Provide an economic analysis of Netflix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Provide an economic analysis of Netflix - Essay Example Netflix drives its revenues from two sources: monthly subscriptions from users who can instantly stream TV shows and movies over the internet and delivery of DVDs and Blu-ray discs to customers’ homes. The major cost components or Netflix include fixed-fee licenses, revenue shared and direct purchases made from studios and other content providers. The company also has to spend money in maintaining its streaming services through Amazon Web Services and Content Delivery Networks. There are many factors that impact the supply and demand of the company’s business. One of the primary factors determining demand is the economic situation. The demand also depends on the quality of content produced. As can be seen from the list of competitors, all the competitors have a different unique characteristic in the way they are providing entertainment video to the customers. While cable providers and direct-to-home service providers offer a fixed list of entertainment videos on a monthly fees, internet based content providers provide customers which is more similar to Netflix. The other competitors are retailers which provide entertainment videos to customers through brick and mortar shops. This can be said to be a monopolistic competition. Monopolistic competition can be defined as the market structure where there are many sellers of the same commodity but there is a slight difference in the way the service is provided (Jain & Ohri, 249). Although there are many companies that provide similar service to customers, however, none of the companies providing online companies have been able to come close to Netflix in areas of market share or revenue. Thus, the company is having significant market power and drives the market. The company has been very successful in increasing its subscriber base over the period of time. It had a total subscriber base of 20 million at the end of 2010. The company’s revenue was $2.16

First law of motion Essay Example for Free

First law of motion Essay I have come to a point in life that many people have not. I have made a firm decision to recommit myself to pursuing my dreams. While there are those who believe that with an ounce of luck and a ton of persistence anything can be accomplished, I believe that there is no reason to expend so much energy and rely on luck. I believe in taking hold of my destiny and carving out a future for myself based on the decisions that I make in life. Life is simply too short and too precious to be left to luck alone. This is why I have chosen to apply at (Selected University Here). An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. This is how the first law of Newton is often stated. An object remains at rest unless an external influence interacts with it and either gets it moving again or alters its direction. I prefer to think of myself as one of those objects that are at rest. There has never really been any motivation or desire on my part to try and do something drastic in my life. The problems of other people do not concern me unless there is some sort of benefit that I can gain through my actions or disadvantage that will happen through my inaction. This has always been my way of dealing with things when I was much younger and admittedly more selfish and naive. As every story concerning a spoiled child goes, I always felt that I was the center of everyone’s attention. I was the most important thing in this world. There was no need for me to raise a finger to do anything as everyone around me was at my beck and call, servants who catered to my every whim and desire. These thoughts of greatness and power however were also the same thoughts that made it very difficult for me to adapt to my school environment as I constantly found myself alone in school with no friends and nobody to talk to. Things took a turn for the worse before they got any better however as I was also performing terribly in school. I would get into scuffles with my classmates and get on the bad side of everyone in my school. These were very difficult times for me because I could not understand why these people had such an intense dislike for me. The worst part was yet to come however. One day when I was one my way to my classroom I saw a couple of my classmates breaking into the lockers of a few of the students. Unsure of what I was supposed to do I decided to watch them. A few moments later a young kid, much smaller and younger than me, told these bigger kids to stop what they were doing because it was bad. These bullies merely laughed at the kid and decided to have some fun with him and push him around. Forgetting how much bigger they were than the young child, they became too rough and pushed the child so hard that he rolled down the stairwell. Instead of helping the young kid out I decided to make a run for it and not say anything to anyone. It wasn’t my problem, I recall telling myself. Indeed it wasn’t but soon enough it became a problem of mine when I learned a week later that the young boy who I refused to defend would never be able to walk again. My inaction, my selfishness was the reason that a young boy would never be able to walk again. I could not live with myself. It was then that I decided to approach my mother and ask her why things were that way. Like every mother, my mom adored me and always had my best interests in her heart. But I was surprised when she told me the truth; I was selfish, arrogant and self centered. A person destined for greatness must learn to be humble and must also learn to stand up in the face of adversity. She then told me a story a great person, a person she admired, former President Ronald Reagan. While not exactly the most intelligent of all people, Ronald Reagan endured many trials in his life and was able to weather them all thus earning himself the nickname â€Å"The Teflon President†. Not only was Ronald Reagan able to endure all of his challenges, he was also well loved by many, which is largely attributed to his persuasive quotable speaking style. The Great Communicator was able to charm the hearts of many and in doing so became one of the most effective Presidents in the history of the United States. After that talk, I decided to learn more about this person who my mother thought so highly of and found that he had done so many things during his administration. I could not understand how a person who wielded such power never chose to abuse it but instead chose to use the power to help other people and improve the welfare of every American; Powerful and influential but at the same time well-loved by the American public. From that forth I resolved to discard my selfish and self-centered ways and decided to focus more on helping other people and becoming more altruistic in my deeds. While I certainly will not become the next Ronald Reagan, I have him to thank for motivating me to become a better person not only for myself but for others as well. He has inspired me to lead a life of service for the public and fueled my passion for politics. I may not be able to accomplish the things that this great person has done in his lifetime but I will be happy knowing that I have made a difference in this world. To have even inspired a single person to do good things and to devote his life to a life of service for others as Ronald Reagan has done for me will be a great accomplishment. While I personally believe that â€Å"there is no such thing as a free lunch† and that everything a person has in life must come from hard work and perseverance, I also believe in charity. I believe in helping others who do not have much in life. I believe in helping people regardless of their nation, race or creed. I believe in being a better person so I can best help myself and others around me. I believe that (Selected University) is the best place for me to turn these beliefs into realities.

