Social influence and anti social behaviour

Social influence and anti social behaviour Introduction Experiments on social influence help to determine whether a person behaves in accordance to one’s social context or one’s personality. They emphasise the importance of the implied, real or envisaged existence of others. Individuals spend most of their time in social gatherings and they can exert an influence on group members or the reverse may occur.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social influence and anti social behaviour specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, most people’s attitudes reflect the belief systems of their respective groups. To effectively understand human behaviour, one must fully appreciate the role that social context plays in influencing it. Experiments on social context can demystify antisocial behaviour because they provide a theoretical basis for deviations from the norm. How research helps in the understanding of social behaviour One classic piece of social i nfluence research is the Asch conformity as carried out by Solomon Asch. He was one of the most important contributors of the antisocial behavioural discipline because he demystified the concept of group conformance (Turner 1991). In his analysis, the experimenter used two types of cards for all the participants. One card had a standard line while the other card had three different lines. Subjects were supposed to match the lines on the second card with the standard line. This was a relatively simply test that had a clear answer. However, the subjects were placed in the company of others and answered after all the confederates (5, 6 or seven in number) had responded. It was found that twelve out of the eighteen subjects changed their minds when the perceived members of the team did the same. When these participants were asked to identify the correct line privately, they gave the right answer. This experiment illustrated that members of a group will be under pressure to conform to ot her’s people’s opinions even when they know that the opinions they hold are wrong. Ash’s study was critical in illustrating the importance of normative social influence. His subjects deliberately gave a wrong answer because they wanted to adhere to group norms. At the time of the experiment, it was necessary to follow the instructions of members of the group. Their feelings and expectations were imperative in bringing out these outcomes. In fact, conformance was so important to the subjects that they were willing to support an answer that they knew was obviously wrong (Bond Smith 1996). Similarly, one may apply this information to groups that engage in antisocial behaviour. A young man may participate in a violent activity, group rape or robbery owing to the type of social influence found in Ash’s experiment.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He m ay know that the activity is immoral, but may choose to engage in it simply to conform to group expectations. Such subjects seek group rewards or want to evade social punishment. This public conformity may explain why certain people act appropriately in private and inappropriately in a group especially when the action they are doing is undoubtedly wrong/ immoral. Asch’s work also provides useful insights on self categorisation. This theory posits that sometimes people may justify their antisocial behaviour in groups by depersonalizing themselves from the situation (Koelen Van den Ban 2010). They may claim that their behaviour was in tandem with the group, and this was the right thing to do. Participants may hold the expectation that when in a group, one is expected to hold the same attitudes or beliefs as the group. They depend upon the choices of others to gauge whether their own actions are correct. The Milgram experiment was yet another classic piece of work on social inf luence and can also provide tremendous insights on antisocial behaviour. It was carried out amongst a group of volunteers who were made to believe that they were playing the role of a teacher. A confederate was placed in an adjacent room, and was expected to learn a series of words from the teacher. For every wrong response, the teacher was to administer an electric shock to the learner. However, confederates did not receive actual shocks. The experimenter simulated sounds and noises that sounded like electric shocks. The confederates also pretended to be in pain by screaming and banging on the wall after a certain voltage level. They were supposed to tell the teacher about a heart condition that they had. If the subjects wanted to stop at a certain time, the experimenter would urge them to continue using a succession of four sentences, which stressed the critical importance of continuing. If the ‘teacher’ felt that he still wanted to stop after the four sentences, then the experiment would end (Wu 2003). However, others who asked about the confederates were assured that the shocks would not cause permanent harm to the ‘learners’. The results revealed that 65% of the subjects were willing to reach the maximum voltage even though they appeared to be uncomfortable doing so. Some questioned the ethics of the experiment and even refused payment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social influence and anti social behaviour specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unlike Asch’s trials, which simply dwelt on group influence, this research was crucial in understanding the role that authority plays in affecting people’s behaviour. Asch’s work compared moral values with social beliefs or opinions. However, Milgram contrasted authority with one’s moral beliefs. His study was critical in illustrating how authority can undermine moral principles and thus lead to a ntisocial behaviour. Therefore, the concept of obedience to authority was under analysis here. More than half of the participants in the study were willing to forfeit their personal principles in order to obey authority. These findings illustrate how antisocial behaviour can occur among seemingly normal or ordinary people. Participants of this study believed that they were not expected to question authority. Similarly subordinates in other settings may commit immoral or antisocial crimes simply because they respect authority. They may be aware of the destructiveness or immorality of their situations, but may willingly participate in those wrongs because of submission to authority. The Milgram experiment also shows that individuals sometimes do not reflect on their beliefs when acting on behalf of an authority. This is reflective of the agentic state theory. In this school of thought, Milgram asserted that when people subject themselves to the authority of others, they may regard the mselves as mere instruments’ of their superior’s wishes rather than individual entities (Milgram 1974). As such, most people will not feel responsible for any actions when they engage in antisocial behaviour. In addition, this experiment is also a continuation of the theory of conformism that was started by Asch. Engaging in antisocial behaviour may sometimes be a form of reference to a group. In this case, the group is the authority figure. Conformity often occurs when the concerned person feels that he or she is not capable enough to make a certain decision. In such cases, the person will depend upon the group as a reference for behaviour (Hayes 2000). This especially occurs when an individual is in a crisis situation like the one in the concerned experiment. Such an analysis is especially relevant in understanding how some people may be prompted to behave in a manner similar to the one viewed in the Nazi concentration camps. The persons carrying out those actions re vealed that social influence can be dominant enough to lead to sadistic or inhumane acts as seen in the genocide.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Milgram proved that more often than not, people agree to belong to a system. When in that system, they have the choice of either sticking to their moral judgements or submitting to the rules of the system, which are represented by figures of authority. Loyalty may be regarded as a moral standard that shapes people’s behaviour. Therefore, when one makes a choice between these divided allegiances then one may or may not act in a deviant manner. The subjects in the experiment were more loyal to the rules of the system, which was the experiment, than their own belief systems and this perpetuated aggressive or violent behaviour. This experiment is highly useful in illustrating that the agentic state of an individual can lead to antisocial behaviour. One may belong to a corporation, and may be persuaded to carry out criminal/ unethical behaviour after receiving instructions from one’s supervisor. This study is useful in identifying the situations that cause obedience to unet hical instructions, and can thus allow stakeholders to either minimise those conditions or eradicate them completely. Phillip Zimbardo also carried out another famous study known as the Stanford Prison Experiment. His major aim was to find out how situational factors lead to deviant behaviour. The researcher created a fake prison at the basement of Stanford University and took 24 students into the setup. The experiment was supposed to last for a period of 2 weeks. Unlike Milgram, Zimbardo did not use confederates or actors as prisoners. All the participants were assigned roles as guards or prisoners. No prisoner was allowed to leave the premises while the guards could do so after an eight-hour shift. The experiment never went up to the intended two weeks as the prisoners were immensely stressed while the guards became sadistic and abusive. Zimbardo found that regardless of having two choices; being hostile or civil towards the prisoners, the guards chose to be hostile. Most of the p risoners took on a position of submission and depression. Some of them seemed to be highly anxious and even began crying. The researcher himself participated in the study; played the role of a prison warden. However, he stopped being objective in the analysis when he allowed the guards to act so brutally. It was Zimbardo’s girlfriend who warned him about the dangers of the experiment, and urged him to stop. After the experiment, it was found that certain situations can prompt seemingly passive individuals to act in a deviant or antisocial manner. When people are given positions of power, they yield to its influence and forget about the importance of their own moral values. The subjects who played the role of guards started to behave in a manner that was not typical of them. Many of them transformed from being passive to aggressive and even violent. Conversely, the subjects who played the role of guards became silent and passive. This analysis was important in understanding th e importance of social conformity. Most people will behave in a certain way owing to their understanding or society’s definition of the position. Police officers, teachers, parents, waitresses, prisoners or prison guards all fulfil certain social roles. Persons in these roles are expected to exhibit certain kinds of behaviour. The guards in the mock prison embraced their social roles and disregarded the fact that they might hurt their fellow participants. This was particularly surprising when Zimbardo himself acted inappropriately. Furthermore, the participants had not shown any signs of psychological malfunctions prior to the survey. Besides, none of the participants volunteered for the role as this would have denoted that certain elements of their personality came into effect. All were randomly assigned those positions without prior consultations. He acknowledged that he had gotten so carried away by his social role, as a warden, that he lost all objectivity of the analysis . Unlike Milgram’s study; this experiment had no specific authority. However, it did prove some of the findings in Asch’s study; that group expectations can replace an individual’s moral imperatives. In this case, no one voiced their expectations about what the prison guards or prisoners should do or say. This behaviour was deduced from expectations on those social roles. No form of coercion or force was exerted upon the participants, yet they found it within themselves to act so sadistically. This study shows that social influence can occur in non immediate settings. The persons concerned in the Zimbardo experiment did not seek immediate social rewards or refrain from immediate punishment. They were allured by the temptations of the powerful positions they were in (Zimbardo 2007). All the experiments discussed above on social influence also prove that conformity can be manipulated. Once a dissenting opinion is voiced by even one member, then that is sufficient enough to cause doubt about a certain act. Variations of the Asch and Milgram experiments have shown that people will be willing to abide by their own moral standards if they realise that other persons in their own position would be willing to do the same. Additionally, if a person heard about certain opinions from an in-group member, then he or she would be more likely to adhere to those same opinions than if the view came from a perceived outsider. Social influence can be moderated and this may minimise antisocial behaviour in subjects. Zimbardo, Asch and Milgram also demonstrate that social forces play a vital role in one’s deeds. Antisocial behaviour may arise out of the need to conform to societal expectations, direct group expectations or even a member of authority. These researches point out that sometimes, one’s personality or value systems can be overridden by certain social forces. Therefore, psychologists or other stakeholders may prevent or treat antisocial behaviour by minimising the occurrence of these group influences. It is particularly interesting to note that most of the deviant behaviour took place regardless of the anonymity of the participants. The subjects had no particular relationship with the researchers in all three social influence studies yet they still engaged in antisocial behaviour. One might conclude that peer influence among known associates and friends may exert an even heavier social influence on the deviant person. Social influence is a concept that can affect people in various capacities. It is so powerful because it has a two-way function. It offers rewards to the person engaging in the antisocial behaviour because it facilitates acceptance. It also offers rewards to the group because it elicits fewer negative sentiments from them. Social influence can thus impede or heighten antisocial behaviour based on these understandings (Guetzkow 2000) Conclusion The studies carried out on social influence illustrate th at it highly affects individual behaviour. These researches show that a person’s behaviour is firmly rooted in one’s social context. Sometimes this may come in the form of one’s peers, group, roles or authority figures. References Bond, R Smith, P 1996, ‘Culture and conformity: a meta analysis of studies using Asch’s line judgment task’ Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 119, pp. 11-137 Guetzkow, H 2000, Groups, leadership and men, Carnegie press, Pittsburgh Hayes, N 2000, Foundations of psychology, Thomson, London Koelen, M Van den Ban, A 2010, Health education and health promotion, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Melbourne Milgram, 1974, Obedience to authority: an experimental view, HarperCollins, London Turner, J 1991, Social influence, Open University Press, NY Wu, W 2003, ‘Compliance: the Milgram Experiment’ Practical psychology, June, pp. 23 Zimbardo, P 2007, ‘When good people do evil’ Yale Alumni magazine, Februar y, pp. 8

