International Business and Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Business and Anthropology - Essay Example A further development of this notion sheds light on the vast applications of anthropology and how the theories, concepts, and knowledge of this discipline can assist the operations of international business. Even though, the amalgamation of international business and anthropology may appear to be a novel concept to the masses, the role of industrial and cultural anthropologists in organizations can be traced back to as early as the 1930s (Hamada 2; Ferraro 10). Ferraro and Andreatta define cultural anthropology as a systematic study of the similarities and differences between cultures on the basis of various features and characteristics (10). Accordingly, the research process for cultural anthropology is classified under the categories of basic research and applied research in accordance with the design which governs other subjects of social science (Ferraro and Andreatta 19). Kedia and Willigen state that career opportunities for anthropologists within the context of international b usiness are endless with a special focus on employee development, growth and training prospects (251). A cultural anthropologist can opt for a range of positions within a business organization such as international business consultant, cross-cultural consultant, international economic development worker and an international human resources manager amongst several others (Ferraro and Andreatta 19). Of utmost importance to international business is applied anthropology which aims to comprehensively prepare and effectively equip practitioners with relevant perspectives, theories and learning of anthropology to ensure that this knowledge is applied for uncovering the solutions to the problems of the real world (Peoples and Bailey 412). Kedia and Willigen identify three key capabilities and proficiencies that anthropologists can promote within an organization to maximize value, these areas are classified as; 1) vast scope of knowledge and information about culture and its related concept s, 2) expertise in ethnography and its application and 3) focused knowledge regarding specific cultures such as the ability to communicate with various groups of individuals (251). While the first two components that have been identified in the aforementioned discussion are indeed important in business operations, the anthropological expertise that is most relevant within the context of international business is a practitioner’s ability to understand, examine and communicate with individuals belonging to a variety of cultures. Kedia and Willigen understand the dynamics which have led to the globalization of business and how these observations translate to business activity and organizational performance, for example, strategic actions that are taken to enhance a company’s ability to reach its aims, goals, and objectives such as a plan for expansion in another country has several anthropological implications (257). In order to successfully expand its operations in anoth er country, an organization must examine the distinct needs of its business landscape by employing the services of a cultural anthropologist.

Qatar Airways Steps To Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay

Qatar Airways Steps To Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay Qatar Airways established in 1993 and started its operation in 20/01/1994. They have been awarded the worlds 5-star airline by SkyTrax. With numerous awards that have been awarded to them, they commit to give the best quality service to passenger both on air and ground. Qatar is one of the fastest growing airlines with more than 90 groups of aircraft to 100 destinations from Doha. Mission, Vision, goal: The companys mission, vision and goal: Excellence in everything we do. To be the worlds leading global carrier in the service industries and hospitality. Their goal is to be one of the worlds top high-ranking airlines in the world. A well written mission, gradually introduce the sense of direction towards the achievement of the companys to the staff and stakeholders. The corporate mission should clearly define the companys strategic aims. The market will have the influences on the corporate mission such as: an organization should adapt to both of its internal and the opportunities and threats in its external characteristics. The mission stated by Qatar Airways which focus on the companys competencies that generate value for its customers and stakeholders and have competitive advantage to provide synergy across its services or products. Aviation industries are subjected to harm the environment by the emissions of poisonous fumes such as carbon produced by the fuel to generate the airplane engine. Airplane uses specialized fuel to fly the plane. It is often contains additives to minimize the hazard conditions to suit weather, temperature (example: Snow) and to withstand pressure from explosion. Flight Statistics: Based on Year 2009 This statistics shows the summary of total aircraft, both commercial and cargo carriers. We will then find out the approximate amount of carbon emitted from these carriers. Carbon Emissions from transport: Land, Air, Sea (2007-2008) An estimation of 3.4 % of the global liquid consumption is used by commercial aviation. This industry consumes 3.0 million barrels of jet fuel every day. With the increase of new aircrafts of 21,400 units, fuel consumption will increase drastically, not considering a future fleet of 27, 5720 passenger aircrafts and 4,280 freight aircrafts. It is imperative to use a cleaner fuel to curb down CO2 emissions. Graph: Global Warming: Climate change is a threat and should not be taken lightly. Businesses may be disrupted, due to climate change. Organizations should focus on possible threats and risks pertaining to the climate change such as: change in weather, fines and taxes from regulatory bodies and the stakeholders opinion will be affect the business flows. Companies should come up with well strategic plan that highlights threats and convert risks into potential business opportunity that will allow them to survive in the coming storm. Bad Weather Ahead: Businesses that cater to tourists faced major challenge and worries when occurrences of bad weather conditions like storms, hailstones could damage the aircraft and very risky to fly the plane. Companys deals with air transport for both commercial and air freight are mostly affected. Their assets are dependent on the climate; they need to find ways to control the risks. Climate of Public Opinion: Companies have to earn public trusts by announcing their intention on reducing the carbon emission that they produce. Companies that announcing publicly to go green will receive attractive dividends as the intensity and level of public interest increase to deal with the climate change. Shareholders need to focus and self-remind about the effects of the climate change will leave an impact to the business through various aspects such as: companies business strategies, assets values and investments. In order to have a long-term approach to manage the effects of the change of climate is to have the best representatives that have the extensive knowledge to represent the companies in creating advantages to the business. Greenhouse Effects: Explanations of Stakeholders: relating to CSR Stakeholders: QATAR: Alternative Fuels Oryx Logo Qatar uses sustainable biofuels that contains gas to liquids kerosene. Collaborations with Shell, Qatar Petroleum, Rolls Royce, Qatar Science and technology Park, Airbus and Woqod to provide cleaner fuel to reduce the impact on the earth. First airline implement the fuel efficiency program in 2007. Qatar find ways to minimize their aircraft routines such as: efficient flight routes, aircraft weight reduction, various procedures of landing and taking off etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in order to reduce the consumption of fuels and carbons emitted. Qatar will be able to meet the requirements of European Union Emissions Trading Scheme which focus on reducing carbon emissions. Qatar aims to provide sustainable place for the future generations. Sustainable Aviation Users Group on developing sustainable fuel: To be eligible for membership, group members must subscribe to sustainability criteria that stipulate the following: Plant growth, harvesting, processing, and end-use which emit total lifecycle greenhouse gases should be minimized and controlled significantly as compared to jet fuels based from fossil fuels. Development projects should include providing and improving the socio-economic conditions for small scale farmers who rely on agriculture for survivability of their families and themselves and that do not require the involuntary displacement of local populations. The natural environment such as high conservation value areas and native eco-systems should be maintained and not be cleared and converted for jet fuel plant source development. Video Presentation: Aviation Environment Summit, 2010 (Click to see: Video attached) Paul Steele, Executive Director of the Air Transport Action Group, presents aviation industries towards reducing carbon emissions. This presentation was held at Aviation Environment Summit, 2010, in Geneva, Switzerland. In this video, it states the mission, vision and objectives of the aviation industries in terms of reducing the carbon emissions that the industries produce. There are several analyses that show their forecasts on achieving towards the sustainable fuels. In the 3rd Aviation summit, the presentation shows ways to commit to deal with the climate change. The current presentation on 2010 shows clear layout to reach the targeted goals. In the video it also includes carbon emissions statistics, what the industries targets the next 40 years and etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The global targets in 2010 to increase 1.5% of fuel efficiency per annum and to grow carbon neutral in 2050, for year 2020, to develop and grow the industries and 2050 the maximum target of 50% reduction of carbon emissions based on 2005. Every role in the aviation industries, are very important and crucial as they should work towards reaching the goals in growing the carbon neutral in terms of developing technology and sustainable fuels. Reasons to why organizations should go green: One of the major reasons to why companys going green is to promote responsibility and be a good citizen. This could gain the trusts of the regulatory bodies, communities and other internal and external stakeholders. Companys main business activities that incorporated with the environment will tend to gain by increase in market shares. Caring for the environment will reduce and prevent pollution, focusing on the 3R Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste materials. By instilling Go Green values in the company, it will help to attract potential customers with similar values which will lead in creating good community relationships and to raise the chances for business to grow. The major challenged that businesses faced in this 21st century: climate constantly change, pollution, depletion of natural resources, poverty and inequality. Environmental Impacts and Values: Environmental Impacts: Organizations are emphasizing that they should go green and start caring for the earth. They chose to be greener as they truly understand the harm that they caused to the environment. Trying their very best to stop producing products that could actually harm the environment like: cancer-causing substances or pollute the natural habitats of the living things. Environmental Values: These groups of Organizations go green as they believed that they should not harm the environment and to protect the living things as they deserve the every rights to live and grow. The companies might also decide to stop their production from producing harmful products that might affect their employees, customers and the end users. Government Regulations: Government might come up with rule and regulations to stop organizations to further destroy the environment. Companies that go green will have the advantages of avoiding the penalties that might be imposed to those who against them. Increase in market share and profits could lead them towards a start on developing greener technology that might be fully sponsor or subsidize. Fines or lost in market share might be the result in not being part of it. Economic Opportunities and Disincentives: Some Organizations go green because they wanted to portray a good image for their stakeholders and gain competitive advantage in promoting their new green products. Being green can also avoid the financial issues: fines, penalties that impose to the company. Advantage/ Disadvantage: There are several advantages to companies going green. For an example: those companies that focus on being green will benefits from the advantages given such as, they may be able to meet the demands of the consumer that are very particular on buying a product that is not harmful to the environment. Companies can gain reputations by being a brand image for producing green products and reduce their liability risks by using environmental friendly products during the production and be responsible towards the environment in their business practices. Companies will increase their chances for getting investments from financial institutions if they are one of the companies that are listed under Socially responsible investing. Stakeholders will be more interested in involving themselves in a company that are ethical in running their businesses. Businesses that combined their environmental issues and business activities together tend to gain more market share, save their production costs through resource efficiency, prevent pollution, pay lower insurance premiums, and recycle and reuse waste materials. Retaining the staff similar values by having high workplace standards and engendering loyalty, maintaining a strong competitive edge, creating good community relations and can develop new business relationships with others that also go green like: suppliers, distributor , partnerships. Companies that did not practices environmental issues to their business activities, they might lose out lists of advantages. Companies might lose their stakeholders trust and loyalty; ruin their own reputation, degrade the health of their own staff and also substantial amount for the penalties. Both the benefits of going green and bring harm to the environment have to observe the rules imposed respectively such as Positive incentives and negatives incentives. Major Challenge to sustainability: Pollution Depletion Poverty Developed Economies Greenhouse gases Use of toxic materials Contaminated Sites Scarcity of materials Insufficient reuse and recycling Urban and minority unemployment Emerging Economies Industrial Emissions Contaminated Water Lack of sewage treatment Overexploitation of renewable resources Overuse of water for irrigation and other purposes Migration to cities Lack of skilled workers Income inequality Survival Economies Dung and wood burning Lack of sanitation Ecosystem destruction due to development Deforestation Overgrazing Soil loss Population growth Low status of women dislocation

