Author: admin

Comparison/Contrast: Assignment: For Your Information:
Comparison/Contrast – The process of examining two or more things in order to establish their similarities and differences. After reading two selections, you will write a comparison/contrast essay using the guidelines provided in this packet. 1. Any relationship between two or more things will involve some degree of SIMILARITY, as well as some degree of DIFFERENCE. 2. Comparisons can be found in any kind of writing: magazine articles, advertising, essays, news articles, letters, editorials, textbooks, scientific writing, reports, political speeches, and pamphlets. 3. We make comparisons when we have to choose between two or more things: careers, products, political candidates, goals, etc. 4. Comparisons underlie everything we do. Scientists use comparisons in their experiments. Logicians use them to draw conclusions. Politicians use them to formulate policies. Judges use them to render decisions. Ministers teach and admonish us with comparisons.
How to Write a Literary Comparison/Contrast Essay
When writing a literary comparison, you will answer the question: So What? In other words, you will not only explain the similarities and differences between the two (or more) literary works, but also explain the significance of your comparison. A comparison intends to inform readers of something they haven’t thought of before. Therefore, for a comparison to be illuminating, the things compared must either: 1. Appear different but have significant similarities; i.e., Star Wars and Return of the Jedi. 2. Or, appear similar but have significant differences; i.e., Classic Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation. You must have a purpose for your comparison. The reader of the comparison should not have to ask SO WHAT? at the end of your essay.
In a comparison/contrast essay you are explaining the differences between two or more things, as well as explaining, or at least alluding to, what the two things have in common. School Curriculum Specialists, LLC
Remember that comparison and contrast is an organizational and analytical structure that supports your ideas, but you still need a thesis in the introduction. The introduction should contain: 1) The names the items to be compared 2) The purpose of the comparison 3) What is being compared and/or contrasted Sample Thesis Statements: Unacceptable — “I am going to compare the similarities and differences between the films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., the Extraterrestrial.” Acceptable — “A close examination of the way Roy Neary, the protagonist of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Elliott, the protagonist of E.T., the Extraterrestrial, react to their encounters with aliens demonstrates that director Steven Spielberg uses both films to tell similar stories about the difficulties of growing up.”
1. Choose the works of literature you want to compare. 2. Choose the grounds for comparison; i.e. is there something they have in common that makes it worthwhile to show how they are different? 3. Answer the question So What? by determining a purpose for making a comparison. 4. Gather information and evidence from each literary selection to describe and support your grounds for comparison. Use a graphic organizer like the one below and on page 4 of this packet. 5. Outline your essay. 6. Compose your thesis. 7. Write the draft of your essay.
Assignment Directions
Step One
Select two literary texts that can be compared and contrasted for the authors’ point of view, literary style, or other points of comparison. Once you have the literature, it’s time to decide “what” within each selection you will compare.
Step Two
Make a graphic organizer OR use the graphic organizers contained in this packet (see page 4). Making notes on the organizer will help visually show you how items, such as characters, author’s development of the plot, author’s use of literary devices, theme, etc. are similar and different. If you decide to focus on just “theme,” for example, then you will want to create a Venn diagram or comparison chart that helps you analyze how the two authors’ word choices, style, sense of audience, etc. are used to reveal the theme to the reader or support the message. And, of course, compare the authors in this regard.
Step Three
Once you have jotted notes in the graphic organizer, make an outline for your essay, that includes:
;
Paragraph 1: The Introduction – Introduce your topic and state your thesis. Example Thesis: “Although James Jackson’s novel, Reaching the English Moors, was First written in 1895, the theme can be compared to H.B. Bartlion’s poem, ‘Green Grasses of Home’ support paragraph written a century later. Both Jackson and Bartlion are urging the reader to consider the life lessons m presented in nature. However, Jackson addresses this theme through the use of personification and Bartlion relies on visual imagery.” f Third Second support paragraph
Sample Structure
In the above example, the writer has established why the two selections are comparable paragraph (common themes), but clearly states that the authors have used two contrasting methods of developing their themes. So, will the writer focus on the alikeness (comparison) of the theme, or the different ways (contrast) the authors developed their theme? Paragraph 2: First Support Paragraph. Set the groundwork for the similarities in the literary selections. In the case above, you would describe the common theme found in each selection. Write a topic sentence and add details to support your topic sentence. Example Topic Sentence: “Both Jackson and Bartlion are urging the reader to consider the life lessons we can learn from nature.” Provide specific examples of this in the paragraph.
