Iconic plane Essay Example

Iconic plane Essay This Is still part of the semiotic approach since It Is still based on the signifier- signified relationship. But here it Is not that material elements of the work that are dealt with as In the basic semiotic plane, but this has to do with the particular features, aspects, and qualities of the Image which are the signifier. The Image Is regarded as an iconic sign which means, beyond its narrow associations with religious images in the Byzantine style, that it is a unique sign with a unique, particular and highly nuanced meaning, as different from a conventional sign such as traffic or street sign which has a single literal meaning. The iconic plane includes the choice of the subject which may bear social and political implications. An example in art history is the French realist artist Gustavo Coursers choice of workers and ordinary people in his paintings, instead of the Olympian gods and goddesses or heroes from Greek and Roman antiquity that were the staple of classical and academic art up to the nineteenth century. We can ask the question: Is the subject meaningful In terms of the socio-cultural context, does It reflect or have a bearing on the values and Ideologies arising In a particular place ND time? We will write a custom essay sample on Iconic plane specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Iconic plane specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Iconic plane specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One proceeds to consider the presentation of the image and its relationship to the viewer. If the subject is a human figure, does it address the viewer directly; is it self- contained or self-absorbed? What kind of subject-viewer relationship is implied by the subject through his facial expression, body language, costume and accessories, natural or social background? Is it a relationship of peers or one of dominance and subordination? Is It a friendly, ironic, aggressive, or hostile relationship, and all possible nuances thereof? Most examples of Philippine genre, for instance, are based n the concept of the stage or tableau which Is oriented towards a large public audience which It Is aware of and directly addresses?a mark of the social cohesiveness of rural peasant society as well as the extended Filipino family system in which all members of society have their kinship appellations. John Berger in his Ways of Seeing has an engrossing study of paintings with the female nude as subject, many of which he demonstrates as stemming from sexist attitudes refrying (reducing to object status) or commingling women with respect to the implied male viewer. Also part of the iconic plane is the positioning of the figure or figures, whether frontal, in profile, three-fourths, etc. And the significations that arise from these different presentations. Does the painting show strong central focusing with the principal figure occupying the center space or Is It decremented and the painting asymmetrical In composition? How do these presentations contribute to different meanings? Does the subject or subjects have a formal or a casual air? How does one describe the central figures stance: poised, relaxed, indifferent, provocative, or aloof? ND accessories? O the setting, natural, social or domestic? What is the relative scaling of the figures from large to small? What bearing does this have to the meaning of the work? Ulnas Tampon brings to the fore the artists sensitivity to body language. How do the postures of the man and the woman convey their emotional attitudes? In portraits, where is the gaze of the subject directed? This is important not only in defining the relationship of subject and viewer but also in describing pictorial space. Degas painting Woman with Chrysanthemums shows a middle-aged woman beside a large vase of flowers. More importantly, her intense and scheming look projects an imaginary line to a figure or figures that are the objects of her gaze outside the pictorial field of the painting into an implied open and expanded space. This work deconstructs the classical conventions of portraiture. Is there cropping of the figure or figures? What is the significance of the kind of cropping used? Some kinds of cropping are intended to create a random, arbitrary effect as against the deliberate and controlled. Other kinds isolate a segment of the subject, such as the hand or the feet, in order to draw attention to its physical ululateswhen a part stands for the whole, a peasants bare feet can tell us about an entire life of labor and exploitation. Some artists use cropping as a device to imply the extension of the figure into the viewers space. Here one also takes into account the relationship of the figures to one another, whether massed, isolated, or Juxtaposed in terms of affinity or contrast. A painting may expand or multiply its space by having not Just one integral image but several sets of images in montage form, from the same or different times and places. These may occur in temporal sequence to constitute a narrative or may take the form of emulations facets or aspects of reality. Serial images which show an image multiplied many times, as in Andy Whorls Marilyn Monroe or Campbell Soup Cans, convey significations arising from the blatant consumerism of the advanced capitalist societies of the First World. The style of figuration is an important part of the iconic plane. The figurative style is not mere caprice, passing fashion, or the artists personal scripture; beyond these, it implies a particular re-presentation or interpretation of the world, a world view, if not ideology. Classical figuration basically follows the proportion of 7 1/2 to 8 heads to he entire figure in its pursuit of ideal form, as in a formal studio portrait with the subject enhanced by make-up, all imperfections concealed. Realist figuration is based on the keen observation of people, nature, and society in the concern for truth of representation, thus creating true portraits of individuals or exposing the poverty and squalor that arise from social inequities. Impressionist figuration is fluid and informal, often catching the subject unawares like a candid camera. Expressionist figuration follows emotional impulses and drives, thus often involving distortion that comes from strong emotion. However, the viewer should not be too anxious to find original styles that have gone far obeyed the School of Paris. It is important to be sensitive to the meaning-conveying potential of highly individual styles. In the basic semiotic plane which deals with the material aspect of the work and in the iconic plane which deals with the features of the image itself, one can see that as the signifier cannot be separated from the signified, concrete fact or material data cannot be divorced from value; in other words, fact is value-laden and value or ideological meaning is derived from material fact.

