Thursday, January 30, 2020
Ben & Jerrys Company Analysis - Short Essay Example for Free
Ben Jerrys Company Analysis Short Essay Companies like Ben Jerry’s could definitely be affected by high inflation because of the consumer spending. When the consumers are forced to pay higher prices for products or services that are a necessity, they cut back on products or services that are a luxury. Luxuries that are not a necessity to live like gasoline for vehicles or gas to heat homes or even food will not be bought. Any company that sells a luxury item that is not a necessity to live can be affected by high inflation. With inflation, the price of everything goes up. With that said, the price for companies to buy supplies goes up, meaning that in order to cover their overhead, they will need to find a way to make that money back which could mean layoffs or raising the price of their goods or products. In a recession, companies like Ben Jerry’s could also face the possibility of being negatively affected because of the demand of consumers. Very much like inflation, recession has the same effect; the consumers do not want to spend their money on luxury items. With the recession, there are more people unemployed who are just barely getting by, therefore, will refuse to spend any money on something that does not decide whether they have a home or not, which includes a luxury item like ice cream. Ben Jerry’s could also be affected because of their stock prices. During a recession, the price of stock usually declines. So, their revenue would be affected as well as their stock, which would result in bad overall performance of the company. Speaking from personal experience, any luxury item that I absolutely do not need, I do not buy. I simply cannot put myself in a position to not pay a bill because I want to â€Å"treat†myself. With all this said, Ben Jerry’s provides a reasonably priced luxury item that I would consider a â€Å"feel-good†luxury item. Everyone loves ice cream, young and old. Consumers still need to have a quality of life with the changing economic conditions and if buying an affordable luxury item gives them that, they are going to splurge and buy it. Unlike other luxury items, such as getting clothing and spa appointments, the consumer still gets to feel good and not go broke. Ben Jerry’s makes a one of a kind product, their flavored ice cream, which makes it an easy buying decision for the consumer. The text book also explains that McDonald’s is not hit as sensitive to the economic conditions for the same reason. Their food is reasonably priced and the consumer still gets to feel like they are â€Å"treating†themselves to restaurant food without breaking the bank. Ben Jerry’s has social, product and economic condition missions that make them popular in their industry. Not only do they care about making a profit, but they care about their people, environment and planet. They have mission statements for each of these and they follow through. As a consumer, I would rather buy my luxury item from a company that cares about something other than making a buck like their competitors. They make their ice cream to support causes like the recent Imagine Whirled Peace flavor that hosted a competition and donated money to them to support their peace cause. They also have a foundation that gives grants to non-profit organizations that are working for progressive social change. They hold fund-raisers and rally days. They provide hope, awareness and celebration. They also use naturally and humanly produced ingredients as part of one of their missions as well, which is something that would usually increase the price of any products, but with this company, it is just part of their offering. All in all, they provide more than just ice cream to the consumers which makes them less vulnerable to the economic shocks.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Changing The Opening Bell :: essays research papers
Think about what you were doing at 6:30 this morning - maybe eating                                                   breakfast or just waking up, but probably sleeping. Some kids were already standing                                                        out in the cold, half asleep, waiting for the school bus. Many school - aged children                                                        and teenagers are forced to wake up at an early hour after very little sleep, only to                                                   be reprimanded for being unenergetic, tired, and listless during school. These problems                                                        would be solved if school start times were later.      Some people say that since kids will have to wake up early when they get older,                                                        they might as well start when they’re young. This is not a reasonable argument because                                                   children need more sleep than adults, and lack of sleep can cause major health problems.                                                   According to Dr. Mark Mahowald, director of the Minneapolis Regional Sleep Disorders                                                   Center, school beginning at 7:45 am is the equivalent of sending adults to a buisness                                                   meeting at four-thirty in the morning!      