Sony Company Analysis: SWOT, PEST, 5 Forces and SGA

Sony Company Analysis: SWOT, PEST, 5 Forces and SGA Sony SWOT Analysis | Five Forces Analysis of Sony | PEST Analysis of Sony | Strategic Group Analysis of Sony Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to analyse Sonys strategy and assess various tools which give the greatest insight into that strategy. The assessment of the company is based on four tools, mainly: SWOT, PEST, Porters Five Forces and Strategic Group Analysis (SGA). Those tools are believed to critically evaluate Sonys tactics with regards to its competition, external and internal environment. Furthermore, the tools critically assess Sonys gaps in its strategy. Introduction Sony Corporation has been very successful over several decades and has used its innovation to create a multibillion and multinational electronic empire. With products such as: transistor radio, the Trinitron, the VTR and many more the company has changed our everyday lives. Nowadays, Japanese companies such as Sony can set a good example for other international companies to benchmark the way they implement their business strategy. However, the current slowdown of global economy, the appreciation of yen and the decline of Japanese stock market had forced Sony to re-examine its current business approach (Sony, 2009). Hence, this paper critically evaluates Sonys business strategy. The assessment of the company is based on four tools that give the greatest insight into Sonys strategy, mainly: SWOT, PEST, Porters Five Forces and Strategic Group Analysis (SGA). Sony Company: A brief introduction Sony is an international corporation with major businesses in electronics, movies, video games, and finance. The Japan-based company is one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $89.6 billion in its fiscal 2008 (Sony, 2009). Sony is a well-recognized brand name of consumer electronics and its key products are CyberShot digital cameras, Bravia LCD TVs and VAIO computers. Those products constitute 65.1% of sales and operating revenue. The three biggest markets for SONY are Europe with 25.7 % of operating revenue followed by Japan with 24.2 % and USA with 23.6%. Innovation leader Sony is an innovation leader. In fact, Sony is still among the top 10 most innovative companies in the world, according to Leberecht (2008). What is more, Sony has led the market in terms of innovative technologies and high quality items. Throughout its history, Sony has proved that the company can capture the imagination and improve peoples lives by using cutting edge technologies. Sonys Business Strategy Sonys Business Strategy is to be the leading global provider of networked consumer electronics and entertainment in the world (Sony 2008). In order to do that Sony will try to retain market shares in developed markets by introducing innovative technologies and enter new products to emerging markets to achieve higher sales growth and eventually bigger market share. As can be seen above new user groups with great response to adoption of electronics have emerged. Those groups have been called BRIC (for Brazil, Russia, India and China). They are the worlds fastest growing economies, contributing to a great deal of the worlds explosive growth of trade. By 2020, the four biggest emerging markets share of world output will double to 16.1 % from 7.8% in 1992 (IDC, 2006). Consequently, Sony will aim to grab some of it. SWOT Analysis Why does a SWOT give the greatest insight into Sonys strategy? Organizations such as Sony do not exist in a vacuum but rather exist and compete and cooperate in an interrelated environment characterized by complexity. Understanding this environment is fundamental for Sony to become a leader and gain bigger market share. Therefore, SWOT analysis is a useful aid to do that. The analysis is used at the beginning of strategic decision-making where it provides the basic framework (Hamel Prahalad 1994). SWOT creates lists of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats where an organizations use these to generate strategies that fit their particular projected situation, objectives and their capabilities (Bourgeois 1996; Pearce and Robinson 2003; Thompson and Strickland 1998).Consequently, buy conducting SWOT analysis on SONY it will be visible if the companys strategy fits projected situation. Furthermore, Valentin (2001) said that the SWOT analysis gives the greatest insights into companys strategy as it shows the companys conventional approach of realizing the desired alignment. As a result SWOT analysis is a valuable tool in the field of business strategy and gives the greatest insight into Sonys strategy because it illustrates important aspects of organisations environment and decisions made by the management. Sonys SWOT Strengths Ability to produce innovative, quality products Sonys innovations have become part of the mainstream culture. Starting with the first magnetic tape and tape recorder in 1950, then the transistor radio in 1995 and the worlds first all-transistor TV set in 1960 and many more as shown below. Ability to be successful in several different markets Sony is successful in several different markets. The company has made an impact in the PC market, video game market and especially the television market. Fast growing company Sony ranks among ZDNet Asias Top 10 fastest-growing companies for 2008/2009 (ZDNet Asia 2009). M2M monitoring technology Sony has M2M Machine-to-Machine (M2M) remote monitoring technology-based service solutions. The service solution allows cost-effectively and continually monitor and manage the various components of production (Sony, 2006). Weaknesses Products are expensive Sonys products are 20 to 30 percent higher than comparable goods (Cook, 2003). For that reason, for example, people in developing countries with minimum wage cannot afford to purchase them. Inefficient supply chain Sony is trying to close the gap with technologies companies such as Apple or Amazon which use Internet services to improve their electronics such as digital-music players. However, because of its business overload of heavy operating costs leading to inefficient supply chain Sony is missing that market gap. Opportunities Complementary products and services Sony has opportunity to sell complementary products and Internet services in saturated markets (Japan, USA) and standard products in emerging markets (China, India, Latin America). Innovative design Sony can use user- friendly applications, innovative materials and attractive visual appearance to differentiate products. New technologies 3D TV technologies that use a single image which is split by mirrors and not as in majority of 3D set ups that use two camera systems (BBC, 2009). Threats New entrants New companies can enter the market since the shift from analog to digital technology made it easier. This is because complicated functionality has become concentrated in semiconductors and easier to manufacture. Emerging markets Economic uncertainty and political instability in markets such as China, India, Russia is more violated than this of United States and Western Europe. Porters Five Forces Why Porters Five Forces would give the greatest insight into Sonys strategy Sony has to analyse and understand the industry context for developed markets in order to sustain its strategy which is to be an innovation leader and the worlds leading consumer brand. The model of the Five Competitive Forces developed by Porter can facilitate. Porter (1980) identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and every market. These forces determine the competition and show the attractiveness of an industry and its potential. Furthermore, Porters model is based on the approach that a corporate strategy should meet the opportunities and threats in the organizations external environment. Particularly, competitive strategy should focus on understanding industry structures and the way they change. Consequently, it is one of the most effective tools to give insight into Sonys strategy. Porters Five Forces Analysis The following model illustrates Porters Five Forces Analysis: Threat of New Entrants Low Any beginner will need economies of scale to be successful in this market. A small player will require strong relations with suppliers and efficient manufacturing processes otherwise it will not be achievable for him to produce at a low cost. This may result in incurring losses and failing to gain bigger market share. Furthermore, every company that wants to compete in this market will require sophisticated technology and well developed RD unit. Bargaining Power of Suppliers- Low Due to the fact that there are so many suppliers bargaining power of them is low. Companies in the electronics industry are looking for cheaper imports from countries such as Taiwan or China (Armstrong Kotler 2008). Many are relocating manufacturing facilities to these countries, as price competition is on the rise. Suppliers are forced to cut their prices or go bankrupt due to the price war as their customers can go to other suppliers who are offering lower price. What is more, manufacturing has shifted from brand owners to mass logistics manufacturers in order to cut the costs associated with the production (Sony, 2009). Large companies from similar industries can now enter this market and that is why bargaining power of suppliers is low. Bargaining Power of Buyers- High First group- buyers, who purchase from retailers: (Curry, Argos) that have long term relationships with global brands such as Sony, Canon, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus. Curry or Argos has high buying power since it offers customers great value by checking competitors prices and securing exclusive deals from key manufactures, and making a decision which product to choose. Second group- individual customers even though they have limited buying power and they do not have much impact on the company directly, they are the one who buy products from Curry or Argos and they influence those retailers over which product they will choose in future. Threat of Substitutes- High The threat of substitutes is very high example digital cameras. Camera phones are ideal substitute for all digital cameras. According to Lyras research, a digital imaging research firm, mobile phones are selling faster than digital cameras. Lyras (2006) estimated that the camera phones reached 850 million units in 2006, and this number is expected to grow to more than 1.5 billion units in 2010. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players- High There are numerous and rather equally balanced firms competing in this market with Sony the biggest ones are Panasonic, Phillips. The competition is fierce; there is a short product life cycle, high cost associated with RD that gives low profit margins and finally high exit barriers. It is noticeable that over the years, the nature of the business has forced manufacturers such as Sony to offer innovations with enhanced models (Johnson et al 2008). Moreover, brand name is no longer as important as it used to be (Anderson, 2008). Consumers are now looking for electronic goods that offer their most wanted features at the lowest price, regardless of brand. PEST Analysis Why PEST analysis would give the greatest insight into Sonys strategy Another strategic tool that can help to evaluate Sonys strategy is PEST analysis. It is a valuable tool for understanding the big picture of the environment in which an organisation is operating (Bowman Faulkner, 1996). PEST analysis is a framework that categorises environmental influences as political, economic, social and technological forces (Jones Hill 1992). In view of the fact it is important to identify those factors as they might have affect on Sonys supply and demand levels and its costs especially in emerging markets. Furthermore, PEST gives the greatest insight into Sonys strategy since it will show the market growth (emerging markets) and decline (developed markets), potential and direction for Sonys operations. What is more, PEST analysis will show whether it was worth to enter Sonys business operations into new markets and new countries. Consequently, PEST analysis with SWOT and Porters Five Forces model will help to review Sonys strategic direction. Political Tariff reduction in EU Tariff reduction in EU countries will affect directly import and export procedures in Sony corporation, as the price will be modified due to this policy. Emerging markets Unfavourable political factor including unforeseen legal or regulatory changes such as foreign exchange, import and export controls, political instability and potential conflicts among developing nations. Economic Products Sonys products are rather expensive and people in developing countries with minimum wage cannot afford to purchase them. Uncertainty The economic situation in developing markets can get worse, which could result in future effects on earnings (Jeanet Hennessey 2004). Foreign exchange Foreign exchange rate fluctuations can have an effect on financial results since large portion of Sonys sales and assets are denominated in currencies other than the yen. Social Customer preferences In some markets, customer needs and preferences are becoming more similar (Johnson et al., 2008 p. 69). Electronics goods are standardised products therefore culture no longer has a big impact. In fact, the more standardized product, the better chances to sell it worldwide. According to Slack, et al. (2007) this helps organization to have transference of marketing across countries. Technological Advanced technology Advanced technology to be more competitive in the market is a key issue (Armstrong Kotler, 2008). Sony knows that to manufacture very innovative products that will be hard to copy and help to lead in the market the company needs to invest and constantly improve its RD department. Strategic Group Analysis Why Strategic Group Analysis gives the greatest insight Strategic Group Analysis is useful for every company as it can be performed in a short period of time. This tool would give insight into determining different competitive positions of companies in the industry (Mintzberg et al 2003). The analysis can illustrate intensity of rivalry within and between groups and implications of competitive position (Bourgeos, 1996). This is because Strategic Group Analysis is a collect of companies in an industry. Furthermore, groups of companies are clustered around a similar competitive approach or strategic position. Finally, the companies in a group are similar to each other but different from companies in other groups. Consequently, this tool is useful in assessing Sonys position among its rivals and provides insight into its strategy. The diagram above shows strategic groups that are in competition with each other. These are analysed according to price and customer perceived value (branding). Strategic spaces are opportunities for companies. For example in order to fulfil those spaces Sony could lower its prices and LG could change the perception of the brand to the higher value. However, this opportunity might be a threat as Sony could lose profits and customers by lowering prices and its perceived value. In LG case, the company would have to spend a lot of money on the marketing campaign to change the perception of the products and invest in RD to actually change the product to a higher standard. What is more, the company would have to charge more for its products and therefore it might lose customers. Mobility barriers The mobility barriers restrict enterprises in electronics industry to go from one strategic group to another. If Sony moved from one group to another, it could incur higher costs or threat of lowering perceived value. However, with more flexible manufacturing and fast development of new technologies in the future the barriers to mobility may be lowered and it might be easier for Sony to go from one strategic group to another. Conclusion Sonys strategy has been analysed using SWOT analysis, Porters competitive forces model, PEST analysis and Strategic Group Analysis. Those tools gave the greatest insight into the companys strategy. This is because they analysed the companys competition, its competitive advantage, internal and external environment. By understanding those, the company can retain market shares in developed markets and enter new products to emerging markets to achieve higher sales growth and eventually bigger market share. Consequently, those tools are vital for assessing the companys strategy as they take into consideration existing factors but also forecast change for the future. This way Sony can adjust its strategy to the environment in which it operates. Furthermore, appreciate its investment into RD by assessing its clients needs. This further leads to Sonys competitive gain. References: Anderson, C. (2008) Future of the Business available from [accessed 21 November] Armstrong, G. and Kotler, P. (2008) Principles of marketing 13th ed., New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall. BBC (2009) Sony shows off 3D TV technology available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8285187.stm [Accessed 20 November] Bowman, C. and Faulkner, D (1996) The Essence of Competitive Strategy Prentice Hall. pp.25-19 Bourgeois, J.L. (1996), Strategic Management from Concept to Implementation, The Dryden Press, Florida pp. 34-40 Celik A. (2008) Emerging Markets available from http://celikalper.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/emerging-markets/ [Accessed on 22 November] Cook B. (2003) Sony Powered Brand Channel available form http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=128 [Accessed on 21 November] Grant, R.M. (2005) Contemporary strategic analysis. London: Blackwell pp. 56-62 Hamel, G. and Prahalad, H.K. (1994) Competing for the Future, Boston, Harvard Business School Press pp. 36-39 Jeanet, J.P., Hennessey, H.D. (2004) Global marketing strategies 6th ed., Boston, Houghton Mifflin pp. 41-45 Jones, G.R., Hill, C.W. (1992), Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston pp. 28-33 Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy (8th Edition) Text and Cases, Prentice Hall, Harlow pp. 28-43 Leberecht T (2008) The worlds 50 most innovative companies available from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13641_3-9926227-44.html [Accessed 20 November] Lyra Research Corporation (2006) Mobile phones available from: [Accessed 23 November] Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J., Ghoshal, S. (2003), The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts and Cases, 4th end., Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. pp. 45-49 Pearce, J.A. and Robinson, R.B (2003) Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation and Control (8th Edition), McGraw-Hill, New York, NY pp. 56-62 Porter M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy Free Press, New York pp. 27-45 Slack N., Chambers S. and Johnston R. (2007) Operations Management, Fifth Edition, Harlow, Prentice Hall. pp 35-37 Sony (2006) Sony Annual Report 2006. Available from: http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/ar/2006/index.html > [Accessed 15 November 2006] Sony (2008) Sony Group Corporate Strategy Update FY2008 FY2010. Available from: http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200806/08-080E/ [Accessed 22 November] Sony (2009) Sony Annual Report 2009. Available from: http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/ar/8ido180000023g2o-att/SonyAR09-E.pdf [Accessed 22 November] Thompson, Arthur A., Jr., and Strickland, A. J. (1998). Strategic Management, 10th ed. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. pp. 12-24 ZDNet Asia (2009) Sony is a leading consumer electronics and entertainment company globally Top Tech Index 2008/2009 available from http://www.zdnetasia.com/toptech/2008/0,3800017271,62048727,00.htm [Accessed 19 November] Sony aims to continue being one of the worlds leading consumer brands in the 21st century, providing customers with a wide range of attractive products, content and services (Sony 2009 p 3). Sony will aim to achieve higher sales growth through gaining bigger market share. PEST analysis can help to understand risks associated with the market growth or decline, and the position, potential and direction for an individual businesses or organizations (Grant, 2005). PEST analysis is frequently used as a generic orientation tool, that can help to find out where a company or a product is in the context of what is happening externally (Jones Hill 1992). The four elements shape a structure for reviewing a situation and strategy or position. PEST analysis needs to be carried out on a regular basis to be effective. Companies can gain competitive advantage when they do analyses regularly and systematically as they can spot trends before others and exploit them fully. Thus, PEST is a tool that would give the greatest insight into Sonys strategy. Effect of Yoga on Bed Wetting in Children | Study Effect of Yoga on Bed Wetting in Children | Study EFFECT OF YOGA ON BED WETTING FREQUENCY IN CHILDREN A Pilot study ABSTRACT Bed wetting or Nocturnal enuresis is a common problem in children. It refers to the unintentional passage of urine during sleep. Bed wetting is normal till the age of 5yrs, if continues over the age is due to physical as well as psychological connection. 15% of populations have this problem globally. Yoga is a traditional Indian medicine which was now used up for many clinical conditions. The aim of this study is to find out the effect of yoga on reduction of bed wetting frequency in children. 10 children with complains of nocturnal enuresis were selected by purposive sampling method. Structured yoga programme was given to the children. The yoga programme was conducted alternate days for 4 weeks. Voiding dairy was used to evaluate the improvement on bed wetting frequency. Following the 4 weeks of programme the collected data’s were analyzed using the descriptive statistical method. This study finds that yoga is useful method in reduction of bed wetting frequency. Thus the stud y concludes that yoga play a major role in reduction of bed wetting in children and it also promotes psychological and moral boost to the children. Key words: Yoga, Bed wetting, Voiding diary. Nocturnal enuresis. INTRODUCTION Bedwetting is also called as nocturnal enuresis, it is the involuntary discharge of urine in children during night or during sleep1. When the child tends to voids involuntarily for at least three times a week after 5 years without any congenital defects is termed as nocturnal enuresis.2 In India about 15 million children were having bed wetting problem. It is one of the commonest problems in young children. Usually it is found more common in boys3. 1.6% to 15% of children wet their bed during night, it is found that 10% to 15% of five-year-old children and 6% to 8% of eight-year-old children, and it declines to 1% to 2% by 15 years of age4. Nocturnal enuresis is one of the common urological problem. Actual cause of the bed wetting is unknown. It was considered to be one of the most disabling problems during child physical as well as psychological development. Though it looks a simple problem there may be various other conditions underlying like, neuromotor problems, attention difficulties, learning disabilities, and the possibility of being the cause of psychological status. 5,6,7 Bed wetting without day time symptoms are termed as mono-symptomatic nocturnal enuresis whereas bed wetting occurs both day and night are termed it as Non-monosymptomatic 9. Delvin conducted a population survey on 1800 Irish children with the age of 4—14 years and he found that 33% of children void less than once a week, 11% voids once a week and 25% voids two to four times per month10. Bed wetting will cause enormous emotional impact in child as well as their parents. Children with enuresis are commonly punished and are at the risk of emotional and physical abuse11. Parents should understand that bed wetting is never done on purpose or not done as laziness 8. Many studies have identified the impact of bed wetting may cause anxiety, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, concentration difficulty, learning difficulty and may impact the psychological status of the children12. Bedwetting tend to run in families. Many children who wet the bed have a parent who did, too. Most of these children stop bedwetting on their own at about the same age the parent did.13 Most children outgrow bed-wetting without treatment4. However, some child may need some additional assistance from physician. Bedwetting is typically seen more as a social disturbance than a medical disease because it creates embarrassment and anxiety in the child and conflicts with parents. The single most important thing parents should do is to be supportive and reassuring rather than blaming and punishing. The many treatment options range from home remedies to drugs, even surgery for children with anatomical problems14. Primary management of bed wetting is behavioral modification and positive reinforcement15. Yoga isan ancient tradition that has been westernized and often practiced for its proposed health benefits. Yoga therapy was described by Indian authors 2500 years ago, but it still plays an important role in everyone’s life16. It often translates union of the mind, body and spirit17. Yoga is considered as a mind and body exercises, it helps to unite the body and mind; it brings the physiological state of the body and shape emotions, thoughts and attitudes18. Yoga becomes a promising therapy for the children. It plays an important role in development of several aspects of cognition and executive functions19. Certain yoga postures or asanas have proved to help the child to overcome the bed wetting. Though there were extensive articles on benefits of yoga in bed wetting, still there is no study to prove its efficacy. There is no head to head comparison of the yoga on its role on nocturnal enuresis. This pilot study tries to identify the effectiveness of yoga in the nocturnal enuresis. The study hypothesized that there will be no significant difference in reduction of Bed wetting frequency following yoga therapy. METHODOLOGY Subjects were selected through purposive sampling method with descriptive study design. 10 children complains of bed wetting were included in the study. Prior to the selection of the children for the study, a clear analysis was done by urologist and an approval from pediatrician who states that there was no other medical reason for the nocturnal enuresis. A clear examination was done by the senior physiotherapist to rule out any bony deformities (Structural). Clear instruction to the children and the mother about the benefits of yoga and its physiological role on urinary system was clearly explained. Informed consent was obtained from the mother. Upon obtaining the concern 10 male children were included with the age group of 6—10 years, having normal life style, complains of nocturnal enuresis at least 3 times in a week, well-nourished children, school going children and those who are willing to do yoga, and those who wish to continue yoga regularly. The study excludes mental retarded children, children with urinary infections, mal nourished, underweight and any other structural deformity. A detailed session on yoga and its benefits was given to all children and the mother / guardian. Queries and Questions raised by the parents were addressed, and advised all parents to bring the children compulsory. The yoga programme was conducted for 4 weeks of duration, and a session of the program was conducted alternate days, each sessions consist of 30—45 minutes of duration. All subjects were taught yoga postures (i.e asanas). Six asanas were chosen for this study, the asanas were chosen as per discussion with the stalwarts in yoga and yoga guru. Asanas were trained to the children by the researchers, all the postures / asanas have to sustain for ten to fifteen counts. For the first three sessions the children were taught to do asanas and difficult postures were assisted by the researcher, later, once they mastered the technique, they are all practiced to do these postures without support. List of asanas trained to the children are Konasana, Sakrasana (Standing), Yoga mudra, Sarvangasana, Savasana ,Nisbandabhava. Before commencement of the study a warm up programme was given with Suryanamaskar for 10 mins. Once they completed then the children were initiated the asanas. At the end of the program savasana was given to relax the muscles. The programme was conducted initially in groups, all the queries were cleared on every session. This study was accepted by the Institutional ethical committee. There was no harm involving the participants in this study. There was no drop out in this study. Voiding dairy given to the mother and asked them to fill up when their children does bed wetting. The data were collected in likert scale (i.e 0—5 scale), and the data are used for the analysis and it was tabulated in percentage. RESULT AND DISCUSSION The data was analyzed by using SPSS statistical package, 19.1. The table I shows the general information about the children. All children included in the study are males. There are various studies suggest that male children are mostly involved in nocturnal enuresis. Voiding history noted in these children is only during sleep and at the night time only. 80% Parents of the children has the family history of nocturnal enuresis. We also gathered that 85 % of parents scold or punish their children for the bed wetting. Table II shows the voiding history of the participants which was shown in percentage. It shows that 57 % of participants are with the age group of 6, 8 years. 