Sales Management Question Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales Management Question - Term Paper Example 2004). The sales person requires information about the product, its competitors, and account gaining strategies to successfully close a sale (Johnston and Marshall, 2005). This technique although out-dated is till used in many industries such as automobiles where the focus of the sale is short-run (Johnston and Marshall, 2005). Trust based relationship selling is considered more personal selling in contrast to transaction-focused selling. Relationship selling is now-a-days the core of selling strategies. Trust-based relationship selling is based on the gaining the trust of the customers by focusing the sales strategy on the communication, creation and delivery of the customer needs and values (Ingram et al, 2004). In this approach to selling, the solving the problems of the customer is the top most priority followed by providing them opportunities and adding value to the business provided by the customers in the future (Ingram et al, 2004). While using the trust-based selling approac h, it is important to have knowledge about the product, competitors, the need of the customers, their level of current knowledge, trust-building strategies and so on to successfully bring the customer in the business (Ingram et al. 2004). ... This makes this approach to selling, short-sighted resulting in defection and dissatisfaction of the customers. This is also referred to as the maximizing the sales in the short run (Johnston and Marshall, 2005). In contrast to this, trust-based relationship selling follows continuous follow-up to keep the customer well-informed about the added values of the product which ensures high level of satisfaction and gives rise to many other opportunities (Ingram et al, 2004). As many scholars and practitioners regard transaction-based traditional selling inefficient in today’s selling environment, trust-based relationship selling is more preferred by many industries today because of high cost of customer switching to other similar products (Ingram et al, 2004). Instead of experiencing costs of losing customers, businesses invest in retaining those customers which can also lead to prospective customer base (Johnston and Marshall, 2005). In addition to this, this approach gives the bu siness the competitive advantage of building long-term relationships with the customers. If you pay a sales person enough money you will have a well-motivated sales person. Do you agree? Explain your reason.   The management of sales and most importantly sales person is a great task as it controls and at the same motivates sales person to work (David, 2008). Since sales person are not directly controlled, they require more motivation to perform their selling tasks. In addition, interaction levels also vary between sales person and sales managers depending on the positions which causes more difficulty in motivating them (Rosen, 2008). As a result, money could be one of the best motivational tools for the sales person. If sales person are asked that

Effects of franchised and international fashion stores on local Dissertation

Effects of franchised and international fashion stores on local clothing retailing and its relation to global marketing stratgie - Dissertation Example This situation analysis has been assessed and promulgated customised strategy under the â€Å"Global Marketing Strategies†. We have collected data relating to the Saudi woman and their frequency of visiting particular band irrespective local or international, and also Saudi market itself to harness what are the marketing mix positioning and strategy practiced in domestic shape. We have observed and analyzed different global marketing strategies which can help us to identify the gap in current strategy of retail mix in Saudi Arabia under current Global market strategies. This paper has dissected all the elements to identify this point in final state by breaking them in questionnaire. This fact based analysis will help to understand the upcoming competitive era with specified factors identified to contribute in greater extent to promulgate strategies for retail industry in Saudi Arabia. Research Word: Retail Industry, Retail marketing mix, Saudi franchised international brand, G lobal marketing strategy. 1. Introduction Saudi Arabia is getting very competition intense economy where most of the international brands are interested to invest and derive good revenue from the strength of local purchasing power. Many international events in Saudi Kingdom are now approaching for the foreign investment and it is arranging many exhibitions. Main area where most industry is developing for foreign trade in Dahahran, Jedda and Riyadh. In these are apparel having a important space. Diagram: Significance/ Capacity of venue From this chart we can see what are the factor’s that the Saudi woman considers for the purchasing of any clothing in retail stores. From this analysis and form the global growth of 15% for the retail fashion industry. In this point the strategy which is highly depending on the marketing mix composed of people, place, product and promotion varies significantly and contributed widely in business profitability. Ongoing brand consciousness and the strong purchasing power we can see that the international incentives to invest