Only fifteen percent of middle and high school students get the recommended nine                                                        hours of sleep, and twenty-five percent get less than six, says Dr. Mary Carskadon, a                                                        sleep researcher at Brown University. Scientific studies have proven that teenagers have                                                        difficulty falling asleep before eleven pm because of bodily chemical changes that occur                                                        during adolescence. People may not realize this, and therefore blame sports, jobs, friends,                                                   and technology for keeping teens up late at night.      If nine hours of sleep is recommended for teens, who generally go to sleep around eleven pm, eight o’ clock in the morning would seem a reasonable time to wake up. Assuming it takes about forty-five minutes to get ready in the morning, and that the average bus ride (for students at my school) is about a half an hour, it would make sense for school to start at around nine to nine thirty in the morning.      While nine thirty would be an ideal time for that opening bell to ring, the change needn’t be that major. In Edina, Minnesota, the school start time was shifted from seven
Monday, January 13, 2020
KOT Task #2: Medicare Essay
Though Medicare plans are typically for persons over the age of 65 years old, they do not come without costs to the patient. If the patient has enough work credits, Medicare Part A is automatically available to the patient once he or she reaches age 65. Medicare Parts B and D, however, require the patient to navigate through an application process and the patient may incur penalty fees if he or she does not sign up for the plans during the allotted time frame once they have reached the age of 65. For Medicare parts B and D, the patient is responsible for paying the designated premiums. The Medicare Part B premium ranges from $96.40-110.50 monthly and the Part D plan ranges from $28.60-$38 monthly. There is also additional Medicare plans available for the patient to purchase through insurers such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield or Etna, however there are additional premiums in varying amounts (Medicare.gov, 2012). In most cases, Medicare Part A will cover inpatient hospital stays, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facility stays. For Mrs. Zwick, Medicare Part A would apply to the rehab and inpatient hospitalizations. Medicare Part A will cover Mrs. Zwick’s five day hospital stay and the first 20 days of her stay at the rehabilitation facility. Each day following the first 20 days of rehab, a fee of $144.50 per day will accumulate at the rehabilitation facility for a total of $2890.00 which the facilities will be responsible for due to the patient acquiring a preventable infection during her stay (Medicare.gov, 2012). Medicare Part B is similar to medical insurance; covering medically necessary services such as MD visits and services, outpatient care, durable medical equipment, home health services, and sometimes preventative care services. In Mrs. Zwick’s case, Medicare Part B would cover the prescribed walker or other assistive devices if needed. However, based on Medicare Part B plan coverage, Mrs. Zwick will be responsible for a deductible of 20% of the cost of the walker (Medicare.gov, 2012). Medicare Part D is an elective prescription drug coverage plan available to Medicare recipients. There are various prescription drug plans offering medication coverage based on the plan’s preferred drug list. Though Mrs. Zwick’s plan coverage was not specified in the case study, she may be responsible for a co-payment for prescription drugs. If Mrs. Zwick does in fact have a co-payment, it would be a set amount; for example $10 per prescription or less if she receives generic drugs. Or, depending on if Mrs. Zwick has entered a coverage gap or â€Å"donut hole†, she will then be responsible for 50% of the costs of her prescription medications (Medicare.gov, 2012). Though Mrs. Zwick does have Medicare coverage, the plan may not pay for Mrs. Zwick’s extended stay or additional care required related to a hospital-acquired condition. In recent years, Medicare began refusing to pay for preventable, hospital acquired infections; making hospitals and other facilities accept responsibility for preventable infections acquired during the patient’s stay. However, in Mrs. Zwick’s instance, there may be some debate as to which facility will be held accountable for the preventable urinary tract infection (UTI). Though the case study reads that Mrs. Zwick was diagnosed with a hospital-acquired UTI, it also states that she was diagnosed 10 days into her stay at the rehabilitation facility and that there were complaints that Mrs. Zwick was not receiving proper catheter care. If the rehab facility was not following the current evidence-based protocol related to the patient’s catheter care, there is a strong possibility Mrs.Zwick did not acquire the urinary tract infection until after she was transferred to the rehab facility. Therefore, the hospital would not be responsible for the costs of care related to the UTI. However, Medicare would still not cover the costs and the nursing facility would then be held accountable for the extra costs incurred during the patient’s extended stay. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA, is a plan available to persons who have a loss of employment and health coverage. The COBRA plan will allow Mr. Davis to continue his health coverage beginning the original date his coverage was ceased and is usually available for approximately 18 months. However, the Cobra plan is not free of charge to the unemployed patient. The plan typically offers identical plan coverage to the patient; however the plan is more costly than the original premium the patient was used to paying. The cost of the COBRA plan is usually the amount of the previous premium in addition to the amount the employer contributed plus a 2% administration fee. The premium amount the patient would be responsible for would be quite a bit more costly, yet still less expensive than an individual rate. In order to for the patient to be covered by the COBRA plan, he would have to submit all the proper paperwork within the allotted time frame and pay t he monthly premiums without monthly payment reminders (FAQs for Employees About COBRA Continuation Health Coverage). Though COBRA is a way for Mr. Davis to continue his health insurance coverage once he became unemployed, it is not likely to be affordable. This then becomes a challenge that state or local governments are faced with. Two challenges state or local government may be faced with in providing care for patients like Mr. Davis with pre-existing conditions and lack of insurance coverage are increased costs and decreased health maintenance of the patients. Patients with long-term, chronic illnesses like Mr. Davis’s, care can be very costly, especially when the patient is unable to maintain routine medical care or visits and medications. Without routine medical care and maintenance medications, patients like Mr. Davis tend to have more frequent emergency room visits and hospitalizations; increasing costs for state and local government as well as tax payers. Though Mr. Davis is able to receive care during an emergency room visit, the providers are not fully aware of his health history and are only able to provide a temporary fix of his symptoms and not address his health care needs. One possible solution for the state and/or local government to consider would be to offer state funding for patients with chronic illnesses to be covered by a state funded insurance plan based on the patient’s income. This would allow for Mr. Davis to be seen for routine care, in an attempt to keep him healthy and reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Another possible solution would be for local and state governments to fund healthcare facilities and/or clinics designated to care for patients with chronic health conditions; providing public health nurses who are available to visit the patients in the home in order to educate him or her on disease and disease processes. Though Mr. Davis is frustrated with the healthcare delivery in the United States and may think he would be better served in another country, he may be gravely disappointed by in their healthcare delivery systems even more. Countries such as Great Britain, Japan, Germany, and Switzerland offer public health insurance, however coverage does not come without strain. The universal health care coverage plans not only causes great deficit to the economy, but they also come with premiums, delays in care, and often times no choice of providers. Specialty appointments are nearly impossible to obtain, and in many cases terminally ill patients die prior to receiving the needed care. The plans cover the person and his or her dependents (plans including dependents have higher premiums), but the insured is still responsible for a portion of the services or bill; this applies to the elderly as well. The universal health care plans not only affect the insured, but the healthcare providers as well. In many cases, the healthcare workers are paid lower wages and work less hours in order to help offset some of the costs. The universal health plan in Great Britain offers residents no choices in regards to providers or facilities in which care is received and it is required for the patient to wait 122 days just to receive a routine appointment regardless of their condition (Healthcare Economist, 2008). Japan’s National Health Insurance covers those individuals and their dependents that are not eligible for employer-based insurance. However, the focus of coverage is on the older population; benefiting the retired community. If the insured is not of retirement age, the costs of premiums are higher (Fukawa). In Germany, less than 1% of the population is not covered by the Public Health Insurance. Germany’s healthcare plan offers the insured free choice of outpatient care physicians and hospitals if referred with the focus of care being on chronic care (Busse). Germany offers coverage for the following services: preventative care, inpatient and outpatient care, physician services, mental health care, dental care, prescription drug coverage, medical aids, rehabilitation services, and sick leave compensation (Busse). In Switzerland, there is no choice of providers or facilities in which the patient receives care due to private sector. This means patients like Mr. Davis would incur increased premiums and resulting in limited access to routine care and extended services (Clarke, 2011). Based on the different types of coverage available to patients offered under universal healthcare plans, Mr. Davis would be better served and cared for with the German Healthcare System due to the type of disease he has and his particular health care needs. References Busse, R., MD, MPH. The German Health Care System. Berlin University of Technology & Charite’. Clarke, E. 2011. â€Å"Healthcare Systems: Switzerland†. CIVITAS Institute for the Study of Civil Society. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from www.civitas.org.uk/nhs/switzerland.pdf[->0] FAQs for Employees About COBRA Continuation Health Coverage. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html Fukawa, T. Public Health Insurance in Japan. Healthcare Economist, 2008. Health Care Around the World: Great Britain. Retrieved fromhttp://healthcare-economist.com/2008/04/23/health-care-around-the-world-great-britain/ Medicare.gov, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from http://www.medicare.gov/navigation/medicare-basics/medicare-benefits [->0] – http://www.civitas.org.uk/nhs/switzerland.pdf
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Leadership Skills Of An Effective Administrator - 1540 Words
Abstract summary: Leadership deals with both human psychology as well as expert tactics. Leaders have qualities such as intelligence, maturity and personality and are trusted for their judgment and respected for their expertise, integrity etc. Effective leaders have Skills which are naturally developed and unconsciously, as well as consistently, demonstrated in the every action. So Organizations need strong leaders for optimum effective growth in business. Introduction: Leadership skills and abilities were studied by researchers for several years. The earliest approach to the study of leadership sought to identify a set of traits and skills that distinguished leaders from non leaders. However, the impetus for research on skills was a classic article published by Robert Katz in the Harvard Business Review in 1955, titled â€Å"Skills of an Effective Administrator.†He recognizes three different abilities that a leader should have: †¢ Technical Skills †¢ Human Skills †¢ Conceptual Skills I do agree with Robert’s views and I believe leaders are important in the business and work place too. Let’s start with skills, characteristics, and significance respectively. Skills are what leaders can accomplish, whereas traits are who leaders are (i.e., their innate characteristics) [1].Technical skill is knowledge about and proficiency in a specific type of work. It includes competencies in a specialized area, analytical ability, and the ability to use appropriate tools andShow MoreRelatedLeadership Skills And Abilities Of An Effective Administrator1414 Words  | 6 PagesAbstract summary: Leadership is all about human psychology with expert tactics. Leaders have qualities such as intelligence, maturity and personality and are trusted for their assessment and respected for their proficiency, integrity etc. Effective leaders have Skills which are naturally developed and unconsciously with consistently which demonstrated in the every action. So Organizations need strong leaders for profitable growth in business. Introduction: Leadership skills and abilitiesRead MoreThe Ineffective Leader : An Effective Leader1241 Words  | 5 PagesThe Ineffective Leader When identifying characteristics of effective leaders, looking at traits of ineffective leaders can also provide insight. While the focus of many studies is to identify the specific characteristics that can make someone a good leader, it is important not to overlook those qualities that have a negative effect on employee morale, retention, and acceptance. Martin (2013) identified seven traits of ineffective leaders, which include appearing too busy, being above helping yourRead MoreLeadership And The Development Collaboration1146 Words  | 5 PagesLeadership and the Development Collaboration In any collaborative environment, an open-line of communication is a critical factor. Communication is a two way interaction of listening and speaking in turn. One speaks while the other listens for true comprehension is a key factor. One must get an understanding before the vision can be implemented within any leadership role. The presence of collaboration in schools are the result of principals, educators, parents, and administrative leadership in workingRead MoreLeadership Style Of A Healthcare1214 Words  | 5 PagesLeadership in a healthcare setting requires a great breath of knowledge specific to healthcare and but it also requires soft skills that can be translated to many other professional endeavors. This essay will examine the leadership style of a specific healthcare professional, the strategies and skills that she uses to motivate their staff members and the results or impacts of the application of the skills and knowledge of leadership. The interview of this leader a llowed an insight into the innerRead MoreThe Key Human Resource Management1297 Words  | 6 Pagesdevelopment, evaluation, and handling of grievances and labor relations†(Singh, 2016, p. 362). The key human resource competencies as outlined by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance (HLA) include: communication and relationship