Single Mothers and Higher Education

Every day in America another woman becomes a mother. In an average year 4,248,000 women in the United States become mothers (Ventura, 2012). â€Å"One out of every three American children is born to a single mother† (Single Mothers 2006). With divorces still at 856,000 a year (Amato, 2010) thousands of children are suffering from single parent families. Divorce is not only hard on children but also women. Most women do not have higher educations before the divorce and this causes financial hardships. Due to this hardship women return to college in hopes to seek a higher education and be able to provide better for their children. The review of literature not only demonstrated the amount of stress one goes through but also the financial burdens they are faced with during this time. Literature came to show although the difficulties during these times were rough, but the outcomes were beneficial. Single Mothers and Higher Education If being a single mother is not hard enough, being a single mother going towards a higher education is even harder. Every day, women in America go back to school in hopes to achieve a higher education. Single mothers face many challenges when it comes to pursuing a college degree. These single mothers are not only working they are also care for their children and trying to achieve a higher education. In reports from 2011 37% of mothers were single parents (Postal 2013). Not only are these mother struggling these children of single mothers are also struggling. They are born into poverty and have a higher chance of becoming teen parents along with higher rates of drop outs during high school years. Higher educations for these moms are one way they can help their kids beat the odds. When being born into a single mother household yours odds are stacked against you. Right out of the gate you are â€Å"more likely to live in poverty and have poor development outcomes† (Postal, 2013). â€Å"Completion of an undergraduate degree is one way single mothers can mitigate the risk that they and their children will live in straitened circumstances† (Synnott, 2010). These challenges make it hard for single mothers to continue to push forward and some of them never see the end of the light where as others are able to finish and able to provide a life that would of never been possible without a higher education. Over the last four decades the rate of marriages have went down and the divorce rates have risen causing a large amount of single mothers to be left in this world to fend for not only themselves but also their children (McLanahan & Casper, 1995). Reports back in 1999 showed that over 20% of families are being raised by single mothers (Capser & Bryson, 1998). The struggles that one faces in a single parent family are larger than those who come from dual families. Single parents struggle with not only poverty but also have poor support systems. In 2000, 25% of single-mother and 12% of single-father families lived in poverty, compared with 5% of married-couple families with children† (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). The average income for a single mother in 2011 Census was $23,000 (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 2011). With an income like this they are barely able to make ends meet and most of them are on some form of public assistance. Poverty is not the only issue when coming fr om single parent families adequate support is also a big issues. A lot of these children struggle in school due to lack of food, shelter or help at home. Although the government has put programs into place to help families who struggle with poverty these programs are just a temporary fix and when these women do get jobs they are barely able to make ends meet. Women who can get jobs have a hard time finding someone to watch their children. Most single moms don’t even make enough to cover a child care provider in order to make it to work. The quality of childcare is also at stake when you can only offer a small amount of compensation for their services. So more and more women are forced to stay at home and live off the government until they are able to achieve a better education, or they are forced to work more than one job in order to make it. More and more women now days are the sole provider for their households. Without a good job they suffer tremendously that is why higher educations are so important now days. In order to obtain a higher education there is a cost and a lot of single mothers cannot afford that cost. Single mothers fear they can’t keep their household up and pay tuition too. Money is one of the most common problems many single mothers orry about. The government has seen this time and time again and they have discovered that women do not go back to school because of lack of funds and they have built programs catered to single mothers so they can achieve a better education. Since the government has been able to fund programs to help pay for higher education they are able to help these women make it through t he system and come out on top. Not only has the government set aside special funds for single parents they have also put out scholarships and some colleges offer discounted tuition rates. In a recent report from Action Project out of New York City they found â€Å"over half of workers make less than $10 an hour, over 70% don’t get health insurance through their job, only 17% have a regular schedule, and just 25% have used a paid sick day. It may be little wonder, then, that single mothers earn less than half of what households with a married couple bring in – $32,597 compared to $71,830† (Walton 2012). Single mothers on average are making only ten dollars an hour they don’t even bring home enough money to cover their bills then they have to pay childcare which takes up half their checks (Walton 2012). Walton found that for an infant in childcare center it could cost as much as $20,200 a year in New York City (Walton 2012). Mind you these women are only making $32,597 a month that does not leave them much to live on during the year (Walton 2012). This is why it is very important for women to have a good solid education so they can make more than ten dollars an hour and can provide a better life for their family. Women who do go forward and get a higher education even if it’s just an Associate degree are better off financially. On average women who graduate with two-year degrees are earning an average salary of $34,960, and some earn significantly more (O’Shaughnessy, 2012). With a 4 year degree they can start off in the low 40’s (O’Shaughnessy, 2012). In the long run 4 year degrees tend to pay off the best for single mothers not only do they make more but better opportunities. Although there are some two year degrees can pay out too. A lot of degree’s in the medical field like nursing start to pay out after you have a 2 year degree but once you hit the 4 year degree your salary can increase tremendously (O’Shaughnessy 2012). Getting an education gives you a chance to move forward in life it also gives you opportunities that you would not have before. Now day’s jobs seek only those with a degree whereas before you could get into places without it now they demand it. Although it’s