Why I Have Chosen the Teaching Profession Essay -- essays papers

Why I Have Chosen the Teaching Profession When I think of becoming a teacher I would like to imagine or hope that I would be â€Å"turning the key† for a student of mine to become something great. I have been soul searching for many years now to have a better understanding of what I am suppose to do in my life. I have worked in so many jobs in so many areas but nothing was fulfilling my life with any amount of meaning. I found myself not wanting to go back the next day or wishing I were somewhere else. Well I guess everyone does that is what I would tell myself. Until a couple years ago when I was working and living in Las Vegas. It was there that I finally realized what I had been searching for in my life. I was spending a lot of time with a co-worker who had children in the school system. I vividly remember hearing her children say â€Å"the teacher’s don’t care.† This was shocking for a child who was in the fourth grade to be saying to me. I guess because I had a great experience in school with wonderful caring teachers. My memories of school are a little blurred with age but I do remember looking up to them as role models. Especially, my eighth grade English teacher who was the first person who ever told me that I was a beautiful writer. She encouraged me to continue to learn as much as I could about becoming a good writer. I still see her from time to time and she asks if I am still writing. I always say yes, but the last time I saw her, I got the chance to te...

Fdi Walmart-Asda

Foreign Direct Investment Wal-Mart – ASDA Wal-Mart is an American company, based in Arkansas, USA that runs large discount department stores. The company was started in 1945 when Sam Walton open a store in Arkansas, the premise behind the company was to slightly undercut its competitors while still making a profit. This idea proved a large success. In 1962 the name Wal-Mart was established when Walton open ‘Wal-Mart Discount City’ store by the time the company was incorporated in 1969 it had expanded 38 stores spread over 3 states, again operating under the same premise of marking up slightly less than the competitors. ASDAs life began in 1965 with the merger of Asquith supermarkets and Associated Dairies, the name ASDA is an abbreviation of the two names ASquith Dairies. In 1968 ASDA bought two large stores from Government Exchange Mart (G. E. M) that were failing and in the first week of trading by ASDA the sales grow from ? 6,000 a week under G. E. M to ? 30,000. The space given by the size of the stores allowed ASDA to create its own range of goods, which is considered to be on of the reasons behind the company’s early growth. By 1981 ASDA had expanded out of its northern home south with a total of 80 stores. Unfortunately this time also seen the managing director leave the company to be replaced by John Fletcher whose ideas to improve profitability was to increase profit margin on branded items, this increased profits in the short term but lowered the companies price competitiveness, straying away from the company’s founding principals. This led to decline in customer numbers and Fletcher left the company just 3 years later. By the beginning of the 1990’s ASDA was falling apart it had bought a chain stores know as Gateway for a high price and was struggling due to it, and ASDA entered in a doomed loop of increasing prices and loosing customers. Archie Norman took over the company as CEO after the share holders revolted. Made some radical changes to the company, completely changing it management style and returning back to the companies base ‘ASDA price – Pocket the Difference’ In the 1980’s Wal-Mart continued to expand in to southern United States states and by 1987 had 1198 stores. The 1990’s saw continued growth it to other United States states such as New York and by 1993 the company had managed to reach one billion dollars worth of sales in one week. By 1995 Wal-Mart were well on there way in to foreign markets with 276 international stores, by the time Wal-Mart looked in to purchasing ASDA in 1999 it was the world’s largest private employer. After ASDAs struggling period in the early 1990s, its future was looking up towards the end of the 1990s. 1999 saw a large discussion about a ? 18 billion merger between ASDA and kingfisher, but this was no more than just a ruse to cover what was really happening to ASDA. The kingfisher merger was days away when Wal-Mart made a ? 6. 7 billion offer the ASDA could not refuse. Both ASDA and Wal-Mart had very similar ideas about management style and, giving the customer what they wanted, cheap goods. In addition both had spread out from just groceries in to other areas, such as ASDA’s George Clothing range. The Asda acquisition thrusts Wal-Mart into the midst of a government inquiry of supermarket pricing A regal entrance into the U. K. Chain Store Age, 10870601, Dec99, Vol. 75, Issue 13 The Time that Wal-Mart purchased ASDA may also cause them problems; in 1999 the office of fair trading asked the competition commission to look it to the possibility that supermarkets were bullying suppliers. Wal-Mart are an international brand they would have intended to use this to there advantage and ‘shop around’ for the cheapest goods, this investigation would have caused them to look closely at how they source there suppliers to ensure that they are not caught up in the inquiry. If it wasn’t for the kingfisher merger possibility Wal-Mart may have waited until the air had cleared over the investigation before attempting a