in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Based on this potentiality of this industry more research, information and facilitation form the government has to plan for the local retail store so that they can compete and survive with global competition. Eventually the local store can keep the customer demand in more customized way, but the fact is the taste ans culture is getting more global than particular land. We have summarized some research to support our existing research that we can continue the quantitative research based on this base of qualitative or exploratory research made by Amani Aqeel in 2012. Saudi women’s purchase intention from the total sample of 20 customers shows the figure above to prove the factors and their intensity. These summary reports can help us to pursue the further research in greater details of qualitative and quantitative extent. 2. Research aim-(Given/ Made by customer) 3. Re search Objective-(Given/Made by customer) 4. Literature Review- 2 pages Since 1853 , Levi Strauss used to believe as one of the most popular international fashion retailers all over the world. Upon continuing their operation after long years of time worldwide they have started their strategy to make standardization practice to meet the goal of meeting economies of scale and core

Key characteristics of life-span development

Key characteristics of life-span development Erik Erikson suggests that development is a life-long continuous process in which gains and losses in development occur throughout the life cycle. This challenges the concept of critical periods in Freuds theory. Development is multidimensional: Development occurs in the biological, cognitive, and social domains. The biological domain includes the physical changes an individual experiences throughout the course of their life. This would include growth and development in the body. An example of the biological aspect is hormonal changes during puberty. Puberty is the point in time where the development of sexual characteristics begins, and will allow these humans to become sexually active and be able to produce gametes for reproduction. The challenges an adolescence might face going through puberty is the need to adapt to changes occurring to the physical body, emotional changes such as feeling self-conscious about their changing body, and mental changes such as developing the capacity for abstract thought and problem-solving. Development is multidirectional: Some aspects of development may be increasing while others are declining or remains unchanged. For example, during late adulthood, older adults might become wiser with age but they perform more poorly than younger adults on tasks that require speed in processing information. Development is plastic: Development can be modified by life circumstances to some extent. According to Paul Baltes, humans have the capacity of plasticity or positive change to environmental difficulties throughout life.  For example, an individual who grew up in a broken home environment with an abusive father may turn out fine and do well in adulthood as the issues get healed along the lifespan. Development is dependent on history and context: Development is influenced by historical conditions. The historical time period in which we grow up affects our development. For example, children in early, middle or late childhood who grew up amidst a war may experience a lack in moral development when compared to those who grew up in a safe and stable environment. The children may grow up having altered functioning in the cognitive, behavioral, social and emotional aspect of their development. Development is multidisciplinary: Development is studied by a number of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience, and medicine. For example in medicine, one area of biological research which has significant importance for development is looking into slowing down the aging process. Their focus is in anti-aging foods and drugs which can reverse the biological effects of aging and some already have shown significant effects in animal studies. Development is contextual: Development occurs in the context of a persons biological makeup, physical environment, and social, historical, and cultural contexts normative age-graded influences: biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group (e.g., puberty, beginning school) normative history-graded influences: biological and environmental influences that are associated with history; influences that are common to people of a particular generation. An example is when the Singapore Government implemented the Stop at two child policy in 1969 to help control the rapid population growth. It had succeeded in significantly reducing the population however, it had influenced women greatly as they started to pursue careers before having children and this gave rise to numerous University graduated women failing to marry and bear offspring. non-normative life events: unusual occurrences that have a major impact on an individuals life; the occurrence, pattern, and sequence of these events are not applicable to most individuals (e.g., death of a parent at a young age, getting a serious illness, winning a lottery) Development Involves Growth, Maintenance, and Regulation of Loss The mastery of life often involves conflicts and competition among three goals of human development: growth, maintenance, and regulation. Growth starts early on in life from infancy through late adulthood. Maintenance and regulation follows after that around middle and late adulthood as individuals capacities take centre stage. This is the time of maintaining skills and minimizing deterioration. Theme 2 Biological Processes Biological processes involve changes in an individuals physical nature. Examples of biological processes includes, brain development, height and weight gains, changes in motor skills, hormonal and changes occurring in puberty. I will be focusing on the biological process of puberty which occurs during adolescence. Puberty is a time of maturation of the reproductive system and hormonal changes occurring in the brain. During puberty, in the case of males, a hormone called testosterone which are responsible for physical and behavioral masculinization, are released. Studies that use data on adolescents have generally found positive correlations between testosterone levels and aggressive or anti social behavior. Research on adolescents has also found that higher testosterone levels in adolescents is associated with increased sexual activity (Halpern, et al., 1998), age at first sexual intercourse (Dunne et al, 1997), increased criminal activity (Booth and Osgood, 1993), increased tobacco and alcohol use (Zitzmann and Nieschlag, 2001). In terms of criminal behavior, Dabbs et al. (1995) conducted a fascinating study of 692 male prison inmates, finding testosterone related to type of crime and to behavior in priso n. Testosterone was highest among inmates convicted of child molestation, rape, homicide, and assault, and it was lowest among inmates convicted of burglary, theft, and drug offences. In relation to Eriksons theory, in stage 5 of his Psychosocial theory which identifies the crisis of identity vs. identity confusion, this is a time of trying out new things till the adolescence establishes a personal identity or fails doing so and ends up being confuse with his role in life. Cognitive Processes Cognitive processes involve changes in the individuals thought, intelligence, and language. According to Piagets Cognitive Development Theory, children actively construct their understanding of the world and go through 4 stages of cognitive development. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth 2 years) The first stage of cognitive development is where infants are able to construct an understanding of the world by coordinating sensory experiences (such as seeing and hearing) with physical (motor) actions. For example, when an object is place in the infants hand and touches its palm, the fingers will then close and grasp it. This is known as the palmar grasps reflex. Preoperational Stage(2 7 years) The second stage is where thought becomes more symbolic, egocentric, and intuitive rather than logical, however, it is not operational. For example, the child is able to conduct symbolic play in which the children pretend that one object is another. To quote an example, little girls at this stage would conduct role play of a tea party in which they assign soft toys (symbols) roles representing their mother and father. To demonstrate egocentrism of the child at this stage, Piaget conducted the three mountains task in which children were asked to select a picture that showed the three mountains from their viewpoint. The children had little problems selecting the correct picture. However, when asked to select a picture from someone elses viewpoint, the children ended up selecting the same picture which showed their own viewpoint. This showed the childrens inability to understand things from another persons perspective. Concrete Operational Stage (7 11 years) This is the stage where logic begins to develop and thus the child is able to reason logically about concrete events and able to recognize the concept of conservation. For example, children in the concrete operational stage is able to distinguish that the volume of water in a tall and narrow cup is equivalent to that in the short and wide cup when equal amounts are poured from the same container. However, the child is unable to think hypothetically and have difficulty understanding abstract concepts. Formal Operational Stage (11 years adulthood) In this stage, the child is able to reason in a more abstract, idealistic and logical manner. The child is able to think theoretically and hypothetically in which the latter is important in subjects such as mathematics and science. The child is less egocentric and thus is able to understand things in a different perspective. The child is also able to conduct deductive reasoning where he is able to reason from generalities to specifics. Socioemotional Processes Socioemotional processes involve changes in the individuals relationships with other people, changes in personality and emotions. Eriksons Psychosocial Theory states that the primary motivation for human behavior is social and, reflects a desire to affiliate with other people. Erikson views development as a lifelong process consisting of a unique developmental task that confronts individual with a crisis that requires resolution. Failure to do so would result in possible negative outcomes in adulthood. Eriksons 8 stages of human development: Trust vs. Mistrust ( 0 1 year) In this stage, the infant is learning to trust others and the world. Trust is established