Advertisements Define Females Beauty Standard Media Essay

Advertisements Define Females Beauty Standard Media Essay Advertisements in women magazines has became active when marketer realised the purchase power of women, Marchland, 1985 suggested that in 1920s female purchasing power took over 80 percent of the whole consumer purchases. That was because the gender role of female at that time was home orientated, they were responsible for familial expenditure. As time changes, when the market of home orientated product got saturated, marketing then stereotypes women interconnected with sexuality. Courtney and Lockeretz suggested four general stereotypes of women were presented in print advertisement: A womans place is in the home; women do not make important decisions or do important things; women are dependent and need mens protection; and men regard women primarily as sexual objects (Courtney Whipple, 1983 pp.7). The beginning of media influence on beauty standard The advertising agencies referred women as General Purchasing Agent, as purchasing agents, women could command respect for exhibiting qualities previously honoured primarily in men-capacities for planning, efficiency, and expert decision making (Marchand 1958 pp.168). The G.P.A has became a corner stone of advertising in the field of female market, during this period advertising often adopt the theme of successful woman gain social acceptance and social approval through employing or consuming a particular product. McEwen suggested in 1976 that, from the field of social psychology, advertising agencies have employed the belief of the social self as a principle technique in advertisements by defining what was socially approved and what was not. During the phrase of social acceptance, the media portrayed the role of women as being responsible for broadening their social and intellectual interests as well as maintain youthful in order to be a modern companion for their husbands. They needed to preserve their youth so that they could beautify their husbands lives and keep pace with them during evenings of dancing and the theatre (Marchand 1985 pp.175).The importance of being self conscious of body image and appearance has been introduced through media, especially with the reinforcement of advertising in the late 1920s. In the middle of her mechanically engineered kitchen, the modern housewife was expected to be overcome with issue of whether her self, her body, her personality were viable in the so cio sexual market that define her job. Advertisements used pictures of veiled nudes and women in auto-erotic stances to encourage self comparison and to remind women of the primacy of their sexuality (McEwen 1976 pp.179). The idealised female images in which portrayed in media has always been changing, so is the standard of beauty perceived within the society. The media provides idealised body images of women by providing role models or examples of attractive women, for example, catwalk models and actresses. In which, audiences could compare themselves with the idealised body shape or appearance. The idealised body shaped has changed from being voluptuous and curvaceous in the 1940s and 1950s to being busty and narrow-hipped from the late 1960s through the 1980s (Straight 2005 pp.2) The reason of which the idealised beauty standard has always been changing was because companies need to create an unsustainable beauty standard to ensure targeted consumer will keep purchasing different goods to maintain satisfied with their appearance. Freedman, 1986 mentioned the beauty ideal was impossible to achieve and this could lead to feelings of inadequacy. The feelings of inadequacy were often fed by cosmetic and diet product manufactures, in which the primary objective of their advertisement campaigns were to persuade women they could improve their imperfections only by consuming their products. However the effects of media have on audience can vary due to individual differences. Audience with different personalities, pass experiences and social context interpret the messages of the media differently, in addition, different medium also provides different influence for audience, and for example, the influence of advertisement shall be strongest among the mediums, because the principle of advertising is to influence audiences behaviour and value. Ethical issues with advertising influence The internalization of an attractiveness ideal and a perception of body dissatisfaction may serve to mediate the relationship between media exposure and disordered eating (Stice et al, 1994). Media Awareness Network journal reported over three quarters of the covers of womens magazines include at least one message on how to alter and improve womans bodily appearance by cosmetic surgery or diet. The ratio of diet ads in mens and women magazine is 1: 10, in which the ratio of eating disorders in men and women is identical. This indicates a relationship between exposure to diet ads and eating disorders, however gender differences may also affect behaviour. Theories of media influence on beauty standard Social comparison theory A theoretical model using social comparison processes can be offered to explain how exposure to the socio-cultural thin and attractive ideal leads to increased body dissatisfaction (Heinberg and Thompson, 1992; Smolak et al, 1993; Thompson et al, 1991). This theory suggests that individuals make upward comparison with others who offers specific, valued attributes. It also takes individual differences into account, for example, the differences in regard of self-esteem. Mintz and Betz, 1988, conducted a research that shown female college students who felt dissatisfied with their bodies image were more likely to conform to the stereotyped body presented in the media as attractive. This theory suggested that social comparison does not only occurs through