Paragraph 3: Second Support Paragraph. Again, write a topic sentence and add at least 3 details. This paragraph will focus a difference between to the two literary selections by stating that Jackson uses personification to develop the theme. Provide specific examples of this in the paragraph. Paragraph 4: Third Support Paragraph. This paragraph will focus on another difference between the two literary selections by stating that Bartlion uses visual imagery to develop the theme. Provide specific examples of this in the paragraph. Include several supporting details. Paragraph 5: Conclusion. Go back and state what you’ve already said in the introduction using different wording, wrapping things up.
Step Four Use the outline (above). Write each section of the paper, until finished. Go back and edit, checking for spelling, correct grammar, punctuation, and flow. Use the scoring guide/rubric (page 7 in this packet) to check the completion and correctness of your essay. Compare and contrast essays are just like any other paper and should flow from one paragraph to the next, making sense as you read it. Read and reread. Step Five Use a word processor to type your essay
STUDENT SAMPLE Ella Berven October 15, 2011 Period 4 Literary Comparison/Contrast Essay Shades of Being Human Alice Walker and Maya Angelou are two contemporary African-American writers. Although almost a generation apart in age, both women display a remarkable similarity in their lives. Each has written about her experiences growing up in the rural South, Ms. Walker through her essays and Ms. Angelou in her autobiographies. Though they share similar backgrounds, each has a unique style which gives to us, the readers, the gift of their exquisite humanity, with all of its frailties and strengths, joys and sorrows. Tragedy struck both of these women at the age of eight. Ms. Walker lost her sight in one eye. Ms. Angelou was raped. Each described the incident as part of a larger work. Ms. Walker related her experience in the body of an essay published in her book, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens.
Ms. Angelou told her story as a chapter in her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Although both wrote about their traumatic experience, the way each depicted the incident was distinct and seemed to be told for very different purposes. Alice Walker reports the facts to the reader with short sentences written in the present tense. She chooses words which elicit a forceful emotional response from her audience. For example, in telling how her brothers were given BB guns and she was not, Ms. Walker writes, “Because I am a girl, I do not get a gun. Instantly, I am relegated to the position of Indian.”
The word “relegated” causes the reader to be irate and indignant. Most people do not like being “relegated” to anything. Another illustration of Ms. Walker’s use of dynamic words can be found in her description of the encounter with her parents following the accident. She speaks of being “confronted” by her parents. “Confronted” is a combative word. When people are confronted by others, they want to launch an attack. Her style and choice of words make the reader aware that she is alone and fearful. She is left to fight her battles by herself. Maya Angelou narrates her account in a conversational tone. She uses the past tense which tells her audience “it’s over” for her. Her words are free from severity.
They encourage the reader to see hope in the midst of sadness. Instead of trying to elicit a particular emotional response, Angelou invites her audience to share in her thoughts and feelings. For instance, having given an account of the rape, she writes, “I thought I had died–I woke up in a white-walled world, and it had to be heaven.” The reader feels a connection with her pain, yet realizes redemption lies close at hand. Whereas Walker tells how she was confronted by her parents, Angelou explains,”she [mother] picked me up in her arms and the terror abated for a while.” There is no impression of combativeness. There is only tenderness and care. Once again, she invites the reader in. Walker wants the reader to feel for her; Angelou wants her audience to feel with her. They achieve their objectives by directing the reader’s attention to specific emotions.
The emotional focus of Alice Walker’s story is rage, red-hot and isolating. As I read this piece, I became livid, not only at the thought of her devastating injury and her family’s apparent disassociation, but also at Ms. Walker herself. It appeared to me that she never let go of it. Instead, she seemed to embrace her anger. On the other hand, Ms. Angelou’s anger is subtle and short-lived. Though I was incensed by what happened to her, she quietly insisted that I leave it behind. She concentrated less on her anger and more on the warmth and support of her family. It would be impossible not to address the ways in which both women refer to the intense physical pain each of them suffered as little girls.
Ms. Walker gives little description of her anguish, but I clearly felt it. When I read, “. . . I feel an incredible blow in my right eye . . .” and, “my eye stings, and I cover it with my hand,” my immediate response was to quickly cover my eye with my hand. My body reacted to her pain. Ms. Angelou’s description produced another effect. She wrote, “Then there was the pain. A breaking and entering when even the senses are torn apart.” Instead of a physical reaction, I felt a wrenching of the heart. Ms. Walker focused my attention on the injury to her body, while Ms. Angelou focused on her emotional scars.