4 times in a week is the maximum voiding frequency by the children. Two children has the history of voiding 2 times in a week, others are having the frequency of more than 3 times per week. Table III shows the voiding history before the yoga programme and after the yoga programme. The table value shows that there was a significant difference existed between the groups. There was a marked difference between the pre and post test values. The result of the study revealed that the yoga programme has showed a marked reduction on bed wetting frequency in children. Yoga helps to promote retention control, regular practicing helps to postpone urination by few seconds to few minutes. Bed wetting is a shameful situation for children as well as parents, but it is not a serious problem, and it is common in boys20. Yoga play a major role in control of bed wetting, the retention exercises should be increased gradually without putting pressure on the children, and the exercises would help to increase the control in bladder muscles and also increases bladder capacity20. Yoga helps to strengthen muscles which control urination. It also helps in increasing bladder capacity. Regular practicing yoga will stimulate the nervous system, and thereby influence the micturition system in the spinal cord lead to better control and coordination of the process21. Yoga also helps in reduction and prevention of the psychosomatic stress disorders 22. Studies found that yoga help in improving the bladder control in patients with urinary incontinence. Few researches conducted for women who show that yoga improves pelvic health and helps in gaining control over the urine leakage. Yoga programme directs the mind awareness and increases relaxation and relieves anxiety and stress23. The study confirms that the yoga programme will improve the bladder control in children and it was a beneficial one for the treatment of bed wetting. Regular practicing of yoga provides additional benefits like improvement of flexibility and also help to improve the concentration, memory and reduction in stress level. However, the study was done in a small group, the results can’t be generalized, and there was an elaborate and large group of participants needed. The other factors like psychological or pharmacological factors were not considered in this study, future study need a holistic approach in the management. REFERENCES: Dalton R. Enuresis. In: Behrman R, Kliegman R, Arvin A, Nelson W, editors.Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics.15th edn . Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1996. pp. 79–80. Forsythe, W. I., Butler, R. J.: Fifty years enureticalarms.Archives of Disease in Childhood, 64: 879, 1989 Caldwell PH, Edgar D, Hodson E, Craig JC. Bedwetting and toileting problems in children.Med J Aust.2005;182(4):190–195 Mark Feldman et al., Management of primary nocturnal enuresis, Paediatr Child Health Vol 10 10(10): 611–614..December 2005. von Gontard A, Freitag CM, Seifen S, Pukrop R, RÃ ¶hling D. Neuromotor development in nocturnal enuresis.Dev Med Child Neurol.2006;48(9):744–750. Okur M, Ruzgar H, Erbey F, Kaya A. The evaluation of children with mono symptomatic nocturnal enuresis for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.Int J Psychiatry ClinPract.2012;16(3):229–232. Coppola G, Costantini A, Gaita M, Saraulli D. Psychological correlates of enuresis: a case-control study on an Italian sample.PediatrNephrol.2011;26(10):1829–1836 American Psychological Association.Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2000. pp. 108–110. vanGool, J. D., Nieuwenhuis, E., ten Doeschate, I. O. et al.: Subtypes in monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. II. Scandinavian Journal of Urology Nephrology Supplementum, 202: 8, 1999 Devlin, J. B.: Prevalence and risk factors for childhood nocturnal enuresis. Irish Medical Journal, 84: 118, 1991 Kaplan, Harold, I and Sadock, M.D, Synopsis of Psychiatry, eight edition, 1998, Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins. Moffatt ME. Nocturnal enuresis: psychologic implications of treatment and non-treatment.J Pediatr. Apr 1989;114(4 Pt 2):697-704. Katz ER, DeMaso DR. Enuresis (bed-wetting). In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds.Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 21.3. Ramakrishnan, K, Evaluation and treatment of enuresis, American family physician 2008, vol 78, 4, 489-496. Glazener CM, Evans JH. Simple behavioural and physical interventions for nocturnal enuresis in children.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2004. Garfinkel M, Schumacher H. Yoga Effects.Rheum Dis Clin North Am.2000;26:125–32. Satchidananda S.The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.Yogaville, VA: Integral Yoga Publications; 2005. Cowen VS, Adams T. Physical and perceptual benefits of yoga asana practice.J BodyMovTher.2005;9:211–9. Chen TL, Mao HC, Lai CH, Li CY, Kuo CH:The effect of yoga exercise intervention on health related physical fitness in school-age asthmatic children.Hu Li ZaZhi2009,56:42-52. Nadeem Naqvi, 2011, Bed wetting problem: How to deal with bed wetting, http://www.studyvillage.com/resources/2899-Bedwetting-problem-How-deal-with-bed-wetting.aspx. Udupa, K. N, 2000, Stress and its management by yoga. New delhi, MotilalBanarisdass. Huang, Alison J.; Jenny, Hillary E.; Chesney, Margaret A.; Schembri, Michael; Subak, Leslee L.A Group-Based Yoga Therapy Intervention for Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Pilot Randomized Trial Female pelvic medicine Reconstructive surgery May/June 2014-Volume 20-Issue 3 pp:123-184 Huang, Alison J.; Jenny, Hillary E.; Chesney, Margaret A.; Schembri, Michael; Subak, Leslee L.A Group-Based Yoga Therapy Intervention for Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Pilot Randomized Trial Female pelvic medicine Reconstructive surgery May/June 2014-Volume 20-Issue 3 pp:123-184. TABLE I General Information’s Table II VOIDING HISTORY Table III VOIDING HISTORY 1

The Pressure To Be Perfect Essay -- essays research papers

The Pressure to be Perfect In today's competitive society, a person strives for perfection, due to the fact that so much emphasis is placed on one's outer appearance. No matter who we are or where we live, society puts this pressure upon us. We are typically faced with this pressure by models on television and in magazines. Companies seem to have targeted women more so than men. They usually use women with good looks and nice figures to advertise and market their product. When companies use these women in advertisements, it is setting a standard that other women feel that they need to follow. What has happened to internal beauty? Society puts so much importance on external beauty that people have forgotten about an individual having beauty within. The sayings â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder† and â€Å"beauty is only skin deep† come to mind when I think about just how much emphasis is placed on outer appearance. A major factor that has increased the percentage of overweight people in society is technology. This includes items such as elevators, escalators, garage-door openers, drive-in windows, and the remote control. It use to be that you would at least burn some calories by having to get up and turn the channel on the television, but thanks to technology it is now a push of a button. Just think, things have the possibility to grow increasingly worse because of the 'information super highway'. There is no need to get out and walk the malls in search of a particular item...

Modernism Art Essay

As some critics contended, postmodernism represents a break with the modernist notion that architecture should be technologically rational, austere and functional, discuss the ways in which one postmodern architect has developed strategies which overcome these tendencies. Juxtaposition is seen between the characteristics of early 20th century modern architecture and the artistic endeavours of postmodernism that followed. To represent the ‘Less is More’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) notion the modernist tendencies had adopted, Robert Venturi built a ‘Ghost Structure’ to imply architecture had no longer become an art form and was merely just a ‘spectator’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) in society. This essay will discuss ways in which the architect Robert Venturi adopts methods to overcome these tendencies that architecture has lost meaning and ways in which he attempts to remove himself with any links with the ‘post-modernist’ movement that he is viewed in having. Modern Architects saw their role as ‘reformers,’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) and tended to break with tradition and start anew. Considering it was a new revolutionary movement they tended to ignore potential problems and focused on the new modern advancements available. A modernist tendency was to build individually however Venturi claimed that a ‘building derives meaning from its context’ (Out Of the Ordinary, 2002) and evidently each individual location requires a different form of architectural style to represent this. In Venturi’s book ‘Complexity and Contradiction’ he quotes ‘familiar things seen in unfamiliar context become perceptually new as well as old’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) here he perhaps means in order for art to become worthy of aesthetic appreciation the viewer needs to see it in a different context. For example, Tracy Emin’s unmade bed was placed in an art gallery and was more acceptable and appreciated as ‘art’ rather than being viewed in its original, everyday context. Venturi was focused on the reason behind and the visual perception of architecture, he believed that in applying a ‘medley of styles’ (S.V.Moos, 1987, pg32) opposed to an ‘either/or ‘(R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) mind-set would offer a varied combination of architectural styles. Thus enabling to a successful response to the multitude of tastes society desired, as he was well aware that there were an  array of underlying problems of everyday life. Problems that modernist architects tended to ignore due to their concern of the solution not corresponding with what they believed to be their perfect design. Venturi disregards modernist tendencies as he favours a more eclectic style rather than the ‘less is more’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) approach modernism supports. Venturi aims to ensure his buildings have ties with historical architecture thus to draw meaning and value. This was to evoke a sense of familiarity whilst still staying in context with a more modern environment. Venturi believed in using his knowledge from what he had learned and new had worked in the past, so sought to apply these techniques to his designs. An example of this is Venturi’s State Mosque of Iraq; (Ref 1) finished in 1982. Here Venturi sought to draw from numerous styles and periods, specifically, Art Nouveau. The purpose of incorporating so many previous instances was to provide meaning and depth to architecture once more. Venturi was inspired by the work of Edwin Lutyen’s Capital Buildings in New Delhi as Lutyen had successfully managed to integrate historical themes to look postmodern however with an underlying modernist culture. Post-modernist architects questioned the modernist tendency that form depends on function. Walter Gropius quoted ‘aesthetic image and monumentality of a design are more important than functionalism.’