when babies are given adequate and consistent warmth, loving touch and physical care. However, mistrust can develop if inadequate, inconsistent care is given by cold, indifferent and rejecting parents. Autonomy vs. Shame Doubt ( 1-3 years) Autonomy is the independence developed when toddlers are encouraged by their parents for doing things by themselves (e.g. putting on shoes) versus the shame and doubt if the caregiver were to reprimand the child for not being able to do the task promptly. Initiative vs. Guilt ( 3- 5 years) This is an extension of the second stage where, initiative develops when the pre-school-going child is encouraged to explore and take on new challenges versus the guilt that the child may experience if the parents criticize, prevent play or discourages asking questions. Industry vs. Inferiority ( 6 12 years) This is in the context of primary school where the child is supported or praised by teachers for doing for productive activities versus the inferiority that may occur if the childs efforts are regarded as inadequate or messy. Identity vs. Role confusion ( 10 20 years) The teenage years involve the need to establish a consistent personal identity versus role confusion where the adolescence is unsure of the direction he is heading. Intimacy vs. Isolation (20s , 30s) In this stage, intimacy develops when the individual begins establishing mature relationships with friends, family and eventually a lover or a spouse as he or she has the ability to care for others and sharing experiences with them. However, isolation develops when the individual is deemed as a loner and uncared for in his or her life. There is a relationship between this stage and the first stage which was trust vs. mistrust. For example, if an infant receives consistent tender loving care from the caregivers, trust would be developed and thus this would likely lead to the individual developing functional relationships in his adult life and vice versa, if the infant developed mistrust in his first year of life due to neglect from caregiver, there is a likelihood that the individual might end up being solitary in adulthood. Generativity vs Stagnation (40s , 50s) Generativity refers to the interest in guiding the next generation in terms of passing on values and traditions versus stagnation where the individual is only concerned with their individual needs and thus values are lost. Examples would be those who are single and/or married without children. Integrity vs. despair ( 60s onwards) Integrity occurs when the individual reflects upon life and has no regrets as they have lived a rich and responsible life versus despair where the individual views previous life events with regrets and experiences heartache and remorse. Theme 3 Nature vs. Nurture The nature-nurture controversy involves the debate about whether development is primarily influenced by nature or nurture. Nature is a product of genetic or prenatal environment where children are born with certain behaviors that are innate and are inborn biases. Nurture on the other hand, is the effects of certain experiences depending on the individuals perception. Genetically, some people are born with defects in their genes that can affect their brain function and emotions. Environmentally, severe cruel treatment of small children can create predispositions to becoming afflicted with no empathy and abnormal behaviors. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believes in noble savages where children were naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong and with an innate plan for orderly, healthy growth. On the contrary, the tabula rasa view by John Locke states that Children are born as blank slates and acquire characteristics through experience. This theory favors the nurture aspect of the debate with regards to ones personality, intelligence, social and emotional behavior. I would like to highlight on Schizophrenic serial killers. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory  hallucinations,  paranoid  or bizarre  delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction.  The disease is mostly genetically inherited as those having a first-degree relative with the disease are at a higher risk of developing it. An example of a notorious serial killer suffering from this disease is Ed Gein. He was not only known for brutally killing two women but for exhuming their corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes from their bones and skin. It was the horrific way of mutilation and the bizarre display of body parts in his home that raises questions as to why someone would do such a cruel act. Ed grew up in a strict and religious family with the presence of both parents in the household. A shy, effeminate boy, the younger Gein became a target for bullies. To make matters worse, his mother punished him whenever he tried to make friends. She also abused him and his brother. Despite his poor social development, he did fairly well in school, particularly in reading. Death in the family followed as firstly, his father died and then his brother and followed by his mother. All these environmental factors accounts for the abnormal behavioral patterns elicited by Ed. Therefore in this example, we cant safely determine that traits of a serial killer are purely genetic (nature) or purely environmental (nurture).However it is the interaction