School Curriculum Specialists, LLC
My most powerful emotional response throughout both stories was one of incredible sorrow. I felt the tremendous weight that sadness and despair can fold around a heart, not only for a child’s trauma, but also for the devastating repercussions that tragedy can produce – loss of dignity, self-esteem, and childhood itself. I wanted to comfort them both. However, by the end of Ms. Walker’s account of the incident, I not only wanted to comfort her, I wanted to shield her as well. Her wounds were still open. At the end of her narrative, she wrote, “Now when I stare at people – a favorite pastime up to now – they will stare back. Not at the ‘cute’ little girl, but at her scar. For six years, I do not stare at anyone, because I do not raise my head.” I wanted to intervene and help her. Although in Ms. Angelou’s story I yearned to comfort the child, it was obvious that the adult Maya Angelou did not need my protection.
She ended her account with these words: “I would have liked to stay in the hospital the rest of my life. Mother brought flowers and candy. Grandmother came with fruit and my uncles clumped around and around my bed, snorting like wild horses. When they were able to sneak Bailey in, he read to me for hours.” Her family loved her all the way through her trauma, and she moved from despair to hope with their help. Alice Walker and Maya Angelou are both extremely courageous writers. From each we receive a rare and poignant gift. As her book suggests, Alice Walker challenges us to search for resolution in the face of loneliness and despair. Maya Angelou, who “knows why the caged bird sings,” reminds us that loneliness and despair never have the last word. She gently points us to a window of hope. Both women bless us with shades of being human.

Executive Summary
In this assignment, you will propose a quality improvement initiative from your place of employment that could easily be implemented if approved. Assume you are presenting this program to the board for approval of funding. Write an executive summary (750-1,000 words) to present to the board, from which the board will make its decision to fund your program or project. Include the following:
The purpose of the quality improvement initiative.
The target population or audience.
The benefits of the quality improvement initiative.
The interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement initiative.
The cost or budget justification.
The basis upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
RUBRIC
Maximum Points:
140.0
Executive Summary
No of Criteria: 11 Achievement Levels: 5
CriteriaAchievement LevelsDescriptionPercentageUnsatisfactory0.00 %Less Than Satisfactory75.00 %Satisfactory79.00 %Good89.00 %Excellent100.00 %Content80.0
Purpose of the Quality Improvement Initiative15.0The purpose of the quality improvement initiative is not provided.The purpose of the quality improvtiative is provided and meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions.The purpose of the quality improvement initiative meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail.The purpose of the quality improvement initiative meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, is provided in detail, and demonstrates higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.Target Population or Audience13.0The target population or audience is not addressed.The target population or audience is incomplete, missing relevant information.The target population or audience is provided and meet the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions.The target population or audience meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail.The target population or audience meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.Benefits of Quality Improvement Initiative13.0The benefits of the quality improvement initiative are not provided.The benefits of the quality improvement initiative are incomplete, missing relevant information.The benefits of the quality improvement initiative are provided and meet the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions.The benefit of the quality improvement initiative meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail.The benefit of the quality improvement initiative meet all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.Interprofessional Collaboration Required to Implement the Quality Improvement Initiative13.0The interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement initiative is not discussed.The interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement initiative is incomplete, missing relevant information.The interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement is discussed and meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructionsThe interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement is discussed and meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail.The interprofessional collaboration that would be required to implement the quality improvement initiative is clearly discussed and meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.Cost or Budget Justification13.0The cost or budget justification is not provided.The cost or budget justification is incomplete, missing relevant information.The cost or budget justification is provided and meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions.The cost or budget justification issue meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail.The cost or budget justification issue meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated by the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.Basis Upon Which the Program or Project Will Be Evaluated13.0The basis upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated is not provided.The basis upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated is incomplete, missing relevant information.The basis upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions.The basis upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated is provided in detail.The basis, upon which the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated as indicated by the assignment instructions, is provided in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.