still possible to make a good living without a degree you are better off in the economy today to get one. Over the years more and more programs have been put out there to help aid single mothers. These programs promote education and show them their dream can become a reality. When a single mother who makes $22,000 a year looks at college and sees one class cost anywhere from 400-1200 a class they don’t think it will ever be possible (Walton 2012). Many programs have been put into place though to help them through this rough patch in life and help them achieve their goals. San Joaquin Delta College has a grant in place called the Cal Grant this grant covers as much as 50 percent of your cost for school† (Parrish, 2013). In order to receive this grant you must have a certain GPA. Another one of their programs they have which helps pay for tuition makes you be involved in the community programs to be eligible. Another great program that college also has is miracle mile association which helps single mothers though college with private donations. Another great program that was started at this college by a student who received the miracle mile was the Dome of Hope. Gwendolyn Primous was a student who got the grant and got inspiration to help others achieve the same goal of getting a higher education. Gwendolyn Primous stated: â€Å"I want to help people,† she said. I want to help them with their education and provide mobile tutoring. I want to help prepare people for work and break the cycles of habitual unemployment and working the system† (Parrish, 2013). It’s because of people like her who have been in the shoes and walked the life of poverty that understand the importance of these programs and the need to have them in place. Another great grant that has been offered to students who have overcome social and economic obstacles to obtain a higher education is the CONNTAC inc scholarship (Helen. 009). It provided students with 10,000 dollars to obtain a higher education. This program sees the obstacles one faces in order to get where they are and they want to help make the path easier by helping financially. A program called the Jeremiah Program has been put into place to allow single parents to achieve a higher education and fight the poverty they have been living in. This program was developed in 1998 with the philosophy â€Å"that mothers who succeed can life entire families out of poverty† (Quinton 2013). They have living quarters for these women to live in during their education and the women who start out there make no more than ten bucks and hour but after graduation they are making almost twenty dollars an hour. It’s amazing what this program does for these women. This program not only gives them an education, but a better life for their children and family. There are many other grants out there for single mothers people just have to look and have to want to do all the paperwork to get them. Another well-known program is Pell-Grants. These are based on your income and do not have to be paid back. The max Pell-grant is 5500 a year, although this is not enough to pay for college it can sure help along the way and cut down on the amount you have to pay† (Parrish, 2013). Last would be government subsidized and un-subsidized loans these are loans that are not based on your credit and can help you pay for your books, tuition and college related expenses. The key though is they do have to be paid back and the interest on these loans does add up. There are several ways to pay for college and many financial advisors out there to help you achieve the goal you just have to want to do it. These forms of loans can add up fast and when you have to repay them after college you can find yourself in a bit of a bind with the interest rates. It’s good to have these as a backup but grants and scholarships are always a better route to go. As post-secondary education is not always the easiest to achieve it is something that once you earn it no one can take it away. Zahn found in his studies in 2004 that those who go forth to get a 4 year degree improve the economic status for single mothers (Zahn 2004). Due to the amount of single mothers more and more studies have been done to show the importance of higher educations. With the advanced career more jobs will be offered to you. If you have a degree you are more likely to be chosen for an interview than someone who just has a high school diploma. The employer looks at those candidates as someone with specific expertise in that field. When it comes between degree or no degree employers see the candidate as someone who is goal orientated and someone who will succeed because degrees are not just handed out. By obtaining the higher education you will be looked at in new ways and have a better chance at a better job. Statistics just another word for a set of numbers people fall into on a daily basis. The U. S. Census Bureau found that women are becoming the lead breadwinners for their families (U. S. Census 2011). Of these female readwinners two thirds are single mothers (Rampell 2013). â€Å"The single mom statistics which was carried out in the United States reveal that there are almost 13. 7 million single parents as of November 2009. These single parents are responsible for providing for around 21. 8 million children. Out of this figure an estimated 26% are of age 21† (U. S Census Bureau of 2009. ) With these numbers being so high it covers a large percent of our population. Single mothers are hardworking i ndividuals that if given the right opportunities can go far in life. With all the new programs they have out to help single mothers go to college and achieve a higher education it’s sad more people don’t jump on the band wagon and stick to it. A lot of people find excuses and I feel they truly don’t want to better their lives. Out of 12. 2 million single parent families in 2012, more than 80% were headed by single mothers (US Census Bureau, 2009). With single mother hood on the rise its our job to open their eyes and see the benefits of achieving a higher education and the opportunities that will be available if they are to achieve this goal. There are many ways we can help single mothers walk across that stage and reach that ultimate goal. Donations are always a great way to get there. Most the time single moms don’t go back to school because funds are tight and they can’t afford to take care of children and get an education. With donations to programs like miracle mile association women are able to go back to school and get that education they deserve and their children are able to have a more financially stable house hold. It’s never easy no matter what age you go back to school but just knowing your cost are taken care of is a huge burden lifted so you can focus more on the education and less on the how am I going to pay for it. Another great way we can help is to make people more aware of these programs because a lot of people don’t know they exist. Spread the word and let people know that this goal can be achieved in these little steps. Also being a support network for someone who has gone back to school can be a big help too because it is scary and it is hard to get back into the swing of things, but with help it is possible.

