The Strategic Planning For Jet Airways

The Strategic Planning For Jet Airways The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a successful and well-organized strategic planning for airline industry providing Jet Airways strategic plan. Jet Airways is the Indias market leader in airline industries, however has faced increasing competition over the last decade resulting attrition in their market share. The report begins by analysing the current internal and external environment of Jet Airways. Through strategic evaluation its recommended that Jet airways focus on their fundamental service delivery to restore their competitive advantage within the industry. This will require putting into practice a combination of two strategies; a people processes strategy and a strategy focused on technological advancement. The people processes strategy was derived from a number of industry sources outlining Jet Airways decline in customer satisfaction. The technological advancement strategy coincides with the renewal of Jet Airways aircraft fleet and will further improve the overall customer experience. INDEX Objectives: The main objective of this paper is to develop the internal and external environmental analysis and strategic planning with risk management and business ethics. Specific objectives are following, Evaluate the current strategic position of Jet Airways. Examine the strategic Planning Models for Jet Airways. Examine Jet Airways internal and external environment. (1.0) Overview of Jet Airways: Jet Airways is an airline based in Mumbai, India. It is Indias third largest airline after Air India and Kingfisher Airlines. It operates over 400 daily flights to 64 destinations worldwide. Its primary base is Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport with secondary hubs at Bangalore, Brussels, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune as focus cities. In July 2008, Which? magazine ranked Jet Airways as the worlds best long- haul airline after Singapore Airlines. In a poll conducted by SmartTravelAsia.com in September 2008, it was voted as the worlds seventh best airline overall. It has also won an award for the quality of its catering. In February 2009, Jet Airways had 846,000 passengers, making it the second largest airline in India behind Kingfisher Airlines. Jet Airways also operates two low-cost airlines, namely Jet Lite (formerly Air Sahara) and Jet Airways Connect. (1.1.1) Corporate Structure: Mr. Naresh Goyal Chairman Mr. Ali Ghandour Director Mr. Nikos Kardassis Chief Executive Officer Mr. Saroj K. Datta Executive Director Mr. Abdulrahman Albusaidy Group Executive Officer Mr. Sudheer Raghavan Chief Commercial Officer Capt. Hameed Ali Chief Operating Officer Mrs. Anita Goyal | Executive Vice President Network Planning Revenue Management Mr. Raja Segran | Sr. Vice President Mr. P. K. Sinha | Regional Vice President Mr. Gaurang Shetty | Sr. Vice President Customer Services Alliances Capt. Hassan Al-Mousawi | Sr. Vice President-Operations On Time Performance Mr. Abdulkhaliq Saeed | Sr. Vice President Engineering Maintenance Mr. Mahalingam Shivkumar | Sr. Vice President, Finance Mr. Rajesh Sharma | Vice President Internal Audit Mr. K. G. Vishwanath | Vice President Commercial Strategy and Investor Relations Dato K. Jeyakanthan | Sr. Vice President Engineering Services Mr. Jay Shelat | Vice President Cargo Mr. Raj Sivakumar | Vice President Network Planning, Revenue Management Distribution Dr. Samar B. Srivastava | Vice President Human Resources Mr. Ashok Barimar | General Counsel Vice President Legal Ms. Ragini Chopra | Vice President Corporate Communication and Public Relations Ms. Monica Chopra | Company Secretary Sr. General Manager Legal (2.0) Environmental Analysis: For success within the airline industry, an awareness of the external environment is essential. This section aims to highlight the position of the industry, in particular looking at competitors and assessing Jet airways capability to meet current and future challenges. (2.1) PESTEL Analysis Of Jet Airways: Political Issue License issue for international operation. Infrastructural constraint. ATF price policy. Open sky policy. FDI Limits: 100% Greenfield airport 74% existing airports. 100% through special permission. 49% for airlines. Economic Effects The income level is rising. Contribution to the Indian economy. There is a rise in the cost of fuel. Investment in the sector of aviation. The growth of the middle income group family affects the aviation sector. Reduced fare but yet not enough. Social Effects Developing of the cities to better services and airports. Employment opportunities. Safety regulations. The status symbol attached to a plane travel. Technological Effects Modernization of aircrafts. The growth of e-commerce and e-ticketing. Satellite based navigation system. Modernisation and privatisation of the airports. Modern technology like CAT3 and ILS. Environmental Sector There is an increase in the global warming. The sudden change and the unexpected behaviour of the climate and to depend on the atmosphere. Shortage of the infrastructural capacity. There is a tourism saturation. Legal Factors. FDI limits. Bilateral treaties. Airlines acquisitions and the leasing cost. (2.2) SWOT Analysis Of Jet Airways: Figure 2.2 shows SWOT Analysis: S Market driver. Experience exceeding 14 year. Only private airline with international operation . They have a strong brand value and their reputation is very high in the mind of the customers. The service quality is good. Largest fleet size. There is a continuous innovation in their business. W Loosing domestic market share . Old fleet with average age around 4.79 years. Scope for improvement in in-flight service. High ticket pricing. Facing a tough competition from the competitors. O Untapped air cargo market . Scope in international service and tourism. The non penetrated domestic market. T Strong competitors. Fuel price hike. Overseas market competition. Infrastructure issues. Tourism saturation. Economic slowdown. Promotion and sponsorship declining. (3.0) Strategic Planning Model: (3.1) Porters Five