Slow Food Versus Fast Food Essay Example for Free

Slow Food Versus Fast Food Essay Introduction Most hotels at Victoria Falls have for decades prided themselves on a culture of serving leisurely, gourmet meals (especially dinners) prepared using local ingredients including a variety of game meat (e. g. buffalo, kudu, impala, warthog, crocodile, guinea fowl), local mushrooms and vegetable varieties, and ? sh from the nearby Zambezi River. Arguably, a signi? cant proportion of this food quali? es to be called ‘slow food’, because it meets the four criteria for slowlness (Rothermel, 2009). First, slow food must be freshly prepared from fresh ingredients, mostly vegetables, fruit and whole grains, and meat in small portions. Second, the food must be eaten leisurely in company. Third, it must be simple but varied in taste. Finally, it must be produced in an ethical and environmentally friendly manner. However, in recent years, fast food restaurants, led by Innscor brands such as Chicken Inn, Creamy Inn, and so on, have begun penetrating the market. Indeed the expansion of fast food chains in the last decade can be observed in several African countries. In South Africa, international chains such as KFC and McDonald’s are becoming virtually ubiquitous. Rapid growth of fast food restaurant chains has become a global phenomenon (Berta, 2003; Doherty and van Warner, 1995; Emerson, 1980; King, 2004; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Walkup, 2008; Willging, 2008). In the resort town of Victoria Falls, most tourists have traditionally opted to eat at the hotels where they lodge. However, with recent entrance of fast food chains, hoteliers, facing the threat of losing market share, have been responding to the changing competitive forces. Victoria Falls has become a ‘slow food versus fast food’ battleground. The main aim of this paper is to explore how the contemporary slow food– fast food contention is enacted in an African tourist destination setting. An important point to make is that it is not suggested here that Victoria Falls hotels serve slow food exclusively. Indeed, most hotels in the resort, in addition to what would qualify as slow food, also serve items which could be labelled as fast food, such as Corresponding author: Muchazondida Mkono, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, P. O. Box 157, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia Email: [emailprotected] edu. au, [emailprotected] Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 148 burgers, fries, and so on, typically as part of their ‘still room’ menus for lunches and snacks. At the same time hotels at Victoria Falls have always accepted that the majority of their guests spend the day undertaking a range of ‘tourist activities’ away from the hotel (for example elephant riding, over-the falls helicopter ? ights, bungee jumping, game safaris, white water rafting) and will often ? nd a quick snack elsewhere, or be provided with refreshments by tour operators offering these activities. Breakfast is generally consumed at the hotel, as most hotel rates are charged on bed and breakfast basis. Thus the real contention as to the tourist’s choice of either fast food or slow food is centred around dinner. Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) Warner, 1995; Emerson, 1980; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Willging, 2008). Research has mainly focused on the health impacts of this trend (Allen et al. , 2007; Bartlett and Bartlett, 1995; Blanck et al. , 2009; Bowens, 1994; Chandon and Wansink, 2007; Chaudhry, 1992; Crowley, 2002; Dundes and Swann, 2008; Fitch et al., 2009; Grazin and Olsen, 1997; Gregory et al. , 2006; Hawkes, 2003; Hodges, 2003; Parker et al. , 2006; Rubin, 1996; Schreiner, 2007; Thornton et al. , 2009; Xu et al. , 2011), with the majority of authors corroborating the view that fast food poses signi? cant health risks. As such Slow Food Movement enthusiasts advocate a return to slow food habits. At the same time, there is a growing health conscious, market (Bartlett and Bartlett, 1995; Gray, 2004; Grazin and Olsen, 1997; Jonsdottir, 1998; Hwang and Cranage, 2010). In response to this trend, many hoteliers position their menus as healthier and wholesome. A closely related debate to fast food–slow food discourse pertains to the authenticity of menus. Authenticity is a central topic in tourism sociological debates, and re? ects a search for the Authentic Other in tourists (Beer, 2008; Chhabra, 2010; Cohen, 2007; Connell, 2007; Connell and Gibson, 2004; Daniel, 1996; Johnson, 2002; Wang, 1999; Warner, 2009; Wherry, 2006; White, 2007; Xie, 2003; Yang and Wall, 2009; Yu and Littrell, 2003; Zheng, 2011). Slow food, with its use of local ingredients and traditional cooking methods, has a stronger claim to authenticity, while fast food can easily be criticised as deauthenti?cation and MacDonaldisation of cuisine cultures; as Americanisation of traditional food cultures. A noticeable gap in the literature with respect to fast food chain expansion relates to the impacts on hotel food and beverage sales and pro? ts, as well as how (slow food) hotels have reacted to the trend to protect their market share. For African tourist destinations, hotels have long been an important part of the destination’s ‘authentic’ image, and the MacDonaldisation of the food culture in these areas might destabilise the desired image. The impacts therefore are far-reaching. Literature review While the concept of slow food has been received with a lot of interest among academics (Emerson, 1980; Gardner, 2007; Hodges, 2003; Jennings, 2006; Paxson, 2005; Peace, 2008; Piggott, 2001; Sassatelli and Davolio; Schwaner-Albright, 2007; Scoffer, 2008; Vaughan, 2008; Walkup, 2008; Waterhouse, 2008; Waters, 2006; Wong, 2009; Wright, 2007; Yee, 1999; Zuber, 2002), existing research has so far not looked at how resort hotels offering what could be described as ‘slow ? ne dining’ have been impacted by the expansion of fast food chains in Africa. Further, most research on fast food and slow food has been conducted in Western and Asian countries. African case studies are noticeably lacking (Emerson, 1980; King, 2004; Lan and Khan, 1995; Parsa and Khan, 1989; Soeder, 1994; Walkup, 2008; Willging, 2008). The concept of ‘slow food’ was borne out of the Slow Food Movement, founded in Bra, Italy, in 1986 by Carlo Petrini (Jones et al. , 2003; Petrini, 2001). The movement aims at safeguarding food and agricultural heritage around the world, and educating consumers about traditional foods (Nosi and Zanni, 2004). Formed to counteract the rapid globalisation of a fast food culture, the movement has evolved from being a protest against the erection of a McDonald’s restaurant in an Italian town to a formidable international organisation that has enthusiasts all over the world (Jones et al. , 2003). Interest in slow food has grown parallel to increasing criticism of fast food, although some authors question the movement’s ef? cacy in challenging the seemingly ‘all powerful’ fast food industry (Jones et al. , 2003). Fast food, according to Rothermel (2009), typically bland, chewy, cheesy, crunchy, salty, meaty, nutty, fatty, and sometimes spicy, captivates the palette quickly, repetitiously, and obsessively. As such, fast food is consumed by a growing population, particularly in developed countries (Doherty and van Methodology The goal of this study is to provide an exploratory, inductive analysis of the slow food–fast food contention as it has unfolded in recent times at the tourist destination of Victoria Falls. As a starting point for future research, the study highlights the perspectives of hoteliers, speci?cally food and beverage managers. The philosophical approach adopted for this study was hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenology, which