between these two traits that causes development of such a behavior. Continuity vs. Discontinuity This issue focuses on the extent to which development involves gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distinct stages (discontinuity).Developmentalists who emphasize nurture describe development as a gradual, continuous process whereas those who emphasizes nature often describe development as a series of distinct stages. For example, Freuds stage model of psychosexual development, theorized that children systematically move through distinct stages of oral, anal, phallic, and latency stages before reaching mature adult sexuality in the genital stage. Proponents of stage theories of development also suggest that individuals go through critical periods, which are times of increased and favored sensitivity to particular aspects of development. For example, early childhood (the first 5 years) is a critical period for language acquisition. Thus, most adults find it difficult or impossible to master a second language during their adult years while young children raised in bilingual homes normally learn second languages easily during childhood. Theorist Erik Erikson expanded upon Freuds ideas by proposing a  stage theory of psychosocial development.  Eriksons theory focused on conflicts that arise at different stages of development and, unlike Freuds theory, Erikson described development throughout the lifespan.. Stability vs. Change This issue involves the degree to which we become older renditions of our early experience or we develop into someone different from who we were at an early point in development. Many developmentalists who emphasize stability in development argue that stability is the result of heredity and possibly early experiences in life. Relating back to the above example of Ed Gein, he grew up socially introverted as he was discouraged making friends by his mother. In this case, he has attained stability where his personal experiences early on in childhood became a catalyst for who he would turn out to be in adulthood a serial killer. On the contrary, developmentalists who emphasize change take the more optimistic view that later experiences can produce change. I would like to quote the example of Liz Murray better known for being Homeless to Harvard. Murray grew up in the Bronx, New York to poor, drug addicted, and HIV-positive parents. She overcame hardships in her youth and struggled her way to achieve success and was accepted into Harvard University. Such, is an example of change that can occur later on in life and proves that early experiences can shape us in different ways. Theme 4 With regards to my friends extreme view that Eriksons psychosocial perspective was sufficient in describing human life span development, I disagree to that statement as they are many other theories to consider before making a conclusion as to which was sufficient. Psychoanalytic theories: The basis of Eriksons psychosocial theory is influenced by Freuds psychosexual theory. Eriksons works on extending Freuds theory as he found that Freuds ideas lacked vital social dimensions, and through his research and findings, it provided a key for his biopsychosocial perspective. Eriksons view of human development was life-long through his 8 stages which occur throughout life whereas; Freuds view of development was through critical periods which consist of the 5 stages at adolescent. Freud proposed that in the first stage, if the nursing childs appetite were thwarted during any  libidinal  development stage, the  anxiety  would persist into adulthood as a  neurosis  (functional mental disorder). If an  infant is not fed enough (neglected) or fed too much (over-protected) in the course of being nursed, it may result in the child growing up as an orally fixated adult. Oral-stage fixation may have one of two effects: (i) the underfed or neglected child might become a psychologically dependent adult continually seeking the oral stimulation denied in infancy, thereby becoming a manipulative person in fulfilling his or her needs, rather than maturing to independence; (ii) the over-protected or over-fed child might resist growing up and return to being dependent upon others. Example of the former would be an individual who grows up to be an orally fixated adult who is an over-eater or a smoking addict to compensate for the insufficient oral stimulation as an infant. On the contrary, the latter is an individual who grows up to be dependent on others and demanding satisfaction through acting helpless, crying and being needy. Therefore this highlights the importance of critical periods in Freuds stage theory. In Eriksons theory on the other hand, it presented individuals with a crisis at each stage where, depending on how one handle the challenge, it will result in positive or negative outcomes which can significantly affect ones personality and development. The benefits of this theory is that it emphasizes on the eight character-forming crisis stages, the concept also asserts that humans continue to change and develop throughout their lives, and that personality is not exclusively formed during early childhood years. It is certainly a view that greatly assists encouraging oneself and others to see the future as an opportunity for positive change and development, instead of looking back with blame and regret. The better that people