Wednesday, October 30, 2019
CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7
CASE STUDY - Essay Example The US industry has endured tough times like the economic crisis of 2009, which forced many of the airline companies to close shop, while others deciding to merge to increase their competitiveness in the competitive industry. Merging perhaps can be one of those approaches that has helped small airline companies to remain in business after they were declared bankrupt. The result of these tough economic times saw the introduction of low-cost carriers that operate from one point to another as opposed to flying to certain particular destinations. The US airline industry has become very competitive in the recent past, with emerging airline companies developing different competitive strategies different from those of companies that have been in the industry for a long time. For instance, the economic crisis made many of the seemingly small companies to be declared bankrupt with formation of mergers being the only approach that would help them regain a substantive market share and consolidate on it (Kowit 7). For instance, The US airways pushed for a merger with American Airlines after realizing that they could not manage the tough business environment. According to this case, the main reason for the many mergers in the industry included the need to reduce excess capacity and reduce the operational costs. Additionally, it would also serve as a perfect strategy for elimination of much duplication in the competitive approaches, thus providing more return on the investments of these airlines. After 2010, many companies stabilized from the effects of the economic crisis, with small companies developing cost-effective competitive strategies that included introduction of low-cost flights among others (Kowit 8). The US airline can be described as having certain strategic groups depending on their competitive approaches. For instance, many of the new entrants in the industry have concentrated
Monday, October 28, 2019
John Nash and paranoid Schizophrenia Essay Example for Free
John Nash and paranoid Schizophrenia Essay Thomas Szasz once said, if you talk to God, you are praying; if God talks to you, you have schizophrenia. It is a terrible disorder that affects many people around the world. Arguably the most famous person with schizophrenia is Nobel Prize (1994) and American Mathematicians Societys Leroy P. Steel Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research (1999) winner, John Nash. Paranoid Schizophrenia can be a crippling illness. Its sufferers may not be able to determine what is real and what is not. According to Dr. Paul Ballas (2006: Internet) of the Department of Psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University, the individual has feelings of being persecuted or plotted against. Affected individuals may have grandiose (over-the-top) delusions associated with protecting themselves from the perceived plot. The key symptoms are delusions and auditory hallucinations. Paranoid schizophrenia usually does not involve the disorganized speech and behavior that is seen in other types of schizophrenia. Patients with paranoid schizophrenia typically are tense, suspicious, guarded, and reserved. There are no physical tests being used in mainstream medicine as yet to diagnose schizophrenia. However certain tests are performed to eliminate other disorders or illnesses that have similar symptoms. Schizophrenia.com (2007: Internet) states these possible disorders include seizure disorders, metabolic disorders, thyroid dysfunction, brain tumour and drug use. Currently, there is research being performed in various Universities in the United States into new physical tests to confirm schizophrenia. They are experimenting with blood tests, special IQ tests, eye tracking, brain imaging and smell tests. It will be a few more years before the results can be confirmed. For now a Psychiatrist must diagnose a person with schizophrenia. Usually a person suffering from the disorder will exhibit positive (hallucinations), negative (poor social functioning) and cognitive (difficulty concentrating) reactions. To diagnose a person with schizophrenia, a person must display:â⬠¢Characteristic symptoms: Two or more of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period (or less, if successfully treated)odelusionsohallucinationsodisorganized speech (e.g., frequentà derailment or incoherence; speaking in abstracts). See thought disorder. ogrossly disorganized behavior (e.g. dressing inappropriately, crying frequently) or catatonic behavioronegative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening (lack or decline in emotional response), alogia (lack or decline in speech), or avolition (lack or decline in motivation). Note: Only one of these symptoms is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of hearing one voice participating in a running commentary of the patients actions or of hearing two or more voices conversing with each other. â⬠¢Social/occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care, are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset. â⬠¢Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms (or less, if successfully treated). Additional criteria are also given that exclude the diagnosis; thus schizophrenia cannot be diagnosed if symptoms of mood disorder or pervasive developmental disorder are present, or the symptoms are the direct result of a substance (e.g., abuse of a drug, medication) or a general medical condition. (American Psychiatric Association, 2004).Statistically speaking, the earlier the diagnosis, the better the outcome in the long run, but here in Queensland there is only one registered Early Psychosis Centre, it is located at the University of Queensland, St Lucia campus. Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia have four, six and one centre respectively. Here in Australia there are two websites, one run by the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre in Melbourne, www.earlypsychosis.org, and http://auseinet.flinders.edu.au/index.php which is maintained by Flinders University in Adelaide. Also www.Schizophrenia.com has an online early detection test for schizophrenia that is for either family members of thoseà that might be affected or for individuals who are trying to understand what is happening to them. There are three stages of schizophrenia; they are acute, stabilization and residual. In the acute phase, the patient has a clear break from contact with reality usually displayed by a psychotic episode. This will usually lead to intervention and treatment. The second stage, the stabilization phase, is when the patients symptoms have been brought under control but the treatment must be continued to avoid a relapse. The residual stage, is where the patient is moderately stable and usually kept on anti-psychotic medication however relapses can occur. John Nash first began to show signs of entering the acute stage of schizophrenia in early 1959 when his wife Alicia, was pregnant. â⬠¦as a consequence I resigned my position as a faculty member at M.I.T. and, ultimately, after spending 50 days under observation at the McLean Hospital, traveled to Europe and attempted to gain status there as a refugee (John Nash, 1994). For some time after that he would be in and out of hospitals. At times his involuntary admission to hospitals would last up to eight months. Eventually he began reject his delusions and return to mathematical research. This period of time, John Nash himself refers to as enforced rationality. He may have been thought to be the entering the Residual stage however this would turn out to be incorrect. In truth it can be said he had not completed the Stabilization period. In the late Sixties, he returned to what he described as a dream-like delusional hypothesis, however managed to avoid being admitted to hospital by behaving as normally as he could. This can be said to be his transition into the Residual stage. Although he had a slight relapse, he himself began to understand on an intellectual level that his delusions were exactly that, delusions. He is now thinking rationally and continuing to further his studies in mathematics with the hope that he can provide something useful to the field. Many people, including John Nash himself believe that his schizophrenia in one way or another actually aided his work, thinking outside the box so to speak. John Nash once said: I would not dare to say that there is a directà relation between mathematics and madness, but there is no doubt that great mathematicians suffer from maniacal characteristics, delirium and symptoms of schizophrenia. It is suggested that the fragmented mind allows and concocts irrational ideas that can become rational solutions. Many great people with great ideas and influences have been affected by the illness. Some of those include Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac, Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, Vaclav Nijinsky the Russian dancer and Jazz musician and composer, Tom Harrell. Some people even refer to Tom Harrell as the John Forbes Nash, Jr. of Jazz. Treatment for paranoid schizophrenia and other mental disorders has changed greatly in the last Sixty years. In the early Nineteen-fifties, Chlorpromazine was developed. It was a phenothiazine antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar and as an Anti-emetic which is used for vomiting and nausea. The side affects of a phenothiazine based drug include acathisia, which is basically restlessness, tardive dyskinesia, which is a neurological disorder which affects voluntary movement that can continue after treatment has ceased, and weight gain (Wikipedia, 2007). The use of Chlorpromazine has been discontinued however John Nash would almost certainly been treated with it. He was also exposed to insulin shock therapy. This was a method used to induce a coma. He stopped taking drugs in 1970 and recovered slowly without them over the next twenty. According to the World Health Organization, the long term outcomes of schizophrenia are far worse in United States than they are in countries such as India and Nigeria where antipsychotic medication is not as readily available. There is more. In 1987, psychologist Courtenay Harding reported that a third of chronic schizophrenia patients released from Vermont State Hospital in the late 1950s completely recovered. Everyone in this best-outcomes group shared one common factor: All had weaned themselves from antipsychotic medications. The notion that schizophrenics must spend a lifetime on these drugs, she concluded, is a myth (Whitaker, 2002). In 1994, Harvard Medical School researchers found that the outcomes for U.S. schizophrenia patients are no better now than they were about one hundred years ago when they would simply put patients into bathtubs for hours on end. There has also beenà reasonable success in Finland where doctors have used counselling, community support and little or no antipsychotic medication. John Nashs recovery is nothing short of remarkable but many people say that his constant occupation with mathematics and the support or rather that he was allowed relative freedom