purchase. Britain was always a big target for Wal-Mart to step in to, the United Kingdom shopping culture has always been very similar to the United States, ith the tendency to buy everything from one shop. But Britain was always Wal-Mart's great hope. Here was a country with an established supermarket culture. The natives shopped in similar ways to Americans (who tend to prefer large, one-stop excursions, unlike Germans, for example, who buy their ham from one store, their toilet paper from another) A long, long way from Bentonville. Economist, 00130613, 9/30/2006, Vol. 380, Issue 8497 The Asda acquisition provides Wal-Mart with a foothold in the U. K. , where it previously had no retail presence Knestout, Brian P. Wal-Mart Buys Britain! Eyebrows Arch! , Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, 1056697X, Sep99, Vol. 53, Issue 9 ASDA would have been considered a good step by the American giants Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart previously did not have a big grocery stronghold, where as with ASDAs backing there power would be increased. Where as Wal-Mart will give ASDA big purchasing power to enable cheaper purchases and therefore lower cost to the consumer. This was expected to cause a price drop industry wide in order for the other supermarkets to attempt to compete with ASDA / Wal-Mart. Much has been written about the good cultural fit between Wal-Mart and Asda†¦ Wal-Mart should also be able to improve Asda’s buying terms in both foods and non-foods. The result will be sharper prices and reduced margins that will progressively spread throughout British retailing. Asda’s expertise in grocery and petrol retailing may be helpful to Wal-Mart†¦ Rogers, David S, Possible Consequences of Wal-Mart's Acquisition of ASDA, European Retail Digest; Sep99 Issue 23, p51, 2p Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions are very useful when looking at how similar/different two countries are from one and other. The following graphs show both the UKs and the USAs scores relating to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimentions. As you can see from the chart both countries are very similar in each area, I will briefly explain what each category is and how it relates to Wal-mart / ASDA Power Distance Index (PDI), Looks at how business in the country are affected by the small members over the managerial positions. Wal-mart has always pushed its self in this area saying that every staff member is of equal importance, which would imply a low PDI. Which is what both the USA and the UK show, this means there is a large amount of equality between societal levels. Individualism (IDV), Looks at how an individual lives, either by his/her self in small family groups or in larger community based groups, where everyone helps each other. Again both countries are very close to each other, and both with very high scores, implying that both countries are very individualist. There are only 7 countries in the world according to Hofstede that have Individualism as there highest value the USA, Australia and the UK being the top 3. Masculinity (MAS), Refers to how the country is ran, a score around 50 implies that the country is very diverse in sexuality with equal opportunities for both man and women. Both the USA and the UK have scores of around 60 showing that each country is reasonably diverse even if slightly male lead. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), Shows how much a country avoids new things and new ideas, until it is certain they good. The UKs uncertainty avoidance index is low, lower than the USAs and low over all, meaning that a new company entering the county is likely to be accepted, where as the USA is higher meaning they are untrusting of new companies, luckily for Wal-Mart they were investing in to the UK meaning a low UAI was good for them, but to avoid any problems the continued to trade under the know name of ASDA. Long-Term Orientation (LTO), examines the culture of the country. A county with a low Long-Term Orientation score tends to prefer to stick to traditional values, and doing as the society expects, where as countries with high long-term orientation scores look more to the future rather than sticking to historical values. Again both countries are very similarly rate but both are very low this was probably one of the reasons Wal-Mart continued to trade under ASDA in the UK so the traditionalist can continue to do there local shopping in the place they are se to under the name they are use to. One of the big problems facing Wal-Mart is that the supermarket industry in the United Kingdom is highly concentrated, and will face a larger amount of competition in a smaller area than they would in the United States. As well as a land issue, Wal-Mart had a tendency to build large stores on unoccupied land, where as in the United Kingdom spare land is scares and local governments are reluctant to allow the building of large American style retail outlets. In the United Kingdom, Wal-Mart will have to deal with a supermarket industry that is more highly concentrated than in the United States, a government probe on pricing as well as resistance by some local governments to the construction of American-style big box retail stores. A regal entrance into the U. K. Chain Store Age, 10870601, Dec99, Vol. 75, Issue 13 Wal-Mart made a very risky decision investing in ASDA when they did, considering ASDAs poor performance in the decade prior to the purchase. Their timing was probably slightly hastier than they would have liked, but die the kingfisher deal being