Muslim, Islam and American culture Essay

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the current experience of Muslims in America and the quest for clues as to the future interaction between Islam and American culture. In particular, I will concentrate on three areas: Islamic influence on the culture of Americans with emphasis on how it has affected political and social development; the interaction between Islamic traditions and American culture on the establishment of American Muslim Organization; and the social, cultural and educational trends among the Muslim youth in America. Introduction Whatever is happening to the Muslim culture in the American society and the American society as it interacts with the Islamic culture can only be comprehended by the conception of culture as a fluid entity that interacts and borrow from each other. It is important that any study of Islam in the United States must not ignore the interplay between religion and culture neither should it assume that one overwhelms the other. The experience of American Muslims puts into sharp relief matters of identity and assimilation and how they must be distinguished from the concept of values. Even with movements such as the Nation of Islam rejecting identification with the broader culture including some of the then dominant values, it accepted other values such as the work ethic and entrepreneurship. My argument is that this selective acceptance of American values was a result of a confrontation between Islamic values and American culture seen from the perspective of an alienated minority group robbed of its identity. The past few decades have witnessed the evolution of American Muslim organizations. The majority of these organizations until 1980s were mosques and even these were in few numbers. Today, there exists a number of formal Muslim organizations in various areas of endeavor. The complexity of their organizations and the extent of their influence are increasing. These organizations are increasingly fitting into the weave of American culture rather than become a bulwark against it. They in effect influence the ambient culture around them. The Muslim Student association is normally the root of Islamic organization among the immigrant population. The association’s alumni are in most cases found in leadership positions of the current wave of immigrant dominated organizations (Ahmad, 2003). The only Muslim organization with an immigrant composition until the formation of the Muslim Student’s Association in the 1960s was the Federation of Islamic Associations. This was basically an Arab-American organization founded on traditional culture rather than religion. The histories of Muslims in United States is varied with diverse and changing identities. The followers of this major world religion are not surprised at the processes of individual and community identity formation and change such as the ones that are being experienced in the United States. There were contending interpretations, social groups, and sources of legal authority within a century of the birth of Islam in seventh century Arabia. Yet, an identifiable fundamental Islamic way of thinking and acting, founded on the example and teachings of Muhammad developed over time. This core consists of the five pillars of Islam. With its expansion to new places and the subsequent confrontation of older religions, Muslim conquered or coexisted with such religions. Such regional interactions have influenced the ways in which this decentralized and non-hierarchical religion is practiced throughout the world. The religion lacks a centralized clergy and mosques operate independently of each other. With this regard, Muslims in the United States comprehend and practice Islam in ways strongly shaped by the American historical context. The universal Muslim community may be the goal sought by Muslims but the reality is that their everyday lives are shaped by group solidarity and experience. The United States Muslim community has been defined and redefined by voices both internal and external to Muslim communities. Those definitions reflect the complex relations among members of the ruling class and those being ruled in the American political context among other things. It is important to place Muslim communities in the socioeconomic structure of the United States when any analysis of the community is being done. Tracing their transnational networks and affiliations is also crucial. Muslims now comprises an important part of the United States society. It may be the fastest growing religion in the United States, poised to displace Judaism and become second only to Christianity in the number of adherents. This growth can be attributed to the rapid influx of immigrants and their relatively high birthrate. However, it is difficult to know exactly the number of Muslims in the United States. Distinctions An important distinction is made in Islamic law between the basics of fundamentals of jurisprudence upon which disagreement is not condoned, known as usul al-fiqh, and the branches or subdivisions in which disagreements and new and original problems and cases are permitted. There has however been disagreement concerning what usul is and what furu is in the long history of disputation, debate, and disagreement among jurists since the classical period of Islam (Elkholy, 2005).. The historical debate has often been about the use, authority, and interpretation of different sources of knowledge. In the United States today, the trend among the emerging spokespeople is to assign positive commandments of the law to one or other category even though they seem to assign more and more laws to usul and to disallow disagreement about usul, thereby restricting the scope for legitimate disagreement and discussion. There is also distinction between culture and religion. This distinction is frequently invoked as Muslims debate beliefs and practices that are accepted or unaccepted in Islam. There have been arguments among lay Muslims concerning the beliefs and practices that are fundamental to the religion and those that have accrued to it because of culture in one or another region. This issue has also been raised elsewhere by those individuals who see culture as having absorbed the function of religion such that religious difference now symbolizes basically cultural difference for the majority of Americans. Interaction between culture and religion occurs in every realm of American Muslim world. With regard to Islamic identity, America has come to be an arena for competing self images where religious authority and cultural preferences are mostly conflated