is also a research method (LeVasseur, 2003; Lopez and Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 Mkono Willis, 2004; Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). The approach was adopted to make sense out of a local situation by providing a thick description (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994). The localised focus resulted in small-scale theories that are situated in speci? c personal experiences and perceptions (Riley and Love, 2000). The paper employs a highly re? exive and multivocal methodology where no single voice is priviledged (Riley and Love, 2000). Hermeneutic phenomenology is a particularly appropriate method for capturing subjective perspectives and lived experiences (Hegel, 1977; Ingram, 2002; Ironside et al. , 2003; Jonsdottir, 1998; Knibbe and Versteeg, 2008; LeVasseur, 2003; Lopez and Willis, 2004; Murphy et al. , 2009; Pernecky and Jamal, 2010; Racher and Robinson, 2003; Ross et al. , 2007; Sherrod, 2006; Simpson, 2007; Sinico, 2008; Szarycz, 2009; Wilde, 2003; Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). However, only a few hospitality researchers have adopted this methodology (Ingram, 2002). Hermeneutic phenomenology accepts that both the researcher and participants cocreate an understanding of the phenomena under study, while bringing into the research their own frames of references drawing from their different backgrounds (Wojnar and Swanson, 2007). Researchers under this orientation will therefore often attempt to acknowledge whatever biases they brought into the study, through a process of ‘bracketing’ (LeVasseur, 2003), explaining ‘where they are coming from’. As such, the researcher here acknowledges her own previous work experience in the hotel industry in Victoria Falls as signi?cantly shaping her frame of reference throughout the study. As Lopez and Willis (2004) argue, in the interpretive phenomenological approach, the researcher’s presuppositions or previous knowledge are valuable guides to the analysis, and can make the inquiry more meaningful. Wojnar and Swanson (2007) explain that hermeneutic phenomenology is most useful where the goal is to explicate contextual features of a lived experience as derived from the researcher’s and participants’ backgrounds, as well as their subjective experiences and perspectives. However, the researcher is not absolved of the responsibility to minimise, or if possible at all, eliminating personal biases from the ? ndings of the study. It is often very dif? cult for researchers to demarcate between bias and fact, as bias can be very subtle. Data were collected from 11 hotel food and beverage managers. Food and beverage managers are the hands-on food and beverage operations decision makers who are directly responsible for the day to day and longer term strategy of a hotel’s food and beverage operations. Of course, other managers in the hotel, such as restaurant managers, executive chefs,149 guest relations managers and functions managers may also input into the food and beverage operations. The researcher however felt their input was minimal and in most cases, involved more strategy implementation rather than strategy formulation. Thus food and beverage managers, as primary strategists in the food and beverage department, were identi? ed as the key informants in the hotels. Out of a judgement sample of 18 hotel managers in 18 hotels (2 to 5 star) who were contacted by phone and asked if they were available for an interview, 16 agreed and appointments were set up. However, only 11 were subsequently interviewed. The other 5 could not avail themselves giving various reasons including emergency meetings or busy schedules. The researcher used an interview guide to maintain focus in the interviews. Questions were very open ended allowing interviewees to air their views freely. The research revolved around the two major research questions: the extent of threat posed by the emerging fast food competition (if any), and hotel management reactions. All interviews were tape recorded and transcribed manually, verbatim. Data analysis was performed manually, through several stages, drawing from Benner’s (1994) hermeneutical analysis model delineated in Wojnar and Swanson (2007). The process began with reading and rereading transcripts reread to gain an intuitive feel for the data. Next, repetitious themes were identi? ed. The researcher then identi? ed exemplary quotes to illustrate themes. Findings and discussion The extent of threat The majority of managers felt that fast food companies were becoming serious competition for hotel restaurants: ‘‘It’s become a bit of a war really. We have our appeal, but fast food restaurants have ‘‘street’’ appeal. We offer ? ne dining. Both concepts have their appeal, I guess. ’’ The ‘war’ referred to above is not unique to Zimbabwe. Restaurant wars have occurred in other places where fast food restaurants have entered the markets rapidly (e. g. Watson and Caldwell, 2004). Some managers reported that some of their guests were using their shuttle buses to ‘sneak out for a burger dinner at a fast food restaurant in town’. In addition, and more worrying for the hotel industry in Victoria Falls, hotel food and beverage sales were reported to have been reduced signi?cantly due to fast food entrance. This was a great concern as managers Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 150 reported the negative bottom line impact of fast food restaurant expansion. However, others were con? dent of the competitive strengths of their hotel restaurants, perceiving no real threat from fast food. ‘‘I think tourists in our hotel prefer to taste our full service men. It’s gourmet. Fast to me is bland and ordinary. Plus unhealthy. Our food is prepared by world class chefs.’’ Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) white water rafting on the Zambezi River, elephant back safaris, and so on) might not be consistent with a slow destination image, or a slow tourist segment. Another interesting comment made concerned the in? uence of age in preference for fast food: ‘‘It appears to me that it is our younger guests who might be particularly interested in fast food. The older folks are put off by the noise in the fast food places’’. The health implications in relation to fast food and slow food have been widely discussed (Hodges, 2003; Hunt, 2004; Mair et al., 2008; Wong, 2009). Indeed this could be the biggest selling point for hotel food over food in this context, especially if the market is predominantly health conscious. This requires further inquiry. One of the managers felt that hotels’ competitive strength with respect to food and beverage was in the uniqueness and authenticity of their menus: ‘‘We sell cuisines that they can’t get anywhere else, our kudu and impala steak, for example. Our cuisine is authentic Zimbabweanness. We bring out the best of Zimbabwean and African food. ’’ Future research could investigate further the validity of this observation in more causal, quantitative research. However, some existing research would suggest that more younger people tend to prefer fast food compared to older people (Dave et al. , 2009). One manager drew attention to the attention paid to ambience in hotel restaurants, arguing that this is an important source of differentiation from fast food restaurants: ‘‘Our hotel restaurants have a special ambience which fast food restaurants simply cannot provide’’. Authenticity is a core concept in tourism research, and it is signi? cant that hotel managers are engaged with this discourse in their re? ection of work lived experiences. But to ascribe Zimbabweanness lends to us to the complex questions of who authenticates food as Zimbabwean or otherwise, what criterion must be used, and consequently to the questions of identity