How You Can Take Advantage of ACT Math Question Order

How You Can Take Advantage of ACT Math Question Order SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Understanding how to do your best on the ACT math section means understanding how the math section is structured and where you can get the most points for your time and energy. We’ll walk you through how each ACT math section is organized and how you can use this information to your benefit, both in your studies and as you take your official ACTs. ACT Math Organization The ACT math section is ordered in two main ways- by difficulty and by content. Let's look at each. Math Organization Type 1: Difficulty Of the two organization categories, the biggest factor that determines the order of questions is difficulty level. "Difficulty" on the ACT math questions is characterized by: the time necessary to solve a problem, the steps required, how many math concepts you must employ, and/or how familiar or unfamiliar you are likely to be with the material. And the difficulty level increases over the course of the math test. You can generally split the difficulty of ACT math problems into three even zones. There are 60 math questions total and you can arrange them roughly like so: Questions 1-20- "easy" Questions 21-40- "medium" Questions 41-60- "hard" The reason we put these terms in quotes is due to the fact that these breakdowns are approximately true, but not everyone will have the same concept of"easy" or "hard" when it comes to math problems. The difficulty of any particular problem will depend on your experience with the topic, how well you understand the phrasing of the question, or even your level of fatigue and concentration at the time. But splitting the ACT math section this way works as a rough guideline for most students. In general, with each new tier of difficulty, the questions will take longer to solve and often require more steps. For instance, it might take you as little as 10 seconds to solve question number 3, but take as many as a two or three minutes to puzzle over question 55. (Note: we will talk more about how you can balance your time per question later in the guide.) Math Organization Type 2: Content Because â€Å"difficulty† is partially determined by how well you’re likely to know the material (based on the typical middle and high school curriculum), this follows that the test is also ordered, in part, by topic. The more years you’ve spent studying a math topic, the more likely that you are to consider a particular question â€Å"easy.† Though the topics mix and mesh with one another, there are still overarching patterns of where you are most likely to find your algebra questions or your trigonometry problems. Because you’re likely to have seen and studied single variable equationsfor more years than you've studiedtrigonometry, you’ll see more of your algebra questions early on in the test and more of your coordinate geometry and trig questions later in the test. So most of the algebra questions will be "easy" (though not all) and most of the geometry and trig questions will be "medium" or "hard" (though, again, not all). The ACT is a standardized test, so each test will look very similar. We have broken down one ACT math test (test code 67C) by math topicto demonstrate this pattern in action. 1. Algebra 31. Plane and Solid Geometry 2. Algebra 32. Numbers 3. Algebra 33. Coordinate Geometry 4. Numbers 34. Coordinate Geometry 5. Algebra 35. Numbers 6. Algebra 36. Coordinate Geometry 7. Algebra 37. Plane and Solid Geometry 8. Algebra 38. Plane and Solid Geometry 9. Algebra 39. Coordinate Geometry 10. Plane and Solid Geometry 40. Plane and Solid Geometry 11. Plane and Solid Geometry 41. Coordinate Geometry 12. Algebra 42. Trigonometry 13. Numbers 43. Numbers 14. Algebra 44. Coordinate Geometry 15. Numbers 45. Plane and Solid Geometry 16. Numbers 46. Plane and Solid Geometry 17. Plane and Solid Geometry 47. Plane and Solid Geometry 18. Numbers 48. Plane and Solid Geometry 19. Numbers 49. Algebra 20. Plane and Solid Geometry 50. Coordinate Geometry 21. Algebra 51. Coordinate Geometry 22. Trigonometry 52. Coordinate Geometry 23. Numbers 53. Algebra 24. Coordinate Geometry 54. Algebra 25. Algebra 55. Algebra 26. Numbers 56. Plane and Solid Geometry 27. Plane and Solid Geometry 57. Trigonometry 28. Coordinate Geometry 58. Numbers 29. Algebra 59. Algebra 30. Coordinate Geometry 60. Numbers As you can see, the math topics are mixed in with one another, but there are some distinct patterns. Questions 1-30 are more algebra and numbers heavy (70% of the questions), while questions 31-60 are more geometry and trig heavy (67% of the questions). This pattern will hold true for any given ACT. The difficulty of questions may increase as you go, but if you take it one step at a time, you'll soon be scaling to the top. How to Use the Test Structure to Your Advantage There is no guessing penalty on the ACT, so your goal is to answer as many questions as accurately as possible across the board. Of course you are also on a strict time crunch, so this is not always easy. Depending on your current scores (and your target scores), this may mean that you focus most of your time and energy on a particular section of the test and then blindly- or, time permitting, strategically- guess the rest of your questions. (Note: for more on how to guess to your best advantage, check out how to guess on the ACT math section). For others, your score goals may mean that you look at at and attempt every single question. There will, however, be a general step-by-step guideline to follow for students scoring at all levels. So let's break it down. Step 1: Take a Full Practice Test Taking a practice test- a full practice test!- is always step one when embarking on any kind of study plan for a standardized test. You won’t truly know where you currently stand or how to specifically improve from there without first taking a practice test. And though you may be concerned specifically with your math score right now, that score fits into the larger test-taking picture. The ACT lasts for several hours at a time, and your levels of concentration and fatigue will fluctuate. So only by taking the full test will you be able to see how your math score fits into your overall ACT score. Try to emulate the structure of the real test as much as possible, so carve out a few hours on a weekend and take the full practice test in a quiet environment. Here, you can find free full ACT practice tests and answer keys. Step 2: Set a Target Score Goal Now that you’ve taken your practice test and scored the results, check out how your scores currently stack upand set yourself a target score goal. This will be the score that you aim to reach by test day, and both your current scores and your progress towards this goal will determine how you go about your studying. Step 3: Find the Patterns in Your Right and Wrong Answers Now take a look at all your wrong answers and see if you can spot any patterns to the errors. Are you mostly getting wrong answers in a particular section, like questions 25 - 35 or 45 - 60? Are you mostly getting questions wrong by topic (do those triangle problems throw you for a loop no matter where they are on the test)? Let's look at the different types of errors by location and by content and see which apply to your current test scores. Different types of location errors include: Errors spread fairly evenly throughout the math test (so about as many wrong answers in questions in the first 20 questions as the last 20). Errors clustered in pockets. Usually, these occur around questions 25-35 and questions 40-50 because this is where the test transitions difficulty levels. Errors mostly contained in the "medium-high" and "high" difficulty ranges of questions 45-60. Now look over your math test and see if you can identify the questions according to topic. How did your right and wrong answers sync up with specificACT math topicsbeing tested? Tally how many questions on each topic were on the test and how many questions you answered correctly for each topic. (So if questions 15 and 29 were sequence questions and you answered number 15 correctly and 29 incorrectly, give yourself a score of $1/2$ in sequences.) Often, student errors will be a combination of location and topic, so don’t be alarmed if this is the case. Write down on a separate piece of paper: The location of most of your errors Your personal "score" by math topic (e.g., $3/6$ in lines and angles, $4/4$ in statistics, and so forth.) This list will help you hone in on your weak areas and target them as you go through your studies. Step 4: Brush Up on the Most Important Content The big-picture goal when studying for the ACT is the maximize your score gain for every hour spent studying. This means that the best strategy for success is to focus your time and energy on places you can make the easiest (and, therefore, quickest) improvements and areas where you can make the most improvement. So let's divide and conquer. Making Quick Improvements Each and every question on the ACT is worth one point. It doesn't matter if it was the easiest question on the test and took you all of three seconds to solve, or if it was the hardest question on the test and took three minutes- each question is worth the same amount of points as every other question. This means you should maximize your time and energy by picking up any points you're missing in the first half of the test (which, you'll remember, is the "easier" half of the test). This will net you a point increase in the shortest amount of time. So if you’re missing five or more questions in the 1-30 range, take a close look at each of your wrong answers. This is about 17% or more of the "easy" half of your test, so see if you can look at your errors and identify whether or not you’re missing these questions based on a lack of knowledge of the content. If so, it’s time to brush up on some of your algebra and numbers topics. If, however, you’ve taken a look at your errors list and seen that you're mostly missing questions in the later half of the test