imminent Wal-Marts directors had to make some quick decisions. As to not open rumours of the purchase to some other competitors the directors visited the ASDA stores as though they were the public to see if they believed that ASDA was a viable purchase and that they could make the company work for them. Wal-Mart and ASDA were built on similar core principals, cheaper prices for the consumers, and during the ASDA re-growth prior to the purchase ASDAs management style changed to one which put the store staff in a better place, similar to the way that Wal-Mart encourages. This meant that a purchase from Wal-Mart would have very little effect on ASDA in the short run which is good for the consumers and hence good for the business. The shopping culture in the United Kingdom was very similar to the United States with UK shoppers tending to buy all there goods from one place. However expansion may have been a problem for them and a large change from what they were use to in the United States but ASDA gave Wal-Mart a good step in to the European market. Bibliography A long, long way from Bentonville. Economist, 00130613, 9/30/2006, Vol. 380, Issue 8497 A regal entrance into the U. K. Chain Store Age, 10870601, Dec99, Vol. 75, Issue 13 About ASDA – History, http://www. asda-corporate. com/about-asda/history. asp (Accessed 10/02/2007) Frank, T. A. â€Å"A Brief History of Wal-Mart. The Washington Monthly. April 1, 2006 Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions, http://www. geert-hofstede. com/hofstede_dimensions. php (accessed 22/08/2008) Knestout, Brian P. , Wal-Mart Buys Britain! Eyebrows Arch! Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, 1056697X, Sep99, Vol. 53, Issue 9 Rogers, David S, Possible Consequences of Wal-Mart's Acquisition of ASDA, European Retail Digest; Sep99 Issue 23, p51, 2p Teena Lyons, Competition Commission inquiry into supermarkets, guardia n. co. uk, Wednesday October 31 2007

Question Bank Essay

What is Software Development Life Cycle? (SDLC) (2 mks) System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the overall process of developing information systems through a multi-step process from investigation of initial requirements through analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. b) Draw a diagram for pure waterfall life cycle. (5 mks) [pic] c)Explain the different phases involved in waterfall life cycle. (8 mks) Phase I – Modeling Phase In this phase we view the software product as part of a larger system or organization where the product is required. This is basically a system view where all the system elements are created. Phase II – Software Requirements Analysis Here we have a phase where the requirements are gathered. The information domain for the software is understood. The function, behaviour, performance and interfacing of the software are determined. The requirements of the software and the customer are decided upon. Phase III – Design This determines the data structures, the software architecture, the interface representations and the procedural (algorithmic) detail that goes into the software. Phase IV – Code Generation Here the actual programming is done to obtain the machine code; it is an implementation of the design. Phase V – Testing The testing is a process that goes hand in hand with the production of the machine code. There are a number of testing strategies. First unit testing is done and then integration testing. Alpha testing is to see if the software is as per the analysis model whereas beta testing is to see if the software is what the customer wanted. Phase VI – Installation The software is released to the customer. Phase VII – Maintenance This is the largest phase of the software life cycle. Maintenance can be of different types: to modify the software as the requirements of the customer evolve, to remove the residual bugs in the software etc. 2)What is feasibility study? What are the contents we should contain in the feasibility report? (5 mks) A feasibility study is an initial look at an existing information processing system to decide how it might be computerized or improved. The contents that a feasibility report are: †¢ A statement of purpose of the system. †¢ A definition of system scope. †¢ A list of deficiencies of the current system. †¢ A statement of user requirements. The cost and benefits of development. †¢ A conclusion and recommendations. 3)What are the purposes of Data Flow diagrams, Entity-Relationship diagrams? Give an example diagram of each. (10 mks) Data Flow Diagrams Data Flow diagrams are a means of representing a system at any level of detail with a graphic network of symbols showing data flows, data stores, data processes, and data sources/destinations. The purpose of data flow diagrams is to provide a semantic bridge between users and systems developers. The diagrams are: †¢ Graphical – Eliminating thousands of words; Logical representations – Modeling WHAT a system does, rather than physical models showing HOW it does it †¢ Hierarchical – showing systems at any level of detail; and †¢ Jargonless – allowing user understanding and reviewing. [pic] Entity Relationship Diagram E-R Diagram is a graphical representation of the data layout of a system at a high level of abstraction. It defines data elements and their inter-relationships in the system [pic] 4)What is data modeling? Give 5 examples for data modeling. (5 mks) Data modeling is the act of exploring data-oriented structures. Like other modeling artifacts data models can be used for a variety of purposes, from high-level conceptual models to physical data models. From the point of view of an object-oriented developer, data modeling is conceptually similar to class modeling. With data modeling you identify entity types whereas with class modeling you identify classes. Data attributes are assigned to entity types just as you would assign attributes and operations to classes. Examples for data modeling include: †¢ Entity-Relationship diagrams †¢ Entity-Definition reports †¢ Entity and attributes report †¢ Table definition report Relationships, inheritance, composition and aggregation. 