Innovation and Business Development Plan Free-Samples â€Myassignment

Questions: Write an Essay to Develop your understanding of the Business Model as a Concept and How a Theoretical Understanding of Business Models can be used to Explain Value Creation, Value Appropriation or the Innovation Process at Firms in Real-Life. Answers: This essay has been developed to understand the concept of a business model. This essay will also help to understand how the theoretical understanding of a business model can be utilized to explain value creation, value appreciation and innovation process used in an organization in real life. Business model can be defined as the process in which a company can generate revenue and gain profit from various business operations (Kindstrm Kowalkowski, 2014). In order to analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of firms business model most of business analysts use gross profit metric. Kastalli and Van Looy (2013) stated that gross profit of a company can be calculated by subtracting cost of goods sold from the revenue generated. Itami and Nishino (2010) mentioned that a business model has two major elements. They are such as business system and a model of profit. Itami and Nishino (2010) described business system as the system of work that a company designs to send its products and services to its target clientele. On the other hand, profit model has been discussed a pattern of a company through which it intends to make profit from its business. Itami and Nishino (2010) argued that, the intention of an organization to perused customers will not become successful, if they are n ot backed up by system of work or business system. Itami and Nishino (2010) had provided a basic business model to show the significance of business system. This business model helped to explain that system of work is central to the success of a companys learning system. Figure 1: Example of a basic business model (Source: Itami Nishino, 2010) Itami and Nishino (2010) used Google as example of an ideal business model. Goggles profit model is that the service users do not have to pay a penny to Goggle (Casadesus?Masanell Zhu, 2013). Instead the company capitalizes on their presence its search engine by selling the site space to the advertiser. The company has provided effort to reduce the cost of providing free service to users. The company has developed in-house server system to cut down the cost. All these hardware and software capabilities can be considered as the main framework of business system. Itami and Nishino (2010) mentioned that the profit model used by this company will never become effective in the absence of its business systems. It helps the company to gather information about the service use pattern and help to anticipate next generation of services it might provide. If the new services are not valued by service users then Google changes these services accordingly (value creation, value appreciation and in novation process). However, Zott and Amit (2010) had described business models differently. According to Zott and Amit (2010), business model is the system that can help a company to indentify its target market and help the company to fulfill all the needs of customers. According to all these authors business models can be conceptualized as an activity-based system. Effectiveness different models can vary from company to company (Saebi Foss, 2015). This is due to the fact that the ways in which companies create and capture value can differ significantly. Hence, it can be stated that effectiveness of a business model is much dependent on the organizations unique context. Business models can provide managers the flexibility the implement all the necessary changes and also help to compose all the elements of change. It provides a clear picture about how a company operates. According to Zott and Amit (2010), a business model activity system has three major design parameters or element. They are such as ac tivity content, activity system structure and activity system governance. Activity system can be referred as selection of activities. For example, in addition to all other activities of a retail bank, Bancolombia has adopted activities to provide microcredit service to 60% Colombians, who does not have access banking service. On the other hand, activity system structure can describe how different activities are linked with each other. For example, during the financial crisis, IBM had shifted from hard ware supplier to become service provide. For this reason, the company has developed various activities related with IT infrastructure, consulting and related with various other services and become successful. Zott and Amit (2010) stated that activity system governance help to identify those persons, who performs these activities. All these issues that a manager needs to consider while developing a business model for an organization. Kodama (2009) had developed a research work to present a new business model along with Japanese leadership style so that an independent knowledge integration model can be created. This model provided two insights related with new knowledge creation. First one is the vertical value chain model used in Japanese companies. These second one is co-evaluation model that develops win-win situation in a business. The business model has been provided below: Figure 2: Knowledge integration model (Source: Kodama, 2009) Kodama (2009) stated that, new knowledge creation includes two major concepts such as new boundary conceptions and knowledge integration process. Creative view and dialectic view can help a company in value creation and value proposition. On the other hand, innovative ideas can be developed using knowledge integration process. It includes development of dynamic human networks and establishing architecture on knowledge integration process. In order to increase innovation in a business system, a company has to take care of the three major elements. They are such as 1) labor division between a company and its trading pattern 2) organization of its in-house working system 3) assessing control activities and trading patterns (Itami Nishino, 2010). Toyota has been provided as the best example that implemented innovation in its business with the help of its business model. Itami and Nishino (2010) stated that, Toyotas business system is exceptional in all these three aspects. Firstly the company outsources many vital parts. However, in order to reduce the cost of outsourcing