management; leadership; professionalism; knowledge of the healthcare environment and business skills. The healthcare leadership alliance consists of the following organizations: American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE); American College of Physician Executives (ACPE); AmericanRead MoreLeadership And Management Of Restorative Justice1193 Words  | 5 PagesLeadership and Management of Restorative Justice To address the increasing recidivism rate among offenders in the juvenile and adult criminal justice system, comprehensive restorative justice programs should expand to a much wider faction of the United States criminal justice system. Programs should be implemented on federal, state, and local levels to effectively and efficiently achieve this goal. The goals that should be strived for must be kept in mind so that adequate progress can be made andRead MoreHuman Resource Management As Defined By ( Boone Kurtz, 1984 )1445 Words  | 6 Pageshandling of grievances and labor relations†(Singh, 2016 p. 362). The key human resource competencies as outlined by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance (HLA); a consortium of major professional associations in the healthcare field include: communication and relationship management; leadership; professionalism; knowledge of the healthcare environment and business skills. The HLA consist of the following organization: American College of He althcare Executives (ACHE); American College of Physician ExecutivesRead MoreProfessional Development Plan Essay1410 Words  | 6 PagesMy interest in pursuing a position as a school administrator for an elementary school system is to provide leadership for staff members and quality education for all students, and to become part of the world of education. The Benjamin Franklin School located in the Dallas School District serves as a growing population of approximately 1,070 students. The school offers a well-defined educational system for the students, and it has an overall student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. In addition to theRead MoreFinding The Relationship Between The Law And Your School919 Words  | 4 Pagesrelationship between the law and your school It is essential that educational administrators are knowledgeable of the legal structure challenging the issues in schools. In the United States of America, all school communities are governed by state and federal law. It is imperative that administrators are educated on law issues and legal decision-making as it pertains to their school, teachers, and students. Administrators encounter various issues on a day-to-day basis and it is important that theyRead MoreThe Basic Concept Of Leadership Based On Trait Approach Theory Essay1217 Words  | 5 PagesThis paper discusses on the basic concept of leadership based on trait approach theory. The establishment of relationship between leader and subordinate that focus on real changes and outcomes that reflects through shared purposes is basically leadership. In many aspects, the importance of vital without it families, communities as well as organizations would go down apart. To reach center point of goal, the leader should teach his follower to achieve better fruitful result. For this reason, the leader
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Biblical Allusion in Joyce Carol Oates Story Where are...
Joyce Carol Oates short story Where are you going? Where have you been? runneth over with Biblical allusion and symbolism. The symbols of Arnold Friend, his disguise, and the music that runs through the story contribute to an overall feeling of devilishness, deception, and unease. The depiction of Arnold Friend runs parallel to the common conception of the Devil. Many aspects of his outward appearance, as well as his behavior, contribute to this by portraying him in a sinister manner. His nose is long and hawklike and he has a slippery smile. His greasy boots dont fit him right, as if his feet [dont] go all the way down. The stereotypical Beelzebub is often seen with hooves. When he draws his sign – the sinister letter X†¦show more content†¦The color gold has connotations of vanity and greed – two deadly sins. Writing, a secret code, appears on Arnolds car: the numbers 33, 19, and 17. They refer to a verse of the Bible, verse 19:17 of the 33rd book, Judges. Oates reinforces the Biblical comparison of Arnold as the Devil by referring to this verse: When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, Where are you going? Where did you come from? The phrase on his car, Done by a crazy woman driver, is something that would make a child laugh. The other phrase painted on Arnolds car, Man the flying saucers, is referred to as being used by kids the year before (Also, the phrase can be decoded to spell out HESATANLUCIFER meaning another devil reference). Arnolds car is an important part of his disguise: he tries to appeal to the younger generation, as if he makes a habit of preying on them. But, he falls short, and his disguise appears awkward before it finally breaks down. The reader feels more tension as he progresses through the story and comes upon these pieces of Arnolds Devilish – albeit oftentimes poorly constructed – disguise. Arnold Friends faà §ade gives the reader the feeling that something is wrong, as if Oates were trying to persuade Connie away from her impending doom. When Arnold first pulls into Connies driveway, the reader is alarmed. Connie notices that he is actually much older than he appears and the reader knows thatShow MoreRelated Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Oates1222 Words  | 5 Pagescomical biblical suggestions for abstinence until marriage even while the majority of those targeted teens are viewing the world as a more and more sexual place. So many views are weaving in and out of teenagers newly formed adolescent minds that any effective argument for responsible attitudes or analysis of sexual behavior in teens should be expressed with a certain minimal degree of clarity. Unfortunately, this essential lucidity of advice is missing in the short story â€Å"Where are You Going, Where