if not displaced and de-territorialized altogether. Just as some scholars have identified the conflict over usul and furu, the conflict over religion and culture in the United States mainly centers on issues involving women (Waugh, Abu-Laban & Qureshi, 1983). Shared culture is more important than religious or ethnic diversity in determining gender roles. The conflict between parents and children, and men and women has been heightened up by migration thereby producing a rising rate of divorce. Alterations in traditional conceptions of the role of women is taking place faster in women than in men. The issue of dating is the most serious hindrance to the integration of Islamic religion and American culture. Personal relationships are considered highly by all human beings. To young adults, sexual relationships are extremely important and they are natural. Islam has never approved of sexual activity, always confining it to marriage. The American culture on the other hand has never been comfortable with the notion of sex. The notion of adolescence is one of the most serious flaws in American culture. The American society identifies as children individuals that previous cultures characterize as young adults (Haddad, 2004). Because of the role played by extended schooling in training young individuals for their place in the industrial system, young people of marrying age in the United States are discouraged from marriage. This denial of natural institution has resulted in fornication and unwanted mothers. The majority of Muslims have abandoned the marriage traditions of their homelands without embracing the American system, putting children in a difficult position at the time when their hormones are raging. Contributions The strength of the American culture lies in its respect for the individual, the flexibility of its civil society, and the restraints it seeks to place on the arrogance of political power. Its weakness lies in its vulnerability to sacrifice family and personal morality to the appetites of commerce. The religion of Islam, founded on the willing submission of the individual to the divine will can be an appropriate religion for such a society. The divine will reveals the principles by which the welfare of the individual and the community are harmonized. Muslims should therefore be able to find an important place in the American society using the framework of institution building and for individual advancement to make use of the strengths of the American culture and to help overcome its weaknesses. The major challenge to the integration of Islam with American culture is managing to disentangle scriptural commandments from cultural accretions (Leonard, 2003). This may be achieved by Muslims owing to their diverse community, race, ethnicity and national origin that makes untenable the confusion of culture and religion that has marked the stagnation of much of the Muslim world. Beyond this, the rising number of Muslims that are born in America implies that it is only a matter of time before the Muslim community becomes dominated by indigenous Muslims who are already integrated into the American culture. As such, they are likely to have an American understanding of Islam in which case they will further its integration into and influence the American culture or they will lack good understanding of Islam at all in which case they will become secularized as the majority of Christians, Muslims and Jews before them. Summary The American society has to some degree been influenced by Islam just as the Muslim society has been influenced by the American values. However, there are no particular aspects of the holistic American culture that can be said to be adversely influenced by Islam owing to the communal nature of American Muslims. The influence of Islam on the Americans can also be analyzed looking at the various Muslim organizations within the United States as it is through this organizations that thoughts and convictions become shaped thereby infiltrating the general American society. References Ahmad, I. (2003). Islamic Religion and American Culture. Freedom Institute Elkholy, A. (2005). The Arab Moslems in the United States: Religion and Assimilation. New Haven: College University Press Haddad, Y. (2004). Not quite American? the shaping of Arab and Muslim identity in the United States. Baylor University Press Leonard, K. (2003). Muslims in the United States: the state of research. Russell Sage Foundation Waugh, E. , Abu-Laban, B. & Qureshi, R. (1983). The Muslim community in North America. University of Alberta

Mass Media and Younger Generation

Abstract Entertainment has a significant influence on the people. The effects of entertainment can both be positive and negative. This influence of the entertainment industry has grown tremendously over the years. The influence can be greatly attributed to the advancement of technology. Entertainment is mostly through the media which includes; the television, magazines, newspapers, radio, and internet, among others. The influence of entertainment on the younger generation affects the way that they dress, talk, and act. This is because the current generation and society depends on entertainment as a form of communication and information.The society, therefore, turns to entertainment for the daily activities like education, health care, traveling, work, and personal relationships. This paper is going to look at the effects of entertainment on the younger generation. In addition, it is going to look at how entertainment affects the young generation in terms of their acts, the way they d ress, and talk. Introduction A nation like America is an example, of a country that has developed in terms of entertainment (Fisher 58). It is one of the countries that has got and has produced some of the greatest entertainers.The country is one of the leading producers of entertainment in the planet. In addition, it is one of the nations that there is a greater influence of entertainment on the younger generation. The effects of entertainment on the younger generation in America can be said to be both positive and negative. The influence is mostly on entertainment media such as television, radio, and the internet. The influence on the upcoming generation has affected their expression and vies on the culture of America. The influence is on how they talk, dress, and act on the society.This has been caused by the social media pressure that is sweeping through the country. These are the influences that entertainment has on the younger generation in the country. Entertainment The citiz ens of America depend on communication and information