panspermia, I believe that it can be justified by the experiment carried out by D.Stà ¶ffler et al.. If the bacteria shaped objects found in the meteorite prove to be biological life-forms this piece of evidence could explain another widely investigated theory of where and when life began on Earth. Through the study and analyses of Mars and its atmosphere, I believe that many of the questions and theories about life on Earth can be answered.

The Representation Of Disabled People In Film

The Representation Of Disabled People In Film The purpose of this assignment is to critically analyse the stereotypical portrayals of disabled people in the media. It is mainly concerned with the misrepresentation of disability in films, especially the horror genre. It aims to consider the effect that the media has o disabled identity, highlighting the power of body image and personal experience on the development of both individual and group identity. In examining the mechanisms of how we read film, the exchange of looks, of identification, and of pleasure offered and obtained, we find that notions of masculinity and femininity predominate spectator text relations. Media often turns people into objects and this can bring terrible consequences as self-image can be deeply affected with their interpretations of what is acceptable and visually pleasing in contemporary bodies. Girls self-esteem plummets during adolescence partly because they cannot escape the message that their bodies are objects and imperfect ones at that. Girls of all ages get the message that they must be flawlessly beautiful and, above all these days, they must be thin. Even more destructively, they get the message that this is possible, that with enough effort and self-sacrifice, they can achieve this ideal. The glossy images of flawlessly beautiful and extremely thin women that surround us would not have the impact they do if we did not live in a culture that enc ourages us to believe we can and should remake our bodies into perfect commodities. Women are especially vulnerable because their bodies have been objectified for so long. According to Clarkes (1995) media representations of embodiment show how the computer-generated body of the hyperreal world also persist in negating a disabled embodiment. The use of body doubles in films and commercials makes it even less likely that we will see real womens bodies. Davies (1997:1) writes, People with disabilities have been isolated, incarcerated, observed written about, operated on, instructed , implanted, regulated, treated, institutionalised, and controlled to a degree probably unequal to that experienced by any other minority group. Oliver (1990: 1) writes, Throughout the twentieth century disabled people continue to be portrayed as more than or less than human, rarely as ordinary people doing ordinary things. The world is fast becoming a global market place controlled not by individual governments but by transnational conglomerates interested only in profits (OShaughnessy, 1999). The influence of these huge and powerful corporations on the media leads to a pernicious kind of censorship. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many of these corporations own and control the media. The medias development has been affected by commercial interests that recognise that the media are potentially highly profitable industries (OShaughnessy, 1999:2). This point helps to demonstrate that media representations are not always genuine or accurately reflecting reality. The media uses visual images to tell a particular story ant these experiences often help guide opinions and values. The consumption of the media, and in particular media forms such as TV and film, has become extremely popular. Not only do the media reflect societal values, but it can be assume that it also encourages certain ideals. Stigma, Stereotyping and Prejudice There is no established single theory of stigma, which is not surprising as stigma embodies a complex interaction between medicine, political affairs, social science, history, psychology, anthropology (Smith, 2002). Smith goes on to state that the significant stage in the generation of stigma is the perception of difference and for stigmatisation to take place, the differences observed will be related to undesirable traits. Smith used the example of people suffering from a mental illness being stereotyped as being violent and unpredictable. Marks (1997, p.86) draws attention to the moving image media representations, that divide the able bodied and people with impairments. According to Sarfan (1998) much has been written on the damaging, stereotypical representation of people with all manner of impairments in film. Wahl (1995) states that films with disability themes stigmatise those with similar characteristics as: infantile; savants; sexually abnormal and bitter; deviant and violent and dependent and pitiable. According to Whittington- Walsh (1997) people with a variety of impairments have been exhibited for amusement and gain as freaks for countless years and it proved to be a lucrative business. Even though spectators turned away from the freak shows at the beginning of the nineteenth century images of people with impairments as entertainment did not cease to exist. Mainstream film industry has produced many films showing characters with impairments. More often than not, disabled people in film are portrayed as pitiable and pathetic such as John Merrick, paraded as a freak in The Elephant Man (1980, David Lynch, Uk), or as victims an objects of violence such as Suzy Hendrix who was blind and intimidated by drug dealers in Wait until Dark (1967, Terrance Young, USA) or as asexual such as the disabled war veteran, Ron Kovic, in Born on the 4th of July (1989, Oliver