comparison with images in the media but also with social group, e.g. friends and families member. The studies of social comparison often reported positive correlation between social comparison and body dissatisfaction. Schema theory Self-schema theory envisages body images as a mental construction rather than an objective evaluation (Markus, 1977). A self schema is an individuals mental perception of the way they are. This mental presentation has established over time mainly through pass experience of what others labelled or referred them in a particular way. For example, I am attractive or I am skinny. These kinds of attributes are taken into account in self concept and self esteem. Schema have been defined as cognitive generalizations about the self, derived from pass experiences, that organize and guide the processing of self-related information contained in the individuals social experience (Markus, 1977 pp.64). According to Markus, 1997, schematics constantly evaluate stimuli that are relevant for their body weight. Media images are one of the stimuli that trigger new schemas. The buyer decision processes According to Nicosia, F. 1966, a consumer decision making process involves five stages traditionally, which are problem recognition, information search, evaluate of alternatives, product choice and outcome. Problem recognition occurs when consumer realises a significant difference between the consumers current state and the ideal state he/she desired. The consumer sees this as a problem and requires a solution to solve, when the problem has been recognised, consumer will need adequate information to resolve the problem, in which the consumer will enter the information stage. There are briefly two kind of information search, the internal search and the external search. Internal search begins when consumer search alternative product from prior experience and his/her existing knowledge on a particular product and its alternatives, external search is when consumer gathers informative from external cues, for example, friends and advertisements. Finally, the consumer will enter the stage o f evaluation of alternatives. The buyer decision model are often used in advertisements, taking the Rimmel Mascara commercial 2007 as an example, the commercial started with Kate Moss ( the famous model) putting on mascara while a male narrator saying the more you put on, the sexier you are. The commercial intend to show differences between the audience current and ideal state of desire by showing the image of Kate Moss with the Rimmel Mascara on. By using a model that majority regard her as attractive, this create an upward comparison with others who offers specific, valued attributes. This could refer to the social comparison theory. The Rimmel Mascara also offered a solution for the problem, the commercial emphasis the more Rimmel mascara the audience put on the sexier they will be. The positive reinforcement shows the cause and effect of the Rimmel mascara and this increase the likelihood of conformity. Industry background Advertising industry The United Kingdom advertising industry was worth over  £16.5 billion in 2001. There are estimated 600 agencies in London and 20 agencies among the 600 agencies are full service agencies. Agencies can be categorized as 5 distinct types of agencies Creative agencies Media agencies Direct marketing agencies Digital/online agencies Full service agencies Role of the agencies Creative agencies work on behalf of clients, develop creative ideas for an advertising campaign. Media agencies consults clients on where, when and how to spending advertising budgets. Direct marketing agencies provide clients direct and strategic communication with the target audience, for example, direct mail. Digital/online agencies profession at digital communication. For example, search engine marketing. Full service agencies combine all the services of creative, media, direct marketing, digital/online agencies. Research questions and objectives Aim To explore the methods and strategies that advertising agencies use to influence womens perception of beauty standard. Research question Which methods and strategies used my advertising agencies are more efficient to stimulate womens conformity to the presented beauty ideal? Objectives To discuss the methods and strategies used by advertising agencies to influence female beauty standard. To compare the difference, between female in the age groups of 12-18 and 21 27, their perception of beauty standard influenced by printed advertisement. To investigate the ethical issue of advertising the idealised beauty. Research methodology Research approaches Deductive approach Deductive approach is employ when a researcher develops a hypothesis that can be tested by a research strategy. Inductive approach Inductive approach is employ when researchers collects information and develops theory as a result of information analysis. Research strategies There are mainly seven research strategies that are being used in business researches. Experiment. Questionnaire. Interview. Case study. Action research. Grounded theory. Ethnography. Archival research. Sampling Statisticians have proved the larger the sample size, the nearer its distribution will be to the normal distribution, statisticians also suggested that a sample size of 30 or more will be more likely to result in a sampling distribution for the mean that is close to normal distribution. Stutely, 2003 suggested a minimum number of 30 for statistical analysis provide valuable rule of thumb for the smallest number in each group of the overall sample. Therefore the sampling size of my primary research will be 30. Strategies for my primary research Experiment Experiment is a classical form of research that owes much to the natural science, although it features strongly in much social science research, particularly