Monday, September 30, 2019

Marketing Mix Report Essay

Braaap is an Australian company which operates as well in USA producing dirty bikes for all ages and gender. It is a company that provides good conditions for the consumer buying their bikes with stores located around the country and online options to choose the best way to obtain a bike. The main characteristic of Braaap’s is to sell products for dirty bikes with the highest quality in the world. The brand is known across Australia as the biggest store online in the market. Connected with partners around the world that provide to them the necessary support to develop their new products. In the Braaap’s store, the costumer can buy equipments from the best brands around the world which multiply the number of choices for everyone. By the way, the prices are not low otherwise they could not offer a highest quality in their products. However, Braaap has a unique promotion that makes the difference in this market, Braaap’s is the only store which provides a lifetime warranty for their customers. If we think that this sport has a very high risk, this kind of promotion is very good for their image in the market. Braaap has created their image through many kind of events which involve motorcycle, sometimes sponsoring athletics or tournaments around the world. Also they produce a catalogue monthly to keep their clients aware about what is changing or the market news. Most of the Braaap’s clients are young people between 20 to 35, especially mans, due to the practice of that sport. Anyway, they are trying to get more attention from woman and child. Braaap’s offer a program to learn how to ride and other events to entrencher the customer that might not like this sport or lifestyle. Braaap’s stores have segmented their business since they were just an online store with few equipments and brands. Beyond sell parts of motorcycles, Braaad starts to sell cloths and all equipments from many different brands. This action expanded the business and increased the profitability. A huge variety of equipments, not just parts of motorcycles but cloths and accessories from many different brands are an important turnaround of Braaap’s business. Even if the prices are high, does not matter because the quality, design, options and a reliable brand make the difference in the market. Braaap’s cover whole Australia and export for other countries around the world, their online  store is well viewed for everybody and their promotions are always very effective. The marketing mix is open their eyes for business and they are trying to leave the equipments more accessible for all public otherwise the competitors are growing up quickly and getting a good slide of the motorcycle’s customers. The clients like when the company has a nice reputation in the market and when that brand is attempt in the events between sport, media and entertainment. It makes the public remember their brand as a good position which care about their lifestyle. Also the clients would like to get easy access to store to solve their enquires, and keep clear the information and services between company and customer. One of the innovations at braaap is the Launch of the braaap silent. Braaap is one of the first petrol based motorcycle manufacture to launch an electric powered bike off the production line. It means that Braaap’s stores are trying to find a way out of the saturated market and at the same time renew the concept of motorcycles around the world. For while, it is just available in Australia and USA but it will be everywhere soon. In conclusion, Braaap’s business is given more attention for the price due to the knowledge that price could influence directly in the other points of the marketing mix. The lower price is always a good option but in this case would not be a good position if we consider that Braaap works with best brand around the world and offer only highest quality products. It is recommended that Braaad’s store keeps working well, trying to get the best for their clients and always investing in new products and partners which will make them stronger tha n ever.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