and, for a multiethnic society that Zimbabwe is, ethnicity as well. Indeed, ethnicity has been a source of socio-cultural tension with regard to representing Zimbabwean identity. However, this point constitutes a highly convoluted debate that cannot be treated in more depth in an exploratory study such as this one. One manager felt that Victoria Falls was a destination for the ‘slow’ tourist, who preferred ‘slow’ products and services, so that there was no real threat for hoteliers posed by the entrance of fast food. The slow food–fast food contention is a topical issue in contemporary hospitality management as it resonates with a nostalgic yearning for the past in modern society. ‘‘I think Victoria Falls attracts more ‘slow oriented’ tourists, I think. ’’ The role ambience in in? uencing customer satisfaction is widely recognised. However some fast food restaurants have made some strides in managing the atmosphere in their restaurants. For example, the Rainforest Cafe chain’s restaurant interiors depict a tropical rainforest with detail such as plant growth, mist, waterfalls, animatronic robots of various animals and insects (Williams, 2002). Thus hoteliers cannot become complacent about their restaurant ambience as sustainable sources of competitive advantage over their fast food restaurant competition. The researcher asked whether the cheaper prices associated with fast food was a concern for hoteliers. Some managers agreed that price was in fact the major source of competition: ‘‘The trouble is that a burger at a fast food restaurants costs little, say three of four dollars. Our dinners cost them $30 dollars thereabouts. So if the decision is an economic one, especially where it’s a big family, the fast food restaurant is an inviting option. ’’ Slowness is a contested phenomenon, and it is not clear cut what constitutes slow. Further, it is questionable whether Victoria Falls is indeed a destination for slow tourists. Indeed, the adventure oriented activities that Victoria Falls is commonly known for (bungee jumping, helicopter ? ights over Falls, cruises and However, some felt that there was no logic in comparing hotel food prices with fast food prices; that doing so would be akin to comparing ‘oranges with bread’. It is clear then that hoteliers have varying perception of who their competitors are: whether competition refers to other hoteliers, or whether it extends beyond the hotel industry. De? ning competition narrowly, however, is likely to be detrimental to a hotel’s long term competitive strength. Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013 Mkono It was also highlighted by some managers that their clientele was ‘upmarket’ and therefore not very pricesensitive: ‘‘Most of our guests are internationals. . . . and price is not their primary criterion for choosing where they are gonna eat. They do not travel on a tight budget’’. 151 Victoria Falls. Hotels would need to think on a longer term basis if their strategies should shield them from the competitive threat effectively. One manager expressed apprehension about the potential ef? cacy of any potential reactive strategies, citing that tourists from countries where fast food consumption has become ingrained in lifestyle ‘‘can’t resist a cheese burger’’. Thus to some extent, in this manager’s view, the war was already lost. Since for some managers the real competition was lay in the differences in price levels, it was not surprising that hotels were expected to bring down their prices. Indeed, this had already been done in some hotels: ‘‘We have had to bring our prices down a little bit’’. Hoteliers would need to address the question whether they intend to target only the upmarket, or whether their target market can be de? ned more broadly. Considering that the government’s Look East Policy launched in the early 2000s has attracted a lower spending, more price-sensitive Eastern market, limiting the target market to af? uent high spenders might not be particularly wise as a marketing strategy. Hotels therefore ? nd themselves in a crossroads decision regarding whether it makes more business sense to bring their prices down to become more competitive in the face of fast food restaurant penetration, and accept any compromises this might bring to customers’ perceptions of their product and service quality; or to keep their price levels as they are in the hope that this lures a more high spending, perhaps elitist market. A particularly important point was the reference to health conscious tourists. It was the belief of some managers that a signi?cant proportion of tourists was becoming increasingly health conscious, and was therefore inclined to avoid eating fast food: ‘‘Our guests in general are becoming very health conscious. They ask for low fat, sugar free etc. They ask if our menu is organic. They know they can’t get healthy options at the fast food restaurant. That’s a fact. ’’ However, some managers were concerned about the effect of price cuts on their image. There was apprehension that tourists could assume that this was accompanied by a reduction in product and/ or service quality. The relationship between price and quality has been investigated in many marketing studies, suggesting that customers perceptions of quality are indeed affected by price. The theme of image for some extended beyond an individual hotel. The image of Victoria Falls as a tourist destination was seen as impacted by the expansion of fast food supply. One of the respondents asserted that this would compromise the ‘luxury resort’ brand image that Victoria Falls held internationally: ‘‘Victoria is a high end market destination. We are about luxury hotels, class. No offence to fast food restaurants. ’’ Conclusion and suggested future research Hotel reactions Most managers believed that the competitive threat posed for hotels by the expansion of the fast food industry in Victoria Falls was serious enough to warrant reformulation of competitive strategies. Among the changes that hotels needed to make was to change shuttle buses’ routes so that they would not pass through fast food restaurant locations: ‘‘We might have to change the route for our shuttle. The current pick up points are not good for us at all because fast food shops are staring at our guest right there where they get picked up. ’’ However, such a change cannot offer a permanent solutions as tourists are not necessarily restricted to the use of hotels’ shuttle buses for transport within The study sought to investigate hotel food and beverage managers’ experiences with and perspectives of emerging fast food competition. As such, the paper adds to a growing number of phenomenological studies in hospitality. Managers’ perspectives re? ect several interesting issues. Many of the responses suggest a signi? cant level of complacency, a refusal to accord fast food the status of formidable competitor. Some managers seem to think it ‘beneath them’ to even worry about fast food, and even more ‘beneath’ to engage in a ‘face-off ’ with them. The more ‘digni? ed’ option seems to be to pretend that fast food restaurants either do not exist at all, or to feign indifference. This begs the question whether this attitude is sustainable in the long term. The study also con? rms the dynamic and volatile nature of the tourist market. In an African destination Downloaded from thr. sagepub. com at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on March 14, 2013. 