Forces Model Of Jet Airways: (1) The threat of the entry of new competitors: The threat of the new entrants is very high for Jet Airways, because right now there are so many new airline company that has come with new strategies and services. The more profitable the industry is the more attractive it will be to new competitors. And as we know that Jet Airways is a very well known airline company of India since many years and it has a brand image and has a good reputation on the customers mind but then also Jet Airways has to give the best service quality to the customers to remain the market leader in the business. (2) The intensity of the competitive rivalry: The intensity of the competitive rivalry is high for Jet Airways. Jet Airways has many competitive rivals like Kingfisher Airlines, British Airways, Air India, Virgin Atlantic, etc. Jet Airways has both long haul flights and short haul flights. They are losing the domestic share market so in this competitive industry they have to bring some innovation in their business. Their strategy is very powerful because they are concentrating more in the service quality. Their aircrafts are modernised and they have the modernised technology like CAT3 and ILS. (3) The threat of substitute products or services: The threat of substitute for Jet Airways is low. There are few substitutes for Jet Airways: For short haul flights they have: Jet Connect and Jet Lite. For long haul flights they have: No notable substitute. (4) The bargaining power of customers (buyers): The bargaining power of buyer is medium. Jet Airways has the option to switch the suppliers and according to that the customers of Jet Airways also has the option to switch. (5) The bargaining power of suppliers: The bargaining power of supplier is high. The supplier can switch to any other option at any time. (4.0) Managing Risk: Every business faces risks that could present threats to its success. Risk is defined as the probability of an event and its consequences. Risk management is the practice of using processes, methods and tools for managing these risks. Risk management focuses on identifying what could go wrong, evaluating which risks should be dealt with and implementing strategies to deal with those risks. Businesses that have identified the risks will be better prepared and have a more cost-effective way of dealing with them. The types of risk your business faces strategic, for example a competitor coming on to the market. compliance, for example responding to the introduction of new health and safety legislation. financial, for example non-payment by a customer or increased interest charges on a business loan. operational, for example the breakdown or theft of key equipment. (4.1) Managing Risk Of Jet Airways: Jet Airways falls in the strategic risk and the operational risk. Strategic and Operational Risk: Overview of cyber-security and best practices in fraud prevention. Understanding key fundamentals of PCI Data Security Standards and what airlines need to do to align with the necessary requirements. Risk management in Jet Airways: Fraud prevention strategies and processes. Strategies in IVR risk control. The way forward in risk management. (5.0) Strategy and Ethics of JET AIRWAYS: Strategy of Jet Airways: The main strategy of Jet Airways is to maintain service quality. Jet Airways (India) Ltd. has earned the distinction of receiving the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Registration. The airline has successfully completed the Operational Safety Audit and has entered into the IOSA Registry. One of the strategies that Jet Airways is following: Jet Airways strategy: removing a row to gain passenger space Mumbai: After having removed a row of seats from some of its planes to increase overall leg room for passengers, Jet Airways (India) Ltd is using an innovative, three-dimensional billboard campaign to sell the concept. Developed by Mudra Groups outdoor unit Primesite, the Mumbai billboards have images of two chairs sitting close to each other, and then one drifting on railings to reveal the message: Weve removed a row to give you more space. The row of seats has been done away with in Jets 737-800s series planes. Removal of rows to create space for cramped passengers isnt a new idea as many airlines, especially in the US, have used similar tactics and messages to differentiate their planes from rivals. Several other companies, such as auto makers (with sections of cars) and even coffee companies (Bru used chairs and tables) have used three-dimensional billboards to stand out. Says Gaurang Shetty, vice- president, marketing, Jet Airways: We wanted to create an impact and effectively communicate that we have removed a row of seats from our domestic flights, thereby giving more space on our domestic flights. The outdoor innovation has only been done in Mumbai considering the restrictions on the same in other metros. We would be communicating through hoardings in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore. Sanjeev Hajela, president, Primesite, says the campaign has a budget of Rs55-60 lakh. Jet is a large user of outdoor media and is believed to spend as much as Rs10-Rs12 crore a year, some 20% of the airlines marketing spend. Jet Airways was one of the early entrants in the aviation business, as also the first private airline to fly to overseas destinations and had a relatively simple creative message: Jet Flies to 44 Domestic and 8 International Destinations. Notes Jagdeep Kapoor, managing director of Samsika Marketing Consultants Pvt. Ltd: Earlier, the positioning of the Jet brand was such that it reflected aspirational value. It was an aspired brand while all the rest were tired and perspired brands. Today its different. They have found a competitor in their own league in form of Kingfisher. There is a switch taking place, with some customers shifting loyalties to Kingfisher. He classifies Jets growth in terms of three Ss: Sustenance, Service and the need to (Speed Up). In spite of not being the first entrant in the aviation space, the Jet brand grew steadily, sustained and survived. Later on, Jet grew to be the best premium brand in the whole country by highlighting the service aspect. In service, they were unparalleled and premium. Today, its different and Jet needs to speed up. They need to aggressively build themselves as a brand, and advertise themselves like a consumer brand if they need to beat Kingfisher. 