come through each crisis, the better they will tend to deal with what lies ahead, but this is not to say that all is lost and never to be recovered if a person has had a negative experience during any particular crisis stage. However with every theory, there are limitations and this includes Eriksons theory. One of which is its ambiguous terms and concepts which can have several interpretations. Another reason is its lack of precision as some terms cannot be easily measure empirically. The experiences in some stages may only apply to males and not females. Cognitive theories: Piagets cognitive development theory presented cognitive development through 4 stages focusing on sensory experiences and physical actions (sensorimotor skills) and this provided the importance of examining developmental changes in childrens thinking. Vygotsky on the other hand, added a social and cultural aspect to his cognitive theory naming it the Sociocultural cognitive theory. He gave emphasize on social interaction and culture in shaping a childs cognitive process. He stresses that knowledge is not generated from within, but rather constructed through interaction with persons and cultural objects (such as books, computers). Banduras social cognitive theory focuses on the importance of environment to an individuals behavior. He emphasized the process of observational learning though imitation or modeling where people cognitively represent the behavior of others and adopt this behavior themselves. Information -processing theory emphasizes that human beings are active information processors that bring forth the process of thinking and thus learning good strategies for processing information is crucial. There are many factors that can affect human life span development and this includes the developmental processes in 3 key areas namely biological, cognitive and socioemotional. These three processes work hand in hand in the development of an integrated individual with a mind and body that are interdependent. The different theories address the different aspects of development and thus we cant conclude that only the Erikson theory best describes human development. Instead, adopting an eclectic approach is more accurate as it selects the best features from each theory. For example, Freuds theory best explains the unconscious mind while Eriksons theory best describes development being a life-long process and highlights the changes occurring in each stage. Piagets theory views cognitive development through sensorimotor and operational stages. Vygotsky added a social and cultural aspect to it and information-processing theory views humans as being capable to actively process information. C ombining the three cognitive theories provided a holistic approach to cognitive development. Behavioral and social cognitive theories such as Banduras, provided environmental influences on development. In conclusion, there is not one theory that can adequately explain human development but rather adopting an eclectic approach provided the best solution in holistically understanding human development.

Johnny Tremain :: essays research papers

The molten silver was bubbling in the cracked crucible. It started to spill all over its sides leaking down onto the floor. At first he felt nothing, then a great sudden pang. The pain was excruciating. His body collapsed on the floor with his hand following behind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of this book, a terrible accident befalls Johnny. One of his hands is badly burnt from an accident and he is scarred for life. He will never become a silversmith, a profession he aspires to be. With a shattered dream, he journeys out into the world of Boston to find himself another trade. There he meets Rab who is a sixteen-year old lad of few words. He is nevertheless calm, kind and caring. He is dedicated to his work at the Boston Observer. He helps Johnny find a job as a newspaper delivery boy for the Observer. He has a purpose in life and firmly believes in fighting against injustice brought on the American people by the British. He is a member of the â€Å"Sons of Liberty†. It is through this organization that Johnny’s life crisscrosses with some of the prominent members of the â€Å"Sons of Liberty†. First he runs errands for them and later he is actually involved with the activities of the organization. He helps by gath ering supporters and chopping up the tea at the Boston Tea Party. He loves the excitement and the adventures. He never doubts his physical courage till one day when he witnesses the shooting of a British deserter by the firing squad. The shooting badly unnerves him. He feels his own inadequacy. He begins to question if he really is a coward at heart. Johnny Tremain goes through a lot of change and growth throughout the book. In the beginning he is a smart, confident and hard-working teenager. He doesn’t have patience and despises his fellow apprentices whom he thinks are indolent and inferior. It is his pride of power that makes him rashly promise John Hancock that he can deliver the sugar basin. In an attempt to finish the basin on time he gets in an accident because of a cracked crucible passed to him by Dove. Dove wants to get even with Johnny for being treated badly by him. After the incident Johnny becomes very conscious of his disability. He realizes that he is not as valuable as before.