5)What is the difference between SRS document and design document? What are the contents we should contain in the SRS document and design document. SRS Document SRS document is a contract between the development team and the customer. Once the SRS document is approved by the customer, any subsequent controversies are settled by referring the SRS document. SRS document defines the customer’s requirements in terms of Functions, performance, external interfaces and design constraints. SRS Includes: †¢ Functional †¢ Non functional User †¢ Interface †¢ System Design Document The purpose of a design is to describe how the enhancements will be incorporated into the existing project. It should contain samples of the finished product. This could include navigational mechanism screenshots, example reports, and component diagrams. Design Includes: †¢ E-R Diagrams †¢ Data flow diagrams †¢ Data Dictionary 6)Explain all the phases involved in the implementation phase. (10 mks) Conduct system Test In this test software packages and in – house programs have been installed and tested, we need to conduct a final system test. All software packages, custom- built programs, and many existing programs that comprise the new system must be tested to ensure that they all work together This task involves analysts, owners, users, and builders. Prepare Conversion Plan On successful completion of system test, we can begin preparations to place the new system into operation. Using the design specifications for the new system, the system analyst will develop a detailed conversion plan. This plan will identify Database to be installed, end – user training and documentation that needed to be developed, and a strategy for converting from the old system to the new system. The conversion plan may include one of the following commonly used installation strategies 1)  Abrupt Cut-over 2)  Parallel Conversion 3)  Location Conversion 4) Staged Conversion Install Databases In the previous phase we built and tested the database. To place the system into operation we need fully loaded databases. The purpose of this task is to populate the new systems databases with existing database from the old system. System builders play a primary role in this activity. Train Users Converting to a new system necessitates that system users be trained and provided with documentation that guides them through using the new system. Training can be performed one on one; however group training is preferred. This task will be completed by the system analysts and involves system owners and users. Convert to New System Conversion to the new system from old system is a significant milestone. After conversion, the ownership of the system officially transfers from the analysts and programmers to the end users. The analyst completes this task by carrying out the conversion plan Recall that the conversion plan includes detailed installation strategies to follow for converting from the existing to the new production information system. This task involves the system owners, users, analysts, designers, and builders. 7)List and explain different types of testing done during the testing phase. (10 mks) Unit Involves the design of test cases that validate that the internal program logic is functioning properly, and that program inputs produce valid outputs. All decision branches and internal code flow should be validated. Unit testing involves the use of debugging technology and testing techniques at an application component level and is typically the responsibility of the developers, not the QA staff. Integration As the system is integrated, it is tested by the system developer for specification compliance. †¢Concerned with testing the system as it is integrated from its components †¢Integration testing is normally the most expensive activity in the systems integration process †¢Should focus on: †¢Interface testing where the interactions between sub-systems and components are tested †¢Property testing where system properties such as reliability, performance and usability are tested System Testing the system as a whole to validate that it meets its specification and the objectives of its users. The testing of a complete system prior to delivery. The purpose of system testing is to identify defects that will only surface when a complete system is assembled. That is, defects that cannot be attributed to individual components or the interaction between two components. System testing includes testing of performance, security, configuration sensitivity, startup and recovery from failure modes. Involves test cases designed to validate that an application and its supporting hardware/software components are properly processing business data and transactions. System testing requires the use of regression testing techniques to validate that business functions are meeting defined requirements. Black Box This is testing without knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested. For example, when black box testing is applied to software engineering, the