for their daily activities. These activities include; work, education, entertainment, traveling, personal relationships, and health care (Kearney and Crandall 89). The people use the newspapers or television to get news. They make phone calls, browse over the internet where possible to make decisions that re based on the information that they need and get. The decisions should be made depending on the values and beliefs that exist in the society. The younger generation, therefore, need to have facts and use experience when making certain decisions. The media are the place where most people get the latest and current facts and news on significant issues. Most of the younger generation, therefore, turns to the media which is a form of entertainment to get news and education. This in effect, has influence on the younger generation.The upcoming generation, gets influenced by the mass media and this in turn affects the way that they conduct themselves in the society. The influence works in several ways and can be caused also because of several reasons. This can be either positively, negatively, or even both. How the influence works The television is the common and most known form of entertainment that has got influence. The television exposes the upcoming generation to thousand of images. These images include; celebrities advertisement, violence, sex, among many others. The exposure to the younger generation is too high when considered in terms of years (Scott 9).The media should be responsible for the programs they air. They are the ones who should help in shaping the beliefs, values, and decisions that the upcoming generation makes. The companies that own the media are the ones who are in charge of entertainment movies, radio and television broadcasts. Moreover, they are the ones who authorize the programs, sports, and video entertainments. In addition, most of the companies that offer these services are also integrated in the wireless phones, telecommunications, music industry, electronic media, video game software, and more.Therefore, the companies should consider programs that nature cultural values and beliefs that do not have a negative influence on the upcoming generation. However, some companies have merged to shape the beliefs and opinions of the users. It is significant to consider what the younger generation is exposed to daily through the entertainment avenues. This calls for the other people in the society to be vigilant in protecting the values and beliefs of the country. They should look at the entertainment that is given from, different perspectives; as opposed to ho the media gives it.The advertisement done by the media is another exposure to the upcoming generation. Although, the media makes a lot of money from the advertisements, they have some negative influences to the younger generation. Many citizens are influenced, by the advertisements, and this makes them buy th e things that they are told that are good. Decisions are made from the advertisements that the citizens are exposed to daily. This is based on what is seen on the newspapers, magazines, or television. The product is deemed to be the best and most people make decisions based on what the media is propagation.This creates influence as people tend to trust the media. The same applies to the younger generation that is exposed to this form of entertainment. The effect and influence on the upcoming generation makes them buy what they watch over the televisions. This is mostly influenced by what they consider being their celebrities’ favorites. The upcoming generation will buy what favorite celebrity has advertised and what they deem to be acceptable in the society. This is based on the fashion that the media has created and imposed on the minds. The influences can be at times positive or negative.A positive example can be a sport that is getting media attention. Many of the younger generation will want to be identified with that sport. The popularity in the society and among the friends for the sport can make a youth be identified with the sport. This will make the upcoming generation start practicing for the sport with the idea that it is cool. The influence will turn out to be positive as the youth will become healthier from the exercise and have fun with friends. An example of a negative influence for the younger generation can be the use of cigars. This can be as a result of seeing a celebrity movie star using a cigar.In addition, the exposure to images with excessive violence, junk foods, and sex can influence the upcoming generations negatively. The upcoming generation is in a stage of life that needs some acceptance from the peers. They would like to feel loved and be successful in whatever they venture and try (White and Andsager 72). Therefore, the creation of the media of ideal images of beautiful women and handsome men as the real characteristics of successful people through television and movie influences the younger generation. This will make the upcoming generation want to look as the celebrity.They will copy the dressing styles so as to feel cool and successful like the images of the celebrities. The youth are, hence exposed to buying dresses and stuff that can make them look like the celebrities who are considered to be cool and successful. The influence of the entertainment industry has had an effect on the youth’s obesity and anorexia nature. Many upcoming generations in the country are fighting obesity. This is happening, while, they are exposed to most advertisements that carry junk food advertisements. The advertisements are there, yet, they give ideal images of successful people as wealthy and thin.The women are the ones who are mostly affected with this type of influence. They are so obsessed with loosing even in cases which they are not declared as obese. Many women are thin in the society as they want to r esemble and look like the thin celebrities, and super models that they see in the images, in the entertainment industry. The women, are, therefore, engaged in disorder eating habits that mostly lead to severe issues of health and in worse cases even death. Effects of violence in media Watching a movie or television exposes the upcoming generation to images of many people hurting others and violence.This type of exposure can have some influence on the upcoming generation. A person can easily become disturbed because of such exposure. This normally happens to the children who are exposed to this type of entertainment more and more each passing day. As the children grow, they begin shaping their personalities. This includes both beliefs and values. A child