How to Write Your First Screenplay

How to Write Your First Screenplay How to Write Your First Screenplay How to Write Your First Screenplay By Ali Hale Have you ever daydreamed about writing for the big screen? I know I have! Writing a screenplay that gets picked up by Hollywood could see your story reach millions of people – whereas even bestselling novels often only sell in the tens of thousands. Writing a screenplay is very different from writing a short story or a novel, though. There are some specific conventions that you need to know about, in terms of the structure of your story itself, and in terms of how you lay it out on the page. I’m not going to attempt to give you an exhaustive guide in a single blog post – but I’ll take you through all the basics, and give you plenty of links to further reading so you can dig deeper on particular areas of screenwriting that interest you. What’s the Difference Between a Screenplay and a Script? Scripts for plays are laid out slightly differently. They’re designed to be performed live, rather than pre-recorded and shown on a screen. They’ll include stage directions (like â€Å"Exit, stage left† – or Shakespeare’s famous, â€Å"Exit, pursued by a bear†). Screenplays are scripts for something that will be filmed and later â€Å"screened† – shown in the cinema or on TV. They’ll often include instructions for specific shots – e.g. â€Å"CLOSE UP†. Assuming that you’re writing for film, they’ll also have specific length requirements. Coming Up With an Idea for a Screenplay Just as with any type of fiction you write, having a strong idea is essential. Your screenplay should be able to be summed up in a â€Å"logline† – a one-sentence summary of the plot. This logline should include: The protagonist (hero) – e.g. A suburban mother of two. Their goal – e.g. must save her husband The antagonist (villain) or antagonistic force – from a deranged and deadly neighbour. As James Burbridge says, in a great post about constructing a logline: If you can’t write a decent logline of your idea  before  embarking on the script, then maybe reconsider writing that thing. If it’s unfocused and muddled at the loglines stage, it’s not going to get any better as you write. If you’re short of ideas, you might look for inspiration from: Art or music – could something you’ve seen or heard spark off your story? Something you wrote in the past – perhaps you didn’t have enough material for a novel but it would make a great screenplay. A classic story – there have been many, many films based on fairy tales (Disney has probably cornered the market in these!) and Shakespeare. Your idea needs to be something that will take about 100 – 120 minutes to play out on screen. A minute on the screen equates to about one page of script so that means that your screenplay should be between 100 and 120 pages (when laid out with proper formatting, which we’ll come onto in a moment). Planning and Structuring Your Screenplay All writing has structure, and if you’ve written so much as a short story, you’ll know how important it is to have a beginning, middle and end. Screenplays have a more detailed structure, though. You might think this is restrictive – but there’s a lot you can do within this structure, and it’ll help you shape your ideas so your story doesn’t drag. The standard screenplay structure looks like this: Act I – roughly the first 25% of your screenplay. (20 – 30 minutes on the screen.) This is often called the â€Å"setup† – it’s where you introduce your characters and their world and get the story started. Act II – the middle 50% of your screenplay. (Up to an hour on the screen.) This is often called the â€Å"confrontation† – it’s where you complicate the story and the tension rises. Act III – the final 25% of your screenplay. (A final 20 – 30 minutes.) This is often called the â€Å"resolution† – it’s where there’s a confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist (or antagonistic force) and – normally – the protagonist prevails. Within these acts, there are particular points that you’re expected to hit at specific stages: The first turning point: this comes towards the end of Act I, and it changes things. It’s where the protagonist discovers something, or does something, that means nothing will ever be the same. This is what really kicks off the story. For instance, in the story a suburban mother of two must save her husband from a deranged and deadly neighbour, the first turning point might be the neighbour threatening or even attacking the husband. The second turning point: this comes towards the end of the second act. It raises the stakes and moves the story into the third act. For instance, this second turning point might have the neighbour kidnapping one of the children: the mother needs to rescue her child and protect her husband. There are plenty of other â€Å"points† that screenwriters are advised to meet, though you’ll probably find there’s some debate about what exactly these are! There’s a good breakdown of the five-point structure here, which you might want to follow. Laying Out Your Screenplay on the Page Screenplays require a very specific format, which is different from scripts written to be performed on stage. (For instance, these scripts will have character names on the left, with a colon after them, and screenplays have character names centred, with no colon.) For your screenplay, you should use the font Courier New, size 12. Why? Because that way, all scripts fit the same number of lines on a page – making it easy to estimate their run-time from the page count. (Courier is a fixed-width font, so each letter takes up the same amount of space.) Here’s how the first few lines of a script might look: Ive annotated it with some notes about the way in which its laid out. The easiest way to make sure you’re formatting your screenplay correctly is to use specialised software: Final Draft is the industry standard, used by the majority of professional screenwriters but it’s pricy ($249.99). Scrivener can be used to format screenplays (as well as novel manuscripts) – it’s not as specialised as Final Draft, but it’s a lot cheaper ($45). Each of these offer a free trial, so you can give them a try before deciding whether or not to purchase them. Writing a screenplay is no small undertaking – and we’ve only covered the basics of what you need to know. If you want to go further with your screenwriting journey, check out some of these great resources: How to Write a Screenplay, WikiHow While I sometimes find WikiHow’s articles low-quality, this is a great in-depth piece that’s been expertly reviewed and carefully put together. If you want a step by step, very beginner-friendly introduction to writing a screenplay, give it a read! How to Write a Screenplay You Can Sell, Stephanie Palmer, Good in a Room This honest, practical article explains what you need to do to write a good screenplay – from choosing one genre to watching the same movie over and over again to get to grips with structure. If you’re serious about screenwriting, give it a read. How to Write a Screenplay: Script Writing Example Screenwriting Tips, Mario O. Moreno and Kay Tuxford, Writers Store This is a detailed, reassuring article about writing a screenplay, with lots of specific details on layout as well as some helpful tips on length and even on binding and presenting your script. How to Write Your Screenplay in 24 Hours – Advice from a Hollywood Screenwriter and Producer, Dr. Kenneth Atchity, TCKPublishing In this post, you’ll find two really useful resource: precise instructions on what should happen by different points in your screenplay (with page numbers, for a 115 page script), and a nifty way to chart the rising and falling intensity of different scenes in your screenplay. 10 Screenplay Structures That Screenwriters Can Use, Ken Miyamoto, Screencraft If you’d like to look at some different ways to tell a story, going beyond the three-act structure, this post is a great place to begin. Throughout the post, there are examples of each type of structure, with tips on what types of story each one will work best for. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of Phrases15 Types of DocumentsDouble Possessive