152 where fast food consumption has been a once-in-awhile affair, the entrance of fast food is set to rede? ne food and eating culture. It is no longer a Western phenomenon. What is also important to realise is that fast food consumption is not restricted to the tourist market; that locals are also a part of the market. Future researchers might investigate the impacts of fast food expansion on the local population’s food culture, which will further case study knowledge on the so called MacDonalisation of society. Hotels might have to start actively targeting ‘slow tourists’. However, research on the characteristics and means of engaging this potentially growing market segment is still lacking. It is hoped that more African context-speci? c studies will be carried out on the expansion of fast food and its business and sociological impacts. An inherent limitation concomitant to phenomenology is the lack of generalisability of research ? ndings. Owing to the small sample, the perspectives represented here are not representative of any other context, although some may be ‘transferable’ to similar resort destinations where fast food chains are beginning to enter markets which have previously been dominated by hotels. Future researchers might want to engage in similar studies with a larger sample of informants, and perhaps on a wider spatial scale. Such studies could employ quantitative methods to explain causal relationships and test hypothesis, such as whether fast food entrance into a traditional hotel dominated market poses signi? cant threats to hotel food and beverage pro? ts. To complete the supply side perspective for this study, fast food managers also need to be included in data collection in future perspectives. It would be interesting to investigate why fast food restaurants have decided to expand into the Victoria Falls now, how they perceive the competition from hotels, how they have tried to gain market share, and their views on slow food–fast food debate in an environment where fast food continues to be criticised as unhealthy. How are they building their defence against this onslaught? How do they continue to thrive despite this worldwide onslaught? What will be even more interesting would be to compare the ? ndings made in an African context with those found in other, perhaps very different contexts. This research took a supply side bias, and thus fails to capture the perspectives of tourists who in fact make the choice between fast food and slow food. Thus future researchers might want to pursue either a market oriented approach, or better yet an integrative approach, which combines both supply side and consumer perspectives. In addition, future researchers who carry out similar studies in tourist destinations Tourism and Hospitality Research 12(3) could utilise the broader concept of ‘slow tourism’ as an analytical framework. Thus food choice and consumption are not viewed simply as acts in dining, but perhaps as a microcosm of a much more complex ‘slow tourism’ phenomenon. References Allen KN, Taylor JS and Kuiper R (2007) Effectiveness of nutrition education on fast food choices in adolescents. 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Gender Stereotyping In The Media Media Essay

Gender Stereotyping In The Media Media Essay Gender stereotyping is a popular technique that the media employs to generalize female or male traits and personalities. Even though, such action by the media may depict elements of inequality, it is still a popular phenomenon practiced by the media today. These attempts endeavor to identify the sexes based on their consumption patterns, attitudes and socialization. For instance, a female identity is attributed to fashion, design and consumption of sugary products like chocolate. Nevertheless, gender stereotyping has its positive impacts to the society. This paper endeavors analyze gender stereotyping in the media with a view of realizing the causes, effects and best approaches to enhance gender equality through the media. The research will be conducted majorly among media houses or company putting weight on gender stereotyping. An extensive review of the contents the media houses have aired over the years will be critically analyzed to have an idea of the gender stereotypic representations, and present position in the market. Literature review Media images and stereotyping Today, viewers and listeners of the media houses are bombarded by the information they receive. Over the years, such information has shaped views on female or male roles in our society. This information is exposed to children and adults whether they are willing or unwilling, yet may represent stereotypic messages. It is clear the media has a significant impact in shaping the mindset and expectations of a whole generation. As indicated by Durham Douglas (2006), gender stereotypic in the media is a debatable topic that its impacts is traced to childhood appraising based on media representation on the expected traits, personality and attributes of a male or female behavior. Stereotyping by the media is about perceived representation of the products and services gender inclination. In addition, it also represents the social interaction of gender in bringing a different meaning to the same product. The media, therefore, tries to put concrete concepts, attachments and thoughts in the viewers minds on shaping their behavior. Stereotyping representation is a sense-making process that is shaped by the media is various distinctive ways that eventually define the system. For instance, gender issues are organized in different ways in TV shows, adverts and pornography among others (Durham Douglas, 2006). Stereotyping This paper approaches Stereotyping as an imperfect debatable issue that needs to be observed from different perspectives. Gender stereotyping in the media, therefore, involves sharing pictures, advertising, plate printing etc. with a view of providing distinct identifiable behavior among genders that support dominant ideologies. Stereotyping has its negative and positive effects in the society. Among the benefits of media stereotyping are: easily identifiable categories of male and female sexes, help predict behavior in a world that is increasingly growing complex and reaffirm traditional cultural ideologies that define appropriate gender behavior (Matthews, 2007 p. 123). Gender stereotyping in the media has been persistent because of the embedded kernel of truth that stereotypic notions hold a percentage of truth in the real world. In essence, this might be the truth among certain groups in the world. Stereotypes are gradually experiencing a revolution in light of an increasingly globalized world that integrates the cultures and peoples behavior from all corners of the earth. When such change takes place, a uniquely fresh stereotype emerges such as the supermom. Interrelationship exists between the perceptual process in stereotypic illustrations and the linguistic process. These two processes stereotypic thinking exhibit a sense of connection in the likelihood that personal perception is involved. According to Matthews (2007), this means that stereotypes have narrow thinking while lessen the possibility of biasness when portrayed by the media. This is popularly referred to as terministic screen. Therefore, the media are a significant element in the t opic of stereotyping. In fact, first media communications entail individual characterization based on gender such as female make-homes while men are largely dealing with complex tasks like construction work. Other than the advantages mentioned above, stereotyping has a number of negative consequences. Among disadvantages of gender stereotyping in the media are oversimplification of individual personality in groups and hasty assumptions leads to irrelevance in other situations. In addition, stereotyping leads to prejudice and discrimination among groups and hinders equal access to opportunities and resources. Other negative effects of stereotyping are pressures to live up to society ideals and opposed stereotypes bind gender along masculine and feminine behavior (Durham Douglas, 2006). The stereotypic masculine and feminine