2) Ethics of Jet Airways: The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (Code) has been adopted by Jet Airways (India) Limited to comply with applicable law and the rules and regulations of the Stock Exchanges on which the securities of the Company are listed. (6.0) Strategic and Operational Conflict: Strategic Planning: Long term. Affect widely. Generic. Org. People and other org. People. Operational Planning: Short term. Narrow/limited scope. Detailed. Within orgs. People. Strategic v Operational Conflict: Jet Airways has some strategic v operational conflict and they are: Jet Airways (India) Ltd.s three- day conflict with its pilots is costing the nations second- largest airline passengers and may hamper plans to raise $400 million to buy new planes. The last thing investors want to see when the airlines trying to raise funds is a crisis like this, Kapil Kaul, chief executive officer of the Indian unit of Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, an industry adviser said yesterday. This is a wildfire and they need to put out as soon as possible. Alternate Arrangements: Jet Airways is endeavouring to make alternate arrangements on other airlines wherever possible and our airport teams will assist its guests to the fullest extent, Jet Air said. (7.0) Recommendations: As a result, we can say that Jet Airways is following different types of environmental analysis and strategic planning models to run their organization and their main strategy is to give service quality to the customer. So from this, we have conclude that Jet Airways is focusing on the services which they are giving to the customers to gain their loyalty and trust and to become the worlds no.1 airline industry. Due to lack of primary research we cant access more information about the company. References: Online links: http://www.jetairways.com/EN/GB/AboutUs/QualityCertification.aspx, contains the strategy of Jet Airways. http://www.jetairways.com/EN/KE/AboutUs/CodeOfConduct.aspx, contains The Code of Conduct. http://www.scribd.com/doc/8718529/Jet-Airways, it contains SWOT analysis and PEST analysis of Jet Airways. http://www.livemint.com/2007/11/25233107/Jet-Airways-strategy-removing.html

Administrative Or Conventional And Critical Research Media Essay

Administrative Or Conventional And Critical Research Media Essay The field of mass communications is relatively new and is both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary in nature. It is therefore not surprising that the approach to mass communications research will be mixed. This essay attempts to look at the issues which gave rise to research theories and distinguish between the terms administrative or conventional and critical research. It will discuss and contrast the similarities of both types of research while evaluating the usefulness and relevance of both approaches and what it meant for the development of the media. Finally, it will look at the different traditions of media research and explain how they manifest either conventional or critical characteristics. The history of mass communications research is a short one. In the 1940s, when communication and media studies came about in the United States of America (USA), research focused on the needs of an expanding society, including the positioning of political and economic interests which (was based on the critical pragmatism) and sociology of the Chicago School (Hardt, 1992, p. 9). However, Wilbur Schramm suggested that communications research was quantitative, rather than speculative and argued that its practitioners such as Lazarsfeld, Lewin, Laswell and Hovland (who were identified as the founding fathers of communications research in the USA) were deeply interested in theory, but in the theory they can test (Hardt, 1992, p. 11). His view ignored the history of concerns about communication and culture that had characterized the Chicago School (Hardt, 1992, p.10). Schramm insisted that they were behavioural researchers and as such interests in the wider social and cultural aspects of media and communication were left unaddressed. Schramms interest was journalistic rather than scientific and communications research is the USA served the system at the time instead of challenging it because of the influence by media and commercial interests. Hardt (1992) concluded that in the USA: Mainstream communication and media research had failed to address critical developments from within and without its boundaries. It had remained within specific categories of interests, reflected in an academic specialization in the study of communication that was interdisciplinary by its commitment to a behavioural science orientation, but without any significant or successful attempt to break out of its modiac circle (p. 19). In Great Britain, media research did not begin until the early 1960s. Halloran noted that a more critical, holistic approach emerged where the approach to research was more disciplined and systematic and focused on media as institutions and communication as a social process. The first review of the field was conducted in Great Britain and published in 1963 (Halloran 1963) and referred to few research exercises which concentrated on media effects which looked at the impact of media on attitudes and behaviour of individuals. Even though a number of studies have been conducted in the field of mass communications, researchers have not been able to gather enough information because of the way research has been defined, initiated, supported and organized, (Halloran,1981, p. 9). He adds that in addition to having limited information, it is also unfair and biased. He emphasized: Research is not initiated, organized, executed or applied in a social/political vacuum. Appreciation of the nature of research and its application calls for