who is exposed to this form of entertainment can become very aggressive. In addition, these children can lose their sense of fiction and reality on what they are exposed in the movies and television.There are incidents and scenarios that have been reported of children carrying guns to school. Such kind of incidences where the children also hurt others can be attributed to the influence of the entertainment. This affects the cultural values and beliefs of such children. The behaviors of this type are associated with children who are mostly exposed to the excessive use of war images and violent video games (Coleman 112). The media using real war as a form of entertainment also exposes the upcoming generation to negative influences. The children need to be educated and informed, on the good forms of entertainment, to be watched.In addition, they need to be informed that the video games do not have winners or losers just as in the real war. Entertainment impact on society and the upcoming generation is significant. In addition, the influence of entertainment on public opinion cannot be ignored. The entertainment forms can change the public opinion of the upcoming generation in different ways. This depends on the ob jective of the form of entertainment. Television as one of the greatest discoveries of all times has so much influence on the upcoming generation. Television can be used for many purposes. This depends on the choice of the individual that uses the device.This can be used for entertainment purposes, like; watching music or soap. The shows that they youths are exposed to when watching television have created so many controversies. This is because of the influence that they have on the younger generations (Petley and Barker 34). The television has both advantageous and adverse effects on the youth. This will depend on what the viewer sees. This explains why the entertainment shows that are aired are full of controversies. Most of the shows are just on dates and celebrities. These types of shows are what influences the future generation that includes the children and youth.Most of the influences unfortunately are not positive. Studies indicate that there is a trend that is coming up whe re most shows are just for publicity purposes. This makes the youth find themselves easily influenced to be part of the shows to feel cool. The shows that help in increasing learning processes on the youth receive little publicity. These are the shows that can help the youth to nature good moral values and beliefs (Desilet 109). The television promotes entertainment and education. However, it is an individual’s responsibility to derive what he wants from the shows.Most young people are corrupted in the minds by the entertainment forms that they see. The youth fall prey to the many of the misleading advertisements in place. They get confused by asking on the celebrities that are being advertised. Furthermore, they get manipulated in their thinking. This makes them think of violence and criminal things. The more the youth is exposed to the entertainments the more they get influenced to the message that they get. Their social and cultural behavior is affected by the entertainmen t. The children are exposed to the negative influence of entertainment as parents are not there to control them.Some parents work till late and when they get home they are too tired to help the children in activities. They get glued to the television plus their children. Upcoming generation feels confident and they do what they feel like. In addition, visual effects normally lasts long on a person and this can leave some adverse effects to such an exposed victim. The advancement of technology has made things worse. Most of the television stations relay their programs through the satellite. This has left the parents with no control on the programs watched, and, therefore, the children remain exposed to indecent entertainment forms.The youth has also taken advantage of the same. They use the entertainment field to get knowledge and information from the television. Most of the young generation normally watches programs that are mostly entertaining. No wonder, television is considered a s a source of entertainment instead of a source of knowledge. This is the reason as to why television has to a great extent adversely affected the upcoming generation. Many youths have favorite celebrities that they look up to, as role models in their lives. This makes them to look for them in the movies or magazines. The reason behind this is to get the latest fashion trends or air styles.The youths look, on the magazines, to see what the celebrities have and the scope of the new trends that are considered hot. The entertainment industry is constantly changing perceptions of the youth. This changes the perception of who they are and what they think of themselves. In addition, the entertainment industry is what can be attributed to the changing trends in cultural ways. Most people look at the celebrities and entirely change their own ideals and views so as to mach what is considered to be perfection. The youth wants to be associated with money, ideal cars, and careers. The simple th ings in life are becoming less appreciated.This happens as people tend to look up for those with more wealth. They compare their lives with such people. The youth wants something bigger and something more. This is what makes entertainment have a constant impact on the societal trends. It is the aspects of the entertainment industry that makes the youth know how much they are rich and how famous they need to be in life. The constant advertisements, magazine covers, and other entertainment forms are what overwhelm the society. Moreover, the entertainment industry is what is responsible for most of the upcoming generations changing trends and perceptions on culture and the way of life.The shows that are aired make the youth look at their own lives. This makes them feel the need to do something different. Divorce is also becoming common in the society. The trend is mostly seen in celebrity couples. Cases of the celebs getting divorced are there every day. This has made it like a routine to those who are also in the media industry. The divorce cases are publicized in the media as something normal and good in the society. This has made the youth look at divorce as something that is insignificant. The society has also not carried any negativity on divorce of late. People run to marriages instead of dating.This whole situation has been created by the celebs. The celebrity couples have made divorce a trend. Moreover, the celebs have made the meaning