Research Project on Inflation

For 129 years, from 1800 to 1929, there was zero inflation. Since the abandonment of the gold standard in 1933, there has been no restraint on the creation of money and debt out of thin air by the banking system. (1) Inflation has been a regular occurrence in our economy ever since. (1)

Since 1950 there has been an 87% reduction in the value of a dollar. Based on the consumer price index, a dollar in 1950 is worth only 13 cents today. (1) A postage stamp in the 1950’s cost 3 cents, and they now cost 37 cents, a 1233% jump in inflation. (1) A gallon of gasoline cost 15 cents; today it costs about $1.65, an 1100% increase. (1) A new house in 1959 averaged $14,900; today it’s $207,000, an inflation of 1289%. 

 

Order a custom research project on Inflation now!

 

(1) A dental crown used to cost $40; today it’s $640, an inflation of 1600%. (1) Several generations ago a person worked 1.4 months per year to pay for government; they now must work 5 months to do the same. 

(1) In the past, one wage earner families lived well and built savings, with minimal debt, and college educated their children without loans. (1) In the past, families commonly only had one parent working, today both parents must work to produce enough income to pay the bills. If this rate of inflation continues, what is the next option, putting your kids into the workforce? With so many mothers and fathers both in the workforce, the real losers are the children of these parents. They must be brought up by daycare or other forms of child care. When today’s 15-year old will retire, and with the value of today’s dollar being worth just 13 cents, the value of the dollar will be just 2 cents when compared to the 1950 dollar. (1)

Inflation by definition is the loss of a constant purchasing value of the dollar, caused by an increase of the supply of money and debt creation by the financial system at a faster rate than general economic growth, resulting in a rise in the general price level of goods and services. (2) Its opposite is deflation, a fall in the general price or a contraction of credit and availability of money. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics produces the Consumer Price Index (CPI) yearly. The CPI measures average price changes in relation to prices in a randomly selected base year. (2) While the CPI is usually considered the most reliable estimate of inflation, some economists have questioned whether it overstates inflationary trends. Inflation results from an increase in the amount of circulating currency beyond the needs of trade. (2) When an oversupply of currency is created, the value of money decreases. (2) Deflation is brought about by the opposite condition. In the past, inflation was often due to a large entry of gold, such as took place in Europe after the discovery of America and at the end of the 19th century when new supplies of gold were found and exploited in South Africa. 

Recently the most common causes of inflation include government borrowing, the increase in the money supply, and a diminished supply of consumer goods which increase demand, causing prices to rise. (2)

Inflation stimulates business and helps wages to rise, but the increase in wages usually fails to match the increase in prices, which causes actual wages to shrink. Stockholders sometimes falsely think they are making gains from increased business profits, but bondholders are actually loosing because their fixed percentage return has less buying power. (2) Borrowers also gain from inflation since the future value of money is reduced. Deflation lowers prices and increases unemployment through the depression of business. An abnormally steep and sudden rise in prices, sometimes called hyperinflation, may result in the eventual breakdown of an entire nation's economic system. (2) One example of this occurred in Germany in 1923 where prices rose 2,500% in one month. (2) In the United States, annual price increases of less than about 2% or 3% are not considered indicative of serious inflation. (2) During the early 1970s, however, prices rose by much higher percentages, leading President Nixon to apply wage and price controls in 1971.

To better understand what inflation is, imagine that everything was for sale on the entire planet. Every good or service that exists today has the value of 100 units. Also, imagine that all the money in the world is also equal to 100 units today. Now, imagine that people worked very hard and increased the availability of goods and services on the planet to 102 units, a gain of 2% in global GDP. This would cause a deflated dollar because less money is chasing a small surplus of goods. Now imagine that the total global money supply increased from 100 units to 112 units globally, up 12%. With 112 units of money chasing only 102 units of goods and services, global price levels will gradually rise. Since there are only a limited number of things on which money can be spent, and increase in the money supply that exceeds the increase of available goods and services over the same time period is inflationary. When more money chases fewer goods and services, inflation is the inevitable result. (3)

Deflation occurs when one of 3 things happen. (3) First, if the total money supply rises slower than an increase in goods and services. (3) Second, if the total money supply shrinks and the goods and services expand, deflation occurs. (3) Third, if the total money supply shrinks faster than goods and services contract, deflation occurs. (3)

It is intimidating to think that the value of your savings may only be as valuable as the rate of inflation allows. It is scary to think about what might happen to our lifestyles if inflation continues at it’s steady pace. People’s wages need to be adjusted accordingly to the rate of inflation.

In conclusion, inflation is a problem that is not going to be solved unless we go back to the gold standard or by some other government stability.

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Inflation topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Inflation for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________

Research Project on Eating Disorders

Introduction

Eating disorders in children today are reaching epidemic proportions. This assignment will explore the issues surrounding childhood obesity, the psychological effects, social effects, associated health risks, the impact it has on adult life and what we can do combat this problem. To assist in this exploration, references and the results of the field research conducted will be used to highlight these areas.

The statistics are really quite alarming. According to Peregrin (2001), 11%, an incredible 4.7 million children and adolescents in the United States are deemed as ‘seriously overweight’. Numerous theorists believe that eating disorders stem from the “early interactions with caretakers” forming their “foundations for beliefs, attitudes, and expectations about the self” (Rabinor 1994, p. 272). Caretakers constituting all those whom maintain regular contact with the children thus would include parents and educators. There is evidence to support childhood obesity being the result of the parent’s genetic makeup, beliefs and attitudes and the increase in sedentary behaviour.

 

Order a custom research project on Eating Disorders now!

 

Annotated Bibliography

Abraham, S., & Llewellyn-Jones, D. (2001). Eating disorders: the facts (5th ed.). United States: Oxford University Press.

Obesity itself, is quite difficult to determine however in 1995 an Australian “National Health survey found that 19 per cent of men and 18% of women aged 20-69 were obese as defined by a BMI of 30 or more”. (p. 239)

Chapter eleven of this book thoroughly examines every possible aspect of obesity from a number of perspectives. It begins by defining obesity using the body mass index and waist measurements to calculate it. The authors recognise that in other countries obesity is an indication of prosperity, those whom are well respected and affluent in society whereas our western societies carry a social stigma, obese people being considered not worthy of treatment and targets of discrimination.

Possible genetic and behavioural factors are the primary reasons for obesity. It acknowledges the disadvantages for obese children and the psychological repercussions it could have.

The authors discuss how to manage obesity through exercise and detailed weight loss programs whilst providing case studies of obese people and offering their suggestions for tackling the problem. It also provides graphic details of people that have undergone various treatments. A comprehensive list of drugs are referenced to aid obesity and details of surgical procedures that are available. This however, is focused towards the ‘morbidly obese’ adult population.

Anderson, R. (2000) The spread of the childhood obesity epidemic, Canadian Medical Association Journal, 163, 1461. Retrieved April 25, 2002, from Proquest Psychology Journals database.

Alarming figures show, “In the United States alone the estimated annual number of deaths attributable to obesity is about 280 000”. (p. 163) Anderson aims to report on the associated psychological problems and health risks concerned with obesity, acknowledging that in most cases obese children mature into obese adults. A sedentary lifestyle is seen to be the major cause in childhood obesity.

Anderson on a couple of occasions uses the term fat or fatter. This was the only article reviewed that made use of such words. For example, “Moreover, the fattest children were those who reported low levels of vigorous activity and high levels of television watching”. (2000, p. 163) This article, produced by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, was written relatively recently and came as a shock, the word ‘fat’ deemed as politically incorrect, these days.

Anderson declares childhood obesity a community issue and that all leaders, schools and health care professionals must work together in devising ways to resolve this problem. Emphasis is placed on the need for healthier diets and more physical activity.