tester would only know the â€Å"legal† inputs and what the expected outputs should be, but not how the program actually arrives at those outputs. It is because of this that black box testing can be considered testing with respect to the specifications, no other knowledge of the program is necessary. For this reason, the tester and the programmer can be independent of one another, avoiding programmer bias toward his own work. White Box Also known as glass box, structural, clear box and open box testing. White Box is a software testing technique whereby explicit knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested are used to select the test data. Unlike Black Box testing, white box testing uses specific knowledge of programming code to examine outputs. The test is accurate only if the tester knows what the program is supposed to do. He or she can then see if the program diverges from its intended goal. White box testing does not account for errors caused by omission, and all visible code must also be readable. 8)List and explain all the phases involved in the construction phase. (10 mks) Build and Test Networks †¢ In many cases new or enhanced applications are built around existing networks. If so there is no problem. †¢ However if the new application calls for new or modified networks they must normally be implemented before building and testing databases and writing or installing computer programs that will use those networks. This phase involves analysts, designers and builders †¢ A network designer and network administrator assume the primary responsibility for completing this task. Build and Test Databases †¢ This task must immediately precede other programming activities because databases are the resource shared by the computer programs to be written. If new or modified databases are required for the new system, we can now build and test those databases. †¢ This task involves system users, analysts, designers, and builders. †¢ The same system specialist that designed the database will assume the primary responsibility in completing this task Install and Test New Software Packages †¢ Some systems solutions may have required the purchase or lease of software packages. If so, once networks and databases for the new system have been built, we can install and test the new software. †¢ This activity typically involves systems analysts, Designers, builders, vendors and consultants. Write and Test New Programs †¢ In this phase we are ready to develop any programs for the new system. Prototype programs are frequently constructed in the design phase. However, these prototypes are rarely fully functional or incomplete. This task involves the system analysts, designers and builders. 9)What is data conversion? Why is it necessary? Data Conversion is the changing of the data structure to accommodate new or different needs for the data. Different operating systems have different application software, and each application normally has its own internal way of saving data. There are some standards such as CSV files for databases and RTF files for word processing text, however, these are few and far between and often only save the basic information rather than the full structure. 10)What is change management? Computer based systems are dynamic. As the business Environment changes, there is a need of some changes to the information system. The changes occur not only during the study, design, and development phases of the life cycle of the system. In this process there are two elements that are essential to the management of change. †¢ The performance review board, which can make management–level decisions about system modifications. †¢ Baseline documentation, which can be referred to, to determine the extent and impact of proposed modifications. 11)What is user acceptance testing? Explain different testings in user acceptance testing. Why is it necessary? User Acceptance Testing is a phase of software development in which the software is tested in the â€Å"real world† by the intended audience. Different testings are: Alpha Testing Alpha testing is the software prototype stage when the software is first able to run. It will not have all the intended functionality, but it will have core functions and will be able to accept inputs and generate outputs. An alpha test usually takes place in the developer’s offices on a separate system. Beta Testing The beta phase of software design exposes a new product, which has just emerged from in-house (alpha) testing, to a large number of real people, real hardware, and real usage. Beta testing is not a method of getting free software long-term, because the software expires shortly after the testing period. User acceptance testing is used to know if the system is working or not (both clients ; in-house) 12)What are functional and non-functional requirements? Functional †¢ How the system should react to the particular inputs †¢ How the system should behave to the particular situations †¢ What the system should not do Non functional †¢ Constraints on the services or functions †¢ Time constraints †¢ Constraints on the development process 13)Explain the steps involved in the prototyping 1. Define the goal and purpose of the prototyping. 2. Make plans for iterations (number, range) and evaluations (dates). 3. Transform the conceptual design to a first outline of the user interface and a first synopsis for the users’ information. 4. Design the paper prototype. 5. Let domain experts review the paper prototype regarding completeness and correctness. 6. Test the prototype’s usability.