an understanding of the historical, economic, political, organizational, disciplinary, professional and personal factors which impinge on the research process in so many ways (p. 33). Halloran (1981) defined conventional research as having value-free, positivistic, empiricist, behaviouristic, psychological emphasis (p.34). He noted that earlier media research conformed to the dominant paradigm at the time and responded to the requirements of modern, industrial, urban society for empirical, quantitative, policy related information about its operations (p.37). Research was basically carried out to improve the effectiveness of the media and assist media entities in achieving its aims and objectives. This type of research used quantitative methods such as surveys, and field experiments (Boyd-Barret, 1995, p. 69) while critical media research was concerned with obtaining data that could easily reproduced (reliable data) through scientific testing as opposed to data that was valid. It was more holistic in approach and was viewed as being service orientated. Critical research was criticised because it was viewed as alternative research which did not support the status quo at the time as most media entities supported administrative research. It challenged the long held values of media establishments and provided the first real challenge to media entities. In this regard, most media organisations viewed critical research as being not scientific, qualitative and having a political agenda. Halloran (1981) points to three main characteristics that differentiate critical research from conventional research and which would have been ignored by the latter. Firstly, he said communication is treated as a social process. While administrative research was described as being media centric and pro -media critical research looked at the institution behind media and those affected by the media. This suggested that administrative research was more occupied by the efficient and effective operation of the media at the expense of other issues such as refining concepts, development of theories and the whole notion of social change. In contrast, critical research is what Halloran called society centric and to this end it addressed issues of public concern and focused on how media addressed these societal or public concerns. One of the striking features is that it looks at the medias role in promoting the democratic process and social reproduction (Boyd-Barret, 1995, p. 188). It also examines the inverse effect of the communications process i.e how social factors affect communication and media operations. One such example is the research of Racism and Mass Media (Hartmann and Husband, 1974) which examined the role of media with regard to racial prejudice. A good example that amply demonstrates both the weaknesses of the administrative approach and the broader, more realistic perspectives of the sociological or critical approach, is to be found in research which has attempted to deal with the alleged media/violence relationship (Halloran, 1995, p. 26). Secondly, media institutions are studied in relation to other institutions and within the wider social context. Critical research examines the whole system rather than just mere individuals which was the focus of administrative research, its unit of measure was society as opposed to the individual and research was not conducted in a vacuum. Critical researchers look at issues of ownership, control and technology. By contrast, administrative research focused on fine tuning media methods to facilitate specific institutional aims and goals. In so doing, it ignored certain factors that affected the communications process as well as what the media produced. The third characteristic, as described by Halloran, is that critical research addressed issues associated with structure, organization, professionalism and participation. Its more independent of institutions, policy and problem orientated and research enquiries are conducted externally with the aim of forming policies. Unlike administrative research, critical research is less likely to be of a social or administrative character and does not stroke the egos of media managers and owners by researching their issues or by accepting their definitions of media problems. Critical research challenged their (administrative) ideologies and attempted to provide alternative research forms to the field. Critical research and its researchers became very unpopular and were viewed with suspicion because it was hoped at the time, that research would support the status quo and the system. The dominant paradigm at the time would have viewed critical theorists as not supporting the status quo. Additionally, critical research was starved for funding while administrative research was financed by the institutions that commissioned the research and as such the results were predetermined. In attempt to make mass communications research scientific, administrative researchers pushed the study of mass communications into positivism and empiricism. Earlier, the entire study of mass communication assumed that mass media have a total and immediate effect and thought audiences to be passive. Early effects studies were preoccupied by persuasion and studies were grounded in psychology, more specifically referred to psychoanalysis and stimulus response and emerged primarily in the USA (Newbold, 1995). The development of the media effects tradition started in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when many social upheavals were being experienced by many countries and the media was viewed to be engaged in social control by moulding behaviour in line with the will of those who controlled the media (Newbold, 1995, p. 7). Then, the content of media was viewed as having direct effects on individuals who relied on the mass media as their only source of information about the world. Newbold (1995) notes that this gave rise to the hypodermic needle theory or magic bullet theory which implied that mass media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on their audiences (Hypodermic needle model, Wikipedia). The