Organization, Effectiveness, and Format20.0
Thesis Development and Purpose5.0Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose.Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.Paragraph Development and Transitions5.0Paragraphs and transitions consistently lack unity and coherence. No apparent connections between paragraphs are established. Transitions are inappropriate to purpose and scope. Organization is disjointed.Some paragraphs and transitions may lack logical progression of ideas, unity, coherence, and/or cohesiveness. Some degree of organization is evident.Paragraphs are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization and/or in their relationships to each other.A logical progression of ideas between paragraphs is apparent. Paragraphs exhibit a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness. Topic sentences and concluding remarks are appropriate to purpose.There is a sophisticated construction of paragraphs and transitions. Ideas progress and relate to each other. Paragraph and transition construction guide the reader. Paragraph structure is seamless.Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)5.0Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used.Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)2.0Template is not used appropriately, or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style.All format elements are correct.Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)3.0Sources are not documented.Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.
Total Percentage  100

A seemingly intractable paradox underlies Westerners choice of fashion in the twenty-first century. On the one hand, the democratic and social progress made in the West in the past fifty years has led to radical revaluations of, and profound reversals of attitudes towards, issues such as gender, class, race, social stereotypes, cultural identity and so on: in short, the Western citizen of 2005 has far greater personal freedom for expression than could have been conceivable for a Westerner in 1905 or even 2005 (Craik, 1994).
The modern student of Western fashion trends might therefore reasonably expect to notice in the clothing choices and styles of twenty-first Westerners ever greater diversity and individuality – to notice a kaleidoscopic and multi-coloured efflorescence of personal freedom in fabric and cloth. And, indeed, in many instances in Western society there is a profusion of individual styles mirroring newly liberated individual personalities.
Yet, on the other hand, despite this potential for individuality, the fashion student notices, paradoxically, that Westerners are exhibiting an ever greater homogeneity and similarity in their clothing choice – for instance, the ubiquitous presence, amongst certain definable social groups, of trendy brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Zara and FCUK. The principal force behind this homogeneity is argued to be (Miles, 1998 & Radford, 1998) the massive and all-consuming power of giant global fashion houses and their resources for mass branding and advertising.
To many fashion critics and scholars these hugely powerful companies have come to swamp the potential for personal and individual expression that was made possible by social changes in Europe and America in the past fifty years. In a further paradox, it was these very changes themselves, and the liberation and emancipation of consumer power and choice which they released, which provides the consumer markets and spending-power which make these huge companies possible.
In other words, for the gender, class, and social revolutions of the twentieth century to happen this required the protests and emancipation of Western masses; but this very freedom itself created a mass homogeneous market that could be exploited by fashion corporations themselves made possible by these changes. In a final paradox, Rosenfeld (1997) and Davis (1993) argue that modern man is free to choose the clothes he wears and so is himself responsible for submitting himself and his individuality to temptations of mass production and consumerism that surround him.
The fascinating question before this literature review is then: why is it that Westerners, granted at last a large measure of personal freedom for expression, ‘choose’ nonetheless to submit themselves to mass trends and to enslave themselves to perhaps an ever greater extent than when such freedom was not obtainable? Of further interest is the question: how have particular cultural groups, and fashion trends, resisted mass consumerism of fashion, and gone on to use these new freedoms to establish exciting and original expressions of their personalities? Section 2: Sources
A few words about the origin and authority of the sources used for this literature review are perhaps necessary before turning to the main themes of the review. The principal type of source discussed in this literature review are academic books and journals; in addition, some internet sources are employed also. The academic books referred to in this review are amongst the seminal texts in the literature of fashion and marketing, their authors world-class experts in their fields, and therefore the reliability and authority of their material is extremely high.
The fashion student can have high, if not complete, confidence in his employment of these sources to illustrate his themes and arguments. Likewise, those texts from other fields in this review, such as Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud, 1900) or Lacan’s Language of the Self (Lacan, 1998), are usually included by critics and scholars in their lists of the most important works of the twentieth-century. They too then may be used by the fashion student with a high degree of trust in their authority and reliability. A note of caution might be sounded however about the employment of internet sources in any literature review.
Whereas the process of publishing work in an academic book or journal is a lengthy one, requiring considerable cost and numerous stages of scrutiny by fellow scholars and experts, thus ensuring the quality of those sources, nonetheless, the standards required for publication on the internet are often lower and less vigorous. The vast profusion material released daily on the internet requires the conscientious student to subject the internet sources he employs to greater scrutiny and doubt than might be the case with academic books or journals published in the traditional paper-based way.