bound elucidate that men are supposed to be independent, have authority, breadwinners and be aggressors. On the other hand, women are supposed to be dependent, incompetent, caregivers, victims or sex objects etc. The media reports are filled with gender stereotypes as seen in programs such as drama. This content is based on traditionally accepted character, as well as society vices that are classified between genders. Nevertheless, the media have a significant impact to children and adults in determining acceptable behavior. Such stereotypes need to be assessed to deduce the reality. According to Matthews (2007), the media as a medium of communication conveys subtle, yet critical sub-textual information about gender, other than its content. To this extent, the contents and relationships are divided among the axioms of gender. Some hidden information differs, however, gives the implications that men are more aggressive, interesting as well as visible when compared to women. Women are considered to be objects of the male gender. The media stereotypes tend to control their best interest at the expense of gender equality. For instance, they may send stereotypic messages enable them make money. As such, advertisement and TV programs tend to be conservative and repeat past formulas with the sole purpose of making a large audience. Therefore, today gender stereotyping in the media may not be the exact representation of reality. In this context, there a large content between old and new stereotypes that are confusing. This paper will seek to assess gender stereotyping in the media focusing on images and pictures that attribute the topic. For instance, the female or male presentation, the products used to represents gender, the audience being targeted as well as what the media talks about gender roles and behavior. According to Andrea Press (1989), gender equality has become a social debate that attracts terrains of struggle between men and women. This also points to the cultural power between the male and female as assumed in the society. Therefore, this paper will seek to identify the ideologies of gender assumed by the society over the years with reference to the content reproduced by the media. Nonetheless, prior literature on this topic suggests that stereotyped representation of gender by the media is natural and attempt to justify gender roles naturally. Agenda Setting, gatekeeping or cultivation theory Many people think the media reports what is most relevant. However, according to Bittner (2000) the media merely relays or dramatizes information that reflects the importance in the minds of the audience. Many times the audiences observe just what seems to be necessary, but may not be relevant in reality. As suggested by Bittner (2000), media create an agenda for the audience based on their own preferences and interests. This is called the agenda theory. The gatekeeping theory suggests that the media airs anything based on their selection of what is necessary in relation to the thoughts of the audience about what does not appear. In this regard, gender stereotyping by the media is on what is represented. The real issue is the depiction of women and men in stereotypical ways. This illustrates that gender stereotyping by the media is a reflection of cultural tradition. Whatever the society deems are of importance is probably what the media will report. In addition, reviews about daytime talk shows unveil womens genre of programs. Most talk shows discuss issues about women, as opposed to men. However, the real question is the importance of the discussion or the show to the audience. If the discussions are important to the audience then it is considered a reality, however, if the media decides to show contents based on company preferences, it sets the agenda for the audience. The latter is clearly stereotyping in the media. The third is the cultivation theory, which proposes that the media cultivates perception among the audience. This means that the media makes mass communication especially through the television about a distorted perception in the society. As suggested by Malgorzata (2011), the audience tends to think that the real situations are as the way they are represented in the films, advertisement or television. Although part of the media reported is a representation of the reality, it is not fully-realistic. For instance, Gerbner and his business partners discovered that individuals who watch television news too much always think there is more violence in the world than it really is. Such an audience tends to think along peace and violence lines, but the reality is quite different. Another illustration is when many audiences anticipate romantic relationships to look like those in the films and television. The truth is that many relationships are not, rather there are many relationships that h ave problems and end up in breakups. This is because media representation is not just the reality but, it does not depict the set period. Generalization and simplification of gender by the media Indeed the topic of gender stereotyping has increasingly elicited attention from many groups of interest. Consciously or unconsciously, the community absorbed the notion of gender stereotypes through socialization which was stirred by media discussions and advertisements among others. Most generalizations or simplification based on cultural ideologies represent false thoughts of reality and have positive and negative impacts. The media reveal gender stereotypic differences through the depiction of the female character as thin and inclined to tender beauty. The male characters are portrayed as strong and independent with little concern about fashion or beauty. The generalization of women in the media as being objectified has been pronounced in the media adverts, programs and discussions for long. With the gap between men and women roles slimming, the media stereotypes towards gender have the same effect on both genders. The abundant slimming adverts and discussion have serious consumes self-conceptualization, uniqueness as well as gender values. Adverts are popular and its repetitions through the media make them the most powerful tools on information in the society. As such, advertisements have a fundamental contribution to the cause of stereotypic problems as they foster a society that sells womens bodies as acceptable and short and less masculine men as inferior. As such, these individuals feel overstretched to conform to the general justification of an acceptably lovely man or woman. In fact, many women and men are forced to go to great lengths to alter their physique in an attempt to fit in the media-perceived environment. Therefore, their mindset is subjected to perceive their faces as masks while their bodies are objects. This is because changes to ones face or body imply augmentation as well as disguise. The case is worse for a female audience since they are advised to internalize the reported information based on the perspective of their own physique or attributes. This perception does not include attention to other invisible attributes like emotional feelings and inner bodily states. This illustrates objectification of gender. Studies indicate that advertisements tend to objectify women body and beauty, as opposed to men. Men is popular in selling merchandise while the females are portrayed to that pronounces their sexuality. Traditional setting on gender-objectification plays a role to associate the female gender with their personal traits. As such, enables one to assess the value of their personality or traits based on these stereotypes. Eventually, one should be able to control his or her assoc iation. As such, their actions are a result of presumptions that leave them preoccupied in effect called self-objectification (Malgorzata, 