Does Gatsby love Daisy Essay

Does Gatsby love Daisy or the aura of wealth that she owns? The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece about various themes such as class, love and wealth. One of the themes highlighted is romantic affair between two main characters: Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby is clearly obsessed with Daisy, however, it is doubtful that those strong feeling is a proof of love. This essay advocates that Gatsby does not love Daisy but the wealth she symbolizes. Firstly, wealth is the origin of Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy. Gatsby believes he is â€Å"the son of God† (Fitzgerald 105) and struggles to civilize himself into a wealthy man. When he is a poor soldier, he meets Daisy, â€Å"the first ‘nice’ girl† he has never met (Fitzgerald 158). Throughout the story, it is found that she is ‘nice’ because she is â€Å"the golden girl† with the voice â€Å"full of money† (Fitzgerald 128). Gatsby equates Daisy with luxurious things around her (1) and â€Å"[is] overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves, of the freshness of many clothes and of Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor† (Fitzgerald 160). He is attracted by her beauty but that beauty is also a gift of richness. From the beginning, the trigger of his love for Daisy is merely his worship of Daisy’s wealthy life. Moreover, Gatsby nurtures Daisy’s love for him by showering it only with his wealth and success. He throws lots of big parties to attract Daisy’s attention. Additionally, after five years being separated from Daisy, what Gatsby worries about when he meets her is not whether she misses him but whether his mansion looks well and the first place he wants her to visit is his splendid house (2). He keeps showing off his belongings and asking Daisy to check whether she is impressed. When â€Å"he [revalues] everything in his house according to the measure of response it [draws] from her well-loved eyes† (Fitzgerald 98), it is clear that Daisy’s recognition of his achievements concerns him the most and Gatsby overestimates the importance of material passion in his relationship with Daisy. In the end of the story, when Gatsby is willing to scarify his life-work and fame to save Daisy from being a murderer, this event is argued to be an evidence of love. However, as he desires her in the same way he is in pursuit of the glory of success and Daisy is only a supreme object helping him to strengthen his achievements, the act of protecting her is merely to protect the thing he longs for in his whole life. To conclude, passion Gatsby has with Daisy  cannot be called love. His emotional obsession with her results from his mental obsession with material life. Besides, in Gatsby’s belief, Daisy’s love is kept in existence by his giant property and what he does is just feed this love with money. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Ebook.

Sebastians voodoo

Baldwin attention to detail was part of what made this AD animation intriguing. He used the animation technique of anthropomorphism by showing the breathing movements of the dolls. The film used a lot Of imagination, emotion and drama. The short video told a complete story without missing any plots, which made the mood of the piece very mysterious and suspenseful. Till the very end of the film, kept wondering what was going to happen next, if the witch doctor was going to spot the escaped doll or if the doll was going to successfully kill the doctorate.I also felt sympathy for the dolls because they looked worried and frightened. The uses of deem lightning was a major contribution to the eerie feel of the animation. It was easy to understand that the film was going to be gloomy and dark because of the low lightning. The dark silhouette of the witch doctor also contributed to the fear of the unknown. The juxtaposition of light and darkness was also emphasized. The dark lights in the b eginning and the bright lights at the end enhanced the story and plot. The witchdoctor symbolized darkness and the voodoo dolls ironically, symbolized light and hope.When the witch doctor died, a bright light filled the room, which showed that good always wins against evil and the voodoo dolls had been saved. Right from the onset of the film, the moody soundtrack, which played through out the film at different tempos, sets up a mysterious atmosphere of suspense, fear and tension. The music, which is non-dietetic, gave the animation a dark and sinister feel. Before the witch doctor pinned the first voodoo doll, the soundtrack was exciting and drum eke, but after the doll fell to the table, the sound track changed to a mournful tone.The moody soundtrack supplemented the lack of dialogue and narration as the soundtrack also told the story. Aside from mood music, there were also dietetic sounds; flickering lights, footsteps, switching of the light switch and opening and closing of doors were also important details as they added to the feeling of suspense and fear of the unknown. Additionally, the animation was fairly cartoon but the voodoo dolls had realistic human like movements. The animation was also very full as there are a lot Of movements, which improved the quality Of the animation.The themes of life and death used in this piece showed a higher level of maturity because they rose above basic themes usually used for exaggerated animations. The last few seconds of the animation, touched on a contemporary subject matter that is important today- self-sacrifice. Sacrificing our personal needs for the ones we love can lead to a greater good. Just like how the escaped voodoo doll was courageous in sacrificing his own life by facing off the evil antagonist, e was able to save the other voodoo dolls from death.

Women in the Great Depression

The Great Depression was a time of extreme hardship for many around the world especially within Australia. It began before the market crash in prices and lasted until World War 2. Many people became unemployed with a record at 29%. Many lost their houses forcing families, women and men to relocate to alternative accommodation. Women were especially affected by the disastrous depression. The importance of their roles within the household increased. Women were kept busy finding food, providing for their family, working and Juggling between children.Food What was the most common food available? Food In the Great Depression was very limited and scarce. Flower gardens were converted to vegetable gardens, mushrooms and blackberries were collected and fishing or rehabbing also became important if one lived in an appropriate area. The men usually took on the role of hunting, while the women stayed at home and cooked. For women It was particularly difficult, It was hard to create filling meal s due to lack of ingredients. Bread and dripping, mince and soup was the most common food served in a variety of ways, it was the staple diet of many unemployed.Another common and popular meal known throughout many Australian households was Golden syrup and treacle. Housing How did housing styles and architecture change through the great depression? During the great depression, there was a shortage of tradesmen. Ceilings of houses were lowered and the paneling became larger. The floor plan was much more simple and houses were smaller. Most were only one storey In height. The style of roof construction also changed. Many houses In that era had a â€Å"sleep out. † A â€Å"sleep out† was an outside patio or area allowing people to sleep on, on a hot summer night.It was also used for a healthy alternative to fresh air, as a common disease known back then was Tuberculosis and there was no cure. The front bricks were usually a very dark blue/black brick with brown â€Å"co mmons† on the side. The houses were very functional and well built for their time. Many people were evicted of their homes because they were unable to pay the landlord. The houses were left empty which then resulted in most situations becoming vandalized and damaged. What was the most common type of housing known throughout this time and seen In many suburbs across Australia?The most common types of architecture included the California Bungalow, Agrarian, Spanish Mission and the Old English. Clothing Where did women shop and what did they wear during this era? The clothing of women during the sass's reflected highly upon their social status and the levels of unemployment and poverty. Many high-class women shopped at large department stores including Grace Brothers and Meyer. They were influenced upon the high-end fashions seen throughout films. Charity balls were a perfect occasion to show off their new outfits.In an autumn catalogue called Sears, It quotes â€Å"Thrift Is th e spells of he day, reckless spending is a thing of the past. † For the poor, clothing was usually hand-me-downs make from simple fabrics like cotton and wool. Women also began to 1 OFF How did women in particular entertainment themselves through the great depression? Much of the entertainment was centered within the home. Evenings were spent singing round the piano or playing cards. For those who were unable to afford outings, the radio was extremely popular. Sporting events became a main activity for many including Cricket and horse races such as the Melbourne Cup.For the wealthy r those who were able to source full time work, charity balls and parties were held on Friday and Saturday nights in the city or middle-class suburbs. The poor did not attend these events; however for those who could, enjoyed the luxurious scenes, lavish food, tasteful drinks and extravagant dancing. Another popular source of entertainment included going to the cinemas. For many it was a place to es cape their everyday life and sit back and relax. 95% of the films came from Hollywood. Live theatre was a cheap and effective source of entertainment. Many attended a performance by the comedian the clown Roy Rene.Work How was finding work difficult for women? Throughout the great depression many women struggled to earn income and provide for their families. In 1932, the level of unemployment in Adelaide, South Australia was 29% according to http://aura. Anis. Du. AU/R/? Fun=dobbin-Jump- full=unisa25993 written by Rosemary Green. For women it was particularly difficult to find employment, wages were low and many found it hard to make a living. Most married women were expected to devote themselves to household work and caring for children, while on the other hand men worked to earn an income.They also received a greater burden even after working all day they were expected to cook dinner and maintain house order. Loss of Job could've been disastrous, unemployment was a major issue cau sing poverty and the government did not fund women during the depression. What was the most common area of employment? Most women were restricted to only certain areas within the workforce. Women were still concentrated in traditional Jobs, the major area of employment being domestic service, industrial work in clothing and textile manufacturing, consumer goods, commerce and fiance and public and professional administration.

Compensation and benefits management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compensation and benefits management - Essay Example Compensation & Benefits Management An effective compensation and benefits plan is one of the most crucial human resource procedures. A well equipped compensation and benefits policy assures effective returns for an organization. There is a famous axiom according to which a person will always have to offer things to people in return for what they acquire from them, in short, give and take. Compensation refers to this trend; however in financial terms. Compensation is the employer’s reaction towards an employee’s effort. It determines the financial worth an organization offers to its workforce in return of their services. Since employees are not motivated to work merely for the money alone, they want ‘extra’. This extra can be termed as the employee benefits. It is also commonly known as the fringe benefits. Employee benefits are non-fiscal compensation suggested in addition to money for the enhancement of employee’s well being (Biswas, 2012). Contribu tion of an effective compensation and benefit system towards organizational effectiveness An effective compensation and benefit program supports to attract, encourage, and maintain talent in an organization. A well planned compensation and benefits philosophy can benefit an organization in a number of ways (Henderson, 2006). Workplace satisfaction: Through effective compensation and benefit management, workers would be content with their occupations and would be motivated to perform better if they are awarded with adequate appraisals and incentives in return of their services. Encouragement: Every individual poses different motivational triggers. Many of them are motivated by money and willing to work for companies which offer higher pay. While some consider self-accomplishments as a greater motivation for themselves and tend to work in an environment where they find greater opportunities of learning, growth and promotion. Thus, a compensation policy that targets employee’s r equirements is more likely to encourage them to work in a desired manner. Lower Absenteeism: Through an effective compensation and benefits management, employees would not want to miss any day of their work. They will be happy with the way they are paid as well as with other incentives they desire. Minimum Turnover: If the compensation and benefit management is effective enough, then the employees least want to shift the organization. Employee’s Well-being: Through offering numerous types of incentives to your employees alleviates them from specific fears. The employees will perform with more confidence (Henderson, 2006). The city’s largest employer, Holland Enterprises after facing a massive turnover rate recently, needs to have an effective compensation system comprising of few major objectives. It has to empower the organization so that it can attract and maintain talented individuals. The compensation and benefits management should encourage employees, nurture a se nse of equity and offers a reward for their efforts. The program must help, interact and strengthen the organization’s culture, norms, and long term competitive strategy. Moreover, the compensation and benefits management should develop a cost structure which determines the organization’s potential to pay its employees. Finally, it has to coordinate with state laws and policies (Idemobi and Onyeizugbe et al., 2011). In order to attain Holland Enterprise

SOC 428 (Families, Delinquency, & Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

SOC 428 (Families, Delinquency, & Crimes - Essay Example The impact of working mothers on childcare and development of young children is even greater. With less time to spend together as a family, the development of children is then influenced to an even greater extent on external factors outside the family circle. The school environment, the social interaction with other children in the neighborhood, participation in local clubs and societies etc. take on a bigger role in shaping the social character of the child and extent, if any, of an inclination towards antisocial behaviors. The importance of greater time for social interaction of parents with their children in the context of the relationship between family variables and child behavior is discussed in Family Process journal1, wherein it states that â€Å"although a diversity of factors may be associated with the development and maintenance of conduct/oppositional disorders in children, of primary importance are the moment-to-moment interactions that the child has with his or her primary caregivers.† It is an unfortunate present day reality that in many families, parents do not spend sufficient time with their children as they used to, usually due to work commitments. So it is no surprise that they acquire habits, attitudes and behaviors from elsewhere that prove detrimental to their future lives. As far as the effects of the neighborhood is concerned on family processes, especially in the absence of sufficient parental involvement in the lives of their children, it too can be a significant factor. Emily and Daniel2 conducted a longitudinal study from toddlerhood to school entry of the impact of neighborhood disadvantage on early child overt behavior problems in a low-income, urban sample of 281 African American and European American boys. Neighborhood effects on boys behavior emerged, albeit only at age 6 at the extreme of neighborhood disadvantage. Findings suggested that boys in underclass

Roles of Psychiatric Nurses in Mental Health Nursing Essay

Roles of Psychiatric Nurses in Mental Health Nursing - Essay Example At the same time, some contemporary cultures are more tolerant, and their beliefs suggest that family and community members are keys to the care and treatment of the mentally ill. The impact of longstanding beliefs and values on care provision: Mental health nurses are from the population, and before being mental health nurses, they were lay people. Therefore, it is very likely that the beliefs and values about mental health deeply ingrained in societies would be carried forward in the nurses, unless they acquire mental health literacy. It is ironical that while amongst the nurses, the importance of health literacy in terms of physical health is well recognised, even among them, the area of mental health literacy is comparatively ignored. Prejudice, stereotyping, and stigma of the healthcare professionals in the psychological health field has influenced care traditionally, mainly because of the fact that those are difficult to change, and if this occurs in the mental health nurses, would influence the care outcome. When nurses understand different cultures as they relate to individual feelings and motivations, they will be better equipped to adapt mental health care to the backgrounds and lifestyles of their clients. It is a matter of growing concern and an important issue in delivery of mental health care in the Australian Healthcare System. According to the DHS (1998) one of the roles of the psychiatric nurse is to have an awareness of stigma and the ability to challenge their beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, and bias about mental disorder. It is required by the standards of practice to implement this changing "attitude" of the nurses into practice to eliminate discrimination in practice, and therefore, "Reflecting on practice, feelings and beliefs and the consequences of these for individuals/groups is an important professional benchmark" (ANMC, 2006). Nursing care of people with psychiatric illnesses and emotional problems very frequently are more complex because of cultural differences between the nurses' and patients' backgrounds and cultural heritages. It is important for nurses to understand clearly the thinking and perspectives of other cultures and groups, especially to which their clients belong. Because treating mental disorders is intertwined with peoples' attitudes about themselves, their beliefs, values, and ways of interacting with their families and communities, it is crucial that psychiatric nurses be culturally competent in their practice. The awareness about these factors leads to knowledge and alteration of beliefs about mental disorders in nurses, and this alteration would aid the recognition, better management, and efficient prevention of these disorders. This awareness has several components including the ability to recognise specific disorders or different types of psychological distress, knowledge and beliefs about risk factors and causes, knowledge and beliefs about interventions, and attitudes that facilitate recognition and offer help. Poor knowledge about mental illness and negative attitude towards patients suffering from mental illness is widespread among the mental health workers including nurses. Educational interventions can reduce stigma, and as noted earlier, stigmatizing opinions are not related to knowledge. Mental health

What are the causes and effects of obesity Essay

What are the causes and effects of obesity - Essay Example This essay "What are the causes and effects of obesity?" outlines the major reasons for obesity and its impact on the health of the person who suffers from this health condition. It is surprising that many regions that registered high poverty rates in the past are now making headlines with the alarming obesity rates. Evidently, unhealthy eating habits are a leading contributor to the increasing rates of obesity. Notably, many people living in the developed and developing world consume unhealthy foods. There is a remarkable high preference for food products that have high sugar content instead of whole food (Gustafson 2015, n.p). The increased consumption of soft drinks and high-fat content food has also contributed to the development of obesity in many parts of the globe. According to the Word Obesity Federation, unhealthy eating habits have contributed to an energy imbalance in the body. The globe registers a higher level of food consumption. For this reason, the intake of calories is higher than the body requires (Abc.net.au 2015, n.p). People are slowly becoming used to large food portions without considering the recommended calorie intake required for their body and age. The preference for high-energy food serves to increase the energy imbalance in the body. Lack of physical exercise is an additional cause of the increasing rates of obesity. Many people are adopting a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise at all. The world has moved into a new technology level, eliminating the value of physical labour.

Market analysis for private investors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Market analysis for private investors - Essay Example In 2009, the equity investment fell miserably forcing a number of investors undergoing a great loss in their investment. Nonetheless, the performance of the equity investment began to pick from late in the year 2009 to 2010. The performance of the equity investment kept on rising steadily to its peak in 2011. This was a relief to most investors considering most of them underwent a massive loss during recession period (Cherry, 2011, 40). The investment performance of the equity income for the last five years clearly shows how the equity income experienced both a decline and a rise in its market performance. Recession and the hard economic times experienced in year 2008-2009 were responsible for the poor performance of equity income investment. Aberdeen UK equity income A ACC was well managed to ensure its future performance was optimally maintained so that investors can obtain reasonable returns (Cherry, 2011, 41). In addition, history is also well managed so that the trend of investm ent of the equity income can be seen clearly. Therefore, investing in equity income requires a clear focus in investment, management and its growth. Risk averse investors can use this kind of investment income because its investment is diversified around the world. JPM natural resources involve investment in production and marketing commodities around the world. Investing in JPM natural resources guarantees capital growth in the long term. From the year, 2007 to 2011 JPM natural resources experienced a rise and a fall in investment performance (Salih, 2011, 12). J.P For instance, the year 2007 had steady growth in performance of JPM natural resources. The performance of the investment remained between 0-40 percent until 2009 when the investment performance declined to negative. The performance started picking again at the beginning of 2009 and it kept on rising steadily to 2011. Performance of the JPM natural resources can be considered stable in recent years (Salih, 2011, 13). This investment portfolio was also affected by recession and difficult economic times in the year 2008-2009. The investment is expected to benefit its investors after awhile. Therefore, investors considering investing in this portfolio need to be patient with their returns. Fidelity south East Asia is an investment portfolio with an objective of raising long-term capital from diverse companies throughout pacific basin excluding Japan. The investment portfolio is known to favor large companies in addition; the investment portfolio has better investing opportunities with greater risk (Adams, 2007, 95). In the past five years, fidelity south East Asia has recorded constant growth with a number of declines in the investment. The year 2008 recorded a fall in performance of fidelity East Asia investment due to recession and economic downfall of all investments around the world. From year 2009 to 2011, the investment portfolio recorded a steady growth providing investors with recommendable ret urns. Investing in fidelity south East Asia requires an investor to incur some charges (Adams, 2007, 96). In order to invest in fidelity south East Asia one is required to invest a minimum of a thousand pounds and a top up of two hundred and fifty pounds (Adams, 2007, 97). There is a standard charge for all

Going Green in the Hospitality Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Going Green in the Hospitality Industry - Essay Example As such, the environment and its conservation have become a selling point for even airlines, where green airlines are even getting the bulk of passengers in air travel as can be seen in Continental airlines that has gone a step further to use biofuels. Consequently, hotels and other allied industries have taken competition a notch higher in order to make a kill in terms of revenue as has been seen with the Orchid Mumbai that is eco-certified making it highly competitive as compared to other five star hotels like itself (Ernst and Young 6). This is also because clients and other allied parties demand green programs, as well as their sense of corporate responsibility, where the industry, especially hotels do not intend to harm the environment with waste products. Hotels, as part of the hospitality industry could apply a number of measures that see to it that environmental conservation is enhanced and maintained. With this in mind, attempts at energy conservation are seen as the most si gnificant means through which the industry can go green, which serves both institutions and the environment, from which angle it can be viewed as humans being part of the environment. Hotels have gone green with genius ways of saving on energy both financially and best of all consumption, where their lighting systems consume just a fraction of conventional systems found at home and at non-green hotels. Energy conservations involves energy saving bulbs and other lighting systems consuming minimum energy for best results coupled with other solutions. The other solutions entail bright coloring that allows for large amounts of reflection, which requires lesser lighting than rooms with dark colors. From this perspective, some hotels are using LED (light emitting diodes) lighting, which consumes low power, as can be seen in the case of Econo Lodge hotels in the US ("LED Lighting Helps..."). Going green has also been achieved through tier systems that work as a bundle such as infrared sens ors that monitor brightness and switching lights on and off. The concept saves the industry more than 12 kilowatts of electricity produced and wasted by production and consumption. Other green initiatives in hospitality can be seen in air conditioning as seen in Japanese institutions, where there is a unique system of harvesting snow during winter and storing it up for use during summer, when it is hot. This works by cooling hotels and apartments using Japanese All-Air-Systems (Skogsberg 7). In waste management, the industry has the potential to improve its green imitative due certain aspects that involve recycling, reusing and reducing production of waste. On the production of waste, manufacturers of packaging items and materials are aware that what they produce ends up as waste. As a result, it the responsibility of hotels, travel agencies and other institutions in the hospitality industry to save the environment by choosing wisely and keeping of too much wrap on items. With this in mind, certain institutions have managed to do this by coming up with genius policies such as introduction of the hospitality and food service agreement that serves to ensure that there is not much waste in packaging by reducing, reusing and recycling ("Small Hotel makes..." 2). A

Riordan New System Proposal Essay Example for Free

Riordan New System Proposal Essay Riordan Manufacturing is a company that produces plastic from beverage containers to the automotive and aircraft industries. In order for Riordan to continue to be the leader in the polymer materials industries, they must improve there system. Finance and accounting is one of the areas to become more compatible with all of the locations that the company has. Data that is received at the main office is not complete, inacurrate and time consuming. In the finance and accounting department the lack of compatibility maks compliance with government regulations difficult. Labor ranging from processing papers and costly and labor in audits is part of the upgrade and integrated with a new software program. Sales and marketing has a need to increase their sales and strengthen their current customer base. CMS needs a new approach to increase sales and strengthen their customer base. Information for sales, major accounts, contracts, government accounts, and minor accounts of different customers. The stragety of using the internet will perform marketing campaign. This will help to increase sales and recognition for the company and also expand the company reach and increase profitability. Human Resources system is outdated and is not meeting expectations of the company. HR has a lack of security required for personal information and organizational confidentiality. Beginning with the upgrade of internal secutity of Riordan current system. HR goal is to combine benefits, administration, payroll, recruiting and training, and performance analysis. Creating a system that will minimize the cost per associate. Implementing a new system will avoid compromising and possible legal actions from happening. Riordan will need specialize sofware for their type of operation. A new software will allow them to operate worldwide. The software is SagePFW which will improve and capture all efficiency and merge complex manufacturing techniques. The integrating business systems and information technology will add efficiency, create a unified software system  with a corporate wide database and improve communications systems. Upgrading the company system will make a difference in the time spent completing paperwork and tasks. Making these changes will help to keep the Riordan on top of the plastic industry. Keeping track of their companies monies will be more accurate and fewer errors.

The Role And Importance Of Educational Research Philosophy Essay

The Role And Importance Of Educational Research Philosophy Essay Educational research is important because it is conducted in order to provide trustworthy information regarding educational problems and their solutions. There are many things that need to be considered when looking at what educational research is for example some thought needs to be put into looking at current paradigms, what counts as evidence in educational research, maintaining quality, and the role of peer review in validating new knowledge in educational research. There are many different approaches to educational research which are shaped by many different research paradigms. Koul (2008) states that the various research paradigms have different criteria for ontology and epistemology to maintain quality standards. The ontology and epistemology of a research paradigm influence researchers applying the quality standards, methodology and methods (para. 1). What is Educational Research: Research is a combination of both experience and reasoning and must be regarded as the most successful approach to the discovery of truth (Borg, 1963, as cited in Cohan, Manion, Morrison, 2000). Educational research can be defined as a purposeful and systematic enquiry to solve a problem, illuminate a situation or add to our knowledge (Mutch, 2005, pp. 14) by the discovery of non-trivial facts and insights (Howard Sharp, 1983, as cited in Bell, 2005, pp. 2) in relation to the improvement of education policy and practices, with a commitment to broader dissemination of research findings beyond publication in high status, international, refereed journals (Lingard Gale, 2010, pp. 31). In order to define educational research we must first look at what research is. Research is a combination of both experience and reasoning and must be regarded as the most successful approach to the discovery of truth, particularly as far as the natural sciences are concerned (Borg, 1963, as cited in Cohan, Manion, Morrison, 2000). Therefore Educational Research can be defined as a `purposeful and systematic enquiry to solve a problem, illuminate a situation or add to our knowledge (Mutch, 2005, pp. 14) `by the discovery of non-trivial facts and insights (Howard Sharp, 1983, as cited in Bell, 2005, pp. 2) `in relation to the improvement of education policy and practices, with a commitment to broader dissemination of research findings beyond publication in high status, international, refereed journals (Lingard Gale, 2010, pp. 31). Anderson and Arsenault, (1998) suggest that there are ten characteristics of educational research that can be grouped into three main categories; the purpose of research, the procedures of research and the role of researcher (p. 7). They go on to explain that the purpose of research is to solve the problems and develop knowledge, the procedure involves collecting or generating data with accurate observation, objective interpretation, and verification. It also involves carefully designed procedures and rigorous analysis (Anderson and Arsenault, 1998 pp. 7), and finally the role of researchers is to be patient and careful in every step of the researchers procedures, and be experts in their area of study, which requires them to use research data to develop solutions and increase knowledge. What is a Paradigm: The use of this fashionable word came about from the philosopher of science, Thomas Kuhn. The word comes from the Greek work paradeigma which translates literally as pattern. It is used in social science to describe an entire way of looking at the world (Davidson Tolich, 1999). It can be viewed as a basic set of beliefs held by an individual that represent a worldview which defines the nature of the world, the individuals place in it and the range of possible relationships to that world and its parts (Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 200) A paradigm relates to a particular set of philosophical assumptions about what the world is made of and how it works. One way to consider a paradigm is as a collection of ontological and epistemological assumptions (Davidson Tolich, 1999). Inquiry paradigms define for inquirers what it is they are about, and what falls within and outside the limits of legitimate inquiry. (http://prk.dreamwidth.org/60977.html) Examining paradigms define for inquirers what paradigms are about and what fall within in and outside the limits of that paradigm? Denzin and Lincon (1998) state that there are three fundamental questions that need to be addressed in order to complete research. These questions are; the epistemological question, the ontological question, and the methodological question it is important to note that however one answers a question it effects how they answer the other two. The Epistemological Question: Epistemology is the study of the nature of knowledge. http://www.translationdirectory.com/glossaries/glossary007_e.htm Epistemology raises the questions of how we know what we know, and what is knowledge. http://atheism.about.com/od/philosophybranches/p/Epistemology.htm It encompasses the debate on if knowledge can be obtained through experience (Empiricism) or by the use of reasoning (rationalism). The epistemological question is asking what the form and nature of reality is and, what can be known about it? Denzin and Lincoln (1998) uses the example of if a real world is assumed, then what can be known about it are how things really are or how things really work where as other questions like matters of aesthetic or moral significance, fall outside the realm of legitimate scientific inquiry. (pp. 201) Questions for analysing paradigms Research paradigms Positivism Epistemological questions Nature of knowledge Knowledge can be described in a systematic way Knowledge consists of verified hypotheses that can be regarded as facts or laws. Probabilistic i.e. holds true for large groups of people or occurs in many situations Knowledge is accurate and certain Role of theory Theories are: Normative Present models General propositions explaining causal relationships between variables Theory building/testing Postulate a theories that can be tested in order to confirm or reject Prove a theory from observable phenomena / behaviour Test theories in a controlled setting, empirically supporting or falsifying hypotheses through process of experimentation Role of research Uncover reality i.e. natural laws Scientifically explain / describe, predict and control phenomena Research findings are true if: Can be observed an measured Can be replicated and are generalizable Role of common sense None only deductive reasoning (Voce, 2004 pp. ) The Ontological Question: Ontology is defined by as What is the nature of the relationship between the knower or would be knower and what can be known? Denzin Lincoln (1998) continue with their example of reality being assumed because one has already answered the epistolocial question the posture of the knower must be one of objective detachment or value freedom in order to discover these thing.. What is the nature of the relationship between the knower or would be knower and what can be known? The answer that can be given to this question is constrained by the answer already given to the ontological question; that is, not just any relationship can now be postulated. So if, for example, a real reality is assumed, then the posture of the knower must be one of objective detachment or value freedom in order to discover how things really are and how things really work (Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 201). Questions for analysing paradigms Research paradigms Positivism Ontological Questions Nature of reality An objective, true reality exists which is governed by unchangeable natural cause-effect laws Consists of stable pre-existing patterns or order that can be discovered Reality is not time- nor context-bound Reality can be generalised Nature of human beings Rational Shaped by external factors (same cause has the same effect on everyone) i.e. mechanical model / behaviourist approach. Under certain conditions people will probably engage in a specified behaviour (Voce, 2004) The Methodological Question: Methodology is defined by the free dictionary as a body of practices, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline or engage in an inquiry; a set of working methods http://www.thefreedictionary.com/methodological Therefore the methodological question surrounds how the inquirer goes about finding out what they believe can be known? Depending on what answers have already been given to the above questions they will constrain the answer to this one, whether the methods are qualitative or quantitave. The methodological question cannot be reduced to a question of methods; methods must be fitted to a predetermined methodology (Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 201) How can the inquirer (would be knower) go about finding out whatever he or she believes can be known? The answer that can be given to this question in constrained by answers already given to the first two questions; that is, not just any methodology is appropriate. For example, a real reality pursued by an objective inquirer mandates control of possible confounding factors, whether the methods are qualitative (e.g. observational) or quantitative (e.g. analysis of covariance). The methodological question cannot be reduced to a question of methods; methods must be fitted to a predetermined methodology (Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 201). Questions for analysing paradigms Research paradigms Positivism Methodological questions Role of researcher Objective, independent from the subject Investigator often controls the investigated Role of values Science is value-free Values have no place in research must eliminate all bias Methods Empirical Structured and replicable observation Quantification / measurement Experimental directly manipulate variables and observe Type of studies Survey studies Verification of hypotheses Statistical analysis Quantitative descriptive studies What is Positivism: Knowledge is based not on unchallengeable, rock-solid foundations, but rather upon human conjectures (Phillips Burbules, 2000). Positivism is an epistemological perception which states that only knowledge which is based on sensory experience and positive verification is authentic knowledge. More simply worded, positivism is the view that all true knowledge is scientific, and that all things are ultimately measureable. Positivism emerged from the success of the scientific approach in natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, and biology. The impetus for this came from the overwhelming success of science in understanding and solving problems in the natural world. The ontology of positivism is realism; an apprehend able reality that is assumed to exist, driven by immutable natural laws and mechanisms. Knowledge of the ways things are is conventionally summarised in the form of time- and context-free generalizations, some of which take the form of cause-effect laws. Research can, in principle, converge on the true state of affairs. The basic posture of the paradigm is argued to be both reductionist and deterministic (Hesse, 1980, cited in Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 204). The epistemology of positivism is dualist and objectivist; meaning the investigator and the investigated object are assumed to be independent entities, and the investigator to be capable of studying the object without influencing it or being influenced by it. When influence in either direction (threats to validity) is recognised, or even suspected, various strategies are followed to reduce or eliminate it. Inquiry takes place as through a one-way mirror. Values biases are prevented from influencing outcomes, so long as the prescribed procedures are rigorously followed. Replicable findings are, in fact, true (Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 204). The methodology of positivism is experimental and manipulative. Questions and/or hypotheses are stated in propositional form and subjected to empirical tests to verify them; possible confounding conditions must be carefully controlled (manipulated) to prevent outcomes from being improperly influenced (Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 204). Originally conceptualised by Auguste Comte in the early 19th Century (Pickering, 1993), positivism has been greatly criticised, including by positivist themselves. A number of the concerns raised have influenced the epistemological position taken within this research; particularly that knowledge is a social variable, knowing one is the subject of a study, changes in ones behaviour, and the notion of subjectivity and value orientation. What is Social Construction of Reality/ Post-Positivism: The Social Construction Reality/ Post-positivism paradigm include the following paradigms: interpretive, critical, feminist, and postmodern paradigm. I think interpretive paradigm is the paradigm that most education research is  based on  at the University of Waikato. The social construction of reality assumes that knowledge is subjective and unique therefore researchers undertake systematic and painstaking analysis of social episodes (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007, pp. 19). This is a less reductionist approach to research recognizing the importance of context and aiming to represent how participants view their world. Rather than seeking generalisations this paradigm accepts that reality is multilayered and complex (Cohen et al, 2007, pp. 21) therefore data collected are open to multiple interpretations. This approach is more speculative based on the assumption that theory is emergent therefore the researcher should not be seeking evidence purely to support a predetermined hypothesis. Post-positivism is a meta-theoretical stance that analyses and adjusts positivism in light of the criticisms which positivism, as a scientific paradigm, has received. Post-positivism offers primary amendments to the positivist paradigm. Firstly, that the absolute separation of the knower and the known is not assumed; and secondly, that a single, shared reality which excludes all others is not assumed to be a true basis for reasoning. It is critical to note that post-positivism is not a rejection of the scientific paradigm, but seeks to amend the criticisms associated with positivism (Phillips Burbules, 2000; Zammito, 2004). Post-positivism states that knowledge is based not on unchallengeable, rock-solid foundations, but rather on human conjectures (Phillips Burbules, 2000; Zammito, 2004). Epistemologically speaking post-positivism works on the position that facts and law deduced through research are probably true (Guba Lincoln, 2005) in light of evidence provided (Phillips Burbules, 2000; Zammito, 2004). Post-positivism of this type is common place in social science for conceptual and practical reasons (Phillips Burbules, 2000; Zammito, 2004). What are the differences between the two Meta-Paradigms: Based on the literature, the most fundamental differences between both paradigms are how they search for the truth and define validity and reliability. The positivist paradigm seeks and finds them in a (perceived)  value free and objective evidence based world and the constructivists in a subjective, contextual and interpretive world (Silverman 2005, p. 6; and Cohen et al. 2007, p. 26). Research as creating new knowledge: Positivism and Post-positivism create knowledge by a process of accretion, with each fact (or probable fact) serving as a kind of building block that, when placed into its proper niche, adds to the growing edifice of knowledge. When the facts take the form of generalisation or cause-effect linkages, they may be used most efficiently for prediction and control. Generalisations may then be made, with predicable confidence, to a population of settings (Denzin Lincoln, 1998, pp. 212). What counts as evidence in Educational Research: What counts as evidence in educational research depends on what is being asked. If one is looking at effectiveness of direct impact then there would be a different type of key evidence compared to if the question was in relation to the nature of a problem, or how some intervention worked or how a naturally occurring process takes place. Basically the kinds of evidence that will count will depend on the nature of the proposition. Anyone that is interested in the evidence needs to remember that the evidence is always connected to what was being asked or the proposition. One cannot take for granted that it is true one needs to still ask: how is the connection made possible? And what values, assumptions and conventions are behind that kind of connection? (Andrews, 2007). Maintaining quality in Educational Research: The quality standards related to the post/positivist paradigm are validity and reliability. This is because the focus of this is to discover the truth using empirical investigation. Anderson and Arsenault (1998) write that validity refers to the extent to which what we measure reflects what we expected to measure [which] has two forms: internal and external (pp. 257). Related to the research, the term internal validity refers to how the findings meet the expected results. While, external validity refers to being able to generalise the findings to other situations and contexts. Therefore, an experiment is valid if the results are appropriate to the manipulated independent variable and if they are able to be generalised to individuals or contexts other than the experiments setting (Gay Airasian 2000, pp. 371). Because the focus of this paradigm is to find out the truth, reliability is an important indicator for the consistency of the research findings. Anderson and Arsenault (1998) state that reliability refers to the extent that an instrument will yield the same results each time it is administered (pp. 256) an example of this is, if you were to administer a survey the larger the source of the data you collect the more it will be reliable as the results become more generalised the more it will give the same results the next time you did it. Furthermore, trustworthiness is a foundational criteria to maintaining quality. Trustworthiness can be broken down into four quality standards these being, credibility using multiple methods and perspectives and member checking, transferablility by providing rich data and thick descriptions, dependability by having a detailed audit trail, and comformability can be achieved by giving readers clear track of data and interpretations. (Anderson and Arsenault 1998) Peer Review. Research shows the benefits of Peer review doesnt only improve the language that authors use and they way their ideas are presented, but also alerts them to statistical and scientific errors in their research, inappropriate methodology, or accuracies in referencing which they can then correct before the publication. (Taylor and Francis Author Services, 2010) An example of this is when one submits his/her work to an international journal for anonymous refereeing by unknown peers, they read they article critically and then suggest for it to be accepted, rejected, or most often revised and improved before it is published. Without this external seal of approval many scientists would consider any results as preliminary, potentially flawed (Gannon, 2001). Conclusion Conclusion: Educational research with its characteristics is influenced by four major paradigms. Each paradigm has its own epistemology, ontology, and quality standards which influence the researchers to find the truth and see the reality. The important point is that knowing the nature of each paradigm which can help the researchers to conduct their research process. Researchers can conduct the research within and across paradigms which is called multi-paradigmatic research paradigms (Taylor, 2008). The nature of educational research is analogous with the nature of research itself, which is systematic, reliable and valid to find the truth, investigates knowledge, and solves problems. Moreover, educational research process involves steps to collect the information in order to investigate problems and knowledge. However, the educational research is more complex because it can use various approaches and strategies to solve problems in educational setting. It also can involve many disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, behaviour, and history. In addition, educational research is important because of contributing knowledge development, practical improvement, and policy information. Therefore, educators can use those research findings to improve their competences and teaching and learning process (Yulirahmawati, 2008).

The Health Risks of Smoking Cigarettes Essay -- Smoking Health Lung C

The Health Risks of Smoking According to Global Smoking Statistics, 80,000 and 100,000 youths start smoking everyday. Smoking is everywhere, in shops, restaurants and malls. Smoking can be controlled if the right steps are taken. If you walked around downtown Fort Collins, the odds are good that you will encounter a smoker. The negative effects of smoking outweigh the positive effects of smoking yet people still do it. There are ways to quit that can make your life better if you smoke. Smoking goes back to 1492 when Christopher Columbus first stepped onto the plains of the new world. Native Americans chewed and inhaled a specific type of leaf, using a â€Å"toboca† pipe to inhale the foreign leaf. It soon became a treasure for the Europeans, after Christopher discovered this new creation. Cigarettes did not become popular until the 1880s, nor were they available. People just used pipes and cigars. When, according to Smoking, James B. Duke developed a way to mass produce cigarettes, making them cheaper and milder. This created an increase in popularity and between 1870 and 1890 the usage increased 100 times what is was before. The health risks of smoking are that it causes Lung cancer and in 1992 there were 161,000 new cases of lung cancer and 143,000 deaths according to Tobacco and Smoking, 1998. The duration and amount smoked determines the risk of getting lung cancer. Men or women who smoke forty cigarettes a day, compared to those who smoke twenty a day, have twice the risk as getting lung cancer. Those who start smoking before 15 are four times more likely to get lung cancer than those who begin after twenty-five. It also causes Cardiovascular Disease. Smokers, male and female, are at a higher risk to get recurrent heart attacks, sudden death from coronary heart disease and myocardial infection than nonsmokers. The increase is two to four times the amount than nonsmokers. Cigarettes cause an addiction. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. It is the nicotine that is in tobacco that makes cigarettes so addicting. A 1991 editorial in the Lancet, from the book Tobacco and Smoking on page 33 says: The core of the problem lies in the addictiveness of nicotine. It is nicotine that people cannot easily do without, not tobacco; it is nicotine dependence that slows the progress of existing programmes. As a drug deliver system the modern cigarette is a highly e... ...all the ingredients as mainstream smoke and is just as deadly. Smoking is everywhere and will continue to be all around us. We can ignore it or take action. One less person smoking means that there is that much less smoke in the air. With all the new smokers, a plan has to be set in place, either creating more ads or finding accurate facts. Unless smoking dissolves from the face of the earth, there will still be people â€Å"killing themselves.† Since smoking causes lung cancer, bad after effects and other problems, the need for elimination is even higher. If you smoke than you probably know it is hard to quit, but with the right resources and the motivation to quit, the United States will be a more â€Å"breathable† place to live. Citations Anonymous. More about second hand smoke. 2004. 11/02/04. . Anonymous. Secondhand Smoke. 2004. 11/02/04. . Anonymous. Tobacco and Smoking. Ed. Bruno Leone. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc. , 1998. Grannis, MD, Frederic W.. The Lung Cancer and Cigarette Smoking Web Page. 2004. 10/28/04. . Martin, Terry. Global Smoking Statistics. About.com. 2002. 11/01/04. . Torr, James D. Smoking. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc. , 2001.

Majority or Minority Influence :: Politics, Compliance, Conversion

This essay concerns social influence in general. Aspects of social influence as such as majority influence and minority influence will be discussed in terms of their underlying psychological processes and how they differ. Majority influence or conformity refers to the desire to belong or to fit in within a particular group which involves adopting certain attributes, behaviour and attitudes of a particular group. As a result individuals consequently experience group pressure (in Baron, Branscombe & Byrne 2008). Minority influence on the other hand, refers to the influence that the minority exert over the majority in that the majority come to accept the beliefs and behaviours of a minority (in Baron et al. 2008). A considerable body of research has been injected into the nature and impact of both majority and minority influences. Moscovici (1980 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) claimed that both majorities and minorities exert influence in different ways. One psychological process underlying majority influence is through direct public compliance. The dual-process dependency model which was postulated by Deutsch and Gerard, (1955 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) proposes two important motives for conformity: normative social influence and informational social influence. Normative social influence refers to the need to be accepted and approved by society. This involves individuals to modify their behaviours and to adopt new/current ones that are associated with the particular social group so that they are not rejected (in Hogg & Vaughan 2007). An example of this situation can be reflected in Asch’s (1956 in Baron et al. 2008) study of conformity in which participants conformed to the majority group but at the same time maintained their own private opinions and disagreed. This process is known as compliance (in Bailey, J.et al. 2008). The second motive that explains why people conform according to Deutsch and Gerard, (1955) is based on informational social influence. According to Festinger, (1950, 1954 in Hogg & Vaughan 2007) this type of influence is associated with uncertainty. Here individuals are uncertain and lack knowledge as to how to behave in certain situations. Festinger referred to this as social comparison in which individuals are not fully confident about their beliefs, attitudes and opinions and therefore yield to majority in order to be correct. This occurs particularly under ambiguous conditions and is clearly demonstrated in Asch’s (1956 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) and Sherif’s (1936 in Hogg and Vaughan 2007) studies in which participants converged on similar answers particularly when the tasks became extremely difficult for them to be able to rely on their own judgments (in Bailey et al.

Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - The Naturally Supernatural :: GCSE Coursework Macbeth Essays

The Supernatural in Macbeth Writers often use supernatural to add suspense and interest to their work. The Witches and ghosts create a sense of horror as well as foreshadow what will happen next. Ghosts and apparitions really took over MacBeth’s emotions and fears. For example in the opening scene witches are used   to create an atmosphere of horror and suspense. Later in the scene   the ghost of Banquo appears at the dinner table and drives Macbeth mad. His wife try's to calm him but she can't and Macbeth has the people at the table getting awfully suspicious. Again we see it when Macbeth saw the dagger, he is seeing things due to guilt. The witches foresaw what happened through the play by telling Macbeth his future as well as Banquo. Ghosts made the audience feel scared the sky black and the wind misty. Witches in the play did prophecise to Macbeth that he would be king. Macbeth knowing this information became curious, knowing that Duncan was king he wondered how he would acheive the position. So he did indeed kill Duncan under the guidance of the three witches. The witches in this play in terms of ghosts are concerned,   we see they are not human or half ways normal when baquo quotes to Macbeth that are not human like as well as   irregular in some sort and very unattractive. This leaves a feeling of darkness for example the sky is black and the grass is gray instead of green the branches on the tress are short and rotting. The witches were Macbeth’s fortune tellers but they lead him a bad life In the end. Ghosts and apparitions not only drove Macbeth to his grave but also gave him up. When he kills Duncan there is a sense of real guilt. We see him going crazy   and feeling extreme guilt when immediately after he kills him he sais to his wife what a sorry sight and she tells him to stop worrying about Duncan and to get on with his life. She also tells him to stop being a coward, and that killing was the only option. In actuality it is not because a murder will never stay secret. Ghosts were a big factor in this play but guilt plays a part as well, a much bigger part. Guilt led to the witnessing   of ghosts. For example when Macbeth hosts   the dinner he witnesses baquo’s ghost this has an   affect of pity for Macbeth as far as the audience is concerned, Macbeth himself from guilt is going crazy.

Met 101 Ch 5 Focuus

SCI 100 – Meteorology: Chapter 5 Focus Questions and Topics to Study Comprehensively describe the â€Å"adiabatic process†? (Hint: see Fig. 5. 2 on page 119) Explain why the moist adiabatic rate and dry adiabatic rate are different. List and describe the ways, both at the surface and aloft, the atmosphere be made more stable. List and describe the ways, both at the surface and aloft, the atmosphere be made more unstable. Chapter 5 Questions and Topics to Study (cont’d)There are three main classifications of atmospheric stability. Describe the one known as â€Å"conditionally unstable† and relate it to cloud growth. Explain why an inversion represents a very stable atmosphere. What (general) type of clouds would you expect to see†¦ †¦ in a stable atmosphere? †¦ in an unstable atmosphere? List the four primary ways clouds form, hence the four lifting mechanisms, as seen on Fig 5. 10. Chapter 5 Questions and Topics to Study (cont’d) Desc ribe the process of convectional lifting.Describe the process of orographic lifting using the classic â€Å"wind over the mountain† example. Be sure to understand why it is warmer and drier on the leeward side of some mountain ranges. Know the main aspect of the collision & coalescence precipitation process. Know the main premise of the ice-crystal (Bergeron) precipitation process. Chapter 5 Questions and Topics to Study (cont’d) Know the difference between freezing rain and sleet, including the type of lower atmosphere that can produce each of these types of winter precipitation. Hint: See Active Figure 5. 32 on page 139) How does Doppler RADAR measure the intensity of precipitation? Chapter 5 Additional Key Terms and Concepts Accretion (riming) Aggregation (snowflake) Cloud Seeding (main premise) Chapter 5 Additional Key Terms and Concepts (cont’d) Condensation Level (Lifting Condensation Level or LCL) Environmental Lapse Rate Graupel (Snow Pellets) Subsidence Inversion Supercooled (water droplet) Virga

Competency in Information and Technology Literacy Essay

The dynamic changes in information technology has advocated for nurses highly qualified in nursing informatics. This paper discusses some barricades allied to the employment of essential Nursing Informatics competencies into undergraduate nursing websites. Introduction Information Literacy is the set of skills needed to discover, repossess, evaluate, and use information. The Changes in information technology have led to new changes in the way nurses operate on patients. These nurses have to undergo various competencies. This paper discusses the changes and the required competencies. Discussion Information literacy is important in the nursing researches and practical working with the nursing informatics equipment. It is not just for students to learn but for practicing nurses and other healthcare practitioners as well. The practice of nursing in which the nurse makes medical decisions based on the best existing research proof, his or her own clinical expertise, and the needs and inclinations of the patient is referred to as evident based nursing. The nurses should learn to practice Information system to design and maintain their healthcare information. For instance, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant or Patient Data) could allow nursing scholars to access various decision support systems that would offer them with professional guidance relating to specific care and treatment matters at their patient’s bedsides. There are various sources where one can learn about information literacy and find ideas about relationship between them. These include the website, libraries, journals, electronic full-text for nursing, that is, books, journals, virtual libraries, other articles and databases. To evaluating a website containing medical records, determine the website goal; discover the website objectives; website content description, evaluation questions, sources of evaluation data, methods of data collection. The steps performed are performed systematically. First and foremost, find out if the results have been reproduced in other research laboratory or by other scholars. Next step involves an attempt to conclude the study’s credibility. Look keenly at the material of study that is, if investigators essentially compare two sets of topics or did they just make bservations? If a control was used were the group results comparable? Evaluate the criteria used to conclude this study. Consider the modification and duration of the study. The next step is to look at the conclusions. Consider if they are warranted by the evidence. If one can’t find useful solutions in the website, then it is time to address some questions like: does one have to take illegalized results? How does one know that the product in question is the right one? If the product is or could be the right one, then, what guarantees this? Moreover one must to know more information on the product. Any information that is relevant should be taken into account. If the person still decides to take the product, he or she should be sure to tell the doctor who can make observation on the side effect about the product. Conclusion Nursing informatics is very important in today’s dynamic technological application. It is very important for nursing professionals to have the knowledge of nursing informatics as this will help them to participate fully in the technology enabled nursing.

Gender: an Ambiguous Factor

Referencing the role that gender played in early twentieth century rural life made for an interesting character dynamic in this play. Susan Glaspell’s Trifles presents a murder mystery with a slightly twisted plot. The play itself, at first glance, seems simple enough. A man is murdered, his wife thought to be the murderer. An investigation is forged in their quaint farmhouse. However, the men are unable to find anything that leads to a motive. But then the twist! The women are able to solve the murder and choose not to share the findings with their husbands.What exactly hinders the investigation set forth by the men? A case can be made in gender differences. The mental approach of each sex determines everything. The dynamic between the women, their husbands, and the county attorney creates a mental divide that cannot be bridged. Inevitably, what appears to be a simple plot, seemingly filled with mere trifles, the end of the play quickly develops into something that is almost surreal. Within a casual conversation the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, manage to recreate Minnie Wright’s state of mind – seemingly putting themselves through her last day in the farmhouse.In an article analyzing the play, Suzy Clarkson Holstein remarks that, â€Å"the play represents a profound conflict between two models of perception and behavior† (Holstein 282). On the whole, the men and women involved observed the identical information – with the exception of the canary. However, minus the canary, the women were already reconstructing Minnie’s life with John Wright. In their reconstruction they are able to uncover and comprehend evidence that would seem like useless information to the formal investigation the men were conducting. The county attorney searching the Wrights’ home cannot detect the significance in a loaf of bread left out of the breadbox, a kitchen table half wiped, a quilt in progress, and a missing pet canary† (Marsh 201-02). These simple details prove to be the key to ending the mystery. Holstein’s analysis goes on to mention the â€Å"ultimate moral choice† as presented to the women. Here she references, â€Å"their way of knowing leads them not simply to knowledge; it also leads to the decision about how to act on that knowledge† (Holstein 282). On the notion of morality alone, the reader must analyze several debates.What exactly is at stake here for these women? And, if they withhold information from the investigation, are they harming themselves? The men have been neglecting the observations of the women, even teasing them for their observations. Mr. Hale comments, â€Å" Well, women are used to worrying over trifles† (Glaspell 938) and later, overhearing a conversation between the women, Sheriff Peters comments, â€Å"They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it† (Glaspell 941). Immediately after his remark the stage directions state, à ¢â‚¬Å"The men laugh, the women look abashed† (Glaspell 941).There isn’t even the slightest hint of spousal respect here! The men dismiss the thoughts of the women because they are merely women. They do not believe that they could be of any aid to the investigation at hand. Have the women compromised their morality when evading the truth with their husbands? The men’s perspective is completely regimented. Their tunnel vision approach seems to be a hindrance in the investigation. They are unable to come to any conclusions about Mrs. Wright’s motive to kill her husband. In the final moments of dialogue, Mr.Henderson can be heard saying, â€Å"No, Peters, it’s all perfectly clear except a reason for doing it†¦ If there was some definite thing†¦ a thing that would connect up with this strange way of doing it – â€Å" (Glaspell 945). Holstein’s article in â€Å"The Midwest Quarterly† makes an interesting statement comparin g biological and cultural issues in regards to the way both parties observe the facts. â€Å"Certainly, during the early part of the twentieth century, the duties and structures of women’s lives would have predisposed them to approach a problem from a different angle than that of the men† (Holstein 288).This is evident in her mention of sex vs. gender and its implications. Sex, referring strictly to the biological, and gender, referring strictly to the cultural implications of gender roles in society. â€Å"The men, Mann argues†¦ strove to be first with a quick, firm answer. Women on the other hand valued cooperation and worked to interconnect, taking time to make up their minds† (qtd. in Holstein 289). The juxtaposition of these two terms most always sparks an interesting debate. Some see them as one in the same, while others see them as two completely separate entities.The debate between sex and gender comes up often in the debate on transgender issues. à ¢â‚¬Å"Just as Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters understand well the hardships of the rural lifestyle they share with the accused Mrs. Wright, so Elle finds that the accused Mrs. Windham is a ‘peer’† (Marsh 201). This statement draws parallels between Trifles and the 2001 film, Legally Blonde. In a 2005 article for â€Å"Literature Film Quarterly,† Kelly A. Marsh paired the message of sisterhood in the pages of Trifles with similar messages in a 21st century blockbuster hit.The similarities in these two works are uncanny and whether the parallels are intentional is unclear. Marsh explains, â€Å" the key evidence in both cases is precisely the evidence that the men overlook† (Marsh 201). Parallels at many levels can be drawn from Glaspell’s text. The women’s ability to uncover key points of evidence and solve this murder mystery speaks volumes to their characters, and, their husbands’ inability to see things for what they really are. â₠¬Å"The women in this play develop a highly differentiated and reflective moral schema† (Holstein 288).They make conscious decisions to hide the evidence that solves the murder from the men. In the closing stage directions, Glaspell writes, â€Å"Suddenly Mrs. Peters throws back quilt pieces and tries to put the box in the bag she is wearing. It is too big. Sound of a doorknob turning in the other room. Mrs. Hale snatches the box and puts it in the pocket of her big coat† (Glaspell 945). In this moment the women have overcome their husbands and shown that their mere trifles can indeed come in handy.

Reading Reflection Essay

The reader-response appeal to literature relies on the reader’s ability to process the information being shared rather than the author or the text itself. With the reader-response, a person reads text and then relates to automatic explanations about life that are triggered moment by moment as they continue to read. The literature uses triggers that the reader’s nervous system spontaneously responds to. This type of approach to reading allows people to imagine and be creative within them. It allows the reader to hear, feel and smell what they are reading as if it were happening right now in front of them. The reader-response approach with â€Å"the Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost offered a common understanding for situations in which I had to choose between two decisions. There was a visceral vision of a dilemma to make a choice that would eliminate the other option from ever becoming a possibility when Frost submitted that there was remorse for not being able to travel down the paths for both decisions. Every decision we make causes a difference in some sort of way. Since Frosts’ dilemma was not clear and concise I was able to implement my own choices to make a decision on. The key linguistic that triggered the process was use of the term ‘path’. I was able to relate the poem to a difficult decision of whether or not I was going to move across the country for a job offer. When Frost wrote â€Å"because it was grassy and wanted wear† I was able to relate to the yearning to want to move to Florida (grassy), but not leave the support of his family behind in Michigan (wanted wear). My fiancà ©e and I had to sort through the mutual acknowledgement of each others concerns, have common understandings, and act with the other persons concerns in mind. Both ideas were individually acceptable and understanding by themselves, however; the path â€Å"to where it bent in the undergrowth†, was our childlike needs to be close to family and always have them to be there for us when needed. To travel across the country without a guarantee of success was non existent. The road â€Å"less traveled by† was the decision my fiancà ©e and I ended up executing; we moved to Florida with a faith that the decision was for the better. Most of our peer group still lives in Michigan; and while moving to Florida may carry unknown factors we feel as if we know how our lives will plan out by staying in Michigan. By taking the road less traveled we are unaware of the consequences that await me – both positive and negative – and that makes life more thrilling and I greet each week with anticipation. Mr. Frost’s ability to craft a poem with generic terms allows for the possibility to implement my own experience and apply absolute creativity. I suppose that people who take more risk and accept the unknowns about life can relate more to this poem than others but we can all still relate. I think that at some point I our lives we all come across a path that could go either way and we have to choose which path we will take. Perhaps in some cases the road that is more traveled may be safer or predictable, however, the road less traveled will have more twists and turns that can make the risk a more debatable question of whether it is acceptable or not. Though the poem is not one that I would typically gravitate towards, I’ve realized that by going out of the normal reading habits it allows my imagination to be inspired to find ways to relate. The reader-response approach to the poem would allow most viewers to find some way to relate to it because the way that it is crafted allows a reader to examine each sentence as something personal of the author and the vagueness allows for unlimited boundaries of the reader to interpret for themselves what could and will happen. The notion that everyone can interpret this poem differently is intriguing and inspires my creativity with reading and finding a way to relate myself. In the past, present or future – this poem is applicable to any area of thought that the reader allows. The theme of the poem may after all be to seize the day, and the creativity that comes out from our imagination ensures that the reader-response approaches to be guaranteed when reading â€Å"The Road Not Taken†. References (Clugston R W 2010 Journey into Literature)Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Changing Dialect of Singapore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Changing Dialect of Singapore - Essay Example Tan has made it a point to continue to work with the original language of Singapore to keep the memory of the past alive and to embrace the past through the use of speaking. Tan has made an effort with the younger generations to continue to speak in the main language of Malay. â€Å"If we lose our culture through language, then what do we have left? I believe it is important to continue to remember what we speak, where we are from and what the ancient history is of this land,† says Tan. To him, the idea of keeping the language alive is also a part of keeping the memories and heritage and of his world as a part of the everyday lifestyle. For Tan’s children and grand children, understanding the language isn’t one that they rebel against and often find that the extra dialect helps them to stay ahead in their own thinking. â€Å"Even though we learn English in school, we like having the Malay dialect as a part of our upbringing. It makes us feel unique and like we a re truly from Singapore,† says Tan’s grandchild. This attitude is one that many who are able to speak in two dialects carry with them as they progress forward with the understanding of different dialects. The languages of Singapore have undergone changes through every generation, even though they are kept alive through stories such as Tan. English is now recognized as the main language of the land, specifically because of the colonialization that took place in the 1820s by James Cook. However, there is also an influence of Mandarin, Chinese and Indian dialects, all which have come from the several who have migrated to Singapore through time. This is combined with the main dialect of Malay which is spoken by those who are considered as native to the land. The mixture of languages has led to the four main dialects of English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil becoming the main dialects of the island. It is not only the recognition of the four main dialects that influences the dive rsity of Singapore. While it is a small island, the influx of immigration into the land and the philosophies, such as what Tan has, continue to alter the dialects which are spoken in various regions. For instance, the recognition of Mandarin Chinese as a dialect is only one of several ethnic ways of speaking that are in the region. When visiting Singapore, you will note that Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese and Cantonese are also spoken among households. No more than 10 -20% speak these languages and most is recognized in the home; however, the strong traditions keep the dialects such as these strong and alive (Chan, 2009). The alterations of dialect have also led to a creation of mixtures of each of the languages. A combination of English and Malay, for instance, is commonly heard among locals when they are working to converse among others who know more English. This is a common practice of those in the region, specifically with older generations who have not been educated with t he formal applications of English in the nation. The split of languages is known to have occurred specifically with waves of immigration which occurred from the 1800s. The beginning of the Malays and the structure of Singapore as a country was one which was noted as the dominant culture through this time. Ancient beliefs were kept during this time as well as patterns for economic trade and village life. While there were some fluctuations in Arabic and immigrants from other lands, most adapted to the Malay traditions and way of living. It was from the 1800s –

Is Marx a moral philosopher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Is Marx a moral philosopher - Essay Example As Cohen (1978, cited in Joshua, Cohan, 1982) rightly points it out; Marx was unaware of the element of morality in his philosophy. So, he failed to discuss morality. Thus, it becomes evident that morality is not at all explicit in Marxian philosophy. So, this work intends to analyze what implicit morality is inherent in Marxian philosophy. The first question addressed here is why Marx explicitly denied the applicability of morality in his philosophy. In order to understand the reason, one has to go back to the nineteenth century where, according to Marx and other critical philosophers, ‘exploitative economic arrangement’ was the major facet of the society. In that situation, morality and ethics were just false consciousness that was well-molded to fit into the exploitative regime of capitalism. So, it was necessary for him to declare that morality (as it existed in the capitalist society) does not deserve to be preserved. Instead, he declares that he would constitute morality on a new basis. Thus, it becomes evident that morality in Marxian philosophy can only be understood from the reasons he uses to declare capitalism as unjust and communism as just. As Rawls and Freeman, 2007, p. 320) describes, the very first argument put forward by Marx against capitalism is that it is based on the exploitation of the worker. In other words, he declares that capitalism is not an arena that offers mutual benefit but it involves systematic extraction of profit from one group (ibid). However, the trouble at this juncture is that Marx does not declare in clear terms that such an exchange is unjust. Instead, he declares that it is ‘by no means an injustice’ in his Capital (Marx, 1939l). In the words of Wood (1981, p.91), it is natural to see such an attitude from the part of Marx because he could not achieve a trans-epochal standpoint from where he could comment on the justice of that economic system. In other words, he was not free from the bounds of historical materialism. So, according to him, morality purely involved the stabilising of economic structure (ibid). However, a more rational explanation seems to appear from Husami (1978 ) who argues that it is possible to see that Marx thought capitalism unjust even in the absence of explicit words. It is pointed out by the scholar that for Marx, there are two sets of ideas; that of the ruling class and that of the non-ruling class. In a capitalist society, the ideas of the ruling class receive attention and approval. On the other hand, in a communist society, the ideas of the proletariat receive more attention. According to Marx, the latter is the right way (ibid); and capitalism is unjust. In addition, one can see the use of words like ‘embezzlement’, ‘robbery’ and ‘exploitation’ to explain capitalism. According to Cohen (1978, cited in Joshua, Cohan, 1982), these words are sufficient to reach the conclusion that for Marx, capitalism was unjust and hence against morality. Thus, the scholar points out that Marx, like many others, did not have adequate knowledge about his own mind. Thus, throughout the explicit response, he ma naged to avoid calling capitalism as ‘unjust’. In the words of Hampsher-Monk (1992, p. 487), the idea comes more than evident through the overall sense of the texts. At least, the analysis is sufficient to rea

Supreme Court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supreme Court - Essay Example Upon the state's appeal, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals adhered to the suppression ruling in a decision of two-to-one. The issue in this project deals with witnesses to a crime identifying a suspect prior to in-person identifications. One teller had seen the defendant's arrest on television the night before a photo lineup was scheduled. Another teller had seen the defendants' photo in a newspaper story covering his arrest. And yet another teller was shown a lone picture of the defendant instead of a photo array. A police lineup was never completed. This presents a case of power of suggestion. In the case of Simmons v US (1968), the US Supreme Court saw the problem of declining accuracy of identification after witnesses had viewed pictures of suspects. The court ruled that seeing a picture may have a detrimental effect on identification accuracy because"the witness is apt to retain in his memory the image of the photograph rather than of the person actually seen" (quoted in Brown, Deffenbachher, & Sturgill, 1977, p. 312) Eyewitness testimony can be an important tool in the field of justice. However, it can also convict innocent people. In 1991, the percentage was estimated to be at 45% (Loftus & Ketcham, 1991). According to more recent studies, some experts say we are closer to 1% today. This is undoubtedly attributed to the introduction of DNA and the modern technologies now available to forensic scientists. The profiling of DNA was introduced in 1984 by Alec Jeffreys, a renowned geneticist at the University of Leicester, England. Jeffreys' genetic fingerprinting was used to convict a murderer in England in 1988. Today, a DNA sample is one of the most dependable techniques used to apprehend a suspect in a criminal case. Psychology in law states that the use of eyewitness testimony alone is the cause of convicting innocent people. Psychologically, body language and innocent remarks made by officials showing photos and conducting lineups can send unintended subliminal messages to the witness. The witness' level of confidence can be inspired by a perception that the police must be right, because this is what they're suggesting to be true. This can distort a person's memory. A 1997 study led by the National Science Foundation proved that a distorted memory can now fail to know recollect accurately. Studies have also revealed that when the victim is the witness, he has an aggressive desire to nab a perpetrator. In this scenario, they are extremely sensitive to any signals they receive from authorities. If the police have a person in mind, they can unknowingly convey that message to the victim (Loftus, 1998). This suggestibility is the normal tendency of people to agree with what they perceive to be what the authority figure wants to hear (Sadava & McCreary, 1997). Showing a lone photo to a witness sends the subliminal message that 'we believe this is the guy.' Showing a photo array can send the same signal..'one of these people is the one.' Witnesses can sometimes make rash decisions so as to get the whole process over with. For all these reasons, most law enforcement officials would contend that the identifications of the three tellers should be suppressed in court. With all its faults, eyewitness testimony can still be a strong tool. Each individual can see the same event differently (William, 1999). To

Tourism destinations in the digital and social media age Research Proposal - 1

Tourism destinations in the digital and social media age - Research Proposal Example This can be seen in numerous industries, which has led to the emergence of new models of business aimed at capitalizing on the new opportunities, as well as to win, influence, and engage the consumer. The tourism sector has been one of the industries that have been significantly disrupted by social and digital media. As tourists become more internet-savvy, they no longer receive information through direct personal recommendations or passively. Rather, they gather experiences on travel from the internet and receive recommendations on destinations from people in the destinations they would like to visit (Hudson & Thal, 2013: p158). This research will be designed into five chapters. The first will offer considerable background information with regards to the social and digital media use in marketing tourist destination. The second chapter will involve the methodology using qualitative research through a case study as the major data collection technique. Chapter 3 will tackle an intensive literature review, aimed at narrowing down the scope of theory. The fourth chapter will consist of an empirical study, which will deal with empirical data collected via an interview with a player in tourism industry. Finally, the fifth chapter will involve analysis of the research, discussion of the results, and a conclusion. Neuts et al (2013: p74) argue that ICT advances have resulted in unprecedented challenges and opportunities to tourism, especially as the sector is information-intensive. The tourism industry demands an increased role of web 2.0 technologies, especially in the marketing and promotion of destinations. According to Hvass and Munar (2012: p97), the social and digital media have become the major tools for delivering information in the industry. Munar et al (2013: p43) concur by stating that social and digital media in marketing offers tourist destinations an added competitive advantage. Thus, almost all

The Fashion Industry and the Role of the Media in Shapin Dissertation

The Fashion Industry and the Role of the Media in Shapin - Dissertation Example The study "The Fashion Industry and the Role of the Media in Shapin" concerns the fashion and media and analyzes the Changing Perception of a Woman’s Physical Image. After World War I, with the popularity of fashion magazines, print media, television and the internet, the popular media has presented the perceived ‘ideal’ image of a woman. This mostly unrealistic perception, being pushed on to the people, has had a negative effect on the women’s own perception of their physical image often putting health on a lower priority or even contradicting healthy routines in favor of attaining such physical attire. The complicated perceptions of one’s own physical image make one concerned about this aspect. Research on this self perception has found discontent among women showing their body dissatisfaction and at a higher rate than males. Such false projections, which have nothing to do with a real drive to get a better appearance, put individuals at a risk of disturbance and discontent. The idealized thinness and prejudiced height, hair and weight projected by the media as being ‘attractive’ influences the masses and makes women match those descriptions which is not only destruction of originality but also dangerous for health the way it gets commercialized, rather littered, and then picked by the adolescents. The wrong message of ‘standards for acceptability’ that the models from fashion industry and the media send do not actually define the beauty; in fact, the repeated pushing of such image on the women.... ? that the models from fashion industry and the media send do not actually define the beauty (Dittmar & Howard, 2004; Thompson & Stice, 2001); in fact, the repeated pushing of such image on the women population puts a conflict between the actual standards and the depicted standard making a woman choose to be unhealthy in order to achieve that standard (Dittmar & Howard, 2004, p. 478). This has been found in previous research to have direct proportion to the time of exposure to such commercial propaganda (Schooler et al. 2004). Many times, the sole purpose of such depictions and portrayal is to create an artificial need of the products, which are not actually needed, and then to sell them to that audience. 2.0 Purpose of research The purpose of this research is to evaluate the change in perception of a woman’s physical image in the eyes of the population in general and in the eyes of woman herself. Researching on why and how these perceptions have changed over this period of ti me, which can safely be regarded as an era of contemporary change in this respect, can provide us with useful results that actually provide some insight on how the fashion and show business industry has driven this. Addressing everlasting concern over weight and appearance in a non issue approach can help minimize the prejudice on being slimmer from as young as 6 years old (Striegel-Moore & Franko, 2002). The dissatisfaction, which is one of the major issues in a woman’s teenage due to perception of one’s own physical image (Schwitzer, Bergholz, Dore, & Salimi, 1998; Stice & Whitenton, 2002), is a topic that needs special attention to guard young girls from further worsening their health situation in fear of weight gain (Striegel-Moore & Franko, 2002; Field et al., 1999). What you think of

What is Socrates' argument against Crito in the argument of the same Essay

What is Socrates' argument against Crito in the argument of the same name Is it persuasive why or why not - Essay Example Crito gets to the prison where Socrates was serving time with a plan hatched to break Socrates out of prison. It is after learning about this that a debate ensues on the justification of Socrates escape (Anton 73) In his argument, Socrates fronts that while the sentencing he received was wrong to begin with, it got reached through a legitimate process. In his thinking, Socrates was of the idea that the trial he got subjected to got done according to the law, he had the chance to defend himself against the allegations, and the verdict got passed by citizens. The matter at hand in this argument was whether content justice, which refers to getting the best result, overrules procedural justice that is following the laid down procedure, or vice versa (Anton 74). Socrates states in his argument that we have to pick whether the law enabled social peace is more vital than an innocent man’s life. Socrates is of the idea that social peace, which gets enabled by the law, is superior to his innocence. In building his case, Socrates puts forward a paternalistic claim stating that since the laws enabled his dad to marry his mother, he considered the law as his parents. He also states that the laws ordered his parents to take him to school. As such, he is both a slave and offspring of law. Socrates feels that he owes the law similar unconditional obedience that slaves owe to their owners and children owe to their parents (Anton 75). Socrates conclusion is that an injustice cannot be made right by another injustice. In this effect, the wrong conviction he had been given would not be made right by escaping prison. Socrates chooses to remain in the confines of his cell as a result of his unwavering belief and faith in Greek law, which he acknowledges awarded him the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life, and attain extensive knowledge (Anton 75). In his thinking, without

Historical events of the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Historical events of the US - Essay Example The conventional Protestant spiritual groups set up religious bases in Asia and Africa, as well as over 450 missions in China by the year 1900.The 20th century started with the US entangled in a severe and bloody war. However, that war is no longer remembered, a war that cost millions of dollars, thousands of lives and displacement of millions. ThePhilippine-American War that was fought between1899 to 1902 resulted in approximately 265,000 human deaths. Thewarassistedthe US establish itself as a military powerhouse in the Pacific regions. While the European powers were engaging themselves in the First World War (WWI), the then president of the US Wilson Woodrow was apprehensive that Germany might take up Haiti and destabilize the pathway leading to the Panama Canal. In order to assert and protect its interest, Wilson sent a few hundred US Marines and Navy men to Haiti. In 1898 and 1899, The US took over Hawaii and obtained the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and some parts of the Pacific I slands. Theexpansionraisedthesignificantquery of if their recently annexed states would be given the American citizens civil rights. HavingwonboththeSpanish-American War and Philippines War symbolized both an addition to earlier expansionist desires and a quick departure from suppositions that had steered American foreign strategy before. Fortheveryfirsttime, the US made significant strategic dedications in the Far East; acquiring regions that had never been planned for statehood, and dedicated itself to law enforcement actions.

Thesis statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Thesis statement - Essay Example Some employees may require master’s degree in economics or management, knowledge of accounting. Good skills in the field of mathematics and statistics are essential to get the position of business operation manager. Furthermore, the program in administration and management includes leadership skills course. Advanced programs may be oriented on the work in one particular industry. If a specialist wants to have benefits in the labor market he/she may apply for the certification like Certified Manager. Such specialists are valued very high and usually get the desired positions. The work will investigate the field of operation management, the issues specialists face and the skills they should possess. The focus will be made on leadership skills and the skills of relationship building, which are very important in the field of professional management. It is necessary for business operation manager to know the consumer psychology and have good knowledge of organization

Cessna Headquarters, Wichita, Kansas Essay Example for Free

Cessna Headquarters, Wichita, Kansas Essay The words â€Å"Cessna Skyhawk† have special meaning for anyone who has ever wanted to learn to fly. At 27 feet long and 8 feet tall, with a 36-foot wingspan, a 140 mph cruising speed, and room for two adults and their luggage, more people have learned to fly with a Cessna Skyhawk than with any other plane in aviation history. In fact, the Cessna Skyhawk is the best-selling plane of all time. Clyde Cessna built his first plane in 1911, and Cessna became a storied name in aviation. Cessna built 750 gliders for the army in World War II, introduced the Skyhawk in 1956, produced the first turbo-charged and cabin-pressurized single-engine planes in the 1960s, delivered its first business jet in the 1970s, topped $1 billion in sales in the 1980s, and then, in one of the worst downturns in the history of aviation business, nearly went out of business over the next decade and a half. Sales of general aviation aircraft, which had topped out at 17,000 planes per year, dropped to 12,000 planes within a year, and over the next decade finally hit rock bottom at 928 planes for the entire industry. During the same time, Cessnas sales of piston-engine planes, like the Skyhawk, dropped from 8,000 per year to just 600. Cessna was forced to lay off 75 percent of the employees at its piston-engine plane factories (Cessna also makes business jets and larger planes) and eventually stopped making piston-engine planes altogether. However, after the economy improved and the U.S. government approved the General Aviation Revitalization Act (barring product liability lawsuits on any plane over 18 years old), Cessna decided to start building its legendary Skyhawks again.

SWOT Analysis of Danone UK

SWOT Analysis of Danone UK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Activia and Actimel are the two probiotic yoghurt brands that are currently being marketed by Danone in the UK. The current market strategy for these products is that they are healthy food and part of a healthy lifestyle. Some modifications were made in the currents marketing strategy, which include modifying the current target market for both brands. These brands have the potential to make Danone UK Limited the market leader in the United Kingdom. 1. DANONE: THE PROBIOTIC BRANDS; THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. Danone UK limited, is a UK based subsidiary of the French company group Danone, which has its organizational headquarters situated in France. Danone UK is into the production and marketing of dairy products and water. Most of group Danone brands are household names in the United Kingdom and internationally, and they include the probiotic dairy brands; Activia and Actimel (DATAMONITOR, 2009). The dairy division of the Danone group, is a leader in the production of dairy products worldwide, and presently holds about 22% of the dairy products global market share (DATAMONITOR, 2009). Group Danone has different subsidiaries in varying countries and each brand has a unique attribute and name that appeals to the region or country where they are marketed. 1.1. SWOT ANALYSIS The strength, weakness, opportunities and threats that are currently influencing Danone UK are highlighted in the table below. Table: 1 STRENGTHS Health conscious company Innovative Products and marketing Customer oriented Research focused WEAKNESSES Lack of long term planning uncorroborated claims OPPORTUNITIES Health consciousness among populace Growth in awareness on digestive health Probiotic bacteria awareness THREATS New entrants Increased competition Stores own brand Increase in cost of milk and production Consumer unawareness on benefits of good bacteria Government regulation on health claim of probiotic brands 1.2. PEST ANALYSIS GRID The grid below highlights some of the factors that affect the market presently and therefore gives an idea on the way forward in the present market environment. Table 2: POLITICAL ECONOMIC SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY Government debt Recession Unemployment Trends in Research Government policy Research sponsorship Advert withdrawal E-commerce Cold weather New technology Migration 2. MARKET ANALYSIS: UK YOGHURT MARKET The UK yoghurt market comprises of the spoonable yoghurts (pots), drinkable yoghurt (drinks) and tube yoghurts. (Mintel Oxygen, 2009) The market share value of the drinking yoghurt has seen a decrease in recent years as more people turn to more healthy option of yoghurt products that more often come in pots and tubes; the tube yoghurt is more attractive for children as parents can pack it into lunch boxes for them, thus this area has also seen a significant growth in recent years. The pots yoghurt market saw an increase in sales as they offer fewer calories and some come with health claims that lead to an increase in sales, the most active category in recent time has been the probiotic or healthy yoghurt category (spoonable) (Euromonitor,2009). Development of new products and increase in sales in some categories of the yoghurt market have mostly been due to health issues, as the behaviour of consumers suggest that they prefer a healthy lifestyle and also love to indulge, thus the development of new products that offer both a healthy and indulgence option. This trend has lead to the improvement in performance of the yoghurt market generally, in comparison to other desert options. The yogurt and Fromage Frais (pots and tubes) currently hold about 15.60% of the dairy market share in the UK (Data Monitor, 2009). The pots and tubes are the best performers in the market, and they hold about 85% of the market share, while the drinking yoghurt has been largely affected by competition from other markets that offer or claim to offer a more healthy option in form of drinks e.g. smoothies and fruits juices (or soft drinks). 2.1. MARKET SEGMENTATION Majority of the market share for 2008 as seen above was held by top manufacturers which include Muller, Danone and Yoplait. Supermarkets own brands are gradually gaining a large percent of the market share, with other brands constituting about 27% of the total market share. The probiotic yoghurt brands of Danone UK are doing well in the market currently, and account for about 19% of the UK yoghurt market share. 2.2 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Muller dairy UK is Danone UK main competitor and the current market leader. Muller has being the market leader for a while and they function across the entire yoghurt category. Some of the Muller brands are not doing so well in the market, with some consumers perceiving it as too sweet and unhealthy, but with recent brand repositioning, re-launches and new products introduced in the market they are able to continually hold onto the number one spot. Weakness: The major weakness of the Muller brands is that consumers still perceive them as unhealthy, as they usually have high sugar content (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). 2.3 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Danone Has exclusive patent on the friendly bacteria (Lactobacilli casei Imunitass) used in addition with other bacteria in Actimel. All probiotic brands by Danone are considered healthy, hence the first choice for consumers who prefer a healthy way of life. 3. BRAND POSITIONING Probiotic yoghurts contain live bacteria that positively aid the consumers digestive system by improving microbial balance in the intestine. The probiotic brands Actimel and Activia are in the spoonable (Activia), drinking (Actimel) and the healthy option categories. In comparison, some major competing brands are perceived as unhealthy with great taste and very sweet e.g. Muller brands are perceived as unhealthy due to the sweet taste and the fact that the brands are positioned as all day snacks (Euromonitor , 2009). PERCEPTUAL MAP Healthy Actimel Activia Muller Vitality Poor taste Great taste Muller Light Unhealthy 3.1 ACTIVIA Activia is in the class of spoonable yoghurt (pots), and is in the healthy brand category. It contains the probiotic bacterium (friendly bacteria) that helps in improving the functions of the digestive system. Activia comes in fat free and low calorie flavours that consumers see as a great benefit; thus Activia has seen a rapid increase in market share since its launch in 2002, and it is one of the best performers in its category due to innovation which comprises health benefit and indulgence (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). It has a wide range of flavour in packs of four and eight pots and recently it has been proposed to introduce single pots for people with a busy lifestyle or people on the go. 3.2 ACTIMEL This is in the drinking yoghurt category, and contains the probiotic bacteria L.casei Imunitass; its main function is boosting and providing support for the immune system. Actimel has 13 different varieties, and 4 have zero percent fat content. Actimel aids the bodys immune system by fighting off germs when consumed on a daily or regular basis (Danone, 2009). 3.3 BRAND PERSONALITY GRID The consumer perception of Activia and Actimel are highlighted in the personality grid below (Table 3 and 4). ACTIVIA PERSONALITY VALUE BENEFIT ATTRIBUTE Physically fit Quintessential Indulging Wide variety range Healthy Innovative Convenient Handy Delightful Trustworthy Rich taste Relieves bloating Reliable Variety ACTIMEL PERSONALITY VALUE BENEFIT ATTRIBUTE Healthy Nutritious Boost immunity Wide product range Tasty Trusted Rejuvenation Different flavours Immunity Reliable 4. TARGET MARKET AND STRATEGY: THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE Target Market Activia Women ACTIMEL Senior citizens Adults Rest of population 4.1 MARKETING STRATEGY (PRESENT SITUATION): The Probiotic brands are currently marketed as health beneficial products, with the emphasis on â€Å"good bacteria†, and the need to see the brands as part of a healthy way of life and not just as a snack. 4.2 ACTIVIA The current marketing strategy for Activia focuses solely on women and it was put in place in response to consumer demand for healthy products. Activia is positioned as an indulgent healthy food that helps women in reducing the feeling of being bloated especially after meals, and also aids in regulating the function of the digestive system. In a recent advert a woman is seen feeling more physically fit and flexible after having a pot of Activia. An interactive website has also been set up for Activia and the content is specifically for women as it gives them health tips and encourages them to share their story on the benefits of Activia. The website has a health based outlook that further reinforces the fact that Activia is a healthy brand. (Danone , 2009) Adults on the go are gradually being included in the current strategy, with the plan to introduce single pots of Activia (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). 4.2.1 DRAWBACK This strategy targets only the women in the population, and in some ways most women in a particular age demographic i.e. 25 and above. Although this strategy has been successful so far; what steps can be taken to prevent the present segment of consumers from shifting loyalty to a brand that is healthy, of good quality and is priced lower. What can be done to increase the present target market, as large segments of the population which include children, active adults and the elderly have not been included in this strategy. 4.2.2 MODIFICATION As manager of the probiotic brands of Danone UK Ltd, I will increase the target market to include families and the elderly. The family market will include children and men, while the elderly include men and women from age 55 and upwards. This segment of the population (55+) is going to see a rapid increase in sales and market share in the future as the population ages, and with the right marketing mix of price, distribution and place, this target segment offers great potential of growth for the future of the market (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). The family segment will come with a rebranding option that will target the women who have families. As women do most of the household shopping, when they buy Activia for themselves, they will have no option but to buy for their families. More flavours and packaging should be introduced to appeal to children and their parents. The current marketing strategy for the women consumers also have to be continued and improved to make the customers remain even when offered cheaper varieties, and to do this, loyalty programmes have to be introduced i.e. where consumers gain points for each pack of Activia bought. Although this might seem expensive for the company at the start of the program, as it has to be in conjunction with supermarkets, but in the long run it will be advantageous as we would have gained a loyal customer base. The present website also has to be improved to include healthy recipes tips as women love to cook healthy for their families. An interactive educational website should be introduced for children; activities on the website can include opportunity for children to pick their favourite Activia flavours, competitions that will include one where kids get the opportunity to mix different fruity flavours and submit their entries online, with opportunities to win prices. When children are loyal to their favourite brand (Activia) parents will have no choice but to also become loyal, in that way we also get families to be consumers of the Activia brand. Thus our market share will see an increase that will come from this segment of the population. 4.5 ACTIMEL The current marketing strategy for Actimel is capitalising on the immune system boosting characteristic of the probiotic bacteria in the drink and also the claim that it improves the body capacity to combat stress for people with busy lifestyles, through the action of the bacteria in the gut. In recent times, the company has also aimed to encourage the use of Actimel by patients in the hospital as a recent study shows that Actimel has the capacity to aid patients fight off infections. Advertising and promotional activities by Danone on Actimel has helped to boost the image of this brand by placing it as a brand that supports active lifestyles and is also healthy. 4.5.1 DRAWBACK An advert for Actimel was recently banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), that the claims made by Danone on Actimel (that it boosts the natural defence of children) were not supported by sound scientific evidence (BBC, 2009); a few consumers will brand Actimel as untrustworthy. To restore the image of Actimel, scientific evidence that proves that it helps boost the natural defence of children has to be peer reviewed before publishing. Although some health professionals have said it improves immunity, this has to be reinforced so the customers can have trust in the brand. The target population for Actimel has to re-defined, as it is currently vague (covers the whole segment of the population). 4.5.2 MODIFICATION The target market for Actimel has to be clearly defined, as it seems to target all the members of the population at the moment. The population has to be segmented, and each segment given a definite strategy and marketing plan that is specific for it. The proposed target market will be segmented as shown in fig 4. There is a lot of potential in targeting the elderly and hospital patients, as they need things to help boost their immunity, and Actimel can perform that function, hence there is an opportunity of growth here. The current market strategy of positioning Actimel as a healthy lifestyle choice is great, and will work well with all segments of the population especially the adults with an active way of life. The brand should be repositioned in the children segment, as the problem with the advert can affect sales that are generated. Thus positioning it as a healthy option for children, that offers the benefit of friendly bacteria, with proven scientific studies will enable Actimel regain the trust of consumers from this segment of the population. 5. CONCLUSION Actimel and Activia have been doing well so far in the UK market, and have the potential to do better in the future. The current marketing strategies for these two brands need to be improved on. The segmenting of the target population for Actimel will give a clearer view of the market strategy put in place to enable it gain more market shares from competitors like yakult and Muller vitality. The target market for Activia will need to be expanded in order to enable Activia gain market shares in the mainstream yoghurt market. It is perceived as a healthy brand, thus it has the potential to get more market share if the target population is increased. In the future the customer base of Activia and Actimel will remain loyal as loyalty schemes will be introduced to enable them stay faithful to the brand as long as the option of indulgence and healthy living at the right price is offered. New flavours that will keep consumers interested and innovative products will definitely make and keep Danone as a leader in the UK yoghurt market. References BBC. (2009, October). Healthy yoghurt advert banned. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from News Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8305918.stm Danone . (2009). Danone Activia. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from Your digestive health matters website: http://www.danoneactivia.co.uk/ Danone. (2009). Actimel L.casei Imunitass. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from How Actimel Can Help You: http://www.actimel.co.uk/Benefits/Default.aspx Danone UK Ltd. (2008). Danone. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from About Danone Mission Website: http://www.danone.co.uk/mission.htm DATAMONITOR. (2009). GROUPE DANONE. London: Datamonitor. Euromonitor . (2009). Yoghurt United Kingdom. London: Euromonitor International. Mintel Oxygen. (2009, May). Yogurt UK May 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from Market Share and Product Positioning website: http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=393957/display/id=460332#hit1 Mintel Oxygen. (2009, May). Yogurt UK May 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from Segment performance website: http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=393957/display/id=460332?select_section=460331 Mintel Oxygen. (2009, May). Yogurt UK May 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2009, from Table of content website: http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=393957/display/id=460331?select_section=460345