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) However the context of the building was all the more important. Venturi championed this and consequently revived the tendency to ‘change things around’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) to develop and discover a more motivating form. He believed that the simplicity of modernist designs were so minimal that they therefore could easily be manipulated to communicate historic and ornamental tendencies of the past whilst taking advantage of the modern advancements in technology and construction all the while considering the users requirements. An example of this is the Vanna Venturi House, (Ref 2) completed in 1961 which has multiple references to past periods and styles. Firstly the street faà §ade denotes Michelangelo’s Porta Pia in Rome, Alessondra Vittoria’s Villa  Barabo at Maser and finally the Nymphaeum at Palladio. Venturi quotes to ‘recognising the complexities and contradictions’ (S.V.Moos, 1987, pg244) in which this building instils, nevertheless was an ideal way to overcome his statement that ‘less is a bore.’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg17) Additionally Venturi’s love of distortion over ‘straightforward’ and ‘ambiguous’ over ‘articulation’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) notion is a prime example of how he overcame the modernist tendency of clean, designed and hence forth the exclusion of design traits. Venturi was similarly intrigued by the parallel of how design in the past related to the hierarchy of upper and lower classes of his today and whether or not the aesthetics of said classes could be outlined into categories that reflected the social divisions. More precisely he connected classical modern architecture with that of ancient upper classes such as ruins of palaces and the contrast of how they were erected differently from that of how Venturi describes as ‘ordinary’ peoples buildings. (Learning from Las Vegas, 1972) Everything appears to be in relation to, form, space and social responsibility also implying modern architecture seems to have forgotten the art of steganography in which was not only significantly spanning across four centuries from the 15th to the 19th century but was also how architects learnt to progress, appreciate and respect the aesthetic awareness of form. This can be related back to the Renaissance in which the development of form has been linked to the visual for centuries. Venturi wanted to instil ‘new perceptions of old functions’ (Architecturerevived, 2011). He sought to draw from the past and carefully extract relevant features and characteristics and with the buildings context in the forefront of his mind, apply them. An illustration of is how he exhibited historical examples from Baroque and Egyptian architecture to symbolise frames and overwhelm small window openings. He symbolically implied unconventional messages or problems he thought society needed to address, an  example of this being The Guild House, completed in 1963, (Ref 3) Philadelphia. It displays a system of layers with artistic meaning,  organisation and a well thought out design process which represents the importance of historical and architectural discourse. By instilling a gold-plated TV Ariel on top of the building signified what Venturi described as the ‘relevant revolution of today.’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) It communicated the underlying idea that the importance of architecture could potentially be forgotten with the advancement of TV and media. Venturi was concerned that the development of these new technologies were influential on art, ‘a machine for living while practical, is emotionless,’ (Molly Jacques, 2009) and that all reference to historical architecture could be perceived as irrelevant or even worse, lost in the progressing society he found himself in. Therefore the TV Ariel became demonstrative of this, a representation based on the theme of classical architecture. It was also said to represent the buildings inhabitants, by simply stereotyping the occupants, believing they watch too much TV, and alas the symbolic connotation of classical statues in cathedrals. Modern architects had pragmatic views. They believed technological advances allowed for the disregard of all historical periods and movements. Led by the new approach of ‘machines for living’ (The Arts – Le Corbusier, Dominic Gallagher) as Le Corbusier cited, inevitably led to the demise of decorative and aesthetics in favour for more organised and geometrical buildings, in addition to this there was a new enthusiasm for building vertically. Venturi believed that the introduction of this technologically motivated notion advertently simplified architecture so much so it had seen a departure from the ‘experience of life.’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg17) Consequently becoming focused on what characterised as Realism. Venturi studied people in their everyday life and routines, purposely so as not to exclude designing for social problems and consequently to design for the truth. A somewhat stark contrast to the modernist notion of designing for simplification or t he ‘Less is More’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) idea, as stated by Miles Van De Rohe. This evidently left many social questions unanswered or as Paul Rudolf, a prominent modernist architect quoted ‘all problems can never be solved.’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) Furthermore the development of new materials and constructional technological advances allowed for modernist architects to design freely with focus on spatial forms and  geometric proportions. Miles Van De Rohes Pavilion’s illustrate this as they lacked any sort of reference to the past as his desire and purpose was to exploit new technologies to the fullest and have no recognized relation to the past whatsoever. Venturi opposed this as he looked to past historical architecture for inspiration and saw relevance in previous movements and styles. This allowed him to design with meaning and by combing new methods of construction and technology allowed him to develop and erect innovative buildings that reflected historical traits whilst still fitting into a modern society. A further modernist view was that architecture was about a blend on technology and art, and to inevitably reform some sort of style they believed had become lost in tradition. They admired the emerging new developments, especially in transportation and new materials becoming available. They tried to instil this new, sleek, streamlined look in their buildings. It was almost as if they wanted to draw a line under the past and render a new concept of design to follow with the new advances that were being made in other fields. Nonetheless Venturi held on to his belief that architecture hadn’t become so much as lost but instead had been forgotten. Stating that ‘conventional elements’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) could be applied using the advanced methods the modernists championed, and that some sort of balance could be achieved. It suggests a complete rejection of the past is not relevant in order to move forward in not only a social aspect but also to cater for what appeared to be, a demand for a new architectural style. Venturi was positive in regards to the new materials and construction methods now available and did not deny that they were not beneficial to society in his today and stating ‘conventional elements’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) constructed in ‘unconventional ways’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) supports this. As does his design for the Vanna Venturi House, (Ref 2) constructed in 1961 in which an array of modernist materials were used, such as steel. Yet he chose to mix both development in techniques and materials with historical features to create a design that was visually, functionally and constructed successfully in design. Venturi became interested in the Las Vegas Strip (Ref 4) leading him to write the book ‘learning from Las Vegas’ published in 1972. He came to the conclusion that the city had been built to accommodate for the  technologically savvy society. The architectural advertisement method Vegas seemed to have adopted had all been carefully angled to appeal to the people now driving down the strip. This was an original concept in which to appeal to an audience not necessarily on foot. The architecture almost becomes an advertisement in itself and the landscape inadvertently develops into its notorious messy, chaotic and fast paced form, which also reflected the traits the city and people in it had undertook. The architecture became a direct contrast to the modernist tendencies as the strip ‘serves culture rather than dictates it.’