Brown, L. (2001). Go outside and play! Better Nutrition {Online}, 63, 46-52. Retrieved May, 1, 2002, from Proquest Psychology Journals database.

In this article, Brown outlines the trends in childhood obesity and attributes them to both nature and nurture. Brown goes on to discuss a myriad of reasons for why children are becoming obese. These include the replacement of sports and other active tasks with sedentary behaviour, the media targeting children in promoting unhealthy foods, the larger portions of food being served, eating out and convenience food that lack in nutrition and role models being gangster rappers. There is little importance placed on the genetic contributions. She indicates that obese parents do have some bearing on their children’s weight, noting that there are contradicting studies. The previous factors seem more predominant.

Brown indicates that this results in numerous social, psychological and health problems and offers ten preventative tips to assist parents in developing healthy children. Although they are very helpful, there seems to be one problem and that is that the majority of those reading this particular journal, titled Better Nutrition aren’t going to be candidates of this problem. There is a dilemma of conveying this message to the people who aren’t familiar with this information.

Cristol, H. (2002) Trends in global obesity, The Futurist, 36, 10. Retrieved April 26, 2002, from Proquest Psychology Journals database.

Cristol interviews nutritionist Youfa Wang on her recent studies into childhood obesity and discusses the many attributes to this condition. She has undertaken studies in three countries, America, China and Russia and made comparisons. She claims that “Excessive body fat promotes heart disease and diabetes” and that “obesity is linked to various cancers, congestive heart failure, stroke depression, incontinence and other numerous diseases and ailments” (p. 10).

According to her studies, childhood obesity seems to be most serious in the United States. Interestingly, obesity seems to be more common in American families of a low socio-economic background whereas in China, childhood obesity seems to arise in affluent families.

As these children become adults ‘their quality of life is threatened by myriad health risks, economic loss, and physical limitations’. (2002, p. 10) Cristol discusses a new treatment breakthrough oleylethanolamide, commonly referred to as OEA. The substance was trialled on rats and the results were pleasing. The intake of OEA was found to reduce the rat’s dietary intake as well as substantially limit weight gain whilst not affecting the nervous systems like most dieting treatments on the market do.

Gable, S., & Lutz, S. (2000). Household, parent and child contributions to childhood obesity. Family Relations, 49, 293-300.

Gable & Lutz discuss the need for improved nutritional knowledge in parents and for them to restrict sedentary behaviour in their children to target the problem of childhood obesity.

Because of the very little success medical professionals are having treating adult obesity, they claim that the emphasis needs to be placed on preventing obesity in children. This will aspire to lower levels of obesity in adults. According to the article, obesity results from a multitude of factors. These include family demographics, type of household, parenting beliefs and practices, television viewing and physical activity.

A study was conducted whereby there were two primary objectives. The first was to establish the interrelationships between indirect factors and direct factors to indicate those factors that may attribute to children’s obesity in later life. The second was to make a comparison on obese and their more slender counterparts in terms of parenting values and attitudes, demographics, availability of food, child’s consumption of food and activities.

The results lead to the conclusion that environmental and behavioural factors have an enormous bearing on childhood obesity and that the best approach to tackle the issue is via reduction of sedentary activity, watching television and playing videogames and an educating the parents and caretakers on child nutrition and how to approach meals.

Peregrin, T. (2001). Take 10!: Classroom based program fights obesity by getting kids out of their seats. Journal of American Dietetic Association, 101, 1409. Retrieved April 30, 2001, from Proquest Psychology Journals database.

This article examines the Take 10! Program, which commenced in 238 American schools across 16 states in late 2001. Designed especially for primary children, it includes studies of nutrition and food safety and aims to incorporate physical activity in all areas of learning. This includes reading, mathematics, music and creative writing. Teachers are provided with all the training, guidance and necessary materials.

The Take 10! Program is realistic in their expectations. They by no means believe that it will solve the childhood obesity epidemic but they believe it is a starting point that will hopefully modify children’s behaviour.

A review of the implemented program found that children really enjoyed it, that they were participative and looked forward to the Take 10! Program activities. The response from the parents was also of a positive nature. Because of the success, the creators, The International Life Sciences Institute are developing a program to be played out at home that will accompany the homework provided and also a program that could possibly be incorporated into the workplace to attack adult obesity.

Synthesis

While various studies in regards to childhood obesity have focused on different aspects, all authors reviewed for the purpose of this report recognised sedentary behaviour as one of the major attributes to childhood obesity. Sedentary behaviour is becoming extremely common in children today. Previous generations of children weren’t equipped with these technological advances such as video games, computers and perhaps even television instead relying solely on forms of active play for entertainment. This behaviour could be the result of parents working longer hours and not having the time to schedule outings at the park and encourage exercise. Safety and laziness are definitely key issues. It is quite common for people to drive the shortest of distances or to order take-out to save time in travel and meal preparation. (Brown, 2001)

The term obesity is often misused in context; it may just be that the person is slightly overweight. The general definition for obesity is that of a dangerous health problem occurring in people whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more. It is however, difficult to determine what portion of the community is obese due to the assorted definitions of ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’. (Abraham, Llewellyn-Jones 2001)

Cristol gives rise to the numerous health and psychological implications for obese children. These include, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes.

The truth is, children can be cruel. Children who are teased at school because of their weight can be left with deep emotional scars, something that perhaps encourage them to eat more (relying on food for comfort) and resulting in depression. (Cristol, 2002)

Another common observation is the raised question of genetic contributions. It appears that the authors rate this of minor contribution to childhood obesity because there is very little reference in the material dedicated to it; there is more of a focus steered to parental attitudes to eating. Parents are the people who form the basis of the children’s lifestyle. If the parent’s lead a healthy active life, than that will have a positive effect on the children’s eating behaviour and activities. Education and prevention starts at home. (Rabinor, 272-273)

Edmunds, Waters & Elliot links childhood obesity to societal and environmental factors; that encourage weight gain. They declare that adult obesity treatment programmes have not proven successful and that we must develop a strategy to eradicate this problem. Evidence suggests that the family need to provide a suitable environment for treatment and prevention of weight gain. Schools present an opportunity for prevention strategies and programs need to take effect. This by no means should single out the overweight children. Studies show that these programs have proven to be successful. (Peregrin, 1409)

We all have to take some responsibility for the obesity epidemic. It needs to be approached as a community, with all parties involved. We need to set an example for the children and actively promotes exercise and nutritional value in foods. Parents need to be made aware of the risks associated with obesity and the importance of early prevention. (Anderson, p. 1461)

Methodology

This fieldwork activity involved a process study interviewing a number of mothers in regards to their children’s eating behaviour. The objective was to review and compare children’s eating behaviour in order to determine the main contributions to eating disorders and the possible effects.

Dr Linda Gilmore who is currently conducting a research project compiled surveys. With participants consent, the material will contribute to her further studies in younger children’s eating behaviours. The specific requirements of the mothers interviewed were that their children were of 2-4 or 7-9 years of age. All mothers that were interviewed had children of 2-4 years of age and are of middle income families that live on the Southside of Brisbane.

The surveys were completed over a two-week period. The Information for Participants was given to each subject individually and an interview was performed. The mothers were advised of the purpose of the questionnaire, agreed confidentiality and were given the option of their data being used in the larger research. All results were recorded on to the questionnaire and presented to the mother for inspection. Once satisfied, candidates were thanked for their time and participation. The four surveys are provided in Appendix 2.

Field Research

Results and Discussion

All mothers interviewed confessed to leading a healthy lifestyle and eating a wide range of food. Like most women, the majority of mothers did confess to dieting at some stage, self-image and nutrition having a huge bearing on their lives.

All mothers categorised their children as being “Just right” in terms of their age and height, which was on average 3-4 years. It seems highly unlikely that mothers would confess to seeing their child as overweight even if that were the case. It is a common that people tend to fabricate the truth in order to gain acceptance and to be viewed as ‘normal’.