Discussion and Critique of Disney’s Pocahontas

Stereotypes are simply assumptions and generalizations that people make concerning a particular group. In most cases, these generalizations are often negative and are used to discredit and demean the target group. In the United States of America they have been in use since colonial times and are used to propagate racism. These stereotypes are spread by various methods such as in paintings, plays, comedies and films like in the case of Disney movies where the same is expressed through animated films such as Pocahontas, the Little Maiden among others.To narrow down the scope of this essay, the paper will specifically focus on how Disney films depict stereotypes of the Native Americans in the film, Pocahontas. In most of the Disney films, stereotyping is a subject that cannot be ignored. It has in many of their films been depicted as negative towards the Native Americans although in some cases they have been depicted as positive like in the case of Pocahontas. Most of these stereotypes are expressed by use of animated characters to represent various groups for example, women and young girls have been portrayed as oversexed especially those with big breasts and thin waists.Disney in the film Pocahontas though not overtly expressing the negative stereotypes that are found in the previous movies replicates some of them in a concealed manner while at the same time trying to portray other positive ones. Unlike in the previous films where women like Pocahontas were seen as overly sexed, in this film the young lady was portrayed as somebody who is shapely, mature high fashioned super model who is courageous, bright, politically progressive and literate. (Kilpatrick, J. )All Disney movies whether positively or negatively do not reflect a true picture and representation of races and in one way or the other try to reinforce negative cultural stereotypes of the native Americans. Disney in most films shows the natives as people who are primitive, savagery, unintelligent by th is is done by use of various animated creatures to represent this for example, in the Little Maiden Disney uses a dark and a light maiden to represent the characters of the natives and the whites respectively (Peach, L. J. 58).With reference to the above case, Disney uses the light mermaid which is portrayed as having good characters to represent the Whites while the dark mermaid with bad characters is used to represent the natives but unlike in the Little mermaid, Disney in Pocahontas brings the stereotype of love conquering racism by this super model saving the life of a Whiteman, Smith through love. â€Å"Pocahontas exudes a kind of soppy romanticism that not only saves John Smith’s life, but convinces the crew of the British ship to turn its greedy captain and return to England† (Giroux, 117).Disney films’ trials to depict native females as supportive, romantic, saviors and non-racists are challenged by other people who view this move in a negative light. Th ese are people like Green Rayna in the essay; The Pocahontas Perplex contradicts this by showing Pocahontas as a lady who betrays her race to the white race. (Peach, 95) In the film Pocahontas, there is under representation of races something that poses a very great danger to the children. The film fills the mind of these young children with a false notion that racism does not exist.Considering that the brain of a child is not yet fully developed, this child will take whatever is provided to them. Many parents do not see the harm that these films cause to the children and they think they are harmless something that is highly opposed by one of the top theorists Jack Zipes who argues that Disney films are dangerous to the children who watch them. To support this Giroux (121) says, â€Å"There is nothing innocent in what kids learn about race as portrayed in the magical world of Disney. †In the book, Celluloid Indians, the Native Americans are totally misrepresented in the films and are depicted as inferior to the whites. Those stereotypes that are depicted in this book can be classified into three that is mental, spiritual and sexual but the most important is the mental one. In most cases, native Indians have been depicted as warlike and have been portrayed as people who would fight at the slightest provocation and for this reason according to Kilpatrick (xvii), â€Å"they (the natives) have been firmly placed in the echelons of intelligence by many Euro-Americans†¦.There are other bad terms that have been used by the whites to refer to the Native Americans and especially to the Indians. These are terms such as dirty and red skinned, filthy, primitive, savagery and innocent. Most of these terms were used to compare the level of intelligence of the natives with that of the whites and thus insinuate that they are lesser intelligent that the whites. (Kilpatrick 1999; 32-35) In short in all Disney films, stereotyping is eminent whether positively or neg atively portrayed.In Pocahontas Disney tries to brainwash people into thinking that racism is a thing of the past but this is not true as in the end the two parties seem to go into separate ways. Nonetheless, the film tried to ameliorate the negative aspects of the Native Americans that have been portrayed by Disney’s previous films. These stereotypes are said to negatively impact on the children who in most cases tend to take what they see in the movies as the gospel truth.

