Managerial economic Essay Example for Free

Managerial economic Essay Wal-Mart had a marketing campaign where it offered Every Day Low Prices, but this was not quite true in Mexico because it had significant import charges on many of the products brought from the U. S. After the implementation of NAFTA, Mexico became a free trade zone. This made it possible for Wal- Mart to reduce its tariff from 10% to 3 %. This led the government to solve the logistical problem due to the fact that Mexicos transportation system was below average. NAFTA encourages Mexico to improve the transportation system, which lowers the logistical cost. Additionally, NAFTA allows foreign investment in Mexico. As a result, Wal-Mart was able to build manufacturing plants in Mexico because of the cheap labor. In this particular case we can observe how low labor cost contributes to obtain low import tariffs therefore leads to cheaper products. Wal-Marts success in Mexico was definitely possible because of the NAFTA implementation. Question 2 How much of Walmarts success is due to NAFTA, and how much is due to Walmart,s inherent competitive strategy? In other words, could any other U. S retailer have the same success in Mexico post-NAFTE, or is Walmart a special case? NAFTA benefits every company that is willing to operate abroad. This agreement solved some difficulties but Wal-Marts inherent competitive strategy was effective in the Mexican Market. As we all know Wal-Marts strategy to win against its competitors is its offered prices. The company is considered leader in the market because it has the capability to offer the lowest prices for this reason Wal-Mart is considered to have a large negotiating power. They can negotiate with suppliers to drop prices and consequently lower prices. In my opinion NAFTA benefits plus Wal- Marts purchasing power was the combination that allowed the company to be successful. Wal-Mart uses time inventory system which allows them to keep track of what they need and communicate this to their suppliers. Wal- Marts purchasing power is not available in other companies therefore if competitors any to survive they should compete against the companies prices or change the type of business. Question 3 What Have Comerci and Sorina done to remain competitive? What else do you thinks hey need to do remain competitive in the tuture? Comerci and Soriana torm a purchasing consortium that would allow them to negotiate better bulk price from suppliers. Comerci expand by opening new stores. Enter into several strategic alliances including with Wallmarts major competitor in US. Soriana bought Gigante supermarket chain and gain greater purchasing efficiencies for its larger network of supermarkets. Upgrading the supply chain and distribution channel system, reducing the using of warehouse that can cut cost of operation and logistic. Developing a strong relationship with supplier could make a comerci and soriana get a exclusive right of supplier , such as extra tenure on short term credit, lower rate on short term credit, lower price of product and so on. Create customer loyalty benefit, such privilege card or coupon, this action could make the customer loyal to comerci or soriana. Multiple source advantage, by doing this comerci and soriana could get more choice in choosing the supplier, which one could give a better rate and good service. Lobby for government intervention in avoiding a monopoly player in the arket, such as impose a regulation on floor price. Question 4 What do you think of Walmarts strategy in Mexico and Central America, and how have bilateral agreements and geographic proximity played a role in their success? What challenges do you think Walmart de Mexico e Centrameca will face as it continues to expand in Mexico and Central America? Walmart in Mexico penetrated the market with a Joint venture with its local player. This Joint venture helped Walmart gain better knowledge of the Mexican market and supplied Walmart with upplier connections, knowledge about the local culture as well as helping Walmart to work with local authorities. This ensured successful expansion of Walmarts power in the Mexican markets, gaining the greatest influence in the shortest time period. Bilateral agreement and geographic proximity played a roled in wallmart success interm of gain and access into more product and suppliers. Also have a better coordinate the network of 14 distribution centers in mexico and 11 central America, locating Wallmarts strategically throughout the region. Apart from it, Wallmart also stablished multiformat operations approach in the region to address different consumer segment

Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations 2007

Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations 2007 The 2007 Regulations The key aim of CDM 2007 is to incorporate health and safety into management of all construction projects as well as to encourage everyone else in the project to give a combined effort to: Improve the planning and management of projects from the very start Identify risks early on Target effort where it can do the most good in terms of health and safety Discourage unnecessary bureaucracy. The drafters stated goal to remove useless bureaucracy is a definite advance on previous regulations such as manual paperwork that contributes little to risk management and such a waste of resources (according to the ACoP) may prove to be a distraction from actual business leading to risk reduction and risk management. The removal of requirement for a designated planning supervisor and the introduction of the CDM coordinator role is also seen as a positive step by most people. The clients role CDM 2007 stipulates that clients must not â€Å"appoint or engage a CDM coordinator, designer, principal contractor or contractor unless he has taken reasonable steps to ensure that the person to be appointed or engaged is competent† and must then ensure that they co-operate and co-ordinate their efforts. The Approved Code of Practice contains detailed information on the process and procedures that may be followed when determining the competence of the various post holders mentioned above. Clients are expected to make appointments to the above roles at the first opportunity in order to contribute to risk reduction throughout planning stages. It is generally accepted that impractical deadlines as well as failure to assign adequate funds are regarded as two major factors leading to poor control or increased project risk. As such, clients need to consider all resources such as staff equipment and time required for planning and conducting the work correctly when making appointments and inform prospective candidates accordingly. For all construction projects, CDM 2007 says the client needs to: Appoint the right people: competent designers and builders with sufficient resources, who are members of a reputable trade association Allow adequate time; rushed projects are unsafe, poorly planned and poor quality Provide adequate information to their teams, to enable them to design and plan a structure that is safe to build, safe to use and safe to maintain Ensure they communicate and cooperate with their teams throughout the project, especially during the design stage when issues such as buildability, usability and maintainability of the (finished) structure are up for discussion Ensure suitable management arrangements, using practicable risk assessments and workable method statements Make sure adequate welfare facilities are provided on site before work starts Ensure workplaces are designed to comply with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. For construction projects that must be notified to the HSE under CDM that is, any project scheduled for more than 30 days or involves more than 500 days of work when all workers time is totalled the client also needs to do the following: Appoint a CDM coordinator to advise and assist on CDM duties (but note that CDM 2007 does not require the CDM coordinator to supervise or monitor work on site) Appoint a principal contractor to plan, manage and coordinate construction Ensure the principal contractor produces a construction phase health and safety plan outlining the key arrangements so as to ensure work is carried out safely and without risks to health; work should not start on site until there is an adequate plan Keep the health and safety file: at the end of the project, the CDM coordinator should hand over the health and safety file to the client (ideally at the topping-out ceremony). The file is a record of useful health and safety information to assist the client in managing risk during maintenance and repair, additional construction work, or even demolition. It should be kept safe (preferably in the building), made available to anyone who needs to alter or maintain the structure, and kept up to date as circumstances change. Coordinator role According to L144 Approved Code of Practice to CDM 2007, the critical role of a CDM coordinator is to reduce risks of being hurt on construction sites. The client has to ensure that a coordinator is appointed up to the end of construction phase of that venture, although the actual company/individual carrying out the role can change. Where no such appointment is made, the client themselves will be held to take on the role of CDM coordinator and accordingly will have to abide by duties imposed in regulations 20 and 21 concerning the CDM coordinator. The duties of the CDM coordinator are to: Give suitable and sufficient advice and assistance to clients to enable them to comply with their duties; Notify the HSE about the project; Co-ordinate design work, planning and other preparation for construction where relevant to health and safety; Identify and collect the pre-construction information and advise the client if surveys need to be commissioned to fill significant gaps; Promptly provide in a convenient form to those involved with the design of the structure and to every contractor who may be or has been appointed by the client, such parts of the preconstruction information that are relevant; Manage the flow of health and safety information between clients, designers and contractors; Advise the client on the suitability of the initial construction phase plan and the arrangements made to ensure that welfare facilities are on site from the start; and Produce or update a relevant, user friendly, health and safety file suitable for future use at the end of the construction phase. Duty details The CDM coordinator is required to help the client to develop an appropriate management arrangement, and needs to advise clients on adequacy of appointed management. There are a number of issues that require consideration including ensuring that: The client is aware of their duties and understands what is expected of them; The principal contractor has been given enough time to plan and prepare for the work; Suitable arrangements are in place for developing the plan to cover risks that arise as the work progresses; The principal contractor has made arrangements for providing welfare facilities on site from the outset; and The PC has prepared a construction phase plan that addresses the main risks during the early stages of construction. When they work on notifiable projects, all contractors must: Check the client is aware of their duties under CDM 2007 and that a CDM coordinator has been appointed Check the CDM coordinator has notified the HSE about the project before work starts Cooperate with the principal contractor in planning and managing work, including agreeing on site rules and reasonable directions Provide details to the principal contractor of any subcontractors they engage in connection with carrying out the work Provide any information needed for inclusion in the health and safety file Promptly inform the principal contractor of any problems with or concerns about either the initial or construction phase health and safety plan Promptly report to the principal contractor any injuries, accidents, occupational diseases or dangerous occurrences. Clients are required to make available project related all health and safety information to the coordinator so that this may be passed onto prospective contractors and designers. A comprehensive list of information is given in the ACoP as an appendix. The information required includes details of the project and the management arrangements, along with information in respect of hazards such as location of utility services, information on existing structures and ground conditions. The principal contractors role Once appointed on a notifiable project, the principal contractors duties are to: Plan, manage and monitor the construction phase in liaison with all contractors and subcontractors Prepare, develop and implement a written construction phase health and safety plan and site rules; the initial plan should be completed and in place before the construction phase begins Ensure that all contractors and subcontractors are given copies of, and made aware of, their relevant parts of the plan Make sure there are adequate welfare facilities on site from the start of the project and that they are maintained and kept clean throughout the construction phase Check the competence of all appointed contractors and subcontractors Ensure everyone on site has a health and safety induction and receives any additional information, instruction and training deemed necessary to undertake their work in a safe and healthy manner Consult all workers on site regularly, ensure the site is secured at all times and Liaise with the CDM coordinator about any ongoing design work. Appointing the coordinator CDM 2007 requires appointment of coordinator to occur at earliest once the preliminary designs or related groundwork for construction project has started. Clearly, appointment of the coordinator will require some form of judgement to be made in terms of whether or not a project is likely to be notifiable. As soon as is practicable is not defined, but the ACoP requires the coordinator to be in a position of aligning health and safety aspects of designs and recommend compatibility and suitability of this design work. In accord, the coordinator needs to be appointed before any major detailed design is worked on. This major detailed design is considered as the preparation for early concept of both implementation and design during strategic briefs (typically Stages A and B of Royal Institute of British Architects plan of work stages). The reason for this is that as a project progresses the level of difficulty for making changes increases which would reduce risks. The coordinator