Qué hacer cuando el pasaporte se extravía en el correo

Quà © hacer cuando el pasaporte se extravà ­a en el correo Si has solicitado un pasaporte americano y no te llega, es posible que simplemente sea una demora normal o que se trate de un extravà ­o.  ¿Cà ³mo saberlo y quà © hacer? En este artà ­culo se se trata   del caso especà ­fico en el que se ha pedido el pasaporte, por primera vez o en una renovacià ³n, y el gobierno lo envà ­a pero no se recibe. Es muy diferente al supuesto en el que sà ­ se recibe y posteriormente se extravà ­a o lo roban, en los Estados Unidos o en el extranjero. En este à ºltimo caso el procedimiento a seguir es diferente.   En cunto tiempo deberà ­a llegar el pasaporte al buzà ³n de correo La respuesta es depende de si lo has tramitado regularmente o de urgencia -y pagado por este servicio rpido. En todo caso puedes verificar por internet cà ³mo est tu tramitacià ³n en la pgina de check status U.S. Passport del Departamento de Estado. Deja pasar al menos 5 dà ­as desde que llenaste la aplicacià ³n. Adems, en esa pgina puedes enrolarte gratuitamente para recibir actualizaciones por email sobre la tramitacià ³n de tu pasaporte.   Si tu pasaporte aparece como enviado y no lo recibes despuà ©s de un tiempo de espera prudencial, lo primero que debe hacer es contactar con el National Passport Information Center marcando al 1-877-487-2778.Las personas con problemas de audicià ³n pueden llamar al 1-888-874-7793. Allà ­ te confirmarn si efectivamente ha sido emitido y enviado. Tienes que preguntar y anotar la fecha en la que se emitià ³ y la direccià ³n del lugar en la que se tramità ³. Esta informacià ³n la vas a necesitar a continuacià ³n. Cà ³mo reportar que el pasaporte se ha extraviado por correo Debes llenar la planilla DS-86 (Statement of non-receip of a passport) y marcar la casilla apropiada al documento que se ha extraviado: un pasaporte propiamente dicho (U.S. Passport book) o una tarjeta de pasaporte. Una vez completada y firmada debes enviarla a la direccià ³n del lugar donde se tramità ³ tu pasaporte (y que te dijeron en la llamada telefà ³nica que has hecho). No dejes que pasen ms de 90 dà ­as desde la fecha en la que el pasaporte fue emitido, segà ºn te confirmaron al llamar al National Passport Information Center. Si dejas pasar ms de tres meses, tendrs que aplicar como si se tratase de una solicitud nueva y volver a pagar la cuota correspondiente. No olvides incluir con la planilla DS-86 una fotocopia muy nà ­tida de un I.D. en el que conste su nombre y su foto, como por ejemplo la licencia de manejar emitida por un estado de USA. Por à ºltimo, si el pasaporte extraviado era a nombre de un menor de 16 aà ±os, deber firmar su padre, madre o persona que legalmente tenga su guardia y custodia. En estos casos, el nià ±o no tiene que poner su rà ºbrica. Quà © sucede una vez que se reporta el extravà ­o Una vez que se reporta que el pasaporte se ha extraviado por correo, se registrar esa informacià ³n en el Sistema consular de pasaportes extraviados. Eso quiere decir que queda inmediatamente sin validez. Consecuentemente, la persona que intente usar un pasaporte incluido en ese sistema puede ser detenida.  ¿Quà © debes hacer si el pasaporte finalmente aparece? Puede suceder que recibas en su buzà ³n de correos el pasaporte cuyo extravà ­o ya has reportado. En este caso es muy importante que no lo utilices. La razà ³n es que ha sido anulado informticamente. Si lo intentas usar para entrar o salir de Estados Unidos puedes ser detenido, multado e incluso condenado a pena de prisià ³n. En estos casos lo que debes hacer es: Esperar por el pasaporte nuevo que reemplaza al que previamente denunciaste como extraviado.Contactar inmediatamente con el Centro Nacional de Informacià ³n sobre Pasaportes (1-877-484-2778). Y a continuacià ³n envà ­alo a la direccià ³n que te van a indicar por telà ©fono. Tips sobre ingresar y salir de EEUU para los ciudadanos americanos Si tienes doble nacionalidad de Estados Unidos y de otro paà ­s recuerda que la ley exige que para entrar y salir de USA sà ³lo puedes utilizar el pasaporte americano, no el otro. Si eres ciudadano jams intentes ingresar con tu pasaporte extranjero. Si lo que quieres es cruzar por tierra la frontera con Mà ©xico o con Canad o si llegas en barco desde otro paà ­s del continente americano puedes utilizar otros documentos para ingresar a EEUU como ciudadano americano. Tener en cuenta las reglas para los nià ±os cuando no viajan con sus dos padres y que hay que evitar que se produzcan situaciones que puedan considerarse   como secuestro internacional. Para precisamente evitar este tipo de problemas se requieren reglas especiales para pedir el pasaporte para menores. Y, por à ºltimo, si se quieren evitar las demoras en el control migratorio, existen varias alternativas. Por ejemplo, el programa Global Entry para aeropuertos, o el Sentri para la frontera con Mà ©xico y Nexus, para la canadiense. Si se va a salir de Estados Unidos para vivir por largas temporadas en otro paà ­s Considera enrolarte en el programa STEP del Departamento de Estado, principalmente si viajas a un paà ­s que pasa por una situacià ³n de inestabilidad. Sirve para facilitar a las embajadas y consulados prestar asistencia. Tambià ©n conviene informarse sobre una creencia muy extendida y errà ³nea sobre pà ©rdida de la nacionalidad. Asimismo, conviene tener muy claros los principios que rigen la transmisià ³n de la nacionalidad a los hijos de ciudadanos que viven en otro paà ­s. Y recordar que como estadounidenses se siguen teniendo importantes derechos, como a votar en elecciones federales, como las que se elige al Presidente, o a recibir el cheque de la jubilacià ³n.   Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso concreto.

British imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

British imperialism - Essay Example In the first section of this Chapter, Stereotyping the coloniser and colonised, Johnson argues that one should make certain distinction between racism as an ideology of superiority of some biological races of humankind over the others, and racialism, which is, in his interpretation, merely a use of category of race in social sciences (2003, p. 107). Consequently, he argues that the racist ideas were relatively uncommon among the British population of late 18th to mid-19th century, when it was anticipated that the colonised population would swiftly cast away its ‘unenlightened’ mores and adopt to supposedly superior British culture. However, the â€Å"slow progress of change† in Westernisation of colonial peoples led to the rise of the ideas that blamed such intransigence on the supposedly backward inclinations of the ‘natives’ themselves (Johnson 2003, p. 108). The development of evolutionary theory, according to Johnson, facilitated the acceptance of the idea of inequality of the races, which led to the transition from racialism to racism in colonial ideology (2003, p. 109). Nevertheless, as Johnson points out, not all the members of colonial administration or British intellectuals dealing with the problems of relations with ‘natives’ were racist; he refers to progressive views of Mary Kingsley, David Livingstone and others that contravened the dominant racist discourse (2003, p. 111). Eventually, as Johnson remarks, the changing perceptions of racial identities after the First World War led to the relative decline of racist sentiments among British colonial administration and settlers, though campaigns for self-government of the colonies were still regarded as treasonous (ibid, p. 112). In the second section, Segregation, class and identity, Johnson turns his attention to the practices of formalised segregation. He lists several reasons for its establishment: concern among the colonisers over the possibility of di sease contagion from the native populace; the fear of the natives’ revolt; a desire to re-create British conditions of life in the ‘new’ place (Johnson 2003, p. 112-3). Another aspect of the segregation system was an abhorrence of racial mixing by the British Colonial society, which Johnson compares to the same sort of feeling towards sexual relations between persons of different social classes in Britain proper (2003, p. 114-5). Nevertheless, such attempts at minimising social contacts between representatives of different racial groups were constantly undermined by the necessity of trade interactions, the joint service in the colonial troops, etc. (Johnson 2003, p. 115). Johnson also notes the importance of class hierarchy in the colonial society, where race and class distinctions overlapped on the lower levels of social structure, while the local elites were treated by the colonial administration as almost equals (ibid, p. 115-6). Segregation in the settler col onies such as the Cape Colony or New Zealand was effectively used to cement the loyalty of the white population to the Empire and to remove chances of native elites using British political instruments or institutions (such as franchise) for their own benefit (ibid, pp. 117-8). Even though Johnson concludes that the intents of the British Empire as regarded conquered peoples were basically benevolent (2003, p. 108), and that

Reflective Learning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Learning - Case Study Example According to my observation, the concept of place value is equally hard for the teachers to make students develop an understanding of the same. Also known as Hindu Arabic system, it is fundamental to all further use of numerics. The multi digit numbers concept is quite tough to understand. The physical base 10 blocks help students to develop meaningful and conceptual structures for multi digit numbers(English & Halford, 1995) and also understand the analogical relationship between the blocks and numbers (Fuson, 1992). To overcome the difficulty of physical blocks, electronic system is also introduced which includes the grouping and regrouping of numbers and blocks with supported with an audio help. There are many mental and written strategies for understanding the concepts of the place value system and involving different calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division etc. mental strategies are very important as it records methods which is very useful for future understanding and reference. According to my observation, students apply and record these mental and written concepts strategies like I added 21+20 to get 41 and then added 5 to get 46, similarly for other numerical operations. Also students' own mental strategies are more competent then the written ones. The diagrammatic strategies involve: Solving problem via flow chart Finding relation between a quarter, halves, one thirds etc by diagrams Source: Board of Study, NSW, obtained from http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/03_maths_syl_number.doc. Placing them on a number line Source: Board o