Consequently, the internet sources used in this literature review have been vigorously scrutinised and tested for their reliability in the fashion described above. Section 3: Review The following literature review is discussed according to the following thematic schema in five parts: (1) The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity, (2), Global Trends and World Markets, (3) Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion & Visual Communication, (4) Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities, and, (5), Sociological & Philosophical Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity.
The Paradox of Individuality and Conformity The contemporary situation in Western fashion and personal clothing choice is one of apparently irresolvable paradox: Westerners are today endowed with ever greater personal freedoms, extending naturally to their choice of personal clothing and one would expect this freedom to lead to a plethora and profusion of individual styles and manners of dress: these freedoms should result in less conformity of style than was present in say 1905 when gender, class and social prejudices compelled and forced a person to dress in a particular way and style.
Yet, despite these abundant new-found freedoms, Western clothing choice in 2005 seems to display ever greater conformity and homogeneity. That is, Westerners are ‘choosing’ to dress more and more alike one another – Westerners’ expression of their personalities through their choice of style is showing ever greater similarities to one another. How then could this be possible? This question is discussed at the general level in great depth by F. Davis (1993) Fashion, Clothing and Identity and by Fiske (1990) in Introduction to Communications Studies.
Global Trends & World Markets The most persuasive and frequently given answer to the above question is that the rise of huge fashion houses – such as Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani, Prada, Zara, amongst many others – along with their massive resources for branding and advertising, have drowned-out the recently attained freedoms of Western individuals to reflect their personalities in their choice of clothing. This point is powerfully made in D. Crane’s seminal text Fashion and the Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. (Crane, 2004).
Crane argues that just at the critical historical moment (the end of the 20th Century) when Westerners were finally endowed with greater personal freedoms in fashion and personality expression than ever before, that these freedoms were immediately smothered by forces such as globalization and capitalism which gave birth to vast fashion corporations whose financial resources and advertising capacity have become too great and powerful for individual expression to poke through and flower. This point is corroborated and reinforced by numerous other scholars and authorities in fashion and marketing.
F. Davis (1993) in Fashion, Culture and Identity, L. Rosenfeld (1997) in Clothing as Communication, and J. Craik (1994) in The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion all endorse Crane’s central premise that individual freedom of personality expression through clothing and style is suffocated by the capitally fuelled force of the major fashion brands to overwhelm this expression through relentless psychological pressure, carried by advertising, to conform to the style and choice ‘imposed’ and ‘decided’ by these companies and not by individuals themselves.
M. Barnard in Fashion as Communication (1996) makes an interesting refinement of this basic premise by suggesting, in a further paradoxical statement, that it is the very freedom of gender, class, social status etc. , of the past fifty years which has led to ever greater conformity to popular styles and to an even greater imposition of style than existed before such freedoms were possible.
In other words, to echo a sentiment expressed by Nietzsche in 1888 (Nietzsche, 1888) and Freud in 1900 (Freud, 1900) human beings have natural herd instincts which are present whether people are free or not, and these instincts generate the need for leadership and imposition from one source or another.
Thus, whilst before the 1960’s style conformity was forced upon Westerners by gender and class stereotypes, nonetheless, after the 1960’s when these stereotypes were lifted, Westerners became susceptible to a new ‘authority’, ‘imposition’ and ‘leadership’ in the form of vast fashion corporations whose choice of style and expression is propagated through intensive branding and advertising.
According to this philosophical view, endorsed by Bruce Stella and Pamela Church Gibson (2000) in Fashion Cultures Theories: Explorations and Analysis, the personalities of Westerners today and their choice of expression of their personalities through clothing, is largely decided by fashion corporations and advertising companies – thus resulting in the uniformity of style and expression which is so evident from a casual glance at our high-streets today.
Semiotic Theories of Fashion Promotion & Visual Communication A interesting example of the practice of a semiotic theory of fashion promotion is that discussed in A. Rhodes’ and R. Zuloago’s paper ‘A Semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising’ published in 2003. The chief motif of Rhodes’ and Zuloago’s work is that ‘Fashion advertising is an excellent example of identity-image producing media’ (Rhodes & Zuloago, 2003: p8).