at Princeton aided his recovery without medication. There is has been a shift in mentality towards the treatment of schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. A growing wave of professionals are starting accept that there is merit to the at least partial abandonment of antipsychotic drugs. John Nash may be the figurehead for the movement, but more conclusive research is needed to detect whether the disuse of anti-psychotic is subjective to select patients or can be applied to a more widespread group of sufferers of this mental disorder. Bibliography American Psychiatric Association, 2004, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR (Text Revision). American Psychiatric Association. ISBN 0890420246. DSM-IV DSM-IV-TR Schizophrenia criteriaBallas, Paul, 2006, Schizophrenia, (online), available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000936.htm, [6 September 2007]Gulli, L.F., 2007, Schizophrenia, (online), available from: http://www.answers.com/topic/schizophrenia?cat=health, [6 September 2007]. Nash, John, 2004, Autobiography, (online) available from: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/1994/nash-autobio.html [6 September 2007]. Schizophrenia Symptoms and Diagnosis, 2004, (online), available from: http://schizophrenia.com/diag.php#diagnosis, [6 September 2007]. Whitaker, R, 2002, Recovery without Drugs, (online), available from: http://www.namiscc.org/newsletters/February02/JohnNashDrugFreeRecovery.htm[6 September 2007]. Wikipedia, 2007, Schizophrenia, (online), available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia, [6 September2007].
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Executive Summary of Calyx $ Corolla Essay -- essays research papers
Executive Summary Calyx & Corolla is a young company that offers a very unique choice for customers who are interested in buying fresh flowers. Fresh flowers industry valued approximately $9 Billion in the United States in 1990 with steady market growth rate of 7.7% since 1985. However, the market potential did not reach the top yet. US fresh flowers market still has more room to grow. Per capita consumption of flowers and plants in the US was $36 per year, while the average in Europe was $60. Since a flower diminished its value everyday due to lacking of freshness, efficient distribution is the key to the flower industry. Calyx & Corolla has a distinctive way of delivering flowers to the consumers. Calyx & Corolla links its customers directly to the growers via the reliable delivery service of FedEx, whereas other companies rely on the traditional distribution channel which contains at least four layers: growers to regional distributors, regional distributors to wholesalers, wholesalers to retailers / florists, and florists to end-users. Thus, Calyx and Corolla can deliver fresher flowers to its customers bypassing those distribution processes. Calyx and Corolla also earns higher profit margin than its competitors due to its uncomplicated cost structure. For instance, Calyx and Corolla does not have to spread its profit to distributors and wholesalers. FTD was the biggest player in the fresh flowers market. FTD was a member-owned, worldwide cooperative of 25,000 florists. Florists usually used FTD to provide delivery service beyond their service area. The florists who originated the order received 20%, the florists who delivered the order 73%, and FTD 7%. The powerful network of 25,000 florists was the main advantage of FTD to penetrate the fresh flowers market. However, its price structure was not so flexible. ââ¬Å"800-Flowersâ⬠was the largest member of FTD network and it was becoming more and more popular. 800-Flowers received 25% fee of the flower order from the delivering florist. Its revenues were about $16 Million in 1990. Another channel that we need to keep our eyes on was supermarkets. Supermarkets were becoming more popular and more powerful in the fresh flowers market. The average annual sales for supermarket floral departments were $104,950, having grown almost four times in the past ten years. However, supermarkets had two major... ...ing sufficient business customers can offset the sales of off-peak period. Business customers are more predictable with a special care. Calyx and Corolla has to build a long term relationship with them to ensure the steady sales, thus corporate account team is very important to ensure the long term growth. (iiii) Fund research for development of flowers growing techniques Differentiation point is very important especially in the business like flowers where many customers perceive that all flowers are the same. Funding research for new growing techniques, for instance, how to grow more durable flowers in cold weather can help Calyx and Corolla develop a closer relationship with its growers and also help Calyx and Corolla gain competitive advantage over others once the research is successful. Calyx and Corolla can also ensure its flowers quality to the customers and it also gives the image that Calyx and Corolla really cares about their products. Moreover Calyx and Corolla can also gain a positive image to the brand to the fact that they give something back to the community by funding research to universities. (especially in the town/state that the funded universities located)
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Driving Force Behind Macbeth Essay
Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth takes part in many self-destructing acts driven by many external forces, among which the witchesââ¬â¢ prophecies are most influential. The three weird sisters initially led him to believe he is soon to be the king of Scotland. The idea the witches planted in Macbethââ¬â¢s head, ââ¬Å"all hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!â⬠(I, iii, 50), began his conceded way of thinking. With this new false knowledge, Macbethââ¬â¢s conscience begins to disintegrate and he decides that he must do anything to fulfill his destiny to be king. Ironically, this highly respected warrior who once was the kingââ¬â¢s most loyal knight, suddenly is becoming a malicious animal willing to rip away the life of any person or thing impeding him from achieving his potential greatness. One main contribution to this change in priorities is the knowledge gained from the witches of Banquoââ¬â¢s sons becoming heir to the throne. T his is viewed as a threat to his success, providing an incentive to carry out the murder of Banquo and Fleance, which was the goal of the witches. When thinking of ridding of Banquo, Macbeth declares to himself, ââ¬Å" Which in his death were perfectâ⬠(III, i, 115). This gives him a false sense of security knowing that he no longer has to compete for the throne. To complete this act all morals are put aside, parallel to his original decision to promote his self desires above all else. Of the three apparitions presented by the witches, one concerned with the disloyalty of Macduff seals Macbethââ¬â¢s fate; leading him to take drastic measures against Macduff and his family. When going to carry out this act, Macbeth states, ââ¬Å" This deed Iââ¬â¢ll do before this purpose coolâ⬠(IV, I, 161). This shows that he feels urgency to commit the murder in a timely matter, before he has the chance to think twice. Although murdering an entire family would seem absurd to an average person, Macbeth finds no wrong in it, as he can only focus on becoming king. The predictions that the witches have led the naà ¯ve Macbeth to believe are the main influences that lead him deeper into his inevitable, corrupted future of self-destruction and denial.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Increasingly Complex World of air Travel
In the increasingly complex world of air travel, the work of the air traffic controller is becoming increasingly vital. It is the task of these professionals to ensure the safety of all air passengers and personnel by coordinating the system of aircraft leaving and arriving at the airport. With increasing amounts of aircraft and narrower margins between arrival and departure times, it is becoming increasingly important to carefully coordinate and control air traffic. Generally, air traffic controllers serve under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This agency is part of the Federal Government. The nature of the job, as mentioned above, is complex and requires precise cooperation of a team. The radar associate controller for example organizes flight plans to ensure that more than one aircraft does not schedule arrival and/or departure times for the same period. When a particular team's airspace is left, responsibility for its flight path and safe arrival is delegated to the following control team. Other elements that need to be taken into account in terms of continued flight safety include weather conditions and other aircraft in the vicinity. Coordination therefore needs to meticulous not only within each control team, but also between different airport teams and the pilots themselves. Being involved in air traffic control requires a particular set of skills in employees. The ability to make quick decisions needs to be complimented with clear thinking and memory skills. Furthermore, air traffic controllers need to be highly skilled in electronic communications equipment, along with the necessary articulate skills to communicate necessary information quickly and clearly to pilots (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). The entire system is overseen by the Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center, located in Herndon, VA. Several air traffic controllers work here in coordinating the management of the entire air traffic control system. The Center is burdened with the task of identifying any problems such as bottlenecks or time table problems in the system. These problems are then solved with an appropriate management plan. This overall managing body provides the air traffic controllers under them with the necessary management strategies to facilitate their complex task (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). In order to further simplify the complexity of air traffic control by means of management, the National Airspace System (NAS) Architecture is an automated system implemented by the FAA. This long-term strategic plan is aimed at increased efficiency in air traffic control by helping employees in their work with increased air traffic. Through NAS Architecture, the FAA and the aviation community are enabled to continue plans and discussions relating to modernization in the system. It is clear that very complex management systems are needed to create a safe and secure travel experience for all passengers and personnel using air traffic. Managerial accounting is a vitally important part of this process. If adequate accounting systems are not in place, air traffic control cannot possibly function either efficiently or adequately. Efficient accounting systems are therefore a very important part of management in air traffic control systems. Several systems are in place to facilitate cost accounting in the profession. The Cost and Performance Management Charter (C/PM) is one of these systems. Its vision includes strategies to increase the