Islam Essay Example for Free

Islam Essay 1. The word â€Å"Islam† is derived form the Arabic root â€Å"asalama† which literally means peace, purity and submission. Thus Islam means â€Å"surrender to the Almighty† and Muslim means â€Å"one who is in a state of submission†. It is understood that this submission is to the Will of God, as is laid down in the Quran. This tenet is unequivocally accepted by all sects of Islam be they Shia, Sunni or Sufis. 2. Islam is an unerringly monotheistic religion. It enjoins the existence of one God, his prophet Muhammad who is the Last Prophet (khatam-in-nabiyin) in a long line of prophets sent throughout time and to every civilization, and the Quran as the Word of God revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibrael. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of life is to worship him and to adhere to his word, as laid down in the Quran, and in Sunnah (the normative practices of the Prophet), as closely as possible. They believe that Islam is the final, completed and universal version of a faith (Deen-e-Ibrahimi) revealed too many prophets before; most notably Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but whose message has now been distorted. 3. The practices of Islam are based on the ubiquitous â€Å"Five Pillars†. These are, in order of importance, Shahadah or acceptance of One-ness (Taw hid) of God, Salat or five daily Prayers, Saum or Fasting in the month of Ramadan, Zakat or obligatory Alms-giving, Hajj or Pilgrimage to the Kaabah (House of God) at least once in a lifetime, for those able to afford it. These five â€Å"Pillars of Faith† are incumbent upon every Muslim and form the basis for his belief. Some scholars say that the pillars in Shia Islam involve an additional four points in addition to the principal ones. Namely, Nabuwah or Prophet Hood of Muhammad, Jesus, Moses etc., Imamah or Leadership of the Tweleve Imams, Qiyamah or Day of Judgment and Adel or Justice. 4. The fundamental goals of Islam are a complete submission to God and adherence to the teachings of the Quran and the example of Sunnah. When a child is born he is â€Å"ordained† into Islam by reciting the Kalima (the verses outlining Tawhid) into his ear, and thereby giving Shahadah i.e. acknowledgement of the One-ness of God. Muslims must perform the ritual of prayer five times a day, fast and give alms in the month of Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the Kaabah if he is of sound mind and body and is able to afford it. The principles of the Promotion of Virtue (amr bil-maaroof) and Prevention of Vice (nahi an-al-munkar) are long-standing and Muslims are expected to inculcate them in their dealings with others. As Islam enjoins peace and harmony with mankind and with nature there is a great emphasis placed on community. Indeed, the Muslim brethren at large are considered one community (Ummah), irrespective of political, cultural or physical barriers. A Muslim is encouraged to perform good deeds for the community (masawaat) and to call people to worship the One God (Dawah). 5. Authority in Islam remains with God. His injunctions, as laid down in the Quran, and the practices and teachings of the Prophet, Sunnah are to be followed in establishing a political structure. Traditionally the concept of political leadership was embodied by the â€Å"Great Caliphs† (Khulfa-e-Rashiduun), who succeeded Muhammad in leadership of the nascent Islamic Empire. This political set-up personified adherence to the Shariah, duty of the rulers to seek consultation or Shura and of censuring unjust rulers. It is widely believed that the â€Å"Great Four†, the four to succeed Muhammad in succession, were the only ones in practice true to the cause of Islam and subsequent rulers fell victim to dynastic politics and greed. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire there was an abolition of the Caliphate, no matter how symbolic, and closure of the traditional Islamic political setup. Shia Islam has a theological concept of the Imamate. This term is often used interchangeably with the Caliphate but has very different connotations. The Shia believes that it is a divine institution succeeding the Last prophet and the Imams divinely chosen. The chosen Imams take up the mantle of religious, political, social etc. leader of all the Ummah. Traditionally Shia followers and scholars have shown political aloofness or activism against what was viewed as an increasingly corrupt caliphate. 6. The legal ideal in Islam resides with God. His injunctions form the basis for Islamic Law or Shariah. Shariah derives from two sources: divine revelations set forth in the Quran, and the normative practices of the Holy Prophet, Sunnah, as pertained to everyday matters. Fiqh or Jurisprudence extends on matters not directly touched upon in these primary sources. The foundations for Fiqh come from Ijma or consensus of learned scholars and qiyas, analogy from quran and Sunnah. Shia jurisprudence replaces this with aql or â€Å"reason†. Shariah law is not widespread, and even in Muslim countries there are often parallel justice systems. In countries where it enjoys official status Shariah is upheld by the qadis. Shariah has widespread implications; from matters of politics and economics to diet and personal hygiene. Shia scholars employ a different tack. According to them sources of law (usul-e-fiqh) are: Quran, Sunnah, the practices of the Twelve Imams and aql (reason). 7. Islamic philosophy and theology have more or less a harmonious perspective. Theology in Islam centers on six main articles of belief; Belief in One God (Tawhid), Belief in the Last Prophet (Nabi) and all the Messengers of God (Rasul), belief in Angels (Malaika), books sent by god (kutub), judgment (qiyamah) and predestination (qadar). Islamic philosophy as produced in an Islamic society is not exclusively concerned with religious matters nor is it wholly Islamic in origin; rather it has grounds in Hellenistic and Pre-Islamic Indian traditions. The golden age of Islamic philosophy is centered on the 8th to 12th centuries and exemplified Averroes and Avicenna. The first aspect of theology is Kalam which deals with theological questions and the other is Falsafa based on Aristotelianism. Kalam centers on ijtihad or using thought to investigate the doctrines of the Quran, while Falsafa was mainly concerned with the translation of Greek and Hindu texts and expounding them to the community at large. It is quite possible for a Muslim to hold separate philosophical and theological beliefs; believing on the one hand in the Aristotelian principle that the existence of the world is not only a possibility but also a necessity, and also valuing the fact that existence of the world in due only to God. The Shia school of thought differs only in what it considers purely theological matters i.e. Roots of religion (Usul e-Din) and Branches of Faith (Furu-e-Din) 8. By the end of the 12th century, the Islamic Empire was a vast entity. Stretching from beyond the shores of the Mediterranean to much of India. Thus Islamic art and architecture shows wide and varied themes, each influenced by the culture and climate of the particular land. The principal Islamic architectural styles are the mosque, tomb, fort and palace and from these an idea of the recurring themes may be gleaned. Soon after Muhammad, a recognizable style of architecture emerged comprising interior vaulted spaces, a circular dome and decorative arabesques. The great mosque of Samarrah in Iraq, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the Hagia Sofia in Turkey are prime examples. The conquest of the Persian Empire in the 7th century introduced large arcades and arches. Moorish architecture is perhaps the most familiar example in the western world. The Great Mosque (Mezquita) in Cordova, the Alhambra and the fort of Granada introduced wide breezy interiors and decorative foliage and Arabic inscription motifs. Mughal architecture has built a class of its own. Perhaps the most famous is the Taj Mahal, built in white marble entirely in symmetry with large minarets and cupola domes. The Mughals also introduced gardens as a relevant theme in their architecture, most famously the Shalimar Gardens. While theology does not have a very significant impact on Islamic architecture a recurring theme is the absence of human or animal imagery, widely considered to be forbidden by the Prophet. Instead calligraphic inscriptions of the Quran and geometric patterns replace as decorative influences.

Rotten Boroughs and Reform :: Victorian Era

Rotten Boroughs and Reform Background A borough was â€Å"a town possessing a municipal corporation and special privileges conferred by royal charter† (Oxford English Dictionary). Among these privileges, boroughs had the right to send representatives to Parliament. No new boroughs had been chartered in England since the 17th century (Corey 371). As the nation aged, its population and industry changed, creating a disparity between the nation's demographics and its system of governmental representation. With the advent and unrestrained growth of the Industrial Revolution, population and wealth concentrated and massed in northern towns and cities. While seats in Parliament remained occupied by representatives from the antiquated boroughs, "no provisions were made to represent the growing commercial and professional classes" (Corey 372). In some cases, boroughs had become severely degraded due to poverty, depopulation, or even natural disasters. â€Å"Another ancient borough, Dunwhich, had for centuries been buried under the North sea,† that sea-side town having long since given way to erosion (Hughes 84). Such boroughs were considered â€Å"rotten,† as they were effectively controlled by one town corporation or large land-owner, as only the propertied upper class was eligible to vote. Such aristocrats often controlled their constituents' votes by bribery and coercion (Corey 372). For example, see William Makepeace Thackeray's installment novel, Vanity Fair. Thackeray uses â€Å"Queen's Crawley† to represent a â€Å"rotten† borough. Reform The 1832 Reform Bill enfranchised lawyers, factory owners, merchants, and other members of the middle class, stipulating as a requirement at least a rental lease of at least fifty pounds per year (Bloy). In addition, fifty-six old boroughs were abolished, their Parliamentary seats redistributed among some new boroughs and counties, somewhat more appropriate to population demographics (Corey 372). Not all of the rotten boroughs were eliminated at this point, however. Widespread enfranchisement occurred slowly, as successive acts made their way through Parliament during the Victorian age. The 1867 Reform Bill lowered the stipulations to five pounds per annum for leaseholders, adding approximately one million voters. The subsequent Reform Bill of 1885 added two million voters to the electorate by enfranchising households in the counties as well (Hughes 84).