Interestingly when it came to mealtimes, the only child that was reluctant to eat their meal, rejecting their meal by pushing it away or complaining about the food offered is the only young boy, the girls seem to have caused no problems at mealtimes. Whether gender has a bearing in this instance, I am not sure, only with larger studies could we conclude such a statement. This could be a result of personality, distaste and experiences.

The majority of the children’s favourite foods were all very nutritional and included chicken, fish, pasta, apples, various vegetables and rice. The only exception to this being ice cream and coco pops. Natural responses, they are children, after all.

However, because of their young age, the children probably haven’t been exposed to take-out and convenience foods, as older children would have. The Eating Diaries verifying this, with all meals being prepared and eaten at home.

The foods that children refuse to eat are mostly from the fruit and vegetable food group with the addition of boiled eggs and occasionally meat. Most mothers indicated that their children were quite happy to try new foods and that they weren’t worried about getting fat from eating. At 3-4 years of age the media in regards to body image does not have a huge influence on them. They haven’t established any particular role models.

The Food diaries revealed that all but one child had quite healthy eating habits and again it was the male child whose results stood out. On what was considered a typical day he consumed the standard five meals. These included numerous sugary beverages, servings of chocolate biscuits, chicken nuggets, potato gems, a milkshake and a chocolate desert. He did however consume a sandwich, yoghurt, rolled oats and a piece of fruit. This is by no means a healthy diet, dinner comprising mostly of convenience foods. Without any form of exercise taking place, this could contribute to some weight gain. This mother did admit to her son being extremely fussy and offered her child a choice in all meals he eats, with the exception of dinner. He is not forced to eat his dinner and is not offered any alternatives.

She stated that he is not enthusiastic about trying new things and frequently uses the word “yucky” when an attempt is made.

Unfortunately for the purpose of this study, not one of the mothers surveyed had overweight children as such, so it was difficult to relate responses to the information researched in this review.

Conclusion

In summary, the results of this study and many others link childhood obesity to parental eating behaviour, sedentary activities, genetic influences and reflections of the social environment.

Any review of obesity must consider the possible ways to reduce this epidemic but needs to differentiate between those things that can realistically be modified and those that are unlikely to change. It seems apparent that in order for us to fight this war against obesity, we must target the children before they mature into adults. 

It is imperative that all members of the community are involved and that education accompanies the opportunity for change. (Gable & Lutz, 2000)

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Eating Disorders topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Eating Disorders for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________

Research Project on Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders are the most common of all the mental disorders. An anxiety disorder may make you feel anxious most of the time, without any apparent reason. They can even make you feel as if you are going to die. Jonathan Davidson MD got an idea of taking the natural product of kava kava and using it as a drug to help treat anxiety and daily stress. In the South Pacific kava kava is used to help induce states of clam and as a ceremonial drug. Kava in fact might have clinically useful anxiety plummeting properties according to some European literature. However, recent cases of severe liver damage have been found with the use of kava. It was even taken off the shelves in European countries. In Germany they are thinking of just using kava for prescription use only. In the United States they are taking a closer look at kava and, so far, have not made any determination on whether or not it is too harmful for every usage.

 

Order a custom research project on Anxiety now!

 

Literature on kava for anxiety treatment was reviewed. The authors of this article required that all studies met certain acceptable standards for this particular study. Fourteen double blind, randomized clinical trials were recognized, seven of which were excluded because they were either a reproduction of publications or were performed using a different form of kava. They had to exclude another study because a benzo-diazepine was used in combination. There were seven trials left of methodo-logic acceptability. Six of these scored at least three points out of a maximum of five to asses methodo-logic quality. The Hamilton Anxiety scale was used in three of the studies as a primary outcome measure. This made it possible to pool these statistics in a meta-analysis. An advantage to this trial was the use of a single form of kava. At first look the results looked really good. It looked good because of the weighted mean difference between kava and placebo. Looking at each of the individuals studies some surprising findings arouse. In the first study the Hamilton anxiety scale went down from 25.3 to 12.6, while on the placebo the score was reduced to 24.3 to 21.0. In the second study anxiety was reduced from 31.1 to 5.5 on kava, in comparison to the reduction on placebo which was 30.2 to 22.5. The third study anxiety declined from 30.7 to 9.7 on kava in comparison to the reduction of the placebo which was 31.4 to 14.9. In anxiety disorder patients reduction of this magnitude is unusual. 

Differences of nine points between drug and placebo in GAD studies are most unusual. Another unusual thing with the trials is their relatively high baseline Hamilton Anxiety scores. The third problem is the breakdown of all three trials to differentiate the anxiety disorders, or to present results in ways that enable the reader to compare kava versus placebo for each of the disorders. For example, it is known, that a drug such as buspirone, which may be useful in GAD, is not going to be helpful for anxiety disorders. Likewise, tricyclic antidepressants can assist patients with panic disorder, but are usually not helpful in social anxiety. One of the studies in the one of the articles has been published only as an abstract, and it is hard, without a lot of information to make a great deal of it.

In conclusion kava kava might have a greater anxiolytic effect in comparison to placebo, but this is still far from certain. At the moment psychiatrists have a very weak understanding about the kinds of anxiety that are most likely to benefit from kava kava.

Before kava kava is to become established as a credible drug, much more data of clearer provenance is needed. It all comes back to the safety question. The reports of liver damage cannot be overlooked. The liver damage kava might cause needs to be looked into further if kava is to have a future. Short term use of kava kava might be helpful as a stress-response.

This article relates to the chapter we are currently learning about. We are learning about the Psychological disorders chapter. In this chapter we are learning about anxiety disorders and how they differ from ordinary worries and fears that everyone experiences. The article I read and did my paper on is just another way that doctors are trying to help cure the horrible feeling people get when they experience an anxiety disorder.

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Anxiety Disorder topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Anxiety Disorder for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________

Research Project on Advertising

There are numerous ways through which people are persuaded to buy their necessities or even luxuries. It is especially through these persuasive actions of the marketers, publicists and producers that advertising "an active strategy of selling and marketing" (P. Falk 1997:65 in Buy this Book) became the means of selling the products. However, since humans are complex beings having many different habits and patterns, it is of utmost importance that these patterns and habits are identified and understood for efficient advertising. Thus, it is through the Manchester model that in this essay I will attempt to argue some aspects of advertising, which does not only revolve around simple TV ads but also draws from production through to reception. I will also argue that advertising does encounter difficulties that I will review as its criticisms. I therefore will not be using the Hypodermic Syringe or Two Step-Flow model to analyze advertising.

 

Order a custom research project on Advertising now!

 

Paul Taylor et al writes “advertising agencies normally prefer a market research classification which groups people along occupational lines which reflect consumption patterns, spending power and life styles”. (P. Taylor et al 1995:31). In other words producers and advertisers are not simply producing for everyone but for different segments of people within the audience. It is for this reason that the way in which people consume and spend is of great importance to the advertisers and producers. This is because it helps the producers to make their advertisement the most efficient. We can illustrate this argument using the example below and simultaneously exploring the way in which advertisements are produced. (P. Taylor et al 1995).

In production the aim is to indulge people to buy the idea or product. Sometimes the product or idea is manufactured so as to openly advertise its related item such as in the case of fashion shows promoting clothes that are mostly directed towards the consumers with more purchasing power. However in other circumstances of production the idea of the product is hidden within a broader picture. Lury supports this argument from a Marxist perspective when she argues, “ Marx used the term fetishism of commodities to describe the disguising or masking of commodities whereby the appearance of goods hides the story of those who made them and how they were made” (C.Lury 1996:41). Then not only the clothes are being advertised in a fashion show for example, but rather more importantly the culture, lifestyle, history and materialism is being advertised but in disguise. The above was thus an essential tool in the cold war for the transmission of western capitalistic ideology. (C.Lury 1996).