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) this was perhaps as Vegas was competitive and needed to directly interact with its audience in order to entice them. Venturi was inspired to take aspects of how Las Vegas had so forcefully removed the constraints of which had seemed to be put upon architecture and apply it, however in a not so embellished manner. Venturi states how The Guild House (Ref 3) was built with these intentions as well as having a ‘vernacular’ (Perkowitz, 2002) idea in mind. He went on to exploit every available inch of building space obtainable, by building up six-stories high. An attribute in fact of the modernist conception, however Venturi came to this design conclusion to enable the inhabitants to interact more conveniently with the outside. This was said to be purposely done so as not to break up the prevailing aesthetics of the street, nonetheless still managed to introduce another dimension to it. A fragmented outline of the Southern faà §ade directly contrasts with the smooth surface of the North. This intentionally done so as the building was built for the elderly so rather than isolate, the distorted faà §ade in fact drew the outside in, to allow for maximum interaction in a visual nature. Venturi attempts to imply a Baroque Palazzo style upon the Guild House (Ref 3) by the introduction of white tiles on the lower and upper levels of the building. Which was believed to have ‘symbolic’ and ‘representational’ (S.V.Moos, 1987, pg25) components that merge as a whole which in avertedly was to reflect the architectural connotation of the structure. It was understood that the Guild House (Ref 3) was built on a system of layers. Layers of artistic meaning and organisation, each one symbolising the importance of the  historical and architectural discourse. This is reinforced by Venturi testifying ‘knowledge instead of learning’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg12) supports the fact he draws upon what was effective in the past and relates it to his own compositions. He breaks up the historical foundations and is driven and instils a sense of the past throughout his designs. The modernist notion of designing for what the architect believed society wanted rather than needed impacted primarily upon the poorer societies. Hence forth Venturi was particularly careful when building The Guild House perhaps to show designing with the context and user in mind can be achieved successfully without social problems having to be ignored or forgotten, again a tendency modern architecture seemed to adopt in fear of losing aesthetic value. Venturi sought to prove you could have both. In reflection it can be said that Venturi is extremely knowledgeable and has an in-depth understanding and appreciation for historical architecture in which he feel shouldn’t be forgotten but instead should be admired and inspire future movements. Despite modernism striping what Venturi believed was the ‘art’ from architecture he fought to overcome these tendencies are drew upon relevant historic features and characterisations and applied them liberally to his design, in accordance to their context. Nevertheless he understood that designing for the user was significant and not to exclude social problems. He undertook the modernist concept of advanced ways to construct and recognised and understood the developing society, yet he chose not to ignore historic references and applied them in a system of layers within his designs to accommodate for the advanced civilization whilst electing to apply asceticism for both a functional and visual experience. As some critics contended, postmodernism represents a break with the modernist notion that architecture should be technologically rational, austere and functional, discuss the ways in which one postmodern architect has developed strategies which overcome these tendencies. Juxtaposition is seen between the characteristics of early 20th century modern architecture and the artistic endeavours of postmodernism that followed. To represent the ‘Less is More’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) notion  the modernist tendencies had adopted, Robert Venturi built a ‘Ghost Structure’ to imply architecture had no longer become an art form and was merely just a ‘spectator’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) in society. This essay will discuss ways in which the architect Robert Venturi adopts methods to overcome these tendencies that architecture has lost meaning and ways in which he attempts to remove himself with any links with the ‘post-modernist’ movement that he is viewed in having. Modern Architects saw their role as ‘reformers,’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) and tended to break with tradition and start anew. Considering it was a new revolutionary movement they tended to ignore potential problems and focused on the new modern advancements available. A modernist tendency was to build individually however Venturi claimed that a ‘building derives meaning from its context’ (Out Of the Ordinary, 2002) and evidently each individual location requires a different form of architectural style to represent this. In Venturi’s book ‘Complexity and Contradiction’ he quotes ‘familiar things seen in unfamiliar context become perceptually new as well as old’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) here he perhaps means in order for art to become worthy of aesthetic appreciation the viewer needs to see it in a different context. For example, Tracy Emin’s unmade bed was placed in an art gallery and was more acceptable and appreciated as ‘art’ rather than being viewed in its original, everyday context. Venturi was focused on the reason behind and the visual perception of architecture, he believed that in applying a ‘medley of styles’ (S.V.Moos, 1987, pg32) opposed to an ‘either/or ‘(R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) mind-set would offer a varied combination of architectural styles. Thus enabling to a successful response to the multitude of tastes society desired, as he was well aware that there were an array of underlying problems of everyday life. Problems that modernist architects tended to ignore due to their concern of the solution not corresponding with what they believed to be their perfect design. Venturi disregards modernist tendencies as he favours a more eclectic style rather than the ‘less is more’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) approach modernism supports. Venturi aims to ensure his buildings have ties with historical architecture thus to draw meaning and value. This was to evoke a sense of  familiarity whilst still staying in context with a more modern environment. Venturi believed in using his knowledge from what he had learned and new had worked in the past, so sought to apply these techniques to his designs. An example of this is Venturi’s State Mosque of Iraq; (Ref 1) finished in 1982. Here Venturi sought to draw from numerous styles and periods, specifically, Art Nouveau. The purpose of incorporating so many previous instances was to provide meaning and depth to architecture once more. Venturi was inspired by the work of Edwin Lutyen’s Capital Buildings in New Delhi as Lutyen had successfully managed to integrate historical themes to look postmodern however with an underlying modernist culture. Post-modernist architects questioned the modernist tendency that form depends on function. Walter Gropius quoted ‘aesthetic image and monumentality of a design are more important than functionalism.’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) However the context of the building was all the more important. Venturi championed this and consequently revived the tendency to ‘change things around’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) to develop and discover a more motivating form. He believed that the simplicity of modernist designs were so minimal that they therefore could easily be manipulated to communicate historic and ornamental tendencies of the past whilst taking advantage of the modern advancements in technology and construction all the while considering the users requirements. An example of this is the Vanna Venturi House, (Ref 2) completed in 1961 which has multiple references to past periods and styles. Firstly the street faà §ade denotes Michelangelo’s Porta Pia in Rome, Alessondra Vittoria’s Villa Barabo at Maser and finally the Nymphaeum at Palladio. Venturi quotes to ‘recognising the complexities and  contradictions’ (S.V.Moos, 1987, pg244) in which this building instils, nevertheless was an ideal way to overcome his statement that ‘less is a bore.’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg17) Additionally Venturi’s love of distortion over ‘straightforward’ and ‘ambiguous’ over ‘articulation’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) notion is a prime example of how he overcame the modernist tendency of  clean, designed and hence forth the exclusion of design traits. Venturi was similarly intrigued by the parallel of how design in the past related to the hierarchy of upper and lower classes of his t oday and whether or not the aesthetics of said classes could be outlined into categories that reflected the social divisions. More precisely he connected classical modern architecture with that of ancient upper classes such as ruins of palaces and the contrast of how they were erected differently from that of how Venturi describes as ‘ordinary’ peoples buildings. (Learning from Las Vegas, 1972) Everything appears to be in relation to, form, space and social responsibility also implying modern architecture seems to have forgotten the art of steganography in which was not only significantly spanning across four centuries from the 15th to the 19th century but was also how architects learnt to progress, appreciate and respect the aesthetic awareness of form. This can be related back to the Renaissance in which the development of form has been linked to the visual for centuries. Venturi wanted to instil ‘new perceptions of old functions’ (Architecturerevived, 2011). He sought to draw from the past and carefully extract relevant features and characteristics and with the buildings context in the forefront of his mind, apply them. An illustration of is how he exhibited historical examples from Baroque and Egyptian architecture to symbolise frames and overwhelm small window openings. He symbolically implied unconventional messages or problems he thought society needed to address, an  example of this being The Guild House, completed in 1963, (Ref 3) Philadelphia. It displays a system of layers with artistic meaning, organisation and a well thought out design process which represents the importance of historical and architectural discourse. By instilling a gold-plated TV Ariel on top of the building signified what Venturi described as the ‘relevant revolution of today.’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) It communicated the underlying idea that the importance of architecture could potentially be forgotten with the advancement of TV and media. Venturi was concerned that the development of these new technologies were influential on art, ‘a machine for living while practical, is emotionless,’ (Molly Jacques,  2009) and that all reference to historical architecture could be perceived as irrelevant or even worse, lost in the progressing society he found himself in. Therefore the TV Ariel became demonstrative of this, a representation based on the theme of classical architecture. It was also said to represent the buildings inhabitants, by simply stereotyping the occupants, believing they watch too much TV, and alas the symbolic connotation of classical statues in cathedrals. Modern architects had pragmatic views. They believed technological advances allowed for the disregard of all historical periods and movements. Led by the new approach of ‘machines for living’ (The Arts – Le Corbusier, Dominic Gallagher) as Le Corbusier cited, inevitably led to the demise of decorative and aesthetics in favour for more organised and geometrical buildings, in addition to this there was a new enthusiasm for building vertically. Venturi believed that the introduction of this technologically motivated notion advertently simplified architecture so much so it had seen a departure from the ‘experience of life.’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg17) Consequently becoming focused on what characterised as Realism. Venturi studied people in their everyday life and routines, purposely so as not to exclude designing for social problems and consequently to design for the truth. A somewhat stark contrast to the modernist notion of designing for simplification or t he ‘Less is More’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) idea, as stated by Miles Van De Rohe. This evidently left many social questions unanswered or as Paul Rudolf, a prominent modernist architect quoted ‘all problems can never be solved.’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) Furthermore the development of new materials and constructional technological advances allowed for modernist architects to design freely with focus on spatial forms and geometric proportions. Miles Van De Rohes Pavilion’s illustrate this as they lacked any sort of reference to the past as his desire and purpose was to exploit new technologies to the fullest and have no recognized relation to the past whatsoever. Venturi opposed this as he looked to past historical architecture for inspiration and saw relevance in previous movements and styles. This allowed him to design with meaning and by combing new methods of construction and technology allowed him to develop and erect innovative buildings that reflected historical traits whilst still fitting into a  modern society. A further modernist view was that architecture was about a blend on technology and art, and to inevitably reform some sort of style they believed had become lost in tradition. They admired the emerging new developments, especially in transportation and new materials becoming available. They tried to instil this new, sleek, streamlined look in their buildings. It was almost as if they wanted to draw a line under the past and render a new concept of design to follow with the new advances that were being made in other fields. Nonetheless Venturi held on to his belief that architecture hadn’t become so much as lost but instead had been forgotten. Stating that ‘conventional elements’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) could be applied using the advanced methods the modernists championed, and that some sort of balance could be achieved. It suggests a complete rejection of the past is not relevant in order to move forward in not only a social aspect but also to cater for what appeared to be, a demand for a new architectural style. Venturi was positive in regards to the new materials and construction methods now available and did not deny that they were not beneficial to society in his today and stating ‘conventional elements’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) constructed in ‘unconventional ways’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) supports this. As does his design for the Vanna Venturi House, (Ref 2) constructed in 1961 in which an array of modernist materials were used, such as steel. Yet he chose to mix both development in techniques and materials with historical features to create a design that was visually, functionally and constructed successfully in design. Venturi became interested in the Las Vegas Strip (Ref 4) leading him to write the book ‘learning from Las Vegas’ published in 1972. He came to the conclusion that the city had been built to accommodate for the technologically savvy society. The architectural advertisement method Vegas seemed to have  adopted had all been carefully angled to appeal to the people now driving down the strip. This was an original concept in which to appeal to an audience not necessarily on foot. The architecture almost becomes an advertisement in itself and the landscape inadvertently develops into its notorious messy, chaotic and fast paced form, which also reflected the  traits the city and people in it had undertook. The architecture became a direct contrast to the modernist tendencies as the strip ‘serves culture rather than dictates it.’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) this was perhaps as Vegas was competitive and needed to directly interact with its audience in order to entice them. Venturi was inspired to take aspects of how Las Vegas had so forcefully removed the constraints of which had seemed to be put upon architecture and apply it, however in a not so embellished manner. Venturi states how The Guild House (Ref 3) was built with these intentions as well as having a ‘vernacular’ (Perkowitz, 2002) idea in mind. He went on to exploit every available inch of building space obtainable, by building up six-stories high. An attribute in fact of the modernist conception, however Venturi came to this design conclusion to enable the inhabitants to interact more conveniently with the outside. This was said to be purposely done so as not to break up the prevailing aesthetics of the street, nonetheless still managed to introduce another dimension to it. A fragmented outline of the Southern faà §ade directly contrasts with the smooth surface of the North. This intentionally done so as the building was built for the elderly so rather than isolate, the distorted faà §ade in fact drew the outside in, to allow for maximum interaction in a visual nature. Venturi attempts to imply a Baroque Palazzo style upon the Guild House (Ref 3) by the introduction of white tiles on the lower and upper levels of the building. Which was believed to have ‘symbolic’ and ‘representational’ (S.V.Moos, 1987, pg25) components that merge as a whole which in avertedly was to reflect the architectural connotation of the structure. It was understood that the Guild House (Ref 3) was built on a system of layers. Layers of artistic meaning and organisation, each one symbolising the importance of the historical and architectural discourse. This is reinforced by Venturi testifying ‘knowledge instead of learning’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg12) supports the fact he draws upon what was effective in the past and relates it to his own compositions. He breaks up the historical foundations and is driven and instils a sense of the past throughout his designs. The modernist notion of designing for what the architect believed society wanted rather than needed impacted primarily upon the poorer societies. Hence forth Venturi was particularly careful when building The Guild House perhaps to show designing  with the context and user in mind can be achieved successfully without social problems having to be ignored or forgotten, again a tendency modern architecture seemed to adopt in fear of losing aesthetic value. Venturi sought to prove you could have both. In reflection it can be said that Venturi is extremely knowledgeable and has an in-depth understanding and appreciation for historical architecture in which he feel shouldn’t be forgotten but instead should be admired and inspire future movements. Despite modernism striping what Venturi believed was the ‘art’ from architecture he fought to overcome these tendencies are drew upon relevant historic features and characterisations and applied them liberally to his design, in accordance to their context. Nevertheless he understood that designing for the user was significant and not to exclude social problems. He undertook the modernist concept of advanced ways to construct and recognised and understood the developing society, yet he chose not to ignore historic references and applied them in a system of layers within his designs to accommodate for the advanced civilization whilst electing to apply asceticism for both a functional and visual experience.

Election 1984 essays

Election 1984 essays Let's take a look back at the presidential election of 1984. The primary candidates in this election were Ronald Reagan for Republican, and Walter Mondale for Democratic. This election campaign revolved mostly around the issues of deficit and tariff barriers. The Republicans enthusiastically nominated Reagan and Bush in 1984, confident that Reagan's personal popularity would bring him once again to victory.For economical issues, Reagan's policies defeated inflation, cut taxes, increased the Gross National Product and increased employment in 1984. Republicans were sure that Reagan's style and personality would again come through and be as strong in Presidency as ever. For the Democratic side, Walter Mondale, former Vice President under Jimmy Carter, gained 26 seats in the House, 8 candidates entered the primaries. Walter decided to run with a New York Congresswoman to spice up his campaign, however not even she was much of an attraction for him. Still, Mondale kept going hammering away to stay in the race. He began tearing into some of Reagan's issues: Reagan's tax cuts, which only benefited the rich, the obvious effects of Reagan's age. The President was 73 and had trouble staying awake during cabinet meetings, prayer in schools, and abortions. Still Reagan didn't have the country doubting him. This election was a close battle, but with an 18 point margin, Reagan once again took the lead. Results were: Reagan received 525 electoral votes and 54,158,802(58.4%) popular votes and Mondale received 13 electoral votes and 37,443,559(41.6%) popular votes ...