Glengarry Glen Ross :: essays research papers

In the play Glengarry Glen Ross, selling is like a complicated courtship. Richard Roma is sales. Throughout the play, we never once get a true insight into the real Richard Roma. All we know is that he is good at his job, greedy and calculating. His demeanor changes on a dime; he is whoever he needs to be in whatever situation he happens to be in. This is his edge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roma starts out as a pseudo-intellectual sitting in a restaurant. He sees a man that he has never met before, Mr. Lingk, sitting by himself. Roma decides to try and make a completely unplanned sale. Roma starts out easy, not wanting to raise the stranger’s defenses by saying immediately that he is a salesman. Roma begins talking about simple things that any man could relate to. Roma captures Lingk’s interest, gains his trust, and artfully pitches his sale in the guise of a disillusioned salesman just trying to help a fellow man out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last thought on Lingk’s mind is to invest in real estate, but Roma puts on his â€Å"good ol’ boy† face, and makes the sale anyway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Lingk comes to see Roma at the office the next day to cancel the sale, Roma is ready to play the game. Without any preparation time, Roma cues Levene, and slips easily into his faà §ade of the night before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, Roma tries to distract Lingk from the purpose of his visit by introducing him to an â€Å"impressive businessman† that Roma supposedly does much business with. Levene is an old campaigner himself, and has no problem slipping into his part. By making Lingk think that Roma does business with someone of so much influence, Roma is also hoping to increase his credibility and authority with Lingk. When Lingk persists in his urgency to talk with Roma about the cancellation of his sale, Roma makes an excuse to leave the office, wanting to stall Lingk until the sale is irreversible. Lingk is not put off, so Roma tries to shame Lingk by making him admit that he is bowing to pressure from his wife. This strikes a nerve within Lingk, so Roma persists, and starts to convince Lingk that the problem lies not within the purchase of land, but within Lingk’s lack of authority in his marriage. This, of course, is a very subtle but vicious move. Roma is basically insulting Lingk’s manhood.

Organisational Structure Changes Essay

From the information provided it seems that the conflict is arising in the operational area between the manufacturing and marketing department. Both departments are seeking their own division goals and are neglecting the overall effect on the organization. Indeed the manufacturing manager is probably regarding the marketing section as the extra expense, while the marketing manager perceives the manufacturing branch as the threat. This conflict being at managerial level will most likely transmit to the section’s staff, increasing the divergence between the two. The problem not only lies at the departmental area, but also at executive stage. Indeed this conflict should be managed at top management level by adhering more to the marketing concept. The first change that should be implemented is in the organizational structure from a functional one to a category management combined with brand teams. Such structure consists of routing a category manager for each shoe product line. This team will comprise marketing staff, like brand managers, information specialists and sales people, and individuals from other departments, such as research and development professionals, finance manager and staff from manufacturing, distribution and more. By including manufacturing staff with marketing employees, one can diminish such conflict because the production people would realize that marketers work is important for the organization and thus the threat element will decrease. Top management should also commence showing the utility of each department for the organization, by for example preparing value added statements in order to further sustain the aforementioned point. If this conflict would still be present after such changes in structure, it might be necessary to perform changes in the operational management of such sections.

C ivil rights movements Essay

This is a two-page, APA formatted paper that summarizes the purpose of Leonard Crow Dogs, the purpose of the Ghost Dance and how the U. S. government works to undermine Native American communities. It is based on a true story and is in relation to the novel â€Å"Lakota Woman† by Mary Crow Dogs. The story speaks about the hardship of Mary and the Lakota Indians. Leonard Crow Dog was a very important character in the novel, â€Å"Lakota Woman. † He was Mary’s husband and also a spiritual leader as well as a political leader of the American Indian Movement of 1960s and 70s. His purpose was to help build Mary’s self-esteem. Through Leonard’s support, Mary was able to rebuild her self esteem by performing speeches and by supporting the American Indian Movement. Leonard gave her a way to do her own spiritual rituals which she believed helped strengthen her. Because of Leonard’s leadership participation in the AIM Movement, his son was raised freely in the traditional way of his Indian culture. Leonard was also the one who restarted the Ghost Dance even thought it was previously forbidden. Due to the oppression from the Whites, Indians started a spiritual dance which they believed would deliver them from the oppression of the white men. They called it the Ghost Dance. The Ghost Dance was a way to relieve the American Native Indians from their extreme poverty, suffering and from the other hardships they encountered. They believed that the Ghost Dance would bring a messiah to them that would soon return the lands to the Indians, resurrect their dead ancestors, and restore their former ways of life (Richard P. Muniz 2006). White people feared the Ghost dance traditions believing that the dance was not proper and that the Indians would practice witchcraft on them. Therefore, the Ghost Dance was outlawed. The U. S. Government undermined the Indian communities through reservations. Indians were required to live a segregated life. They were treated as second class citizens and to make them â€Å"perfect† for the American’s way of life, the government forced their beliefs onto them. The government greatly attacked the Native American community way of life through sending the Native American children to an institution to break their ways of beliefs with the intention of molding them into a â€Å"respectful† American citizen of the white class. Using these schools were a great means to fix the Indian’s way of life. The government really believed that the schools were civilizing the Indian children and offering them a great opportunity for them to evolve into the white culture and Christianity. These schools were supposed to help them to become â€Å"first class† citizens instead of â€Å"second class. † However, the government did not understand that this was not the proper way or means to help the Indian children or Indian people at all. They were already oppressed by Indian Reservations and then placed into a school system to strip them of their cultural beliefs and then forced to accept customs that were not known to their forefathers. Mary describes the government as civilizing them with their stick or another way to say this is with discipline. Mary states that, â€Å"children were like the victims of Nazi concentration camps† (pg. 28). The Indian Sun Dance which is another common tradition of the Indian culture and their community was outlawed by the government as well as the Ghost Dance. The Government forced many Indians into slum housing after taking their tribal lands. These slum homes had no electricity, plumbing, or technology. Most of them would have to live in the dark and in small cabins. Their way of living was very limited unlike the White Americans who had electricity and plumbing. They were unable to find employment due to racial restrictions from white people which resulted in high unemployment for the Indian culture. Many Indians were killed due to being accused for murderers they didn’t commit. Mary mentions in the story that many Indian family members were killed. In addition, many Indian families were punished by the government for having civil rights movements with attempts to help their community to become strong. Mary’s husband was also one of the unfortunate one’s who was thrown in jail many times for his radical civil rights movements. References Dog, M. C. (1990). Lakota Woman. New York: New York.

Juergen Habermas

Juergen Habermas Best Known For:    A philosopher in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism.His theory on the concepts of â€Å"communicative rationality† and the â€Å"public sphere.†His work on the concept of modernity.    Birth: Jà ¼rgen Habermas was born June 18, 1929. He is still living. Early Life: Habermas was born in Dusseldorf, Germany and grew up in the postwar era. He was in his early teens during World War II and was profoundly affected by the war. He had served in the Hitler Youth and had been sent to defend the western front during the final months of the war. Following the Nuremberg Trials, Habermas had a political awakening in which he realized the depth of Germany’s moral and political failure. This realization had a lasting impact on his philosophy in which he was strongly against such politically criminal behavior. Education: Habermas studied at the University of Gottingen and the University of Bonn. He earned a doctorate degree in philosophy from the University of Bonn in 1954 with a dissertation written on the conflict between the absolute and history in Schelling’s thought. He then went on to study philosophy and sociology at the Institute for Social Research under critical theorists Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno and is consider a member of the Frankfurt School. Early Career: In 1961, Habermas became a private lecturer in Marburg. The following year he accepted the position of â€Å"extraordinary professor† of philosophy at the University of Heidelberg. That same year, Habermas gained serious public attention in Germany for his first book Structural Transformation and the Public Sphere in which he detailed the social history of the development of the bourgeois public sphere. His political interests subsequently led him to conduct a series of philosophical studies and critical-social analyses that eventually appeared in his books Toward a Rational Society (1970) and Theory and Practice (1973). Career and Retirement: In 1964, Habermas became the chair of philosophy and sociology at the University of Frankfurt am Main. He remained there until 1971 in which he accepted a directorship at the Max Planck Institute in Starnberg. In 1983, Habermas returned to the University of Frankfurt and remained there until he retired in 1994. Throughout his career, Habermas embraced the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, which views contemporary Western society as maintaining a problematic conception of rationality that is destructive in its impulse toward domination. His primary contribution to philosophy, however, is the development of a theory of rationality, a common element seen throughout his work. Habermas believes that the ability to use logic and analysis, or rationality, goes beyond the strategic calculation of how to achieve a certain goal. He stresses the importance of having an â€Å"ideal speech situation† in which people are able to raise moral and political concerns and defend them by rationality alone. This concept of the ideal speech situation was discussed and elaborated on in his 1981 book The Theory of Communicative Action. Habermas has gained a great deal of respect as a teacher and mentor for many theorists in political sociology, social theory, and social philosophy. Since his retirement from teaching he has continued to be an active thinker and writer. He is currently ranked as one of the most influential philosophers in the world and is a prominent figure in Germany as a public intellectual, often commenting on controversial issue of the day in German newspapers. In 2007, Habermas was listed as the 7th most-cited author in the humanities by . Major Publications: Structural Transformation and the Public Sphere (1962)Theory and Practice (1963)Knowledge and Human Interests (1968)Towards a Rational Society (1970)Legitimation Crisis (1973)Communication and the Evolution of Society (1979) References Jurgen Habermas - Biography. (2010). The European Graduate School. egs.edu/library/juergen-habermas/biography/ Johnson, A. (1995). The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers.