Thus as the model emphasizes, through segmentation producers use the manner in which people consume not only to know how and what to produce but also to circulate, sell and distribute their products or ideas especially in cases where they have manufactured new products and ideas. (P. Taylor et al 1995)

When we talk about distribution for a particular audience we can use the children as an illustration since it is well known that they learn through exploration and discovery, thus the latter are used as method to induce children to consume newly made products. In a local advertisement, the setting of children in a spaceship on a mission of exploration was the tool employed to lead children to discover the new snack called ‘double cheese curls’. As children are fans of television the means of distribution of the product was indeed television. The result was that children were good consumers of the product. Thus for advertising to work the producers need to identify their audience and the means of circulation and distribution carefully this often comprises of the television, radio, magazines, internet etc. (P. Taylor et al 1995)

Even if the consumption pattern is drawn out it is of uttermost importance that what the audience consumes carries a meaning to which he can identify himself. Thus the exchange values attached to the product are essential if it is to be bought when advertised. Often different categories of commodities are used with different types of values to amplify the coolness, morality, traditionalism etc, which are coded within the advertising of a product. Therefore messages are conveyed through diverse signs and symbols known as semiotics that people have to decode as Stuart Hall argues. Semiotics is also used on advertising destinations especially for exotic islands such as Seychelles. As a result, meanings are attributed to a product, this is why Jones and Jones argue, “ we can only make sense of a sign when it is set in a meaningful context”. (Jones and Jones 1999:171).

Additionally semiotics can also have an effect on the emotions; this results in emotions being used when advertising a product, to evoke certain feelings of belonging, sympathy, security or shock. Many products and even musical shows held for the aid of orphans carried a greater impact when princess Diana or her memory was used as a popular figure for its advertisement. This promoted a sense of sympathy, sadness and morality compelling the consumers to belong to the same group as Lady Diana and thus participating and buying for a good cause. Often people such as Mother Theresa or Princess Diana are used because of their popularity and nobleness to invite people to contribute towards many activities and to feel moral satisfaction. Hence popularity and authenticity are tools used to influence people into buying, consuming or supporting an idea. (G. Branston and R. Stafford 2003).

However if the producer intends to make the commodity ‘worldwide’ it cannot solely rely on the promotion of its product but also on its brand, thus “branding associates certain meanings with product”(G. Branston and R. Stafford 2003:372). One might argue that consumers tend to consume and buy to soothe feelings of anxiety and fear from being insecure and deprived of their essential needs. Branding then comes as a guarantor that even before use, things will be better. Thus the Virgin Company took to establishing itself in almost all aspects of the consumer’s life by advertising thus selling its name before its product inspiring a sense of security. This is common in the promotion of its logo on different items that it produces such as t-shirts and also donations or sponsors that it offers. (G. Branston and R. Stafford 2003).

But how does governance fit into advertising ‘s manner of application? In order to pass on messages and ideas, producers need to have modes of transmission, which include TV, radio, newspapers, magazines internet etc. Power and popularity are key factors that help into the production of advertisements. Therefore a person such as Rupert Murdoch can be of good influence to the audience, as he possesses not only ownership but also a certain degree of control over the media. Another interesting aspect of governance in advertising is the mere fact that technology can make it possible for the sale of products to a person directly. This is because information about a person can be obtained at only a click away on a computer database. In other words a great deal of brainwashing is used in order to get to the desired effect of advertising. (C.Lury 1996).

The last phase of this model that we will argue about advertising is the reception or response. Advertising thus works by producing discourses about particular objects or ideologies where one of such is the way that the audience undeniably comprised of women comes to perceive women themselves as sexual objects to men as well as seen in the home. (S. Thornham 2000). Interestingly then, it invites the consumer to change consumption pattern and adopt one that matches better with the evolution in capitalist production and consumption which in turn is being reified. Thus on reception the consumer buys into a different culture, which will influence his consumption at a very significant extent. (C.Lury 1996).

Nonetheless after seeing the working aspects of advertising we now come to its critical aspect, when we attack its position about production. Often, ‘Over production’ of products hampers the real effect of advertising. This is such because when there’s over production, not all the commodities have the chance to produce the desired effect and the audience often feels misguided and indecisive. Ultimately the consumer does not buy what is needful and useful for the value of his money and often takes more time than intended to decide upon a commodity. Yet as Branston and Stafford argue “it defends itself by arguing that it helps us to be ‘rational consumers’”. (Branston and Stafford 2003:367). But in reality the audience becomes less rational because of too much of the product for example shampoos to choose from are being advertised. Rather than being efficient at choice the advertisements often slows decision and rationality. (Branston and Stafford 2003).

Human beings are very unpredictable. Even if there is much research done to understand how people react there is still the element of uncertainty when dealing with humans. Thus one other critique is the assumption that the market research can predict the reactions of the consumer is thrown into question, since it is very important to keep up with every day reactions of the audience. Thus keeping up with the consumer proves to be an impossible task in itself. As a consequence advertisers are faced with uncertainties that they often cannot solve or overcome. This proves to be one of the downfalls of advertising and undoubtedly a challenge to the producers and advertisers. (C.Lury 1996).

Semiotics is one other area where much can be criticized. This is because we can argue that it is not always easy or straightforward to understand the coded messages being conveyed through those numerous signs and symbols. One of the major reasons for this is that producers and advertisers overestimate the educative and discerning skills of the readers and assumes that they will be able to comprehend what is being transmitted. (V. Nightingale 1996).

So, occasionally the images, signs and symbols give the audience limited range of readings because of their prior education and therefore makes it, that the reader cannot understand the intended message and thus acquire a different meaning to the originally intended one. This happened with one of the advertisement where Russ Abbot the comedian was used as an actor in an ad for Castella Cigars, and instead of understanding what the ad was about the audience understood it as a joke. This is termed as Leakey boundaries by O’Donohoe, between advertising and cultural forms. (S. O’Donohoe from Buy this Book 1997).

One other aspect of advertising that brings undesired effects and that producers and advertisers have to deal with is negative advertising. We can relate negative advertising to the different messages conveyed to the community through music and songs. As young people are vulnerable and very flexible many musical groups use youth vulnerability to promote drugs, sex, racism and violence. Thus production and advertising often have to watch out for the negative influences or contradictions of their production for this brings about what Schroder calls “The Cynical Response”(K. Schroder from Buy this Book 1997:282). That is the audience resents what the producers are promoting through their advertisements and productions because it does not take into consideration the interest of the community. As a result the advertisement can produce negative responses. (K. Schroder from Buy this Book 1997).

In conclusion one can come to realize that advertising plays a major role into our everyday lives. This is essentially portrayed into the way that we consume and behave vis-а-vis advertising. We cannot therefore shut ourselves away form advertisement for to a greater extent that we might want to acknowledge it is almost impossible to live in a world without advertising. In analyzing the Manchester model I have explored only some of the ways in which advertising works. This forces us to come to the realization that whether we like it or not we are influenced beyond our own control to abide to the domination of advertisement in our lives. Be it in production, circulation or exchange-value advertising is able to revolutionize the way we use to perceive things into new discourses for its own benefit. (Branston and Stafford 2003)

Although, advertisers, publicists and marketers encounter several objections these do not flush out the scope that advertising has on its consumers but rather presents new ways in which the producers and advertisers need to work in order to keep their business going. Advertisement can be of great benefit to consumers but Branston and Stafford brings us to realize a very pertinent position that might be one of overwhelming concern. One might think that if advertising induces unlimited consumption we can come to a point where we are so indulged in capitalistic consumption that we might lose our identity through the incessant search to belong and feel secure through consumption. (Branston and Stafford 2003).