Evaluate the Possible Ways to Market a New Business Essay

For my business studies coursework, my new business will be a Junior Tennis Academy for talented tennis players aged 3-18. Its name will be named after where it is based, at St Georges College, Weybridge. Therefore its name will be The Weybridge Tennis Academy. It will provide top coaching for young talent, as well as providing state of the art facilities which include four indoor tennis courts, three artificial clay, eight acrylic and three grass courts, as well as a gym where the players can train to help get fitter and stronger to help give them that physical edge over their competitors. We offer these services because tournaments are played on many different surfaces and we need to train our players to the highest possible standard. We also offer a re-stringing service at extremely competitive prices as well as official Weybridge Tennis Academy merchandise supplied by a top sports company, which is available for purchase at a discounted price. These facilities will help the business because ‘Tennis Parents’ will see that our company has better facilities for their child than another tennis academy down the road. Tennis is a very expensive sport, so therefore our business is not only aimed at the players playing, but also the parents paying. Tennis parents are notoriously pushy people and they are usually quite well off, so therefore the more facilities we can offer, the more likely they will come to us. Usually, when money isn’t a factor, people go for the best product, and by offering so many facilities, we have that competitive advantage over our competitors. With our location being in Weybridge, we automatically have good transport links, such as the M25 and Addlestone and Weybridge train stations. This will target all people living in and around London. London is the biggest city in Britain, so therefore we have many more potential customers compared to a tennis academy in for example Northumberland . My business’ aim is to fill a gap in the market. It will meet a demand for a Tennis academy open to all standards, rather than one where you have to be invited to join. For example the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton, a 32 million pound facility is only open to players who have been invited. The Weybridge Tennis Academy is open to young players of all standards but with the same facilities as the National Tennis Centre. Therefore many more players will pass through the doors of my academy because it is open to a wider range of players. This will then lead to my business making a profit because there is not any other competition in the local area. During this coursework I will need to investigate the potential market and location to enable me to situate my business in the best possible location to help make as much profit as possible. I will also have to research the local competition to identify my main competitors and the buying habits of the local consumers to see what they look for most when investing in a product. The importance of Marketing Marketing is selling ‘the right product, at the right place, at the right time and at the right place.’ The marketing mix, sometimes known as the four P’s is used to describe the key elements that a consumer wants and needs when buying a new product. I will need to find out what a consumer looks for, and make sure I find the right elements to help make my business successful. My business has to offer the customer a better thing than the local competition otherwise my business will fail. This means that my business will have to offer the customer something that no other tennis academy offers in the local area. This is because obviously if every academy offered the same thing as my business my business would have no competitive edge which will lead to failure. The Weybridge Tennis Academy needs to offer the customer what they want and need. This will then identify the first stage of the marketing mix which is product. The second stage of the, marketing mix is place. Place means how the customers are going to access my academy. There are many factors affecting this decision. It has to be in a place where customers can easily get to, as well as somewhere where there are many potential customers. My business will be situated in St Georges College, Weybridge (hence the name of the business). By being in Weybridge, there are many convenient transport links, such as the M25 or Weybridge or Addlestone train station. Addlestone train station is in fact situated less than a mile away from the centre, which means that there are many good transport links. This will then draw customers in from all around London and the South East. The third section of the Marketing Mix is Price. The Price is how much the product is being sold for. The price is very important to any business because it is normally one of the first things to be looked at when a consumer is considering buying a product. The customer has to think that the business is good value for money, and by comparing the prices of local competition, I will come up with an appropriate pricing method for my business. It is important that I take into account how much the business has cost to build because obviously if the expenditure is higher than the income, I will have made a loss rather than a profit There are many pricing strategies available to me, for instance cost plus pricing, which means setting a price by adding a fixed amount or percentage to the cost of making the product. This means that however much I spend on my Tennis Academy; I will add a percentage of money to this amount and charge the customers that amount. By doing this, I will always make a profit because I will be getting my money back on the expenditure, plus an added amount. The second pricing strategy I could use is to set a price based on competitors pricing. This means that I would look at the price of my competitors’ product and I would make that cheaper or better value to help make customers buy into my product. The fourth and final section of the Marketing Mix is the promotion. Promotion means how your product is shown to the customer, obviously if the customer does not know the business is there they cannot buy it. One example of this is advertising. There are many ways of promoting a business; it could be through a newspaper, television, internet and radio. These are examples of advertising through the media. Another way of promoting your business is through merchandising. This is a crucial way that I plan to promote my business through players buying official Weybridge Tennis Academy Merchandise, wearing it to tournaments and promoting the company through people seeing the companies name or logo on a back of a player’s shirt. Most players at my academy will be competing against players from other academies. This is a way of promoting because other players will see the company’s logo and the tennis parents may well look into the possibility of sending their child to my acade my. However ways such as sales promotion, which could include special offers, price discounts or free gifts, would not be appropriate because my business is looking for long term customer rather than short term customers. To get the best results I will conduct numerous experiments and research which will help me to find what the customers want and need. I will conduct questionnaires, surveys and interviews with other people finding out what they look for in investing in a tennis academy. I will also research statistics such as the number of competing juniors in the south east and also the amount of tennis academies in that area. This will then help me gain a competitive advantage over my competitors. Market Research Market Research is used by a business to try and find out what people want and also what competitors and doing and planning. Market Research helps find out who the customers are, whether they will like the product, how the business can be promoted, how much the customers willing to pay, what type of customer will be interested, how the profile of the customers can be built, whether the business is in the right location and how the products will be distributed. There are two main ways of conducting research. Field/Primary research is used to find out new information, and Desk/Secondary research is useful for looking at an entire market, and analysing trends for future reference. I will use both to research how my business can best achieve its goals and how it can beat competitors to getting customers. Field/Primary research is the process of manually entering the population and asking first hand questions. The advantage of using this method is that it is specific to my business, meaning that it is up to date and relevant. This means that I can ask any questions on any subject, and receive answers that are highly relevant and suitable for my research. There are many techniques which can be used, such as surveys, questionnaires and interviews. I believe that by conducting the research in the area where my business will be situated, I will achieve the most relevant and suitable results. However, to ensure that the data is accurate you need to use large field samples which can be expensive and very time consuming. Desk research is useful for looking at an entire market, whilst analysing past trends for future reference. For example I would have to look at the trends of tennis academies across Britain. Desk research has already been researched and accessed by other companies, so it therefore already exists and therefore it takes no time to conduct or find the data you want. The data can be accessed through the internet, newspapers, government records and market research. Desk research is good because it is easy to obtain and it is cheap. The disadvantage is that it is not specific or relevant to your business. It can also be biased or out of date which severely affects the reliability. I will try and collect Qualitative data so I can then see exactly what people want, as well as their thoughts and feelings. This will then help me know what customers want which will help me gain an edge over the competitors. I will do this by interviewing a select amount of people and finding out what they look for in a tennis academy. The questions asked will be based on how much people will pay, how the location will affect their decision and once again what they look for when investing in a tennis academy. After I have found out the information, I will access it and make it relevant to my business. By knowing what customers look for in a company, I will know what to include when I am trying to promote my business. For instance if a lot of people want indoor courts to make sure that it can never be cancelled or so that there child can play all year round, I will make sure that the fact that my academy has indoor courts is highly publicised. Also, by knowing what customers want, I will have an advantage over my competitors. Evaluation Number of Competing Juniors: Berkshire-149 Essex-343 Hampshire-274 Kent-338 Middlesex-450 Surrey-536 Total number of competing juniors in the south east-2090 Information obtained from www.lta.org.uk Juniors includes all players born in 1990 Tennis academies in the south east: Clive Asprey Tennis Academy-Aldershot Sutton Junior Tennis Centre The National Tennis Centre-Roehampton Win Tennis-Bisham Abbey Esporta-Croydon Westway-London These are all TENNIS ACADEMIES this does not include any ‘LAWN TENNIS CLUBS’. Lawn tennis clubs are open to any people and are therefore not relevant to my business. These academies are my main competitors because it is invitational only. There are roughly 2000 competing juniors in the South East and there are six tennis academies (not including my academy) in this area. Therefore on average there are around 300 children to every academy. Obviously this would not be the case in reality but it gives a good idea of the Academy/Player Ratio. INFORMATION OBTAINED BY WWW.YELL.COM 1st Interview 1) What are the 3 main things that you look for in a tennis academy? The three main things I look for are the ability for the academy to get my child to its full potential, therefore I know that I am paying for excellence and I know my money’s being put to good use. The ability to play all year round is very important because I therefore know that sessions can never be cancelled due to weather and my child can therefore train all year round. Lastly the coaches have to be highly qualified and I would like to know a bit about them so I know that they can emphasize with players when they are going through tough times. 2) How would the location affect your decision of where to send your child? There would have to be good roads such as motorways because obviously I don’t want to be travelling all the time. Also if my child is of an age that he could travel on his own, I would like there to be easy to access buses and trains for him/her to use. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? I wouldn’t mind paying a lot of money as long as the results were shown. Also if I had a younger child, I would want to pay less at first until I see that he/she was improving and that he was committed. As he/she improves I would be more inclined to pay more. 2nd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I would firstly look at the academy’s credentials, for instance its results of members, and the proof of its results. It would also have to be good value for money, so therefore I would need to be seeing an improvement in my child’s progress. Also the location is important because I don’t wish to be travelling all the time. 2) Why is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? I have got a busy life and I don’t wish to be travelling all across the countryside after I’ve had a long day at work. It has to be easy to attend so therefore good transport links are vital. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? Obviously there is the factor of whether it can be afforded but the price is not important. I would have to see that my money is being put to good use so therefore the investment has to match the progress. 3rd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I look at the facilities of the academy, for instance whether it has indoor courts. I would also like to know the standard of the players that attend the academy and the background of the coaches. The attitude and the atmosphere of the academy are crucial because I have to know where I am sending my child. 2) Is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? Obviously I don’t want to be travelling too much and it has to be reasonably local otherwise we’ll spend more time travelling than actually playing. Also I don’t want to be paying a fortune for the transport fees, for instance petrol or train/bus fares on top of the price of attending the academy. 3) Is the cost important? The cost is obviously very important otherwise our whole life would be being run by tennis. I would prefer to pay less at the start and once I have seen an improvement or a commitment start to increase the price. Evaluation of Questionnaires: I have found out that what most people want is value for money. This means that however much they put in, they want out. This therefore means that the more they pay, the bigger the improvement in their child’s ability they would expect to see. Therefore I think I will give special offers to new customers, such as they get the first term half price so that they know that it is what their child wants to do and also if they do not see an improvement they have the opportunity to pull out. This was suggested to the people that I interviewed and it seemed a popular idea. Secondly, they found the factor of indoor courts crucial as that meant they could play all year round. As my academy would have this facility, this is a good thing, however many other academies have indoor courts and this therefore does not separate us from our competitors. Many people thought that the location was an important factor. Many parents have busy lives and they do not wish to be travelling all over the place. My academy is situated in a place with good public transport links, there are two train stations within two miles of the academy, and it is situated two miles from the M25. This was once again explained to the interviewees and they seemed to be in favour of the placement of my academy. Many people didn’t mind about the cost of the academy, as long as they saw the results. This was touched upon earlier and I will use a penetration pricing method, which means that I will make the price quite low at the start to try and draw customers in and then increase it as they see an improvement. This was a major aspect that the people that I interviewed would look for in tennis academy and this will help me gain that competitive advantage. Overall the research I conducted was extremely useful as it told me what customers wanted and needed, as well as giving me statistics that would help me gain a bit more knowledge in this type of business. I found out the amount of competing juniors in the south east, as well as the number of academies. It also told me how customers felt, for instance about the price and location of the academy. The information I have found out will help me in making the decisions about the academy, such as the pricing, structure and promotion of the business. Conclusion/Judgement Overall I believe that my tennis academy will work. There are six full time academies in the South East, not including my one, and there are over two thousand regularly competing juniors in the same area. This means that the ratio of Academies/Players is 6:300. Obviously in reality some academies have more players than others because of reputation, facilities, transport and cost. My academy has state of the art facilities, as explained earlier. It is also situated in a place where there are good channels of distribution and good transport links. This means that customers will be attracted because it is easy to get to. The cost will be determined by a ‘Penetration’ Pricing Method. This means that my prices will be low for new customers, so that parents then know that their child is improving, or enjoying the experience. Most parents interviewed wanted their money to be payed back through improvement of their child’s development. Therefore if I charge low prices at the start, for instance half price for your first term, and the child makes a big improvement, the parent is more likely to want to pay more from then on. If the child does not improve, the parent will then be giving the option of continuing with the programme. This will then help company/customer relations. This will then help my academies reputation, which will then attract more customers. As my academies reputation builds, more profit will come in and we can start charging higher prices. To help promote my academy, I will seek sponsorship from sports companies such as ‘NIKE’, ‘Adidas’, ‘Wilson’, ‘Babolat’, ‘Prince’, ‘Head’, ‘Dunlop’, ‘TTK’ and ‘Lacoste’. I will also sell official Academy merchandise such as training kit, match play kit, and tracksuits which will be worn to tournaments by players and other players will see them. This is a way of free advertising as the children/parents would be paying for the kit and wearing it around showing it off to other players and parents. I will also look to gain funding from the ‘Lawn Tennis Association’ who gives funding to academies that have regularly competing juniors. These are called ‘Satellite Clubs’ and they are given funding which helps pay for the costs of balls, rackets and other training equipment. As my academy builds in reputation, I will look to gain more funding which wi ll help me make more profit. Overall there is a lot of potential in this product. I believe that people will be attracted to my product because of the facilities, meaning the product itself; the price, meaning that I will make it cheaper at the start to draw customers in; the promotion, for instance the official merchandise that will be seen in tournaments; and finally the place; meaning the channels of distribution. This will attract customers because of where it situated, meaning that it is easy to get to. However my tennis academy does have a lot of competition, which means that I will have to use the knowledge that I found out through the market research to help gain the competitive advantage over my rivals.