Free Essays on Tobacco Ads

Tobacco Ads Target Youth Everyday 3,000 children start smoking, most them between the ages of 10 and 18. These kids account for 90 percent of all new smokers. In fact, 90 percent of all adult smokers said that they first lit up as teenagers (Roberts). These statistics clearly show that young people are the prime target in the tobacco wars. The cigarette manufacturers may deny it, but advertising and promotion play a vital part in making these facts a reality (Roberts). The kings of these media ploys are Marlboro and Camel. Marlboro uses a fictional western character called The Marlboro Man, while Camel uses Joe Camel, a high-rolling, swinging cartoon character. Joe Camel, the "smooth character" from R.J. Reynolds, who is shown as a dromedary with complete style has been attacked by many Tobacco-Free Kids organizations as a major influence on the children of America. Dr. Lonnie Bristow, AMA (American Medical Association) spokesman, remarks that "to kids, cute cartoon characters mean that the product is harmless, but cigarettes are not harmless. They have to know that their ads are influencing the youth under 18 to begin smoking"(Breo). Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia report that almost as many 6-year olds recognize Joe Camel as know Mickey Mouse (Breo). That is very shocking information for any parent to hear. The industry denies that these symbols target people under 21 and claim that their advertising goal is simply to promote brand switching and loyalty. Many people disagree with this statement such as Illinois Rep. Richard Durbin who states " If we can reduce the number of young smokers, the tobacco companies will be in trouble and they know it "(Roberts). So what do the tobacco companies do to keep their industry alive and well? Seemingly, they go toward a market that is not fully aware of the harm that cigarettes are capable of. U... Free Essays on Tobacco Ads Free Essays on Tobacco Ads Tobacco Ads Target Youth Everyday 3,000 children start smoking, most them between the ages of 10 and 18. These kids account for 90 percent of all new smokers. In fact, 90 percent of all adult smokers said that they first lit up as teenagers (Roberts). These statistics clearly show that young people are the prime target in the tobacco wars. The cigarette manufacturers may deny it, but advertising and promotion play a vital part in making these facts a reality (Roberts). The kings of these media ploys are Marlboro and Camel. Marlboro uses a fictional western character called The Marlboro Man, while Camel uses Joe Camel, a high-rolling, swinging cartoon character. Joe Camel, the "smooth character" from R.J. Reynolds, who is shown as a dromedary with complete style has been attacked by many Tobacco-Free Kids organizations as a major influence on the children of America. Dr. Lonnie Bristow, AMA (American Medical Association) spokesman, remarks that "to kids, cute cartoon characters mean that the product is harmless, but cigarettes are not harmless. They have to know that their ads are influencing the youth under 18 to begin smoking"(Breo). Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia report that almost as many 6-year olds recognize Joe Camel as know Mickey Mouse (Breo). That is very shocking information for any parent to hear. The industry denies that these symbols target people under 21 and claim that their advertising goal is simply to promote brand switching and loyalty. Many people disagree with this statement such as Illinois Rep. Richard Durbin who states " If we can reduce the number of young smokers, the tobacco companies will be in trouble and they know it "(Roberts). So what do the tobacco companies do to keep their industry alive and well? Seemingly, they go toward a market that is not fully aware of the harm that cigarettes are capable of. U...

Napalm and Agent Orange in the Vietnam War

Napalm and Agent Orange in the Vietnam War During the Vietnam War, the United States military used chemical agents in its fight against Ho Chi Minhs Army of North Vietnam and the Viet Cong. The most important of those chemical weapons were the incendiary napalm and the defoliant Agent Orange. Napalm Napalm is a gel, which in its original form contained naphthenic and palmitic acid plus petroleum as fuel.  The modern version, Napalm B, contains plastic polystyrene, hydrocarbon benzene, and gasoline. It burns at temperatures of 800-1,200 degrees C (1,500-2,200 degrees F). When napalm falls on people, the gel sticks to their skin, hair, and clothing, causing unimaginable pain, severe burns, unconsciousness, asphyxiation, and often death. Even those who do not get hit directly with napalm can die from its effects since it burns at such high temperatures that it can create firestorms that use up much of the oxygen in the air. Bystanders also can suffer heatstroke, smoke exposure, and carbon monoxide poisoning. The US first used napalm during World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters, and also deployed it during the Korean War. However, those instances are dwarfed by American use of napalm in the Vietnam War, where the US dropped almost 400,000 tons of napalm bombs in the decade between 1963 and 1973. Of the Vietnamese people who were on the receiving end, 60% suffered fifth-degree burns, meaning that the burn went down to the bone. Horrifying as napalm is, its effects at least are time-limited. That is not the case with the other major chemical weapon the US used against Vietnam   Agent Orange. Agent Orange Agent Orange is a liquid mixture containing the 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T herbicides. The compound is toxic for only about a week before it breaks down, but unfortunately, one of its daughter products is the persistent toxin dioxin. Dioxin lingers in soil, water, and human bodies. During the Vietnam War, the US sprayed Agent Orange on the jungles and fields of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Americans sought to defoliate the trees and bushes, so that enemy soldiers would be exposed.  They also wanted to kill off the agricultural crops that fed the Viet Cong (as well as local civilians). The US spread 43 million liters (11.4 million gallons) of Agent Orange on Vietnam, covering 24 percent of South Vietnam with the poison. Over 3,000 villages were in the spray zone. In those areas, dioxin leached into peoples bodies, their food, and worst of all, the groundwater.  In an underground aquifer, the toxin can remain stable for at least 100 years. As a result, even decades later, the dioxin continues to cause health problems and birth defects for Vietnamese people in the sprayed area. The Vietnamese government  estimates that about 400,000 people have died from Agent Orange poisoning, and about half a million children have been born with birth defects. US and allied veterans who were exposed during the period of heaviest usage and their children may have elevated rates of various cancers, including soft tissue sarcoma, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, and lymphocytic leukemia. Victims groups from Vietnam, Korea, and other places where napalm and Agent Orange were used have sued the primary manufacturers of these chemical weapons, Monsanto and Dow Chemical, on several occasions. In 2006, the companies were ordered to pay US$63 million in damages to South Korean veterans who fought in Vietnam.

Human Resource Training Class Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Resource Training Class - Assignment Example Performance assessment highlights both deficiencies and strengths as well. For a retail business especially selling products also through the online method, the role of customer support service becomes highly critical and important as well. It is critical in the sense that the most customers use telephone service for registering their complaints or receiving additional required information relating to purchase of specific products. And it is important in the sense that it leads to increase or decrease sales volume. Five essential ways that highlight and justify the needs assessment for evaluating performance of support service are: frequent similar complaints, unfriendly behavior towards customers, no follow-up procedure, no coordination between the relevant departments, and drawing no lessons from previous mistakes. They summarize performance and highlight gap between actual and required level of performance. For these measures, both quantitative and qualitative information provide fundamental support for evaluating the performance of employees working in the support service department. For example, if the number of similar complaints is increasing, this would suggest that the customer support service has not properly addressed and pursued the complaints. Subsequently, this evaluation can be done every month and the collected data can be compared for understanding the trend. If the trend suggests increase in the number of similar complaints, this would conclude the customer support service employees.

Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Literacy - Essay Example The debate on literacy acquires attracts mixed reaction within given audiences. As such, clarity on the matter necessitates an analysis on active learning from a personal perspective. Active learning entails interactive session within learning forums that mandate individual participation. The segment supports imparting of knowledge through sensitive interventions that expand the learning environment. As such, a learner becomes aware of the immediate environment through use of critical thinking skills. I argue out that active learning evaluates the level of an individual’s literacy (Wood 171). Planned interactive sessions provide learning opportunities for various groups of people. The discussion on literacy during the class session generates noteworthy conclusions on the same subject. I obtained conclusive documents that literacy is a significant societal pillar that fosters individual development and improvement of general standards. Advanced literacy levels impact directly to a given community with productive results as deduced from a personal opinion. Other significant assumptions point to literacy as dominating factor of evaluating a country’s wealth. I therefore, Justify that these claims revolve around the availability of job opportunities for literate