They state at the outset of their paper that ‘The nature of the product is tied directly to identity – those objects with which we encase our bodies for public display ­- and fashion is acknowledged as a cultural language of style’; a little further on they add ‘Taken as a whole, high fashion media and advertising describe a spectrum of identity, unified in general types of signifiers – young women, high status, high sexuality – and through the constant repetition and variation of images on these themes serve to create this identity spectrum. ’ (Rhodes and Zuloago, 2003, p1).
Thus, in their paper, Rhodes and Zuloago seek to define the symbiotic relationship between high fashion and the cultural and social identity of one particular social group: young, rich and sexually confident women. Rhodes and Zuloago argue that the advertising campaigns of companies like Prada, Donna Karen, Armani, Dolce Gabanna and others like them, speak so powerfully and seductively to these women, and that the images employed penetrate so deeply into their consciousness and social orientation, that they come to identify their personalities almost wholly with the product.
Rhodes and Zulago recognise, nonetheless, that whilst the influence of major fashion brands over social groups like the one mentioned above is immense that these groups too, by their social characteristics and newly liberated personalities, constantly force the fashion brands to invent new styles and designs that evolve to reflect the changing consciousness of these particular and individualistic groups (Rhodes & Zuloago, 2003: p5).
The symbiosis is nearly total; and similar relationships between major brands and other social groups are evident throughout modern Western culture. Popular Cultures and Distinctive Identities R. Radford points out in Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism (1998) that the mass conformity of modern fashion style and personality expression is not of course universal, and many original and fresh styles – punk, gothic, ethnic, etc.
, – have arisen from the social freedoms of recent decades, both in reaction to the preceding centuries of restricted expression and also in reaction to the monotonous uniformity of the mass-branded and consumer-based style. As suggested in the last sentence, Radford distinguishes between styles which are (1) a reaction to the restrictions of former centuries, (2) those which are defiances of the modern branded uniformity, and, (3), those which are a reaction to neither, but rather are healthy and original efflorescences of cultural uniqueness and individual expression.
In the first category Radford places the astonishing growth in popularity of ‘gender-liberated’ products like bikinis, short-skirts and casual clothing which were, in other centuries, repressed by the authorities either because of gender prejudices or inequalities, or because of antiquated ideas about the morality or sexual imprudence of certain items and styles of clothing. To take an instance of gender discrimination cited by Radford (Radford, 1998: pp. 142-148), it was not socially or morally permissible for women in former times to wear beach attire (bikinis, swim-suits etc.
,) that revealed or celebrated anything of the sensuousness or beauty of the female figure; women were therefore universally condemned (in Western countries) to wear a single type plain, non-sexual beachwear. But since the lifting of this social prejudice and stigma, there has been a profusion of designers, from Gucci and Dolce & Gabana to Zara and BHS, who have produced modern designs which allow women to celebrate the sensuality and beauty of the female figure.
Women today enjoy the same rights as men to wear what they like either to the beach, to the disco or to work; thus, in this instance, despite the domination of the fashion brands, women now have the opportunity to, and do indeed exhibit in practice, a greater expression of individuality of personality than was possible or permissible before the last decades. In the second category, Radford places fashion styles like punk and gothic: styles which rebel against the conformity of modern mass-consumer culture and relish in the controversy and upsetting of convention induced by the difference of their style.
Studded clothing, fluorescent coloured hair, male make-up, cross-dressing etc. , are rebellions against the usual fashion paradigm and make the personality statement that some people disagree with popular sentiment and convention and express this in clothing styles that are often shocking and scandalous (Barthes, 1983). In the third category are individualistic styles, such as ethnic, which are neither reactions to historical repressions or to modern mass conformity, but which are rather healthy flourishing of individual personality or philosophy.
For instance, contemporary Western style permits a greater exhibition of ethnic clothing or pride in national dress than was acceptable fifty years ago. F. Davis argued as early as 1988 in Clothing and Fashion Communication that clothing could be a vehicle for greater racial tolerance and for multi-culturalism and racial integration in modern Western society. A concomitant of this toleration is a celebration and pride in the wearing of clothes of national dress; clothes that display part of the person’s personality repressed for decades.
Sociological & Philosophical Views of Class, Gender, Social Stereotypes and Cultural Identity Jacques Lacan in Language of the Self (Lacan, 1997) gives a fascinating philosophical and psychological interpretation of the individuality vs. conformity paradox, filtering it the prism of class, gender and social stereotypes, to argue that human beings are essentially language-animals and can be manipulated if one finds the key to the use of this language.