Stone, USA). These are but a few of the distorted portrayals of disabled people in the media. According to Marks (1997, p.86) these individuals are presented as Other who are completely different from us. Very rarely are disabled people accurately shown as leading ordinary lives. Stigmatised individuals and groups frequently lack power to alter such views and as such their status diminishes further. Our opinions about different groups of people are often totally irrational. They are influenced by factors such as our membership of a group (ethnocentrism) and by our experience, no matter how small, of that group. Some of these ideas may be positive and some may be negative but often these opinions or attitudes are based on very little information. The process of grouping people together and believing that they are all the same is known as stereotyping. The term stereotype was introduced by Walter Lippmann in 1922 (cited in Brown, 1986) and was defined as being an oversimplified view of the world that satisfies our need to see the world as more understandable and manageable than it really is. What he actually meant was that if we can attribute a whole set of characteristics to something, we will not have to analyse the thing each time we meet it in order to know about it. Stereotyping involves classifying people according to a set of pre-established criteria and this kind of classification is usually made on the basis id something as superficial as their appearance. What the person is actually like is totally irrelevant because we simply attribute all sorts of characteristics to them on the basis of the group that we have put then with. According to Tajfel (1982), the process of trying to give ourselves some kind of positive identity seems to explain why people have what are known as in group preferences. If we are assigned to a group, any group, either by birth or by design, we instantaneously seem to feel a kind of innate, automatic preference for that group and give the group a higher status than other groups. The in group bias is merely a method of increasing our own self-esteem. If a group believes it is less worthy than others, it will be more likely to accept any prejudice shown to them without objection because they believe it is justified. The nature of social power dynamics and group hierarchy make stereotypes particularly oppressive for certain individuals and groups (Operario et al., 1998). In particular: †¦individuals whose outcomes are controlled by others, and groups low in the social hierarchy, are vulnerable to the demeaning content of their stereotypes. Conversely, individuals who control others outcomes, and groups near the top of the social hierarchy, are more likely to employ stereotypes about others †¦ (Fiske, 1993) Because of their dependence on the powerful, the powerless direct their attention up the hierarchy and do not categorise those with power. But the powerful themselves are too busy, too unconcerned with accuracy, or too dominance-orientated to pay any attention to the powerless. They, therefore, tend to categorise and form highly stereotypical impressions of those over whom they can exert power (Oakes, 2004). Powerful people simply pay less individuating attention to their subordinates- that is, they treat them less as individuals, while the reverse is true for subordinate individuals and groups. According to Operario and Fiske (2004): †¦ Not only does power perpetuate beliefs associated with social subordinates and minority groups, it also enables people to act upon stereotypical beliefs through legislation, economic policies, and institutional practices†¦ A counterintuitive finding is the tendency for the powerless and disadvantaged to show biases that justify and maintain their groups low status (that is, they accept the status quo). This helps explain why social injustice can endure within cultural contexts that outwardly endorse egalitarianism and equality. But this is not necessarily the same as internalising negative stereotypes. Members of low-status groups tend to achnowledge their groups disadvantaged status, but minimise perceptions of personal vulnerability to discrimination. In this way, they can maintain their self-esteem and personal control, and avoid feeling personally victimised (Operario and Fiske, 2004). Sometimes the attitudes we have towards a group of people are extreme and we call this kind of extreme attitude prejudice. This prejudice can be either positive or negative depending on the person holding the views. Often these extreme attitudes have virtually no foundation in reality and are based simply on some minor attribute like appearance, are influenced by factors such as the media and the way we have been socialised. Supposing someone has something about their appearance that they have no control over-how must they feel? The studies by Piliavin (1969) in the subway showed that people with ugly facial birthmarks were not helped as frequently. Were they being stereotyped on the basis of some external characteristics and consequently suffering some king of prejudice to do with the fact that their appearance was not perfect? Even when prejudices are irrational, if they are maintained or perpetuated by society they cab have vey dangerous consequences for the person concerned. The person on the receiving end is likely to develop very low self-esteem, seeing themselves as less worthy than people holding their prejudiced views. However, there is evidence to show that if you have an expectation that people will be prejudiced towards you, this may in fact lead you to perceive a situation in a different way to people who have no expectation of prejudice. This was demonstrated by a study done by Kleck and Strenta (1980) who applied make-up to