Helping Teachers Become Leaders Essay

In â€Å"Helping Teachers Become Leaders,† Patricia Phelps (2008) presents a model that teachers, administrators and teacher educators can internalize in order to cultivate effective teacher leadership in our nation’s schools. Phelps begins her discussion of teacher leadership first by defining the concept. She cites Barth’s definition: â€Å"Making happen what you believe in† (p. 19). Phelps then goes on to argue that the development of teacher leadership has often been overlooked by both teacher education programs and by school administrators themselves: â€Å"The importance of cultivating leadership among teachers should not be underestimated as a powerful way to improve schools† (p. 122). The risk then of not empowering teachers to become leaders results in a significant threat to healthy school communities and effective and empowering teaching: â€Å"Those teachers who do not become leaders are typically satisfied with the status quo, easily discouraged, sometimes cynical, perhaps burned out, and may engage minimally in professional development activities† (p. 123). In the school that I have been working at, it is very evident that the handful of teachers who do believe in their ability to become leaders, are indeed the teachers who complain the most without doing anything about it, and seem to be most dissatisfied with their job. After having developed an argument for the rationale behind cultivating teacher leadership, Phelps outlines several key components about what skills, dispositions and competencies teachers need in order to take on leaderships roles within their schools. To begin with teachers must know what they believe about education. Phelps argues that teachers should be presented with opportunities throughout their teacher education program and throughout their careers that ask them to define what they believe about best teaching practices and the purpose of education. Furthermore, Phelps argues, teachers must understand and appreciate the value of becoming a leader in the schools. Teacher education programs and staff development must show examples of how teachers can and should become agents of positive change within their schools. Phelps also reminds teachers that a critical disposition for becoming a teacher leader is resiliency. Inevitably teachers will encounter obstacles along the way either internally from colleague or administrators or externally as a result of federal policy that sometimes fails to take into account the best interests of students. The next step in Phelps’ model is the development of the knowledge base that will help teachers assume a proactive and effective role within the school: â€Å"The knowledge base of teacher leadership consists primarily of the concepts of educational change and school culture† (p. 121). Phelps suggests that there are various types of roles that a teacher leader might assume: advocate, innovator and steward. After explaining how the teacher can best prepare to assume leadership roles, Phelps goes on to suggest that school administrators also play a significant role in determining whether or not teachers will feel comfortable taking on leadership roles: â€Å"By making clear the unique challenges that a school faces, the principal opens opportunities for leadership† (p. 120). I believe that Phelps’ emphasis on administrator’s role in this process is important. Administrators very much set the tone at a school, and when teachers feel that their ideas are valued and appreciated, they will be much more likely to step up to leadership roles. My principal frequently asks for staff input during meetings and asks for volunteers to become members of a committee. For example, when the school was considering whether to implement a dress code, our principal formed a committee and took all of their recommendations when it came time to adopt new policy. This makes staff members at our school feel valued and much more likely to take on leadership roles when they see other ways to improve the school. The process of preparing teachers to become leaders requires the commitment of many, not just teachers themselves. Teachers must be able to articulate what they believe and identify the roles that they can assume within the school to effect change. Administrators must create a positive tone and actively seek input from their staff. Teacher educators have the responsibility of cultivating an attitude and a belief in pre-service teachers that teacher leadership is both possible and necessary. If administrators, teachers and teacher educators take to heart these core components outlined by â€Å"Helping Teachers Become Leaders,† then we will make a big step toward sculpting out positive work environments that welcome and promote innovation. I believe that readings and discussions in this course about why becoming a leader is so important to schools and to individual teachers will help me to seek out and assume leadership roles throughout my career. Especially in the early stages of my career, I see myself most able to assume the role of steward, by exemplifying effective and innovative teaching practices and displaying a strong work ethic and a positive attitude about my profession. Once I begin to establish more of a professional identity, I hope then to be able to assume leadership roles in my school that will result in positive change on an even larger level.