the company outsources and produces same parts in-house simultaneously. Secondly, instead of using only one supplier for outsourcing, the company uses two to four suppliers. Thirdly, the company has developed continuous relationship with a specific group of suppliers. Hence, the Toyota Production System can be used both as internal system of work organi zation and external system to control suppliers. Carayannis et al. (2015) added by saying that, in order to get innovative ideas for its business model, the company has arranged various forums to compare the technologies and costs used by different suppliers. It provides Toyota the opportunity to exchange various information related with product elements and competition. From this analysis, it can be stated that doing is learning. A company has to develop a business model in accordance to its business type. It can help find out the target customers and help to fulfill their needs. However, Schneider and Spieth (2013) argued that not every business model is equally effective for all organization. After implementing a business model, a company has to continuously assess its effectiveness in business. If any flaw occurs in the business model, then the management team has to make necessary changes. Hence a company can learn more about the effectiveness of a business model by doing activities mentioned in it continuously. It will help the company to meet the needs of their customers better than their competitors. Form Toyotas and Goggles business model, it can be assessed that they not only satisfy customer needs as system of work, better than their competitors but also help people in these organizations to learn more about customer reaction, trends and t echnologies. Maglio and Spohrer (2013) stated that, business models can also work as learning system as doing work means learning more about the work. It also can provide valuable database to the company that can be become helpful for the organization in future. For instance, developing own software and operating in-house server system provides various important information to Google (Schneider Spieth, 2013). The management of the company comes to understand how the software can be improved. In addition, they can get the internet search pattern of their service users. On the other hand, by implementing Toyota Production system, the company can learn both about new technology innovation and cost of production of auto parts. Hence, in conclusion it can be stated that business model is not just a system to control business operation and product development but it can also act as the learning system for an organization. It can help to find out how a company can find out the target market and set the value for its products for the customers. In addition, it can provide relevant information to the company related with customer trends. It can be useful for the company in future to develop new business strategies or business models that can be more effective. In addition, business model can provide in-depth knowledge about the business operation. This knowledge can be used to implement innovation in the organization. Knowledge integration model is the best example, in which Japanese companies create knowledge integration and implement innovation in their business. However, management of a company needs to understand that effectiveness of business model can vary in accordance to the type of business a company i s doing and in accordance to the changing trend. Hence, continuous assessment of business model is required Video Transcript Business model is the method in which a company can generate revenue and gain profit from various business operations. A business model has two major elements, such as business system or system of work and a model of profit. It can be stated that system of work is central to the success of a companys learning system. Goggle and Toyota can be used as good example of successful business models. Goggles profit model is that the service users do not have to pay a penny to Goggle. Instead the company capitalizes on their presence its search engine by selling the site space to the advertiser. The company has provided effort to reduce the cost of providing free service to users. The company has developed in-house server system to cut down the cost. All these hardware and software capabilities can be considered as the main framework of business system. Toyota has been provided as the best example that implemented innovation in its business with the help of its business model. The company outsources many vital parts. However, in order to reduce the cost of outsourcing the company outsources and produces same parts in-house simultaneously. Secondly, instead of using only one supplier for outsourcing, the company uses two to four suppliers. Thirdly, the company has developed continuous relationship with a specific group of suppliers. Hence, the Toyota Production System can be used both as internal system of work organization and external system to control suppliers. The company has arranged various forums to compare the technologies and costs used by different suppliers. It provides the opportunity to add innovation it its business operation. Many companies of Japan have used knowledge integration model to enhance value creation, value proposition and innovation. Creative view and dialectic view can help a company in value creation and value proposition. On the other hand, innovative ideas can be developed using knowledge integration process. In order to develop a successful business model, management team has to remember that doing is learning. After implementing a business model, a company has to continuously assess its effectiveness in business. If any flaw occurs in the business model, then the management team has to make necessary changes. In addition, business model can provide in-depth knowledge about the business operation. This knowledge can be used to implement innovation in the organization. However, the most significant thing about business model is that effectiveness of it depends upon the type of business that a company is doing. Hence, through continuous assessment, management team has to find out the best suited business model for an organization. References Carayannis, E. G., Sindakis, S., Walter, C. (2015). Business model innovation as lever of organizational sustainability.The Journal of Technology Transfer,40(1), 85-104. Casadesus?Masanell, R., Zhu, F. (2013). Business model innovation and competitive