their participants to make them look as if they had an extremely large, ugly facial scar. After checking their appearance in a mirror, the researchers applied some cream to set the make-up but what they actually did was remove the scar. The participants then spent some time interacting with another person and reported back on whether the scar affected their interactions. Even though there was no disfigurement, the participants reported that their appearance had influenced the way the other person behaved towards them. This suggests that people may well explain the way people behave towards them as being due to their membership of a particular group. This may help us unders tand the perceptions of minority groups who believe they are being persecuted, even when this is not the case. Freaks Around the time Todd Brownings Freaks was made the meaning of freak was changing. Ceasing to be a celebrated exotic attraction, it was becoming medicalised, developing into a scientific specimen. Freaks was perhaps the first film to use a full cast of genuine sideshow people and expose viewers to images of abnormal bodies enjoying daily life, together with their normal sensual desires. However, audiences were engaged not through empathy, but revulsion from the physical differences shown and were outraged by the Freaks avenging themselves on so called normal bodies. The 30 year ban demonstrates how deeply we share cultural ideas about disabled people and images of impaired bodies. The bodies of the actors did not match with how the dominant U.S. culture defined what a body should look like or what it should be able to do. Their bodies were considered inferior when compared with people who were considered normal. Freaks has often been criticised because of its association with the negative representation of disability within the horror film genre. Conversely, it has also been praised because its portrayal of disability was in fact far more lifelike than that portrayed in numerous other films. Whittington-Walsh (2002, p.698) states: Freaks is unique in the fact that we only see characters with disabilities in their day to day lives and we never see them in the mode of presentation used in Freak shows and other films. We only see them in their actual social identity. Fiske, S.T. (1993) Controlling other people: The impact of power on stereotyping. American Psychologist, 48(6), pp.621-628. Oakes, P. (2004) The Root of All Evil in Intergroup Relations? Unearthing the Categorisation Process. In Brewer, M. B. and Hewstone, M. (2004) (eds) Social Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Operario, D., Goodwin, S.A., and Fiske, S.T. (1998) Power is everywhere: Social control and personal control both operate as stereotype activation, interpretation , and response. In Wyer, R.S. (1998) (ed.) Advances in social cognition (Volume 11) Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Operario, D. and Fiske, S.T. (2004) Stereotypes: Content, Structures, Processes and Context. In Brewer, M. B. and Hewstone, M. (2004) (eds) Social Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Insider Trading Essay -- Business, Investment, Trading

It can fairly be said that an Investor considering an investment decision (whether to purchase, sell or hold stock) in publicly traded company acts on the basis of extensive information which is available by corporation to him until the last moment of his investing decision and try to determine the fair price of corporate stock. In the light of continuous creation of a particular impression of corporate affairs by the corporation, new information by corporate can vanish the importance of previous available information to investor. In the scenario only one kind of investors can get advantage over others, who is either very close to corporate operation (corporate officers) or can access nonpublic price-sensitive information to corporation (large shareholder). These investors are known as insider. To ensure fair platform of trading to all investor, the law of insider trading is one of the vehicles which is used by society to allocate the property right to information generated by firm and it can be ensured that by virtue of being insider, director or company’s officer cannot explore private information in trading of his or her company’s stock but many studies (e.g., Jaffe, 1974; Finnerty, 1976a,b; Seyhun, 1986, 1988a,b; Rozeff and Zaman, 1988; Lin and Howe, 1990) conclude that Insiders like to buy (sell) their own company stock before price-favorable (unfavorable) information disseminates in public and take the advantage of nonpublic information. For example, Jaffe (1974a) find the insiders are able to make abnormal return by taking position in their own stock but insiders’ short-term prediction power is greater than long-term predication. Several aspects of insider trading activity are debatable. Like is insider trading is... ...ces in compensation package to their executives between two groups. Graver and Graver (1995) find that intangible assets of a firm are important factor to determine the executives’ compensation and a large portion of their compensation derives from long term incentive compensation like stock option grants. When executive receivers a large portion of compensation in stocks, then his investment portfolio is subject to more idiosyncratic risk than any diversity investment portfolio or to survive, for example to pay home rent, he needs liquidity, which in turn, either to achieve diversify investment portfolio or to achieve liquidity, he sells his a part of his stake in open market even his stock in undervalued (Meulbroek, 2000). We assume that insiders selling of intangible assets’ firms are less likely to convey information to public than tangible assists’ firms.