Analyse How an Adaptation of Your Choice Deals with Gender - Catwoman Essay Example for Free

Analyse How an Adaptation of Your Choice Deals with Gender – Catwoman Essay The representation of female super heroes in the media can be said to have had huge institutional, political and social influences that would suggest those in power are favoured at the expense of those without. Female super heroes tend to promote sexualisation and stereotypical gender roles of women, throughout comic books and super hero movies, but why? In this essay I will look at the character of Catwoman, and her representation as a female, particularly in the 2004 adaptation film â€Å"Catwoman†. Originally, she is an iconic character in the batman series. Created in 1940 by Bob Kane (batman creator) and Bill Finger, she has had a strong presence in batman comics and adaptations since then. Her role as a mysterious burglar and jewel thief led her to just miss out on a place in the top ten, ranking 11th in IGN’s ‘Top 100 comic book Villains of all time’ (2009) and 51st in Wizard magazines ‘100 greatest villains of all time’ list (2006). The character has been used in hundreds of comic books, as well as video games, radio stations, TV series, animated series and films. Although she is featured in mostly batman productions and texts, Catwoman was given her first comic book series in 1993, written mostly by Jim Balent. Several years down the line, Catwoman stared as the lead role in the feature film, made in 2004. The movie was an example of post feminism at its best, as in the 1970’s, only 15% of action adventure movies cast female leads. The movie was directed by Pitof and was released on July 23 by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures. The cast members include Halle Berry, who plays Catwoman, Benjamin Bratt, Sharon Stone and Frances Conroy. I have chosen to analyse this movie because females are not usually given dominant roles in superhero movies, especially as the lead character. There are many stereotypes that surround women, and I believe this movie challenges those. The film was inspired by the DC comics villain of the same name, however stars a new character, Patience Phillips. There are several similarities to the original character. For example, she has similar office job and is killed by someone she works for. In the 1992 movie staring Michelle Pfeiffer, she uncovers a dark secret in the company and is thrown to her death from a great height. The plot for the more recent movie is very like its predecessor. In both versions she is brought back to life by a group of wild cats. However the most relevant similarity is her appearance and costume. Throughout the film, Catwoman is dressed in a tight black latex costume, black connoting mystery and evil. This material is often associated with sexuality; it clings to her body and shows off her curves. Over the years her costumes have become even more provocative, with this Catwoman being more fetish than ever. These clothes represent Catwoman as a sexual image to be looked at by the opposite sex. Laura Mulvey describes this as the Male Gaze. She explains â€Å"In their traditional exhibitionist role, women are simultaneously looked at and displayed with their appearance, coded for strong visual and erotic impact so it can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness. † (1975, p33). It is arguable that woman in the genre of action, drama and super hero are not represented as women, rather an object of sexual desire. The women featured in such genres are slim, pretty, and all wear tight clothing. Lillian Robinson refers to woman super heroes as a pin up girl in a cape, rather than genuine characters (2006). The skimpy outfit has great erotic significance (Richard Reynolds 1994) and could create a negative portrayal of females, as well as being a very bad influence for the young women and girls who watch the movie, or read the comics. Clearly, the media heavily influences teenagers already. They follow the latest fashion trends from celebrities, coolest haircuts, and they diet and loose weight to look like the people they see on TV and in magazines. They look up to the people in the media, and the image of Halle Berry in the cat suit, may encourage young girls to objectify themselves in a similar way. Already, Playboy as a brand has become a fashionable thing, for young girls even at the age of 8. They have the playboy bunny pencil cases, posters and duvet covers. Just like this, cat woman may encourage youthful girls to dress inappropriately with increased sexuality. Even Catwoman’s make-up connotes sexualisation. Her lips are painted scarlet red, which draws your attention straight to her