efficiency of operations through measurement and information for easier decision making. On an executive level, accountability for the success of the organization is shared by all leaders within each section of the air traffic control system. In terms of improvement, employees are encouraged to identify possibilities for improvement within the workplace and the system as a whole. Such encouragement occurs through rewards for identifying such improvement opportunities. This includes areas where funds can be more efficiently applied to improve the process of air traffic control. The working conditions of employees are furthermore made as pleasant as possible by informing individuals of their particular contribution to the general goals of the organization within which they function. This ensures that employees provide their workplace with more value through an understanding of how such value occurs through their work. The understanding of value also provides employees with a higher level of satisfaction and pride in their work, and the number of valuable employees leaving their work for reasons other than retirement is reduced. This helps to reduce the cost of hiring new employees and the concomitant training costs. Performance improvements like those mentioned above entail certain costs and resource allocations in order to optimize such improvements. The role of C/PM entails a framework for the integration of goals, planning and budgeting in the initial phases, while outputs, results and activities for achieving the planned outcomes are monitored on a continuous basis. C/PM therefore plays the dual role of planning and implementing strategies while also monitoring the results of the initial planning setups. In short, money is related to the results achieved. Resources are to be used effectively and efficiently in accomplishing the mission of air traffic control. What this means specifically for air traffic controllers, is that each individual is to be made aware of his or her particular role in ensuring the safety of all air traffic users. In terms of cost accounting, the work situation and abilities of each employee should be taken into account when planning resources use issues. Overtime pay incentives and personnel shortages should for example not take precedence over the general health of employees making use of overtime opportunities. The health of air traffic controllers is of vital concern for the mission of air traffic safety. If a personnel member is not healthy, he or she is a safety risk, and no cost-cutting strategy should be used at the risk of safety. Labor is therefore one of the most important aspects of cost accounting for the FAA. Air traffic control is a fairly well-compensated job. Benefits include overtime pay, and the working conditions are pleasant. At approximately 78% of the FAA's operations costs, labor makes up around 45% of the Agency's total costs. It is therefore important to ensure that these funds are applied in an effective and efficient manner that ensures the optimal safety of all air traffic users. In ensuring one of the primary objectives of the FAA, namely air safety, air traffic controllers are the Agency's most important business asset. Nevertheless, it is also true that there has been limited specific visibility regarding key projects within the industry. This means that little monitoring has taken place on the actual time spent on these projects, the labor hours provided, and the quality of the outcomes. If an efficient cost accounting system (CAS) is to be implemented, it is certainly necessary to improve cost and performance management and incentives within the air traffic control industry. A newly implement labor distribution reporting system will improve visibility by obliging all involved, from executives to employees, to report on the actual time spent on projects and tasks. This will give a clearer account of actual costs, performance and outcomes, providing managers with opportunities to make improvements where necessary. In the process however it is also important to keep in mind a non-threatening management system. Employees, as seen above, should be specifically informed of the necessity and benefits of any newly implemented system to facilitate the transition and change necessary. Strengthening the CAS will result in a better understanding and management of overall costs, thus providing better control of cost growth. This is sound business, as cost growth control will also mean price control and an increase in the customer base. Existing customers will also be more likely to return if they experience a continuous effort by management to maintain the lowest possible air travel costs while ensuring optimal safety standards. The ABA is the corporate leader that monitors and reviews the performance of the FAA. Performance information is then used to identify possible areas of improvement. A two-way system of communication is therefore provided from the topmost level of management through to the most basic of employees. The system of reward rather than punishment for identifying areas of possible improvement is also a great incentive for employees to remain open in their communication to management. A non-threatening system of communication regarding labor performance reporting and other such implementations will also help to maintain visibility on the true costs and outcomes of certain projects. While it is important to maintain open communication channels in almost all organizational setups, it is seldom as vitally important as in the air traffic control industry. It should always be at the forefront of attention of all involved that lives are at stake. A single mistake can result in great tragedy. All employers and employees in the industry should therefore constantly be acutely aware of the fact that communication and improvement are continuously required. Communication is the most important key aspect in the air traffic control industry. It is vitally important that employees in this profession use their communication skills efficiently and accurately (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). In terms of cost and management, these skills are valuable assets in optimizing the performance of the industry. When communication is accurately used, costs and outcomes can be managed in such a way as to optimize the experience not only of air traffic users, but also of all employees and managers in the industry.