Research Paper on Gandhi

Research Paper on Gandhi Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869 in Porbandar, a town of 70,000 people and was ruled by a native prince whom the British usually left alone as long as he did as he was told. Gandhi family belong to the Modh Bania which is a subdivision of the Vaisya caste. According to the old Hindu social scale, the Vaisya is classified as tradesmen or farmers which ranked third. The Bania which had a connotation of moneylender, slightly lower. However Gandhi’s father and as his father before him was a Diwan or chief minister for the Porbandar prince. Gandhi was one of the youngest of the six children and spent his early life in a thee-storey house that had been in the family since 1777. Gandhi as an infant could not tell his brother and sisters from his numerous cousins for following the Hindu custom and his father shared the house with five brothers, their children’s children. The immediate family lived in two rooms which one of them was 20 by 30 feet and the other 13 by 12. Such crowded quarters required patience and the ability to give and take were the main part of survival. Gandhi learned both of these values and also tuning out what he did not want to hear. The later years, Gandhi freely credited his mother with his religious devotion. However it never occurred to him that he may owe his father for something as equally as important such as his instinct for practical politics and diplomacy. While officially as a servant of the ruling prince, Gandhi was mainly a negotiator in grievances and long suffering subjects. Even though porrly educated, Gandhi’s father had a common sense approach to problems that made his judgement as a highly valued official circles. His reputation as a absolute loyalty. After an assistant political agent for the British insulted the Rajkot prince, others sat in silence, but Gandhi stood up and criticized him and Gandhi was arrested immediately and also refused to apologise. This was the first lesson for Gandhi in passive resistance. Young Gandhi spent his hours after school with his mother, who he said was â€Å"the embodiment of the traditional Hindu virtues of love, humanity and self-sacrifice.† Gandhi would accompany her to the temple, sitting nearby and listening as she comforted the widowed mother of the prince, tended the sick and other this lead throughout the night. Gandhi was influenced by his mother’s powers of endurance as he was awed by her spirited of willing self-denial and she inspired Gandhi during some of the most troubled times of his adult life. The Ahimsa is the cornerstone in Gandhi’s tactics, strategy and ethics. The word Ahimsa means â€Å"non-violence†. However accurately speaking the term means the absence of himsa. Which the himsa is a Sanskrit word meaning doing harm to others or being hateful. Therefore the first layer of the meaning to ahimsa involves a substantial portion of the Hindu belief. This broadly influences and guides the other levels of social interaction. This suffering ideally takes place without the anger, vengeance or even resentment. As for example today protestors such as Greenpeace who aspire to save the forests show considerable resentment when they are made to obey injunctions, pay fines or are arrested. Which they seemed to have learned the most visible portion of civil rights movement but also have missed philosophical roots in Gandhi and Hinduism. Gandhi was also considerate to other world religions. As an example, he identified a central principle common to both Hindu and Christian religion. More importantly he used this idea to help motivate the desired actions on the part of his followers and at the same time as well, he anticipated the emotional reactions of the populations which could be put political pressure on British power. This influence was Gandhi’s overt objective. He also often spoke of the inability of the human heart to witness suffering without wanting to help which Gandhi believed that persuasive appeals to the hard of the western citizens could bot be ignored. His moralist part of him said this was because of the nature of the â€Å"law† however his politician side understood how such a priority would be experienced by Christian believers. He mixed politics with religion and also mixed religious traditions. He said â€Å"I do not share the belief there can or will be on earth one religion† I am striving to find a common factor to induce a mutual tolerance†. However to those who saw in his teachings the emergence of a new faith, he said â€Å"There is no such thing as Gandhism. I am not a saint who has strayed into politics. I am a politician who is trying to become a saint.† Gandhi rose as an unlikely religious and political celebrity. He was the crusader against injustice who renounced both sexual pleasure and the entire modern world. To this mix of traits was added to his philosophy of political protest which he gained the name Satyagraha. Taken this term literally means â€Å"The truth force† in Sanskit however in practical terms it means the refusal to obey unjust authority. To the Indian people, Gandhi gave a nation and to the world he gave satyagraha and ahimsa which are the most revolutionary ideas of a long and ravaged century. He also showed that political change could be affected by renouncing violence and that unjust laws could be challenged peacefully and with readiness to accept the punishment. The â€Å"soul force† as much as like armed force could bring down an empire. Not only he drew his lessons from his religion, he also learnt from the readings of the Bible, Tolstoy and the Bhagavad-Gita, and he taught it to Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and countless other political protestors who would follow his example in mayn years to come. Gandhi’s greatest achievement lay in his legacy to inspire people of all nations to take up the peaceful struggle for freedom from oppression. In New Jersey City with the reports of increasing teenager violence a bill has been introduced to the New Jersey Assembly seeking to include Mahatma G andhi’s non-violence teachings in school curriculum throughout the state. The bill that was introduced along with 17 others to stem violence and would require schools to teach the non-violence teaching and philosophies of Gandhi as part of the Core Curriculum standards for social studies in school if it is passed. Gandhi works pass from time to time and his influence upon our society is still evident today and probably the four most important things to take from Gandhi his teachings are peace, truth, non-violence and equality.