can company or an individual or appointed independently or a combination with other roles (such as project manager or designer). However, the ACoP states that where roles are combined and performed by a single individual, it becomes critical for the CDM coordinator to have adequate independence for carrying out tasks in an effective manner. This can often be the case for larger projects, where tasks may be ‘shared out, but in these circumstances, it is significant to ensure that coordinators duties are clearly laid out and discharged. Assessing competence As with other appointments, coordinators competence must be assessed. As well as the necessary technical expertise, the coordinator will require sufficient social skills so as to promote cooperation between project designers and others. In particular, the ACoP highlights that the coordinator needs sufficient knowledge of: Health and safety in construction work; The design process; and The importance of co-ordination of the design process. The level of education needs to be germane to the project and the client has to consider complexity and size of construction project as well as the type of risks that may emerge. The coordinator does not necessarily have to be a designer, but they do need to have sufficient knowledge of design process so as to better analyse health and safety implications of it. Appendix 4 of the ACoP provides guidance as to the assessment process for both organisations that may be acting as a coordinator, as well as individuals within the organisation or who are acting in a stand-alone capacity. Typically, the evidence needed to demonstrate competence will include: The number of persons engaged in the project who have passed a construction health and safety assessment (eg CITB Construction Skills); Evidence of health and safety knowledge (eg NEBOSH Construction Certificate); Membership of professional bodies with level of membership commensurate with the complexity of the construction project; Evidence of continuing professional development; and Evidence of experience in the particular type of work to be undertaken. The designers role The designers duties according to CDM Regulations are to: Inform the client of client duties under the CDM Regulations and the requirements of the accompanying ACoP (this is still the case under CDM 2007) Ensure the design considers the need to avoid foreseeable risks to construction workers and others affected, such as cleaners (still the case under CDM 2007 and the ACoP) Combat at source risks to the health and safety of construction workers and others affected (still the case under CDM 2007 and the ACoP) Give priority to control measures that protect all on site not just individuals (still the case under CDM 2007 and the ACoP) Ensure that the design includes adequate information about construction site hazards (still the case under CDM 2007 and the ACoP) Cooperate with the planning supervisor and with other designers (not the case under CDM 2007 and the ACoP, as the planning supervisor role has now been replaced by the CDM coordinator, whose main role is to provide the client with a key project adviser on construction health and safety risk management matters; hence the designer needs to liaise with the CDM coordinator as well as with other designers). The importance of the designers role in terms of the ability to design out hazards from the start of any project (risk elimination/avoidance) and the need to specify the use of safer materials and construction methods. The designers role is also important to design the building/structure to be safe to use and maintain and also to provide fundamental information that is to be included in health and safety plan as well as in file. In all construction projects, designers are required to reduce hazards risks during the design stage and present sufficient information regarding effectively combating the remaining (foreseeable) risks. While, for all notifiable projects, designers also have to check that the client has knowledge of their duties under CDM 2007 and also that a CDM coordinator has been timely appointed and provides required information for health and safety file. In line with CDM 2007, designers are not responsible for providing information on unforeseeable risks which cannot realistically be anticipated simply fromdesign brief. Designers are not instructed specify construction methods however, they may do so in cases where the design requires particular construction sequence as well as in cases of a competent contractor requiring such information. Designers also do not have to practice health and safety management functions as they are exercised by contractors or others neither do they have to be concerned in relation to trivial risks. Everyone elses roles Anyone else on site, who doesnt fall into the categories above listed so far, must check their own competence, assist others and organize their work in order to make sure that health and safety of all construction workers and others (such as members of the public) who may possibly be affected by their work activities. Also, they need to report evident risks and follow through requirements laid out in Schedule 3 (workplace inspection reports) and Part 4 (health and safety duties on construction sites) of CDM 2007 for any work under their control. They also need to apply general protection principles as specified in Schedule 1 to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (Management Regulations) when carrying out their duties. The principles of protection listed in the Management Regulations should be used by all dutyholders under CDM 2007 and direct how they identify and implement precautions necessary to control construction and demolition risks. The principles are: Avoiding risks Evaluating those that cannot be avoided Combating the risks at source Adapting the work to the individual, especially in the design of workplaces, the choice of work equipment and the choice of working and production methods, with a view to alleviating monotonous work and work at a predetermined work rate, and to reducing their effects on health Adapting to technical progress Replacing the dangerous with the non-dangerous or the less dangerous Developing a coherent overall prevention policy which covers technology, organisation of work, working conditions, social relationships, and the influence of factors relating to the working environment Giving collective protective measures priority over individual protective measures Giving appropriate instructions to employees. However, it is worth mentioning there here there is no explicit mention of the issue and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) anywhere in general principles of protection, reinforcing the view that PPE is not an acceptable control measure but merely a barrier (often temporary) between people and hazards. Issues with Coordinator The CDM coordinator should advise clients on carrying out competency assessments. But frequently the CDM coordinator is appointed at the same time as the principal contractor and often it is the same company. Clearly some earlier advice would be useful to the unsophisticated client when choosing the CDM coordinator and the CDM coordinator should be appointed before anyone else is engaged. In reality, only an appointee can know