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Density of Liquids Lab Report Paper Essay Example
Density of Liquids Lab Report Paper Essay Example Density of Liquids Lab Report Paper Paper Density of Liquids Lab Report Paper Paper There are significant overlaps, however. The following are some observations about the numerical values of densities that should prove useful in problem solving situations. Solid densities: from about 0. 2 g/cam to 20 g/cam. Liquid densities: from about 0. 5 g/ml to 3-4 g/ml. Gas densities: mostly in the range of a few grams per liter. In general, densities of liquids are known more precisely than those of solids. Also, densities of elements and compounds are known more precisely than densities of materials with variable compositions (such as wood or robber). An important consequence of the differing densities of solids and liquids is that squids and solids of lower density will float on a liquid of higher density (so long as the liquids and solids do not form solutions with each other). MATERIALS: We used these materials in the experiment. Graduated cylinder Distilled water Thermometer Nasal solutions with different concentrations (4, 8, 12, 16% Nasal by weight. ) Unknown solution (LU) Beakers PROCEDURE: The mass of the empty graduated cylinder was measured and the mass was written. 20 ml. Distilled water was added into the cylinder. Graduated cylinder and distilled water were measured and was written. The temperature of the water was made note. The density of the water that we had known its mass and volume. Was calculated. After finish this part. We were started second part. We were added Niacin solutions (their concentrations; 4, 8, 12, 16 %) one by one. The masses of the solutions were determined and were made note respectively. The densities of the Nasal solutions were calculated. And then a sample of Nasal solution, which we didnt know its concentration, was added to the empty graduated cylinder. Mass of the unknown solution (LU) was found. Finally Density of the unknown solution was calculated. RESULTS (DATA): a) Density of water; Temperature of water: 24 CO Mass of graduated cylinder (ml ) : 29,95 g Volume of water: 20 ml. Mass of water + graduated cylinder: 49,90 g Mass of water: 19,egg Density- 0,9975 g/ml Formula of Percent Error: I EVE T. V. = Theoretical value. E. V. = Experimental value. Percent Error: ( 10,9964- 0,99751 / b) Density of solutions: Volume of solution: 20 ml 4% concentration 1,048 g,ml 8% concentration 1,061 5 g/ml 12% concentration 1,076 worn 16% concentration 0 g/ml Unknown concentration (LU ): 1,0325 g/ml DISCUSSION: In this Experiment, We were learned how can we find the density of the liquids, by using the formula. But we found different results some of them. For example density of water is 0,egg/ml at ICC temperature but we found 0,9975 g/ml I think that change may be, temperature wasnt determined well or we washed the graduated cylinder with distilled water and we didnt dry well. So that these factors changed the results. On the other hand, If we had taken 30 ml water instead of 20 ml of water. The density would have been same.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Beauty Pageants Essay Example
Beauty Pageants Essay Example Beauty Pageants Paper Beauty Pageants Paper Growing up as a little girl, I remember fantasizing myself as a princess. I would spend hours undergoing a fairly god mother transformation. I would put on fake nails, heels, makeup, and put a sparkly dress on. I felt like the world was my kingdom. My mother would look at me and Just smile and tell me that I was the most beautiful girl In the world. The encouragement my mother gave me as a young child helped me out with my self-esteem. As I grew up I realized that fantasizing myself to a fictional hearted would have to end, I grew out of wanting to be a perfect Barbie and learned that we all have imperfections that make us unique. Unfortunately, thats not the case with a lot of young girls; some of the young girls are put into child pageants to keep on dreaming of becoming a princess or becoming the new next top model. But are the beauty pageants helping the children keep living there childhood dream or Is It Just holding them back from reality? As the competition gets tougher, the crowns get bigger. With a new generation of spoiled undisciplined kids and parents hat will go to the extremes to do anything for their child to look and feel beautiful. Paul Peterson, the president and founder of A Minor Consideration feels that beauty pageants sexuality young girls rather than help them built self-esteem. This is feeding the sex industry; there is a tremendous trade within Juvenile modeling. Many others agree with Peterson, like the French government. The French government Is trying to ban beauty pageants for young girls because they also believe that they promote hyper-exultations and harms the child. Karri Klein Ritter for the Los Angles Times, believes that there is more harmful things for a child then a beauty pageant and disagrees with the French for trying to ban beauty pageants. Are there no greater threats to the children and women of France than a few silly pageants? Child beauty contestant mother and owner of Universal Royalty and Baby Beauty Pageants, Annette Hill believe that beauty pageants are an opportunity for their child to play Cinderella and participate In an extra curriculum activity. In todays world the children industry is the fastest-growing segment in the beauty agent market, the pageant industry is drawing an estimated 3 million children, mostly girls, ranging from six months to 16 years of age who are competing to win a crown and money. Is alleged to believe, that once the child begins to participate in the pageants they start to become accustomed to the lifestyle and some of the kids are Just In It because of the attention It brings them or because theyre being forced by their parents. Childhood behavioral health psychologist Dry. Mike Bishop believes that participating in pageants in such a young age could damage their self-esteem. Toddlers are not old enough to make an informed decision as to whether they should compete. Nor are they able to separate the completion from reality, which can make participation even more damaging to their self-esteem. (McKay, 1) When a Natural pageants allow the child to wear makeup, but it has to be toned down and their clothing is not allowed to be flashy nor to low-cut or short. The purpose of the natural pageant is to have the children look like their age and let their personality charm the Judges. But, considering that most children like playing dress up, and are giggly influence by fictional characters and the media, they usually will choose glitz pageants. Once they have entered the pageant they have to pay a pageant they have to pay an entry fee ranging from $10 to $200 depending on the pageant (Somerville, 2). Besides the obligated fee the parents still have to consider the expenses of travel, makeup, hair extensions, nails, and flippers. The overall goal for the contestants is to compete and hopefully win the title of ultimate grand supreme. The ultimate grand supreme winner is usually the contestant who WOWs the Judges with their props, performance, and costumes. Parents could spend enough to finance their kids college tuition. One mother tells a researcher: l know people who spent so much on pageants, they lost their trailers (Crime,l). That is not always the case; some parents are cleverer about putting their child in a pageant without going over budget. People who have lower-incomes tend to participate in events with low entry fees. Sociologist Hillary Level concluded in a study, that mothers of lower-income and education enter their children in pageants because they want their children to learn the proper skills necessary to move up the social scale. Parents with higher incomes and education beyond high school often Justify pageants by explaining that competition is essential for their children to become successful. With all the makeup, eyelash extensions, flippers and tanning when do the parents step in and realized that they are equalizing their child? Historically and legally, our system defers to parents to make the right decision for their child, commented sociologist Hilary Level Friedman, after finding out the French Senate has approved a bill that proposes Jail time and a fine for parents and organizations that sponsors or encourages anyone 16 and under to participate in a pageant. In the United States they have no laws on how a pageant must be managed, beauty pageants are allowed to come up with their own guidelines for their participants. Fair Labor standards act. 938 does not take place in any pageants because the children are not considered to be working although, the children earn money and prizes for their performance, and practice for hours per week Due to the definition of child pageants not being defined as work, there are no laws in place nationally to protect these young children from exploitation. (Gunter, 1) Many child psychologists feel hat the pageants are more for the fulfillment of the parents rather than the happiness and healthy development of their children. Its not odd for parents to try and live out their dream through their kids. Parents of pageant children disagree, and feel that pageants help their kids gain confidence in front of large crowds and give them poise rather than hurt their self-esteem. Pageants do benefit some children, not all children will win pageants, or want to compete in them. One can only imagine the stress the children go through while participating in a beauty pageant, which focuses on their looks. The children could grow-into being self- conscious about their weight and start to develop disorders, and develop social phobia if they dont feel they are pretty enough, or even adapt intolerable attitudes in a serious situation. William Pinions, a clinical psychologist and president of the Family Institute at Northwestern University said, Being a little Barbie doll says your body has to be a certain way and your hair has to be a certain way. In girls particularly, this can unleash a whole complex of destructive self-experiences that can lead to eating disorders and all kinds of body distortions in terms of body mage. Traveling, stress and competition are everyday features of an adults life. Since the