imitation: The case of sponsor?based business models.Strategic management journal,34(4), 464-482. Itami, H., Nishino, K. (2010). Killing two birds with one stone: profit for now and learning for the future.Long Range Planning,43(2), 364-369. Kastalli, I. V., Van Looy, B. (2013). Servitization: Disentangling the impact of service business model innovation on manufacturing firm performance.Journal of Operations Management,31(4), 169-180. Kindstrm, D., Kowalkowski, C. (2014). Service innovation in product-centric firms: A multidimensional business model perspective.Journal of Business Industrial Marketing,29(2), 96-111. Kodama, M. (2009). Boundaries innovation and knowledge integration in the Japanese firm.Long Range Planning,42(4), 463-494. Maglio, P. P., Spohrer, J. (2013). A service science perspective on business model innovation.Industrial Marketing Management,42(5), 665-670. Saebi, T., Foss, N. J. (2015). Business models for open innovation: Matching heterogeneous open innovation strategies with business model dimensions.European Management Journal,33(3), 201-213. Schneider, S., Spieth, P. (2013). Business model innovation: Towards an integrated future research agenda.International Journal of Innovation Management,17(01), 1340001. Zott, C., Amit, R. (2010). Business model design: an activity system perspective.Long range planning,43(2), 216-226.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org Key Differences Which One to Pick

WordPress is the most popular way to build a website. But despite its popularity, theres one question that many new users still struggle with   whats the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org?If you search for WordPress on Google, the two websites will rank #1 and #2. And if you’re new to WordPress, you might not know which one to use.This article will explain the key differences between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org and help you pick the best one for your needs. WordPress.org, you host your own site (we recommend this). WordPress.com, on the other hand, takes care of all of this for you (easier to start, less freedom). And thats the major difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.Nowadays, hosting companies like Bluehost or SiteGround are as easy to start with as WordPress.com, cheaper and with more freedom.The cost of using WordPress.com vs WordPress.orgWordPress.com does allow you to set up a website entirely for free, but there are some downsides to this:You can only place your site under a subdomainYou cannot remove WordPress.coms own ads and branding from your siteYou get limited disk space of 3GBYou cant monetize your blog or websiteYou cant install plugins or any themes that arent available on the platform by defaultIf you do want to use your site for a commercial purpose, you will have to pay at least $8 / month on your WordPress.com plan + the cost of a custom domain name usually in the range of $15 / year. In total, this means at least $111 annually to run a site on WordPress.com.With WordPress.org, on the other hand, you can launch a completely functional website at $35 for the first year and then $50 every year after that.To make that happen, you first need to pick a web host. We have some suggestions for you here, but if youre in a hurry, just go with Bluehost. Theyre a respected company with tons of options for WordPress. Heres whats good about Bluehosts offering:You can get started at $2.95 / monthYou get a free dom ain name for the first yearWordPress will be installed for you automaticallyFrom a users point of view, Bluehost works similarly to WordPress.com as in, you sign up, pick a hosting plan, tell them to install WordPress for you, finalize the purchase and youre good to do.Plus, what you also get is complete freedom over what you want to do with your site something that WordPress.com doesnt give you. Go here to get started with Bluehost and WordPress.org.If you need some more info before making up your mind, heres a more in-depth look at the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org:WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Pros and consEach version has its own pros and cons. (Although, I personally think the .com version has more cons than pros. But you can decide for yourself!)When to use WordPress.comWith WordPress.com, you don’t have to worry about purchasing hosting or maintaining your site. It also  can  be free, though there are paid plans as well.The free plan limit s you to 3GB of data and a subdomain (like mywebsite.wordpress.com). It also includes WordPress.com ads.Furthermore, you wont be able to install your own plugins or themes unless you pay for the expensive business plan. Plugins and themes are one of the most helpful things about the WordPress software because they make it easy to customize your site, so thats a pretty big loss.If the thought of changing a domain name server (DNS) or backing up your website data sounds incredibly daunting, WordPress.com may be the way to go to create a basic blog/website. But if you want any kind of flexibility, plan to monetize your site, or want your site to grow in the long run, WordPress.com can be very limiting.When to use WordPress.orgWordPress.org has to be set up with your hosting provider. In most cases, this is a simple one-click install, and is really easy.In fact, if you purchase your domain name from your hosting provider, you don’t even have to worry about changing DNSs. It will be done for you!Plus, WordPress.org has much better customization options. You’re able to install plugins, use custom website themes, and do just about anything you want with your site.You can also monetize your website however you want, which is great if youre planning to make it a business.If you want full control over your site and the best possible options, go with WordPress.org.Even though there’s a bit more of a learning curve, in the long run you’ll thank yourself for making this decision.Ready to get started? As mentioned, we recommend Bluehost as the place to launch your WordPress website. The setup is easy and they help you along the way, too. For more guidance, heres our 15 minute tutorial to starting a WordPress website.Have any other questions about WordPress.org vs WordPress.com? Leave a comment and well try to help out!. * This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and then purchase the product, w ell receive a small fee. No worries though, youll still pay the standard amount so theres no cost on your part.