Friday, December 20, 2019
The Role of E-Commerce and Online Shopping, Factors Affecting E-Commer Research Proposal
Essays on The Role of E-Commerce and Online Shopping, Factors Affecting E-Commerce Research Proposal The paper â€Å"The Role of E-Commerce and Online Shopping, Factors Affecting E-Commerce†is a fascinating example research proposal on e-commerce. Over the years there has been seen that there has been an increase in the production process that is followed by man due to the coming of the industrial revolution. With time there has been observed the emergence of the global economy which led to the development of an international economic structure where there has been experienced a systematic break down of the local barriers. Due to the changes that have taken place the companies today have to ensure that they create product consciousness among the customer base through strategic management in order to ensure that there is a stable economic market available for their products and to ensure generation of demand for their products (Kang, H., Hahn, M., Fortin, D. R., Hyun, Y. J., Eom, Y, 2006). This has become a vital part of the entire production system as without the creatio n of product consciousness and product management the competition cannot be met in the 21st century with the realization of global economics and market.With the changing demands and needs of the market, there has been seen that most of the organizations in the world have changed their management and strategic policies to ensure that greater awareness can be created in the market (Karger, D. W., Malik, Z. A. 1975). This has been seen to have reaped fruits for almost all the companies around the globe (Catterall, M., Maclaran, P. 2002). But on the other hand there has to be realised that there have been certain companies and organizations which have emerged as global leaders in their field and sphere of influence but have not changed their policies or strategic management a great deal but have employed a persistent policy of organization and functioning (Kai H. L., Choon, L. S., Matthew, K. O. L., Izak, B, 2006). These include companies like Hershey’s Chocolate, Johnson and Johnson and other such global leaders.But the fact remains that due to the changes that have been experienced in the international market, e-commerce has emerged strongly. But again there can be seen that the emergence of e-commerce has emerged in different variations in different societies, for example, the e-commerce of the USA is more popular than the e-commerce market in Japan. The reasons for these variations are various factors that affect e-commerce. In the following paper, there shall be conducted a detailed analysis of the various factors affecting e-commerce. A survey based on a questionnaire will then be prepared to gather information about the consumer choices that affect the popularity of e-commerce as a method of shopping. E-commerce has emerged so strongly with international companies like E bay, Amazon. Com, wall mart has been highly successful, that all multinational corporations like Hershey’s chocolates, JC penny, and others have also created their online s ites so that e-commerce facilities are established.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Is ethnicity a “natural†or “socially constructed†phenomenon free essay sample
It is commonplace to think of ethnicity as a phenomenon that belongs to the cultural domain. By its very nature, ethnicity involves ways of thinking, feeling and acting that constitute the essence of culture. That ethnic groups have unique cultural character can hardly be denied. The problem, however, is that culture does not exist in a vacuum; nor is it fixed or unchanging. On the contrary, culture is constant flux and is integrally a part of a larger social process. The mandate for social inquiry, therefore, is that ethnic patterns should not be taken at face value, but must be related to the larger social matrix in which they are embedded (Steinberg, 1989). The theoretical perspective that governs this study insists on establishing the social origins of ethnic values and trends. Without doubt, ethnicity forms consciousness and influences behavior. This paper attempts to de-mystify ethnicity and looks into what brings forth this phenomenon. Is it a natural phenomenon or a socially constructed thing? This paper maintains that it is a socially constructed phenomenon that has an interrelationship with a broad array of historical, economic, political and social factors. Historical Perspective The late 1960s witnessed an outbreak of what might be called â€Å"ethnic fever.