Payne Studies of 1928 were the first major empirical studies to establish effects. Carried out in the USA, these studies looked at how motion pictures impacted children. The findings of the studies indicated that while films provided blue prints for living the effects of these films were not anti-social. Newbold (1995) stated that Cantrils study was among the first to question the magic bullet model and involve social and cultural factors in its analysis. Much criticism of effects studies focused on the media centric approach of researchers and the individualistic approach of the research, thereby being administrative in nature. Researchers were viewed as taking an approach which was purely interested in the direct relationship between the medium and its audience, failing to take into account the social and cultural influences of audiences which might also help shape their views (Newbold, 1995, p. 12). In this regard, social and audience interpretations were seldom taken into account. The Peoples Choice Study, conducted by Lazarsfeld et al and which sought to reveal the importance of interpersonal ties in the mass communications process (two step flow) was heavily criticised by Mills (1959) who described the approach taken in the study as abstracted empiricism because it was viewed as a study of voting in American politics and not necessarily the substance of opinion or dynamics. Newbold (1995) explained that: By abstracted empiricism, Mills is referring to the prevailing high value ascribed to statistical data derived from sampling procedures and interviews data upon which assumptions are made, and the relations between them established. He argued that quantification was pursued for its own sake, and at the expense of other major important issues for which quantifiable data might be difficult to obtain (p. 18). This in itself meant that the research displayed administrative characteristics which was media centric in nature and conducted in a vacuum without any social considerations. Newbold (1995) adds that while abstracted empiricism still appears to be a characteristic of this style of research, the two-step flow is still one of the most important developments in effects tradition because of its sociological orientation and shifting focus from the individual to the primary group thereby making the social context difficult to ignore. Following on from media effects, another tradition in mass communications research which is similar in focus but opposed to its perspectives is the political economy tradition. The political economy tradition searches for answers to the question of power of the media in the analysis of their structures of ownership and control. Mosco (2004) offered two definitions of political economy. Firstly, he described political economy as the study of the social relations, particularly the power relations that mutually constitute the production, distribution and consumption of resources, including communication resources (p. 6). This definition he explained focuses on how the communication business operates. A more general and ambitious definition of political economy is the study of control and survival in social life (Mosco, 2004, p.7). By these definitions, Mosco points to the fact that media institutions are both economic and political in nature. Adopting a fundamentalist Marxist approach, studies of this tradition have been based on the assumption that the dynamics of culture producing industries can be understood primarily in terms of their economic determination (Murdock and Golding, 1977, p. 37, cited in Bussaba, 2008, p. 24), thus the contents of the media and the meaning carried by their messages are determined by the economic base of the organization in which they are produced. Political economy is also characterized by an interest in examining the social whole or the totality of social relations that make up the economic, political, social and cultural areas of life (Mosco, 1995, p. 6) which included moral implications with an interest in social intervention to change society. Mosco (2004) indicates: Traditionally, the political economy of communication studied the major business firms responsible for producing and distributing mass media and the government agencies responsible for regulating and making communication policy. It focused on the power of media companies, demonstrated in the trend towards media concentration, and on how they use this power to influence media content (p. 28). With the aim to broaden the perspective in political economy, recent work addressed major processes such as commodification, spatialization and structuration. These process looked at making communications a market commodity; addressing the growth and spread of media institutions (especially the simplification by governments to do this by developing pro business regulation and policies; media production and access influenced by social, class, gender and race (Mosco, 2004). The precise mechanisms and processes whereby ownership of the media or control of their economics is translated into the message are complex and often problematic. The workings of the control are not easy to demonstrate or easy to explain empirically. The evidence is often circumstantial and is derived from the ideology implicit in the message and the interests of those in control. Mosco (2004) added that cultural studies and policy science are disciplines on the boundaries of political economy (p. 26). The broad based intellectual movement of the cultural studies approach which focuses on the constitution of meaning in texts and defined broadly to include all forms of social communication can contribute to the process of renewing political economy in several ways (Storey, 2003, p. 15, cited in Mosco, 2004, p. 26). Additionally, Mosco (2004) highlighted how cultural studies contributed to a broad based critique of positivism and has defended a more open philosophical approach that concentrates on subjectivity or on how people interpret their world, as well as the social creation of knowledge (p. 26). However, political economy can also contribute to