turkish economy essays

turkish economy essays It is a known fact that Turks have a very strong work ethic. Another key advantage is Turkeys low wage rate, significantly lower than others in the region. In America average employee for Jarcs Incorporated get paid $12 per hour. If we move production to Turkey, employees should get paid a generous $3.50 per hour. Employing 300 workers in Turkey will cost an average of $1050 as compared to $3600 in the US per day. This rate is a significant difference, as the cost of employment in America nearly quadruples the costs possibilities in Turkey. Factory hours would consist of three 8 hour shifts. Beginning at 9 and running to 5, one hundred workers will be in the factory producing an expected amount of units. Next starting at 3 and running until 11, another hundred workers will continue to produce the product, and then towards the end of the shift packaging and storing will begin. Our final shift will consist of janitorial services as well as retooling machines. This allows us to make approximately 10,000 units per day, and annually a drastic improvement compared to the 2,000 units per day that were produced in 2001. Because our production will increase our average cost will decrease. Approximately 98% of the Turkish population is Muslim and celebrate about 25 work recognized holidays as compared to America where our multiracial community may observe many different holidays. Turkey has adopted the western culture and transformed its weekend holiday from Friday to Sunday back in 1924, which parallels our own and can allow for communication as well as transportation abilities. Turkey is expected to become a member of the European Union by 2005. This will allow Turkey to then become a central gateway to both the European and Asian contents, which will inevitably permit growth in the market. The country of Turkey provides incentive packages that involve some sort of tax relief. Investment allowances ...

MD4 Assgmnt 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MD4 Assgmnt 1 - Essay Example The criticism on PowerPoint is also focused on a state of boredom and fatigue of the slide-based presentations. This boredom can be attributed to poor planning by the presenter. Failure to arrange your presentations in time can create a bad presentation. Failure to know to know the audience makes it tricky for the presenter to tailor the content. If the tone fails to go in line with the display, then it becomes uneasy for the audience to get the picture of your presentation. This can only be achieved by planning what to present to the audience before you create your visual aid. One also needs to develop a straightforward outline that visibly develops the main points. This should be followed by creating visual aids to support your intended message. One should also use visual aids in moderation where need be. These aids should also be made observable to the whole audience. One must also ensure that you are talking to the audience but not the aid. The substance of aid should be explained when one first show it. Continuity of the presentation is needed when making a presentation. This assists the audience to get the big depiction of your presentation. Visual continuity also helps to keep the presentation in

Enlightenment And Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enlightenment And Religion - Essay Example Holy Bible was the last word and everything about a man was God-centric, God-decided, and God-given. KANTIAN CONCEPT: Enlightenment was an effort to break through this stagnant cultural context into the freedom of reason and knowledge. That’s why the German philosopher Immanuel Kant called enlightenment as the great leap forward for the humanity. â€Å"For Kant, Enlightenment was mankind’s final coming of age, the emancipation of human consciousness from an immature state of ignorance and error†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Sapere Aude (dare to know) was Kant’s watchword taken from the Greek poet Horace† (Roy Porter, The Enlightenment, PP1). For Kant Enlightenment was an intellectual liberation; a release from man’s self-imposed tutelage. Because of this tutelage man was not able to understand the realities around him without the guidance of a super intellectual guardian. The situation is self-imposed not because the man had no intelligence but because he was not able to use the intelligence. Getting out of the intellectual dependence of the other was what Kant professed. Enlightenment was an intellectual movement. It was mostly a middle-class movement against the hereditary aristocracy and religion; a movement for the humanity in general and for the common man in particular. Though this movement is often associated with the 18th century, the roots of it go back further. Thinkers and writers who thought about the betterment of human life and society, who wanted to place ‘Reason† in the center of all human intellectual activity, who wanted to fight the tyrannical political system, and combat superstition and ignorance were trying to enlighten the people around them. Putting reason in the center of human inquiry opened the door to scientific curiosity and inquiries. Though the church could stop Galileo, they couldn’t stop the development of scientific ideas.