based on both difficulty and content, it’s time to more specifically hone your focus. Making the Most Improvement Let’s say you can organize your current mathematical knowledge into four categories: perfect understanding, good understanding, okay understanding, and no understanding. Because we're looking to now gain the most improvement from your time, the first step is to focus on improving your "okay" areas. These are areas you have some familiarity with, but aren't the strongest in, and just a quick refresher on the topic can gain you tremendous point value for your time. Our individual math topic guides will take you through the know-how on each and every ACT math topic you need to brush up on. In each, you'll gain a greater understanding of the topic in question as well as how you'll see it presented on the ACT, as well as get a chance to practice on real ACT math problems. After you've brought these "okay" topics up to speed, the next step is to look at improving your "no understanding" topics. These are areas where you have a current weak foundation and so will represent the greatest potential leap and improvement in your score. (Again, our math topic guides will help you improve your knowledge of each and every ACT math topic you'll see on the test.) Because this might be difficult to visualize right now, let's take a sample score breakdown of the test by topic. Let’s say that there were six questions each on four different topics- exponents, circles, lines and slopes, and trigonometry- and your score breakdown of correct answers looked like this: Exponent questions: 5 out of 6 Circle questions: 2 out of 6 Lines and slope questions: 4 out of 6 Trigonometry questions: 0 out of 6 If we classify each of these topics by your understanding, we would say that you had a â€Å"perfect† (or nearly perfect) understanding of exponents, â€Å"good† understanding of lines and slopes, an â€Å"okay† understanding of circles, and â€Å"no understanding† of trigonometry. Now that you've cataloged your scores, you know which topics to target your study focus on and in which order. To start with, the next step would be to focus and brush up on your â€Å"okay understanding† areas (in this case circles). Although rehashing your near-perfect knowledge might make you feel productive, it won’t actually help you all that much at this moment. Until you start getting â€Å"perfects† or nearly perfects in all topics across the board, it’s better to spend your study time on areas where you can make the greatest improvement. In this case, honing your knowledge of exponents would only gain you one more point out of 60. Your time can be better spent elsewhere. You may also be tempted to perfect those â€Å"good† understanding areas (in this case lines and slopes). But the difference between â€Å"good† understanding and â€Å"perfect† is likely to only be a question or two out of 60. In this case, you would get a maximum return of 2 points, which is not nothing, but you can spend the same amount of time studying circles and probably get a higher point return for that time. Again, only focus on getting your good scores up to perfect once you’ve brought up your scores on all your topics and you’re aiming for that perfect ACT math score. Now if you bring your â€Å"okay† areas up to almost perfect, you will likely be able to gain a significant point increase. In this case, if you spend your study time learning your circle material, you could potentially increase your score by 3 or 4 points. Once you’ve brushed up on your â€Å"okay† understanding areas, set your sights on those â€Å"no understanding† math topics. The reason these topics are in â€Å"no understanding† purgatory is likely because it is a topic that you dislike or that you haven’t studied much in school. But, despite this, even a little more understanding of the topic than you have now will likely gain you a few more points than you had before. In addition, bringing up your â€Å"okay† understanding and â€Å"no understanding† areas will allow you to use your imperfect- but still significant- knowledge of the ACT math topics in question to strategically eliminate answer choices. Even if you don’t actually know how to solve the problem, knowing a little more about the topic than you do now will give you a much better foundation to strategically eliminate answer options and guess for your right answer. Your study time is precious and limited, so distribute it wisely and use it to gain the most point return for your energy. An hour spent brushing up on unfamiliar topics will gain you a much more significant point increase than an hour spent brushing up on topics you already understand almost perfectly. Step 5: Develop Your Own Personal Timing Plan for the ACT Math Section One of the hardest aspects of the ACT math section is the fact that you must keep track of your pacing yourself. You are given 60 minutes and 60 questions to do with what you will, so taking too long on some questions will leave you with no time at all to solve others. And yet going too quickly through the test can lead you to make careless errors. Everyone's pacing and ability to solve questions on a time crunch will be different, and yours may even change from test to test as you get used to ACT questions and the pacing involved. So take the time as you study to develop your own personal timing structure and adapt it as you need to. A good plan to start with is to break the test into thirds and give yourself varying time limits for each section. So begin by giving yourself: 15 minutes for questions 1-20 20 minutes for questions 21-40 25 minutes for questions 41-60 Now this may not be the perfect timing structure for you, but it's a place to start. See how you need to adapt it to your own personal preferences by experimenting. And if you find that you're simply running short on time no matter what you try, check out our more specific advice on how to stop running out of time of the ACT math section. Step 6: Adapt Your Study Focus Based on Your Current and Target Scores As you go through your studies, we recommend that you take at least two to three practice tests, evenly distributed across your study time. So, if you have three months to prep, take a practice test about once a month. This will give you not only the chance to practice the best simulation of the real ACT possible, but will also show you how well and in which areas you’re improving. Your study plan will adapt based on your current scores, your score goals, and your rate of improvement. Current Score is 25 or Under If you’re currently scoring in the 25 or under range, your goal is to turn yourself into a â€Å"jack of all trades, master of none† type of mathematical warrior. If you already have a â€Å"perfect† understanding of any given math topic, great! If not, don’t worry about it right this second. Try your best to get yourself up to â€Å"okay† or even â€Å"good† understanding of each topic before you start mastering any particular one. As you go through your list of "okay" and "no understanding" topics to improve your knowledge of each, focus first on the topics that come earlier in the test, since most of the questions will be "easy" or "medium" difficulty.So if you have an "okay" understanding on both an algebra topic and a coordinate geometry topic, start by bringing up your knowledge of the algebra topic first. If your knowledge base in each topic is relatively similar, then always start by improving your algebra and numbers topics first, then turn to plane and coordinate geometry, and finally trigonometry. We have compiled all of our math guides by topic as well all the free ACT math practice you can find online. No matter where you're struggling, we'll help get you up to speed on where you need to be before test day. Current Score is 26 and Above Only once you start getting into the 26 and above range should you work on perfecting all of your math topic knowledge as much as possible. At this scoring level, you’ve probably already achieved at least a passing understanding of all the math topics on the test, so now is the time to master them to the best of your ability. Look to the types of questions and math topics you missed the most questions in and start by focusing your attention there. Again, areas in which you can make the greatest improvement will be the best focus of your time and energy. And just as you would in the 25 and under range, check out our math topic guides for definitions of each topic, ACT math strategies to solve the questions on each topic based on how you’ll see them on the ACT, and practice questions with answer explanations. Practice and more practice is the way to go when attempting to master an ACT math topic. Be sure to also test yourself against the most difficult math problemson the test to see where you currently stand against the toughest of the tough and where you can improve. Deep breaths, clear head. Though it may all seem overwhelming right now, you are entirely capable of mastering the ACT.(John Henderson/Flickr) The Take-Aways Understanding how the ACT math test is structured and how to use that knowledge to your best advantage while studying is a good chunk of the battle won already. The key to mastering the ACT math section is a combination of understanding and practice, and you’re well on your way already. Your study plan should always be a reflection of your current standing and your target goals, and should adapt as you make progress. Study smart and work with the structure of the test instead, and you’ll see improvements in your scores in no time. What’s Next? Stuck on your ACT math problems? Check out our guide to learn how to spot when you're going down the wrong path and how to correct the course. Stuck procrastinating? Learn how to turn your studying around and overcome your desire to procrastinate. Looking to get a perfect score on the ACT math section? Our guide (written by a perfect-scorer) will help you get those high scores you've been aiming for. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Support the argument that warfare in the Napoleonic era is Essay