of divorce be of less meaning and look like normal in the society. This trend has caused the youth to follow suit. The entertainment industry can be said to be the reason behind the change of perception and trend of divorce. The youth has been influenced, by the entertainment industry, to do cosmetic surgery. The trend has already swept through the society and is common with people who want to look like celebs or be more beautiful. There are shows in the television programs like DR. 20210 that have made plastic surgery be t he in thing (Durham 120). The shows make the youth want to look like the celebrities. They do this by trying to transform them to look like celebrities. They give them the different cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures that exist. The message passed is that a person in his own identity is not handsome and good. The trend encourages the youth to try plastic surgery in order to have perfect bodies. Therefore, the reason of not having a perfect look is not there as there is the option of cosmetic surgery. This has made the celebrities, to, also, have plastic surgeries to enhance their appearance.This is done with the belief that it will help in carriers, but, the youth just emulate the trend for the sake of it. The trend has made many youth to lack self fulfillment as they feel they are not good looking or good enough. Conclusion The entertainment industry has both positive and negative influence on the youth, but, it is not entirely bad. The negative effects and influences that the industry has, on the upcoming generation need, to be changed and recognized. This can help the youth so that their minds are not that clouded with the celebrity perfection ideas.The youth need to be educated and informed on the need for self confidence and self fulfillment as they are fundamental to true happiness in life. These traits are hard to attain for the youth because of entertainment and media industry. The industries are constantly showing and sending messages to viewers on the definition of perfection. This makes it hard for many of the youths to be contented and happy with their personalities and looks. The youth should stop to look for celebrities, movies, and television shows, for ideal and perfect life.The obsession created by the entertainment industry influences the youth’s way of life. They change the way they dress, walk, and even act. The entertainment industry will continue to have effects and influences on youth and societal trends. The influences shoul d be worked on, to make them have positive effects on society and society as a whole. This can involve the transformation of the celebrities, actors, and models in the entertainment industry. The effect can be huge and tremendous on the upcoming generation and society. The changing trends in societal beliefs and values can be influenced to be positive ones on the youth.Things can be better when the effects of the entertainment industry lean more towards the positive influences than the negative influences on the youth. This can be done knowing very well that America is one of the leading producers of entertainment and as such it is a significant component in influencing the behavior of the younger generation. The entertainment industry has influences on the upcoming generation views and expression of culture. This is depicted by the way that they talk, dress, and act on society through social media pressure in the country.You can get a custom research paper[->0] on this topic at Ess ayLib. com. Feel free to buy your paper written from scratch! Â ·Tags: entertainment research paper[->1], essay on entertainment[->2], research paper on social media[->3], social media essay[->4] Comments are closed. [->0] – http://www. essaylib. com/research-paper. php [->1] – http://www. essaylib. com/blog/tag/entertainment-research-paper [->2] – http://www. essaylib. com/blog/tag/essay-on-entertainment [->3] – http://www. essaylib. com/blog/tag/research-paper-on-social-media [->4] – http://www. essaylib. com/blog/tag/social-media-essay

IPT Marketing Technology

Once IPT’s website is complete, the company will have a fantastic opportunity to use several simple tools in order to capture data on its customer base. An online sign-up form in which customers input key data along with their Email address will be instrumental in fine-tuning marketing efforts which target specific markets. Permission-based Email marketing will involve sending promotional messages to the list of addresses in the database at least once monthly. Asking all customers to complete a short, online survey form after placement of an order or at various random times as consumers are browsing the site will direct IPT’s efforts to create a more satisfactory experience for the customer from a service standpoint. The website can also be configured to provide an online ordering system for commercial customers, making it easier and more convenient for them to place orders. Spreadsheets can also be used in conjunction with existing sales software. By assigning customer numbers and tracking purchases, IPT will be able to determine its best customers in terms of buying frequency and dollar amounts. Spreadsheets can be created to track the spending habits of retail, corporate and wholesale customers as well as show trends relating to business levels throughout the year, also known as a â€Å"recency frequency monetary value† tool (Alexander, 2007). In this way, IPT will have a strong foundation on which to base marketing promotions after a year or less of tracking. Creating a database of information from each customer will also aid in retention of loyal customers. CRM principles are based on a foundation of knowing the customer at the most intimate level possible and then using this information to align benefits with consumer needs (Alexander, 2007). As IPT expands geographically, the purchase of CRM software specifically designed to be used in a networked system will be a necessity. Such software will also contain report-building features so that IPT is able to analyze the data in several different ways. Eventually, IPT will want to develop its own, unique loyalty program with incentives offered to its top percentage of customers. Incentives do not need to be monetary-based, but can be as simple as tracking occasions when the customer may want to send gifts, such as relative’s birthdays, etc. References Alexander, Peter (July, 2007). â€Å"Use Data to Build Customer Loyalty†. Retrieved February 5, 2008 from the Entrepreneur.com Website: http://www.entrepreneur.com/technology/techtrendscolumnistpeteralexander/article182362.html.   