rethinking cultural studies since it insists on epistemology that maintains the value of historical research, of thinking in terms of social totalities, with a well grounded moral philosophy and a commitment to overcome the distinction between social research and social practice (Mosco, 2004, p. 26). British cultural studies arose in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the Marxist informed work of Raymond Williams, Richard Hoggart and Edward Thompson who were all interested in political questions of class culture, democracy and socialism as it related to working class cultures in the UK. Williams work contributed significantly to the development of cultural studies as he attempted the study of relationships between elements in a whole way of life (Williams, 1965, p. 334). In 1964, Hoggart together with Stuart Hall established the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) which analysed mass media and popular culture and while many researchers did not share Hoggarts view of mass culture and cultural decline they did adopt some culturalist methodologies studying cultural texts and practices including media texts and practices (Gough-Yates, 2007). Structuralist methods allowed cultural studies to explore the rules and practices of culture, including media culture, and to ask how culture might generate the missing (Gough-Yates, 2007, p. 33). Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes while credited with making significant contributions to structuralism were also criticised for the structuralist assumption that signs can have stable, denotive meanings. Althussers concepts have also contributed to the development of cultural studies by pushing cultural studies to more analysis of popular culture and its role in fixing and containing identities away from the Frankfurt school style focus of the media. The Althusserian approach, because of its view of media products as closed texts that imprison their audiences and denies them any agency in their lives was challenged (Gough- Yates, 2007, p. 20). Gramscis model of hegemony argued that the consumption of poplar and media culture can be empowering as a refusal of subordination or form of resistance to dominant ways of being and doing (Gough-Yates, 2007, p. 32) and it helped scholars to address some of the criticisms of the Althusserians perspectives. Poststructuralists approaches also informed cultural studies and drew more attention to audiences rather than texts because of its approaches to cultural construction of meaning and their power relationships as it related to society and the domination of groups (based on gender, class, sexuality etc). As such, cultural studies shared some of its political interests with feminism and was challenged by feminists theory and politics which argued that cultural studies marginalized feminist issues and concerns (Schiach, 1994). This was evidenced in the CCCS Womens Studies Group (1978) publication Women Take Issue where feminist researchers encountered considerable difficulties in working around definitions of culture and theoretical perspectives that excluded and marginalized women, (Gough-Yates, 2007, p. 28). Post modern theory which has engaged cultural studies since the 1980s has broken down the traditional boundaries between culture and art, high and low culture, and art and the comme rcial which reflects the cultural, economic and technological change of society. Cultural studies especially new audience research offers the study of mass communications a means of researching through qualitative research, the cultures and discourses of media use in a new way (Gough-Yates, 2007, p.33). Hermes (2005) notes that the sudden increase in qualitative audience studies in mass communications research is sometimes know as the ethnographic turn (or new audience research) because key studies involved are inspired by particular traditions of anthropological research called interpretive ethnography (p. 5). Although new audience research is a type of research it is different from other traditions that use comparable research techniques. New audience research practitioners prefer the use of qualitative methods rather than quantitative which allows them to study more social contexts in which the media is used; its focus is more culture and cultural backgrounds that are sometimes marginalized by mainstream research traditions and its research objective is often popular culture. Interactive research methods such as interviews are used and it often has a feminist agenda. One prime example of New Audience Research is Ien Angs study of watching Dallas, the American prime time soap opera (Ang, 1985, cited in Hermes, 2005, p. 6) in which Ien Ang was able to assess, through qualitative methods, audience pleasure in viewing the show. Ethnographic turn was born of three traditions including British or European cultural studies; American cultural studies and qualitative mass communications research and ethnographic refers to four characteristics including the study of the media in a broader social context rather than in isolation as done in the James Lull research of the role of television in the dynamics of family life. The meanings of media practices are of much more interest than media practices in new audience research and stands for a more political investment as the practices of media are mostly researched for specific institutional goals. Finally, its aim is to develop theoretical understandings of the practices that were observed through lengthy, open interviewing (Hermes, 2005, p. 28). The lack of methodology and its revisionist politics has been the most popular criticisms of New Audience Research. In conclusion, much of mass communications research now is neither administrative nor critical and proceeds as if no debates had been held as Livingstone (1993) points out and she advises that all research projects should consider text, audience and context. She adds both research processes and its subject matter can be questioned since much research from either tradition can be, and often is, used to support or critique the status quo (p, 7).