Support the argument that warfare in the Napoleonic era is fundamentally similar to warfare as it practicted today - Essay Example Today, we look back to the Napoleonic era and we find a direct link in the military reforms and tactics that were used during the 1792-1815 French revolution having a direct impact on our very own military structures and organizations (Brian 46). France revolution was the of a monarch regime breaking loose and transforming into a nation founded on equality for all. This evidently was not an easy process as it meant doing away with monarchial rule, the nobles and breaking free from the church. It also meant that people would seize from being referred to as subjects, and embrace citizens as a title (Stewart 29). This was a task that had the rest of Europe at odds with France. Late 1791, the French King sought the help of other Europe rulers to aid in his reinstatement. This officially resulted in the emergence of the French revolution in April 1792; with the French new nation aiming at bring change through battle throughout Europe. Their first victory was marked in Belgium at the end o f 1792 (Paul 25). The French armies were now composed of talented men from all parts and class of France as with a nation structure, citizens were all equals unlike subjects who were greatly divided by the class system. This was one of the strengths of the French military as with such a tactic, it had more soldiers at its disposal than others (Brian 45). Moreover with a common goal, and the zeal to overcome whatever form of obstacles, the French military had a bond that was previously scarcely heard of in Europe, the ‘trust’ bond. Soldiers from France were able to with ease exploit tactical maneuvers hence breaking logistical constrains a factor that proved to be advantageous in battle and a contributor to their numerous successes in the fields (Stewart 29). War had been declared and the first coalition was formed by seven nations namely: United Provinces, Great Britain, Spain, Austria, and Prussia. This was at the beginning of 1793, marking the beginning of the 23years of struggle by France against these Nations. This is what created the need of an exceptional military leader who could face up to this challenge (Paul 25).The leadership of the French army was dynamic and strategic, especially since March 1796 when the great Napoleon Bonaparte took over the position of general. Napoleon was a brilliant soldier, a genius of sorts. He was a leader who could gather troops of up to 300,000 or more troops and maneuver them to success against their enemies as was the case in 1812 in Russia. The treaty of Campo Formio is an evidence of the organized and brilliance of Napoleon as a French army leader as it resulted from the defeat of Sardinian and Austrian forces back in Italy that led to French domination of the Belgium and Luxembourg then known as Austrian Netherlands. These two regions were the first additions of the now growing French Republic (Stewart 30). The French made organizational changes to their army that increased there lethality and sparked military reform in other states. Under the governance of Napoleon, greatness was curved for France and other states. Napoleon went by