†One after another, the nation’s racial and ethnic minorities sought to rediscover their waning ethnicity and to reaffirm their ties to the cultural past. Ethnic fever had its origins in the black community, where Black Nationalism, after a long period of quiescence, emerged with renewed force. The contagion rapidly spread to other racial minoritiesâ€â€Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, Asians, Native Americansâ€â€who formed a loosely organized coalition under the banner of the Third World. Eventually, ethnic fever reached the â€Å"white ethnics†â€â€Jews, Irish, Italians, Poles and others of European ancestry. For decades, the dominant tendency among the nation’s ethnic and racial minorities had been toward integration into the economic, political and cultural mainstream. Now the pendulum seemed to be swinging back, as these groups repudiated their assimilationist tendencies. Though art, literature and politics, they sought to promote ethnic pride and solidarity, and to affirm their right to a separate identity within the framework of a pluralist nation (Steinberg, 1989). Definition of Attitudes An attitude is a tendency to respond positively or negatively to certain persons, objects or situations. Prejudice is an attitude. The word means â€Å"prejudgment.†It generally refers to the application of a previously formed judgment to some person, object or situation. It can be favorable or unfavorable. Usually prejudice comes from categorizing or stereotyping. Meanwhile, a stereotype is an oversimplified, fixed attitude or set of beliefs that is held about members of a group. Stereotypic attitudes usually do not allow for individual exceptions. Attitudes are composed of beliefs, feelings and behavior tendencies. Most psychologists agree that attitudes determine what we attend to in our environment, how we perceive the information about the object of our attention, and how we respond to that object. Thus, attitudes guide behavior (Steinberg, 1989). Development of Attitudes The development of attitudes is influenced by age and cognitive development. For example, according to Goodman (1964) and Derman-Sparks (1989), ethnic attitudes develop in the following sequence:  ·Ã‚        Phase I – awareness of ethnic differences, beginning at about age two-and-a-half to three.  ·Ã‚        Phase II – orientation toward specific ethnic-related and concepts, beginning at about age four.  ·Ã‚        Phase III – true attitudes toward various ethnic groups, beginning at about age seven This developmental sequence is probably due to the reaction of others to children’s appearanceâ€â€remarks about skin color, hair and facial features alert one to the fact that people look different. Cognitive development also enters into the explanation. As children develop cognitively, they are more able to categorize differences. Experience with differences promotes more awareness. Other research has supported Goodman’s delineation of ethnic attitudes. Reviewing many studies of Anglo children’s attitudes toward other groups, Aboud (1988) analyzed that four-to seven-year old Anglo children were already aware that white is the ethnic identity favored by the society. They referred to other groups as â€Å"bad†or with negative characteristics. For example, â€Å"He is lazy because he is colored.†Many African American children felt ambivalent about being African American and were envious of Anglo children. Hispanic children followed a similar pattern. After age seven, however, children of all ethnic groups were less prejudiced toward other groups and had more positive attitudes toward their own group. Aboud explained young children’s prejudicial attitudes as due to cognitive immaturity rather than malice (Aboud, 1988). As children learn of the existence of ethnic categories, they also become aware of the evaluation attached to them. These evaluations come from the family, the peers the schools, including teachers and textbooks), and the media. Exemplifying how color attitudes can subtly be transmitted. A 1993 Caldecott Honor Book (recognition given for pictures), Seven Blind Mice, by Ed Young, is about seven blind mice, each a different and brilliant color, whose task is to identify an obje3ct. The white mouse solves the riddle and correctly identifies the object as an elephant. Many have criticized the book, complaining that the white mouse is portrayed as a â€Å"savior,†thereby perpetuating prejudicial attitudes of â€Å"white supremacy†(Jacobs Tunnell, 1996). Whether children pick up subtle messages from the media depends on their real-life experiences and interactions, especially with parents. Studies of young children show that those with the most prejudicial attitudes have parents who are authoritarian, who use strict disciplinary techniques, and who are inflexible in their attitudes toward right and wrong (Katz, 1975; Boswel Williams. 1975; Aboud, 1988). Thus, rigid parental attitudes influence similar ones in their children. Prejudicial attitudes are not only found in regard to ethnic differences but in regard to disabilities as well. In a longitudinal study of children’s attitudes toward the mentally ill, Weiss (1994) found that  by the time children entered kindergarten, they already had stigmatized attitudes which remained stable after being examined eight years later. (Weiss, 1994).
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