In India, the Micro and Small Enterprises Essay

It has been our commitment to develop a strong and vibrant SMEs segment that acts as the backbone of India’s industrial sector. SMERA has been contributing to this goal by providing ratings to these firms, to enable their sustained and vibrant growth. SMERA recognises this potential of the SME segment and the benefits it holds for our nation. It is in this context SMERA, jointly with Dun & Bradstreet India, is proud to launch the publication series, Emerging SMEs of India. The high fragmented nature of the SME segment makes availability of information difficult. A one-point reference document listing SMEs was imperative at this juncture. We hope to fulfil this long felt need. The publication has attempted to provide critical information on 370 companies and provide a concise profile of their activities. It aims to bring out the best SMEs and project them before domestic corporates outsourcing their needs to SMEs and also potential importers on the lookout for reliable SMEs to source their requirements. The current endeavour is an effort to fill the void and provide Indian SMEs a platform where they can interact, learn and do networking with stakeholders in associated events together with brand building. We are sure that this publication will benefit many individuals, banks, corporates, government institutions and agencies that provide support and promote the SMEs. Through this pioneering initiative, SMERA re-dedicates itself to serving the small and medium enterprises of India. | The Ministry of Small Scale Industries (SSI) is a defunct Indian government ministry. It was merged with the Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries to form the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The ministry was tasked with the promotion of micro and small enterprises (MSEs). The Ministry of Small Scale Industries and Agro and Rural Industries (SSI&ARI) was created in October 1999. In September 2001, the ministry was split into the Ministry of Small Scale Industries (SSI) and the Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries (ARI).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Answer Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer Questions - Essay Example Companies’ growth as consumers helps them understand consumer mentality better. When companies play consumers, they are able to understand what aspect of service provision works and what does not work. Companies that grow as consumers will make information informed decisions on how to address customers’ needs. Usually, companies merge to save on costs, increase their market share and raise their financial strength. Merged companies spread their fixed costs for large production volumes, reduce their unit costs and increases margins. This happens after price negotiations with suppliers. The merger between Comcast-NBC and Time Warner concentrated the media. The merger increased my choices and gave me a wider selection of channels. I liked the quality of their service of the merger that came at lower costs. The AOL – Time Warner merger exemplified the concepts of chapter ten such as horizontal integration. The two companies are in the same industry and provide the same services. It is likely that the resultant business will be more powerful, will have a larger market share and will achieve higher profits and sales revenue. The merger has improved my understanding of the concept of company growth. This merger was an element of external growth because it involved larger amounts of money and is therefore growth through integration. During a precious project, I realized that face-to-face communication between colleagues is crucial. Other forms of communication especially electronic hinder an accurate delivery of the intended message. I used face-to-face communication because it allows the incoming service provider to ask questions, rethink service plans, and seek clarifications on content and instructions. I ensured that we used uniform and consistent language all through the handoff. In doing this, I optimized on precision

Friday, September 27, 2019

Religious Tolerance and Hindu Rituals Assignment

Religious Tolerance and Hindu Rituals - Assignment Example This is often not the road that is taken and misconceptions are often allowed to turn people against certain religions and beliefs. Ignorance regarding religions is most often the reason for people’s antagonistic attitudes in relation to people of other faiths. This paper shall look at a religious ceremony of Hinduism and reassess a few ideas about the religion that were proven to be misconceptions after it. Religions like Hinduism are often considered to be similar to or even perceived as variations of Satanism. This is the result of various misconceptions that arise out of religious intolerance in people of other religions (Robinson, 2006). People of other religions tend to think of Hinduism as a religion where idols are worshipped in a very simple manner. This is however, not true. According to the ceremony that I attended, which was to worship the Goddess Durga, an idol is what the Goddess reveals herself as to the devotee. The goddess assumes the form that the true devote e wishes to see her in and this becomes a symbol of the love that God holds for the true devotee. The importance of this can be seen in the care and devotion with which the statue of Durga is made before the festival of Durga Puja begins (Durga Puja Preparation, n.d.). Apart from the philosophical and theological reasons that are offered for this form of worship, it also allows the devotees to converge at a particular spot. It enables people to understand the fact that Hinduism is not a religion but a culture that is a part of a society of people. It is not a compendium of rules regarding conduct and worship. This is evident from the fact that there is no single text that is considered to be the most important one. No person is considered to have laid the foundations of this religion either (Das, n.d.). All of these factors combine to transform Hinduism into a culture of a society rather than a conventional religion. The worship of idols and the use of music are factors that cause p eople to conceptualize of Hinduism as a religion that is a mystic one that is similar to orientalist conceptions that Western Civilization holds about the Indian subcontinent. This is however, not true. The music and the idol, apart from being symbols of social togetherness and a shared culture, also enable people to concentrate their minds on the idea of god. This can be done through an immersion into the atmosphere that is created by the combination of the different aspects of the festival. The ritual turns the festival into an opportunity for people to connect with god. A large part of Indian music is non-secular and this results in the fact that it is a part of the Durga Puja. Investing all of one’s attention in the idol of Durga enables the devotee to dissolve his existence into a union with the Goddess. The idol thus serves the practical purpose of giving the devotee an object to focus his or her attention on (Jayaram, n.d.). My understanding of Hinduism was radically a ltered after the ceremony as many of the common misconceptions concerning the religion were proven to be false following it. The deep philosophical tenets and the practical side of the religion were exposed during the ceremony and this led to a change in the perceptions regarding the religion and its practices. The social aspect of the religion also changed my perception regarding it as it enabled me to place it in a context where it is a part of everyday life. Misconceptions regarding