Curriculum as process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Curriculum as process - Assignment Example The main goal of this transformation was to help students understand democracy and all that it encompasses (Freedman, 2003). Furthermore, it would enable them to appreciate the unity in cultural diversity. Several methods can be used to develop and sustain a democratic curriculum. These include; teaching about conflicts and discussion of issues in open forums by students whereby interests of all individuals should be considered. It is also good to conceptualize curriculum as one process that is concerned with learning in classrooms and outside classroom. Sometimes, schools concentrate on learning in classroom ignoring co-curricular activities. This undermines art work, music and public speaking skills in students. A good curriculum is transparent and it values interactions out of school (Freedman, 2003). In this way, it leads to developing new knowledge and improving existing knowledge. It values diversity of teaching methods and flexibility of teachers. Teachers are able to use objects, drawings, videos, nature walks, park visits and photographs to teach instead of using course books only. Five questions that can be used for discussion of the chapter are; what is the importance of a democratic curriculum? Is it important to teach cultural diversity? What are the pertinent issues surrounding visual culture? Who enhances knowledge construction among students? Should students be involved in designing

Russian Cultural Differences in Business Essay Example for Free

Russian Cultural Differences in Business Essay First of all, considering that Russian is my native language, I will warn that it is extremely hard for an American to learn Russian. Grammar is difficult, and we use the Cyrillic alphabet. But this will not be a big problem because every person with higher education in Russia speaks English fluently; we start learning English from 2-3 grades at school. Secondarily, names. Referring to one another by the first name is acceptable only between truly close friends, when meeting with someone-simply state your last name. Typically, Russians use three names: the first name, the last name, middle name is fathers first name, known as a patronymic. Here is an example, I will use my name: Elvira Viktorovna Stasescu. When you become well familiar with an individual, you may be asked to call him or her by the first and patronymic names. One more thing to remember, this made me confused when I came to USA, the date format. Here is the order of the date-06/04/2012; this is today’s date, which is April 4th 2012. Physical contact among Russians is uncommon, especially if you see the person for the first time. Although some gestures may be used, be cautious to control your own. The American OK (thumb and index finger) and ‘V’ signs are offensive gesticulations in Russia. Smacking the open hand over a fist can also be a bad-mannered gesture. Standing with your hands in your pockets may be considered impolite. The thumbs-up signal is positive as it indicates agreement. Eye contact should be recurrent, nearly to the point of staring, it expresses honesty and helps form trust. Speak in a tranquil, modest, tone of voice at all times. Speaking or laughing at the top of your voice in public is discouraged. Russians enjoy giving and receiving gifts. Gifts are normal for social events, especially as â€Å"thank-you†. If you invited to a Russian colleague house, bring a gift such as chocolates, cakes, good wine, and flowers for every woman in the house. And if you are about to buy some flowers for Russian women, bring the odd number, even number of flowers is used only for funerals, same with yellow flowers. Russian business culture has a deeply rooted hierarchy, although the state no longer dominates business as much as it used to. Managers have authority over their juniors and are eventually accountable for the concluding decision. Although you may give your presentation in English, it is important that any material and documents be printed in Russian. Praising and rewarding anyone in public are noticed only with mistrust. It will take a long time for conclusions to be made in Russia, we are particularly suspicious. The handshake is common. The Russian version is a strong hold with a number of quick shakes between two men. If you about to shake hands with a woman, wait until she extends her hand first. Take off your gloves before the handshake. Whistling in a home or other indoor spaces is unacceptable, and it is even referred as a superstition that it will cause a serious monetary damage. Russians feel very much susceptible by uncertain circumstances; it will take a long time to win their trust. Negotiations should be extremely detailed, well prepared and with brief explanations. Russians have a preference to have perspective and background material. Russians appear remarkably formal and distant. Although, formality is considered as a sign of respect. Russia is collectivist country; people belong to groups that take care of them in exchange for reliability. We use more often word â€Å"We† instead of â€Å"I†. Another example, if you are telling a story about you and your colleagues, you will name your colleagues names first and your name at the end. The international manager reconciles cultural dilemmas – the quote by Fons Trompenaars means that in order to succeed on international market, we must know the cultural values and assumptions differences between the countries we conduct our business.

A Freudian Analysis of Ode to the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite) :: Ode to the Death of a Favorite Cat Essays

A Freudian Analysis of Ode to the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite) "Ode to the Death of a Favorite Cat" can be a poem that represents a sexist view of women while identifying the three psychological entities; the id, ego, and superego. The cat in the poem represents the human female. Throughout the poem it is referred to as a "she", and identified with similar, sexist traits that women have. These traits are laziness, the need for shiny, pretty objects, and an unquenchable desire for material goods. Just as the cat is drawn by the gold fish so is a woman's attention drawn to this glimmering metal. Just as line 24 says "What female heart can gold despise." The cat's desire for the glistening fish ultimately ends in its death. This is similar to what will happen to a woman if left to her desires unchecked. This cat has nothing in its life to prevent it from its folly. A woman needs a man to set her on the right path. If left to her own devices it will mean her end, or so that's what the poem implies of women. I the end a universal moral is introduced that can be applied to the human world, "Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes, and heedless hearts is lawful prize, nor all that glisters gold." (lines 40-42) This then leads into a perfect comparison of women and men as two psychological entities, the id and superego. Since the cat in the poem is so consumed by its desire that it impulsively acts on its greed and is a representation of the human female then obviously women can be considered representations of the Id. They impulsively act on their desires and ultimately, like the cat, are consumed by these desires if left unchecked. This is where man comes in. Men must be there and act as the superego holding back a woman's natural desire for material gain. Since both represent a different entity respectively then obviously the union of man and woman must be the ego. A balance between the two. A woman's desire for material gains and a man's natural inclination for law and order. This then does bring in the idea that certain human traits can be identified not only as manlike and womanlike but also things that are naturally inclined towards the superego and the id.