Reality creation and practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Reality creation and practice - Essay Example The social construction framework is useful to human service workers in the fields of family therapy and psychotherapy in that it allows practitioners to investigate and empower client’s creation of meaningful understandings of themselves and the wider world. The framework focuses on the key influences of sociocultural forces and the environmental context of human understanding, learning and accumulation of knowledge. Within family therapy this theory provides the therapist with a powerful ability to draw family members away from blaming each other for their behaviors, and placing these behaviors within a larger sociocultural context. For example, the Western values of independence, competition and profit contributing to the family to place pressure on their son to find gainful employment and to do better in life than what they have. In turn, the son has felt misunderstood, isolated and unable to achieve due to constant â€Å"failures† and has chosen to drop out of soci ety. Now living in a shelter, the son is attempting to find work, but constantly faces rejection, which is further inhibiting his self-esteem. His parents feel they are unable to help him, feel guilty for his poor upbringing and don’t have anyone to talk to. The framework is useful for the family therapist in this instance in that the family can be encouraged to exhibit agency within the therapeutic process, such as role playing each other as well as perceived ideals, and with their increased agency and autonomy be less dependant on the therapist to provide meaning for their experiences. The psychotherapist as well benefits from the use of the social construction framework in that theories such as Bandura’s self-efficacy model complement the concept of reality being constructed through human activity. Using social modeling of Bandura allows the personal counselor to empower their client by

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example According to the task outline, the objective of this assignment is to develop an understanding of the experiences, motivation, and lessons acquired by individuals who have created successful enterprises. Consequently, this paper has focused on The Cambridge Satchel Company as a demonstration to help us understand to various dimensions that entrepreneurs face although till they create successful businesses. As such, the paper will analyse an interview conducted on the company’s co-founder Julie Deane (Faulkner, 2012). Julie Deane, Co-Founder, the Cambridge Satchel Company According to McGowan et al. (2012) entrepreneurs are always motivated by the desire to take control of their lives and self confidence in their abilities to run a business (McGowan, Redeker, Cooper, & Greenan, 2012). Similarly, the idea behind the creation of The Cambridge Satchel Company started from the need of Deane to transfer her eight years daughter from a school where she was being bullied. As such Dean e was faced with a situation that required more income/money. This made Deane to come up with many business ideas only to settle at an idea that involved the making of traditional leather satchels. Her target market was the school going children who were crazy about the Harry Potter kind of bag. Consequently, in 2007, with a saving of six hundred euros Deane set her business (Eccles, 2012). The first consignments were classical chestnut coloured bags, in addition to black and dark brown colours because these colours were readily available. This is a classical support of the need for entrepreneurs need to set their goals and objectives. Moreover, this business is a sole-proprietorship kind; as such the company had its share of hardships in borrowing. Another, back draw in this business form is it weak growth rate due to limited capital and exposure (staff, 2010).However, another important characteristics for any successful entrepreneurs is high risk tolerance, a feature that has enab led Deanne to be successful in her business, to date (Shah, Smith , & Reedy, 2011). The Cambridge Satchel Company initial operations were at home. Deane confesses that as a start-up business she was only able to sell one to three bags in a week. However, through her own advertising initiatives, she started distributing leaflets in the neighbourhood and in offices and clinics. In addition, the fact that Cambridge boasts of being a career town and hold a lot of traditions, many people were able to identify with the Satchels. This factor greatly helped in the growth of the Satchel demand. More so, Deane was able to make a name through fashion houses and celebrities many of whom fell for them. To make more sales she started producing the bags in more different colours so that they could match the requirements and demands of the customer. Though this, Deane has demonstrated very good entrepreneurship skills. For example, she has demonstrated the importance of relating with the customerâ €™s needs. In addition Deane confessed that even if the demand grew she has never compromised on the quality. From the interview, Deane admits that another success factor for her business is innovativeness and creativity. Notably, in diversifying her product, she realized the importance

Understanding Information report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Understanding Information report - Essay Example From a consideration of the correlation coefficients obtained (Table 1) it was clear that r being greater than 0.8 in all the cases, the correlation was generally strong with all the predictors. However, the variable relating to the number of cinema screens yielding the highest r value of 0.985 could be considered as the best predictor for the gross box office earnings. On the other hand, the number of cinema sites was not as good a predictor since some cinema sites might house multiple screens (â€Å"multiplexes†). Similarly, the gross revenue was more influenced by the cinema revenue per admission (r = 0.972) than the total number of admissions (r = 0.956) because the value of each ticket (i.e., admission) can differ. However, other important determinants such as the actors/directors/category (comedy, tragedy, action) of the film have not been taken into consideration in this study. Scatterplots are helpful in visually identifying relationships between any two variables. In the case of gross box office earnings and the number of cinema screens, the regression line on the scatterplot (Fig. 1) being a straight line shows that the two variables have a strong positive linear correlation (r = 0.985). A straight line depicts a linear trend in the data. This means that by increasing the number of cinema screens, the gross box office earnings can be enhanced. Also, since there is significant linear correlation, the line can be used to estimate the gross box office revenue (dependent variable) for any given value of the number of cinema screens (independent variable). The equation obtained for the regression line from the scatterplot is: This equation signifies that for every additional screen, the gross revenue will increase by 0.2674 million pound sterling. This is because the term -179.41 in the equation which is a constant, does not have any practical meaning as such; it is just the point on the graph where