Lacan argues in his seminal text Language and the Self (1997) that the social freedoms attained by Westerners in the past half century have given them Westerners unprecedented opportunities to reflect their innermost ‘self’, their basic human constituency, through new cultural media such as television, the arts, and by derivation, fashion and our choice of media.
Lacan argues further that the ‘self’ of previously repressed groups such as women, homosexuals, African-Americans and so on is now able to manifest itself in cultural forms that had previously been repressed for centuries, and which are now bursting out in the diversity of artforms prevalent in our society today. Nonetheless, through his principal scientific and philosophical investigation into the language-animal, Lacan argues that Westerners have been seduced by the clever and innovative marketing campaigns of the major fashion brands, who use slogans and images to target specific social groups.
Thus Lacan explains the phenomenal seduction of modern Western man to the worded slogans of designer labels and celebrity endorsed products. Lacan suggests that the advertising campaigns of major fashion brands seduce the consumer’s unconscious directly and that this explains the phenomenon of mass conformity to such a homogeneous type of personal expression through fashion as is evident in our society. Section 4: Conclusion In the final analysis, the literature of the fashion and marketing texts on the subject of individuality vs.
conformity, and the influence of branding upon this relationship, reveals the following points. Firstly, that a curious and complex paradox deeply underpins the dynamics between individuality and conformity. To the one side, the liberation of women, homosexuals, formerly repressed racial groups, underprivileged classes and others, in the second half of the twentieth-century, has led to a huge mass of people in Western society who have previously unimaginable freedom to wear whatever styles and types of clothing they believe best express their individuality and uniqueness.
For instance, gender prejudices removed, women can now wear trousers ; race prejudices declining, repressed groups can wear a city suit or opera tuxedo; in many other instances Westerners are free to dress as however their mood, philosophy and occupation inclines them. On the other hand, the ceaseless ascent to prominence and immense power of the great fashion houses and fashion brands has led to a blanket of homogeneity being spread over the personal expression of many Western consumers.
Philosophers like Lacan, and psychologists like Freud and Nietzsche, suggest that man has an innate herd instinct that compels him to conform to the trends of the crowd and to seek a higher authority and leadership to decide and impose his personal expression upon him. According to this view, despite the newly attained freedom of Westerners, they have substituted for the old imposition of gender and class barriers the new authority of the mass product and the famous brand. Thus ‘personal choice’ and ‘freedom of expression of personality’ through clothing are merely illusions that do not correspond to modern reality.
Furthermore, the conformity of modern Western dress is, according to D. Crane (Crane, 2004), even more intense today than in other centuries, since in 2005 particular styles and mass produced clothing items – Crane gives Levi’s jeans as an example – permeate all classes and genders of society and therefore have a ‘total sphere of conformity and influence’; in other centuries a particular item or style of clothing would only dominate one social group; today brands like Nike, Zara, Levi’s, Armani and so on, can penetrate the personal expression of every social group from top to bottom.
Nonetheless, the flourishing of reactionary and rebellious fashions expressions such as punk and gothic, as well as the profusion of small individualistic designers and such styles as ethnic suggest that the mass produced fashion items have not and will not dominate totally and may even be forced back a little as personal expression is allowed to bloom in the new forms and clothing styles of the twenty-first century. Our final words might be these: that the question of conformity vs.
individuality now hangs in a delicate balance and equilibrium, that Western society pivots at a vital moment in the history of its ability to be able to define itself. The opportunity exists for Westerners to dazzle the world with an efflorescence of new styles of clothing that reflect the cultural diversity, racial integration, and class assimilation achieved in the past fifty years. The danger remains nonetheless that these achievements and potential expression will be swamped by the relentless march of mass consumer fashion and our seduction to it.
Section 5: Bibliography Academic Books, Journals & Articles – Barnard, M. (1996) Fashion as Communication, Routledge – Barthes, R. (1967, 1983). The Fashion System, New York: Hill and Wang. – Bruzzi Stella & Church, P. G. (2000). Fashion Cultures Theories, Explorations and Analysis, Routledge – Craik, J. (1994) The Face of Fashion; Cultural Studies in Fashion, London: Routledge. – Crane, D. (2004). Fashion and Its Social Agenda: Class, Gender and Identity in Clothing. Oxford University Press, Oxford. – Davis, F. (1985).