2011). Hypothesis (H) The literature review in this paper sheds enough light for the researcher to come up with the following hypothesis that the study will seek to realize. H1: Media reports represents their own agenda that tends to distort perception along gender lines rather than the reality This means that the media makes mass communication especially through the television about a distorted perception in the society. As such, the audience tends to think that the real situations are as the way they are represented in the films, advertisement or television. The truth is that many relationships are not, rather there are many relationships that have problems and end up in breakups. This is because media representation is not just the reality but, it does not depict the set period. H2: Gender stereotyping in the media significantly affects the patterns of life between men and female Stereotyping by the media is about perceived representation of the products and services gender inclination. In addition, it also represents the social interaction of gender in bringing a different meaning to the same product. As such, female and males will have different preferences of products and services, yet in reality the product is unisex. H3: Gender stereotyping in the media is a continuous process since a new stereotype reemerges every day Stereotypes are gradually experiencing a revolution in light of an increasingly globalized world that integrates the cultures and peoples behavior from all corners of the earth. When such change takes place, a uniquely fresh stereotype emerges such as the supermom. Interrelationship exists between the perceptual process in stereotypic illustrations and the linguistic process. These two processes stereotypic thinking exhibit a sense of connection in the likelihood that personal perception is involved. Methodology The research will be conducted majorly among media houses or company putting weight on gender stereotyping. First data will be collected from the media companies. This will comprise of secondary data such as video, pictures advertisement and program reviews. This will be through analysis of the media promotional strategies, financial information from advertisements and programs, general presentation of content, together with the marketing goals and objectives with regard to gender stereotyping. Thereafter, the researcher shall move to unrecorded data, this will involve holding the interview with various employees and company stakeholders of the media houses. As suggested by Durham, Douglas, (2006) these interviews will be carried out through online, face to face and offline methods. It is worth noting that all the interview information shall be gauged under one footing. Further, the research shall move to the external environment involving the audience, customers, external stakehold ers and the competitor analysis. Analysis and interpretation The data collected will be analyzed. Analysis will involve going through the secondary documents and primary data collected in an attempt harmonize the information. Analysis will involve patterns, correlation and identify trends in gender stereotyping. In addition, the analysis will also cut across examination of phallic symbols, yonic symbols. As such, the research will table a number of approaches to strategies to come up with the best strategy that will reveal stereotypes that are negative and positive. The analysis of this study will be based on justification of gender ideologies as covered in the literature review (Matthews, 2007). Therefore, the study will be based on stereotypical mythic structure that represents gender stereotyping in the media today. The researcher will focus on determining underlying predispositions about gender attributes as espoused in Jungian archetypes. Much concentration will be channeled to media representation of femininity and masculinity. Timeline and Reporting The research will involve sources both from the general population, media content, and journals and on online surveys carried about the gender stereotyping in the media. The online survey will target the products that allow consumers to access online services. The concrete conclusions obtained can be used to review the information targeted to the audience along stereotypic contexts (Malgorzata, 2011). Interviews may be carried out through the website either by exchanging emails or by even live chats with some of the products consumers and audiences as well as media houses. This is a convenient way to reach out to the majority of the populations who have access to the online services and media content via their mobile handsets. This can be achieved by expressing interest to question some audiences online. If they happen to have seen the advertisement of products those interested will respond to the article, there might be a series of simple questions upon which will guide the respondents to the real questionnaire. This helps avoid jokers who may not be willing to give any information towards the research. The topic should be posted so that readers will evaluate it and decide whether to assist with the answers or not. The research will be conducted for three months. The data collected will be used to identify all the research objectives and link with responses received from online and offline interviews carried out by the researcher.

Analysis of Shakespeares The Tempest - Caliban and Trinculo :: Shakespeare The Tempest

Psychoanalytic Analysis of Caliban and Trinculo of The Tempest  Ã‚  Ã‚   From a psychoanalytic perspective, both Caliban and Trinculo of Shakespeare’s The Tempest are interesting characters. Caliban is very sexual and bitter, while Trinculo is at odds with everything: his situation of being washed ashore and wrongly accused of saying things when he did not utter a word, as well as Caliban’s worship of an unkingly man, his drunken friend Stephano. Caliban has obviously not had all of his desires trained to stay within him, despite Prospero’s punishments and Miranda’s schooling. Trinculo, on the other hand, wastes his emotions in a bottle of liquor and knows better than Caliban who is and is not fit to worship. Caliban is rude, crude, ugly and lazy. Speaking in a psychoanalytic manner, Caliban is going to be remembered as bitter and obsessed with sex. This sexual desire is going to be coincided first with thoughts of his mutation-- a feeling of inadequacy-- and then more significantly with the absence of his mother. That he had no parents on which to form an Oedipal complex and knows only who his mother was (nothing is mentioned of his father) makes for interesting observations on how he deals with sexuality. We learn that he does not deny that Prospero is the only barrier between him and the rape of Miranda. It is clear that he has developed only so far as Freud’s theory of id, with small touches of the superego. Caliban’s development of the superego is evident only when he does not wish to receive Prospero’s pinches and cramps. He is otherwise all for anything that will bring him pleasure. Being free of Prospero, fulfilling his sexual desires with Miranda and drinking liquor are all on his menu. Trinculo is unable to forget, as the butler Stephano does, all of his woes into the bottom of a bottle. He is upset by the way that Stephano allows himself to be carried away by the worship and praise of Caliban. He is also dismayed in the unjust treatment Stephano dispenses on Caliban’s behalf as Ariel plays Puckish tricks. Clearly, there is no problem with this jester’s ego. He wants himself to be taken care of. He does not appreciate the way he is treated on the monster’s behalf, because he knows he has done no wrong. Later, Trinculo’s id takes over somewhat as he becomes more intoxicated and no longer has the will to let his ego control his id.