number of children that are becoming victims of heinous crimes is rapidly growing, it doesnt help that the parents are parading their child to go around on- stage in outfits that are sometimes as little as Daisy Duke shorts and a belly shirt. (Gunter, 1) The provocative outfits the parents are putting on the child could provoke a sex offender to gain interest in the child which could lead to the sex offender posing as an agent/ manager and stalk the child down through the show. The scandal that happened with Jon Bent Ramsey is a situation that could happen to any of these kids. Ramsey was a beauty queen in training; she was six years old when she was brutally beaten and killed in her basement. Images of her looking like a painted baby, a sexualities toddler beauty queen (Beardsley, 1) were broadcasted into the homes of many Americans. This brought attention and negative reaction towards child beauty pageants and how it sexualities children. Ramsets life and death seemed to illustrate all too well the consequences of parental manipulation and child exploitation. (Time, 7) A lot of parents way of thinking about beauty pageants is to see it as any other sport that children play in. They practice Just like any other sports; they travel with their team, and compete to win prizes. Preparing for pageants usually require a lot of commitment, time and patience from the child. Unfortunately, not all kids are trill to sit still for a long period and fatherless have to practice for hours. On the hit TV show Toddlers and Tiaras the viewers are allowed to see the preparation the children and the parents go through while preparing for the pageant. Usually in the show the viewer watches some of the children become antsy and watch them throw temper tantrums if they become upset or want to play instead of practicing. TODAY contributor Render Dawn interviewed Tom Organ, Doodlers Tiaras producer he asked Organ about a past incident that happened on the show that had a lot of viewers talking, when a mother decided to wax her 5 year old daughter eyebrows. The question followed with But didnt it make you uncomfortable, or make you wonder if you should include it in the show? Dawn asked Organ. Organs replied to the incident with this statement, Weve all seen wings that are sometimes a little difficult to watch when it comes to how parents relate to their kids. You can see a parent who is doing something that is making their child cry or unhappy that the parent think is the best thing for them ? making them brush their teeth, or telling them to go to bed. (Dawn, 1) There are viewers who view the show as cruel and unusual; and feel that the pageants could be defined as child abuse. The critics of Toddlers Tiaras believe that the parents are objectifying their child to desire a glamorous life and believe that the only way to succeed in life s by their looks. Dry. Nancy Irwin, a Los Angles-based psychotherapist, feels that the parents should not be placed as the worst parents because they dont physically abuse their child. These parents run a close second, however, as they are selfish Beauty. (McKay, 1) Saba Johnson has been competing in pageants since she was four years old. Johnson has been awarded three hundred trophies throughout her pageant career; Saba aspires to land a major modeling contract. Johnson and her mother were interviewed by AE network she kept looking over at her mom for reassurance of her thoughts. She never mentioned coming education; she solely relied on her appearance for her future (Nassau, 2). If the child is focusing more on their looks rather than outshining in other areas that require using their brain, what will these children be able to accomplish. As one argument was made, in Parents of Children on Talcs Toddlers in Tiaras Hurting Their Kids childhood behavioral health psychologist Dry. Mike Bishop said, Toddlers are not old enough to make an informed decision as to whether they should compete. Nor are they able to separate the competition from reality, which can make participation even more imaging to their self-esteem. parents play an important role in their childrens success. We are thought in an early stage that looks dont matter, but whats in the inside does. The world is not a fairytale, but if you work hard and set a goal, anybody can accomplish their dream. Theres nothing wrong with being a kid and dressing up, but they should be able to play pretend without a skit. Children should be able to enjoy their youth and not be obligated to grow up so early. If the parent is going to register their child in beauty pageants they should always consider the well-being of heir child. Child beauty pageants become the hot topic of conversation when the parents become out of control and will go to the extreme to make sure that their child wins these pageants; even if it is getting their child false teeth, tans, sexy cloths and covering them in tons of makeup. These type of parents usually will get caught up in winning that they will not notice how their actions affects the child and could possibly put the child in harms way. Children now a days are in such a rush to grow up and interpreted the characters that are shown in TV, it doesnt help that the arenas are teaching the child to use their looks in a provocative way that could trigger a sexual predator. Even though these contests allow the chance for these children to earn money for their education it comes at the cost of their pride, they become objectified. Its hard to choose a side on this issue because the pros and cons weigh about the same.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)