whether they have the necessary skills and expertise to be truly competent and the client may not have asked about competence in the tender documents. While appointees can be asked to give warranties as to their competency, capacity and resources, these are of little use if there is an incident, a delay or a prosecution. In addition, companies will often put forward their best people to win the contract, but those people might not end up actually doing the work. One way to safeguard against this is to include clauses in the contract of appointment specifying minimum qualifications/competencies/experience levels, or even naming key people. The planning period CDM 2007 requires clients to allocate enough time before construction starts in order to facilitate the planning and preparation. As part of the preconstruction information that clients must provide to the contractors they appoint, they must inform them of minimum time beforehand the construction phase that is basically plans the preparation of construction work. Some standard construction contracts require this CDM planning period to be stipulated in the contract but this is still not common practice. In many cases, the clients lack of knowledge means they are not specifying any planning period and simply giving an end date for works to be completed. Clients are obliged under CDM to provide the â€Å"pre-construction information† that is, information they have already or what is realistically attainable. This might include information about the existing site and structures, including location of services, storage of hazardous materials or the presence of asbestos. Where the information is vital to planning works safely (a ground survey, for example), frequently the client might not already have this information but it would be reasonable for them to obtain it. Uncertainty as to whose responsibility it is to provide reasonably obtainable material can lead to contractors taking risks where timescales are tight. In cases of gaps in information, it may be the clients task to make sure that they present information, but it may be the contractors who are contractually obliged to obtain it. Unsophisticated clients might not have the information, they may not seek the advice they need and they might not want to pay for additional surveys. If clients get the issue of information requests sorted out early on, as part of the procurement or tendering process, they can minimise the risks of a contractor delay. If principal contractors get the issue of information flow sorted out early on, they will minimise the risk from being surprised by site hazards and may even impress the client with their efficiency. However, over the last six months (and even under the old CDM Regulations), a different approach has been common. The principal contractor is frequently required to take the risk of commissioning surveys and to obtain other relevant information which, in many cases, the client should already have. In addition, clients who are tenants of a site will not always seek information from the land or building owner, or tell the principal contractor to ask the owner for further information. Though managing things in this old way is contrary to the spirit of CDM 2007, it should not be problematic so long as the information is actually obtained, collated and provided to the relevant parties early enough to allow for the planning and preparation of the construction works. However, where timescales are tight, risks are likely to be taken which could jeopardise delivery dates as well as profit. Costs of CDM 2007 Implementation HSCs Construction Industry Advisory Committee (‘CONIAC) suggests that the most optimum manner of delivering change is to revise CDM Regulations 94 and also the CHSW Regulations 96 along with supporting ACOP. Such decision reflects experience from past corrective attempts that draw on productive aspects of these measures and is regarded by the construction industry as an acceptable response that adequately addresses the many questions raised, whilst, holding on to commonly accepted principles of CDM Regulations 94 putting into action provisions of TCMS Directive and including Better Regulation principles. Collective costs of implementing CDM Regulations 07 have been anticipated between  £1.0 and  £2.8 billion while, quantified benefits such as safety benefits and productivity improvements are expected within  £1.96 to  £5.9 billion. However, the estimated health and safety benefits are uncertain. Moreover, it is improbable for them to smaller than the figure included within general estimate as health benefits are not quantified. Additionally, the costs to familiarisation CDM Regulations 07 with clients have not been estimated as the number of clients per year is not recorded. However, it is reported that annually 65% of clients are classified as â€Å"repeat clients† and are also assumed be involved in five projects per year while, remaining 35% clients are the only ones involved in single project. Out of which 70% are classified as â€Å"commercial clients†. Supposing client familiarisation with CDM Regulations 07 takes up to eight hours while, receiving an average client wage and a supposed 100% compliance (an unlikely eventuality), then, the present cost of familiarisation is around  £57 million. The objectives that must be met on any construction project such as quality, cost and time objectives can be listed as major priorities. However, the key to achieving these objectives is usually the strength of the relationship with the client. This requires a sound understanding of their requirements. Construction companies tend to not work with a client if the relationship is anticipated to be adversarial and instead choose to work as collaborative partners in order to achieve successful project outcomes. It is also important to establish a strong and effective project team by choosing people that are well suited to the specific project. This needs very careful consideration in relation to complex projects, such as the Olympic Park development. Previously, relationships between designers, engineers and quantity surveyors were often adversarial, while, successful projects require the team members to work in a collegiate fashion with mutual respect for one another so that they can each perform at their best. The ‘Constructing Excellence agenda has not been sufficiently embraced by the industry as a whole, although there are some good examples of projects that have successfully adopted the initiatives. For instance, private construction companies have embraced ideas such as standardisation to drive down cost and increase value. There have also been similar initiatives in the public sector. A good example is the MODs Single Living Accommodation Modernisation programme (‘SLAM) which sets out to upgrade the worst service personnel accommodation by 2012. In light of these positive examples, it is possible for the industry as a whole to adopt better practice and achieve greater success. Indeed, there are considerable financial pressures on projects in the current downturn and so it is imperative that more efficient methods are adopted to provide better value for money to clients. Adopting smarter ways of working makes it possible to reduce construction costs by 20-30% and not by cutting the