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Advertising topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Advertising for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________

Research Project on Cloning

Background
Cloning involves removing the nucleus from the unfertilised egg of an organism and introducing this nucleus (which contains DNA) into an egg cell of another organism that does not contain a nucleus. Subsequently, this newly created cell is transplanted into another organism, producing an organism genetically identical to the original one. Benefits of human cloning include the fact that various diseases may become manageable, such as cancer and diabetes. However, there are also disadvantages related to human cloning, one of the biggest is the fact that people are seen to be uniquely created in the image, and by, God. It can be argued that we do not have the right to change the intentions of God in our society. Personally, I believe that the process of human cloning should be restricted to a certain extent. This, to my belief, could create conflict as to what restrictions must be placed upon the process, however if there is no remedy to the problem then it should be banned worldwide. Certainly there are positives involved with the process of human cloning, however I believe that the arguments against human cloning far outweigh the positive functions of it.

 

Order a custom research project on Cloning now!

 

Biological Relevance
Cloning entails isolating and reproducing deoxyribonucleic acid (DINA) from a donor, in order to create an organism that is genetically identical to the donor. The donor’s DNA is introduced into a differentiated cell, which contains no DNA. Differentiation is a natural process, in which cells specialise into a certain kind of cell in order to perform specific functions. Differentiation is an extremely important process, because once cells from a recently fertilised egg differentiate, they “create” organisms. The process of cloning human embryos is extremely similar to the process of cloning animal embryos. In 1996, scientists were able to clone an adult sheep and named it Dolly. Dolly had been cloned from a cell, which had been taken from the adult sheep by the process of nuclear transfer.

In order to create Dolly, initially, the pronucleus (the nucleus of a fertilised egg) from a donor cell, taken from the sheep to be cloned, was removed. Next, an unfertilised egg cell (an oocyte) was taken from another sheep. The nucleus from this oocyte was also removed from the egg cell, creating an enucleated oocyte (an oocyte without a nucleus). Due to the fact that both the nucleus and the pronucleus has been removed, these cells had no chance of developing into an organism, as a cell does not function at all without a nucleus. This nucleus that has been removed, was then placed into the egg cell of the female sheep that had the pronucleus removed. This created a newly structured cell, which now had a different nucleus. The nucleus acts as the “nerve centre” or “brain” of a cell, and controls all the functions within the cell. A tiny pulse of electricity was then shot through the newly structured cell, which activated the process of differentiation of the cells. The egg cell containing the pronucleus was then transplanted into the womb of another female sheep, where it developed into the sheep we now call Dolly. This has led to recent developments in Australia within the area of cloning of other sheep and animals, and has led to arguments both for and against the issue worldwide as to whether the step should be taken to clone humans.

Human cloning is socially relevant today because there have been recent technological advances in the science field, leading to the cloning of various animals. There has also been much talk about whether it is morally right to clone humans, and recently, a family in Melbourne has given the “green light” to clone a child in order to save their oldest daughter from a deadly disease.

Some of the forces making human cloning relevant include scientists and the media. Scientists are endlessly trying to discover possible applications of cloning, whether it be animal or plant. Their intention is to try to find possible cures for diseases, as well as trying to generate possible spare body parts. Another issue making human cloning relevant is the media. They are extremely interested in the issue of human cloning, and have displayed continuous worldwide coverage on the issue.

Impacts Of The Issue
The issue of human cloning would affect many people and organisations, such as the church and other religious groups, the government, and the cloned humans themselves.

The church, as well as many other religious groups would be affected by cloning as they see God as the creator of life. Human cloning would be seen as altering and disrupting the intentions and acts of God, which would undoubtedly result in anger amongst many of the religious leaders of the world.

Government and parliament procedures would also be affected by human cloning. Parliament would have to pass new legislation stating whether, and when human cloning would be allowed, and under what circumstances. If the legislation were to pass, then the government would have enforce it which would result in many legal disputes world wide, landing in Australian courts.

Due to the fact that human cloning has not been formally legalised in any part of the world yet, it is seen that human clones themselves would have no legal rights. An article written by Yomiuri Shimbun, in a Japanese newspaper states, “…according to sources, it would be extremely difficult to define the legal status of a cloned human and protect the human rights of such individuals.”

There are many arguments for the issue of human cloning. One of the strongest arguments for the idea would have to be that the process of human cloning could improve the quality of life for many disease sufferers. For example, it is expected that through the process of human cloning, we will soon be possible to overcome genetic diseases and such diseases as cancer. Dr Richard Seed states that, “Cancerous cells look normal in the early stage of the disease, and then later become deformed. We could take early cancerous cells and replaces their destructive nuclei with a nucleus cloned from a normal cell, thus stopping cancer before it has a chance to keep spreading”. Cloning technology may also be used to detect and possibly cure genetic diseases, such as diabetes, in a similar way.

Additionally, human cloning could mean that many more infertile couples are able to have children. Infertility is caused by genetic defects, or even injuries, to the reproductive organs. With current infertility treatments, couples go through much stress and emotional pain with the knowledge that there is only a small chance that they can actually produce a child. The current Invitro Fertilisation treatment (IVF) is very lengthy and expensive also, and couples would often run out of money and patience without successfully having a child.

Human cloning would possibly allow more infertile couples to have children, and give them a chance to have a child that is genetically related to its parents.

Another advantage for human cloning is the fact that it is possible to generate spare body parts. Human cloning will allow the organ or body part produced to be genetically identical to that of the receiver, therefore helping to eliminate such problems as organ rejection or incompatibility. It would be possible through cloning to grow “spare parts” to be used in organ transplants. Once the cloning of a cell has been done and the cell has begun to divide, it does not necessarily have to grow into an entire person. Through related techniques the cells could be controlled so that they only develop into specialised cells or complete organs.

Just as there are many arguments to support the idea of human cloning, there are many arguments against it also. One of the biggest arguments against the idea of human cloning is the fact that many people believe it is tampering with the intentions of God, as well as providing a loss of self-identity. It is seen by the Church that we are created “in God’s image” (Genesis 1:27) and that God created our world as a complete package. The Church could argue that the package cannot be improved upon at all. The American Life League said, “The potent and universal sign of God’s gift of life is lost when the child’s life begins in a laboratory…” which is seen as true amongst the Church and many other religious groups. Also, God created each and every one of us uniquely, obviously for a reason. We as humans, each have our own self-identity, and if in fact a child were cloned, there is the question of whether the cloned child would have the same identity as the person they were cloned from. This could also possibly lead to two of the same people living at the same time. With this in mind, it is seen that human cloning could cause the loss of individuality among the human race.

Another argument against the idea of human cloning is the subsequent fail rate. Due to the fact that process of cloning is still a relatively new one, it is going to take some time before scientists are fully trained, and can successfully clone a human. With the current techniques, it is inevitable that many humans will come out t deformed, or not at all. Take for example the cloning of Dolly the sheep. Over 270 attempts were needed before she was born. Most of the sheep were born with birth defects and all except Dolly died. That failure rate, while acceptable for animals, is not acceptable for humans.

The fact that people may be cloned unknowingly, against their will, also plays a part in the arguments against human cloning. According to Dorothy Werts, author for Genesage, “Blood taken for medical purposes, or hair left at the barbershop could be stolen. Laws may be necessary to prevent this, by requiring the consent of any person cloned, or the parents of the child to be cloned.”

Management Policies
The issue of human cloning is a very controversial one. It raises many ethical and moral questions as is evident. In managing this issue, we must first decide whether or not it is acceptable in our society, by thoroughly looking at the ethical issues involved. A formal vote could possibly be taken to determine its acceptance in society, if any, and to what degree it should be accepted. Once this is established, a governing body must be formed consisting of members who are well informed of all the issues surrounding human cloning, including the repercussions. This governing body can help develop strict codes and legislation that must be strictly adhered to, and penalties imposed if these codes are breached.