Canadian Immigration Policies Essay

Do Canadian immigration policies align with Canadian values while responding to current issues surrounding immigration? Factors that influence Canadian immigration policies: One of the factors that influence Canadian immigration policies the most is the economy. When a province is in need of people to fill certain jobs but there are not enough in Canada, they will make sure and find a certain percent of immigrants that can fill those job offerings. This is a process called the Provincial Nomination Act. A factor that also plays a part in the economic influences is that Aboriginals are also apart of Canada. Canada and Aboriginals try to work together and share in prosperity, yet still a great amount remains uneducated, homeless, unemployed and some need social training. This creates conflict with the fact that they are trying to find immigrants who need jobs, and are providing them with job opportunities if they have the certain skills. Aboriginals are worried that Canada is more focused on immigrants then the people who lived here first. All this creates obstacles in the First Nations fully participating in Canada’s economy. Another great factor that plays a role in influencing Canada’s immigration policies is security. In 1976, the guidelines for the security part of immigration did not have that many rules, you just could not be a spy before you came to Canada, or not be suspected of participating in any espionage while in Canada. Now that the times have changed, and many world issues including terrorists have come about, in 2002 they changed the policies to include many security guidelines that include things such as, being a danger to Canadian security, or engaging in terrorism. These security issues have definitely been a factor in influencing the policies for immigration here in Canada. ’ Health is a factor that also influences how Canada changes their immigration policies. Since some immigrants live in countries where certain diseases there, are eradicated in Canada they had to make sure that no immigrants can bring over diseases. This has an influences on Canadian health immigration policies so that they can make sure no diseases can outbreak in Canada that can harm citizens. World Issues and Canadian Immigration As I said in the paragraph about how security influences Canadian Immigration policies, well world issues such as terrorism, violence, and espionage have changed the policies so that Canada can be sure that no people, economic, refugee or family can possibly be a danger to the security of Canada. The Singh decision is also a demonstration of how Canada changed it’s policies so that Canada could be a better place for immigrants. Satnam Singh was a guy who tried to come to Canada from India, claiming refugee status. He was denied under the immigration act of 1976. The Supreme Court, found that this violated section 7 of the charter of rights and freedoms, and that he had the right to a proper and unbiased hearing, and to receive justice, life, liberty and security as long as he was on Canadian soil. This made it so that all people claiming refugee status in Canada had the right to a hearing. This is one of the ways we have shaped our policies for world issues. Since the Singh decision in the 1980’s, this has affected many people claiming refugee status because of war, poverty, population growth, and natural disasters. This allows them to come to Canada and maybe be eligible to seek refuge here. Impacts on the Aboriginals Canadian immigration has a large impact on Aboriginals because they are worried that the Canadian government cares more about immigrants then they do about the First Nations. As I said before, because so many First Nations are homeless, unemployed, and uneducated they cannot always play a proper role in Canadian economy. The Canadian government though will spend money on providing food and other accommodations for refugees who aren’t even living in Canada officially yet. You can see how this impacts the First Nations, like in the Attawapiskat where hundreds are homeless. Yet, in 2005 AFN created the Assembly of First Nations, resolution no, 49. Saying that all immigration should freeze until they solve the issues with the First Nations and there â€Å"third world problems†. The Provinces and Immigration Provinces mostly only have a small little bit of control over immigration, the most provinces can do is use the Provincial Nomination Program, where they can control the percentage of immigrants that goes to that province with certain skills. Although, this does not mean that they can control who goes where, it just increases the likelihood they will move there. Problems that occur when immigrating Since we did our â€Å"Your story is my story† project, it has opened up and showed me a lot of the problems that can happen when immigrating. When people immigrate to Canada, many times they need to re-do their education, even if they acquired education in their countries. My â€Å"Your story is my story† girl, Tatiana, also had to re-take her courses in Canada, and not only the courses she took before (Nursing) but also English. Many immigrants with Ph. D’s and M. D’s end up working as taxi drivers or janitors because their qualifications are not recognized. This seems to be one of the biggest issues when immigrating to Canada. Another problem that seems to occur is of course the language barrier. Under our immigration laws, immigrants must be able to read and write either English and/or French at a functional level. Yet, many of the immigrants moving here today seem to only know very little English or French at all. That is also why a majority turns to menial jobs. A problem that occurred a little bit ago was that in Herouxville they created a code of life in which they targeted Muslim immigrants. Although they did not particularly say that, they banned wearing anything like a mask or on your head unless it was Halloween. This seemed to offend many Muslim immigrants when coming to Canada, because they said the headdresses they where are apart of their religion and culture. This was a controversial subject, but the code of life did end up being changed. A similar incident to this was when a NDP attorney general Marion Boyd, wanted to introduce Sharia’s Law in Canada, for all Muslims who move and live here. Sharia’s Law is he moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia’s law includes laws such as â€Å"If a women in your household disgraces your family, you are allowed to honor kill them. † There are other laws in Sharia’s laws that are like this. Homa Arjomand, a Muslim protester against Sharia’s law said, â€Å"We will not tolerate the interference of religion in our justice system. † This whole situation was controversial to Canada’s rights and freedoms and our values. So do Canadian immigration policies align with Canadian values while responding to current issues surrounding immigration? No, I believe that our policies do not align with our values surrounding the current issues in immigration. As you can see from the evidence I have pointed out, there are many controversial issues that occur when it comes to immigrants’ religion. I think our policies need to be altered even more so that, immigrants don’t need to retake years of university or high school to become re-qualified for jobs they were already doing in their home countries, because they’re not recognized here. The language barrier should be one of the most important things when immigrants come to Canada. Immigrants must know how to speak either of our official languages otherwise how do we expect them to live here and understand what’s going on in Canada. I also think that although this is Canada and we accept many different cultures and religions, we will make it clear that we do not accept things like honor killings or as the NDP attorney general was trying to introduce, Sharia’s law. This is not racist or discriminative this is going by what we have in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Also, I believe that another current issue that does not align with Canadian values or policies is the problem with the First Nations such as the problem in Attawapiskat. All these things lead up to the conclusion that these definitely do not align with either of Canada’s values or policies.

Nike in Southeast Asia

Abstract Nike is the world leader in the manufacturing of sports wear and gear. So at first, Nike didn't pay attention to the criticism it was receiving because it was coming from a small group of activists, although later on, the social pressure became very high that Nike was forced to take some measures to quiet down the public who wanted to know what was going on. In this paper we will examine the various difficulties Nike faced as they tried to balance both, the company performance and good corporate citizenship. We will also discuss what I would have done if I was in that position.Summary Nike, was founded in 1964 by Phil Knight, Nike's business model was developed by Knight while attending Stanford Business School in the early 1960's. In 1998, Nike was the leader in the sports shoe industry, with annual sales of $9. 5 billion and a 40% share of the American sneaker market. It became a lightning rod for protest when alleged â€Å"sweatshop† conditions where happening in S outheast Asia. May 1998 is when Phil Knight, the founder and CEO, admitted that â€Å"the Nike product has became synonymous with slave wages, forced overtime, and arbitrary abuse. What people couldn’t understand was how Nike could get associated with deplorable labor practices. The strategy that Knight developed involved outsourcing all manufacturing to contractors in low wage countries and pouring the companies resources in high profile marketing. They where trying to take the blame off by saying that â€Å"We don’t know the first thing of manufacturing. We are marketers and designers. † They did manage to be marketing a lot by placing the Nike â€Å"swoosh† on the uniforms of athletes such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.When manufacturing started it was done in Japan, but as wages rose, they transferred production to Korea and Taiwan. Later on, in 1982 more than 80% of Nike shoes where made in those two countries. But once again as wages went up th ey moved to Southeast Asia, by 1990 most production was based in Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. Young Indonesian woman who were working in Korean-owned plants under contract with Nike started at 15 cents an hour. Mandatory overtime was often imposed, and workers with experience might make $2 for an 11-hour day.In 1991 Indonesian wage went up from $1. 06 to $1. 24, only two cents above what the government calculated as necessary â€Å"minimum physical needs. † Workers often toiled in crowed, poorly ventilated factories, surrounded by machinery and toxic chemical all because the government was eager to attract foreign investment. Nike's initial response was to deny any responsibility for the practices of its contractors. They said that these were depended contractors from which Nike merely buys shoes from.That the workers are not Nike employees, and that their wages are above legal minimum and the prevailing market rate. When asked about labor strife in some factories supplying Nike, John Woodman, the Company's general manager for Indonesia said â€Å" I don’t know that I need to know. † he defended Nike by saying that yes they are low wages, but they have given jobs to thousands of people who wouldn’t be working otherwise. At the end of the case it says he might have added giving employment to Michael Jordan, whose reported $2 million fee in 1992 was larger than the payroll for that year in Indonesia.I don't agree with the way Nike handled this case, there where other ways of taking care of the situation not just by saying that they didn’t know and trying to wash their hands from the ongoing dilemma. If I was to be in their shoes I would have been looking into what was going on in the factories since they are handling our product. Yes they did save some money but at what cost, their name was tarnished for a while and having people that supposedly didn’t know what was going on didn’t help them at all.One of the fe w things that I would have done was gave the workers some sort of incentive since, I supposedly didn’t know what was going on in the factory. Yes you want to save money but you don’t want to lose your consumers for such a reason like this. That is where ethics comes in and they have to create a meeting and figure out a way to look like the good guys once again by helping solve the problem and prevent it from happening again, like setting up certain laws that their subcontractors should go by.Through reading this case study I became aware that many things go on with a product, behind the consumers eyes that sometimes aren’t very ethical of the company that is selling to the consumer. It also teaches that no matter what, when a company is trying to cut expenses and they push the envelope a little to much a big chaotic scene can happen. Which if not handled right away can lead to the falling of the company that might have taken many years to build up.