psychology. The purpose of an experiment is to study casual links; whether a change in one independent variable produces a change in another dependent variable (Hakim, 2000). The experiment strategy concerns the relationship between two variables, it is often used in explanatory or exploratory research to find out why and how questions. The experiment usually takes place in a strictly controlled situation, for example, laboratory to eliminate threats to internal validity. However, whilst the strictly controlled situation enhances the internal validity, the external validity is often hard to establish, as the controlled situation is often not a real life situation. Strategies for my secondary research Multiple source secondary data Multiple source secondary data will be an amalgam of both documentary and survey secondary data. It will take account of books, journals, articles, newspaper and previous research. The secondary research will be used to cover objectives below. It will be a mixture of qualitative (theoretical) and quantitative (numerical) data. To discuss the methods and strategies used by advertising agencies to influence female beauty standard. To investigate the ethical issue of advertising the idealised beauty. The reason of using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative date is to produce that can be statistically analyse to identify relationship between variables and to have theoretical data to support my research. How the experiment will be conducted The experiment will be carrying out in order to fulfil objective two. (Compare the difference, between female in the age groups of 12-18 and 21 27, their perception of beauty standard influenced by advertisement.) The reasons of choosing the age groups of 12-18 and 21-27 are because of the significant differences in cognitive maturity. Adolescents are also more likely to conform due to the high need of social acceptance. Hypothesis Adolescents are more likely to conform to the ideal beauty presented in the media. The sampling 30 participants in each age group. Participants selected by random sampling in central London. The experiment will be conducted under a controlled situation, for example, a conference room in London. Method The method below will be repeated in both 12-18 and 21-27 age group. Divide each age group participants into experimental group and control group. Both groups will be given a survey questioning how satisfy the participant feel about their appearance. Experimental group will be given 10 printed advertisements with attractive female before they answer the survey. The control group will not be given printed advertisements before they answer the survey. Compare the results of both experimental group and control group. Statistically analysis the result of both age groups. Resources Internet access for secondary data. Library access for secondary data. Experiment will be host in the conference room of my uncles office, in which permission has been gained and cost free. Excel software to analysis primary research. Printer. Financial resources Transport fees for participants involves in primary research. Additional cost for employing participants in primary research if volunteer participants could not be found. Budget 5 pounds transportation fee for each participant. Cost of employing participant will be estimated at 10 pounds each. Total cost = 90pounds.

Nutrition: A Key to Success in Sports :: Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

Nutrition: A Key to Success in Sports    Certain foods can make a difference in sports competition. Conditioning, strength, and speed have been the focal points of athletic training for years; however, the research on nutritional elements indicates their importance to an athlete's optimal performance. Knowing the proper food to eat before, during, and after a physical activity can help an athlete in achieving their desired performance.    The most important nutrient categories are starches, minerals, sugars, and electrolytes. Starches and minerals fit into the area of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides (many sugars bonded together). Because of the multiple bonds, polysaccharides are able to store energy for later use. Simple sugars make up the other group of carbohydrates. The bonding structures of simple sugars are much less advanced that than those of complex carbohydrates. This allows for the burning of simple sugars in an athlete's body. Electrolytes are a category of their own because they are helpful to an athlete all of the time, whether energy storage or energy burning is needed.    Minerals are a group of compounds that allow for endurance in an athletic competition. Potassium is a common mineral associated with muscle cramping. A lack of potassium is the cause of muscle cramping during a sporting event. Minerals must be taken in at least six hours before the time of activity. Due to the complexity of minerals, they are not easily transported to the muscle cites most in need of replenishment.    Complexity of compounds is the reason they must be absorbed long before the physical activity. Starch a main area of complex carbohydrates. It has several bonds. Starches are tightly bound carbon molecules and have several attaching elements. This bonding complexity is the reason starches are capable of retaining large amounts of energy. These compounds should be taken into an athlete's body prior to intense physical activity because an energy storage supply is necessary when simple compounds are completely oxidized.    The athlete's body is able to burn simple carbohydrates quickly. This leaves him/her drained minutes into the sporting event. Examples of simple carbohydrates are sugars and electrolytes. Their bonding patterns are opposite that of starches. Loosely bonded elements are stripped of electrons through oxidation.