UK Curriculum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

UK Curriculum - Essay Example These categories have helped to shape the present curriculum today. Old right advocates held the first perspective during that time. They asserted that the purpose of education is to divide students into a group of elites and underclass. Education was supposed to teach the underclass how to become submissive to the upper class. On the contrary, the elite were the rulers of land. They were supposed to acquire some managerial and social skills necessary for leadership. Additionally, the two groups had distinct cultures that separated them from one another. According to this perspective, the curriculum should focus on traditional subjects, which are to be examined regularly. However, the manner of implementation would differ according to student type. The elite were supposed to be taught in separated environments in an efficient manner while the underclass was to receive mediocre knowledge. One should note that some members of the civil service and traditionalists hold this belief. Education experts also hold another view with regard to the purpose of education. They believe that education should be tailored to meet the needs of the population. Consequently, a country will be able to sustain itself if their students meet this objective. Such an approach may not necessarily be compatible with traditional values and may require adjustments. This is because the economy is constantly fluctuating. In instances where there is a decline, then there should be greater flexibility to meet present needs. The implication of such an approach on the present curriculum is a focus on science and technology. Besides this, a curriculum needs to practical in nature hence the need for vocational training. Furthermore, students should not learn independently in schools; there should be a link between the school environment and the corporate world. Consequently, the curriculum should accommodate greater levels of internships and attachments. (Ross, 2000) Neo conservatives believe that the purpose of education is to inculcate traditional beliefs that had held society close over the years. Such adherents propose that education today has been plagued by diversity and fragmentation. Consequently, there is a need to bring back these values to the education system in order to stabilize it. The implication for the curriculum in this regard is the pursuance of traditional subjects with emphasis on the grammar school subjects. Such a curriculum is highly conservative in that there is little room for discussion on the kind of content taught. In addition, the public should not critically analyze such a curriculum. Margaret Thatcher was a known proponent and so were some new right conservatives in parliament. Neo liberal proponents believe that the purpose of education is to provide individuals with a means of satisfying their needs just the same way that other commodities in the market do. In this regard, education can be treated as a good in the market place; the more value it possesses, the higher the demand. Proponents of this view strongly adhere to the belief that education has a price and that the market will determine this price. By treating education like this, adherents to this principle believe that they can establish higher levels of performance because schools will promoted to perform well in order to sustain competition. Consequently,

IMC Mix of the reformation (www.reformation.com) Essay

IMC Mix of the reformation (www.reformation.com) - Essay Example Reformation integrated marketing communications strategy has blended a variety of marketing innovation to enhance the promotion of their products to the consumers. Reformation integrated marketing communications strategy has integrated various promotion ideas in their website, thus engineering an eye catching web page. This has a positive influence on how the customers value Reformation products. Integrated marketing communications improved customers’ experience while shopping for commodities online. The integrated marketing communications set up informs and attracts existing and prospective customers into checking out the various product wares Reformation is offering. The purpose of integrated marketing communications is to communicate the right information to the right customers at a specific time (Caywood, PP. 323). Reformation has modified their online adverts into sections that appeal to different customers differently. The sections are divided in the form of gender, accessories and the different type of the clothing wares. Each of the sections is further differentiated to offer the customers with a wide variety of choices to compare and choose. Reformation has integrated social media in their marketing strategy thus forming a network for communication with the customers. Social media enables Reformation to get feedback from the customers about their reactions and opinions about their products. Social media gives consumers the chance to ask questions about any product they want to learn more about from the company. Reformation integrated marketing communications strategy has also incorporated a blog as a means of enhancing communication impact. The blog is mainly for creating an interactive online means to bond with different individuals in matters relating directly or indirectly to their products. The blog communicates on general things that are related to Reformation products. The blog initiates a topic on fashion related trends and other

Zero tolerance policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zero tolerance policies - Essay Example Zero tolerance policies are not effective as they cause more harm than good to an institution and the student offender at hand. Despite the conflicting arguments on the zero tolerance policies, it has been widely used as a means of controlling school disruption and chaotic instances. Punishments given to all offences are severe disregard of the intensity of the incidents. The zero tolerance policies has its limitations in that it fails to address the underlying causes of the incidence therefore making it ineffective in countering crimes effectively. Recently, most schools in the America and Europe have embraced this policies which has led to most students being suspended or even expelled from their respective schools. A number of concerns and questions have aroused due to a research on this policies. Among the questions include, â€Å"Do zero tolerance policies in schools reduce incidents of bad behavior? and What are the societal consequences of suspension and expulsion of students who violate these policies? Juà ¡rez, pp. 415-416)†. Little evidence is available to credit school safety and improve b ehavior in students subjected to this policies. Research on the effectiveness of expulsions and suspensions as an educational intervention, and other ethical concerns has generated data that shows the negative effects of the zero tolerance policies. This data has led to a change in punishments adopted in different schools which matches the offences committed and preventive measures of bullying and improvement in class management. Research done on finding of alternative ways of punishment will help schools in developing more effective and intrusive methods of school discipline. In September 17, 1999, a fight broke between students of rival gangs in a football game at Decatur High School in Decatur. In October 1, 1999 the School Board expelled the seven students, all black from the school for two years. This move provoked reaction