mouth, as well as being the colour of lust to stimulate sexual arousal. This idea is due to the fact men and women have more blood flowing through their lips whilst aroused, turning them a darker shade. Halle Berry was most likely cast because of her beauty. Her eyes, lips, body and sex appeal come before everything else in the movie, (Roger Ebert, 2006). The director of this movie has chosen to portray her as an object of sexual desire for men, rather than a role model for the power and liberation of women. Typical of Hollywood movies, the overtly sexualised view of women is rooted in the darkest chamber of male desire, (Kevin Maher, 2005). She appears powerful and dominant, however, she is in fact the opposite, and inferior to the gaze of men. Laura Mulvey says in her book Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, â€Å"Women as image, men as bearer of the look†, (1975). Personally this idea is predictable and brings nothing new to the genre. Wonder Woman first appeared on screen wearing a gold bra and blue knickers, and in those 36 years gone by, you have to ask yourself, why do superheroes need to be dressed so provocatively? Why can’t the action hero fight crime and ‘kick ass’ in a baggy jumper and a pair of dungarees? Kevin Maher, 2005). I believe the reason behind this is due to the fact that the representation of characters such as Catwoman and Wonder Woman where created by those with power over women. The institution DC comics created both in the 1940’s, which was largely if not entirely controlled by men. Women had no control over their creation and as powerful as Catwoman may be, she is still just an image of the male gaze. Created in a time where females had no authority, they where not able to argue against what could be considered as an unfair representation. Angelia McRobbie has a theory in defence of this sexualised representation, and believes men did not create this image. Women have gained the equality they where fighting for, and now they are using their assets to their advantages. In this case, Catwoman is willingly showing of her body to attract the male gaze, because it gives her power over men. She summarises that post feminism positively draws on and invokes feminism, (1994). However it’s not all negative, Over time things have changed, the presence of female leads in the super hero genre has increased, and to an extent therefore, time has favoured the female lead. Some 50 years ago, males where seen as the hero, there to protect the fragile women. Superman and Lois Lane are a classic example of where the lead role is given to a man, he is strong and courageous, while Lois is inferior to him, she has no special abilities and relies on him completely. However, the number of women in this genre proves a success for the feminist woman and an improvement in today’s society. Iconic actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Uma Thurman have stared as the female lead in modern action movies. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider and Kill Bill are both examples of woman taking active roles, and how accepting it is in this particular genre. Jolie also stared in Mr and Mrs Smith, which showed her as an equal to her husband, just as strong and just as capable of fulfilling the dominant lead. Catwoman has evolved over time, first known as The Cat in DC comics; she then progressed onto TV screens. Her sexual appearance made her an object of desire to the eyes of the male audience, and a role model to girls who wanted to be her, Suzan Colon (2004). In the Halle Berry adaptation, Catwoman is reborn a new woman, sleek, sexy, ambitious and not held back by the restraints of society. She is rebellious and follows her own desires as a feline crime fighter. This representation of Catwoman forces the question that perhaps contemporary women are constrained by the rules of society and are not free. Catwoman challenges the female stereotype and adopts the masculine lead role in this superhero movie. She is a protagonist, independent and capable of standing alone. A crucial scene in the movie shows Catwoman arguing with a large masculine looking man. She demands he turn down his music, which results in her physically attacking him. The argument ends with him lying on the floor with her foot on top of him. This scene portrays her as superior to the man, and the physical pose makes him vulnerable to her. This scene is important, because when she was her human self, known as Patience, the man would not listen to her. As Catwoman, her voice is heard. Simone de Beauvior Invokes ‘the independent women’ who wants to be active, wants to take things for themselves and refuses the passivity men try and