Riley King :: essays research papers

Riley King A.K.A. : B. B. King 	Life span: 1925-???? 	Style Synopsis: Style is the word that describes the way that B.B. He uses signature tremolo and "T-Bone Walker" influenced jazzy sounding blues riffs. Also, in words of B.B., "I don't do no chords". He can also tell when muted notes are more necessary than full notes. Biography 	For as long as anyone can remember, B.B. King has reigned as the "King Of Blues." With his Gibson guitar named Lucille, along with his unique vocals, king has put out some of the most down-home sounds in African-American music. B.B. King, the world's greatest blues singer had- like a lot of people- had some hard times. Born in 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi., King lived with his mother until he was nine. When his mother died he lived alone, taking care of himself by working in cotton fields that were owned by the people who had employed his mother, this was the time of the Depression , and the period when he started learning the guitar. He worked as a disc jockey at the Memphis radio station WDIA in 1949, where he picked up the stage name "The Beale Street Blues Boy," He was influenced by jazz guitarist Charlie Christian, as well as countless other blues musicians including T-Bone Walker. Among the many songs he eternalized, "The Thrill Is Gone" is perhaps his most enduring, he aslo won several Grammy's for that song and the albums "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere", "My Guitar Sings The Blues", "Live at San Quentin", "Live at the Apollo", an d "Blues Summit". He received along with other numerous awards the Grammy Lifetime Achievments Award in 1987. Still on the road and recording for MCA, with Lucille , B.B. King is still showing the world the blues is here to stay. 	King started his career as a teenage professional musician on the streets of Memphis during the 1940s. He played gospel and blues on street corners for tips. Concerned in whether or not to play gospel or Blues, he decided to integrate both styles. In 1951, B. B. King had his first hit song ,"3 O'clock Blues.'' The song was so successful, record producers signed the young man from his Memphis, Tenn. home and send him to New York City, where he shortened his stage name from Beale Street Blues Boy to "B.B.'' 	Over the past forty years, King has been called the master of blue using his many styles of gospel, jazz, and blues, which has influenced all blues and rock guitarists.

Reliability and Validity Matrix

TEST of Reliability | Application and APPROPRIATENESS| Strengths| Weaknesses| Internal Consistency| This measure of reliability is appropriate when trying to determine the difference in reliability from shortening or lengthening a test (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010). Here I am specifically referring to the Spearman-Brown formula being used to determine internal consistency. A researcher could also use other measures of internal consistency meant for heterogeneous test items, such as Inter-item consistency. The reliability of a test increases with an increase in the number of test items. One of the strengths of the Spearman-Brown Formula is that is can determine how much more or less reliable a test is as a researcher lengthens or shortens the test. This measure can also work in reverse and tell a researcher how many items they need to add to reach a certain reliability coefficient. | The problem with the use of the Spearman-Brown formula to determine internal consistency is that it is only affective with homogenous test items, that is items that are the same difficulty and length.Also, tests of reliability are higher for whole-test vs. half-test applications of the formula, which means that lengthier tests work better with this instrument. | Split-half| The split-half form of measuring reliability entails creating two halves in the same test that can be compared in the same manner as the parallel form of reliability testing uses. This type of measurement is appropriate when using odd-even reliability or random assignment splits, but is most applicable when designing mini-parallel forms of the same test.In this instance, each half is, â€Å"†¦as nearly equal as humanly possible—in format, stylistic, statistical, and related aspects† (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010, p. 145). | The strength of this kind of measure is that it is less time-consuming and less cumbersome for test-takers than the parallel form, but is also a good measure of internal consistency. T his type of measurement also help keep in check intermediary variables that might introduce error variance into the analysis, since the both parallel portions of the test are taken at once. However, there are several intermediary variables that are enhanced by this form of measuring reliability: fatigue that is felt during the second part of the test but not the first and variance in the difficulty or content of the items in the first half vs. the second half. It is also not advised to simply split a test down the middle. The different halves should have the same content and difficulty of question for the measure of reliability to be accurate. Test/retest| This type of test is applicable when the construct being measured is relatively stable over time, but is inappropriate for constructs that are not stable over time (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010). This is because test/retest reliability is based on taking the same test, with the same people, at two different times. If the construct being measured is purported to change over time, then the scores of the test would vary because of true variance, rather than error variance—which is the basis of reliability, the latter that is. An example of this principle might be an achievement test measuring grammatical skills.If the test-taker undergoes a series of lessons on grammar between the first test and the second test, then the test will show variance, but not due to error but due to the intermediary variable of education. Test/retest reliability would be