Thursday, September 26, 2019

To write a news release( Exxon mobile- new plan to invest 75% of Essay

To write a news release( Exxon mobile- new plan to invest 75% of profits into development of alternative energy source) - Essay Example 2008 will be the start of a new era for the energy industry and ExxonMobil will be taking the lead and showing other companies the way to do it. [Body] The world is hungry for fuel and ExxonMobil has been proud to supply oil, gas and petroleum for much needed industrial development across six continents. These services will carry on while the company and its affiliates engages in a radical transformation process over the next two decades. Their first commitment is to reduce exploration for fossil fuels in the next 10 years and explore instead alternative energy sources. The ExxonMobil world renowned research and development facilities are engaged on a rapidly expanding programme that explores every avenue of sustainable and renewable energy sources. Aside from the hybrid car types that are already well on the way to commercial success, there are plans to harness the earth’s own massive power which is currently locked into the wind, the waves, and geo-thermal sources. Many people are urging the politicians and the industrialists of the developed world to rethink priorities and create a new blueprint for energy provision. In collaboration with the government ExxonMobil is stepping up to this challenge. They have worked out a plan to invest a staggering 75% of their own profits along with some federal tax credits into the EarthSafe initiative. This demonstrates a deep commitment to the future of the whole planet which ExxonMobil sees as a far more worthy goal than short term profits. They are determined to leave a legacy of fossil-free energy provision within the next 20 years. The next generation will benefit from this exceptional leadership now, and Exxon Mobil is calling on other fossil fuel companies to join with them in this bold move. Strategic planning director Jim Witson said today that â€Å"out of these courageous beginnings a tremendous new chapter will soon be underway. We are making a historic pact with the planet, and we do

Statement of Interest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Statement of Interest - Essay Example That marked a day that not only changed the United States as a nation but also inevitably awakened in me a deeper consciousness of the necessity in addressing this ubiquitous issue. I intend to use the knowledge that I have gained in understanding terrorism in correlation to international relations to more substantial application that goes beyond the four corners of the classroom. As a nation, it had been an imperative function for us to communicate and develop ties with other nations. In the process, there had been friendships that were forged and there had been those, countries or groups, who reviled such extension of amity. Security is an integral fact that must be given due attention in our diplomatic discourse. To this end, I know that there is no better opportunity for me than to work and train under your good office. I have been working as an emergency medical technician in the past six years and in that period of time I have learned that there is nothing more precious than human life. The inhumane acts of terrorism serve no purpose but to instil fear in innocent civilians. This is where my fervour toward counterterrorism and the indispensability of security

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

Journal - Essay Example Its own history has combined these factors to produce the present generation of poverty, nonexistent infrastructure and an inefficient state that cannot handle natural disasters in the most basic ways. From these points, I believe the Haitian people are falsely portrayed by the media as the world’s most resilient. They are poor, but we are told they do not complain. They are directly in the path of the region’s earthquakes and hurricanes, but we are told they survive. The truth is that the people of Haiti are suffering from the lack of vision, policy and strategy by its political leaders. Under the 18th century French rule, Haiti was among the French empire’s richest islands, exporting over 60 and 40 percent of the coffee and sugar, respectively, which Europe consumed. It does not matter that the close to one million African slaves that worked to produce the wealth did not have a share in it, but it remains that the wealth was there. I see the downfall of Haiti starting from the revolution that earned it independence. They were free, but the leaders destroyed its plantations and infrastructure. Their former French colonists contributed to the calamities of the new nation by demanding 150 million francs in order to grant them diplomatic recognition. That was already too costly for the country, even without considering half of it that was later demanded in 1830. The present-day Haitians are in difficult times, but I concur that they are only victims of historical circumstances. France has been wringing reparations for more than a century from the country until 1 947, forcing it to take loans from foreign banks at inflated interests. To finance the loans, 80 percent of Haiti’s national budget was being paid out to the foreign banks by 1900. From then, the modern breed of leaders started giving up on servicing the repatriations or solving the problems in Haiti, and instead shifted their focus to looting for personal