Michel Foucault And Judith Butler Influencing Queerness Film Studies Essay

Michel Foucault And Judith Butler Influencing Queerness Film Studies Essay In this essay I will be looking at the work of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler seeing how their work has influence queerness. I will start the essay by looking at the man, Michel Foucault, followed by studying his work on sexuality and homosexuality. I will then look at Judith Butler and her work on gender performances. I will also be giving contemporary examples of homosexuals in the modern day by looking at three different homosexual television presenters to show how the construction of homosexual figures has taken place in recent years. I will also be looking at how gender performances take place in these examples of homosexuals. Michel Foucault The Background Michel Foucault was born in France in 1926. He was known as a philosopher, sociologist and a historian. In all three of these areas he was very influential, pioneering many different concepts that helped revolutionise their certain fields. Foucault continues to be one of the most important figures in critical theory. Foucault is best known for his critical studies on social institutions such as the prison system, medicine, the human sciences and for his work on the history of human sexuality which I will be discussing later. His theories have been largely concerned with the concepts of power and the relationship among power, knowledge and discourse, and his influence is clear in a great deal of post-structuralism, post-modernist, feminist, post-Marxist and post-colonial theorising (Mills 2003). Foucault suffered from depression and attempted suicide on many different occasions. This could be as Mills says due to the great difficulty at the time about being openly homosexual, but it does suggest that his pronounced interest in psychology stemmed from elements in his own life (Eribon 1991: 27). All though Foucault died of AIDS in 1984, his ideas have and still cause much debate. His ideas have never been simply accommodated by theorists around the world. This is due to the iconoclastic and challenging nature of Foucaults theoretical work (Mills 2003). Michel Foucault The History of Sexuality During Foucaults life, he wrote three volumes of The History of Sexuality. In this essay I will be focusing on his ideas on sexuality and society. The first Volume of Michel Foucaults book History of Sexuality was published in 1978, which was written near the end of a period of time called the sexual revolution in the western culture (Spargo 1999). The sexual revolution was a time where peoples thoughts and opinions shifted in regards to how they viewed sexuality throughout the western world. The book presents a powerful counter narrative to the established story about Victorian sexual repression giving way to progressive liberation and enlightenment in the 20th century (Spargo 1999). For example, Foucault describes how in the 17th century onwards sexuality was hidden from view. People were subjected to a power of repression. But as Spargo describes, this all changed in the 20th century. Sexuality was still there, simmering under the prim surface of 19th century bourgeois respectability, but it was stifled by prohibitions and repressions. Until, that is, it, and we, were liberated in the age of the mini-skirt and the analyst, revealing our legs and our innermost desires, bringing it all out into the open (Spargo 1999). This was easier for some but not quite as easy for others. Some struggled with the free expression they were able to give to their sexual desires. People turned to therapists and counsellors to help gain freedom for the years of prohibitions. Did this mean that sexuality was always waiting for us to free it? In Foucaults opinion no. His view was that sexuality wasnt waiting to be freed or repressed but rather sexuality was and is produced in culture and society. Foucault rejected this repression hypothesis and claimed evidence pointed not to a prohibition on speaking about sexuality but to a remarkable proliferation of discourses about sexuality (Spargo 1999). He didnt want people to assume that the repression from the 17th-19th century was effective. He believed that the repression increased the desire of people to express and discuss their sexuality in ways which were seen as violating the taboos of society. If sex is repressed, that is condemned to prohibition, non-existence and silence, then the mere fact that one is speaking about it has the appearance of a deliberate transgression. A person who holds forth in such language upsets established law and he/she somehow anticipates the coming freedom (Foucault 1986). He didnt believe that sexuality was natural or a normal aspect of life but rather a construction of experiences which has historical, social and cultural beginnings. As I have already discussed Foucault described how the process of restriction had created an increased excitement about sexuality, but he believed that the effect of the repressive discourse seemingly encouraged perverse forms of sexuality and made them more attractive types of behaviour. The construction of homosexuality was one of Foucaults most thought provoking assertions. He believed that the category of homosexuality was created out of a particular context in the 1870s and that it should be viewed as a form of knowledge rather than a discovered identity. Foucault wasnt saying that same sex practises werent accruing before the 19th century but, during this time it was seen as shameful rather than in the 19th century where people embraced same sex relationships and the term homosexual. Foucault said, Homosexuality appeared as one of the forms of sexuality when it was transposed from the practice of sodomy onto a kind of interior androgyny, a hermaphrodism of the soul. The sodomite had been a temporary aberration; the homosexual was seen as being totally suffused with sexuality (Foucault 1978). Since the construction of homosexuality in the 19th century, there has been an explosion of homosexual figures in the 20th century. The media have seemed to of caught the homosexual vibe with television in particular employing homosexuals to present different programmes. These programmes which are hosted by homosexuals are often quite particular programme genres. For example, you would often see a homosexual presenter on entertainment, pop culture and lifestyle programmes rather than documentaries, political shows, or on the news. This shows us that homosexuals are possibly seen as a joke, people who make us laugh by there actions, stories or vulgarity and possibly lack the intelligence or the seriousness to host programmes that require composure and a serious minded attitude towards the subject at hand. Here are three contemporary examples of homosexual TV presenters. The first is guy a called Alan Carr. He has worked on some of the biggest television programmes in the 20th century such as, Friday Night Project, Alan Carrs Celebrity Ding Dong and Alan Carr Chatty Man. Carr is famous for being camp, over the top and having a very unusual laugh that cant help but make you laugh. Despite being openly gay he doesnt consider his sexuality to be a focal part of his act. What am I meant to do? Do I go down the Julian Clary route and talk about fisting and poppers? I dont talk about being gay and I think what better equality for gays than that? (Observer online 2008). Unlike many performers, Carr shies away from unnecessary cruelty, instead relying on his own authenticity to win over his audience. His on-stage persona is simply an extension of his own and therein lies the source of both his charm and his talent. Philosopher, Judith Butler who I will be speaking about later believes that we all put on gender performances and that gender, like sexuality, isnt a vital truth that has come from the bodys materiality but rather a regulatory fiction. The second man is called Dale Winton. Winton has been on television since 1987 and has feature in many different types of television programmes. He is most famous for a programme called Supermarket Sweep which ran from 1993-2001. He was seen as the typical homosexual television presenter, very camp and over the top which is very much a trend in homosexual television hosts. During his time he was iconic for being overtly camp, tanned and often touchy feely with his guests, but he was never as he says a banner waving gay. Im not a banner-waving gay guy, because I actually dont believe its important. People never say vehement heterosexual Michael Parkinson, but it will say camp gay entertainer Graham Norton, or Dale Winton since Ive officially come out. (Times online 2008) The third and final television presenter I will be looking at is Graham Norton. He is arguably one of the most well known television presenters in recent years. Again he has many of the homosexual traits and he describes himself on the channel 4 website as a shiny Irish proof. It does not take long to work out that his sexuality has played a large part in his appeal and success. His exceedingly camp style gives him the licence to be exceedingly rude without being offensive, and his quick wit, put-downs and one-liners have made him a homosexual icon. He has been criticised for being too camp and taking the gay stereotype to an extreme. Some gay men have said he is reinforcing the idea that a gay TV star has to be over-the-top and in the mould of like Kenneth Williams or Frankie Howerd. (BBC website, 2001) All three of these television presenters are examples of the 20th century homosexual. They all share similar traits such as the in your face campness, being over the top and also being drama queens. The homosexual has grown and changed over time since its creation in the 19th century and will continue to change as time goes on. Foucault work on the analysis of sexuality has helped in challenging the preconceived ideas of sexual characteristics. He argues that his study wasnt designed to be a history of sexual behaviours nor a history of representation, but a history of sexuality. Judith Butler The theorist most prominently associated with queerness and queer theory is American post-structuralist philosopher Judith Butler. Butler followed the work of Michel Foucault and used his work so she could investigate models of gender and heterosexuality. Butler argues that gender, like sexuality, isnt a vital truth that has come from the bodys materiality but rather a regulatory fiction. Gender is the repeated stylization of the body, a set of repeated acts within a highly rigid regulatory frame that congeal over time to produce the appearance of substance, of a natural sort of being (Butler 1990, p. 33) Butler argues that the sex you are i.e. Male or female is seen to cause a gender type i.e. masculine or feminine which is then seen to create a desire towards the other gender. This is seen as a continuous series that is constantly reproducing itself. Inspired by Foucault, Butlers approach is to destroy the links between that series so desire and gender are allowed to be flexible and not made to be steady factors. Butler argues that we all put on gender performances, and she says its