inappropriate in this situation. | The strength of this measurement of reliability are in tests that, â€Å"†¦employ outcome measures such as reaction time or perceptual judgment† (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010, p. 143). This is because these types of psychometric traits do not vary greatly over time and are not sensitive to many types of intervening variable. The weakness of test/retest reliability is, of course, that the underlying constructs being tested can change over time, and therefore lower the test/retest reliability due to true variance rather than error variance. In this case, the overall reliability of a test might be seen as lower even though the actual measurement of the construct is stable (it is just that the construct itself varies). | Parallel and alternate forms| Both parallel and alternative forms of test reliability utilize multiple instances of the same test items at two different times with the same participants (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010).These types of measures of reliability would be most appropriate with tests that measure traits that are stable over a long period of time and inappropriate when measuring finite emotional states or anxiety levels. | The strength of this measure of reliability is that it measures the core construct through several variances of the same test item. If equivalent scores are found on multiple forms of the same test item, then the reliability of the test will go up. Moreover, there are wa ys to perform this type of reliability analysis without having the test-taker undergo multiple examinations: internal onsistency estimate of reliability. This type of analysis would save time and money. | Designing these types of measures are time-consuming, expensive, and tiresome for the test-taker who has to take variations of the same test items over and over again. Also, these forms of testing reliability are not dependable for measuring constructs that change over time, such as anxiety levels. Another weakness is that if the tests are taken some time apart, then intervening variables might have an effect on the scores, thereby increasing error variance. Test of Validity| Application and APPROPRIATENESS| Strengths| Weaknesses| Face validity| Face validity is a description of the subjective perception of the test-taker of the test’s validity (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010). This measure is not so much a quantification of the test’s actual validity, but a measure of the te st-taker’s perception of the test’s validity. Face validity is most appropriate when measuring the test-takers confidence that a test measures what it purports to measure. The strength of face validity is that if the test-taker has confidence in the validity of test, then they are more likely to take the test, and further the test user is more likely to administer the test. Without face validity, the test might be perfectly valid, but it is not administered or taken properly because the user/taker does not have confidence in the test. | The weakness of face validity is that it might not measure actual validity. A test can appear to be valid to the user/taker while also being completely invalid for the construct/time/place of the test.A good example might be the inkblot test. Psychologists that adhere to the psychodynamic perspective of psychopathology would say that the test is perfectly valid for determining personality characteristics, but the test taker might not un derstanding how the test applies to personality development, thereby undermining the face validity of the test. | Content validity| Measures of content validity are most useful in situations a test designer is trying to create test items that match the content of the material being tested (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010).For instance, a final course exam should test the content area that the course covered. Further, this measure might not be applicable in situations where the skills that the test designer are looking for in the applicant are not currently part of the skill-set of the already employed, such as in cases of new positions. | One of the strengths of content validity is that it can used to work backwards from job responsibilities to job applicant requirements.First, the test designer would examine veteran workers perform their job, and then design an application process that looks for these qualities in a potential employee. The items that are judge essential for the job are the ones that are most advantageous for the applicant to possess. | The downfall of content validity is that the perspective of the material being covered is culturally and chronologically subjective, meaning that the questions can have different answers in different areas of the world or at different times.Therefore, the test items must be culturally and chronologically accurate for the test-takers for content validity to be used. | Criterion related| I know this is personal opinion, but I think that criterion-related validity is the most powerful of all of the methods of verifying validity—especially concurrent validity. This type of validity is used to verify that the criterion that the test score purports to represent is actually in the sample of individuals being tested (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010).For instance, a group of people who have already been diagnosed with schizophrenia could be tested using a new instruments and if they all score high on the test for schizophrenia, th en the test can be said to have acceptable validity. | One of the strengths of criterion-related validity is that it is a very powerful measure of the actual validity of a test score. This type of validity uses methods external to the test itself to verify that the test covers the subject matter and criterion that it purports to cover. This fact alone makes this measure the most objective and verifiable of the measures of validity. A weakness of content validity is that criterion contaminations can occur, which is when the same predictor