Diversity And Equality In Workplace Commerce Essay

Diversity And Equality In Workplace Commerce Essay According to the Yearbook of Statistics Singapore 2012, the main ethnic group in Singapore consisting of Singapore Residents and Permanent Residents are Chinese, Malays, Indians and Others. Figure Statistics for Ethnic Groups in Singapore (June 2011) Under Part IV, Act 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, stated that 12.-(1) All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law. (2) Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens of Singapore on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment. Diversity and equality in workplace are important to maintain a safe and comfortable working environment for all. Diversity Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et al., 1995). Each individual person comes with the visible and non-visible differences and through respecting the dissimilarities would make each of them feel valued for their efforts which is valuable not only for the individual but for the organization. Equality Equality can be described as breaking down barriers, eliminating discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity and access for all groups both in employment, and to goods and services; the basis of which is supported and protected by legislation. Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly states that All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Some other definitions of Equality are: Equality is simply a quest for sameness in all aspects of social life. (Dunleavy, 1989) Equally talented people have an equal chance of attaining them fair equality of opportunity' (Sachs, 2011) However, due to the face that there is no correct or one specific definition of equality, there are many limitations to the policies being implemented. Equality can cover over a broad area such as gender rights, age, race, culture, religion, beliefs and etc. Importance Importance of Diversity Diversity in the workplace can reduce lawsuits and increase marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and business image (Esty, et al., 1995) However, when an organization focuses only on results and ignoring the importance of having a diverse team, communication and trust can break down, resulting in lower performance. Importance of Equality It is important to have equality policies enforce in workplace to ensure that all employees have the same rights as each other regardless of any differences in gender, age, religion, language and disability. Equality will also create a more favorable environment by promoting a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as they are given equal opportunities to improve themselves. Limitations Limitations towards diversity policies According to (Mayhew, Demand Media), the challenges related to receptiveness to training and prioritizing hiring decisions based on diversity can transform those challenges into disadvantages. Negative behaviors and attitudes can be barriers to organizational diversity because they can damage working relationships and bring down morale and work productivity (Esty, et al., 1995). Workplace diversity creates opportunities for organizations to get a wider perspective on business situations and to improve global reach, but it does often create some negative impacts in the company (Kokemuller, Demand Media). Common negative impacts arise are: Unresolved Conflict Staff that comes from different cultural and backgrounds have dissimilar perspectives and opinions in handling issues or concerns that emerges. An incapability to observe where the other person is arriving from can forbid effective resolution of conflicts. When employees feel that they cannot reach to an agreement in conflict, the tendency to give up and simply let ill feelings fester can create a pessimistic behaviour. Poor Communication If an organization has employees from different backgrounds with different languages, communication can prove to be difficult. However, a number of filters can forbid meaningful and clear communication between staff and employees. It is vital that organizations educate employees on cultural differences in the attempt to encourage them to freely converse their diverse viewpoints on things as opposed to generating conflict. Turnover A considerable bottom line result of poor management of diversity is the case of high turnover as they are displeased with the working environment. The replacing of employees lost to feelings of discontent is expensive as the organization has to pay to hire and teach replacements. Businesses will risks losing top talents to rivals unless the organization makes available a safe and inspiring culture where employees from diverse backgrounds are treated fairly. Limitations towards equality differences Although having equality among employees, the organization may still find it difficult to establish a perfect equality workplace for all. There are limitations in having equal opportunities due to internal and external factors. Poor Implementation Lack of awareness of the laws being executed can lead to poor implementation by organization and the managers. Poor implementation can also be attributed to the presences of deeply ingrained negative attitudes and gender stereotypes, which cannot be uprooted through legislation alone. (Spehar, 2011) Limited implementation can happen due to the development of bureaucratic responses that focus only to comply with the duty rather than removing the inequality in question. Lack of support Managing equality in the Organization cannot be carried out by the Organization and managers alone. In addition, with the lack of support from the Government, weak equal treatment bodies, shortcomings in judiciary together with the lack of support from the Organization itself, where there are no consensus, no single position being defended or attacked; it is