Monday, September 23, 2019

Recruitment, Selection, and Deployment of Human Resources Case Study

Recruitment, Selection, and Deployment of Human Resources - Case Study Example Immediately, Hutton should cascade a memo acknowledging the management’s shortcomings about what is expected from their employees, analyzing why the employees’ expectations were different from the actual work. This will prevent employee attrition and further degradation of employee performance.   Second, Hutton should conduct a job review in addition to performance review and check where the gaps lie between what is communicated to the employees and the actual work. Identifying those gaps will help the management to implement remedial measures in closing the gap between job expectation and job reality. Lastly, communication should be improved on all levels. The problem is a symptom of a communication problem and management should cultivate it. Encourage feedback from the employees instead of being threatened by it. The old human resource formula of Kanata which made it a successful company is no longer applicable to the new market reality of globalization and increased competition. The symptoms present such as not meeting the desired number of minorities in the workforce, increasing demand for unionization, etch, is an indication for Kanata to adapt to the new market reality. These tendencies of Kana’s workforce makes the organization less competitive in the market. The current human resource practices of Kanata is rigid and prone to internal conflict. While the norm in human resource now is work flexibility, Kanata sticks to the old fixed schedule. The relative higher salary of grocery department compared to Super K and 24-7 is susceptible to internal professional jealousy that could undermine productivity. Also, the company lags in terms of hiring part-time employees which could help the company cope with the increased competition by being efficient in its labour cost. In general, its workforce is not abreast with the needs of the new market. There are three alternatives being considered by the company. First is internet marketing, second is expanding abroad and lastly, the expansion of the convenience stores and pastry division.        

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Marketing - The Luxury Market Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - The Luxury Market - Article Example One simple answer: brand name. People trust the brand and â€Å"perceive them as having value over and above that of the ‘equivalent’ commodity† (Chernatony and McDonald 2003, p.367). The brand conveys a message. Hence the brand has aspiration, and people who want to be linked with that aspiration, and have the resources to ensure that happens are loyal to these brands. The brand makes one feel special; the brand makes provides one with superior confidence and heightened feeling. (Globe 2004). The brand is the differentiator; the brand is what helps you fit in. It is weird, but the brand is what conveys what you want to convey to the world. And if you can afford it, why not? Luxury Marketing To understand the difference in the marketing style for luxury brands, one must first understand the difference between regular and luxury goods. A brand that is highly priced does not automatically become a luxury brand. Price is only one factor. There are various others such as the quality of the product, its exclusivity, the precision in its making, innovation, and so much more! Such products are obviously targeted at consumers at the highest level in the wealth pyramid, ones that have resources they do not know what to do with. They need to be reminded about their status, the prestige, and so choose products from the luxury segment that differentiates them from the crowd and sets boundaries when it comes to their social status. (Vickers and Renand 2003). They are not worried about price of a product as much as the value it brings to their lives. These are the people who choose opulence over necessities, and why not? They have the resources for it. They even have an inexplicable bond with the products they choose. They prefer not to experiment and want what they want. Luxury Marketing Mix The marketing mix for luxury products differs from regular products in many ways. Let us take a look at what sets these apart. 1. Product: A regular product is produ ced in thousands, maybe millions. All these products have the same price, are standardized and are identical to one another in almost all aspects other than color or size. But take a luxury product and it become exclusive and special by customizing the product or producing a limited edition line. (Piron 2000). 2. Price: The pricing strategy for regular products is mainly value for money. This is due to the highly competitive market and the fact that there are substitutes in the market for almost anything. People know what they want and where they can get an alternate at a lower price. The luxury segment is premium priced for people who know exactly what they want and do not mind spending to get it. 3. Place: Regular products are easily accessible and are made available in multiple stores or in zones that will be convenient for the people in the target group. Luxury items do not need to be strategically placed. They are usually made available in very exclusive stores in high end area s where they will be accessible to the buyers. (Piron 2000). 4. Promotion: For a regular product, every form of promotion is used from Above the Line, Below the Line, advertising in all sorts of media, building product functional and aspirational appeal and so on. For a luxury product however, premium, above the line media are used, specific to the