The Chemistry of Carbohydrates

The Chemistry of Carbohydrates Carbohydrates, or saccharides, are the most abundant class of biomolecules. Carbohydrates are used to store energy, though they serve other important functions as well. This is an overview of carbohydrate chemistry, including a look at the types of carbohydrates, their functions, and carbohydrate classification. List of Carbohydrates Elements All carbohydrates contain the same three elements, whether the carbohydrates are simple sugars, starches, or other polymers. These elements are: Carbon (C)Hydrogen (H)Oxygen (O) Different carbohydrates are formed by the way these elements bond to each other and the number of each type of atom. Usually, the ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms is 2:1, which is the same as the ratio in water. What a Carbohydrate Is The word carbohydrate comes from the Greek word sakharon, which means sugar.  In chemistry, carbohydrates are a common class of simple organic compounds. A carbohydrate is an aldehyde or a ketone that has additional hydroxyl groups. The simplest carbohydrates are called monosaccharides, which have the basic structure (C ·H2O)n, where n is three or greater. Two monosaccharides link together to form a  disaccharide. Monosaccharides and disaccharides are called sugars and typically have names ending with the suffix -ose. More than two monosaccharides link together to form oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. In everyday usage, the word carbohydrate refers to any food that contains a high level of sugars or starch. In this context, carbohydrates include table sugar, jelly, bread, cereal, and pasta, even though these foods may contain other organic compounds. For example, cereal and pasta also contain some level of protein. The Functions of Carbohydrates Carbohydrates serve several biochemical functions: Monosaccharides serve as fuel for cellular metabolism.Monosaccharides are used in several biosynthesis reactions.Monosaccharides may be converted into space-saving polysaccharides, such as glycogen and starch. These molecules provide stored energy for plant and animal cells.Carbohydrates are used to form structural elements, such as chitin in animals and cellulose in plants.Carbohydrates and modified carbohydrates are important for an organisms fertilization, development, blood clotting, and immune system function. Examples of Carbohydrates Monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, galactoseDisaccharides: sucrose, lactosePolysaccharides: chitin, cellulose Carbohydrate Classification Three characteristics are used to classify monosaccharides: Number of carbon atoms in the moleculeLocation of the carbonyl groupThe chirality of the carbohydrateAldose - monosaccharide in which the carbonyl group is an aldehydeKetone - monosaccharide in which the carbonyl group is a ketoneTriose - monosaccharide with 3 carbon atomsTetrose - monosaccharide with 4 carbon atomsPentose - monosaccharide with 5 carbon atomsHexose - monosaccharide with 6 carbon atomsAldohexose - 6-carbon aldehyde (e.g., glucose)Aldopentose - 5-carbon aldehyde (e.g., ribose)Ketohexose - 6-carbon hexose (e.g., fructose) A monosaccharide is D or L, depending on the orientation of the asymmetric carbon located furthest from the carbonyl group. In a D sugar, the hydroxyl group is on the right the molecule when written as a Fischer projection. If the hydroxyl group is on the left of the molecule, it is an L sugar.