Personally, I believe that the miracle of God is the greatest gift possible to the mother and father having the child, as well as the surrounding people. With this in mind, I don’t think that this gift should be tampered with.

It is immoral and unethical to have two genetically and identically alike people on earth. Both the cloned person and the person that he or she was cloned from would have limited legal rights and representation, as well as being mocked by members of the public against the process of human cloning. However, I also believe that to save a human life by engineering body parts to combat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and other genetic diseases, is also a miracle in my eyes and should be allowed. Perhaps the cloning of specific body parts would eliminate speculation about cloned humans, and identical people being alive at the same time, and the cloud of ethical and moral dilemmas that surround it.

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Cloning topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Cloning for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________

Research Project on Domestic Violence

What single crisis affects at least 2 million women of all surroundings each year and is the most common reason for women entering hospital emergency rooms, superseding to childbirth, automobile accidents, muggings and all other medical emergencies (Mills, 1996)? The correct answer is domestic violence.

Domestic violence, which is a form of battering, encompasses slapping, punching, pushing someone down, strangling, kicking, using objects to strike, intimidating with weapons, stabbing, and shooting (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002). Although these verbs seem disturbing enough, the most alarming fact is that only an estimated 14 percent of American women who experience battery ever make contact with the police (Mills, 1996).

There are many reasons as to why battered women fail to seek legal support as well as help from other professionals. The reasons may include having an economic dependence on the spouse, a lack of self-efficacy, a fear of retaliation the abuser, traditional beliefs opposing divorce, cultural barriers, thoughts that they are to blame for the abuse, fear of being without social supports, fear her children’s safety and legal custody, and surprisingly love for her abuser (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002 and Carlson, 1997). Women put in this situation live in a social climate that encourages them to abide by a man’s desires or to restrict their behavior in order to avoid assault (Richardson, Taylor, & Whittier, 2001).

 

Order a custom research project on Domestic Violence now!

 

For many, it is hard to imagine being in a relationship in which one fears being beaten for being in the wrong place when one’s partner wants to take out his or her aggression, for being three minutes too late, or for saying the wrong thing. Myths perpetuated by people who fail to empathize with women in these circumstances can influence and hinder interventions. Some of these myths include believing that abuse is an isolated incident, battered women exaggerate their stories, and that battered women are all poor and uneducated (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002).

In spite of the small percentage of women reporting their abuse, the first professional means of intervention usually comes from police officers. However, according to Linda Mills (1996), who wrote “Empowering Battered Women Transnationally: The Case for Postmodern Interventions,” police officers are responsible to enforce their “criminal-oriented system that is inflexible in catering to their needs [financial, emotional, and cultural] -- needs that may or may not involve arresting, prosecuting, or incarcerating their abusers.” Additionally, previous to police departments taking more of an interest in addressing family violence through training programs, many police officers held mythical expectations and biases about domestic violence (mentioned above), that hindered their ability to bring about change.

Because legal interventions have the potential to be unresponsive to a battered women’s needs social work methods that view the person in her environment should also be used. Social work professionals are expected to enhance problem solving and coping abilities, connect clients with systems that provide resources, promote the efficient functioning of these systems, and develop and improve social policy (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002). Like the police officers, social workers must be aware of their own expectations and biases. For example, many people feel that permanently leaving the spouse is the only option for survivors. However, a social worker should be aware and discuss all of the alternatives for the woman such as going back to marriage, getting counseling for both, have the social worker act as a mediator to help solve conflict, temporarily separating, establishing other means of financial support, and filing for divorce. A worker’s biases hinder self-paced and self-initiated change (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002).

For many battered women who are insecure, and physically and emotionally weak, meeting with a social worker may initially cause anxiety and stress. However, through the social worker’s preparation for the interview, active listening, empathy, and positive non-verbals, such as good posture and eye contact, a good working relationship can be established so that the professional can help to bring about desired change.

Specific activities that social workers undertake to help achieve desired change in battered women can include becoming an educator by providing information about abuse to the client. For example, worker can also educate her on what to expect if she calls the police (Carlson, 1997).

Social workers can also become a broker by linking clients to legal, medical, and social service resources. For instance, a worker could refer the client to an inexpensive lawyer, free clinic, women’s shelters, etc. (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002). Because many survivors of domestic violence have been isolated from others, social workers can help reestablish old or develop new social support systems such as family, friends, neighbors, and church organizations. Enhancing the quality of relations with others will benefit women in terms of increasing self-esteem and active problem solving (Rose, 2000 and Carlson, 1997).

Social workers working with abused women can work as an enabler providing support, encouragement, and suggestions to a client to that she may be able to successfully cope with her situation. For example the worker may help the client to change her negative “self-talk” so that she is able to express beliefs such as, “I don’t deserve this” or “I deserve better” (Rose, 2000). Empowerment also increases self-esteem by focusing on the positives in their lives.

Oftentimes, the act of wife battering is called domestic violence which seems to sensitize the issue and make act sound less violent and less serious then the original term. Along with the example I just described there are many other instances in which language, research, and media surrounding women’s issues drift to a male point of view. This is known as a Phallic Drift. In a patriarchal society there seems to be a tendency “to erase women’s perspective and, when that is not possible, to metamorphose things to men’s advantage”(Ruth, 2001). A Phallic Drift can be as simple as re-phrasing words or could be more complex. For example, date rape is sometimes rationalized by saying that men get confused in expressing their sexuality in the era of women’s autonomy. It is important for professionals working with women to help them sort through Phallic Drifts and realize that the crime that was committed onto them was wrong and should be accounted for…and not because of a male’s simple confusion (Ruth, 2001). Helping women through this can be hard in a society that tends to blame women for acts they had no control over. One way that a professional can help to empower women in this situation is to emphasizing their strength and call them survivors instead of labeling them as victims which focuses on their weaknesses.

Other ways to empower are by finding and focusing (when applicable) on her intelligence, her positive mothering skills, good coping skills, work ethics, as well as good communication skills. One can also focus on environmental strengths such as having finances, transportation, housing , family friends, religious support, or available social services (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002).

Clients themselves, take part in specific activities that help achieve their goals such as venting their feelings, evaluating the interventions, working on their goals, and anticipatory planning. Anticipatory planning involves creating a safety plan so that if she should return to her abuser or come into contact with him she would be able to escape, go to a battered woman’s shelter, get a hold of relatives or friends and have things on hand such as extra clothes, car keys, cell phones, etc (Carlson, 1997). In this safety planning social workers may help their clients find services such as programs that donate old wireless phones that are then used for battered women so that they can call for help if needed.

When looking at domestic violence from a macro level the social worker may also work as an advocate for their clients by trying to get changes in police and court practices, such as more aggressive sentencing (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2002). Using feminist theories as well research gathered from women’s studies can become important tools for making sense and problem solving in different situations. For example taking ideas from liberal feminism can be helpful to integrate men and women to work together to help remove the social barriers placed on women (Richardson, Taylor, & Whittier, 2001). For example, social workers could organize seminars to educate the police about dynamics of domestic violence and promote more effective early police intervention efforts. Police officers can be crucial in identifying at risk people to social workers, shelters, and other professionals who can target them for education, outreach, and evaluations. To work close with the police the social worker could set up direct communication between police and agencies that serve battered women by hot lines, regular meetings, quarterly forums, and police serving on social service boards.

Social workers must provide an environment in which to explore all of the battered woman’s options. Using a non-judgmental approach to the problem of domestic violence by suspending expectations of the battered women can empower her to confront the violence in her life as she explores the emotional, financial, and cultural loyalties. It is important to realize that societal expectations, Phallic Drift, stereotypes, as well as retaliation are some of the reasons as to why many women choose not report abuse. When women do report it is critical that social workers assume the roles of being brokers, enablers, advocates, mediators, educators, and evaluators. Evaluation of the intervention can be documented by their change in perceptions of abuse, improved functioning and well-being, increased use of services, increased social support, and better coping.