Coca-Cola Financial Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coca-Cola Financial Perspective - Essay Example The vision of the company covers internal and external factors that influence its operations (Begley, 2000). These include people, portfolio, partners, planet, profit and productivity. People-The company aims at motivating it employees to enhance their performance Portfolio-Coca-Cola aims at expanding its brand portfolio and bring to the world quality brands that meet the needs of its consumers. Partners- Coca-Cola aims at creating a strong network of suppliers and customers. Planet-Coca-Cola is focused at becoming a responsible firm that supports sustainable communities (Kurtz, 2010). Profit-To maximize shareholders returns and improve on its profitability. Productivity-Coca-Cola aims at becoming an effective and fast growing company. Overall strategy In its effort to produce quality brands that have remained competitive in the soft-drink industry, Coca-Cola has adopted a winning culture that defines its behaviors towards its 2020 vision. These include effective leadership, collabor ation, integrity, accountability, passion, diversity and quality. To ensure it remains the market leader, in the soft drink industry, the company has embarked on providing quality brands that meet the needs of its consumers (Habermas, 1989). Examples of brands manufactured by the company include Valpre, Powerade, Coke, Sprite, Nestea, and Dasani Water among others. The financial stability of Coca-Cola has been enhanced by its culture of acquisitions and merger. Key companies that have been acquired by Coca-Cola include Minute Maid, Barq’s, Odwalla, Fuze Beverage, and Columbia Pictures among others. As a result, the company has expanded its assets to reach at approximately US$ 73Â  billion. The table below indicates the financial performance of the company in 2010 and 2011 financial years. Items 2011 2010 Gross profit 28,326 22,426 Operating income 10,154 8,449 Income before income tax 11,439 14,243 Consolidated net income 8,634 11,859 Net income 8,572 1,809 From the table ab ove it is clear that while the company registered a significant increment of the gross profit, operating income and net income in 2011, the income before income tax and consolidated net income was low in 2011 as compared to 2010 (Baker, 2008). Marketing strategies Coca-Cola marketing strategies include e-marketing, product innovation, extensive advertisement and promotional strategies for example sponsorship of FIFA World Cup. In this way, the company has been able to expand its customer base as well as acquire a substantial market segment in the world soft drink market (Stephen and Kate, 2006). Coca-Cola management systems In order to improve the quality of its products, Coca-Cola has implemented Coca-Cola Operating Requirements (KORE) as one of its key management system. Key roles of KORE include improvement of the product quality, as well as safeguarding the security and health of its workers. In addition, the company has adopted eKOsystem in its bottling facilities (Stuart, 2009 ). The eKOsystem aims at initiating control measures that include water resources management, ozone protection, waste management as well as energy management. Objectives for improving the organization's financial position objectives Introduction of low priced products. To increase total sales and satisfy the customers with the gratifying taste of quality products. Production of healthy beverages lines which do not have negative effects on the consumer’

Independence War 1775 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Independence War 1775 - Research Paper Example However, the parliament made it clear through the enactment of the Declaratory Act of 1766, that it had the authority to tax the colonies (Bobrick 15). This paper is a critical evaluation of the economic factors, which pushed the colonies to rebel against Great Britain and demand for independence. Economic Factors that Led to the American War of Independence (1775-1783) The War of Independence, or the American Revolutionary War, is a war, which was fought between Great Britain and 13 American colonies between the years 1775 and 1783 (Greene 201). However, it may be important to note that France and Spain were also actively involved in the war as they provided military assistance to the Americans. When the British entered America long before the revolution, they settled in colonies, after which leaders were selected in every one of them as representatives of the British government in England. They were to ensure that the colonies provided sufficient raw materials to the industries abr oad as well as market for the manufactured products. They were also supposed to ensure that the colonies remained loyal to the crown by collecting taxes on behalf of the British government (Alden 20). ... More so because the colonies did not have sufficient machinery and personnel to defend themselves from France and therefore, they needed the protection of their mother country, which was well equipped militarily. Secondly, the Anglo-French war was a highly costly affair and it hurt the British economy deeply (Bailyn 27). It is estimated that in North America, the British government spent approximately 4% of its total spending to protect the colonies from French invasion (Bailyn, 36). The colonials from North America also failed to fulfill their obligations during the war in terms of financial contribution and provision of personnel to engage in the war to defend their territories. Due to this, the British Government decided to come up with a strategy to cover the heavy losses and one way to do this was to increase revenues from the colonies. In 1763, the British government decided to halt the expansion of the colonies by creating borders, with an intention of preserving land belongin g to the Indians (Alden 41). This move was meant to gain favor from the Indians so that they could become consumers of British manufactured goods thereby providing market, which was essential in promoting the economy. In order to achieve this objective, British soldiers were posted on the western lands and were charged with the mandate of expelling all the Americans who had settled there as well as prevent new settlement by the American colonials. Ironically, the soldiers were to be paid using taxes collected from the Americans (Bobrick 22). The colonials did not take this lightly as they perceived it as a move to limit their economic interests and this created discontent and hatred towards Britain as it led to the

European Union Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

European Union Law - Essay Example Negligence need not be proved. Any damages so awarded should include an element for pain and suffering and also for loss of wages past, present and future. The Act excludes liability for loss of wages. It also imposes the burden of proof on the victim to prove his/her case. Both the Directive and the Act were intended to replace the existing national laws of negligence in relation to the Product. In May 2004, Byrd was prescribed a mild sedative by his doctor as he was suffering from work-related stress. The Product was manufactured by Omnia Pharma PLC (â€Å"Omnia†) a company registered in England. Two weeks after starting the treatment, Byrd developed a skin complaint, suppurating psoriasis, which was painful and also unpleasant to look at. As a result, he became a recluse and was dismissed for persistent absence by his employers. Thereafter, he attempted to commit suicide but was discovered in time. He is still very disturbed mentally. The starting point is to consider what directives are, how they are implemented and what the overall effect of directives is. In order to deal with the above it is necessary to examine the law regarding the binding nature of Directives. It is also necessary to examine the implementation of the Directive and discuss whether there has been any breach by the company. If a breach is established it will then be possible to assess what losses the company will be liable for in respect of the claim by Byrd. A discussion on direct and indirect effect is also essential in order to establish whether Byrd can claim under either of these headings. In order to be able to assess whether Francovich damages would be the most effective claim against the UK there needs to be a discussion on what Francovich damages are and when these can be claimed. To be able to decide whether a directive is binding it is necessary to understand what a directive is. A directive has been

Technologies For Students With Disabilities Assignment

Technologies For Students With Disabilities - Assignment Example Nowadays, such students can take great benefit from assistive technologies varying from high technology tools to simple and usable low tech gadgets. The main purpose of such tools and technologies are to assist students with disabilities to give up to their full potential, increasing their self-confidence and motivation to learn and prosper. Simple and easily usable tools for students will learning disabilities include:†¢ Tape Recorders: Students with any sort of memory disabilities can use a tape recorder to help themselves to memorize more quickly and efficiently.†¢ Calculators: Calculator makes complex calculations easy for students who are not goofing with math.High tech tools and latest technologies which could assist students will disabilities include:†¢ Software that can read aloud written text†¢ Speech recognition software that converts verbal text in written text†¢ Grammar correctors that can edit spellings and tenses for students who are weak in gra mmar and tenses. These tools and technologies, specially designed to help disabled students do not cost much and are easily available for a very reasonable price. Such technologies are important for these students because they reduce the dependency need of these students on someone. The skills of the students are polished, as they get the self-confidence that they can finish things on their own. Students are also motivated and they become more comfortable in adjusting to the class environment

European Union Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

European Union Law - Essay Example Negligence need not be proved. Any damages so awarded should include an element for pain and suffering and also for loss of wages past, present and future. The Act excludes liability for loss of wages. It also imposes the burden of proof on the victim to prove his/her case. Both the Directive and the Act were intended to replace the existing national laws of negligence in relation to the Product. In May 2004, Byrd was prescribed a mild sedative by his doctor as he was suffering from work-related stress. The Product was manufactured by Omnia Pharma PLC (â€Å"Omnia†) a company registered in England. Two weeks after starting the treatment, Byrd developed a skin complaint, suppurating psoriasis, which was painful and also unpleasant to look at. As a result, he became a recluse and was dismissed for persistent absence by his employers. Thereafter, he attempted to commit suicide but was discovered in time. He is still very disturbed mentally. The starting point is to consider what directives are, how they are implemented and what the overall effect of directives is. In order to deal with the above it is necessary to examine the law regarding the binding nature of Directives. It is also necessary to examine the implementation of the Directive and discuss whether there has been any breach by the company. If a breach is established it will then be possible to assess what losses the company will be liable for in respect of the claim by Byrd. A discussion on direct and indirect effect is also essential in order to establish whether Byrd can claim under either of these headings. In order to be able to assess whether Francovich damages would be the most effective claim against the UK there needs to be a discussion on what Francovich damages are and when these can be claimed. To be able to decide whether a directive is binding it is necessary to understand what a directive is. A directive has been

Differences between Private and Public Sexuality Research Paper

Differences between Private and Public Sexuality - Research Paper Example Sexuality incorporates ones human body, thoughts, and soul. This paper respects sex wholesome and does not focus on the physical methods of sex intercourse but aims to discover the issue of sexuality in the angle of its public and private aspects. To observe the issue, it is important to provide a clear definition of the sexuality, as it can be often confused. It is much wider than body and physical interaction; yet they are strongly involved. It covers the points of gender identification and gender role – to which sex a person refers him- or herself and a way he or she is expected to act according to it. Sexual orientation is, of course, important part of sexuality. Sexuality also concerns body image; it can drastically change peoples lives and determine their self-esteem and pleasure gained from life. Sexuality covers aspects of sexual experiences, fantasies, ideas etc. It defies the way our surrounding – friends, family, religion, society shape our sexual perceptions and convictions. Sexuality immerses through all areas of our lives; it is seen through the movements, mimics, conversations etc. It is connected with the way people feel love, compassion, intimacy, even sorrow ("Sexuality Resource Center for Pare nts"). Sex itself has undergone many changes; it is no longer a sin – neither it is a duty (Offit). A repetitive point in sociologies, particularly in gender and sex studies, is whether sexuality is a public or private issue. Public angle of sexuality and its implications could be observed from different social, economic, legitimate, cultural and political viewpoints. There are many angles that set restrictions and laws that define the ways of acceptable behaviors. These views usually vary from one country and culture to another. Sexuality was always ambiguous: there were private sex in the bedrooms in the boundaries of marriage and the same time there were prostitutions and

What is the marketing mix

What is the marketing mix What is the Marketing Mix The marketing mix of Product, Price, Promotion, and Place was introduced to marketing education by McCarthy (Yudelson 1999). First formulated as a pedagogical tool, the concept of the 4Ps represents a comprehensive way to describe the main tasks of marketing managers. (Goldsmith 1999). It is utilised to implement corporate planning after having researched and audited the marketing environment, identified and understood the customer, established a strategy and decided which market(s) or market segments to serve, or want to serve (Anonymous 2006). The Marketing Mix has its origins in the 60s: Neil Borden (1964) identified twelve controllable marketing elements that would result to a profitable business operation. Jerome McCarthy (1064) reduced Bordens factors to a simple four-element framework: Product, Price, Promotion and Place. Practitioners and academics embraced the Mix paradigm that soon became the established and essential element of marketing theory and operational marketing management. (Constantinides 2006) The 4Ps were a suitable framework for the 1960s environment which was characterised by profit making consumer manufacturing companies who were concerned with reaching their customers in an age of emerging mass media and national mass markets. (Anonymous 2006) Eventually the 4Ps of the marketing mix became an unquestionable paradigm in academic research, the validity of which was taken for granted. (Grà ¶nroos 1994). There are voices though from academics and researchers which shout that the Marketing Mix in the fo rm of the 4Ps is not able to face the latest marketing challenges. The components of the Mix Product Since its the consumers perception that should be the centre of product policy, the product should not be defined as just the set of its own physical properties. The perceptions are influenced by different parameters, such as any associated services, the image, the brand name, even the social and cultural connections, or the perception of its own differentiation from competition. A product is a mixture of tangible and intangible attributes, including functional, social and psychological utilities or benefits (Anonymous 2006). Price Price is the only revenue generating element of the marketing mix; the other elements consume resources. There are three basic pricing strategies that all organisations can pursue for existing products: pricing above the market (higher than similar competitve products), pricing below the market (lower than competition) and pricing at the market (almost at the price of competition) (Anonymous 2006). Promotion One long-term purpose of promotion is to influence and encourage buyers to accept or adopt goods, services and ideas. Potential buyers go through a psychological or behavioural process before purchasing a product. AIDA, which is an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action incorporates psychological processes: attention is a cognitive process, interest and desire are affective processes and action is a manifest behaviour process (Anonymous 2006). Place Place, or distribution strategy concerns the routes by which marketers of products and services can ensure that these reach their intended market. We normally refer to these routes as marketing channels, which include those intermediaries that products and services pass through from the point of production to the point of final use (Anonymous 2006). Criticism TQM and Relationships Management: Adaptation, not Revolution Yudelson (1999) identified six major marketing developments that challenged the 4Ps since the introduction of the Marketing Mix. Focus on the customer via the Marketing Concept (1960s); Broadening of marketing to include not-for-profits, services, causes, and even politics (1970s); Identification of the exchange transaction as the core of marketing (1970s); Introduction of Total Quality Management with its emphasis on customer satisfaction (1980s); Extension from transaction marketing to relationship marketing (1990s); Identification of the firm as a member of a complete value chain (1990s). Since the 80s, the definition of Product as anything offered is challenged due to the new perspective that organisations face: The success depends on the ability to transform satisfaction to delight. Customer satisfaction is identified as the new driving force, and that is one of the foundational ideas of TQM. Place is expanded to include the entire distribution system, which creates time and place utility and may incorporate specific systems such as just-in-time delivery as part of channel management. During the 1990s, another significant shift occurred. The role of relationships in the marketing activities of the organisation replaced the transaction perspective of earlier times. Price is no longer the amount of money paid to acquire a single Product but the lifetime costs associated with the acquisition, use, and ultimately disposal of the benefits attained during a period of time. Place is no longer just the point of exchange since that fails to communicate the interactions that occur as the product changes ownership and utility from conceptualisation to final disposal. Yudelson suggests that after nearly 40 years, the 4Ps need to let go because, as shown, the terminology has not managed to handle the challenges of developments in marketing thought and practice. However, no commonly agreed or satisfactory replacement has appeared and anyone who grew up on the concept of marketing mix (customers, marketing professionals and academics) would face significant dissonance if the key paradigm were dismissed. So, he suggests that the best strategy is Adaptation and not Revolution. His proposed adaptation focuses on the essential aspects of marketing as exchange driven behaviour, maintains the simplicity and familiarity of the 4Ps, recognises the concerns of past critics, and is capable of applying to both single instance transactions and long-term strategic relationships. Product should be redefined as all the benefits (present or anticipated) that the buyer or acquirer obtains from the exchange. It is recommended that Product be renamed as Performance to communicate the sense of benefit to the customer. Price should be redefined as everything that the acquirer gives up to obtain the benefits. It is suggested that we refer to the second P as Penalty to signify those things that the customer would have to give up or seek to minimize while obtaining the benefit or Performance associated with the exchange. Promotion should be redefined to include all of the information that is communicated between the parties to the transaction in keeping with the current thought on Integrated Marketing Communications. The purpose of the communication or information is to influence or encourage each party to enter into the transaction/ relationship. This is accomplished by providing information regarding the costs and benefits of the transaction-or better-the Perception of the Performance and Penalty. Place can be now defined as all that is done and required to facilitate or bring about the exchange and therefore, Yudelson proposes its redefinition as Process. Relationships Marketing A paradigm shift Grà ¶nroos (1994) believes that a paradigm shift is taking place in marketing. One of the main reasons lies beneath the nature of marketing mix. The marketing mix is a list of categories of marketing variables. A list never includes all relevant elements, it does not fit every situation, and it becomes obsolete. Moreover, the 4Ps represent an oversimplification of Bordens original concept, which was a list of 12 elements not intended to be a definition at all. This list would most probably have to be reconsidered in any given situation. Grà ¶nroos believes that McCarthy either misunderstood the meaning of Bordens marketing mix or his followers misunderstood McCarthys intentions. Probably Bordens original idea of a list of a large number of marketing mix ingredients that have to be reconsidered in every given situation was shortened for pedagogical reasons and a more limited number of marketing variables seemed to fit typical situations observed in the late 1950s and in the 1960s. T he 4Ps were never applicable to all markets and to all types of marketing situations. The development of alternative marketing theories (interaction/network approach to industrial marketing and the marketing of services, customer relationship economics) demonstrates that even from a management perspective, the marketing mix and its 4Ps became a problem. Gronroos concludes that in industrial marketing, services marketing, managing distribution channels and even consumer packaged goods marketing itself, a shift is clearly taking place from marketing to anonymous masses of customer to developing and managing relationships with more or less well-known or at least somehow identified customers. Other Reviews and Criticism Constantinides (2006) undertook a literature review on the status of Marketing Mix at the 21st century. He discovered that many researchers express serious doubts as to the role of the Mix as marketing management tool in its original form, proposing alternative approaches: adding new parameters to the original Mix (e.g. 7Ps for services) or replacing it with alternative frameworks altogether. Some of the weaknesses of the 4Ps identified in the study are domain specific: ignoring the human factor, lack of strategic dimensions, offensive posture and lack of interactivity. Two limitations however seem to be common in all reviewed categories: The models internal orientation: The lack of explicit market input in the framework which sources from the fact that the Mix was originally developed as a concept suitable for marketing of consumer products in the mass-oriented US manufacturing sector of the 60s The lack of personalisation: Significant shifts of consumer behaviour such as individualisation, diminishing brand preference, value orientation, increasing sophistication etc. have undermined the effectiveness of the impersonal one-way communication and the mass marketing approaches. Hyman (2004) undertook a similar study on the criticism of the Mix. According to that, some marketers contend that the scope of the 4Ps is insufficient from a pedagogical or applied perspective. To address this limitation, they updated the schema by refining the current Ps, adding new Ps, broadening its perspective, or adapting it to specific industries. Moreover, he summarised previously published criticism of the 4Ps: Inadequate theoretical grounding Not formally integrated into the exchange paradigm Fails three of the five requirements for a sound classification schema Overly focused on consumer goods, yet is production rather than marketing-concept oriented Cannot account for the full range of marketing management activities Ignores strategic marketing Focuses only on the acquisition stage of consumption Contains an increasingly catch-all (i.e. atheoretically focused) promotion category Fails to account for interactions between Ps or boundary-spanning topics Is incompatible with the relationship-marketing paradigm van Waterschoot and Van den Bulte (1992) in their own research identified five key limitations of the 4Ps model: It focuses on what marketers do to customers rather than for them. It is externally directed and ignores the internal market. It says nothing about interactions between the mix variables. It takes a mechanistic view about markets. It assumes a transactional exchange rather than a relationship. The Xbox 360 Marketing Mix The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. The Xbox 360 is the successor to the Xbox, and competes with Sonys PlayStation 3 and Nintendos Wii as part of the seventh generation of gaming systems (usually called next-gen) (Wikipedia 2007). Product Name and Concept The term 360 represents a circle and is inline with the concept of the product. The customer is placed at The centre of the experience. Its a videogame and an entertainment system that integrates music, picture, games and movies. Everything revolves around the customer.(Porcaro 2005) Classification Xbox 360 belongs to the shopping consumer products category, which includes products purchased after the consumer shops around to find the best deal based on comparisons of price, quality, style, durability and other product attributes that are felt to be important. Although due to shortage at its launch many consumers were making effort to find one and others were forced to buy from eBay at inflated prices, 3 months after the launch the console could be purchased with smaller effort. Therefore, a classification of Speciality is not justified. Product Mix The total set of products a company sells is called its product mix, which consists of its component product lines. The product mix of Microsoft regarding console gaming consists of the following product lines: Xbox 360 consoles, the Xbox Live Services (Marketplace, Video and Arcade), console accessories and Microsoft Games. Xbox 360 Product Line During launch only two configurations were available; the Core and the Premium versions. Over time, the product line length rose to 3, in an Up-Market Stretch move from Microsoft, by introducing a high end version (Elite). Product Positioning Microsoft targets both casual and hard-core gamers. The Core and Arcade versions seem attractive to the former, while Premium and Elite are more appropriate to the latter. Product Levels The five levels of customer value hierarchy are as follows (Kotler and Keller 2006): Core benefit: The benefit that the customer is really buying. The buyer of the Xox 360 is buying video gaming. Basic Product: The Xbox 360 includes a video games console and a controller. Expected product: A set of attributes and conditions the buyers normally expect. Gamers expect from the seventh generation of gaming systems good graphics and sound performance, a wireless controller, digital connection with the HD TV and the amplifier, online gaming with friends through the internet and the ability to listen to music and watch videos. Augmented product: The level in which the product exceeds customer expectations. The Xbox 360 through its Xbox LIVE service lets the customers download purchased or promotional material. This includes game demos, movie and game trailers, Arcade games as well as add-on game content (items, costumes, levels, maps etc). Potential product: All the possible augmentations and transformations the product might undergo in the future. Even before the launch of Xbox 360, Microsoft was researching ways to create a video store accessible through the console, as well as a TV service which would add IPTV functionality. One year after the launch of the console, the Xbox Video Marketplace was introduced in the United States, and the Microsoft TV service under development. Pricing The following table summarises competition pricing during their respective launch. Note that Playstation and Wii launched at November 2006, almost a year later than Xbox. The Xbox 360 was the first next-gen console to enter the market. Generally, if the product is an innovation, then the initial price is usually set quite high (Anonymous 2006), but this is not the policy that Microsoft followed. Microsoft used the strategy of Price penetration, in an effort to take as much market share as possible. In fact, it was reported that Microsoft was losing $126 per unit sold (Joystiq 2005). Robbie Bach, president of Entertainment and Devices Division, said that the Xbox 360 business will become profitable in 2008 and that the profit to make is not on the hardware itself, but rather on Live service subscriptions, accessories and games (Gamedaily 2007). In August 2007, Microsoft dropped the prices by à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50. In October 2007, they introduced the Arcade version and priced it exactly the same as the Wii, that is At the market. Odd-even pricing assumes product sales benefit from prices such as  £99.99 rather than  £100.00, because customers will think the product is a good deal (Anonymous 2006). As we saw, Microsoft followed this policy, as all next-gen competitors did. Promotion Microsoft utilized the following Marketing Communications Mix for the launch of the console system. Advertising The advertising campaign took place via television, magazines and internet sites. The tag line was Jump In, which was in complete accordance with the name and the concept of the product (the center of the experience). The ads were introducing the idea that its more fun to play when youre part of a community, that games have always been more fun when you play with friends (Porcaro 2005). Sales Promotion The sales promotion took place through online contests and websites. OurColony.net offered challenges to its community, rewarding solutions with cropped pictures of the console and game screenshots. OrigenXbox360.com was offering visitors an opportunity to enter in various contests for a chance to attend promotional pre-launch events. Hex168.com hosted a number of images that appeared to perpetuate obscure conspiracy theories, but sometimes contained oblique references to Xbox 360. The campaign was later revealed to be a U.S. contest that offered participants a chance to win one of three hundred and sixty Xbox 360 console bundles six days before the official launch (Wikipedia 2007). Marketing Public Relations In order to assist the launch and to increase awareness, Microsoft made use of Marketing Public Relations. The official unveiling of the Xbox 360 occurred on May 2005 on MTV in a program called MTV Presents: The Next Generation Xbox Revealed (Wikipedia 2007). Elijah Wood hosted the show which featured a musical performance by the band The Killers. Ten days later the Xbox 360 was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine along with an associated article. Obviously, the viewers of MTV belong to the target market, while the cover of TIME magazine was a huge boost to the hype. Events Microsoft is one of the major exhibitors in the annual E3 Media and Business Summit which is considered as the biggest annual event in the video game industry. The announcements regarding future development are taking place at the Microsoft keynote event, which is highly anticipated by the worldwide video game media and community. Microsoft is also a frequent sponsor to gaming events. In association with adidas and EA Sports, they sponsored the Xbox World Cup, which received a lot of publicity by the gaming community. Gamers who qualified through national preliminary rounds were given an all-expenses paid trip to Berlin to take part in the competition representing their nations in matches that took place in an 8,500 seat stadium. Microsoft managed to identify with the target market as well as increase awareness and express commitment to the community. Place (Distribution) As mentioned earlier, the product suffered from shortages during its launch, due to huge demand and slow production. However, three months later the problems had been bypassed and it is worth noted that in its first year on the market, the system launched in 36 countries, more countries than any console has launched in a single year. Microsoft chose to distribute the products through the Producer >> Wholesaler >> Retailer >> Consumer channel. For the countries where Microsoft has physical presence, the Wholesaler intermediary part was played by the regional division. The Xbox 360 is distributed intensively, which means that all available outlets are used for distributing it. Conclusion The marketing mix of Product, Price, Promotion, and Place was introduced to marketing education during the 1960s. Practitioners and academics embraced the paradigm that soon became the established element of marketing theory and operational marketing management. Eventually the 4Ps of the marketing mix became an unquestionable paradigm in academic research, the validity of which was taken for granted. However, many researchers and academics object. Yudelson believes that the Mix requires adaptation to the challenges of the era (TQM and the role of relationships) and proposes redefinition of the components. Grà ¶nroos argues the 4Ps was never intended to become a paradigm and started as a simple list which was an oversimplification of a larger list. He states that the 4Ps were never applicable to all markets and to all types of marketing situations, and that we have started to experience a paradigm shift towards relationships marketing. Other studies also conclude that the marketing m ix of the 4Ps is getting old and cannot address complex environment issues, such as management of personalisation. The application of the marketing mix model to the Xbox 360 gaming console system revealed that model managed to incorporate some of the major marketing planning activities of Microsoft under its 4Ps components. However, Yudelsons model seems to apply better. Xbox 360 is not just about the actual console product, but through its integration with other products and services its about the Performance of the entertainment experience. Its Promotion is inline with the current thought on Integrated Marketing Communications. And finally, its Place (distribution) is more about the Process of distribution, from which Microsoft actually suffered during the launch. Also, the marketing mix model failed to incorporate the personalisation component of the product. That is, through the LIVE services each user is uniquely identified. Microsoft has access to personal information, such as favourite games, music and movies and is able to propose similar content to the customers upon request. Unfortunate ly, the 4Ps did not manage to capture this aspect of Xbox 360 marketing. We conclude that the marketing mix is a tool which has performed well in the past and may still do in many cases. However, the increasingly complex environment demands adaptation and expansion. Personalisation for example is a very important component and should be incorporated under the umbrella of the new XPs, whatever number the academia decides that X should be. References Anonymous (2006). Strategic Marketing Module Book Edition 10, Management Centre, University of Leicester. Borden, N.H. (1964), The concept of the Marketing Mix, Journal of Advertising Research, June, pp 2-7 Constantinides, E. (2006), The Marketing Mix Revisited: Towards the 21st Century Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management 2006, 22, pp 407-438 Gamedaily, http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/bach-xbox-business-profitable-next-year/70371/?biz=1, [15 December 2007] Goldsmith, R. E. (1999), The personalised marketplace: beyond the 4Ps, Marketing Intelligence Planning 17/4, pp 178-185 Grà ¶nroos, C. (1994), From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Marketing, Management Decision, Vol. 32 No. 2, 1994, pp. 4-20 Hyman, M. R. (2004), Revising the structural framework for marketing management, Journal of Business Research 57, pp 923- 932 Joystiq, http://www.joystiq.com/2005/11/23/microsoft-losing-126-on-every-sold-xbox-360/, [15 December 2007] Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006), Marketing Management 12e, Pearson Prentice Hall McCarthy, E.J. (1964), Basic Marketing, a Managerial Approach, Homewood, Ill.: Richard D. Irwin, Inc.. Porcaro, J. (2005), Xbox 360 Marketing, http://www.johnporcaro.com/2006/03/xbox_360_market.html, [15 December 2007] van Waterschoot, W. and den Bulte, C. (1992). The 4P classification of the marketing mix revisited, Journal of Marketing 56 (October), pp 83-93. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360, [15 December 2007] Yudelson, J. (1999), Adapting Mccarthys Four Ps for the Twenty-First Century, Journal of Marketing Education 21, pp 60-67

How is Scrooge presented in a Christmas Carol Essay -- English Literat

How is Scrooge presented in a Christmas Carol - What is he like? Are we sympathetic to him? Does he change? What language features are used to do this? Ebenezer Scrooge This essay is looking at the character, Ebenezer Scrooge throughout the play. It looks at the person he is and the person he becomes. It also looks at the language Dickens uses to portray Mr Scrooge. Dickens portrays Scrooge as a ' tight fisted, penny pincher' with alliterations and metaphors such as, 'wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner' emphasising his meanness. He seems a mean old man with no time for the festivities of Christmas, nor any other special day at that! Even when the cheerful voice of his nephew rings out to wish him a very Merry Christmas, his reply was ' Bah, Humbug!' He snubs visitors with the frost of his nature and speaks with a voice that begrudges their happiness and united joy. He is even bitter to the clerk, Bob Cratchit for having a paid day off, stating ' A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty - fifth of December! ' (Stave 1) When the ghost of Marley appears, Scrooge tries to jest with him to distract his fears but the spectre voice 'disturbs the very marrow in his bones.' He begs for mercy and asks why the 'dreadful apparition is troubling him' Although mean and nasty, the reader sees here that Scrooge is also a coward! Jacob Marley tells of the chains that were forged in life and what is waiting for Scrooge, telling him 'I am here tonight to warn you, that you have a chance and hope of escaping my fate' (Stave 1) If Scrooge did not change his mean old ways, then he is only to look forward to an after life like poor Jacob. To Scrooge's disappointment and di... ...tion of the word 'and' quickens the pace, and indicates the excitement felt by Scrooge. Scrooge remembers all that was shown to him and he sets off to alter the future, which only evoked doom. He buys an overwhelmingly large turkey for Bob Cratchit, attends his Nephews party and generally spreads the good will and festive cheer of Christmas! Scrooge keeps his promise, and everyone benefits. There is a repetition of the word good ' He became a good friend, a good master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town or borough, in the good Old World' (Stave 5) This proves that he has genuinely changed for the better of himself and everyone around him. The moral of the story is, as Dickens surely tried to put across, that it is never too late to alter your ways, and if you don't change, things could happen to you too.

Divorce Essay -- Social Issues, Children

Divorce is viewed differently by many people. Sometimes this is due to experiences, what others have said, or looking at studies that are not always accurate. However, not everyone can have the same views about marriage ending in divorce. In the article, â€Å"No Easy Answers: Why the Popular View of Divorce Is Wrong† by Constance Ahrons she shows her view on divorce. Ahrons believes that divorce does not have long-lasting damaging effects on children (65). Divorce can affect children in the family but the way the decisions are made is what will change the way the kids are influenced. First of all, opposing viewpoints say that divorce can cause the child to feel like their life is not going to be the same. In contrast, this is not a highly supported statement. One thing that is commonly stated about divorce is, once two married parents with children decide to divorce, that they are no longer a family (66). Although, they may not be living together in the same house it does not mean they are still not a family. No matter what, the parents will always be linked to each other because of the children. Is that not the definition of a family? In addition, assumptions are made that if people are married with kids that they are an ideal family This is not the case, if the marriage is not working out and is only causing problems amongst the parents and kids than that is not considered a family either. Divorce does not cause children to lose their family, if anything it helps to fix them. Moreover, people say that kids feel like their life will have to change drastically because; they will have to lose one of their parents. Divorce does not mean that the children will drop a relationship with one of their parents. Some divorces may be like... ...e fairly small or big but either way the child is changed in some way. No matter how people view divorce, there is no wrong viewpoint. In the end, the effects are rarely long-term on the children. In conclusion, divorce is an extremely diverse subject, and it is going to be viewed in a different way by many individuals based on their experiences. Sometimes divorce can be the best thing for the couple as well as the child. If a marriage is only there for the child then that could affect them just as much as a divorce (65). The outcome on how serious the effects are on a child after divorce can vary. It is all revolved on how the parents handle the divorce; what decisions and choices they chose to make will change the way the child is affected. When it comes down to it, â€Å"you can choose to see your family as rearranged, or you can choose to see it as broken† (62).

Accomplishments of Ancient Rome

In the 3,000 years that make up the ancient history of the emergence of Western Civilization, Rome’s contributions to society include the construction of bridges, domes, and temples. The Romans had great architecture skills that have stayed with us in one form or another for thousands of years. Each construction has evolved into many different forms that are found all over the world today. Each country or civilization uses the items differently, but without the help from the Romans and Greeks transportation may have been harder to accomplish and buildings would not have the beauty they have today. Short bridges are not hard to build.They can easily be made by throwing a log across a narrow stream or river. It’s building a bridge across a wide river that can be difficult. Building a straight bridge across a wide gap can be unsafe and unsecure. The Roman’s invented a bridge in the form of an arch. This caused the bridge to be better equipped to handle heavy weight without having to put many supports in the water itself. Like all inventions, the first few arch bridges had flaws but they were worked out and now many bridges across the world have an arch like structure to them. The arch structure can also be found in historical buildings because of its beauty and uniqueness.The Romans were very proud of their accomplishment and they used it whenever they could. The Ancient Romans were the first to construct the dome. The Pantheon was an important building built in Ancient Greece that contained a dome. It is very noticeable from the exterior of the building. The dome of the Pantheon is one of the largest masonry domes every built. A heavy concrete base supports the weight, while the upper walls and dome are constructed of a lighter mix of concrete. The center of the dome has an opening which allows light and rain to enter.Many buildings and houses right here in New York have a roof with a dome shape to it. It is really popular in old Victorian ho mes. The Ancient Romans were not the first to construct temples but they contributed their own ideas to the structure. Some temples, such as the Temple of Saturn, have been rebuilt many times. Eight Ionic columns still remain on the Temple of Saturn today. Romans often didn’t include the fluting from the column shafts. Roman temples had columns and many pieces of artwork hung throughout the buildings showing Roman life just like the temples of Greece.Every building design starts off very basic and excels into something great and powerful. Each architectural design was created for some reason or another. If for some reason the Romans didn’t create the arch, dome or temples it doesn’t mean that it would never been created. They were just the first ones who needed or desired them first. I’m sure someone; somewhere would have had the idea of creating such beautiful pieces of architect. But as it stands today, we thank the Romans and Greeks for our earliest fo rms of advanced architecture.

Alain Locke’s The New Negro: Aspects of Negro Culture Essay

Alain Locke, in â€Å"The New Negro,† suggests that the â€Å"old Negro† is really nothing more than a myth or an ideal. He talks about the fact that there are aspects of Negro culture – such as the spiritual – that were beaten down but were accepted when finally allowed to emerge. Locke then takes a look at some trends, including the tendency toward moving â€Å"city-ward,† and says these are not because of poor or even violent conditions in the south nor of the industry in the north. Instead, he attributes this migration to â€Å"a new vision of opportunity. † Locke then points out that the Negro is willing to work for better conditions and that this migration is not only toward the city and away from the country life, but also away from the old ways and toward the new. New Negro is a term popularized during the Harlem Renaissance implying a more outspoken advocacy of dignity and a refusal to submit quietly to the practices and laws of Jim Crow racial segregation. The term â€Å"New Negro† was made popular by Alain LeRoy Locke. The New Negro,† Locke described the landscape of Harlem as filled by different notions of what it meant to be a black American. -Old Negro† as â€Å"more myth than a man† and the blind acceptance of this â€Å"formula† against ideas of â€Å"the thinking Negro† and the true diversity of actual human beings This move is significant because Locke uses this idea to create space for a more accurate representation of the Negro community in light of the antecedent ideological poles of the moral leadership and imaged blackness. Locke’s primary goal in the essay â€Å"The New Negro† is to migrate from monolithic notions of an â€Å"Old Negro†, as well as from the exhausted frameworks of bourgeois intellectual black leadership toward an idea that gives creative agency and credibility to the â€Å"rank and file† of Negro life (Locke, New Negro: 6). -New Negro† as a means of rediscovering individuality of voice in the context of community. –// In a 1925 essay entitled â€Å"The New Negro,† Alain Locke described this transformation as an embracing of a new psychology and spirit. Locke felt that it was imperative for the â€Å"New Negro† to â€Å"smash† all of the racial, social and psychological obstacles that had previously kept the Black man from reaching his goals. –â€Å"The intelligent Negro of today is resolved not to make discrimination an extenuation for his shortcomings in performance, individual or collective; he is trying to hold himself at par, neither inflated by sentimental allowances nor depreciated by current social discounts â€Å"By shedding the old chrysalis of the Negro problem we are achieving something like a spiritual emancipation â€Å"Negro life is not only establishing new contacts and founding new centers, it is finding a new soul â€Å"So for generations in the mind of America, the Negro has been more of a formula than a human being –a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be â€Å"kept down,† or â€Å"in his place,† or â€Å"helped up,† to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or a social burden? † â€Å"In the intellectual realm a renewed and keen curiosity is replacing the recent apathy; the Negro is being carefully studied, not just talked about and discussed. In art and letters, instead of being wholly caricatured, he is being seriously portray eel and painted. Alain Locke, in â€Å"The New Negro,† suggests that the â€Å"old Negro† is really nothing more than a myth or an ideal. He talks about the fact that there are aspects of Negro culture – such as the spiritual – that were beaten down but were accepted when finally allowed to emerge. Locke then takes a look at some trends, including the tendency toward moving â€Å"city-ward,† and says these are not because of poor or even violent conditions in the south nor of the industry in the north. Instead, he attributes this migration to â€Å"a new vision of opportunity. † Locke then points out that the Negro is willing to work for better conditions and that this migration is not only toward the city and away from the country life, but also away from the old ways and toward the new. New Negro is a term popularized during the Harlem Renaissance implying a more outspoken advocacy of dignity and a refusal to submit quietly to the practices and laws of Jim Crow racial segregation. The term â€Å"New Negro† was made popular by Alain LeRoy Locke. The New Negro,† Locke described the landscape of Harlem as filled by different notions of what it meant to be a black American. -Old Negro† as â€Å"more myth than a man† and the blind acceptance of this â€Å"formula† against ideas of â€Å"the thinking Negro† and the true diversity of actual human beings This move is significant because Locke uses this idea to create space for a more accurate representation of the Negro community in light of the antecedent ideological poles of the moral leadership and imaged blackness. Locke’s primary goal in the essay â€Å"The New Negro† is to migrate from monolithic notions of an â€Å"Old Negro†, as well as from the exhausted frameworks of bourgeois intellectual black leadership toward an idea that gives creative agency and credibility to the â€Å"rank and file† of Negro life (Locke, New Negro: 6). -New Negro† as a means of rediscovering individuality of voice in the context of community. –// In a 1925 essay entitled â€Å"The New Negro,† Alain Locke described this transformation as an embracing of a new psychology and spirit. Locke felt that it was imperative for the â€Å"New Negro† to â€Å"smash† all of the racial, social and psychological obstacles that had previously kept the Black man from reaching his goals. –â€Å"The intelligent Negro of today is resolved not to make discrimination an extenuation for his shortcomings in performance, individual or collective; he is trying to hold himself at par, neither inflated by sentimental allowances nor depreciated by current social discounts â€Å"By shedding the old chrysalis of the Negro problem we are achieving something like a spiritual emancipation â€Å"Negro life is not only establishing new contacts and founding new centers, it is finding a new soul â€Å"So for generations in the mind of America, the Negro has been more of a formula than a human being –a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be â€Å"kept down,† or â€Å"in his place,† or â€Å"helped up,† to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or a social burden? † â€Å"In the intellectual realm a renewed and keen curiosity is replacing the recent apathy; the Negro is being carefully studied, not just talked about and discussed. In art and letters, instead of being wholly caricatured, he is being seriously portray eel and painted. Alain Locke, in â€Å"The New Negro,† suggests that the â€Å"old Negro† is really nothing more than a myth or an ideal. He talks about the fact that there are aspects of Negro culture – such as the spiritual – that were beaten down but were accepted when finally allowed to emerge. Locke then takes a look at some trends, including the tendency toward moving â€Å"city-ward,† and says these are not because of poor or even violent conditions in the south nor of the industry in the north. Instead, he attributes this migration to â€Å"a new vision of opportunity. † Locke then points out that the Negro is willing to work for better conditions and that this migration is not only toward the city and away from the country life, but also away from the old ways and toward the new. New Negro is a term popularized during the Harlem Renaissance implying a more outspoken advocacy of dignity and a refusal to submit quietly to the practices and laws of Jim Crow racial segregation. The term â€Å"New Negro† was made popular by Alain LeRoy Locke. The New Negro,† Locke described the landscape of Harlem as filled by different notions of what it meant to be a black American. -Old Negro† as â€Å"more myth than a man† and the blind acceptance of this â€Å"formula† against ideas of â€Å"the thinking Negro† and the true diversity of actual human beings This move is significant because Locke uses this idea to create space for a more accurate representation of the Negro community in light of the antecedent ideological poles of the moral leadership and imaged blackness. Locke’s primary goal in the essay â€Å"The New Negro† is to migrate from monolithic notions of an â€Å"Old Negro†, as well as from the exhausted frameworks of bourgeois intellectual black leadership toward an idea that gives creative agency and credibility to the â€Å"rank and file† of Negro life (Locke, New Negro: 6). -New Negro† as a means of rediscovering individuality of voice in the context of community. –// In a 1925 essay entitled â€Å"The New Negro,† Alain Locke described this transformation as an embracing of a new psychology and spirit. Locke felt that it was imperative for the â€Å"New Negro† to â€Å"smash† all of the racial, social and psychological obstacles that had previously kept the Black man from reaching his goals. –â€Å"The intelligent Negro of today is resolved not to make discrimination an extenuation for his shortcomings in performance, individual or collective; he is trying to hold himself at par, neither inflated by sentimental allowances nor depreciated by current social discounts â€Å"By shedding the old chrysalis of the Negro problem we are achieving something like a spiritual emancipation â€Å"Negro life is not only establishing new contacts and founding new centers, it is finding a new soul â€Å"So for generations in the mind of America, the Negro has been more of a formula than a human being –a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be â€Å"kept down,† or â€Å"in his place,† or â€Å"helped up,† to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or a social burden? † â€Å"In the intellectual realm a renewed and keen curiosity is replacing the recent apathy; the Negro is being carefully studied, not just talked about and discussed. In art and letters, instead of being wholly caricatured, he is being seriously portray eel and painted. Alain Locke, in â€Å"The New Negro,† suggests that the â€Å"old Negro† is really nothing more than a myth or an ideal. He talks about the fact that there are aspects of Negro culture – such as the spiritual – that were beaten down but were accepted when finally allowed to emerge. Locke then takes a look at some trends, including the tendency toward moving â€Å"city-ward,† and says these are not because of poor or even violent conditions in the south nor of the industry in the north. Instead, he attributes this migration to â€Å"a new vision of opportunity. † Locke then points out that the Negro is willing to work for better conditions and that this migration is not only toward the city and away from the country life, but also away from the old ways and toward the new.