contractors margin which is usually counter-productive and does not yield significant savings in any case. Real savings can be achieved by standardising construction and simplifying the procurement process. Under control The CDM Regulations 2007 establish a clear procedure for managing health and safety risk on construction sites. Prior to adoption of latest regulations, the HSE held a very constructive dialogue with the industry over a period of six years, which has meant that they have quickly received tacit acceptance. Construction companies have implemented initiatives to bring about behavioural and cultural change with respect to health and safety. For instance, there are ‘incident/injury free policies on our which have been taken up by others. More can be done by the industry as a whole and it is important to share ideas on best practice. There are various initiatives that the HSE have been engaged with recently, such as worker involvement, site induction training and supervisor competency. The HSE is much maligned in the press but that emanates from peoples misunderstanding of its role. The first aspect to note is that HSE is not accountable for prescribing how activities should be conducted. In fact, the onus is on the individual or organisation carrying out such a task to undertake their own risk assessment to determine the safest method of working using the available guidance from bodies such as the HSE. The HSEs purpose is to administer health and safety law and regulations and it has an enforcement role where there have been breaches. In light of the risks highlighted by the recent crane collapses, the Tower Crane Action Group has consulted widely and has published excellent guidance, which is available on the Strategic Forum website. Similarly, the HSE produce excellent best practice guidance notes, which are available to down load on their website. The guidance is aimed at various types of business, although sadly it is not always being followed. Had the HSE guidance on running a hair salon been followed, for example, then the recently publicised incident of a hairdresser disfiguring a customer with toxic hair products could have been avoided. Additionally, organisations are not properly addressing occupational health hazards. Three thousand people a year die from occupational health issues and scores of people suffer from illness and disability Conclusion Under the predecessor to CDM, the principal contractor was seen by the HSE as being in control of the whole construction site. But in practice, there were often difficulties controlling the entire site, and in particular in supervising subcontractors or the clients nominated subcontractors work. This is still difficult to manage, and particularly where there is no contractual right to restrict attendance on site. Clients own contractors will often turn up on their sites while principal contractors are supposed to be in control. Utilities companies or other contractors may have separate contracts with the client and the principal contractor will have to deal with these in addition to agreed site procedures and the existing programme. In contract, a client can allow the principal contractor to control access to the site for all subcontractors and also require any subcontractors to carry out detailed supervision of their workers. In some cases, a site lease may even be appropriate. The client has to carry out competency checks on any contractors they instruct before appointment. In the contracts, it is also possible to specify who should carry out continued monitoring on the site to inform the client about ongoing competence, to restrict entry to the site or to restrict contractors ability to tender for future work. The ACoP clarifies that it is the clients duty to perform practical steps for ensuring suitable management arrangements carry out their duties throughout the construction project by in such a manner as to preclude risks to health. This is in addition to the duty to ensure that principal contractors prepare a construction phase plan that complies with CDM 2007 as well as welfare installations that would be adequate throughout construction phase. Clients arent required actually to manage the works but they do have to check that all management arrangements are appropriate and are being followed though from the initial stages of project. The ACoP specifies that they are allowed to rely on advices of a competent CDM coordinator for making judgments as to the adequacy of the management arrangements. Clients also need to be careful to not take an active role in managing construction works because CDM 2007 places liability on those who control or run the manner in which construction projects are carried out. Similarly, principal contractors need to make it clear who is carrying out the detailed supervision and whether they have control over the subcontractors activities on site if they are to seek to take advantage of the ACoPs advice that principal contractors do not have to undertake the responsibility of detailed supervisions of the contractors work. In summary, the management arrangements that can be detailed in the contract include: Control over the site Control over subsubcontracting without notification Ongoing competency checks Levels of detailed supervision required of subcontractors The time allowed for planning and preparation The arrangement for communicating among the dutyholders and reporting to the client The provision of pre-construction information and reasonably obtainable information The format and quality of information for the health and safety file The provision of the construction phase plan and all updates to the client (and cdm coordinator). The more that is set down in the contract, the less likely any of the duties are to fall between the stools of the dutyholders. Increasing the level of detail in the contracts can help to safeguard all parties against delays caused by incidents or regulatory breaches (which can often wipe out the profit on a project). It can also be useful in removing uncertainty which in turn could help to prevent accidents or even reduce the need for any of the parties to develop a defence to a charge under health and safety legislation. References (2007). CDM UPDATE: After a long consultation the new CDM regulati

The Representation Of Gender In Disneys Films Film Studies Essay

The Representation Of Gender In Disneys Films Film Studies Essay In the golden age of animation, 1928 1960s, Walt Disney was one of the famous animators in the industry who founded The Walt Disney Corporation. He was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, entertainer and entrepreneur. The book, From Mouse to Mermaid, described that Disney ethos both reflects and promotes particular elements of the dominant ideology of United State culture (Murphy, p.127). Most of Disneys work represents characters that embody racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes. As well as middle-class perspective and royalist ideology while focusing on themes like innocence, friendship, magic and fairytale. The old Disney works such as Bambi (1942), Snow White (1937), Cinderella (1950), and Sleeping Beauty (1959) are misleading in the image that they portray to young children whose mind is still impressionable. Disney also created subtle messages of stereotypical of social construct of men and women. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs released in 1937, it was well-known as the first to use Technicolor cel animation, about 250,000 celluloid frames for each animated film. Each frame is repeated from frame to frame, as layers upon layers of retelling, and in particular, a retelling of womans body. They also used live-action models for the characters and cinematic conventions of representing women. Each individual cel of film was hand-painted by women who created indelible images of the feminine. Elizabeth Bells said in her essay the women in these films are not bifurcated into good and bad, but represent a continuum of cultural representations of womens power and performance (Bell, p. 121). Eventhough I agree with her that Disneys work represents steriotypical role of female in our society, but I do not agree with her at this point because in Snow White and Cinderrella, we can see a clear distinction between a good characters and a bad characters that womens. A good characters fullfill a typical role of the ideal woman. The ideological woman is supposed to be skinny, beautiful, acquiescent, and perform duties of a housewife. She will not disobey direct orders and does not hold a job on her own. Whereas the bad woman is independent, strong willed and does not perform duties of a house care taker. During that time, the standards of contemporary beauty in Hollywood were young, pretty, white, graceful and slender. Disneys heroine character moved along with these standards except for the old Femmes Fatales. According to Middle-aged women represented as femme fatales are dark, independent, and treacherous; they are dressed on extravagant costumes. The example of this can be seen in Snow White, with the Evil Stepmother. As Bell rightly point out Disney transforms the vain, active and wicked woman of folktales into the Femme Fatale, the deadly woman od silent film and of Hollywood classic film. They usually played the roles of an evil stepmother who envied the younger heroine for her looks and ended up being defeated or killed. The old crone from Snow White represents the old female character which is depicted as gray and wrinkled, clumsy, and frumpily dressed. Disneys representation of women is the treatments of the feminine life-cycle in hegemonic social disclose and stereotypes a bout womens bodies. Another notable film technique is use by Disney film Bambi. Released during World War II, the film still used Technicolor cel animation but the goal was to obtain a highly realistic look than the previous productions. Bambi is a story about the birth and maturation of a young male; the son of the stag who rules the forest and his mother who was killed by man. Walt Disney attempted to achieve realistic detail by lecture the animators, so they could study movement of animals. Los Angeles Zoo was shipped a pair of fawns to showed animators, therefore the artist could draw nature look and realistic movement of Bambi and Faline. Each individual shows detail of nature; for instance, in the open scene we saw the shadow of sunlight which represents the morning hours. But because of the realism that they tried to created, multiples of cel made color of the film faded. Bambi used Anthropomorphism to represent gender of male and female stereotypes by using non-human characteristics to display an object or abstract concepts. Even though the film does not ascribe to the typical view of physical appearance but it still portray ideological of gender through Anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism ascribes human motivation, characteristics or behavior to things not human, such as inanimate objects, animals or natural phenomena. Bambi also represent royalist ideology because the title character is a son of the Great Prince of the Forest and he became the Prince of the forest. The male stereotypes are represented through Bambi, Ronno and Bambis father, while female stereotypes are represented through Bambis mother and Faline. Beginning with male stereotypes, the father is labeled as the Great Prince of the Forest during the film, which represents his authority amongst the forest community which shows that only a male can lead the society and be a protector of f amily or community because males are perceived to be smarter that females. In the scene, Bambis father told everyone in the forest to escape from the hunter it shows how he tried to protect everyone in the forest because he would stay back to ensure that everyone is safe. The mother is represented as the natural stereotype of typical mom who always loves and cares about the children. One of the scenes that showed the way that mothers would do everything for their children is when they ran away from hunter, she preferred to give up her life in order to save her childs life. Another stereotype of young men represent in Bambi and Ronno, when they fight for Faline because young males always fight for a women. We also see the stereotype of young female Disney character in Faline which describe as young, pretty and slender stereotype that depends on a male. She was falling in love with the prince and ended up with the happy ending. The ideology of fairy tales is showed in a female character in Disneys film  which is the inherent expectation to falling in love and getting married to the prince so they can have happiness in life.  An example of this is in Snow White character that allows girls to have fairy-tales to dream of and hope for. As Murphy point out in his essay the Disney ethos both reflects and promotes particular elements of the dominant ideology of United States culture (p. 127), where the young girls are waiting for prince charming and dreaming of being princesses. They set the standards and ideology for girls on how to grow up. Contemporary society believes that women need to be more independent through the film because it has a huge impact on young audience on how they see the world. They want Disney to show that women can take care of themselves, more independent, be leaders, have jobs and do not rely on men. They also want Disney to transform into equality of gender because most of their films show a male dominated outlook. Feminists concerned about perception of the world and values about the point of view on young children especially girls to watch for unhealthy look of the physical attributes along with the values supporting male dominance. Disney production films showed the ideals of nature conflict through their female protagonists where women are fully dependent on men and female characters are often shown as happy housewives. This is due to the personal belief and attitude Walt Disney has towards how the family life is shaped and wha t roles women should play in society. The narratives of media associated between genders offer patterns of proper and improper behavior, messages, and ideological conditioning with pleasurable of popular entertainment being show on television. Even though there have been changes over years, we can see appropriate societal roles for men and women. By analyzing and interpreting animation films through history, one is able to understand the representation of gender which entails the inequalities that rest amongst sex, gender, nature, and ethnicity.