Religious Wars Essay -- history

Religious Wars Religion has played a key role in wars and death. Religion is the basis of belief for humans, it is a belief that there is a higher being that watches over us guiding us, a belief that there is life after death and if we follow these beliefs we shall enter heaven the most beautiful place. However religion has also played a role in wars, religious conflicts in Ireland (Protestants and Catholics). Israelis and Arabs (Holy Land) and the Holy Crusades of the eleventh century (recapturing the Holy Land). In Israel Jews and Arabs have been in conflict for hundreds of years because they both share religious grounds in Israel. Since the founding of Israel in 1948 there has been continuous conflict between Israel and Arab states. This conflict has been marked by six bloody wars. On both sides, religion has again and again brought the peace process to the brink of annihilation. The first spark between the two sides started in Hebron, the site of the tombs of patriarchs, building sacred to both Jews and Arabs. Early in 1994 Baruch Goldstein, a religious Jew, opened fire and killed thirty nine Arabs while at prayer. In response to the Hebron killings, two Arab suicide bombers blew up Jewish buses in northern and central Israel. Fifteen died and seventy were injured (Peres 1995 p.177-178). There are still wars going on today, Israel against Palestine The Crusades were medieval military expeditions undertaken by European Christians to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims (Collins new English Dictionary 1997). The word crusade is taken from the Latin word crux (cross) this is a reference to the biblical injunction that Christians carry their cross. Crusaders wore a red cloth that was sewn on their tunics to show that they took on the cross and were soldiers of Christ (Runciman, Steven, A history of the Crusades, 3 vols 1951-1954; Rep 1987). The causes of the crusades were many and complex but religion was the main factor. It was regarded as justifiable war, because it was fought to recapture the places sacred to Christians. Charlemagne he made his wars of aggression definitely religious wars. All the world of north-western Europe, which is now Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, and Norway and Sweden, was in the ninth century an arena of bitter conflict between the old faith and the new. Nations were converted to Christianity by the... ... will stop the religious conflicts is to dream, for as long as humans have walked the earth and believed in a higher being. Conflicts have come from everywhere; people try to convert others the Black Robes in New France (Canada) who tried to convert the Algonquians from Animalism, Indians and Black Robes died because of that. Religious conflicts have been everywhere and they are still around if only we could learn that difference is good, to learn together and to work together. In conclusion I am not an atheist I just feel that humans feel to strongly about that higher being which we have never seen before, but are so willing to kill and die for it. References Collins, 1997, New English Dictionary Collier & Son. P. F. 1913 History of Nations vol.12. Ireland-Scotland Peres, Shimon. 1995. The New Middle East. New York: Henry Holt and Company Wells, H.G. 1949. The Outline of History .1. U.S.A: Doubleday & Company Wells, H.G. 1925. The Outline of History vol.3. Fourth Edition Revised. U.S.A: Review of Reviews Company Washington Post.1998 Washington Post Internet: www.washingtonpost.com Runciman, Steven. 1951-1954 Rep; 1987 A History of The Crusades 3 vols

“Ships at a Distance”: Dreams in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

Zora Neale Hurston opens Their Eyes Were Watching God with an eloquent metaphor regarding dreams: â€Å"Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others, they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time (Hurston 1).† Hurston describes here how some dreams are achieved with time while others lurk out of reach until the dreamer gives up. Janie Crawford, protagonist of Their Eyes Were Watching God, encounters numerous ambitions throughout her life, mainly concerning a desire to somehow achieve something in life, and to not just go through the motions. While Janie’s dreams and my own do not exactly correspond, we both aspire to discover a greater passion in life and find a voice that will enable us to make a difference. When Janie is growing up, she is eager to become a woman and is ready to dive into the strain, maturity, and exhilaration of adulthood. In the beginning of Janie’s life story, Hurston introduces the metaphor of the pear tree, a symbol of Janie’s blossoming, and describes how â€Å"she had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her,† which successfully captures her excitement and perplexity of entering the adult world (11). Janie’s anxiety of growing up is also articulated with the image of her â€Å"looking, waiting, breathing short with impatience. Waiting for the world to be made† (Hurston 11). In her teenage years, it seems as if her life revolves around the anticipation of womanhood. Even as Janie grows older, she continues to hold on to her aspiration of living an adventurous, invigorating, and passionate life. In criti... ...le. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2006. Print. 4 Jordan, Jennifer. "Feminist Fantasies: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 7.1 (1988): 105-117. JSTOR. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. 464063>. 7 Kubitschek, Missy Dehn. â€Å"’Tuh De Horizon and Back’: The Female Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God.† Black American Literature Forum 17.3 (1983): 109-115. JSTOR. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. . 8 Rosin, Hanna. â€Å"New Data on the Rise of Women.† Dec. 2010. TED Talks. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. . 2 â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God Reader’s Guide - Introduction.† The Big Read. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. .

Mental Health Counseling Essay -- essays research papers

Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and to promote mental health. They are trained to address a wide range of issues, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress management, problems with self-esteem, issues associated with aging, job and career concerns, educational decisions, issues related to mental and emotional health, and family, parenting, and marital or other relationship problems. Mental health counselors often work closely with other mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and school counselors. (US Department of Labor)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be a licensed mental health counselor a person must have a Masters Degree in counseling or other related field. The program must consist of 60 semester hours and 1000 hours of university sponsored clinical or internship experience. The degree program should be certified by CACREP. A CACREP certified program insures that the program meets examination requirements for licensure. Once completed, one must have two years of supervision and pass national or state examinations to obtain licensure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Licensed mental health counselors have many ethical and legal issues dealing with interacting with clients in a way that leaves them in a better place. It is crucial that counselors act within the b...