War and College :: essays research papers

War and College Many of the titles of Ernest Hemingway’s stories are ironic, and can be read on a number of different levels; Soldiers Home is no exception. The story is told of a young man, Harold Krebs, who recently returned form World War I, and has moved back into his parent’s house while he figures out what he to do with life. In reality he has no home, his parent’s middle-class lifestyle used to feel like home, but no longer does. This is actually not an uncommon scenario among young people, especially college students returning to the womb of their childhood again.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Krebs situation is more dramatic than those who have been released off to college. He has not only lived on his own, but been traumatized by life and death situations his parents couldn’t even begin to understand. Hemingway does not divulge why Krebs was the last person from his home town to return from war. Whenever he was in the intervening time, by the time, by the time he Watrous 2 gets home, the novelty of the returning soldiers have found a niche for themselves in the community, but Harold needs a bit longer to get his bearings. The problem has to do with Krebs definition of who he has become. He recognizes he has changed, and this change is played out dramatically against the backdrop of a town where nothing else has changed since high school. This short story is easy to relate to from the perspective of a college student. In relation to going back â€Å"home† is like dealing with all the drama that you endure through high school. It’s especially difficult for me, because my parents moved to another state, so part of my home is unnatural to me. Also the aspects of the same girls, his father still driving the same car and parking it in the same spot is all relative to my situation. There are many reasons for Krebs not being able to adjust to things back in Oklahoma. If you look at what he was doing before the war, you can distinguish the differences from going overseas. Prior to the war he was attending a Methodist school in Kansas and was not out of place then. Its almost symbolic that Hemingway chose Kansas of all places due to the famous saying from the Wizard of Oz â€Å"were not in Kansas anymore;† basically saying that war is like living in whole new world.

A Postmodern Take on a Hollywood Film Classic Essay -- Movies Papers

A Postmodern Take on a Hollywood Film Classic The jacket blurb on Robert Coover’s creative compilation A Night at the Movies reads: â€Å"From Hollywood B-movies to Hollywood classics, A Night at the Movies invents what ‘might have happened’ in these Saturday afternoon matinees. Mad scientists, vampires, cowboys, dance-men, Chaplin, and Bogart, all flit across Robert Coover’s riotously funny screen, doing things and uttering lines that are as shocking to them as they are funny to the reader. As Coover’s Program announces, you will get Coming Attractions, The Weekly Serial, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, and more, but turned upside-down and inside-out.† It is perhaps more appropriate to call Coover’s work a creative compilation as opposed to a novel or even a collection of short stories. A single theme of â€Å"what might have happened† runs throughout each of the inclusions, each inclusion being devoted to a particular Hollywood movie. Thus, the text as a whole is united b y means of this common thread, but the thread is thin and stretched tightly, resulting in each inclusion having the ability to stand alone as a complete and independent work, related to the others, yet individual. The complete collection may be examined as a work, or conversely, each individual â€Å"story† may be considered a finished work to be studied. Each chapter invents its own reality, a reality of the screen, of the movies, that is brought into closer contact by means of a literary text. The book as a whole, then, glorifies in the postmodern tradition multiple interpretations of reality. Movies themselves present alternative realities or interpretations of perceived realities, most often differing from our own individual constructions. Thus, by offering ... ...nto playful pornography, and in doing so has once again acted in the postmodern tradition. Transforming this film classic is in a way blasphemy. The film has been held in the highest esteem by movie critics for decades, and here Coover has deconstructed and destroyed it in a mere thirty-one pages. The manner in which he has done it is indeed witty, however, and certainly eclectic and new. Works Cited Barth, John. â€Å"The Literature of Replenishment,† from Atlantic Monthly 254: 1. January 1980. Coover, Robert. â€Å"You Must Remember This,† in A Night at the Movies. Normal: Dalkey Archive Press, 1997. 156-187 Epstein, Julius J., Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch. Casablanca. Original Screenplay. Warner Brothers Studio, 1942. Hoover, Jeff. â€Å"Towards a Description of Modernism and Postmodernism in Literature.† Cedar Rapids: Coe College, Sept. 21, 1999.