To Be a Californian

Every day, thousands of people migrate to different sectors of the globe, to capitalize opportunity or pursue better lifestyles for themselves. California is one such state, which prides itself in being able to accommodate diverse populations and cultures. Like many stipulated theories. Immigrants chose the land to Inhabit based on the desire to acquire better living standards for themselves. Immigrants that arrive in California for instance seek the warm natural scenery provided by the state, the freedom to live whichever way they deem fit, the available bob resources, and the willingness to dream and achieve one's dreams.Those who aspire to be Californian are told that there are deferent methods to do this. The promises linked with being Californian leaves them with the desire to migrate and gain the new life promised to them. On closer examination, it becomes apparent that the concept of being Californian is linked to Individuals that have the freedom to live their lives as they p lease, work hard to achieve their dreams, and be tolerant of diversity. Nevertheless, any concept that goes against this remiss may lead to failure of not becoming a â€Å"real† Californian.To support this discussion, an examination of Denies Sponsor's â€Å"A new Perspective on the Dream,† Quays â€Å"Interviews† together with support from the survey result on Californian identity, will show that individuals' that desire to live a free life, are tolerant of diversity, and aspire to achieve their dreams qualify to be â€Å"real† Californians. Excerpts from Sponsor's article gives the illumination that a â€Å"real† Californian is a person that lives freely and enjoys every aspect of life. Spooned (2008, p. 2) gives an illustration of how people migrated from Iowa so that they could get away from the Judgment surrounding the community. In the post war era, California presented an area where one could run away from sexism, racism, and self-freedom. T he essence that surrounds freedom is the desire to escape imprisonment or slavery offered within the society. It is also the desire to give an individual's TO BE A CALIFORNIAN 3 family new opportunity to experience realities that one may have missed. Therefore, they choose to migrate to California since they experience a lack of advancement or retardation in their current environment.As I conduct some interviews with some of the individuals in the region, one respondent retorted that he migrated to be free from poverty. This is a similar story to the one given by Spooned, which talks about a young girl who experiences a sense of freedom through her uncle's migratory nature. It is evident through this story that freedom is acquired through progression areas may ring restriction into how much an individual can progress, California offers a place to gain new insight into freedom and its splendor.Spooned continues and says that when many people hear of the wonderful life in California, they cannot help, but find ways to get there (spooned 2008). This is a clear indication of the sense of peace and freedom experienced within the state. An essential component of being a â€Å"real† Californian is taking risks as a way of achieving one's dreams or combating one's problems. Many people are deprived of the splendid essentials that life has to offer, and so grow up hoping to create better lives than they had.This is evident in an interview of Cruz Reynolds as presented by Quay Cruz grew up in an age where many Mexicans experience segregation, but through his efforts, he was able to acquire equality for his school members of Mexican descent. Cruz, like many immigrants, had a desire to live better lives than their parents or make better lives for future generations. Sometimes, however, this implies sacrificing one's time to struggle for the things that are essential or meaningful in their lives.

Free Essays on Leadership

Effective leadership is comprised of several components and qualifications. Although no one is perfect, our society teaches that we have an insatiable need for self-improvement. Maslov’s hierarchy of needs shows that self-actualization is the highest, yet least achieved level. In my personal need for self-improvement, I, along with my colleague Rasheed Vanpatten, have chosen three aspects of my leadership abilities that are in need of improvement. I CALL MY GROUP COMMUNITY OR ORGANIZATION TO ACT OUT OF VALUES THAT TRANSCEND THE DAY TO DAY. I have come to realize that I quite frequently criticize those who do not act out of admirable values, yet I do not actively encourage change. For example, in instances of a lack of neighborhood pride, I personally do not litter on the street, but I never speak out when I see others that I do not know littering. More often than not, it is because of the concern that public opinions are not always given a warm welcome. I realize that true and effective leaders take a stance to make positive changes despite any possible repercussions. Over the next six months, I plan to improve on this flaw by becoming more involved in my community and my department at work. If a true leader leads by example, then I must do so by providing positive images for them to follow. I HAVE A HEALTHY SENSE OF HUMOR. I LAUGH AT MYSELF AND KEEP CYNICISM AND SARCASM IN REIN. I do not take criticism well. Constructive or otherwise. I realize that I often allow other people’s opinions of me affect my own self-confidence. Effective leaders can accept constructive criticism and utilize it to strengthen their leadership attributes. I am also told that I can be condescending and sarcastic. I think that this comes from my lack of patience. Over time I plan to increase my level of patience and consideration for others feelings by attending an anger management course. By doing so I think that I will become more... Free Essays on Leadership Free Essays on Leadership LEADERSHIP Leadership is a complex process by which a person influences other to accomplish a mission, task, or objectives and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Managers who recognize the importance of emotional intelligence and how it effects decisions will be successful. True leaders are able to break through culture barriers and motivate employees to willingly contribute to the success of the organization. Managers should learn to utilize several different management styles to enable them to handle various situations appropriately and productively. Becoming an effective leader, first starts with thinking like a leader. Managers must initially assess the work environment and the accompanying processes. Leaders gather data to identify issues and analyze the events that they affect. Management can then pinpoint the root causes and implement different process improvement cycles to resolve the issues. The possible solutions are taken into account to come up with the biggest bang for the buck. Performance measurements for follow-up need to be put into place, so feedback can be analyzed to verify that the new processes are successful. Creating a vision that encompasses the ultimate goal of the organization gives direction to the purpose, processes, and employees. Through communicating this vision, the leaders are able to tie in the vision to the work processes, constructing a solid structure to bring focus to the organization’s goals. A clear vision creates an environment of support from lower management and as well as their subordinates. Leadership can be broken down into formal versus informal leaders. Formal leaders have legitimate power of position; that is, they have authority within an organization to influence others to work for the organization objectives. And the Informal leaders usually have no such authority and may or may not exert those influences in support of the organizat... Free Essays on Leadership Effective leadership is comprised of several components and qualifications. Although no one is perfect, our society teaches that we have an insatiable need for self-improvement. Maslov’s hierarchy of needs shows that self-actualization is the highest, yet least achieved level. In my personal need for self-improvement, I, along with my colleague Rasheed Vanpatten, have chosen three aspects of my leadership abilities that are in need of improvement. I CALL MY GROUP COMMUNITY OR ORGANIZATION TO ACT OUT OF VALUES THAT TRANSCEND THE DAY TO DAY. I have come to realize that I quite frequently criticize those who do not act out of admirable values, yet I do not actively encourage change. For example, in instances of a lack of neighborhood pride, I personally do not litter on the street, but I never speak out when I see others that I do not know littering. More often than not, it is because of the concern that public opinions are not always given a warm welcome. I realize that true and effective leaders take a stance to make positive changes despite any possible repercussions. Over the next six months, I plan to improve on this flaw by becoming more involved in my community and my department at work. If a true leader leads by example, then I must do so by providing positive images for them to follow. I HAVE A HEALTHY SENSE OF HUMOR. I LAUGH AT MYSELF AND KEEP CYNICISM AND SARCASM IN REIN. I do not take criticism well. Constructive or otherwise. I realize that I often allow other people’s opinions of me affect my own self-confidence. Effective leaders can accept constructive criticism and utilize it to strengthen their leadership attributes. I am also told that I can be condescending and sarcastic. I think that this comes from my lack of patience. Over time I plan to increase my level of patience and consideration for others feelings by attending an anger management course. By doing so I think that I will become more... Free Essays on Leadership How would you Describe a Leader and Leadership A significant part of effective leadership is the close connection between the leader and the follower, which often determines the success of the leader’s mission. Unfortunately, this leader-follower relationship cannot be created according to some simple formula. Young leaders of today face special challenges as they try to communicate and interact with their followers and potential followers. By exploring global perspectives, human diversity, and ethics, young leaders can take yet another step forward in their development and preparation for twenty-first century leadership. Globalization has many implications for leadership today and in the future. Global perspectives are being spread to the farthest points in the world and to the most isolated people. People of different cultures come to the United States daily to live, travel, or engage in business. Leaders must respond to this challenge of globalization so they can effectively reach out to as many people as possible. Opening themselves to the world’s changes allows leaders to compare and contrast their culture with the arts, language, beliefs, customs, philosophies, and ways of living of other people. By observing and questioning another culture, leaders can understand the origin of an individual’s viewpoints and become more sensitive to the cultural needs of that individual. By continually exposing themselves to other cultures, young leaders can thoroughly develop this global perspective and devote themselves to making connections with the entire world. On a more individual level, openness to human diversity plays a role in adjusting to the changes of the future. People are discovering that even within cultures, individuals come from diverse backgrounds, have different personalities, and prefer different ways of life. Young leaders can build a stronger relationship with their followers as they enhance their own appreciation ... Free Essays on Leadership How do human beings make decisions? What triggers a person to take action at any given point? These are all questions that I will attempt to answer with my theoretical research into Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance, as well as many of the other related theories. We often do not realize the psychological events that take place in our everyday lives. It is important to take notice of theories, such as the balance theory, the congruency theory and the cognitive dissonance theory so that one’s self-persuasion occurs knowingly. As psychologist and theorist gain a better understanding of Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory manipulation could occur more easily than it already does in today’s society. Leon Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory is very closely related to many of the consistency theories. The first of the major consistency theories, the balance theory, was proposed by Fritz Heider (1946, 1958) and was later revised by Theodore Newcomb (1953). Heider and Newcomb’s theory was mostly looking at the interaction between two people (interpersonally) and the conflicts that arose between them. When two people have conflicting opinions or tension is felt between another person, it is more likely persuasion will occur. Because if no tension was felt between the two parties, or there were no conflicting opinions there would be no need to persuade each other. If you think about it, persuasion occurs only because there is tension between two facts, ideas or people. Charles Larson writes in his book, Persuasion, Reception and Responsibility, â€Å"another approach to the consistency theory is congruency theory, by Charles Osgood and Percy Tennenbaum (1955)† (p.82). This theory suggests that we want to have balance in our lives and there is a systematic way to numerica lly figure it out. When two attitudes collide, we must strive to strike a balance between the two attitudes. The balance varies depending on ... Free Essays on Leadership A fundamental, but far reaching, role of organisational performance and achievement could take as its starting point the identification and development of leadership. A series of questions and concerns dealing with leadership in groups, organisations and the wider community has led to the growth of numerous different schools of thought in relation to leadership. This essay is an examination of the major schools of thought on leadership theory. But more importantly, it is designed to identify and draw conclusions about the main theme underpinning the various leadership theories and what constitutes leaders and leadership. Leadership is principally concerned with the ability of an individual to influence others. This is typically accomplished through the use of the communication process towards achieving set goals, which contribute to a purpose. (Robbins, Millet, Cacioppe and Waters-Marsh pp 394 1998) However, a more comprehensive definition of leadership is provided by Bass, (in Vecchio pp 17 1997), who states that: "Leadership has been conceived as the focus of group processes, as a matter of personality, as a matter of inducing compliance, as the exercise of influence, as particular behaviors, as a form of persuasion, as a power relation, as an instrument to achieve goals, as an effect of interaction, as differentiated role, as initiation of structure, and as many combinations of these definitions." Nevertheless, many schools of thought have evolved to explain the rationales and assumptions in relation to the concept of leadership, and more importantly, to explain what it is that constitutes a lea der. Indeed, the first theories of leadership attempt to identify the traits and/or inherent attributes of leaders, regardless of the leader’s situation or circumstances. (Nelson and Quick, 1997) Initial studies of leadership considered leaders as individuals endowed with certain personality traits, which constitute their abilit... Free Essays on Leadership Dead Poets Society 1. What changes did you see in the group and in the characteristics of individuals? At the beginning of the film after the ceremony, the students are going through a forming stage where they are sharing polite conversation and are trying to know each other. Even on this stage Neil and Todd are already emerging as playing prominent roles in the movie.  · John Keating is the English professor who is introduced during the opening ceremony and has unconventional ways of teaching. He teaches his students to write poetry to express their feelings and to think for themselves. His passion was language and ideas, he believes in individuality and freedom. His character does not seem to change much during the movie, he is firm to his believes and use all kind of unorthodox methods to show the students not to conform even, to strive to be themselves even when other will disapprove.  · Neil Perry is a very popular student, bright and high achieving, he has a passion for acting but seems afraid of his overbearing father. He starts changing his priorities and getting more courage after Keating start teaching him on the importance of after discovering Keating’s senior annual and learning about the â€Å"Dead Poets Society† and take the initiative to form their own society. His character changes and he dares to disobey his father and take acting. Neil’s death can be seen as an act of a not so strong person or a way to defy his father one more time and show him that at the end he is his own person and do what he wants.  · Todd Anderson feels pressured for being the brother of a gifted person, he acts shy at first and is very insecure of his own skills. He gets transformed after Neil’s death and realizes the importance of being his own person and to think for himself.  · Richard Cameron is serious and loyal to the school and has trouble with the ideas that Keating is teaching. His loyalty is to the school and his characte... Free Essays on Leadership Leadership A significant part of effective leadership is the close connection between the leader and the follower, which often determines the success of the leader’s mission. Unfortunately, this leader-follower relationship cannot be created according to some simple formula. Young leaders of today face special challenges as they try to communicate and interact with their followers and potential followers. By exploring global perspectives, human diversity, and ethics, young leaders can take yet another step forward in their development and preparation for twenty-first century leadership. Globalization has many implications for leadership today and in the future. Global perspectives are being spread to the farthest points in the world and to the most isolated people. People of different cultures come to the United States daily to live, travel, or engage in business. Leaders must respond to this challenge of globalization so they can effectively reach out to as many people as possible. Opening themselves to the world’s changes allows leaders to compare and contrast their culture with the arts, language, beliefs, customs, philosophies, and ways of living of other people. By observing and questioning another culture, leaders can understand the origin of an individual’s viewpoints and become more sensitive to the cultural needs of that individual. By continually exposing themselves to other cultures, young leaders can thoroughly develop this global perspective and devote themselves to making connections with the entire world (Pierce, 2002, p 287). On a more individual level, openness to human diversity plays a role in adjusting to the changes of the future. People are discovering that even within cultures, individuals come from diverse backgrounds, have different personalities, and prefer different ways of life. Young leaders can build a stronger relationship with their followers as they enhance their own appreciation for... Free Essays on Leadership The Japanese Approach U.S. scholars have paid attention to Japanese management systems and contrasts in leadership styles for several decades. This interest has increased along with the exceptional success of Japanese industry and highly visible advantages gained by those companies in quality production. The Japanese system is widely known for its lifetime employment guarantee, a seniority system that rewards loyalty and commitment to organizational harmony. In fact, Japanese management success has rested on three pillars: developing employee loyalty, improving productivity, and pursuing continuous quality improvement. Within this broad outline, several characteristics of Japanese companies emerge. First, employees, once hired, rarely leave for jobs at other companies even though they always have that choice. Second, because of Japan’s insular character, it has retained a homogeneous population that maintains cultural and linguistic integrity; in effect, it is a closed social system of relationships among companies, groups, and political interests. Third, Japan developed a so-called bottom-up decision-making environment that relies on active participation by all employees. The name of this management approach, ringi-sei (or ringi), literally means â€Å"reverential inquiryâ⠂¬  Japan’s approach to leadership is difficult to understand apart from its industrial history, beginning with the Meiji Restoration in 1868. At that time, growth depended heavily on the strength and private fortunes of feudal families. These social institutions amounted to military clans with strong internal networks of political and merchant relationships. As they began to establish Japan’s industrial base, they created family-dominated holding companies that began competing with on another in commerce much as they had in war. Known as zaibatsu, these conglomerates competed by establishing huge trading companies to reach beyond Japan for technology and ... Free Essays on Leadership The Japanese Approach U.S. scholars have paid attention to Japanese management systems and contrasts in leadership styles for several decades. This interest has increased along with the exceptional success of Japanese industry and highly visible advantages gained by those companies in quality production. The Japanese system is widely known for its lifetime employment guarantee, a seniority system that rewards loyalty and commitment to organizational harmony. In fact, Japanese management success has rested on three pillars: developing employee loyalty, improving productivity, and pursuing continuous quality improvement. Within this broad outline, several characteristics of Japanese companies emerge. First, employees, once hired, rarely leave for jobs at other companies even though they always have that choice. Second, because of Japan’s insular character, it has retained a homogeneous population that maintains cultural and linguistic integrity; in effect, it is a closed social system of relationships among companies, groups, and political interests. Third, Japan developed a so-called bottom-up decision-making environment that relies on active participation by all employees. The name of this management approach, ringi-sei (or ringi), literally means â€Å"reverential inquiryâ⠂¬  Japan’s approach to leadership is difficult to understand apart from its industrial history, beginning with the Meiji Restoration in 1868. At that time, growth depended heavily on the strength and private fortunes of feudal families. These social institutions amounted to military clans with strong internal networks of political and merchant relationships. As they began to establish Japan’s industrial base, they created family-dominated holding companies that began competing with on another in commerce much as they had in war. Known as zaibatsu, these conglomerates competed by establishing huge trading companies to reach beyond Japan for technology and ... Free Essays on Leadership Team leaders What is leadership? â€Å"Leadership is the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals† page 131 Robbins. Leaders can emerge from anywhere, and they do not necessarily have to be assigned the role of a leader to become one. There are two theories that support what makes an effective leader. The first theory that will be discussed is the trait theory. When researching what traits make up a good leader the researchers always seemed to be coming up short. They could not identify certain traits that would separate a leader from a follower, or an effective leader from an ineffective. Researchers were able to come up with six traits normally identified with a leader. The â€Å"six traits on which leaders differ from nonleaders include 1) drive and ambition, 2) the desire to lead and influence others, 3) honesty and integrity, 4) self-confidence, 5) intelligence, and 6) in-depth technical knowledge related to there area of responsibility† page 132 Robbins. The trait theory has many holes in it because it takes more than just traits to make a person a good leader. Traits are definitely a factor that determines how well leader will lead, but how a leader can handle and adapt to situational factors is another big factor. Other researches did not really accept the trait theory, and set them off looking for another theory to answer the question what makes a good leader. The birth of the behavioral theory started after the conclusion of the trait theory. What separate the behavioral theory between the trait theory are the underlying assumptions. The behavioral theory states that if there were certain behaviors that make up a leader, that you would be able to teach those to others. The trait theory implies that either you were born with what it takes or you were not. Ohio State University and Michigan University both did research on the behavioral theory. Ohio State came up with two dimensions called i... Free Essays on Leadership One of the standards of the National Honors Society is that of leadership. Members are expected not only to strive to improve their social environment, but act as a role model, and influence his or her peers in a positive and responsible manner. Students must also balance assertiveness with a compassionate heart. Through my experiences as an editor on the newspaper and captain of the {ENTER SPORTS TEAM HERE], I believe that I demonstrate the NHS ideal of leadership. As editor of {POSITION} for the school newspaper, I have learned to handle my position with authority while gaining the respect of the staff. Every month, the editors of the newspaper are expected to put out a newspaper for the student body that meets the high standards set by past editors. Needless to say, there is little room for error during the process and it is up to us to show the staff initiative and a no-nonsense attitude. Recently, I was put in the position of demonstrating authority with one of my peers when a very important article on Founders’ Park was chosen for the front page. The writer of the piece had to be pushed and prodded and it was my responsibility as an editor to not only help her with the article, but keep her from skipping out of class when she should be working on the story. Through my experiences with the school newspa- per, I have learned that leadership, one of the ideals of NHS, means getting the job done successfully and in a responsible manner. There is also another side of leadership that is often overlooked, yet I came across it while captain of the {SPORTS TEAM] We had the potential and talent to have a wonderful season, but inner conflicts and personal problems got in the way. Finally, I realized that it was time to take the initiative and show my teammates that we were not only a team, but a family and would always be there for each other. I held a meeting one day after school and my ... Free Essays on Leadership Leadership Essay written by: Jake Leadership comes in many different forms but they all are heading toward the same goal; and that is to communicate with people. Some people are silent leaders and lead by example some are more vocal. Nevertheless, whatever type of leader you are, there are certain criteria that must be met. For example being a good role model, being dependable, being trust worthy, these are all things that a true leader must possess. However, all leaders have their strengths and weakness and these are a few areas in which men and woman striving to become leaders often have trouble dealing with. All to often leaders become over defensive and it beings to tear away at the seams of a cohesive unit. A little defensiveness is healthy self-protection...like your immune system. Excessive defensiveness will prevent you from learning from your mistakes after all, why do anything different, if all your mistakes are someone else's fault? Feeling angry because of changes imposed from above? Attack the stupidity of your bosses and you will feel better! This move can be self-defeating if it stops you from understanding their rationale and coming to terms with your own resistance to change. If you have healthy self-esteem, you should be able to admit your mistakes if you have low self-esteem you will either be too hard on yourself for even small mistakes, or you will overreact and defensively never admit them! When you anticipate the failure of one of your projects, do you start telling people why it will fail? You are setting up your defenses in advance so you will not have to create the m after the fact. Advance defensiveness can even facilitate failure. Some people will even sabotage their own projects, when they start to think they will fail, if they can do so in a way that ensures their getting off the hook. Recognizing and avoiding your own excessive defensiveness is not easy if you have developed a pattern of protecting a...