Religious skepticism among a large portion of the youth

The â€Å"conventional† God is what the youth today does not believe in. That is what has led them to Atheism , Agnosticism et cetera. The youth no longer wants to do what they are told to do without question. They want to stand up and question beliefs. They want to think for their own. Religion is not a methodical approach to life which one must follow in order to reach his or her desired goal.Religion is more than that. Religion is a way of life. Religion has to relate o a person on an individual level, because religion is all about belief. Every person has different beliefs. This is why different religions formed in the first place. Belief creates perception. And perception creates experience. Hence religion is directly based on belief. Hence someone else's belief cannot be adopted by a person as their own belief. This is the very reason the youth has questioned the act of following others' beliefs and following a rigid set of rules.It has also been seen that many people wh o realize that there's something missing, a link that Just isn't there. These very people, who at a period in their lives were completely involved in â€Å"worldly matters†, go in search of that link. These could be youth, or even people in As an example, youths have become a part of religious organizations in search of that missing link. Many such organizations exist all over the world. What led these youths to make the drastic change in their life was the very fact that they were not ready to accept someone else's beliefs.I will elaborate my view about the youth and the believers and beliefs that they find that anyone might find absurd. These very â€Å"rituals† and â€Å"superstitions† are thought of y the youth as the cause of the lack of belief in religion. In a majority of Hindu society, at many festivals, a coconut is offered to the deity by smashing the coconut in front of an idol. Now, I myself have known of this ritual, and have even taken part in prac ticing it many times. Whereas the very reason of this offering or the very significance of it, it was not known by many people I asked. The practice in itself is very symbolic.Before cracking it open, the whole outer layer of the coconut is shaven off, signifying getting rid of all desires except the desire to realize Ruth, which the small bit signifies. Now the outer shell is cracked open, revealing the pure white milk inside, signifying the purity inside, exposing it. Then the last bit of the outer covering is shaven off, signifying renunciation of the last desire, exposing the three holes in the coconut, symbolizing the three eyes, the third eye being the eye of wisdom. If we take another example, religious practices like â€Å"Sati†4 are widely boycotted in modern society.These might be thought of as having a religious origin, and because people are against them now, they are thought to be unreasonable. Even when people try to find the reason behind these practices, they seldom succeed. The answer in such cases is known by very few people. It is observed that people in one religion many a times do as someone with religious authority asks them to blindly, or they fool themselves by making themselves believe that whatever they are being told makes sense. Due to this, the youth thinks that all religious means is praying and following a set of rules, not freedom.But religion could be far from that. Thus what they despise is not religion, but thoughtless action, doing things blindly. That might be religion for some, but it cannot be assumed that that is religion for all. This is why some people break off from organized religion, and start their inner journey, their inner search for something. Some of these people find on their path people like them, people who do not believe in thoughtless 3 4 as defined by The Oxford Dictionary the former Hindu practice of a widow throwing herself on to her husband's funeral pyre. Of 7 action, and connect with them. The se people also have a religion. Their belief, their religion may be called by the same name as some other people's, but it is not the name thing as theirs. It also so happens that the religions or religious sects that are usually broken off from have rules that are to be adhered to. Whereas places that satisfied and happy people end up in are relatively relaxed. This happens because every person's religious Journey is his very own, not someone else's. It can play out encouraged to do what the youth is doing, encouraged to question everything.They will only find their way if they get out of their comfort zone and try to. Conformity and fear of failing or doing something wrong prevents people from seeking the truth. These practices have always been a part of their lives, but they have not been able to find out why. This is what leads the youth to think that these religious practices, and hence religion, is mindless. But a number of people cannot represent religion as a whole, as and r eligious beliefs and practices are very diverse, and are different for everyone.For some, every ritual and practice holds significance and meaning, whereas for some it doesn't. Often, we know only of the latter, causing us to form opinions of that religion based on the people we see. There are also sciences like Nasty† and â€Å"Fen Shut† that are believed by some to be precise, but regarded by others as unnecessary or fake and deceptive, as pseudo sciences. What happens is, sciences like these originally were literally sciences. They worked on the basis of reason.If, according to Vast, the windows should be placed in a certain part of the house, or the flow of water should be in a certain direction, it is to provide cross ventilation and to increase efficiency and the flow of positive energy throughout an indoor space. Another idea that doesn't appeal to many people is the idea of renunciation and raying, surrendering yourself † as in Hinduism or Buddhism for exa mple. But this is an idea; not a compulsion. This is an idea that has worked for some, not a compulsory decision or a command.This doesn't mean that religion is only for people who will completely leave everything; because not everyone will – not everyone can. When it happens that someone really gives up Worldly duties', or when someone renounces things, they do not control themselves from being a part of the ‘illusion' or ‘Mama's but they simply understand that it is temporary, thus there is no point in eating attached to temporary dualities. For the renounces, it is not a struggle to stay away from the illusion; it is the only way forward † something they would want to do, and be happy doing. Maya is defined as the illusion or appearance of the world perceptible by the senses or through immediate experience 5 of 7 Everyone has their own interpretation of everything, thus making it impossible for many people to follow exactly a set of rules; the meaning of words, especially when it comes to matters of religion or spirituality, cannot be interpreted in the exact same way † for no two people think alike. This gives rise to personalization to suit every individual, only people do not realize that they are allowed to personalizes.The very reason people decide not to be religious is because they think that religion dictates. It dictates their life and their choices. My experience of studying World Religions has made it possible for me to think more broadly. I have read and talked to different people about how many religions like they could be when put into practice by different people due to their own different interpretations. This course has vastly influenced, and helped form my view of religion as it is today. It has also encouraged me to take interest in spirituality and religion.