not a question of whether this will take place, but in what form will this performance take. She believes that by choosing to be different, we might be able to change gender norms and the understanding of masculinity and femininity. Butler says: There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; identity is performatively constituted by the very expressions that are said to be its results. (Butler 1990, p.25). In other words, gender is a performance; its what you  do  at particular times, rather than a universal  who you are. This approach of gender is very similar to that of sexuality. Butler, Foucault and Queer theory all believe that your identity is not fixed but constructed at certain times or in certain situations. Foucault argued that sexuality was produced which overlaps on what Butler says about gender being performed/produced. This idea of identity as free floating and not connected to a real meaning but rather a performance, is one of the key ideas in the creation of queer theory Modern day examples of Butlers theory regarding gender performances are clear to see. The three examples of homosexual figures in television are examples of what Butler calls gender performances. All three of the television presenters that I have mention Alan Carr, Dale Winton and Graham Norton have created a performance of their gender at particular times. All three man perform their gender in different ways with Alan Carr using his over the top campness as a way of engaging with the audience, Dale Winton using his touchy feely sensual approach to his audience and Graham Norton using his homosexuality as a way of making jokes and putting others down without any consequences. The way in which all three act is a performance of some kind to either feel accepted or to gain a reaction from their audiences. Conclusion In this essay I have looked at the work of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, both of who have influenced the work of queerness in different ways. I have looked at Foucaults work on the repression in the Victorian age and his work on homosexuality. I also looked at the modern day explosion of homosexuals on TV using the examples of three different TV presenters. I then went on to study Judith Butlers work which was influenced by Foucault on gender performances. I discussed how Butler believed that we all go through gender performances but that it isnt who we are, rather a time to time experience. On the back of this I took the example of the three homosexual television presenters and linked their characters to gender performances. Both these theorists have looked at themes in sexuality, gender and society, with some of there ideas overlapping, with both Foucault and Butler looking at sexuality and gender as constructed and performed by individuals. Foucault also looked at the construction of the homosexual figure and I have taken his work on further by looking at the characteristics of the homosexual figure as exemplified by modern day TV presenters.

Restraint, Weight Suppression, and Self-Report Reliability: How Much D :: essays research papers

In the analytical report entitled Restraint, Weight Suppression, and Self-Report Reliability: How Much Do You Really Weigh? By P.J. Morgan and D.B. Jeffrey, they look at the eating habits of people and categorize them as three types of people. Those categories are Dieting and Overeating group, Current Dieting, and Weight Suppression. The Dieting/Overeating group consists of "individuals who undergo repetitive cycles of dieting and overeating,"(Morgan, 1999). They have the appearance of a diet, but overeat every once in a while to make up for it and to fulfill food desires. The Current Dieting group "encompasses those who consider themselves to be currently on a diet and who consume less food than what is required than what is required for maintenance of their current weight," (Morgan, 1999). They are ones that eat small portions of food and starve themselves to keep their weight down or to lose weight. This can also be categorized as anorexia nervosa, a clin ical eating disorder that afflicts primarily women. The last category is the Weight Suppressors, who "successfully lost weight and have kept it off for some time," (Morgan, 1999). These people have lost the weight by some means and have kept the weight off by adopting better eating and exercise habits. The groups were split into two groups, the control group and the variable group. The experiment was to see what the effects would be on each type of person in the variable group when enticed with a milkshake "Preload" which tastes better than a regular milkshake and is higher in fat and calories. The control group would not receive the "Preload" shake so the experimenters could monitor normal reactions of persons from each group. The result was the "Preload" group ate more than the control group regardless of their category. The authors concluded that the dieting and appetite suppression is a mental game of the person and is only as strong as their own conscience and taste. However, that is only one way to look at the information. The structural functionalist perspective focuses on the manifest and latent reasons for dieting. The manifest reason a person to diet is to look better physically. Physical acceptability is very important to people, both male and female alike. It is a part of out status as a human and gives value to our appearance as well. The latent function is to make ourselves healthier inside and out, by improving our immune system and eliminating cholesterol from our blood vessel, which could cause blockage.