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Discussion - Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

Discussion Stereotypes Essay Although some people believe that they do not use stereotypes to describe people or even think of others differently, that is false. In this generation, stereotypes are everywhere and are almost impossible to not be affected by them. The true definition of the word ‘stereotype,’ is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Stereotypes can be applied to just about anything; ranging from age, gender, media, social, racial, and even class. These are just a few areas that can be stereotyped. Regardless of what anyone says or tries to do, stereotypes are unavoidable; they are used to categorize just about everything and everyone. One of the most common stereotypes out there is about gender. Many people categorize gender and what they hear about the two different genders and then make judgments based on those things that they heard. For example, one major stereotype about women is that they are terrible drivers. Although this may be true in some cases, it does not mean that all women are terrible at driving. There is proof to this because there are some professional drivers that are women. Also, the stereotype that all men are tough, outgoing, macho men is not true. Maybe some men would like people to think that they are too tough to hurt, but this does not go for everyone. Another stereotype about women is that they are not good at sports, but in reality there are so many professional sports players out there that are women. Granted that not all women are good at sports, there are still so many out there that are great at sports. Also, the stereotype that men or women who spend too much time on their computers or reading books are geeks is just ridiculous. Sometimes people have a hard time fitting in with the real world so instead they like to spend time on the internet where they can easily fit in somewhere with other people easily. In order to fit in on the internet all you need is a couple clicks and you are there. Spending time on the internet doesn’t make anyone a geek regardless of the reason for going on to the internet so much. Another humorous stereotype about men is that all men are slobs. While this is true about many men, it is not true about all of them. Some men suffer from OCD, and will have to make everything they do perfect and neat, but others just do not like to be sloppy or slobs. Also, many people think that men are the slobs and women are the neat ones, but that is completely incorrect. There are so many women who are even bigger slobs than men and are completely fine with being a slob and it does not bug them one bit. Even though some of those stereotypes out there might be true for some people that does not mean that all stereotypes will be true for everyone. While it is true that gender has a pretty big role while dealing with stereotypes, society has an even bigger role. Within today’s society, just about everything has a certain stereotype, if not multiple stereotypes about it. Stereotypes are created towards music, grades, how one dresses, tattoos, piercings, and so much more. While music is one of the most important things to many people, others will change the way they think about someone based on what music they listen to. Some people will even avoid someone completely just because of the music that they choose to listen to. For example, a group of people who like to listen to rap music might avoid being with a person who enjoys jazz. Also, society deals with people having tattoos as such a negative thing; regardless of what the tattoo stands for or is about. Someone who might be saving lives as a doctor who has tattoos can be viewed as a negative person just for the fact that he or she has tattoos. This has to be one of the most unfair, ridiculous stereotypes that our society has come up with. What one person would like to make permanent on their own body should not matter to other people especially if it is not offensive in any way. Some people will get tattoos for loved ones who passed away, but somehow in other people’s eyes doing so is very wrong and the person should be judged as a negative human. Some people will even go as far as think of someone with tattoos as a criminal. As for piercings, it is almost the same way about tattoos, but there is some leeway with piercings. Society thinks it is alright for humans to get piercings, but once someone wants to make those piercings into gauges, everything about it is wrong. A gauge is simply a larger piercing. To make a gauge, one needs to get their ear pierced and then once it heals, they simply stretch the healed piercing making it a larger hole. Somehow this is also viewed negatively and therefore, people with gauges are viewed as bad people. It is actually harder to get a job for a person that has tattoos and gauges than a person without these, regardless of the intelligence of either person. Just about