However, one shouldn’t limit his or her intervention to just the survivor. A successful intervention would hopefully look at society as a whole and the patriarchal environment in which we live. Social workers can work to advocate for societal change and work as feminists and alongside other feminists to raise awareness and break the silence surrounding issues such as this.

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Domestic Violence topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Domestic Violence for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________

Research Project on Radio

This research project will look at how ‘pirate’ radio stations, such as Radio Atlanta and Radio Caroline, and then Radio 1 filled a vacuum in the 1960s by providing pop music for the British people and the impact this had on the launch of commercial radio in 1973. The report will also look at how commercial radio has developed since 1973 and at how it looks set to develop in the future with the introduction of digital radio.

The main focus on commercial radio’s development will be on the advertising revenue it receives. In particular why it was significantly lower than other countries in the early 1990s and why it rapidly increased in the late 1990s.

The report will examine how stations have become far more focused than when first set up and pay greater attention to targeting audiences than ever before along with the effect that the Radio Authority regulating the commercial radio marketplace has on the type of radio that stations produce. It will also examine how people in Britain view radio compared to television.

 Order a custom research project on Radio now! 

 

The role that commercial radio plays in developing British culture and talent as well as giving British people the opportunity to participate in public debate through talk-back radio will also be analyzed.

In the early 1960s, as pop music culture developed rapidly, there was not a single British radio service dedicated to pop music. The only source of pop music was a couple of hours a week on the BBC and night time transmissions from French and Luxembourg based transmitters. This goes against most ideologies that in a market where there are little or no independent producers then the private run firms should provide not just for the majority but for everyone. Argued by John Reith, first Director General of the BBC, who believed that all interests and needs should be catered for. (Underwood, 2001)

This vacuum was filled in 1964 when Radio Caroline and Radio Atlanta began broadcasting high-powered signals from ships just outside British territorial waters, just beyond the reach of British law. The number of ‘pirate’ stations grew and some historians argue, “led a teenage revolution.” (Swain, 2002) What is beyond dispute is that in the mid 1960s Britain’s youth culture came of age. “Young people had their own clothes, their own hairstyles and, at last, their own music and the medium to broadcast it; radio.” (Swain, 2002)

‘Pirate’ stations were short lived however. The Labor Government passed the Marine Broadcasting Offence Act, which meant that from 14th August 1967 it was illegal for advertisers to use the ‘pirate’ stations, and thus took away the stations main source of revenue. Radio London closed at 3pm the same day, the rest of the stations followed.

Most critics agree that the government passed this act because they could not control or censure what was said on the air. However, some argue that they were worried that the British public may be open to offensive or unsuitable material whilst others suspected that the government was more worried about what would be said about their policies and actions as it could be politically damaging if these stations were to campaign against them with the following they had built up.

“Following the years of offshore ‘pirate’ radio, the BBC was forced to provide a pop music channel to accommodate the disgruntled music fans robbed of their favorite music stations and DJs.” (Silby, 1998) So within a few months Radio 1 began broadcasting very similar shows to the old ‘pirate’ stations, most of the disc jockeys were exclusively veterans of the shut down stations “and some of them such as John Peel even occupied the same time slot as they did in their ‘pirate’ days.” (Swain, 2002)

“Radio 1 provided listeners with an electric mix of MOR, Pop, R&B and many different streams of music as one station tried, impossibly, to replace the many that had been closed in 1967.” (Mishkind, 2002) The one station simply could not tend to everybody’s tastes and the pressure for commercial radio grew, there was even a short resurgence of offshore radio in the early 1970s.

A law, which made commercial radio legal in 1973, quickly followed the return of the Conservative Government in 1970, with LBC and Capital Radio being the first stations launched.

By the beginning of the 1990s the radio’s share of total UK advertising revenue was significantly lower than compared to most other countries. (Swain, 2002) This is due to a number of reasons. The new, legal, commercial radio system got off to a bad start by being launched in the 1973 three-day week. This is when the miners went on strike for higher pay and better working conditions and forced the country to reduce the number of working days to three a week. This meant attracting advertisers was incredibly difficult during this period. New stations also faced the task of living up to the standards of the old stations. As a result the “early stations struggled to recreate the excitement and loyalty that listeners had.” (Silby, 1998)

Disc jockeys were unable to work more than eight hours a day due to union constraints and as a consequence the other sixteen hours were often filled with film soundtracks and “dodgy foreign albums containing English hits with no performance details printed on the labels!” (Silby, 1998) This reduced quality and the amount of time available for adverts.

Until Classic FM began broadcasting in September 1992 national advertisers usually had an impression of commercial radio based on their local station. This impression was often adverse unless they lived in London. (Swain, 2002) Stations were also unable to prove when commercials were played or identify the audience listening and as such advertisers did not know if or whom their adverts were being played to.

Advertisers had the option of turning to television advertising instead. Britain is the only developed country where a mature television industry preceded a mature radio industry. UK commercial television was created eighteen years before commercial radio. (Swain, 2002) Advertisers stuck with what worked, television.
Since the 1990s, however, commercial radio advertising revenue has grown by 230% whilst the total display-advertising marketplace grew by just 65%. Also 99/100 top advertisers used radio in 1999 compared to just 61/100 in 1990. So what made the “1990s: the decade of radio’s success”? (Marketing, 2000)

In the beginning of commercial radio adverts would often be forgotten and the music played depended on the disc jockeys collection, these days stations are more focused, they do extensive research into audiences which means advertisers can target certain consumers. (Swain, 2002)

The commercial radio is regulated by the radio authority, which awards licences to stations. Stations abroad are allowed to choose whichever format they want and inevitably they end up with many very similar stations, in the UK however the authority makes sure there are real differences between stations by only giving licenses to a certain amount of certain types of stations.

Audiences are rising with 1960s youth still listening and the 1990s youth also listening to commercial radio.

People often feel defensive about the amount of time they spend watching television whilst radio is seen to have a positive effect on people’s lives. Radio is more personal,

“When they say it on TV, they’re saying it to everybody, whereas when I hear it on the radio they’re saying it more to me personally.” (Millward)

Music is personal and emotional and helps radio seem more of a friend than television. You can do other things whilst listening but not so much when watching.
In a survey conducted only 3% of people said they did not trust radio whilst 25% said the same about television. (Radio Days 2, 1999)

Digital development means new listening opportunities such as radio chips in mobile phones and more choice through expansion in the number of stations. There will also be improved sound quality, which altogether will result in more listeners and so more advertisers willing to advertise on radio.

Radio can be said to play an important part in democracy as it gives people the opportunity to participate in public debate through talk-back radio and increases knowledge through news services which are easy to digest.

Commercial radio was created out of demand. Demand for pop music meant that ‘pirate’ stations were able to operate, until the Marine Broadcasting Act, and make a good quality product. Radio 1 tried to take over the pop music broadcasts but the station could not offer enough variety of alternative music on its own and so commercial radio came to be launched in 1973. A lack of organization meant that advertisers were unwilling to deal with them and it was not until the late 1990s or early 21st century that commercial radio has begun to look like a well run, competitive business.

Commercial radio is an example of how demand and pressure from the British people can force the big companies to act and produce what they desire.

Radio has not yet fulfilled its potential though. With digital radio coming to act there are many new opportunities to generate an even greater audience, especially with the mobility of radio and the numerous new stations such as One Extra.

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Radio topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Radio for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________

Research Project on Consumer Behavior

Understanding consumer behavior is essential for better marketing in goods and services. In order to persuade consumers to choose their products, marketers are paying attention to investigate why people buy or how they buy to develop plans accordingly. In the airline industry, a good experience is always promoted.