Similarities & Differences of Perfect Competition and Monopolistic Competition

Perfect competition describes a market structure in which there is no single firm powerful or large enough to influence the price of the product. In monopolistic competition, numerous sellers differentiated products that are similar but not perfect substitutes for each other. There are some similarities that exist between these two market structures. Firstly, in both market structures, the number of firms is huge. This is especially true for perfect competition, where the number of firms in the industry is numerous. Secondly, in both perfect competition and monopolistic competition, there are no barriers to entry. Firms are free to enter and leave the market as they see fit. Besides that, firms also have to compete with each other. However, there are more dissimilarities than similarities between these two. The first difference is the product offered. In perfect competition, the products offered are identical to those of other firms. Products are usually perfect substitutes to each other. In monopolistic competition, companies use product differentiation to set their product apart from their competition. Some differentiation strategies include brand names, design, and advertising. A good example to demonstrate product differentiation is the smartphone market. Samsung, Apple, Sony, and HTC produce smartphones that are similar to each other in terms of functionality and quality. However, there are some small differences in features, pricing, and design that will be the deciding factor for customers when they make their purchasing decision. Secondly, there is a difference in the pricing of the products. In perfect competition, firms are numerous and small, ensuring that no one firm has control over pricing. Thus, prices are influenced by forces such as supply and demand. In contrast, in monopolistic competition firms have some level of control over pricing due to product differentiation. Since products are not perfect substitutes for each other, it depends on the customer to decide to purchase the product at the selling price or not. For example, a t-shirt from Ralph Lauren is quite a bit more expensive than a t-shirt from GAP but there are still a lot of customers who choose to buy it.

Essay on Homers Odyssey as a Moral Epic - 2528 Words

A large number of the works of ancient poetry and literature have been said to carry a moral undertone. Homers Odyssey is no exception. This essay explores the moral positions that the poem seems to adopt. Subsequently, it will show that while the Odyssey is indeed a moral epic, the moral position of the main characters themselves, namely Odysseus and the Gods, can, at times, be questionable. Loyalty is one moral value that is evident throughout the poem. No character embodies loyalty more than Penelope who remains loyal and true to Odysseus throughout his absence, refusing to give in to the suitors proposal of marriage and not engaging in any extramarital affair. She constantly praises Odysseus with†¦show more content†¦The nobody trick and the way he and his men escapes the cave guarded by the blind Polyphemos illustrates this perfectly.5 It is also his mind that saves him and his men from death at the hands of Charybdis. Rather than lose the whole crew to Charybdis, Odysseus chooses to face Scylla, although he fails to save the six men the monster devours.6 It is also his intelligence that wins him Athenes favour.7 Intelligence is given more importance than physical attributes like strength and beauty. Penelopes intelligence, proven with the trick of Laertess death shroud to delay the suitors, is more important than her beauty, for it is that and n ot her beauty that keeps her from marrying the suitors. Penelopes intelligence is set against Helens superficiality, all beauty and not much brain. This can be said to be reflected in the gift she awards to Telemachos- a robe that is extremely beautiful, but somehow, rather useless.8 The Odyssey seems to portray the idea that obstacles and hardship arise out of moral weakness. Self-control is overwhelmingly important. Sufferings come about when a person gives in to temptation. A fine example of this is when Odysseus shouts out his real name to Polyphemos as his ship is leaving the land of the Cyclops.9 He gives in to the temptation of glory and recognition. He wants Polyphemos and everyone else to know that it is he, Odysseus,Show MoreRelatedHomer’S Two Tales, The Iliad And The Odyssey, Are Both1749 Words   |  7 PagesHomer’s two tales, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are both incredibly well known and widely taught across the world and at many different levels of education. Some call Homer the â€Å"greatest poet to ever live† and although this can be disputed his works truly speak for themselves and have braved the test of time quite well. This paper will cover who/whom Homer is as a person, or persons, and the time period of his writings, th e truths versus the dramatizations of the Iliad and Odyssey, how the author’sRead MoreCritical Lens Layout Essay804 Words   |  4 Pages Directions: The critical lens is a formulaic essay that consists of 4-6 paragraphs and explores two works of literature and