Is Your College Degree Worth Incurring Essay

Such? as? the? question? â€Å"Is? your? college? degree? worth? incurring? significant? debt†. For? several? years,? students? ask? its? a? college? degree? worth? incurring? significant? debt? for? real? and? they? have? many? questions? about? that. But? today? we? are? going? to? talk? about? some? point? to? this? question? who? students? have? been? asking? and? most? students? who? prepare? their? plan? for? college.? ? First? I? will? answer? the? question? by? â€Å"YES†.? Because? you? can? not? start? saying,? after? High? School? I’m? going? to? college? to? study,? for?example? Nurse? Anesthesia? and? you? don’t? even? know? how? much? cost? they? classes.? Indeed? you? should? have? an? idea? about? the? tuition? of? what? you? going? to? learn? and? what? is? the? best? college? or? university? around? you? to? start.? ? In? addition? everybody? know? go? to? college? is? more? extra? than? a? simple? education. And? when? you? go? to? college? you? got? a? degree? you? have? a? better? JOB.? CORRESPONDINGLY? WHEN? YOU? HAVE? A? BETTER? JOB? YOU? CAN? MAKE? MORE? MONEY.? TOGETHER? WITH,? YOU? HAVE? A? BETTER? LIFE.? ? SO? THAT’S? WHY? MANY? TIMES? STUDENTS? WANT? TO? DO? THEIR? BEST,? TO? HAVE? A? HIGHER? DEGREE? COLLEGE.? IT’S? LIKE? A? BETTER? LIFE,? BUT? THEY? SAID? THEY? CAN’T? JUST? THINKING? ABOUT? THAT,? BECAUSE? WHEN? THEY? TRY? TO? HAVE? A? HIGHER? DEGREE? COLLEGE? IT? WILL? BE? MORE? EXPENSIVE? FOR? THEM. ? ?FOR? EXAMPLE,? WITH? A? DOCTORATE? DEGREE? THEY? THINK,? THEY? SHOULD? PAY? 200,000$? WITH? AN? ALONE? SO? THEY? HAVE? LIKE? 20? YEARS? TO? PAY? ALL? OF? THAT? MONEY.? SO? MANY? OF? THEM? SAID? ITS? BETTER? TO? TAKE? A? NORMAL? DEGREE? LIKE? 20,000? $? OR? 30,000? $?.? SO? THEY? AREN’T? GOING? TO? WORTH? INCURRING? SIGNIFICANT? DEBT.? ? IN? MY? FINAL? ANALYSIS? AND? IN? CONCLUSION,? I? THINK? THEY? HAVE? IN? THEIR? HEAD? HOW? THEY GOING? TO? MAKE? ALL? OF? THIS? MONEY.? ALTHOUGH? THIS? MAY? BE? TRUE,? BUT? THEY? FORGET? WITH? A? HIGHER? DEGREE,? THEY? HAVE? GOOD? JOB? SECURITY? IS? WORTH? ALL? THE? DEBT. ? ? ? ? ? ?

Halo and Devil Affect

Halo and Devil Effect Paper We live day to day knowing we live in a superficial society, from the way we look and dress and up to the way we present ourselves; we are always being judged in some form or fashion. Whether this is how you are treated by your social circle or in your employment seeking experience, its pretty sad that physical appearance can have and effect on so many things including the hiring process.In this essay I will be discussing two key concepts that are directly related to workplace discrimination based off of a persons physical appearance and characteristics. In the process of this I will view the film â€Å"The Devil Wears Prada† and discuss two scenes that illustrate my findings. The halo effect is the overall tendency to judge someone and favor him or her based on the bias of his or her positive characteristics or physical appearance without knowing the overall full package.The opposite affect of this concept is called the devil effect which is the te ndency to judge someone who could potentially have all of the qualifications for a position but wont be hired based off of his or her negative characteristics or physical appearance. While reading the article â€Å"Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination† this article definitely highlights on the halo and devil effect and discussed how weight came into play when determined if the interviewee should be hired or not.The job title was a school bus driver and it was determined without any concrete evidence that she could not evacuate a school bus in the event of an emergency situation, I find this completely bias on the companies behalf. Personally being a passenger on a school bus for many years during grade school, many of the school bus drivers where obese and not in the best of shape but, when any emergency situation arose mainly on and emergency school bus drills, they where able to perform the task of evacuating the bus in a safe and timely manner.This article also highlights other aspects of a study and how looks can play a major role in how people perceive a good looking or attractive person being viewed as intelligent, good and likable. Documented in this study obese individuals were rated to have a disadvantage in work, school and more. Among other findings in years of research, people who where unattractive where less likely to be hired and promoted and had lower salaries, even in fields where looks were not even of relevance. Another aspect of physical ttractiveness bias in hiring comes from the article â€Å"beauty is beastly†. There has been evidence suggesting that jobs traditionally filled my men, the opposite of the traditional bias happens to female applicants, attractive females are evaluated less favorably than unattractive females. This suggests that a more rugged female possibly comes across as being manlier or tomboyish making her easy to relate to traditional male positions such as a construction worker, firefighter, mechanic etc.I chose to watch the film â€Å"The devil wears prada† there was an obvious halo affect that was present; the job title was a personal assistant at Runway which is a very popular fashion magazine. When the applicant went into the office for her interview she was basically judged based on her since of fashion on weather she had the abilities to do that particular job even though she was college educated and had the qualifications to perform this job.I think the only reason why she was called back in and hired was because she asserted herself after the interview stating that she was not skinny, glamorous ect, but she was smart and a fast learner which are the important things. We know when going to an interview that we should dress in casual or business attire but you shouldn’t have to be dressed like a supermodel in order to get any job unless you are actually the model.The devil effect was depicted in this film when Andrea was out with a new found friend o ne night and he learned that she was working as Miranda Priestley’s assistant, he comment that she would never survive Miranda because she seems nice and smart and that she couldn’t do that job. I think many people think that’s just because someone comes off as being nice or relaxed cant handle aggressive or mean people but this definitely isn’t always true but with her being smart and educated can sometimes deem you over qualified for positions and not work in your favor but in this situation it was not the case.My personal connection to the halo effect was while in the military, being in the military you learn from basic training that looking sharp in your uniform can show how much pride you have in the service. There are also many awards that you can obtain depending on how sharp your uniform looks, how well you perform your job duties and on up to having outstanding military bearing. In order to win awards you have to compete with a number of your pee rs and who ever has the most recognition win.I had been nominated for several awards while in the military and most of the time I won because they always told me I was always sharp with my uniform pressed and creased and always respectful. The halo and devil effect is constantly seen in our society, this will be an on going issue that will probably never change because we live with a judgmental state of mind that constantly makes snap judgments on individuals, so the next time you are in a situation remember try not to judge someone based on there positive or negative characteristics try getting to know them first.