want to impose on her. The modern woman accepts masculine values; she prides herself on thinking, getting a job and working to pay her own way, existing on the same terms as man, (1949). Catwoman does exactly that. She completely demolishes feminine stereotypes at the end of the movie when she rejects the love interest and chooses to be a free independent woman. She is not reliant on anyone, especially a man and because of that, I believe this movie demonstrates a victory for women. â€Å"Freedom is power† (Catwoman, 2004). Motivated by revenge, no man stands in her way. However another scene tells a very different story and shows off Catwoman as purely a vision of sexual desire. As she is transformed from patience Phillips, into Catwoman, supposedly now free and independent, we are reminded of her physical qualities. ‘Reminded’ is an understatement actually; it’s thrown in our faces. As she walks across a rooftop the camera angle starts from her feet, moves up her legs and to the top of her body. Paying particular attention to her bum, first impressions are everything! This scene completely confirms Mulvey’s theory, and as Liz Wells suggests, certain films objectify the female star, (2004). However Catwoman is not the only dominant female in this movie. Hedare Beauty is the company Patience works for, and is run by a man named George, or so you are made to believe. Yet in fact, the one calling all the shots is his wife, Laurel. She is controlling the strings of her puppet husband and forces him to her way of thinking. She is an evil, sinister character, full of greed, and in the end she kills her husband in cold blood. She is the villain in this movie, but also a woman in power and free from the constraints of society. In the early 1970’s, after the second wave of feminism, more women were gaining better professions and breaking out of the stereotypical roles. The post modern figure of a female became more appealing to both genders, and resulted in women wanting to achieve higher status in the world of work. An example of such acceptance was seen in the recently released song by male pop artist Ne-Yo, called ‘Miss Independent’. This continues the suggestion of the need for change in the way female super heroes where represented in order to capture the post-modern audience. Catwoman and Laurel Hedare are both great examples of female presence in superhero movies and the result of female empowerment. Judith Butler brings an interesting theory to the table. She believes gender is free floating, rather than fixed, that males and females aren’t simply masculine and feminine. She says that gender is a performance, rather than an aspect of our identity and we behave differently on different occasions. This theory suggests Catwoman isn’t necessarily challenging gender roles by taking on the masculine super hero, but rather an act she’s choosing to play. Women can be masculine because the individual chooses their gender identity. â€Å"When the constructed status of gender is theorized as radically independent of sex, gender itself becomes a free floating artifice, with the consequence that man and masculine might just as easily signify a female body as a male one, and woman and feminine a male body as easily as a female one† (Judith Butler, 1990, p6). Interestingly she suggests that if there where no longer conventional roles for either gender it would be considered the norm for a woman to be in a position of power at work or for a man to stay at home looking after the children. After looking into the history of Catwoman, her creation, and other adaptations in the past, I believe her image is over sexualised. The film is centralised around a beautiful woman, wearing the sexy, tight black costume to do none other than attract male attention. They do however promote that she is a powerful woman and has the freedom to do as she pleases. The fact that a female is the lead role in a movie of this genre is a positive thing. Although the message left behind is that to have freedom and power, you have to entail being objectified. In the end, this movie has done the same as its predecessors, portray woman in a sexualised, unrealistic and in a possibly insulting way. Analyse How an Adaptation of Your Choice Deals with Gender – Catwoman. (2016, Dec 26). r-choice-deals-with-gender-catwoman-essay We will write a custom sample essay on Analyse How an Adaptation of Your Choice Deals with Gender – Catwoman specifically for you We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Health and Nutrition in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Netflix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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