1920s Fashion From Flappers to the Little Black Dress

1920s Fashion From Flappers to the Little Black Dress SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The roaring twenties were an iconic era, characterized by a post-war economic boom, the rise of the newly wealthy, and monumental cultural shifts that would continue to define art, politics, and fashion for decades to come. 1920s fashion was all about creating a Look- an overall aesthetic that used modern trends to demonstrate the wearer’s creativity. For the first time, fashion was about self-expression, and you could be anyone you wanted if you had the right clothes. After World War I ended in 1918, the world pieced itself back together, and people tried to make sense of the events that occurred. As the world changed and healed, people pushed rapidly toward modernization in women’s rights, technology, and culture. The roaring twenties was a decade in which everything changed, and thankfully, gave us one of the most fun and influential decades of fashion. 1920s Fashion Trends for Women Fashion for women underwent major changes in the 1920s, as styles moved away from strict Victorian dress codes. Hemlines went up, and necklines went down. Women wore loose-fitting clothes, which allowed them the opportunity to show more skin, and move more freely. Corsets were discarded for loose-fitting chemises and camisoles, and with their new freedom of movement women dove headfirst into experiencing and defining their liberation in the modern era. The Flapper The Flapper is the look most commonly associated with the roaring twenties. Flappers wore short, tube-like dresses that could be plain or adorned with beads, fringe, or geometric shapes in an art-deco style. Flappers also accessorized with long necklaces, usually pearls, as well as scarves and headscarves, and galoshes. The Flapper look was intended to be an over-exaggerated, attention-grabbing look. Young women were experiencing more freedom in the post-war 1920s, and sought to shake the rigid expectations for women in past decades. The Garconne Similar to the Flapper, women who sported a Garconne look did so to rebel against feminine norms. This look was intended to be masculine; the essential pieces were blouses, oversized jackets, and straight-legged trousers. The look allowed for freedom of movement, and was a way to signal that a woman was independent and professional. Coco Chanel, who emerged as a leading fashion designer during the decade, was a proponent of the Garconne look, often wearing suits she designed. Speaking of Coco Chanel- this fashion icon also designed The Little Black Dress in the 1920s, a staple wardrobe piece that was intended to be stylish and multi-functional staple wardrobe piece for women of all shapes. The concept of a multi-functional dress was so popular that women all over the world adopted it, and it remains a fashion must-have. 1920s Hairstyles, Accessories, and More! 1920s hairstyles for women moved away from complicated long curls and pinned updos. Women chose short, sleek bobs of varying styles, including the Shingle, a shorter, waved bob. Fur coats or fur trim coats were also popular at this time, particularly raccoon, and were a major marker of status. Low heels in Mary Jane or T-strap styles were worn with most outfits. In addition to the two main day looks, other aspects of women’s clothing evolved during this time, since more women had the means to take vacations and participate in leisure activities. Women’s â€Å"bathing costumes† became shorter and tighter, allowing for more range of moment in the water, and more skin to be shown while sunbathing- a scandalous development! Sportswear also became more functional; loose trousers and blouses became acceptable for women, as women began to participate in leisure sports alongside men. 1920s Men’s Fashion While men’s fashion didn’t change as drastically as women’s fashions, men’s fashion did push toward modernity and functionality. New men’s styles were modeled after movie stars and famous prohibition gangsters. Men continued to wear suits for everyday wear, but new pieces became socially acceptable in casual settings as well. Sweaters were popularized as more young people went to college, and men wore them with trousers or knickerbockers. The suits themselves became less formal; pants were fitted more loosely, and a vest was optional. The 1920s also brought the creation of a Zoot Suit, which were popular among African-American men. These suits had wide legs and shoulders, and were styled with colorful ties and pocket squares. Though we tend to think of a tuxedo now as the highest level of formal wear, tuxedos were only adopted in the 1920s. Previously, men’s formal wear was called â€Å"white-tie† and consisted of a white tie and vest, along with a coat and tails. The more comfortable tuxedo replaced the coat-and-tails, and is now what we call black-tie formal. Tuxedos enabled men to dance more freely, as dancing itself became more varied and active. A young man wearing a flat cap 1920s Hairstyles and Accessories for Men You can’t think of 1920s fashion without thinking about hats. From flat-caps to top hats, men’s hats were essential. It was not generally acceptable to leave the house without one. Flat-caps were the most casual, and were often worn by boys and young men. Fedoras were also worn casually, usually with a suit. Top hats were considered formal hat-wear. Men’s hair was short and slicked back, emulating the gangsters and movie stars who were the celebrities of the day. Men also rocked ties and bow ties, and matched them with pocket squares, which were used as a way to add color and dimension to their outfits. Men in the 1920s also favored black wing tip, patent leather, or two-tone shoes. Like for women, fur coats were a signifier of status, with raccoon coats being sought after for their pattern and color. Understanding Cultural Influences in Roaring 20s Fashion First-wave feminism in the United States gained women the right to vote in 1919. With the vote came a change in women’s status, which was reflected quite literally in their clothing. As we mentioned above, corsets were all but abandoned, and clothing became less about following strict social codes to signify virtue or marital status, and more about self-expression. Women’s fashion was one of the primary functions of the culture revolution that came to define their liberation and the roaring twenties. The growing economy in conjunction with technological advancement and an increase in overall wealth created a growing culture of consumerism, where people were eager to display their wealth and status; part of this display was the cultivation of a look, and an understanding of trends. Accessing fashion was, for the first time, available to people of all classes, and there was a power in self-expression for the newly rich and the rising middle class. Additionally, many young men and women left their hometowns for the city with promises of jobs and adventure. A youth culture defined by unlimited promise quickly arose. Media Influences The film industry was just beginning en masse in the 1920s, and people of all socioeconomic status could go to see motion pictures. Movie stars like Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, and Buster Keaton heavily influenced the styles of the day. Hollywood as considered the height of glamour, and movie stars were a new concept that people were eager to emulate in the hedonistic twenties These changes accompanied by newspaper syndicates allowed people to all access the same information- for the first time, people in cities and rural towns across the country were reading and seeing the same content as one another. Newspapers ran the same stories, people saw the same movies, and were able to participate in national culture. This especially was important as the media glamorized prohibition gangsters’ rise to prominence. Their lifestyle and culture began to influence fashion and a culture of excess. Modern art also influenced 1920s fashion. Like everyone else, artists were trying to make sense of the devastating war in their own ways, which led to movements like Dada, surrealism and expressionism. Art deco was a major influence on fashion, as it focused on shapes and dimension and was about creating a visual experience. The influences are evident in the Flapper and Garconne looks for women, with its emphasis on lines and shapes. An example of art-deco Legacy and 1920s Fashion Trends Today In addition to the everlasting addition of the Little Black Dress, 1920s fashion influences continue to define the fashion industry as we know it. Fashion of the 1920s was closely tied to women’s liberation, and was one of the first of many movements to make women’s fashion more comfortable, functional, and suited to their needs and creativity instead of their physical attractiveness. More importantly, the 1920s established fashion as an ever-changing part of our cultural lexicon, something that influences people all over the world. A common expression is that fashion is cyclical, which explains why certain styles like leggings have made their way back from the 1980s in recent years. With that said, the fashion influence of the 1920s is everywhere, from a recent rise in bright shapes and patterns, and the resurgence of loose-fitting pants and blazers. Here are some fun ways to channel the 1920s in your everyday outfits, while avoiding looking like you’re wearing a costume. Tube dresses, swing dresses, and shift dresses are a great way to pull in a twenties influence, since they’re not form fitting. These dresses come in a variety of styles and are easy to accessorize. The same with loose, straight-legged pants! These clean lines are all about the shape, and when paired with the right accessories, will create a dramatic look you’ll love. Accessories are a great way to add 1920s flair. Big earrings, long necklaces- especially pearls- and headscarves will add dimension to your look. Bright colors all the way! Bobbed hairstyles made a comeback recently, and we’re all about it. Bobbed hair looks great with earrings, hats and headbands, and will invoke the roaring twenties. For men, it will be a bit harder to add 1920s flair to an outfit, since men’s clothes tend to be a little more mainstream, and 20s inspired pieces will be difficult to find. My best suggestion for adding 1920s flair to a men’s look is to add a hat! Fedoras and flat caps are stylish in every decade, and men can definitely add suspenders or colorful bowties. Remember, 1920s fashion for both men and women was about creating a Look, and using clothes to express yourself. When using the 1920s as an inspiration, the most important thing to keep in mind is that 20s fashion is about self-expression and freedom. It’s incredibly fun to turn your body into a work of art that speaks for itself. What's Next? Looking for more about the 1920s? Check out some of our analyses of one of the most iconic 1920s books, The Great Gatsby. Read an in-depth guide of the era or analyze the roles of money and materialism or the American dream in the novel. The 1920s are only a small part of US history, and you'll need to know all about the 20th century and beyond. These study guides for the SAT subject test and the AP US History test will help expand your knowledge and prepare you for the tests.

Project Strategy, Leadership and Governance Coursework

Project Strategy, Leadership and Governance - Coursework Example ject’s overall strategy, for instance the care with which the team is staffed, and the goals set for the project is both very critical (Jovanović et al. 2012). In a similar manner, the organization’s policies, culture, structure, and operating systems can work effectively to promote and support project management or perhaps work against the capability to effectively run projects. An effective project management requires that before it is started, the manager and the team have a responsibility of understanding the structure of the organization as it pertains to the tasks and project. For most organizations, projects and project management are not the operating norm, but rather projects exist outside of the formal, process-oriented activities related to many organizations (Kaleshovska 2014). As a result, many organizations are simply not structured to allow for the effective completion of the projects in conjunction with the ongoing corporate activities. This report w ill attempt to evaluate whether project management is used in strategic context, and then show how this application is achieved. Further, this report will evaluate how excellent project management can promote competitive advantage. Strategic project management provides a practical and step-by-step approach to guiding the organization and mangers on how to turn the projects to gain a competitive advantage. Instead of focusing how the job will be done, a strategic project management focuses on creating a competitive advantage for the organization and winning on the market (Dulipovici & Robey 2013). The framework of strategic project management encompasses five planning assets as well as seven principles for implementation, which can be utilized by organizations and managers during the time of project planning and execution. A project is referred to us as a temporary process and organization projected to achieve certain goals under the constraints of budget, time, and other resources. In most cases,