‘Clothing and fashion as communication’, in Solomon, M. R. (ed. ) The Psychology of Fashion, Massachusetts: Lexington Books. – Davis, F. (1993). Fashion, Culture and Identity, Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press. – Du Gay, P. (1996). Consumption and Identity at Work, London: Sage. – Fiske, J. (1990). Introduction to Communication Studies, London: Routledge – Freud, S. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams. Penguin, London. – Lacan, J. (Reprinted 1997). Language of the Self, Baltimore, MD. : Johns Hopkins University Press – Mead, G. H. (1934).
Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL. : University of Chicago Press – Miles, S. (1998). Consumerism as a Way of Life, London: Sage Publications – Nietzsche, F. (1888). Ecce Homo. Peter Gast Books, Basel. – Quirk, R. (Et al. ). (1989). The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, Oxford. – Radford, R. , ‘Dangerous Liaison: Art, Fashion and Individualism’, Fashion Theory, vol. 2, issue 2, Oxford: Berg, 1998, pp. 151-64. – Rosenfeld, L. B. and Plax, T. G. (1997). ‘ Clothing as communication’, Journal of
Communication, 27: 24-31. – Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh. Internet Sources – Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society, From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviourist, Chicago, IL. : University of Chicago Press http://www2. pfeiffer. edu/~lridener/DSS/Mead/MINDSELF. HTML – Smith, A. (1759/1976). The Theory of the Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh. http://www. adamsmith. org/smith/tms-intro. htm – Rhodes, A. & Zuloago, R. (2003). A semiotic Analysis of High Fashion Advertising. www. garhodes. com/Semiotics_of_Fashion. pdf

This week, you will finalize your theory and topic selection for your Final Project Assignment.
To Prepare:
Think about the final project topic you selected in Week 1.
Select two theories you will address in your final project.
When selecting two theories, consider whether each theory could:
explain the origins and development of your topic
be used to develop strategies or programs to benefit human development relevant to your topic
addreur topic
meet the characteristics of a good theory relevant to your topic
Keep in mind that the theories you select might not meet all these criteria; you will discuss the strengths and limitations of the theories as part of your final project.
By Day 7
Submit
a 1-page summary of the topic you chose for your Final Project, the two theories you selected, and why you believe these theories relate to your topic.

University of Phoenix Material
Week 3 Learning Team Assignment: Financial Transaction Risks
Describe
the risk exposure(s) in the following financial transactions.
Identify
which transactions are influenced by interest rates or interest income. (CAUTION: Some can be influenced by both!)
Risk Types:
In, Country, or sovereign risk
Financial Transactions
Risk Type
Describe and justify risk type
Interest Rate or Interest Income?
A bank finances a $10 million, six-year fixed-rate commercial loan by selling one-year certificate of deposit.
An insurance company invests its policy premiums in a long-term municipal bond portfolio.
A French bank sells two-year fixed-rate notes to finance a two-year fixed-rate loan to a British entrepreneur.
A Japanese bank acquires an Austrian bank to facilitate clearing operations.
A bond dealer uses his own equity to buy Mexican debt on the less developed country (LDC) bond market.
A securities firm sells a package of mortgage loans as mortgage-backed securities.
Describe the features of the method you would choose to measure the interest risks identified.
Learning Team Assignment:
Financial Transactions Risk Table Assignment
Purpose of Assignment
Classifying the potential risks associated with different types of financial transactions is critical to making action decisions amongst these alternatives in the management of risk and the optimization of operations.
Resources Required
https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/
In the At a Glance frame, near the bottom of the page, you will find eight data series. List all eight series of data and explain what the data portrays and its importance.
Grading Guide
Content
Met
Partially Met
Not Met
Comments:
Assesses
what features you would choose to measure interest risks.
Analyzes
which transactions are influenced by interest rates or income. Some are influenced by both.
The paper is 1,050- to 1,400-words in length.
Total Available
Total Earned
5
#/X
Writing Guidelines
Met
Partially Met
Not Met
Comments:
The paper—including tables and graphs, headings, title page, and reference page—is consistent with APA formatting guidelines and meets course-level requirements.
Intellectual property is recognized with in-text citations and a reference page.
Paragraph and sentence transitions are present, logical, and maintain the flow throughout the paper.
Sentences are complete, clear, and concise.
Rules of grammar and usage are followed including spelling and punctuation.
Total Available
Total Earned
2
#/X
Assignment Total
#
X
#/X
Additional comments: