Role of Cognitive Mapping in Health Care Management Decision

Role of Cognitive Mapping in Health Care Management Decision Describe and discuss the role of cognitive mapping in health care management decision making. Description of Cognitive Mapping Cognitive mapping is an operational research technique that consists of creating a graphical representation of a persons (or groups) way of thinking about an issue, and where directionality within the map is assumed to imply perceived causality among the concepts (Eden, 2004). The proposed value of the graphical representation, as argued from the field of political science, is that it makes it easy to for anyone to see how concepts and causal relationships are related, and appreciate the overall structure of all the assertions (Eden 2004 cited Axelrod 1976, p. 676). It is one mechanism of system dynamics simulation modelling that generally came about as a reaction to failure of traditional approaches to capture interactions within complex problems in social systems (Edkins et al. 2007 cited Checkland 1981). It avoids the common research process pitfall of reductionism by allowing multiple conflicting views to be revealed and, providing a comprehensive picture of the participants perspectives but keeping all details to represent beliefs that are most important to stakeholders represented (Duryan, Nikolik, Merode, 2015; Eden Ackermann, 2004). Cognitive mapping was initially introduced as a method for problem analysis. But recognizing its value, it has then found roles in performance measurement, decision making, and strategy formulation. Eden and Ackermann (1991) expounded on the possible uses of this technique in becoming an instrument for developing consensus about shared goals, providing structure to multiple and conflicting aspects of an issue, informing negotiation, and suggesting actions to resolve issues. Use of Cognitive Mapping in Health Care Cognitive mapping is argued to be best for messy situations wherein stakeholders do not understand the problem or interpret them differently, and often do not realize it (Mingers 2008 cited Ackoff 1979a). Healthcare decision making falls into this realm as it has always been complicated by information asymmetry, trade-offs between efficiency and equity, or moral ambiguity that become legitimate sources of uncertainty and debate among stakeholders. In fact, the first uses of cognitive mapping in operational research were in healthcare, education, and defense (Eden Ackermann, 2004). Mingers (2008) described an example in 1997 Manchester, where the UK Health Authority commissioned the Salford Community Trust to develop an integrated approach to childrens services. Mingers argued that while the project seemed straightforward, it turned out to be a messy problem as there was no agreement on the definitions of service specifications, services to be included, direction of the strategy, and how the project should be tackled. There were also many stakeholders involved in the issue (i.e. government, doctors, patient groups, industry) that had very strong opinions about the project. If the group were to make a plan based on epidemiology, practice guidelines, budget constraints and other numerical factors alone, without taking into consideration the stakeholders differing views, the proposed program would likely fail during implementation. Situations like these are common in healthcare decisions given the complexity of issues faced at doctor-patient, organizational, and national-policy level. Mathematical and statistical methods provide a narrow focus on measurable aspects of decision that fails to catch the reasoning, motivations, and interactions relevant to achieving these outcomes. Problem structuring through cognitive mapping provides an opportunity for healthcare decision makers to systematically measure these missing interactions and assess their impact to the goal under assessment (Pidd, 2004). Sachdeva et al (2007) explored the added value of cognitive mapping from traditional approaches in understanding patient flow delays in a Pediatric Intensive Unit (PICU) of a Childrens Hospital in Wisconsin, USA. Hard operations research (OR) results using modelling were persuasive, but became inadequate to result to change given politically sensitive issues that arose. Soft OR using cognitive mapping that was done identified new issues and offered a more holistic and comprehensive understanding of the issues complexity that helped persuade decision makers to act on the recommendations. SODA The most common technique for cognitive mapping is the Strategic Options Development Method (SODA). SODA is an ethnographic method derived from interviews that are intended to represent the participants subjective worlds the theoretical basis of which is explained by personal construct theory (Eden 2004 cited Kelly 1995) wherein people make sense of their world by seeking to manage and control it. SODA uses a formal modelling technique with rules for its development as described by a user guide developed by Eden and Ackerman (Ackermann et al., 1991). The transcripts of the interviews are separated into short distinct phrases (nodes) that eventually get sorted as goals, strategic directions, or potential options. Fidelity in transcription is imperative to represent the participants intentions and to promote ownership of the resulting map created. The concepts are linked (arrows) to determine accurate subordination of concepts, directionality and opposing poles to create the overall structure. While the map is an important output of its own, these can also be subject to further analysis to gain deeper insight, such as: Analysis Map Characteristics Goals Head analysis Nodes with only incoming arrows To identify end goals or effects Density analysis Number of mentions of the concepts To determine potential key issues from the perspectives of the participants that may need further examination Centrality analysis Number of links to the concept, or ratio of arrows to concepts To measure the importance and complexity of the concepts implication chain Hierarchical cluster analysis Number of concepts in chain or arguments linked to option To identify most potent options or valued outcomes to influence on the goals Potency analysis Number of goals each option supports To prioritize options with consequences for the biggest number of key issues Composite tail analysis Ranking of potency analysis To determine the single action that may cause multiple goals to be achieved Source: Summary by Author Healthcare Example of Using SODA A case study by Duryan et al. (2015) on intellectual disability care in Netherlands made use of SODA to determine factors that adversely affect delivery of patient-centered care as evidence for future resource allocation. Following SODA guidelines, the team conducted one-on-one, semi-structured, hour-long interviews with the managers and patient group leaders within one division of a residential care facility. Initially, they were thought to have contrasting goals financial sustainability for the managers and quality of care from resource constraints for the patients. Using the Decision Explorer software, cognitive maps were created and merged to reflect the combined views. Key assumptions were then discussed and verified, and follow-up focus group discussions with different subgroups of the patients (young vs old) and their families were done to refine the ideas represented by the initial group. The merged map was then subject to head, domain, centrality, potency analysis, and comp osite tail analysis. Results showed that group leader freedom to make decisions, flexible shifts, and time spent with patients were the most potent options/solutions, and therefore needed quick action by the managers. According to the researchers, the exercise successfully facilitated critical analysis of the problem and fostered ownership of the proposed solutions by all stakeholders. Seeing the different/ opposing thoughts organized and their end-goals similar also helped reach consensus and manage disagreements. Expansions of SODA While SODA provides solutions to complex strategic processes, it lacks a mechanism to allow for agreement among the strategies to be developed. SODA was developed further into JOURNEY Making (JOintly Understanding Reflecting and NEgotiating strategY) to become a process-oriented and management-science strategy by using the composite map in a workshop setting as a tool to help negotiation and explore policy options that will allow the issue to be intelligently resolved (Mingers, 2008). Another method, the Oval Mapping Technique (OMT), creates a cognitive map but through a highly participative strategy workshops. White et al (2007) used JOURNEY Making to collect and define public values and voices among stakeholders involved in a community hospital project in South London. Intergroup workshops were done in phases to map/graph the issues and options related to the decision. The process resulted to wide acceptance of the recommendations and an official plan enacted by the Department of Health. This is one among many examples of the opportunity to use these newer OR tools in healthcare strategy management planning at both organizations and the national policy arena. Limitations Cognitive mapping provides an opportunity to deal with messy problems in a systematic way, but general acceptance of it as a method is still lacking. Mingers (2008) explains that especially in the United States, it is viewed as a soft OR method not regarded for publication in top journals nor teaching in courses among top schools. The concerns on subjectivity of results remain valid that even though the process is systematic and rigorous, they are still variable and dependent on both study design and recruitment. The cognitive maps developed will depend largely on the choice of participants, their active participation, their personal motivations, and the assumption that they are adequately informed of the problem. And the probability of one person skewing the result is high given the small sample (i.e. 4-10 people) used for these activities. The method also assumes adequate facilitation by the research team to determine the key nodes and domains, which may not always be the case. Also, while cognitive mapping provides a snapshot of the decision making, it does not promote understanding over time periods and cannot be used to derive numerical assessments of its impact (Pidd, 2004). Cross-validation or triangulation using many models of the same issue may be done to increase its validity (Abernethy et al, 2005). Combination of soft and hard methodologies is believed to increase acceptance and sustain organization change especially in healthcare settings (Sachdeva et al., 2007). And, it should always be used in conjunction with other methods for research data gathering, monitoring, performance measurement, or decision support. Lastly, for cognitive mapping to be useful in decision support, it requires the decision makers to understand the method/process, recognize the value of the issues at the front line, take the results seriously, and act on the recommendations. It is therefore crucial for any research team using this method to help the decision makers appreciate the approach and engage with the recommendations. Reference Abernethy, M. A., Horne, M., Lillis, A. M., Malina, M. A., Selto, F. H. (2005). A multi-method approach to building causal performance maps from expert knowledge. Management Accounting Research, 16(2), 135-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2005.03.003 Ackermann, F. ., Cropper, S. A., Eden, C. L. (1991). Cognitive Mapping for Community Operational Research-A Users Guide. (E. Munford, A., Bailey, T., Ed.), Operational research tutorial papers. Duryan, M., Nikolik, D., Merode, G. Van. (2015). Reflecting on the efficacy of cognitive mapping for decision-making in intellectual disability careà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: a case study. International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 30(August 2013), 127-144. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.2215 Eden, C. (2004). Analyzing cognitive maps to help structure issues or problems. European Journal of Operational Research, 159(3), 673-686. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00431-4 Eden, C., Ackermann, F. (2004). Cognitive mapping expert views for policy analysis in the public sector. European Journal of Operational Research, 152(3), 615-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00061-4 Edkins, A. J., Kurul, E., Maytorena-Sanchez, E., Rintala, K. (2007). The application of cognitive mapping methodologies in project management research. International Journal of Project Management, 25(8), 762-772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.04.003 Mingers, J. (2008). Reaching the Problems that Traditional OR/MS Methods Cannot Reach. Centerbury. https://doi.org/10.1080/00369220601100075 Pidd, M. (2004). Systems Modelling Theory and Practice. Systems Modelling Theory and Practice. Retrieved from http://www.untag-smd.ac.id/files/Perpustakaan_Digital_1/DECISION MAKING Systems modelling, theory and practice.pdf#page=16 Sachdeva, R., Williams, T., Quigley, J. (2007). Mixing Methodologies to Enhance the Implementation of Healthcare Operational Research. The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 58(2), 159-167. https://doi.org/10.2307/4622680 White, L., Bourne, H. (2007). Voices and values: Linking values with participation in OR/MS in public policy making. Omega, 35(5), 588-603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2005.11.002

Trinidad and Tobago and Monthly Production Target

Exercise: Chapter 1 Assignment 1 Application 14 Refer to figure 1. 4 on page 12 of your text. Use this figure to rate each of the following scenarios. Record beside each scenario your choice (a, b, c, d) and explain fully your choice. High in effectiveness and high in efficiency high in effectiveness and low in efficiency low in effectiveness and high in efficiency low in effectiveness and low in efficiencyScenario #1 : The Production Manager of Mom's Cookies had a monthly production target of 100,000 bags of cookies. His target for quality inspectors is to have the reject rate less than 2% of production. Both these targets were met for August. Labor costs are up 5% because overtime had to be incurred to complete some orders,Both goals were met but unfortunately labor costs went up. Scenario #2: The reject rate for Mom's Cookies was 8% this month. The normal target is less than 2%.The problem was traced too poorly maintained oven which burnt a number of batches before the problem was rectified. Addition costs were incurred to fix the equipment problem as well as extra costs associated with the Ingredients to make the replacement batches. The company however did make their monthly target of 100,000 bags of cookies. B,The company wasted resources but however they did reach their monthly goals which was 100,000 bag of cookies. Scenario #3: The month end reports for Mom's Cookies have Just been received by the ProductionManager. They show that during the month of September, the company product 101 ,050 bags of cookies. The reject rate was 1%. Labor and raw materials were within budgeted levels. No breakdown of equipment occurred. A,Goals were achieved no breakdown of the equipment,no wasted resources and high productivity. Scenario #4: to be hired. There was not enough time to train these people and projection levels suffered. Only 95,080 bags of cookies were produced this month. The reject rate was 1. 9%.Labor and raw materials were within budgeted levels. C,There was no wasted products but goals were not achieved. Scenario #5: Mom's cookies imports their chocolate chips from Trinidad and Tobago. Unfortunately their dollar has increased in value against the Canadian dollar which has driven up chocolate costs by 10%. In addition, gas prices have gone up and the company uses gas ovens and gas heating. This has added another 5% to the company's expenses. The reject rate was 1. 8% and the company produced 100,200 bags of cookies.

Ballads Case Essay

Ballads are poems that tell a story. These ballads are distinguished by such features as few characters, dramatic plots, and may include dialogue, as well as action because it tells a story. They are considered to be a form of narrative poetry. They are often used in songs and have a very musical quality to them. According to the dictionary, Ballad is a narrative poem, often of folk origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually having a refrain. It is the music for such a poem. It is also defined as a popular song especially of a romantic or sentimental nature. Here is an example: (Ballad of a Mother’s Heart) Origin There have been many theories about the originators of the ballads all of which have some validity when applied to the different types of ballad, the main ones are as follows:  · Minstrels: A minstrel is a musician or a poet. Originally, the minstrels were paid entertainers who worked for the Court and influential personages. They wrote songs about current events and historical victories of their patron and they included rewritings of old songs, legends and ballads in their theatre. The theory that the minstrels were the originators of the ballads was held for quite a long time. They are certainly a factor in the spreading of the ballads into the community; ballads were a stock item in the theatre of the minstrels even when their status had declined to that of street singers.  · – Dance: Certainly some of the ballads were tied to dances. The word ballad probably comes from medieval French dance songs or ballet (â€Å"ballares† dance).  · Ceremonial dance and songs. Some ballad refrains contain ceremonial chants and responses  · Monks: The monks were the amongst the few who could read and write in the early times of the ballad history and that it follows that they must have had a hand in the composition and writing of the ballads.  · Communal composition: It has been suggested that ballads may have developed as a communal effort; particularly those that contain refrains and rhythms that are connected with work such as weaving and spinning. Example is the walking songs of the Hebrides.  · Cante-fable. This is a story, which is classified with verses that are sung or chanted. Some ballads are distinctively English or Scottish in origin but the older ballads are more likely to have a European source as their beginnings, deriving from earlier poems and old folk tales brought into Britain by its many invaders, immigrants and soldiers returning from foreign wars. Composition Scholars of ballads are often divided into two: The ‘communalists’ who argue that ballads arose by a combined communal effort and did not have a single author. They tend to lead to the view that more recent, particularly printed broadside ballads are a debased form of the genre. The ‘individualists’ who assert that there was a single original author. They tended to lead to the view that later changes in the words of ballads are corruptions of an original text. More recently scholars have pointed to the interchange of oral and written forms of the ballad. Classification European Ballads have been generally classified into three major groups: traditional, broadside and literary. * Traditional ballads Traditional folk ballads exhibit certain characteristics which help to identify them as being genuine in origin. Traditional ballads or folk ballads were universal songs meant to be understood by everyone, so writers would choose words that even the uneducated might understand. Traditional ballads follow a standard format and tell lengthy stories that call on imagery. * Broadsides Broadside ballads are descriptive or narrative verses or songs sung or recited in public places or printed on broadsides for sale in the streets. It is commonly in a simple ballad form. Broadside ballads appeared shortly after the invention of printing in the 15th century and were hawked in streets, fairs, and marketplaces of Europe into the 19th century. Among the topics were love, religion, drinking-songs, legends, and early journalism, which included disasters, political events and signs, wonders and prodigies. * Literary ballads A literary ballad (also known as â€Å"art ballad†) is a narrative poem written in imitation of the old anonymous folk ballad; the author is most often a known professional poet. Usually the literary ballad is more elaborate and complex. Literary ballads were quite popular in England during the 19th cent. The literary ballad, unlike the traditional ballad and the broadside ballad, is a sophisticated rather than a popular form. Importance of Ballads Ballads are important to look at because they show how the form has developed over time. A ballad is not simply a romantic song, although that definition will still apply in the field of music. Romance can be infused into ballads, especially if they are a narrative tale of love (or hate) as seen in the ballad by the anonymous Spanish poet. However, they are so much more as well. Anyone who knows the ballad knows how complex the story is in terms of theme, imagery, characters, symbolism, and many other literary devices and significations.

Analysis Of Disney s Purchase Of Lucasfilm - 1181 Words

Building trust when bargaining is key to successful negotiation agreements. Negotiators that build trust and are better prepared have a numerous advantage in having the negotiations to go in their favor as well as for the other party. Preparations should take place before the negotiations even begin, this provides a more productive outcome. Disney’s purchase of LucasFilm in 2012 demonstrated how well prepared Disney came to the table for negotiations with George Lucas. Company Background The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, interactive media, and consumer products. Disney is a Dow company with revenues of over $40 billion in its Fiscal Year 2011. (Disney to Acquire Lucasfilm LTD 10/30/12) Lucasfilm LTD Founded by George Lucas in 1971, Lucasfilm is privately held, fully-integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company’s global activities include industrial Light Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post production, LucasArts, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide, Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilms entertainmentShow MoreRelatedDisney s Roster Of Heroes1013 Words   |  5 Pagesand Iron Man in Disney s roster of heroes (USA Today). 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He likewise made critically-acclaimed movie animation, inspiring Disney enough to purchase out his product organization, Pixar. Jobs last development was the tablet computer, which uprooted the PC. Jobs imagined the tablet as an amplification of the brain, an approach to get to data on the go constantly.   (Kalla, 2012) The objectiveRead MoreThe Walt Disney Company Report15335 Words   |  62 PagesCompany Research Paper The Walt Disney Company Pranay Kumar George Batah Shuxian Shen Sheng Hao Koo â€Å"We have complied with university honor code in completion of this assignment and I attest that this work is ours and ours alone.† Professor Suzanne Weiss Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Company Background 3. Management 4. Situation Analysis 5. Ethics and Responsibility 6. Human Resource 7. Globalization 8. Operation and Production

What Was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was devised as a compromise over slavery in 1854, as the nation was beginning to be torn apart in the decade before the Civil War. Power brokers on Capitol Hill hoped it would  reduce tensions and perhaps provide a lasting political solution to the contentious issue. Yet when it was passed into law in 1854, it had the opposite effect. It led to increased violence over slavery in Kansas, and it hardened positions across the nation. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a major step on the road to Civil War. Opposition to it changed the political landscape across the nation. And it also had a profound effect on one particular American, Abraham Lincoln, whose political career was reinvigorated by his opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Roots of the Problem The issue of slavery had caused a series of dilemmas for the young nation as new states joined the Union. Should slavery be legal in new states, specifically the states that would be in the area of the Louisiana Purchase? The issue was settled for a time by the Missouri Compromise. That piece of legislation, passed in 1820, simply took the southern border of Missouri, and essentially extended it westward on the map. New states to the north of it would be free states, and new states to the south of the line would be slave states. The Missouri Compromise held things in balance for a time, until a new set of problems emerged following the Mexican War. With Texas, the southwest, and California now territories of the United States, the issue of whether new states in the west would be free states or slave states became prominent. Things seemed to be settled for a time when the Compromise of 1850 was passed. Included in that legislation were provisions bringing California into the Union as a free state and also allowing residents of New Mexico to decide whether to be a slave or free state. Reasons for the Kansas-Nebraska Act The man who devised the Kansas-Nebraska Act in early 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas, actually had a fairly practical goal in mind: the expansion of railroads. Douglas, a New Englander who had transplanted himself to Illinois, had a grand vision of railroads crossing the continent, with their hub being in Chicago, in his adopted home state. The immediate problem was that the huge wilderness to the west of Iowa and Missouri would have to be organized and brought into the Union before a railroad to California could be built. And holding everything up was the country’s perennial debate over slavery. Douglas himself was opposed to slavery but did not have any great conviction about the issue, perhaps because he had never actually lived in a state where slavery was legal. Southerners did not want to bring in a single large state that would be free. So Douglas came up with the idea of creating two new territories, Nebraska and Kansas. And he also proposed the principle of â€Å"popular sovereignty,† under which the residents of the new territories would vote on whether slavery would be legal in the territories. Controversial Repeal of the Missouri Compromise One problem with this proposal is that it contradicted the Missouri Compromise, which had been holding the country together for more than 30 years. And a southern senator, Archibald Dixon of Kentucky, demanded that a provision specifically repealing the Missouri Compromise be inserted into the bill Douglas proposed. Douglas gave in to the demand, though he reportedly said it would â€Å"raise a hell of a storm.† He was right. The repeal of the Missouri Compromise would be seen as inflammatory by a great many people, particularly in the north. Douglas introduced his bill in early 1854, and it passed the Senate in March. It took weeks to pass the House of Representatives, but it was finally signed into law by President Franklin Pierce on May 30, 1854. As news of its passage spread, it became clear that the bill which was supposed to be a compromise to settle tensions was actually doing the opposite. In fact, it was incendiary. Unintended Consequences The provision in the Kansas-Nebraska Act calling for popular sovereignty, the idea that residents of the new territories would vote on the issue of slavery, soon caused major problems. Forces on both sides of the issue began arriving in Kansas, and outbreaks of violence resulted. The new territory was soon known as Bleeding Kansas, a name bestowed upon it by Horace Greeley, the influential editor of the New York Tribune. Open violence in Kansas reached a peak in 1856 when pro-slavery forces burned the free soil settlement of Lawrence, Kansas. In response, the fanatical abolitionist John Brown and his followers murdered men who supported slavery. The bloodshed in Kansas even reached the halls of Congress, when a South Carolina Congressman, Preston Brooks, attacked abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, beating him with a cane on the floor of the US Senate. Opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act Opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act organized themselves into the new Republican Party. And one particular American, Abraham Lincoln, was prompted to re-enter politics. Lincoln had served one unhappy term in Congress in the late 1840s  and had put his political aspirations aside. But Lincoln, who had known and sparred in Illinois with Stephen Douglas before, was so offended by what Douglas had done by writing and passing the Kansas-Nebraska Act that he began speaking out at public meetings. On October 3, 1854, Douglas appeared at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and spoke for more than two hours, defending the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Abraham Lincoln rose at the end  and announced that he would speak the next day in response. On October 4, Lincoln, who out of courtesy invited Douglas to sit on the stage with him, spoke for more than three hours denouncing Douglas and his legislation. The event brought the two rivals in Illinois back into nearly constant conflict. Four years later, of course, they would hold the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates while in the midst of a senate campaign. And while no one in 1854 may have foreseen it, the Kansas-Nebraska Act had set the nation hurtling toward an eventual Civil War.

Eating Disorders And African American Women - 1944 Words

Abstract This paper is in reference to eating disorders in African American women, and how they differ to those of other minority groups. Through research, it was found that eating disorders are not as known in African American women, or women of minority due to cultural differences. Different studies were analyzed of African American women at different colleges, to verify that eating disorders were prevalent in the sample groups. It was concluded in several studies that obesity rates, racial identity, and body image were the determining factors of the eating disorders. Introduction: Eating disorders is an issue that women have been facing throughout history, yet there are different factors that have been associated with African American women opposed to other racial groups. Research has been done to prove that environmental factors, cultural factors, different types of identity, and others are the cause of these disorders. It is possible African American Women might have different factors than women of other minorities, due to racial segregation and treatment throughout time. The objectification theory (Fredrickson and Roberts, 1997) suggests that today’s culture plays a significant role in viewing the female body as an object, which can lead to self-consciousness, mental health disorders, and eating disorders. Yet in specifically African American women, this can also cause shame of their racial identity in addition to body image.Show MoreRelatedAn Increase Of Eating Disorders Among African American Women Essay2244 Words   |  9 Pages In 1980, the first African American Barbie was introduced to the world , 21 years after the original Barbie was created. The African American doll had a small waist and skinny legs, which is similar to the original Caucasian Barbie. (Reel Soohoo, 2008) Many say that the creation of the first African American Barbie doll was the start of negative body image within the African American community. People say this because the new Barbie promoted certain societal views that are very much still presentRead MoreBody Image : The African American Culture1667 Words   |  7 PagesImage in the African American Culture Today we live in a society that over the years has become so obsessed with body image and how an individual should look. Different cultures have different standards and norms that help to define their ideal body image. African Americans because of their differences in culture have gone against most cultural norms and have set their own definitions of beauty, body image, and body satisfaction. 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Even though appearance has always been a major thing but now day’s people take it to the extreme when trying to have a certain body image. Now day’s people think beauty is whatever is on the outside, instead of the inside and the outside. Most people go on crazy strict diets, surgery and some go through starvation in order to becomeRead MoreThe Influence Of Black Women In America1044 Words   |  5 Pagesepidemic, and studies show African American women suffer from higher rates of being overweight or obese than Caucasian women. African American women are pressured by their culture to be self-accepting of their bodies that God gave them, and in their culture beauty is not only measured by weight, but by other personal features. Many Black women believe that the ‘thin ideal’ is for White women because t hey describe being heavier as sexy and having curves. 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Dressing Appropriately Essay Example For Students

Dressing Appropriately Essay Dressing AppropriatelyIn high school, there were the preps, the skaters, and the burnouts, just to name a few. These groups were not only distinguished by the way they acted, but they were also differentiated by the way they dressed. By looking at a particular student in high school, one could probably infer the clique he/she belonged to. So if a person had on big, baggy pants with a oversized T-shirt that had a Etnies logo on it, one could conclude that person to be a skater and if a person had on khakis and a gap sweater, one could deduce that person to be a prep. What is a possible reason that high school students dress as they do? They might use clothing style as a sense of identity(clique) or maybe to stand out among others. I too, in high school, wanted to be included in a group and stand out. During my freshman and sophomore years, I became a skater. Also during this time in my life, my father introduced me to the game of golf. He bought me membership at an exclusive country club and the first day I went I was rejected obviously because of the way I dressed. Private golf courses require a strict rules of dress which is mandatory: khakis and a collared-shirt. Ironically and unknowingly I had gone to the course with an almost exact opposite of the requirements: 38 wide jean pants and an XXL t-shirt! Embarrassed by the situation, I began to realize that there are certain modes of dress appropriate for different occasions. Now, as a college student, I try to dress in a more stylish, refined manner because I want to stand out as a sophisticated student of a distinguished university. Reflecting on my past, I feel it is important to dress to meet the occasion. To clarify, I dont want to make the mistake off going to a golf course with skateboarding clothes again. Obviously this style of dress did not meet the occasion. I would not go to a formal party or job interview with jeans or to a golf course with cut off shorts or to a flamboyant night club dressed wearing khakis and a sweater, for if I did I would offend others. That is why there is no such thing as an appropriate style of dress(in general). There is though, a thing called an appropriate style of dress for a specific occasion.