How Does Advertising Affect Food Choices Essay

When asked how people make food choices, many people say taste is the number one factor. Flavor, aroma, appearance and texture all work together to impact what you choose for your daily meals and snacks. However, decisions about food go beyond taste and smell, reflecting a complex web of social, environmental and economic influences adults and children may not even be aware of. We develop food preferences based on our family, region / country where we live, cost of food, and mainly how food is marketed / advertised to us. These days children on average are spending 53 hours a week in front of a screen and hence this has a definite impact on kids health and wellness. Exposure to food advertising is one of the powerful forces driving the relationship between screen time and obesity. More specifically, exposure to advertising may be altering children’s food intake. Children and adolescents are inundated with advertisements which promote unhealthy foods and beverages. It is estimated that US food and beverage companies spend roughly $2 billion each year to market their products to kids. The largest proportion of advertising expenditures – roughly 40% of all money spent on food and beverage advertising – came from fast food restaurants, followed by carbonated beverages (22%). By comparison, advertising of fruits and vegetables accounts for just 0.4% of all advertising dollars. Just 0.4% for advertisement of healthy food. TV advertising remains the primary channel through which companies reach children and adolescents. Advertising can have a powerful, subconscious affect on food choices for both adults and children. For example, according to research, TV commercials for snack foods increase consumption of these foods before and after airing. Early research has demonstrated that children exposed to food advertising consumed more total food energy compared to exposure to non-food advertisements. Elementary-school aged children consumed 45% more snack foods after watching a short cartoon which contained a food advertisement compared to children who watched the same cartoon with advertisements for other, non-food, products.

Comparing Literature, Story of an Hour & the Necklace

EN102 XXXXXX 2009 Assignment XX 1: Write a 200 word response on why you picked the literature that you chose. This can be in first person and informal. I selected my choice of literature from the list rather quick because I leaped at the opportunity to once again write about the â€Å"Story of an Hour. † Of all the short stories that I have read in our book thus far, this story by far is the story that I enjoyed the most. I think this is because the ending took me a little by surprise, and believe it or not I found the ending somewhat humorous. I thought the tables had now turned in favor of the husband who probably felt the same she did after she found out that he died. Other words, he was probably the one who was relieved now. The second piece of literature chosen, â€Å"The Necklace,† was chosen because it was simply linked to my first choice. I immediately read â€Å"The Necklace† after making my choice. To my surprise, I enjoyed this story as well but the beginning seemed to drag on a little too much. The story started with a drawn out description of the woman and her fascination of the rich. I felt that this could have shortened some but all in all I enjoyed this story as well. I’m satisfied with my selection and feel that these two stories will prove well in providing a comparison. 2: List your thesis statement. This should be one sentence and it should focus on the literature. Mrs. Mallard and Mme Loisel had different desires but both found happiness for a brief period of time that was quickly stolen away. 3. Read pages 96-99 in your textbook and then list: a. An idea from the literature that you can compare. Create a topic sentence that can be supported by a full paragraph of analysis and or examples or quotes from the textbook or your research. â€Å"The story of an Hour† and â€Å"The Necklace,† Mrs. Mallard and Mme Loisel are two women who live on separate continents but share somewhat equal moments of sadness within their lifetime. b. Another idea from the literature that you can compare. Create a topic sentence that can be supported by a full paragraph of analysis and or examples or quotes from the textbook or your research. A focal point of each of these stories mentions a window posed with a chair that at some point these women seek refuge, sitting to reflect upon their innermost emotions. c. An idea from the literature that you can contrast. Create a topic sentence that can be supported by a full paragraph of analysis and or examples or quotes from the textbook or your research. Mrs. Mallard and Mme Loisel are dissimilar in these stories. Mrs. Mallard in â€Å"The story of an Hour† is somewhat liberal and seems to be content with the future of being without a husband. On the other hand Mme Loisel in â€Å"The Necklace† lives in poverty and is dependent upon the income of her husband who is a ministry clerk. d. Another idea you can contrast. Create a topic sentence that can be supported by a full paragraph of analysis and or examples or quotes from the textbook or your research. In the endings of â€Å"The story of an Hour† and â€Å"The Necklace,† obviously they are not identical but these two stories are assured to bring about a reaction or stir to the reader. 5. Post your introductory paragraph below. Make sure you catch the reader’s attention, list the titles of the literature and the authors’ names. Your introduction should end with your thesis statement. Like a deal with the devil, Mrs. Mallard and Mme Loisels desires twirled as if they were choosing to enter an hour of sadness that guaranteed freedom or an evening ball that guaranteed wealth. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy De Maupassant are astonishing stories that offer a twist for the reader. Each had different desires and found happiness for a brief period of time that was quickly stolen away. . Keep in mind that you may want to change your thesis and your introduction after you start working on your rough draft. This is common. Your introduction and thesis are the most important elements of your term paper and it is not unusual for these to be revised several times. Feel free to check in with your instructor if you want feedback on your thesis or introd uction before you turn in lesson 6. 7. Submit your assignment as one Word/Rich Text   document using the upload tool or by pasting your work in the HTML editor.