every company does not want to hire any ‘negatively viewed’ people to become their employees. It does not matter how smart the person can be; if the person has tattoos or gauges, most likely the company will hire someone else. This is not fair to anyone and it is all thanks to stereotypes made by society all about society. Although just about everyone hates some stereotypes, everyone uses them and makes more, it is beyond hypocritical, but everyone does it; which brings me to the comic strip. In the comic strip, a man is talking to his therapist about stereotypes and how he hates them, but in the way he is doing so, he is also making a stereotype of his own about people who make stereotypes. This goes to show that even if everyone wants to end stereotypes, it is just about impossible to completely end them. Stereotypes are just too common and easy to create more and more and spread across the world. Although gender and social are two big factors of stereotyping, the largest must be racial stereotyping. Not everyone wants to act in a rude way towards other races, but it is just unavoidable due to stereotypes. In the short video, â€Å"A class divided,† the teacher, Jane Elliot, dared to do something that could possibly end her career as a teacher. She decided to teach her kids about discrimination towards other races. In a class full of brown eyed and blue eyed white children she told her class that all the blue eyed children were better and more important than the other brown eyed children. This caused little chaos within the class, one blue eyed kid got in a fight with a brown eyed child because the brown eyed child was thought to be less important than the blue eyed child. This chaos in the class started within a day of starting this experiment. The next day Elliot did the same test, but instead of blue eyed children being the more important, this day was the brown eyed children. Although this was a very risky testing, the results stuck with the children for the rest of their lives. These children knew first hand just how bad it felt being picked on because of stereotypes. The movie Crash is known for the dramatic roles it plays with racial stereotyping and many other stereotypes. Just about the whole movie is continuously going on about different stereotypes and how it affects different people. For example, in the movie an Egyptian store clerk was robbed and on the walls the robbers wrote stereotypes against Arabians. This goes to show that many people can’t tell the difference between some cultures or races so they will just group them with some other race. Within the in-class discussion about the different races, there were different views on each of the races, but some people thought alike using stereotypes to think that way. Some races were thought of as negative stereotypes while other races had positive stereotypes. For example, while talking about Germany, the class thought of Hitler, beer, and Nazi. Two out of those three statements are negative; beer was the only non negative one that was said. While Germany was deemed negative, Australians were thought of as positive. The Australian list consisted of animals and accents, which both are positive. Finally, in the article, Stereotypes Simply Psychology, the author talks about different races and what some races thought of others. The study done showed that white Americans were seen as industrious, progressive and ambitious, while African Americans were seen as lazy, ignorant and musical. This just goes to show that just about all people think differently about all races, even if the thoughts could be way off or pin point on, stereotypes are included in everyday life. To sum everything up, there are some positive stereotypes, but there are even more negative stereotypes out there. There are labels dealing with just about everything one can think of, ranging from society to gender to age to even the media. Although stereotypes are mostly negative and bad for everyone, they also sometimes help us humans out. While thinking fast, humans use stereotyping to quickly categorize the object or human that they are thinking about. This automatic process of ours can be helpful, but it can also be harmful depending on how one chooses to use this quick ability. While stereotypes can truly be helpful, the vast majority of all people choose to use labels as a negative thing to put others down in a hurtful way. More and more stereotypes pop up each year, some more hurtful than the previous ones. Although these stereotypes are harmful, there is little to nothing that we as a society can do to get rid of them; they are everywhere and always being created. Works Cited A Class Divided. William Peters. Frontline, 1985. Film. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Stereotypes Simply Psychology. Retrieved from Meehan, K. Pros Cons. [Comic]. http://www. thecomicstrips. com/store/add. php? iid=83614.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Mediatization Of Society Theory Media Essay