Animals - Metazoa - The Animal Encyclopedia

Animals - Metazoa - The Animal Encyclopedia Animals (Metazoa) are a group of living organisms that includes more than one million identified species and many millions more that have yet to be named. Scientists estimate that the number of all animal species- those that have been named and those that have yet to be discovered- is between 3 and 30 million species. Animals are divided into more than thirty groups (the number of groups varies based on differing opinions and the latest phylogenetic research) and there are many ways to go about classifying animals. For the purposes of this site, I often focus on six of the most familiar groups- amphibians, birds, fishes, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles. I also look at many less familiar groups, some of which are described below. To begin, lets take a look at what animals are, and explore some of the characteristics that distinguish them from organisms such as plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, and archaea. What Is An Animal? Animals are a diverse group of organisms that include many subgroups such as arthropods, chordates, cnidarians, echinoderms, mollusks, and sponges. Animals also include a vast array of lesser-known creatures such as flatworms, rotifers, placazoans, lamp shells, and waterbears. These high-level animal groups may sound rather strange to anyone who has not taken a course in zoology, but the animals that we are most familiar with belong to these broad groups. For example, insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and horseshoe crabs are all members of the arthropods. Amphibians, birds, reptiles, mammals, and fishes are all members of the chordates. Jellyfish, corals, and anemones are all members of the cnidarians. The vast diversity of organisms that are classified as animals makes it difficult to draw generalizations that are true of all animals. But there are several common characteristics animals share that describe most members of the group. These common characteristics include multi-cellularity, specialization of tissues, movement, heterotrophy, and sexual reproduction. Animals are multi-cellular organisms, which means their body consists of more than one cell. Like all multi-cellular organisms (animals are not the only multi-cellular organisms, plants, and fungi are also multi-cellular), animals are also eukaryotes. Eukaryotes have cells that contain a nucleus and other structures called organelles that are enclosed within membranes. With the exception of the sponges, animals have a body that is differentiated into tissues, and each tissue serves a specific biological function. These tissues are, in turn, organized into organ systems. Animals lack the rigid cell walls that are characteristic of plants. Animals are also motile (they are capable of movement). The body of most animals is arranged such that the head points in the direction they move while the rest of the body follows behind. Of course, the great variety of animal body plans means that there are exceptions and variations to this rule. Animals are heterotrophs, meaning they rely on consuming other organisms to obtain their nourishment. Most animals reproduce sexually by means of differentiated eggs and sperm. Additionally, most animals are diploid (the cells of adults contain two copies of their genetic material). Animals go through different stages as they develop from a fertilized egg (some of which include the zygote, blastula, and gastrula). Animals range in size from microscopic creatures known as zooplankton to the blue whale, which can reach as much as 105 feet in length. Animals live in virtually every habitat on the planet- from the poles to the tropics, and from the tops of mountains to the deep, dark waters of the open ocean. Animals are thought to have evolved from flagellate protozoa,  and the oldest animal fossils date back 600 million years, to the latter part of the Precambrian. It was during the Cambrian period (about 570 million years ago), that most major groups of animals evolved. Key Characteristics The key characteristics of animals include: multi-cellularityeukaryotic cellssexual reproductionspecialization of tissuesmovementheterotrophy Species Diversity More than 1 million species Classification Some of the better known groups of animals include: Arthropods (Arthropoda) - Scientists have identified more than one million arthropods species and estimate that there many millions of arthropod species that have yet to be identified. The most diverse group of arthropods is the insects. Other members of this group include spiders,  horseshoe crabs, mites,  millipedes,  centipedes, scorpions, and crustaceans. Chordates (Chordata) - There are about 75,000 species of chordates alive today. Members of this group include vertebrates, tunicates, and cephalochordates (also called lancelets). Chordates have a notochord, a skeletal rod that is present during some or all of the developmental stages of their life cycle. Cnidarians (Cnidaria) - There are about 9,000 species of cnidarians alive today. Members of this group include corals, jellyfish, hydras, and  sea anemones. Cnidarians are radially symmetrical animals. At the center of their body is a gastrovascular cavity that has a single opening encircled by tentacles. Echinoderms  (Echinodermata) - There are about 6,000 species of echinoderms alive today. Members of this group include feather stars, star fish, brittle stars, sea lilies, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. Echinoderms exhibit five-point (pentaradial) symmetry and have an internal skeleton that consists of calcareous ossicles. Mollusks (Mollusca) - There are about 100,000 species of mollusks alive today. Members of this group include bivalves, gastropods, tusk shells,cephalopods, and a number of other groups. Mollusks are a soft-bodied animals whose body has three basic sections: a mantle, a foot, and a visceral mass. Segmented Worms (Annelida) - There are about 12,000 species of segmented worms alive today. Members of this group include earthworms, ragworms, and leeches. Segmented worms are bilaterally symmetrical and their body consists of a head region, a tail region, and a middle region of numerous repeated segments. Sponges (Porifera) - There are about 10,000 species of sponges alive today. Members of this group include calcarious sponges, demosponges, and glass sponges. Sponges are primitive multi-cellular animals that have no digestive system, no circulatory system, and no nervous system. Find out more:  The Basic Animal Groups Some of the less well-known animal groups include: Arrow worms (Chaetognatha) - There are about 120 species of arrow worms alive today. Members of this group are predatory marine worms that are present in all marine waters, from shallow coastal waters to the deep sea. They are found in oceans of all temperatures, from the tropics to the polar regions.Bryozoans (Bryozoa) - There are about 5,000 species of bryozoans alive today. Members of this group are tiny aquatic invertebrates that filter food particles from the water using fine, feathery tentacles.Comb jellies (Ctenophora) - There are about 80 species of comb jellies alive today. Members of this group have clusters of cilia (called combs) that they use to swim. Most comb jellies are predators that feed on plankton.Cycliophorans (Cycliophora) - There are two known species of cycliophorans alive today. The group was first described in 1995 when scientists discovered the species Symbion pandora, more commonly known as the lobster-lip parasite, an animal that lives on the mouth parts of Norwegian lobsters. Cycliophorans have a body that is divided into a mouth-like structure called a buccal funnel, an oval mid-section, and a stalk with an adhesive base that clasps onto the setae of the lobsters mouth parts. Flatworms (Platyhelminthes) - There are about 20,000 species of flatworms alive today. Members of this group include planarians, tapeworms, and flukes. Flatworms are soft-bodied invertebrates that have no body cavity, no circulatory system, and no respiratory system. Oxygen and nutrients must pass through their body wall by means of diffusion. This limits their body structure and is the reason these organisms are flat.Gastrotrichs (Gastrotricha) - There are about 500 species of gastrotrichs alive today. Most members of this group are freshwater species, although there are also a small number of marine and terrestrial species. Gastrotrichs are microscopic animals with a transparent body and cilia on their belly.Gordian worms (Nematomorpha) - There are about 325 species of gordian worms alive today. Members of this group spend the larval stage of their life as parasitoid animals. Their hosts include beetles, cockroaches, and crustaceans. As adults, gordian worms are free-living organi sms and do not require a host to survive. Hemichordates (Hemichordata) - There are about 92 species of hemichordates alive today. Members of this group include acorn worms and pterobranchs. Hemichordates are worm-like animals, some of which live in tubular structures (also known as a coenecium).Horseshoe worms (Phoronida) - There are about 14 species of horseshoe worms alive today. Members of this group are marine filter-feeders that secrete a tube-like, chitinous structure that protects their body. They attach themselves to a hard surface and extend a crown of tentacles into the water to filter food from the current.Lamp shells (Brachiopoda) - There are about 350 species of lamp shells alive today. Members of this group are marine animals that resemble clams, but the resemblance is superficial. Lamp shells and clams are anatomically quite different and the two groups are not closely related. Lamp shells live in cold, polar waters and the deep sea.Loriciferans (Loricifera) - There are about 10 species of loriciferans alive t oday. Members of this group are tiny (in many cases, microscopic) animals that live in marine sediments. Loriciferans have a protective external shell. Mud dragons (Kinorhyncha) - There are about 150 species of mud dragons alive today. Members of this group are segmented, limbless, marine invertebrates that inhabit the seafloor sediments.Mud worms (Gnathostomulida) - There are about 80 species of mud worms alive today. Members of this group are small marine animals that live in shallow coastal waters where they burrow in the sand and mud. Mud worms can survive in low-oxygen environments.Orthonectids (Orthonectida) There are about 20 species of orthonectids alive today. Members of this group are parasitic marine invertebrates. Orthonectides are simple, microscopic, multi-cellular animals.Placozoa (Placozoa) - There is one species of placazoa alive today, Trichoplax adhaerens, an organism that is considered to be the simplest form of non-parasitic multi-cellular animals alive today. Trichoplax adhaerens is a tiny marine animal that has a flat body that consists of an epithelium and a layer of stellate cells.Priapulans (Priapula) - The re are 18 species of priapulids alive today. Members of this group are marine worms that live in the in muddy sediments in shallow waters up to 300 feet deep. Ribbon worms (Nemertea) - There are about 1150 species of ribbon worms alive today. Most members of this group are marine invertebrates that live in seafloor sediments or attach themselves to hard surfaces such as rocks and shells. Ribbon worms are carnivores that feed on invertebrates such as annelids, mollusks, and crustaceans.Rotifers (Rotifera) - There are about 2000 species of rotifers alive today. Most members of this group live in freshwater environments although a few marine species are known. Rotifers are tiny invertebrates, less than one-half of a millimeter in length.Roundworms (Nematoda) - There are more than 22,000 species of roundworms alive today. Members of this group live in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats and are found from the tropics to the polar regions. Many roundworms are parasitic animals.Sipunculan worms (Sipuncula) - There are about 150 species of sipunculan worms alive today. Members of this group are marine worms that inhabit shallow, intertid al waters. Sipunculan worms live in burrows, rock crevices, and shells. Velvet worms (Onychophora) - There are about 110 species of velvet worms alive today. Members of this group have a long, segmented body and numerous pairs lobopodia (short, stubby, leg-like structures). Velvet worms bear live young.Waterbears (Tardigrada) - There are about 800 species of waterbears alive today. Members of this group are small aquatic animals that have a head, three body segments, and a tail segment. Waterbears, like velvet worms, have four pairs of lobopodia. Keep in Mind: Not All Living Things Are Animals Not all living organisms are animals. In fact, animals are just one of several major groups of living organisms. In addition to animals, other groups of organisms include plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, and archaea. To understand what animals are, it helps to be able to articulate what animals are not.  The following is a list of organisms that are not animals: Plants - green algae, mosses, ferns, conifers, cycads, gingkos, and flowering plantsFungi - yeasts, molds, and mushroomsProtists - red algae, ciliates, and various unicellular microorganismsBacteria - tiny prokaryotic microorganismsArchaea - single-celled microorganisms If youre talking about an organism that belongs to one of the groups listed above, then you are talking about an organism that is not an animal. References Hickman C, Roberts L, Keen S. Animal Diversity. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 2012. 479 p. Hickman C, Roberts L, Keen S, Larson A, lAnson H, Eisenhour D. Integrated Principles of Zoology 14th ed. Boston MA: McGraw-Hill; 2006. 910 p. Ruppert E, Fox R, Barnes R. Invertebrates Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach. 7th ed. Belmont CA: Brooks/Cole; 2004. 963 p.

Comic Books in America and Japan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comic Books in America and Japan - Case Study Example However, children are also the most sensitive group within the society because they are at a developmental stage that is highly susceptible to influence. Moreover, children are also the most active in leisure activities because they require socialisation to develop intellectually. The development of children is dependent on the presented values within the family and the environment in which they live, with different societies presenting different traditions. The group relations and activities that children engage in during their leisure time are particularly influential on their developmental attributes (Turow 2011, p. 162). An excellent example of this is the influence of comic books. Comic books are either locally created or imported and often follow a similar fictional plot that children can identify with easily. Comic book popularity has recently been boosted by advances in technology, as children can now access comic plots through the internet on their computers and/or mobile ph ones. In both America and Japan, the increased trend of comic books use in children is obvious, although the regions depict a variation in child behaviour in response to comic books. Thus, this paper will present a discussion of the phenomena in both countries, and offer some comparison to show how comic books affect children intellectual development as well as on aspects pertaining to their social behaviours. Japanese Manga and American Comics Overview Since the Second World War, America and Japan have experienced similar developments, and have participated in a great deal of cultural exchange. For the purpose of this paper, the common prevalence of the comic book in the two countries will be addressed. In America, the term is ‘comic books’, and in Japan, it is ‘manga’ (Burton, 2008, p. 3). Comics were developed in America in the thirties, at which time the super hero aspect gained popularity. Since then, comics have influenced the creation of Japanese man ga, which has borrowed heavily from such super hero fictions as Batman and Superman. In both countries, the fictional worlds created have offered entertainment to an increasingly broad audience of children. Indeed, both comics and manga are significant to the publication industry (Bresler & Thompson 2002, p. 51). Japanese production of manga has been larger as compared to the American comic industry, occupying forty per cent of total publication production in Japan (Schodt, 1996, p. 19). This is because the composition of manga is dynamic and has grown to cover an increased scope as compared to comics. Interest has therefore increased among consumers, who have incorporated Japanese manga into their entertainment. This has prompted the publishers of American comic books to seek developments in plot that increase the creativity and involvement of the youth and children. However, Japanese manga continues to have a greater influence as compared to comic books because, unlike their comic s, the target audience is much wider. Considering these differences in audience reach, despite the similarities of the manga and comic book genres, the influence on children in Japan as compared to in America has been recorded to vary. This may be related to differences in plot development in the stories and the reflections they offer of societal norms (Burton, 2008, p. 3; Schodt 1996, p. 20-22). Comics among American Children In the 1930s, when