BT Global Services Strategic Analysis

BT Global Services Strategic Analysis In the past BT Global services strategy has experienced hard times, resulting in the company incurring high levels of debt through the heavy use of joint ventures. In recent times, BT Global Services have adapted from this past by offering more homogeneous products, leading to a needs-based strategy focusing on multinational corporations instead of products intended for domestic use, as they offer in the UK. Their strategy is based on their strategic position in the telecoms industry: Hard for new competitors to enter, however they have a competitive parity with their main competitors ATT, Verizon Business and Orange Business Services. Their large client base and brand image has played a key role in their strategy for targeting multinational corporations and world governments. However, they show a weakness that they have a relatively high senior management turnover which may have had a negative effect on their strategy formation process. Due to the size of BT Group, it is difficult to judge the success of BTGS strategy in relation to the whole of the corporations operations. However, as a business unit, their financial results are inconsistent potentially showing that improvements are needed to be made. Recommendations made relate to maintaining key senior management staff; truly differentiating themselves by innovating to create a temporary competitive advantage; and to focus on European based multinational corporations to take advantage of BTs brand power that it has developed in that region. 1. Introduction to the report This report contains a strategic analysis of the international company BT Group (BT) focusing upon its business unit BT Global Services (BTGS) through the lens of strategic formation. The report starts with an analysis of BT Groups overall strategy, then their subsidiary BT Global Services global strategy, then the report progresses onto conducting an external and internal analysis before concluding with recommendations. 2. Introduction to the Company British Telecommunications (BT Group) is one of the largest publicly traded companies in the FTSE 100 at the present time, with a market capitalisation of  £ 13,818 million (London Stock Exchange, 2011). The company operates in the telecommunications industry supplying various products ranging from Broadband to Ethernet to Voice. From humble origins as a subsidiary of The Post Office and its initial public offering in 1982, BT has grown into a large multi national company whilst maintaining itself as the market leader in the UK. Since its flotation, BT has been prevalent on the international scene, entering joint ventures with many overseas corporations, most notably ATT. (BT Plc, 2011) 3. BT Group Overall BT Groups strategy has been focused on standardisation of their products and services; since 2009 they have decreased their range of products from 3,500 to 1,400 (BT, 2011). In the future BT are planning to combining their global networks into one standard network, by doing this they aim for a cost transformation (BT Plc, 2010). Since Global Services expansion abroad, BT Group has had to change its strategy to protecting its dominant market share in the UK after deregulations in the UK and the subsequent emergence of foreign competitors has posed a threat (Turner and Gardiner, 2007). BT Groups strategy for their domestic marker involves diversification into new markets such as Broadband, Online gaming, Voice, TV and IT services (BT Plc, 2010). 4. BT Global Services BT Global Services have experienced some large changes over the past decade, they have just recovered from incurring large losses standing out from BT groups improving subsidiaries financial achievements: their pre-tax profits fell 45% in three months (BBC, 2009). These large losses were contributed to BTGS bad global strategy during the period of 1994 to 2004. During this period BT set out to become the largest supplier of telecommunications, therefore its strategy was to expand globally. The companys target market was multinational corporations who have operations in a variety of regions. However, due to BTs industry, heavy investment in physical infrastructure would be needed. To overcome these market entry barriers, BTs strategy had to involve forming strategic alliances with foreign companies: BT committed itself to numerous joint ventures. By creating a truly global network, they hoped to posses a unique and rare product to gain the advantage over their competitors who could not offer such a large network (BBC, 1999; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). Nevertheless, this did not succeed. Reasons for this could be attributed to their strategic alliance partnerships. BT failed to maintain stable relationships, such as for example, in their joint venture Concert originally with MCI but due to flaws in a takeover bid, this failed. BT then set up a new joint venture called New Concert with another US telecoms giant ATT. Yet this failed again. These flaws in BTs joint ventures, couple with the huge amount of debt that BT built up acquiring them, lead to BTs large losses (BBC, 2001; BBC, 2001; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). In response to these failures, BT radically changed its strategy. This strategic renewal saw BT initiate a radical withdrawal from the majority of its international markets, to consolidate their UK and EU market to protect their main source of revenue, the UK market (Forbes, 2010; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). At present they are forecasting a result of  £100m in operating cash flow this year, which is evidence that their current strategy is effective and that they have learned from their mistakes in the past. Their change of strategy can be seen by their offering of an increasingly homogeneous service around the globe (BT, 2011). Levitt (1983) highlights the importance of multinational corporations operating in a consistent manor, in BTs case, by offering the same service globally, by doing this BT can operate at a relatively low cost. BTGS are differentiating themselves by utilising a needs-based strategy. By focusing on meeting the needs of large multinational corporations that are constituents of strong global sector industries, they can differ from their competition by using their breath of scope, thanks to their large multi-protocol switching network (Porter, 1997; BT, 2011). One could say, that BTGS strategy formed itself out of an adaptive mode, in which their strategy was decided by many managers with conflicting views compromising over issues to produce their final decision; Turner and Gardiners (2007) case study outlined poor management behaviour as a cause for their initial strategys shortcomings (Mintzberg, 1978). BTs intended strategy was to replicate its business in the UK globally, however through the pattern in a stream of decisions, the realised strategy became focused on consolidating their home market and the European market, whilst taking on lighter activities worldwide. Their strategy has been formed through the environment of the dynamic telecommunications market, influenced by many changes in leadership (BBC, 2001; Mintzberg, 1978). 5. External Analysis De Wit and Mayer (2004) state that external and internal assessments are necessary for the diagnosing aspect to a realised strategy. Using Porters (2008) five forces, focusing on potential entrants of new competition and direct competitors, one can see how the competitive environment has affected BTGS strategy formation. Threat of new entrants The need for infrastructure to enter the market makes it very difficult for small firms to enter because of the huge amount of investment required. This point can be emphasised because one can see the problems BT experienced when they attempted to set up their own global system with joint ventures. Therefore all of BTs competition is from other large multinational telecommunication companies. New competitors may also find a difficulty to establish a market share due to brand issues; multinational corporations have high prerequisites and need established companies that have a track record of consistent and reliable services (Gardiner and Turner, 2004). However the global telecommunications industry has an estimated worth of 3.7 trillion dollars which may attract large multinational companies that have the resources to diversify their operations, such as Virgin group has done in the past in different markets (Plunkett Research Ltd, 2010). Direct competitors The global telecommunications market is made up of large competitors which have access to a large pool of funds for extensive advertising campaigns. These multinational corporations such as Orange Business Services, ATT and Verizon Business are strong competitors with strong brand images in their own right; however Ovum (2009) reports that the BT brand is dominant when compared. Since ATT was granted an operating licence in 1994, they have been in competition for BTGS MNCs but also BT groups domestic client base (Fagan, 1994). BTGS competitor ATT, have a similar strategy of differentiated their products to multinational corporations. Before Concert ATT strategy had involved leasing out its use of networks from BT, however they began to offer the same standardised service as they offered when cooperating with BT in Concert joint venture, supplying businesses with their own global IP network (ATT, 2011). This is very similar to BTs strategy of targeting MNCs, and so poses a great threat; their joint venture in the past had a negative affect on BTGS performance (BT Plc, 2002). Since the end of the joint venture, ATT have been heavily investing in improving their global infrastructure, and in product innovation (Pappalardo and Mears, 2002). Cooperation with this competitor in the past has proved troublesome, however BT and ATT have joined an additional strategic alliance by interlinking their video-conferencing product network (Taylor, 2010). By using this strategic alliances, BT have been able to stem competition from ATT and maintain their MNC client base. 6. Internal Analysis Following on from the external analysis using a SWOT analysis, focused on BTGS strengths and weaknesses, one can further inspect the diagnosing aspect of strategy formation. Strengths BTGS has an increasing brand power, which BTs management have been focusing on customer service (Servicedesk, 2009). The image that BT has built upon over the decades have given BT Global Services a good foundation in which to build and maintain its own. BTGS has a large client base comprising of MNCs such as Siemens and BNP Paribas, these providing BT with large volume sales. BT Global Services have also managed to secure key exclusive contracts, such as supplying Unilever with a four year contract. By securing these contracts, BT have pushed out the competition and have created an opportunity for them to extend these contracts in the future (Harris, 2010;International, 2010;BT Plc, 2009). Weaknesses A large weakness that BTGS possess is relatively high executive management turnover, since 2001 BTGS has seen many changes in management which may have diluted the companys strategic vision (BBC, 2001; BT Plc, 2010; Servicedesk, 2009; Glick, 2008). Finally, the need for an extensive global network is a necessity for BTGS, without it they have no value on their products from their clients perspective. These network infrastructures carry high maintenance costs and must be constantly innovated to compete effectively. 7. Evaluation of Strategy Overall BT Global Services strategy seems to be overdependent on joint ventures which have led BT into large debt problems. Evidence for this can be seen in their financial reports as they coincide with the break up of their joint venture New Concert; BTGS suffered a loss of  £1,459m in 2003 surprisingly after they recorded their largest profit of  £8,911m in 2001 (FAME, 2011). Whilst their turnover has been steadily increasing from 2006, BTGS management have been unable to make consistent gains on their return on total assets (FAME, 2011). This could be because of the senior management not efficiently utilising their assets. Their trade-off of excluding offering domestic telecommunication products globally has, in my opinion, been a good strategic move because, for example the US market for Ethernet services is saturated with fierce competition (Vertical, 2007). Their strategy of focusing on multinational corporations fits well with their other operations The deregulation of telecommunications has had a large impact on their global strategy as governments in developing countries lift competition rules to end state owned monopolies (Poh, 1994). This deregulation has allowed BT to branch out internationally and to set up global networks to offer their prospective clients. Since the banking crisis, BT Groups share price has been steadily rising, however this may not be due to Global Services but other operations of the group such as BT Retail or BT Innovate, therefore it is difficult to judge BTGS strategys success on the groups overall share performance (London Stock Exchange, 2011). 8. Conclusion In conclusion, BT Global services strategy can be viewed as insufficient. Their strategy has proved successful in the fact that they are acquiring exclusive contracts; steadily increasing their total revenue over the past five years and maintaining themselves as one of the largest international telecommunications company. One the other hand, they have been incurring large losses and sub optimal return on assets shedding a pessimistic view on the strategys success. Their external and internal environment can be seen as contradictory; the limited threat to new entrants and their large client base show a favourable business environment, however their current competitors and the need to maintain such a large infrastructure pose a great threat. 9. Recommendations Taking into consideration BT Global Services past strategic history and their internal and external environment, recommendations to improve their global strategy would include: Creating and sustaining a clear strategic vision by maintaining key senior management staff, by doing this BTGS will be able to maintain their objectives in accordance to their joint ventures, a problem they had with Concert. Truly differentiating themselves from ATT and Verizon Business, these two companies offer very similar IT and telecoms solutions to multinational corporations: Innovating will help create a temporary competitive advantage. Focusing on the European telecommunications market to continue securing key exclusive contracts with multinational corporations head-quartered there to take advantage of the strength that the BT brand has in that region. 10. References Andersen, T. J. (2004) Integrating the Strategy Formation Process: An International Perspective. 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[Online] 9th July [ Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/att-readies-for-battle-with-bt-granting-of-licence-to-us-giant-sets-scene-for-new-wave-of-competition-in-british-telephone-services-1412595.html FAME (2011) Company report: BT Global Services Limited [Online] [Accessed on 03/03/2011] Available from: FAME Forbes, C. (2010), Strategic Change, Lecture/Class, Manchester Metropolitan University, unpublished. Gardiner, P. D., Turner, C. (2007) De-internationalisation and global strategy: the case of British Telecomunications (BT). Journal of Business Industrial Marketing, Vol. 22 Iss:7, pp 489-497. Glick, B. (2008) BT Global Services chief quits after profit warning [Online] Computing.co.uk [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/1859249/bt-global-services-chief-quits-profit-warning Harris, N. (2010) BT will continue providing the phone and internet services for the Department for Work and Pension. [Online] ITPro [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.itpro.co.uk/620347/dwp-extends-bt-service-contract-worth-237-million Horsburgh, S. (2011) Strategy Formation. Lecture/Class, Manchester Metropolitan University, Unpublished. International Business Times (2010) Unilever signs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬173 million IT services contract with BT Global. [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/35898/20100715/unilever-signs-it-services-contract-bt-global.htm Levitt, T. (1983) The globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review. May-June London Stock Exchange (2011) BT Group PLC ORD 5p [Online] [Assesed on 26/02/2011] http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB0030913577GBGBXSET1 McIntosh (2000) BT wrestles with internal divisions over strategy The independent [Online] 19th September [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/bt-wrestles-with-internal-divisions-over-strategy-700126.html Ovum (2009) BT Global Services Scores First [Online] [Accessed on 03/03/2011] www.globalservices.bt.com/static/assets/pdf/Insights%20and%20Ideas/Ovum%20Research%20-%20BT%20Global%20Services%20Scores%20First.pdf Pappalardo, D. and Mears, J. (2002) ATT spells out international strategy. Network World [Online] [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.networkworld.com/news/2002/129527_01-28-2002.html Plunkett Research Ltd (2010) Telecommunications Industry Overview. 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Behaviour Self Management Essay

Behaviour Self-Management Project to Increase Studying Behaviour Behaviour Modification is a technique or approach used by behavioural psychologists to modify a particular behaviour and is largely used in a clinical or educational setting, particularly with those with learning disabilities (Atherton, 2011). Moreover, it also considered to be a treatment approach, as it substitutes undesirable behaviours with desired ones through the process of positive or negative reinforcement (Gary, 1988). Furthermore, behaviour modification has been used to treat numerous mental problems such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobias, enuresis, generalised anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder and many more. Subsequently, this technique has also been used to correct maladaptive behaviours by changing undesirable behaviours such as smoking, overeating, nail biting and others, as it aims to encourage the substitution of good behaviours such as studying, weight loss and etc (O’Donohue and Ferguson, 2006). The principles of behaviour modification were first developed by B. F Skinner, who had formulated the concept of operant conditioning. Skinner, had developed the concept of positive reinforcement or punishment, whereby behaviours are changed or encouraged through a reward system. Furthermore, the operant conditioning theory also states that for learning to occur, it is important that the subject is an active participant (Sheldon, 1982). In addition, behaviour modification was also formulated by Ivan Pavlov and is famously known as classical conditioning, as it is merely based on a stimuli-response formula. Besides that, Albert Bandura also contributed to behaviour modification principles, through his theory of social modelling (Baldwin & Baldwin, 1981). The theory states that learning occurs as a result of copying or imitating other people, and is termed as vicarious learning. Additionally, the theory also states that external reinforcers are important because it enables learning to occur independently of the reinforcements. Consequently, behaviour modification underlies a number of theoretical positions such that human behaviour can easily be influenced by the presentation of consequences and could be strengthened if the behaviour is followed by rewards, as well as substandard if followed by negative consequences (Guez & Allen, 2000). Moreover, human behaviour is not only controlled by internal factors, but is also driven by external factors such as social rewards like praises or gifts. Thus, the principles of behaviour modification is different compared to other techniques in changing behaviours, because it addresses the surrounding factors as well as individual factors that can promote or derail behaviour change. Additionally, behaviour modification has also proved its effectiveness in increasing student’s appropriate classroom behaviours. A study had employed behaviour modification in two second grade Negro girls in a demonstration school for the culturally deprived (Wasik, Senn, Welch, & Cooper, 1969). Data collected in the study was based on type, duration, and frequency of teacher’s verbal interactions with the student. The study also had implemented an ABAB design, whereas treatment included positive social reinforcement when appropriate behaviours occurred. Punishment had included the use of timeout from social reinforcements, as these behaviours were contingent on inappropriate attention getting behaviours. It was observed that after 25 days, desirable behaviour in the classroom had increased remarkably from 80. % in baseline to 99. 20% in treatment and continued to remain high even after three months. Therefore, this shows that behaviour modification is an effective method to increase desirable behaviours. Target Behaviour It is essential and important that the target behaviour an individual wants to change is operationally defined. The particular behaviour would also require assessment, through collection of the baseline data. Furthermore, the behaviour that I want to change is to increase my studying behaviour, which is a behavioural deficit. Ever since I was in school, I was always known to study towards the end of the semester and could generally be considered as last minute studying. Subsequently, I would tend to be easily distracted by external stimuli such as watching movies or series on the computer, calling up friends and talking for hours as well as easily persuaded to go out. I have been known since young to be very outgoing, thus whenever friends call and ask me to meet up with them, I am bound to go. Therefore, it usually delays my ability to follow my studying schedule that I have created before the semester starts. Moreover, my main antecedent that unable me to complete my suggested two hours studying per night every weekday is also because I have a tendency to download movies or series on the computer and wasting 4 hours or more watching it. There are also consequences that I face because of my procrastination to study, because after watching these series, I would only tend to study less than an hour or not at all if I am tired. Consequently, I would cram all the materials during study week and end up being exhausted. This also is a reason as to why I tend to get ill during exam week, because it causes me to have high level of stress and in turn would affect my health. Hence, these are valid reasons as to why I feel like I need to change my behaviour and start studying more hours as I should so that I would not be stressed out during exams. Besides that, stress could also cause ulcers and the common cold, which in turn could be a setback to me during exam week as I am prone to get ulcers. Additionally, it would also allow me to focus more to improve my grade ratings to my expectations as I will soon complete my undergraduate program. Other than that, increasing my studying behaviour would also allow me to get sufficient sleep and rest for the upcoming exam and it would also benefit me in terms of managing my time efficiently. Method Design The design that I have chosen for this particular self management project is the ABAB reversal design. This design represents the attempt to first measure the baseline, the treatment that follows the initial baseline, the introduction of the second baseline as well as the reintroduction of the treatment again. Additionally, this method of application helps identify the effects of treatment and measure what happens when treatment is removed. Hence, this research design would help establish whether functional relationship exists between the target behaviour and intervention. Materials The materials used in this project include a structured diary that is recorded in the computer, behaviour contract, handphone, post-it notes, playing cards and reminders. Procedure Additionally, for this particular behaviour modification project, the operational definition is first defined as reading pages from the textbook and underlining as well as understanding sentences in the text and reading notes from the lectures for two hours. Furthermore, the behaviour would be recorded through self monitoring during baseline and treatment period as the behaviour does not occur frequently throughout the day and it only occurs during the period when no one else is around to observe. The observational period is recorded in the natural setting, which is in the study room at my home, and it is where studying behaviour typically occurs. The type of behavioural recording used is the duration recording, whereby studying behaviour is observed for two hours, between 8. 30p. m to 10. 0p. m on weekdays only. Next, in order to increase studying behaviour during weekdays, a generalised conditioned reinforcer, which is the token economy system is used because it reinforces the behaviour and minimises the need to use reactive strategies to deal with setbacks as well as it enables the ability to pair up with a variety of other reinforcers. In addition, the token economy is a playing card with my housemate’s signature on it, and one card would be given each day, whenever the desired behaviour occurred at least 2 hours a day. Furthermore, the acquired tokens would be eligible to trade with certain privileges and would be forfeited if the behaviour does not meet the expected requirements. Hence, a variety of backup reinforces are used in exchange with the accumulated playing cards on every Friday to determine the type of privileges that would be given and further information is provided in the behavioural contract (Appendix A). Besides that, punishment would be provided if I fail to meet the expected requirement. Additionally, the schedule of reinforcement chosen for this particular project is fixed interval, whereby studying behaviour is reinforced only if it occurs for at least two hours. The behaviour occurrence would also be recorded in the computer, as the behaviour occurs at home in the study room. Besides that, during the treatment period, my friends and housemate have also promised to give me social support and reinforcements. In addition, various types of response and stimulus prompts are also used in this project. Verbal prompts such as reminders to study are used by friends and housemates to evoke the desired behaviour in myself. They will do this by not persuading me to go out with them and reminding me to study instead. Furthermore, environmental prompts are also used in this project such as post its on the mirror, computer in the study room and class file that I carry to class every day, as well as using the hand phone to set alarm to study. In addition, within prompt fading was used in the second treatment period, for response prompts, whereby friends and boyfriend provided fewer verbal prompts as the week progressed during treatment period. Next, stimulus fading was also used in the second treatment period for environmental prompts, whereby on the first day, removal of alarm clock would be used and for subsequent days, one post its would be removed from either the mirror, computer or class file until the last day of treatment. Results The baseline and treatment data was collected for a period of four weeks and intervention was applied during treatment 1 and treatment 2. Figure 1: Studying behaviour in baseline and treatment weeks. Figure 1 shows that during the first baseline, studying behaviour did not occur at all for the first two days, one hour for the third, again none on the fourth and two hours on the fifth day. Hence, the average studying hours for the first baseline week is 0. 4 hours or 24 minutes. Furthermore, this could be clearly seen in the structured diary attached for the first baseline (Appendix B). Next, intervention took place in the second week, whereby various strategies were used to increase studying behaviour. Results showed that studying behaviour had occurred for two hours for the first and second day, one hour for the third day, two hours for the fourth day, and none on the fifth day. This shows that studying behaviour had increased to an average of 1. 4 hours a day and that there was an increase of 50% from the initial baseline to the treatment period. Moreover, the self management project had returned to baseline on the third week and results showed that studying behaviour had occurred for 2. hours on the first day, one hour on the second, none on the third and fourth and two hours on the fifth day. Thus, the average studying behaviour was 1. 1 hours a day for the second baseline period. Although the average hours were less compared to the treatment period, however, there was definitely an increase compared to the first baseline period, whereby average hours were only 0. 4 hours. Next, intervention was again applied and the second treatment results showed that studying behaviour occurred for one hour on the first day, 2. hours on the second, two hours on the third, one hour on the fourth, and two hours on the fifth day. Hence, the average studying hours is approximately 1. 7 hours a day. Thus, this also shows that there is an increase of studying behaviour between the second baseline and second treatment period. Besides that, there is also a staggering increase from the initial baseline and second treatment period, that precedes to fluctuate in the second baseline, when intervention was removed. Discussion  The behaviour modification project to increase studying behaviour was definitely a success because the graphs showed an increase in hours of studying as compared to the baseline data, thus indicating that there us a functional relationship between the target behaviour and the procedure. Furthermore, it is clear that the token economy system was a contributor to the success of increasing studying behaviour because once token economy was removed in the second baseline; the target behaviour had decreased tremendously. In addition, the target behaviour had increased when the second intervention was applied in the fourth week. Moreover, the use of reinforcements and punishment also helped me to keep myself motivated and determined to achieve the weekly goal that was set. Besides that, the use of within stimulus fading helped me generalise my behaviour to the subsequent weeks ahead, hence I had gradually adjusted myself with getting used to having less and less prompts throughout the week. However, there were also some limitations in this project, whereby, the duration of treatment intervention is too short to allow the behaviour to fully adjust and be generalised without the use of prompts. In addition, self monitoring was used during observation of behaviour for the baseline data. Observer may not be trained enough to record her own behaviour, hence data may not be as reliable as compared to having an inter rater observation. Moreover, the implementation of reinforcement contingency was my housemate, and sometimes the reinforcements were given a day later because she is not around. This has affected the effectiveness of the token as a reinforcing consequence as some deliveries of the token did not occur immediately after the response occurred according to the expected schedule. Furthermore, due to the delay between the response and token, it could have also affected the connection strength of the behaviour. In conclusion, behaviour modification is definitely an effective treatment method to help increase, decrease or develop new behaviours and it is applicable to use in a variety of problematic behaviours.

Gender in Jane Eyre Essay

â€Å"All the house belongs to me, or will do in a few years†. Discuss the significance of gender in Bronte’s portrayal of the child characters in Jane Eyre. Through my study of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, I was quick to discover that the novel is a product of its time, but also portrays revolutionary ideas about female autonomy and the right to equality for all. Jane Eyre was written in 1847, a time were a women’s social standing and importance was significantly less to that of her male counterpart. A woman’s main objective was to find a husband and settle down. Little was made of a woman’s career choices or opportunities as it was considered daft to think a low born girl could grow up to be anything more than a governess. (Murphy, 2013) Merry E. Weisner states that â€Å"People did talk less formally about a woman’s life, however, and when they did it was her sexual status and relationship to a man that mattered most./ A woman was a virgin, wife or widow, or alternately a daughter, wife or mother† (Weisner, 1993, p51-52). Gender is a very important theme throughout Jane Eyre and can be noted particularly well through a study of the novel’s child characters. John Reed is a prime example of how class and gender conformities seep through the very permeable age barrier at a young age. John Reed is not your typical high born Victorian gentleman and this can be noted first through his image, â€Å"John Reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old/ large and stout for his age, with a dingy and unwholesome skin; thick lineaments in a spacious visage, heavy limbs and large extremities. He gorged himself habitually at table, which made him bilious and gave him a dim and bleared eye and flabby cheeks† (Bronte, p4). We see him bully Jane unrelentingly at the start of the novel and this can be deducted to a number of reasons. John is indulged by his mother and thus has a feeling of self-importance and superiority. To some degree he probably takes a lead from her (who also dislikes Jane). As the only ‘man of the house’ John believes he is head and shoulders above a lowly orphan girl. He does not believe that she is worthy of what he , (by way of birth right), provides for her, and thus takes it upon himself to punish her accordingly, â€Å"you have no money, your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mama’s expense†(Bronte, 6) As the only high born male in the house he feels that he has the authority to dish out verbal and physical abuse as he sees appropriate. So  strong is his sense of self importance that he never feels as though he is on the losing end of an argument. A young Jane is aware of this and as a female in ‘his’ household, feels like she has to do what he says, even though she knows it will not end well. We see this when she allows him to throw a book at her after she takes one to read behind the curtain, â€Å"the volume was flung, it hit me, and I fell, striking my head against the door and cutting it.† (Bronte, 6). Although it is from this incident that Jane first finds her voice against an oppressive male figure, it’s still an insight into the psyche of a young boy in the early 1800’s, and one that certainly portrays how gender could shape a society in the early 19th century. (Hesse, 2013, 1) Helen Burns is a girl who suffers greatly from the wrath of M r Brocklehurst and Mrs Scatcherd. Brocklehurst believes that all girls are intrinsically born indulgent and that they want the luxuries of life that only men can offer them and thus aims to humble the girls of Lowood through food deprivation and the cutting of their hair, i.e., taking away their femininity. (Capes, 2013, 1) The conflict between Brocklehurst and Helen can on the surface, seem like a religious one, but as you delve deeper into the mind of Bronte at the time of writing, you soon find out that it has a lot more to do with gender than you might have thought. In the early 1800’s, it was men who had all the power in the church and woman were expected to serve the clergymen and on occasion help out at Sunday school. The history of Christianity is full of male martyrs who upon death are given hero status. Helen Burns serves as paradox to this idea. Helen dies of consumption, which is largely down to poor conditions she has to put up with as a result of Brocklehurst’s pious, self-righteous quest to humble the girls of Lowood. She is the epitome of good Christian values. Her ‘turn the other cheek’ outlook on life is what defines her in the novel and ultimately what Jane finds most interesting about her. Her death is beautiful, and shows a deep, sophisticated insight into what it meant to be a good Christian in the early 1800’s. Ironically, Brocklehurst’s pious crusade sees Helen, the better Christian, die. Helen is the martyr character in Jane Eyre. She is there to portray that it doesn’t matter how good a Christian you are, women will always be subordinate to their male counterparts. Even her name ‘Burns’ signifies both the hellish life she has suffered, and also how she was damned from the start. (Creelman, 2005) Bronte uses her to show  the gender conflict at the time of her writing and also as a way in which to progress Jane’s character. Jane is an average looking, intelligent, and brutally honest girl. She has been an orphan from a young age and as a lowly born, orphan female, she has faced oppression all her life. Although she has faced oppression and threats to her autonomy, she continually succeeds in showing she can be a free thinking, independent female (Murphy, 2013) The first time we see Jane stand up to male authority is through an outburst she directs towards John after he throws the book at her, â€Å"Wicked and cruel boy!† I said. â⠂¬Å"You are like a murderer–you are like a slave-driver–you are like the Roman emperors!† (Bronte, p6) It is after this she gets sent to the red room and we truly see the nature of how unfairly she is treated. Later we see her rebuke Mrs Reed’s claim that she is deceitful and should be brought up in a manner which best suits her prospects. â€Å"I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may give to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, not I† (Bronte, 1847). It is through these comments that we see Jane’s first verbal victory against an oppressor and it marks an important point in Jane’s discovery for autonomy. Mr Brocklehurst forms an opinion about Jane because of the fact that she is a lowly female girl and also because of the account he received from Mrs Reed. Jane is someone looking to break the mould. She has her own ideas of autonomy and gender inequality. Along the way she has gained inspiration from women who have managed to succeed in one way or another. Mrs Fairfax is the authority of Lowood w hen Mr Brocklehurst isn’t around. She is a powerful woman, a person Jane can look up to. Not only is she powerful but she is also kind, and makes a good impression on Jane. Other examples of this include Miss Temple and Helen Burns. On a more extreme level, Celine Varens is a woman who is at the mercy of men, but can manipulate her lovers into indulging her. She treats them badly as a result. (crossref-it.info) A young Jane soon finds out that although she is female, as long as she keeps her morals, she can succeed. Overall Jane Eyre offers us valuable insight into gender roles in the early 1800’s. Whether it’s the patriarchal way in which a 14 year old John Reed finds power, the submissive way in which a young Christian girl ‘turns the other cheek’ in the face of oppression, or how one little girl with  revolutionary self-worth gains autonomy in a male dominated world, Jane Eyre remains a classic novel, and one which will remain so for many years to come. Bibliography Crossref-it.info/Jane-Eyre/9/1082 6/11/2013 Kristycaper.co.uk/post/19688269684/gender-and-sexism-in-charlotte-brontes-jane-eyre 7/11/2013 Jane Eyre, 1847, Penguin Books, England Kamia Creelman, July 2005, Department of English University of New Brunswick, www.lib.unb.ca/texts/jsv/number27/creelman.htm Merry E. Wiesner- Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe, first published 1993, second edition 2000, Cambridge University Press Sharon Murphy, Lecture Notes, 2013 Suzanne Hesse- www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/hesse1.htm

Vaccines Are More Effective As Adults - 948 Words

For the past few years, stories about vaccines have been told all over the news. There have been many arguments about them. People have been against them for personal reasons and because they are simply misinformed. However, what these people do not realize is how the benefits outweigh the risks. The benefits protect individuals as well as the community. Children are exposed to more risks, but some vaccines are more effective as adults. The risks of vaccines are extremely rare and should not be feared. Vaccinations not only affect an individual, but also affect the entire community. Vaccines help protect the community from getting deathly diseases that could easily be prevented with a simple shot. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2015, one hundred sixty nine cases and five outbreaks were reported in the United States. All cases were reportedly linked to the first outbreak in California. The disease spread in twenty states such as Washington, Utah, Texas, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, Delaware, Colorado, California, and Arizona (â€Å"Measles Cases and Outbreaks.†) The only way to possibly be immune to a disease is to have it. The death rate has changed over the years. Before the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, one hundred to one hundred and fifty people died and ten thousand people were hospitalized each year in the United States Show MoreRelatedInfluenza Vaccines And The Flu Vaccine1519 Words   |  7 PagesInfluenza Vaccines Summary This paper explores published works related to patients who received the flu vaccine who were sixty-five years and older. The evaluated articles examine the effectiveness the flu vaccine had on the patient population of sixty-five years and older in relation to avoiding the flu and pneumonia diseases and hospitalizations, in this group of patients. It has been conceded for years that senior adults age sixty-five and older are at greater risk from an influenza illness andRead MoreTaking a Look at Meningococcal Vaccination807 Words   |  3 Pages A vaccine is an antibiotic that allows your immune system to grow stronger and â€Å"immune† by producing excess antibodies specifically for that disease allowing your body to fight against the disease better. Vaccines are created through taking the disease and putting it through a series of processes where the virus is weakened to a certain state that it does minimal damage to your body when injected. This process is put into 5 step s by originally creating the antigen, next they release the antigenRead MoreThe Effectiveness Of The Hpv Vaccine1555 Words   |  7 Pagesimmunizations has been studies for years. Edward Jenner, the producer of the first vaccination, reduced the frequency of diseases through immunization (Mhaske 209). HPV and MMR vaccines elongate lives by immunizing them from harmful infections. Studies are being conducted to test the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. The first HPV vaccine came out in June of 2006, but it was not released until 2007 (Vetter, Geller 1258) (Fonteneau 2). HPV stands for Human Papillomavirus; it is a sexually transmitted diseaseRead MoreMeningitis (Cdc, 2016).The Affordable Care Act Allows Children1343 Words   |  6 Pagesuntil the age of 26. The next set of recommended vaccines for adults are from the age of 60 and older. The elderly are exposed to many diseases due to weakened immune systems. 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The word â€Å"vaccines† comes from a disease that occurred ages ago named cowpox that affected cows. The word vaccine is derived from the latin word â€Å"vacca† meaning cow.   Vaccines cause immunization, a process by which a person becomes protectedRead MoreFlu Shots Should Be Legal719 Words   |  3 PagesFlu shots should not be optional    What is the influenza virus? From Mayo Clinic â€Å"Influenza is a respiratory infection that can cause serious complications, particularly in young children, older adults and people with certain medical conditions. Flu shots are the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications†. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months of age or older be vaccinated annually against influenza. Especially those vulnerableRead MoreChickenpox683 Words   |  3 Pagesinto scabs. Rash first on face, chest, and back. The rash then spreads to inside mouth, eyelids, and genital area. Chickenpox is rarely fatal however more severe to men than women or children. Infants, persons with weak immune systems, and pregnant women have a greater chance of contracting the virus. The also stand a greater chance of developing more serious complications that include skin infection, bone infections, joint infections, pneumonia, inflammation or infection of the brain, blood streamRead MoreVaccines776 Words   |  4 PagesThesis question: Do parents have a right to withhold vaccines from their children for philosophical reasons, or should parents be forced to have their children immunized for the good of society? Thesis statement: â€Å"Since vaccines have been invented, there has been a lot of controversy regarding the belief whether parents should immunize their children for the benefit of the society or withhold vaccines for personal reasons†. Introduction: It is inevitable that media, especially tabloids and