two literary elements from each work of literature. Use the format below to help you write your essay using Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey and Richard Connell’s short story â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game†. Introduction Paragraph: †¢ Copy the quotation exactly as it appears and include the author (1 sentence) â€Å"Henry Ward Beecher once said, â€Å"Greatness lies not in being strongRead MoreThe Odyssey : The Aeneid And The Odyssey1075 Words   |  5 PagesThe Aeneid and the Odyssey are perhaps two of the most famous epic poems to come out of the ancient world. Both stories involve acts of heroism, divine intervention, and ultimately, victory. They both offer insights into the cultures of Rome and Greece at the time of their writings. Additionally, both works stem from the same event (the Trojan War) but follow different characters, touching on different aspects of the idealized hero in Roman and Greek culture. We must first start by discussing whoRead MoreHomer s Epic Poems, The Iliad And The Odyssey1254 Words   |  6 PagesNonetheless, it is agreed that Homer is one of the first writers that have shaped our culture immensely. Homer gives us a look into what morals the Greeks followed and what their beliefs were. Homer shows us how the Greeks put these beliefs into action by presenting multiple struggles that our characters must go through. Homer’s epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey, are thousands of years old. Yet, whoever reads these pieces of literature today can somehow relate to its characters and events. ThisRead MoreExamples Of Archetypes In The Odyssey890 Words   |  4 Pages Much information can be gained from Homer’s epic,The Odyssey about ancient Greek civilizations and their what they valued morally. The Odyssey has a variety of different archetypes that are still relevant in modern times. The legend of Odyssey has been passed down from poet to poet for fi ve hundred years until finally Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey down somewhere between eight hundred fifty and seven hundred fifty B.C. In Homer’s epic the Odyssey, there are three archetypes that provide insightsRead MoreEssay on The Mysterious Homer, Author of The Odyssey and The Iliad663 Words   |  3 PagesThe Mysterious Homer, Author of The Odyssey and The Iliad   A sketchy figure by the name of Homer is given credit for the two great epic poems of ancient Greece. The Odyssey and The Iliad influenced Greek culture, education, and morality. Little is known about Homer and many scholars question whether he existed at all. (Encarta) Some say two different unknown authors wrote the two poems. (Britannica) Others say that many oral poets were responsible for the finished products. (Britannica) In thisRead MoreArchetypes In Homers The Odyssey1507 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Greeks’ work consists of monsters, creatures, gods, goddesses, fights, and battles. It shows that Ancient Greeks are very imaginative and creative. Three main archetypes that are used in Homer’s epic ,The Odyssey, each show a different aspect of Ancient Greek culture. The three archetypes are: the hero archetype, the monster archetypes, and the search for love. The hero archetype shows the Ancient Greeks’ love for thrill and adventure; Odysseus goes on many thrilling adventures while onRead More Essay on Homers Odyssey: Exploring Our Social Roots1057 Words   |  5 PagesThe Odyssey: Exploring Our Social Roots  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In modern western society we are a people taught from very young that good manners and strong morality are necessity.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The idea that the good will prosper and the bad will get what they deserve is widely accepted and applauded.   However, these ideas about the social rules of modern civil man are not so novel.   This same system of social behavior and belief is exhibited throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey.   In this epic we find the rootsRead MoreHomer’s Epic The Odyssey Essay645 Words   |  3 PagesA hero isn’t shaped by his strengths but by the values he possesses. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, reveals the moral and ethical constitution of the ancient Greeks. Over time, certain cultures have grown to value a number of human characteristics. Those who acquire such values become respected heroes. After the fall of Troy, the protagonist of the epic, Odysseus, set sail for his home, Ithaca, where his faithful wife and son were waitin g for him. Over the course of his journey, Odysseus faced some ofRead MoreThe Odyssey By Homer s Odyssey Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pages8th century, The Odyssey, is Homer s epic of Odysseus 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. Odysseus defining character traits, such as nobility, courage, thirst for the glory and the appealing confidence in his authority dominated the storyline throughout. The many themes of this epic mainly focus around the Greek hero Odysseus however in my essay I will attempt to analyze hospitality. Hospitality shaped an important part of social interactions in The Odyssey. Although Greek society