Air travelers persistently demand good services and a good experience in their trip. It acts as a concept for consumers that good services and comfortable journey are standard among airlines. Marketers are interested in what a good experience for the air passengers is, what the factors affecting the perception of enjoyable experience are or what makes people feel comfortable. Investigation from the marketers has been done in the individual feeling development of comfort, and to create an environment in the plane which would stimulate the passenger to think that it is comfortable enough. By studying the consumer behavioral preferences for the airline industry, it is clear why marketers place strong emphasis on the services for the flight. Moreover, studies show that Australians were loyal in choosing the airline, yet, in recent years, the trend has changed.

Order a custom research project on Consumer Behavior now!

 

From the influence on online purchasing and the rise of low cost airlines, the behavioral patterns for the consumers are different from before. It result in the final consumer perception that one good flight does not make a good airline.

"Marketing literature widely accepts the notion that atmospherics influence consumer behaviour." (KPMG 2001) Nowadays, airline services are quite standard. They do not differ greatly from each other in terms of functional or emotional features of importance. How consumer choose an airline company is by good experience, which is how comfortable or how enjoyable the experience was on the plane. According to Schiffman (2001), learning is a relatively permanent change in consumer behaviour that is caused by experience or acquired information. When the trip was enjoyable, there is a good image or a valuable perception of the airline company in the consumer¡¦s mind which drive their next purchasing decision to the same company, which is an influence on the development of brand loyalty.

How good an experience is defined as good?
Comfort is a significant factor in air travel, especially for a long flight. It also acts as a major determine of whether the experience in the journey is satisfying or not. Airline companies are trying their best to provide the most comfort to the passengers. It is obvious that consumer require a certain level of comfort in the plane.

According to the survey by Dr Alamdari from the Air Transport Group 2001 Annual Conference, indicates that among the factors which influence the choice of business travelers, comfort and leg room represents the importance level of 7.5 rating out of 10. Moreover, convenient schedule, in-flight entertainment and services also act as a major part in determining whether the airline is good or not. “United Airlines says it is removing a row of seats from every aircraft in its domestic fleet to increase leg room” (Fint, 1999). Defined by the purpose of use, an airline is just like other forms of transport, taking passengers from point A to point B. Nearly all airlines are promoting their services, the environment or most likely the good experiences that customer can have in the flight. Unlike other transportation, it is not often seen that buses, taxis and trains promote an enjoyable experience on the trip. It raises the notion of why the experience on the plane is so important for the consumer, but not the speed or the price? By comparison, air fares are much more expensive than other forms of transport. When prices are charged at the premium, especially in service industries where needs could be satisfied with different alternatives (traveling from point A to point B), consumers expect to have better services from what they choose. There is always a concept in people's mind that higher price means better quality. Therefore, when selecting among different airlines, a good experience is always more preferable. Perception teaches the customer to belief that this airline is better than others. So, to what extent for the consumers to perceive or feel that the experience is good? Tehrani (2003), indicates that passengers are more demanding for better services especially for business passengers. Moreover, he claims that customers are more satisfied with services in the context of “personal”,that is to serve the customer not as a stranger from hundreds of seats, it is to treat them as an friend of individual by understanding what the customer needs and wants while in the journey.

Consumer behaviour on Loyalty Program in Australia
“Customer loyalty programs have lured millions of Australians during the past decade but corporate collapses, regulatory scrutiny and an old-fashioned concern for the bottom line are conspiring against them.” (Matt, 2002) Australians once were to be more loyal to an airline than they are doing today. When they made a decision, they simply skipped the processes of information search or evaluation alternative to choose either Ansett or Qantas especially for domestic travel. This may have been because of the successful development of the frequent flyer program, which influenced in the purchasing behavior for the consumer. However, “a survey by advisory service Frequentflyer.com.au found that 55 per cent of frequent flyers have lost confidence in airline reward schemes since the demise of Ansett and 10 per cent are no longer interested in loyalty programs” (Wade, 2002). From the study, it shows that while business or travelers are reviewing airline reward schemes, they may not be quite as keen on them as they once were. The failure to redeem points for bonus air tickets dissatisfied the customers. Dissatisfaction is a strong influence on consumers which changes their attitude in consumer's mind toward what they had believed. Their behaviour would change from what they had adopted through attitude. In application, it means that they will try to switch to another airline and not be as loyal as before.

Online purchasing and the rise of low cost airline
“The emergence of active consumers - those who are better connected, informed and have access to an increasing array of choices, represents a challenge for many industries, especially in travel sector.” (Schwartz & O'Neill 2003) With the help of the internet and the e-business, consumers are able to get the hold of information and a better comparison among different products. Travelers are increasingly exposed to a multitude of brands and options when making their travel decisions. According to Schiffman (2001), the decision making process involves four parts: problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives and purchase decision. Due to the influence of technology, consumers are able to have a detail and accurate source of information which allows them to compare the products. Information search has become easier than before. By gathering information, consumers increase their awareness and knowledge of available choices and product features. The internet affects and changes the way of the consumer to make decisions about buying. It leads to information search becoming a more significant part in the decision making process.

“Virgin - which has operated a no-frills domestic service in Australia since August 2000 and now holds about 30 per cent market” (news.com.au, 2003). Nowadays, the trends for air travelers are changing because of the rise of low cost airline. They no longer think air traveling as a luxury item. “Many business flyers are now looking to low-fare carriers to stretch their travel dollars, as well as booking further in advance to save on flight costs” (Schmidt, 2003) In the past, air travel was seen as a high quality form of travel which also symbolize of luxury and the status of the consumer with the high air fares. There was relatively less negotiable pricing of airfares. The airline benefits when customers perceive they are treated fairly and when fare levels are low enough to reduce the use of travel substitutes. In addition to internet buying, the integration in competition of Virgin Blue has broken the concepts and values of the air companies. Consumers have a whole new perception of what air service or air traveling means to them. Virgin Blue does not only enhance internet purchase, but also emphasizes on low cost airfares. Once passengers have tried low cost on short flights, they realize there is simply no need to pay high costs to travel. Moreover, “business travelers, especially the frequent flyers, feel that the major airlines are exploiting them.” (Williams, n.b) Most of the business travelers are not able book the ticket in advance, since it is difficult for them to predict and plan a trip three weeks or a month ahead. From the internet, they are able to book last minute deals, which is much more cheaper than when they carry their document and go to the loyal airline counter to get a seat. This not only results in the change in their consumption pattern or behavior. In reality, it destroys the perception of what they were loyal to before. From the increasing numbers of people switch from ordinary airline ticket purchasing to the new concept of air traveling, it shows that consumer behaviors are changing. “In a move to increase fares distribution, no-frills fares have recently been added to online booking engines and the number of people traveling are increasing” (Internet Travel News, 2003). Although the perception in people's mind doesn't really represent the reality, in fact, how the consumer sees or thinks of the product or services will drive their purchasing behavior no matter what they perceive is true or not.

If someone is asking why most of the air hostesses are good looking and always with a smile, you would probably know the answer after reading the above paper. By studying the consumer behaviour of travelers, it is obvious that enjoyable experience is always preferable. Marketers are paying attention to create an environment in the plane to ensure the quality of comfort during the journey. Moreover, decision making process of consumers are influencing with the help of information technology in recent years. However, marketers are not only facing the challenge from the internet but also the rising of low-cost airline which change the concepts of luxury air traveling to economical form of transport. Now, it is the time for marketers to recreate an image of air traveling to maintain their market share.

__________________________________________________________________________

This is a free research project on Consumer Behavior topic. Keep in mind that all free research project samples and research paper examples are taken from open sources – they are plagiarized and cannot be used as your own research project. If you need a qualitative custom research project on Consumer Behavior for college, university, Master's or PhD degree – you are welcome to contact professional research writing company to have your paper written online by academic research writers.
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
________________Enjoy our custom research project writing service!_________________