difficult for equality policies to be carried out. Lack of clarity The lack of clarity can lead to confusion among the employee. If the Organization does not successfully and clearly communicate their equality policies or the definitions of equality, and without the proper identification of what kind of equality is desirable, equality of whom all of humanity or members of particular political society it can bring the whole equality agenda into disrepute. The lack of general agreement of equality can cause employee to be uninterested in equality within their communities. Religion and Beliefs Many religion and beliefs exist in an Organization for e.g. Christianity, Buddhist, Jewish, Communism, Marxism, and Socialism. Although some may understand religion in a more communal and cultural way, there are others that are not particularly agreeable to the idea of equality. Some religion might be hostile to equality on grounds of sex and sexual orientations, believing that men should enjoy headship over women, homosexuality is sinful. (Vickers, 2011) This can be problematic as well. Discrimination or disadvantage can be experienced regardless of individual beliefs, because of group identity18. (Vickers, 2011) Different values in equality S. Temkin (2011) stated that many argue for equality and in so doing think of themselves as opposing non-egalitarianism because they favour significant redistribution from the better- to worst off. The reasons they have for favouring such redistribution vary markedly, and may have nothing to do with a concern for equality itself. Managers can get confused with the meaning of equality and therefore think that the action they carry out will be beneficial to the employees where in actual fact, they might be doing the wrong thing. Lack of proper training The types of training method taught will affect the way managers react in situations. They might be unaware of the complexity of the issue and are uncertain on how to deal with it as they may not be trained using a variety of situations. Population Size The size of the population affected by the policy of equality matters due to the fact that more parties involve means more attention needs to be given to each individual. A complete equality is difficult to attain in a society that is marked by diversity is that people in such a society come attached to groups. This can result in difficulty to maintain both individual equality and group equality. (Kukathas, 2002) Lack of positive messages from senior level within the authority Even if the Organization has a policy on equality, it would be deem useless if there is no positive influence from the senior management with positive commitment to equality in practice. Culture of Organization Different Organization has different cultures. These cultures will affect how equality is being implemented internally. Is the Organization culture a heavily masculine workplace culture or feminine collaboration culture? This can have an effect on some managers that are genuinely interested in becoming more equal with the other groups in society, but are hampered by its very nature of cultural structure. Presence of Diversity Diversity presents a serious problem for equality. The existence of diversity is not only inescapable, but also reflective of the fact that people pursue the good life collectively but in different ways, not all of which value equality in the same way, or at all. If diversity is to be accepted, then equality must be abandoned as the situation might become too complex. (Kukathas, 2002) Obstacles Obstacles resulting from diversity policies For policies to be effectual in promoting the acceptance of workforce diversity by the company it is required to understand the obstacles to its implementation for diversity. CESS (2003) suggests that, with the other forms of investment into new human resource policies, there will be two groups of implementations to workforce diversity policies: Internal obstacles they are distinct to individual organizations and developed from attitudinal, institutional, cultural, and historic elements within individual enterprises. In spite of this, many groups of organizations may face the same types of obstacles. Its been identified that there are some internal obstacles which have the possibility to prevent the implementations of diversity policies within individual organizations Awareness among managers there may be some who lacks the knowledge of the business advantages of a diversity workforce and the implementation to make changes to be effective. Attitudes within some organizations there may have negative behaviors towards the emergence of a diverse workforce in the midst of significant groups of staff or managers. This may reflect on a wider resistance to all major changes in the context of HR processes and policies. Additionally, there may be already well-established work cultures that create indirect discrimination and which employees are unwilling to change. Economics there may be apparent economic reasons that affects why some businesses are unwilling to invest in the establishment of a diversity workforce. On the other hand, furthermore disadvantage of investing in diversity programs is that intangibles are significantly more difficult to manage than tangible assets. Thus, these obstacles make it difficult to measure benefits and therefore to undertake traditional investment evaluation processes. Resources some organizations lacks the key resources necessary to implement changes required to emerge a diversity workforce. Such resources include monetary cash, management time, managerial experiences, external advices, and the leadership and competence of senior managers. External obstacles these are developed from regional or national factors, such as the institutional networks, attitudes/culture, and regulatory components. They affect large groups of organizations in similar ways. The implementation of diversity workforce policies by organizations may serve complications to accomplish because of wider and broad attitudinal and cultural factors in certain countries or regions. Potential causes include national cultures that concentrate on the incorporation of ethnic groups rather than on the acceptance of multi-culturalism. 3.2 Obstacles resulting from diversity policies (Maybe can put in point form like Ben and add a few more points?) There are a few obstacles leading from the implementation of equality policies. Firstly, the Organization may feel obligated to hire someone of different race and gender even though their skills or talent may not be ideal for the Organization. This is to ensure an equal number of individuals from each race or ethnicity. Secondly, due to the fact that there are many equality laws or policies being passed, employees might feel that the Government or Organization is trying to intrude in their working lives to ensure workplace equality. What is to be done? Diversity An application to provide support to the process of implementation of diversity management in organizations is by adopting the diversity management setup (diversityatwork.net). It provides support in two main ways: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It details a 5 phase procedure on how to implement a diversity management program in the organization; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the setup support for each of the action to carry out during the implementation of a diversity management program in the organization. It is best to regard the development of diversity management policy in the organization as an assignment or project. It is vital to establish support for the project, analyze the requirements and opportunities, developing own solutions and then implement the project as it progresses. The setup provides the organization with a set of methods, information and skills which have been created to simplify the process of a diversity management implementation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phase 1 Given the lack of awareness of diversity management, it is fundamental that the diversity management project is inserted into the mainstream of the organizational activities as smooth as possible. Additionally, setting up the procedure should include using the best practices from project management skills. These approaches are demonstrated in the four activities of this phase Campaigning support and determining potential stakeholders, examine the degree of the problem, establishing diversity management structures and attaining agreement on taking place with the process. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phase 2 This phase is essential to the diversity management project as it establishes the current practices and the problems and opportunities in the organization for managing diversity. The success of this phase depends on factors, which most important of these is the participation of employees. To ensure participation, they need to be well briefed about the project and its actions, the reason that it is being undertaken and how will they stand to benefit from it. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phase 3 In this phase, solutions are being generated to tackle problems and opportunities known in the previous phase. The objectives of this phase is to evaluate the problems and needs that has been identified and to use creative skills to suggest a set of solutions which are then prioritized and established into a diversity management plan. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phase 4 This phase manages issues that are related to implementing diversity management activities in the organization. With the diversity management program plan developed in the previous phase, the team is required to decide which activities to be financed and to start developing during the initial year of the implementation program. It should be clear what the aims and objectives are and how to meet them, who is going to do what, when and how. Encouraging employees for participation and to deal with possible resistance during implementation must also be put into consideration. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phase 5 The activities undertaken during this phase the monitoring and evaluation of the diversity management project provides the foundation for assessing the overall value of the project and for making necessary recommendations for changes in the future. Monitoring the phases would allow the user to moderate how well the activities worked in that phase, while results from the evaluation exercise are helpful in providing feedbacks to employees and management on the difficulties and successes faced in the project. Alternative Approaches Another approach towards implementation of diversity management is the transformative approach (Cockburn, 1991) which is required to challenge organisational structures, therefore enabling diverse perspectives to influence organisational activity (Bendick et al., 2001). This will resemble an effective and learning approach where both the differentiation and integration of individuals is acknowledged (Thomas and Ely, 1996), thus identifying value in bringing differences together to generate continuous development. However, diversity literature puts slight emphasis on the distinction between legislative knowledge and the knowledge of putting legislations into practice. Briefly, knowledge that is easily quantifiable and can be stored is regularly termed as hard knowledge and the knowledge which is less quantifiable and cannot be easily stored is referred as soft knowledge (Hildreth and Kimble, 2002). One of the possibilities highlighted as being a method through which the diverse perspectives and soft knowledge in the workforce can be coupled is by the use of informal staff networking, which generates interactions and provides the organisation with a mechanism within which to generate improvements as well as new initiatives and ideas (Kandola, 2004). CASE STUDY NTUC FairPrice Food and Service How FairPrice have been successful in implementing diversity and equality policies in workplace. CASE STUDY 1: NTUC FAIRPRICE (Food and Service) From a single supermarket in Toa Payoh, FairPrice has grown to become one of Singapores leading retailers, with more than 100 supermarkets, 7000 employees and 2.8 million customers per week. FairPrice also operate in 6 different store formats (FairPrice Supermarkets, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, FairPrice Xpress, Cheers and FairPrice Online), a Fresh Food Distribution Centre and a centralised warehousing and distribution company, Global Logistics of Singapore Pte Ltd. Beyond Singapore, FairPrice has also recently entered into a joint venture to open a hypermarket chain in Vietnam. Workplace Equality A number of commitments shape a Great Workplace agenda. Looking into one of the commitment where FairPrice promotes workplace equality: Promoting an open communications culture to support a tolerant workplace free from discrimination with regard to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, age, marital status and social background As one of the leading supermarkets in Singapore, FairPrice wants to be the Best Place to Shop and the Best Place to Work. This commitment stated shows that FairPrice values workplace equality and wants their staff to be aware that they will not allow any discrimination. And by doing so, they can achieve a harmonious working environment. FairPrice believes that if they work in a desirable environment, their employees will be motivated and inspired, leading them to deliver professionalism and teamwork when working, and most importantly creating a customer focus team. With the commitments kept in mind, FairPrice proved themselves by achieving the most number of awards at the National Excellent Service Award (EXSA)  [1]  for 3 years straight (2009-2011). This can only be possible when FairPrice creates an excellent working environment and treating each employee equally. This will inspire more employees to aim for the best when they work. Workplace Diversity FairPrice believe that their stores should reflect the communities they serve, and that included the people who work there. The diversity policy that FairPrice enforced in their workplace strives their employee to work hard. The management looks into recruitment, language training and flexible working practices in particular, to ensure that all employees have the same opportunity to succeed with us regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, age, marital status or social background. Shown in the diagrams below are ways in which FairPrice manage diversity in their company: FairPrice hires staff from all four major ethnic groups from Singapore and kept a balance of full-timers and part-timer in their company. Moreover, 90% of the workforce consist of Singaporeans, leaving10% opportunity open to foreign workers and the company also emphasizes on gender equality. Active Aging project Of particular note is FairPrice effort in recruiting seniors aged 60 and above as Customer Relations Officers (CROs) at some of the stores in conjunction of its newly launched Active Aging Project. By launching this project, FairPrice aims to promote a more active lifestyle for those aged over 60. These CROs main role is to assist customers with their needs or enquiries, or simply chat with the customers to gather feedback and suggestions. Seah Kian Peng, chief executive of FairPrice, believes that seniors have very good skills, and by staying active they are able to use their time meaningfully and added that older workers are ideal employees because they offer stability and experience. This project that FairPrice launched, shows that they are willing to accept employee regardless of age and promotes diversity and equal working opportunities for everyone. CASE STUDY anf Retail Abercrombie Fitch failure to manage diversity well within the organization. Case Study 2: Abercrombie Fitch (Retail Industry) Abercrombie Fitch, an American clothing retailer which focuses on casual wear targets mainly consumers aged 18-22 has more than 700 stores in the States and has been expanding its market internationally. The management team responsible for the implementation of the diversity policy to ensure that equal treatments are being addressed in the organization only focus on employing a diverse workforce but pay little attention when coming to the application of the diversity policy. Below are 2 examples of Abercrombie Fitch incapability of diversity management. Example 1 In 2009, Riam Dean, a 22 year old who was born without a left forearm sued Abercrombie Fitch for disability discrimination after being told not work on the shop floor unless she took off the cardigan as she was breaking the firms look policy. Being excluded from her main job role which requires her to be on the shop floor due to her disability simply shows discrimination from the company towards Riam. The tribunal has found in Riams favour on Abercrombie and Fitch harassment and failure to make reasonable adjustments towards her. Riam won the disability claim of  £8,013 against the company for loss of earnings and wrongful dismissal. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/woman-with-prosthetic-arm-forced-to-work-out-of-sight-in-storeroom-1718041.html Example 2 In a 2004 lawsuit  Gonzà ¡lez v. Abercrombie Fitch, the company was accused of discriminating against African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and women by preferentially offering floor sales positions and store management positions to the whites and men. Abercrombie Fitch agreed to the settlement of the class case suit which not only requires the company to pay up to $40 million and also to set up a range of policies and actions required to promote diversity among its workforce and to prevent discrimination based on race, gender, nationality or physical disability. Below are some of the initiatives that Abercrombie Fitch have to comply to promote diversity within the company; Abercrombie marketing materials will reflect diversity by including members of minority racial and ethnic groups. Advertising of available positions in publications targeting minorities of both genders. Benchmarks for hiring and promotion of women, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans. These benchmarks are goals, rather than quotas, and Abercrombie will be required to report on its progress toward these goals at regular intervals. A new Office and Vice President of Diversity, responsible for reporting to the CEO on Abercrombies progress toward fair employment practices. Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Training for all employees with hiring authority http://www.afjustice.com/index.htm Abercrombie Fitchs legal cases of discrimination had resulted in unfair treatment in the workplace and requirement process. The cases dictate that people with same qualification do not get the job at Abercrombie Fitch because of their physical outlooks, race or gender and this may hinder the companys competitive advantage over its competitors as talents of the diverse population are not being utilised due to the lack of enforcement on diversity management. However, since the start of the initiative, Abercrombie Fitch has made significant focus on diversity and inclusion; Diversity and inclusion are key to our organizations success. We are determined to have a diverse culture, throughout our organization, that benefits from the perspective of each individual. As of April 30th, 2010, vase improvement in the diversity of the in-store staff can be seen; The in-store workforce, as a whole is 50.22% people of color, The in-store models are 48.44% people of color, The in-store managers-in-training are 41.04% people of color. http://sg.abercrombie.com/anf/careers/diversity.html People in general has very broad range of differences in their needs and an interest that needs to be managed well hence treating everyone the same way may not work to avoid the conflict. Therefore it is important that the management not only needs to be aware of what diversity is about but also managing diversity and equality well in an organization in order help to tackle the issue on the fair treatments and discrimination at work place. Lastly, organizations that are able to manage the workforce diversity well will have a competitive edge as they are able to maximize the potential of the team through their diverse talent and background. As stated by Terence Swee, the chief executive of Muvee Technologies; You need to be made of the world to sell to the world. Terence Swee, Chief executive officer of Muvee Technologies (Singapore-based Software Company) : http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/Pages/WDM.aspx (DONT KNOW IF THIS PART IS RELEVANT, IF ITS NOT JUST REMOVE K THANKS) (: What can be done by companies to ensure that diversity and equality is not only being preach but also practice at the workplace? Management needs to put in place necessary channels to enable employees to raise any concerns regarding unfair treatments or discrimination so that necessary actions towards unfair treatment can be rectify. Support from management to implement the right practices. Reduce workplace tension that arises from the different demographics of employees by not limiting benefits to any one particular group. Ensure that management role has a clear understanding on what managing diversity is about in order to promote equality in the workplace. Diversity and equality must be lodged in the heart of any organization serious about implementing the policy. As Ng and Burke (2005) states that the best educated and most able are attracted to an environment that embodies diversity and equality. Therefore, company should implement and follow-thru the diversity and equality policies in order to ensure that equal opportunity exists for everyone. Diversity and equality training and education play an important role in avoiding potential failure of diversity initiatives, Wentling (2004). REFERENCING Anderson and Metcalfe. (2005). Managing diversity: linking theory and practice to business performance. Available: http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/research/managing-diversity-business-performance.aspx Last accessed 7th Aug 2012. Badici, Emil. (2011). Standards of Equality and Humes View of Geometry. Pacific Philosophy Quarterly . 92 (1), p448-467. Bendick, M. Jr, Egan, M.L. and Lofhjelm, S.M. (2001), Workforce diversity training: from anti-discrimination compliance to organizational development, Human Resource Planning, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 10-25. Centre for Strategy Evaluation Services . (2003). Methods and Indicators to Measure the CostEffectiveness of Diversity Policies in Enterprises. Available: http://edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-ath/gdem/03/cbfullrep_en.pdf Last accessed 8 Aug 2012. Cockburn, C. (1991), In the Way of Women: Mens Resistance to Sexual Equality in Organizations, Macmillan, London. Dunleavy, Patrick. (1989). The Concept of Equality in Policy Analysis. Journal of Theoretical Politics. 1 (2), p213-248. Hildreth, P.M. and Kimble, C. (2002), The duality of knowledge, Information Research, Vol. 8 No. 1, paper No. 142, available at: http://InformationR.net/ir/8-1/paper142.html (accessed 28 May 2010) Lawsuit  Gonzà ¡lez v. Abercrombie Fitch (2004) http://www.afjustice.com/index.htm Kandola, B. (2004), Skills development: the missing link in increasing diversity in leadership, Industrial Commercial Training, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 143-7. Kukathas, Chandran. (2002). Equality and diversity. Politics, Philosophy and Economics. 1 (2), p185-212. Ng, E.S.W. and Burke, R.J. (2005), Person-organization fit and the war for talent: does diversity management make a difference?, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 16 No. 7, pp. 1195-211. Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Cambridge: The Belknap Press Riam Dean (2009) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/woman-with-prosthetic-arm-forced-to-work-out-of-sight-in-storeroom-1718041.html S. Temkin, Larry. (2001). Inequality: A Complex, Individualistic, and Comparative Notion. Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy. 13 (11), p327-353. Sabrina Zolkifi. (2011). NTUC FairPrice Keeps Older Workers Active. Available: http://www.marketing- interactive.com/news/24824. Last accessed 15th Sept 2012. Singapore Government. (1965). CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE. Available: http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/v

The Health Benefits of Exercise :: Physical Exercise Fitness Health

The first group of people to utilize the benefits of exercise were the Greeks. It was Aristotle a famous philosopher of the time who brought this concept to the people at the time. The word exercise means "Bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness." In today’s world you find people from all walks of life, age and sex exercising in some form or another. Whether it be running in a park or lifting weights in a gym, let’s face its here to stay. There are basically three types of exercise. First we have aerobic meaning with oxygen, this type uses oxygenated blood produced by the heart and lungs to supply the body with energy. This type is long in duration, an example of an exercise would be jogging. Next we have anaerobic meaning without oxygen it uses the stored energy in the muscles only and is short in duration an example would be the 200m hurdles. Finally we come to crosstraining. It encompasses both aerobic and anaerobic styles to make maximum use of all systems this would be accomplished by starting and stopping at different intervals. For example you could go running down a path then stop do push-ups then repeat the cycle again and again. Some of the benefits that can be achieved through exercise are lower blood pressure and an increase in stroke volume. Blood pressure (the force that the blood exerts on the vessel wall). Stroke volume ( the amount of blood that passes through the heart in one beat).By doing this the heart will become more efficient and will be able to recover faster after exercise is over. Remember the heart is a muscle the harder you work it the stronger it becomes. By working the muscles of the body they will naturally become stronger. They will be able to do more work for longer periods of time without fatigue or injury occurring. You will have a greater sense of mental awareness (a clear head). You will feel more attentive about what is gong on around you, as well as feeling less stress from daily problems which brings us back again to less stain on the heart. The benefits to be had by the aging population are unbelievable. People who stay active (exercise) through their life live longer than those who are sedentary (don’t exercise) "Most of the decline we associate with aging is really the result of inactivity.