measure and criterion measure are used. As an example, if the diagnosis of a mental disorder by a panel of diagnosticians is used both as the test criterion and the measure of test validity. | Construct| Construct validity is the umbrella under which all of the other sub-types of validity fall (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010). Construct validity is appropriate to use in cases where a test is trying to measure some underlying construct, such as intelligence or anxiety.I suppose this measure of validity might not be appropriate in situations where there is not one clear construct that is being measured, such as generalized achievement tests. | One of the main strengths of construct validity is that the procedures used to verify underlying constructs follow the edicts of the scientific method. A hypothesis is formulated, predicting that if someone possesses in great quantity the construct of intelligences—as verified through other measures—then they will score high on a test purporting to measure intelligence.In this way, a predictions is made based on scientific facts and then the test is used to determine if the prediction holds true. If it does not, then the test items, predictions, or underlying construct might need to be revised. | The downfall of this measure of validity is that if there is not one clear construct or if the construct is vaguely defined, then the validity of the test score is not measurable. So, the va lidity of the test rests on the underlying construct definition and specificity. |

Good and Evil of Internet Essay

The onset of computers on the general population has given a boost to the Economy in the world’s market. People who weren’t much aware of the world became drawn to computers, which in turn brought about the Internet, connecting the world all over. The Internet has played a major role in the lives of people all over the world. Now, it is not limited to just important organizations or governments. Everyone who owns a computer is logged on to the Internet; and this has made the world seem smaller. No one has to wait for the postman to deliver the mail, but instead one can just connect to the Internet and right away, you got mail. The Internet has been a boon, yet there are its darker aspects, which has caused much harm. The world is now so dependent on the Internet that it seems unthinkable of living without it. The computer industry got a boost when the people discovered that the world was progressing in leaps and bounds, and should any country be left out would be considered a backward country. Developing countries caught on to the progress. Learning about computers in school was made compulsory. To enhance the knowledge, everyone, young and old had to learn about computers and that was the first step. From computers to the Internet is but just a step ahead. Families who have migrated to different parts of the world have the link of Internet to connect to their relatives and friends, in the fastest and cheapest way. Internet has brought families, friends and businesses closer than they actually are. Communications via the Internet is so fast and cheap that there is no hold to its progress. The Internet brought about a lot of developments around the world, which otherwise would have taken much longer. Employers could buy the best talent around the world at a cheaper price than they would have to pay for hiring local workers. The young and aspiring workers left their homes and found better employment abroad, by searching for jobs on the Internet. Businesses flourished, as they could be in touch with whom they were dealing with, fast and quick on the Internet. The Internet brought prosperity all around and every small and big business caught on to the fear of being left behind. Big and small schools opened up for teaching computers and the Internet. Cyber cafes flourished to the assistance of those who did not possess a computer. Various Internet service providers propped up offering a variety of discounts and benefits for Internet services. Industries prospered, employees and employers also prospered, and to say the least there is just no stopping to the growth of the Internet. Information is at your fingertips, there is no need for the newspaper; all you need to do is switch on the computer and go to the web page to read the news. The Internet certainly is responsible for the development of the world, but it also has its negativity, which has brought about considerable disruptions and problems in its wake. Bad characters had limitations before, but now with the Internet, their limitations have gained a spot over. Countries know the secrets of each other and are always trying to harm one another in some way. Recent September eleven attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, in which thousands perished and landmarks reduced to rubble, are living proofs of what the Internet is capable of. Hacking, junk mail, obscene mail, porn mail and viruses are all done via the Internet. There is much damage done via the Internet to the minds of young adolescent children and these are just a few examples. The world is full of good and bad people, and having the Internet at your fingertips leaves something to your imagination of where the world is progressing today. The discovery of Internet is definitely a boon to the world and the development and betterment it has done for countries and people throughout the world. The progress that the world has made is beyond imagination, thanks to the Internet. The Internet has its advantages and disadvantages too. Those who want the betterment of the world spread enlightment and those that are bad create trouble and Internet is just the media through which they have access to the minds of people fast and results are equally fast and damaging. Now it is the responsibility of each and every family, parents, teachers, and the well wisher of the world to educate their young impressionable children, to differentiate between the good and evil. We hope this awareness should eliminate the negative aspect of the Internet.