Definition of Cool :: essays research papers

From wicked good, to psychedelic, to â€Å"word†, there is no reason why older generations never understand what the youth today consider the latest slang. Our ever-growing vocabulary, to express our emotions and feelings, is never consistent or rigid in its capacity. However, one word that I have not only grown accustomed to in my daily life but also of my mother’s generation is the single syllable, â€Å"cool†. When something becomes common, it is hard to tell when it began. The usage of cool as a general positive epithet or interjection has been part and parcel of English slang since World War II, and has even been incorporated into other languages, such as French and German. Originally, in this sense, it is derived from a Black English usage meaning â€Å"excellent, superlative,† first recorded in written English in the early 1930s. Jazz musicians who used the term were responsible for its popularization during the 1940s. As a slang word expressing ge nerally positive sentiment, it has stayed current far longer than most such words. One of the main characteristics of slang is the continual renewal of its vocabulary and storehouse of expressions: in order for slang to stay slangy, it has to have a feeling of novelty. Slang expressions that mean the same as cool, are words such as bully, capital, hot, groovy, hip, crazy, far-out, rad, and tubular. Growing up for over sixteen years, I have the knowledge of using the word cool in its various forms. As a little boy I never would want to embarrass myself amongst the my sister’s friends who were much older and wiser than I. There was never room for any embarrassing mishap in my quest for being considered cool. As a young middle-schooler, I always looked up to the senior boys. Whenever I would run to and fro my next class, I would hear from a senior waltzing to his classes, â€Å"Hey man. Stay cool,† not at first knowing his true motive. Growing up, you might at first not understand the true meaning of the term, but through experience, one learns of the meaning in its entirety so as to use in daily life.

The Story of Pygmalion and Galatea :: Cyprus Mythology

The Story of Pygmalion and Galatea â€Å"If you gods can give all things, may I have as my wife, I pray†¦ one like the ivory maiden.† ~Pygmalion Pygmalion, the mythical king of Cyprus, had many problems when dating women. He always seemed to accept dates from the wrong women. Some were rude, others were selfish; he was revolted by the faults nature had placed in these women. It left him feeling very depressed. He eventually came to despise the female gender so much that he decided he would never marry any maiden. For comfort and solace, he turned to the arts, finding his talent in sculpture. Using exquisite skills, he carved a statute out of ivory that was so resplendent and delicate no maiden could compare with its beauty. This statute was the perfect resemblance of a living maiden. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and often laid his had upon the ivory statute as if to reassure himself it was not living. He named the ivory maiden Galatea and adorned her lovely figure with women’s robes and placed rings on her fingers and jewels about her neck. At the festival of Aphrodite, which was celebrated with great relish throughout all of Cyprus, lonely Pygmalion lamented his situation. When the time came for him to play his part in the processional, Pygmalion stood by the altar and humbly prayed: â€Å"If you gods can give all things, may I have as my wife, I pray†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he did not dare say â€Å"the ivory maiden† but instead said: â€Å"one like the ivory maiden.† Aphrodite, who also attended the festival, heard his plea and she also knew of the thought he had wanted to utter. Showing her favor, she caused the altar’s flame to flare up three times, shooting a long flame of fire into the still air. After the day’s festivities, Pygmalion returned home and kissed Galatea as was his custom. At the warmth of her kiss, he started as if stung by a hornet. The arms that were ivory now felt soft to his touch and when he softly pressed her neck the veins throbbed with life.

Praise of the Scribe

Praise of the Scribe’s Profession Written by Cynthia Washington, Student And U. S. , Africa and World History 201, Section 1 Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:25-10:40 September 6, 2012 From what the reader know, and what historians know Egypt is one of the greatest civilizations to ever emerge in this world. A society ruled by divine kingship, and belief in polytheism. It was not because of what the Egyptians did but more so of what was left behind for other readers and educators to see. Considering the fact that the Egyptians established a very unique language and writing system also called hieroglyphics, the Egyptians had to establish a private society due to the fact that no other person was higher than the Scribes, who were the intellectuals of ancient Egypt. While reading a few selections from Praise of the Scribe’s Profession, the reader was highly intrigued and established that firstly, the Scribes’ profession was strictly part of the professional class, secondly, well respected amongst the Egyptian society and lastly, the Scribes recorded history. Ancient Egyptians major accomplishment was the art of learning. Being able to read and write was a huge advancement in the world made by the Egyptians which is why the Scribes were held so high in class. Many Egyptians felt the need to actually praise the profession of the scribe which the reader found very interesting because the writer uses many persuasive and attention grasping sayings and ideas. The writer believes that the Scribe is who every person should befriend and respect because he who writes is more pleasing than anything else including ointment, clothing, and other necessities. Not only does the reader completely understand why the Ancient Egyptians held such a high standard and respect for the Scribes intellect but also realizes why now in today’s society why many educators respect the Ancient Egypt history and architectural skills. As the reader continues on with the selections from Praise of the Scribe’s Profession, she also realizes the respect that Egyptians have for the Scribes. There was definitely a part that stood out to the reader in the selection on the advice to give the unwilling pupil. The writer pointed out that the Egyptians truly honored and respected writing so much that it was believed to be more enjoyable than a mother’s giving birth. The reader was stunned after reading that piece of the writing because a mother giving birth is by far one of the greatest acknowledgments and truly respected now in the today’s world and is presented in everyday lives of many as well as in the media. Writing in the reader’s society is respected but not held with as much pride and respect as back when the Ancient Egyptians was sharing the craft of learning. While the reader further her knowledge on the Scribes she comes to be very interested in the way others was described as being worthless due to the lack of interest in its craft. The reader came across some insightful things the royal scribe had once said and she also realized the respect that was expected from others. In other words all occupations are bad except that of the scribe. It is quite believable that most of all the readers that know about ancient Egypt are from what the scribes wrote themselves. Which is why being a scribe meant that the Egyptian men were truly respected amongst the Egyptian society and were part of the professional class as well. Lastly, the scribes have definitely recorded history with their crafts. The Egyptians valued their scribes, as well as what the Egyptian men have written down. The reader believes that if Egypt did not discover the education system that it had, which the writer talks about in the passages that there would be no history. Historians would not know as much as many of those do now. From the scribes being able to read and write, and writing down every aspect of the life of living in Ancient Egypt, historians and readers are able to discover a great deal of history and interesting stories that was once told. The reader is amazed at entirely everything the she read and gained from the Praise of the Scribe’s Profession selections. Love writing, shun dancing then you become a worthy official really stuck with the reader throughout the selection. Scribes definitely made a major impact on today’s history and education. The Egyptians became great from the architecture and building of pyramids and temples, but mostly the development of the scribes. Egyptians have successfully prospered in the world from the bottom up in today’s learning and society also. The Egyptian scribes have influenced society during ancient times and now. From the material the reader has read about the Egyptian scribes, the men were very hard workers and highly dedicated towards the work that was presented. The reader came to a conclusion that the Egyptians, mainly the scribes have discovered new things that had not been discovered before such as the art of writing, mathematics, and many more. The reader is also very pleased with the selections from Praise of the Scribe’s Profession that was assigned. She can definitely agree that the Egyptians were idolized because of their distinct unique culture and discoveries that has enriched plenty of lives. This assignment did not only teach the reader about Scribes and Egyptians but it enlightened her with facts and a different respect for Egyptians and all of the hard work that was put into the art and craft of learning. Happy is the heart of him who writes, he is young each day is a great saying and the reader believes now in today’s world not only him who writes but her as well to be in a professional class, well respected, and to record as well as make history.

Community Teaching Plan Essay

Nursing Diagnosis: Readiness for Learning: Identify the factors that would indicate the readiness to learn for the target aggregate. Include emotional and experiential readiness to learn. Readiness to learn would include active engagement, excitement about learning new ways to manage diabetic regimen, asking questions about diabetes and treatment. Educator needs to define best way for patient to learn, and provide accomodations to that style. Learning Theory to Be Utilized: Explain how the theory will be applied. Goal: Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) objective(s) utilized as the goal for the teaching. Include the appropriate objective number and rationale for using the selected HP2020 objective (use at least one objective from one of the 24 focus areas). If an HP2020 objective does not support your teaching, explain how your teaching applies to one of the two overarching HP2020 goals. How Does This HP2020 Objective Relate to Alma Ata’s Health for All Global Initiatives (See page 116 in the textbook)? Develop Behavioral Objectives (Including Domains), Content, and Strategies/Methods: Behavioral Objective and Domain Example – Third-grade students will name one healthy food choice in each of the five food groups by the end of the presentation. (Cognitive Domain) Content (be specific) Example – The Food Pyramid has five food groups which are†¦. Healthy foods from each group are†¦. Unhealthy foods containing a lot of sugar or fat are†¦. Strategies/Methods (label and describe) Example – Interactive poster presentation of the Food Pyramid. After an explanation of the poster and each food category, allow students to place pictures of foods on the correct spot on the pyramid. Also, have the class analyze what a child had for lunch by putting names of foods on the poster and discussing what food group still needs to be eaten throughout day. Creativity: How was creativity applied in the teaching methods/stategies? Planned Evaluation of Objectives (Outcome Evaluation): Describe what you will measure for each objective and how. 1) Planned Evaluation of Goal: Describe how and when you could evaluate the overall effectiveness of your teaching plan. Planned Evaluation of Lesson and Teacher (Process Evaluation): Barriers: What are potential barriers that may arise during teaching and how will those be handled? Communication: How will you begin your presentation (hook them in)? How will you end your presentation (go out with a bang)? What nonverbal communication techniques will you employ?