The Mediatization Of Society Theory Media Essay Hjarvard deduces that media simultaneously become an integrated part of society, not to mention the existence of other new social media. New social media, a set of identity-centric information and communication technologies (ICTs) that enables production and sharing of digital content in a mediated social setting (Studstzman, 2009) such as Facebook and Twitter, have successfully attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into their daily practices and transformed them from a situation of information scarcity to one of information abundance. Accordingly, Ronn (2007) in one of his reports noted that social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, are among the most visited sites on the Internet, just behind the major search engines. Facebook for example, as the site grows more popular, claims that it has more than 500 million active users and 50% of users log on to this site everyday (Facebook, 2011), while Twitter records 175 million registered u sers since its first launch in 2006, with around 95 million tweets are written per day (Twitter, 2011). Both Facebook and Twitter equipped with platforms that allow individuals, as cited in Boyd (1997), to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. These platforms not only serve its users as a tool of sharing of life minutiae (Green, 2011) but also seize the opportunity of increasing their engagement in various issues. For example, Facebook and Twitter have played an increasing role in American politics as they become what US President Barrack Obama campaign in 2008 were most successfully noted for. Accordingly, both also facilitate online community to raise fund for Japanese earthquake and tsunami victim as well as assist innovation that plays as a significant role in cultural change. In other word, interactive and collaborative features provided by the platform of social media have made the dimension of political, social and cultural advancement become more prominent. However, it appears questionable to simply claim that social media alternately acts as the ground of political revolution or creates new social identity and induce cultural change (Boyd, 2011, Green 2011, Hoffman Kornweitz, 2011). A single click on Facebook gro up and merely a tweet do not make people politically activated and socially changed. As emphasises by Boyd (2011), it seems to be only a majestical lustre that technologys structure instantly influences peoples behaviour. Correspondingly, Green (2011) also voices an interesting quandary if social media actually enhance the democracy itself. It is reasonable since Facebook and Twitter are not a replace for motivation that at least required for a revolution to be taken place or new community to be formed. Nonetheless, it is likely understandable from current events that social media have the power to pursue and persuade as by providing platform toward political revolution, social community and cultural advancement yet bring negative and positive consequences for those three subjects. SOCIAL MEDIA AND POLITICAL REVOLUTION As mention above, Facebook, in particular, provides three default platforms for its users to convey their political interest (Langlois, 2009). First, users can become fan of politicians profile or page. Second, they can create or join a group and last, they can change their political views in their profile. Among three, becoming a fan or a group is considered to allow users to be more engaged. Once the common interests are created, the Facebook platforms greatly simplify communicating within and to a network via emails, invitation and reminders. Shirky (2011), social media have become coordinating tools for nearly all of the worlds political movement. Prominent example for this argument is U.S. President Barack Obamas election in 2008. As cited from Obamas Facebook groups during the campaign greatly simplify communicating within and to more than 1, 2 millions of his supportersHe also highlights three default ways . Langlois (2009), Addressed by Hoffmann Kornweitz as medium of direct citizen participation, this aggregation of public via the social network does remarkably magnify the engagement of society to the campaign itself, by extending their social activities/participation such as informing others about campaign events, attempting to persuade donations or taking part in activities related to politics without having to sit down face to face! against History of Russia and France are best example of how lack of new social media did not impede both countries revolutions from happening. The media themselves ineffective acted by casual participants which obviously does not guarantee that every political movement of mobilization will succeed, because the state has not lost the power to react. Take Tunisia for example. The only way both governments could immensely stop the quick dissemination of information was to shut down the whole internet. SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL IDENTITY/COMMUNITY As noted above, new social media such as Facebook and Twitter are potentially able to change the character of our social live. According to . that the new media is changing the way people think, act, and feel. Langlois (2009) stated that social media allows for the emergence of marginalized issue and public: The online informational system provide the material, communicational and social means for a public to exist Therefore, it is likely clear that new social media can be powerful tools for spurring social change, with stressing point that it played a facilitating, mediating role in connections and interactions among its user in society. There are at least three reasons for this claim to be apprehended: Firstly, social media enables creation of dense network that extend human communication abilities in both time and space. According to technological determinism purposed by Mc Luhan, the world now is a global village, where physical distance is even less of a hindrance to the real-time communicative activities of people. Therefore social spheres are greatly expanded by the openness of the web and the ease at which people can search for online communities and interact with others that share the same interests and concerns. Secondly, social medias quick dissemination of information supports new communities to be created, (virtual). Equipped with features that enable for users to be more interactive and collaborative, social media becomes a form of mediated communication that gives the audience access to on-demand content and the ability to share and discuss it with others within seconds. Lets look at Japanese Tsunami and Earthquake for example. Addison asserts in one of his reports that images and videos of Japans tsunami were soon hitting the web just minutes count from the first wave hit Sendai. Thousands messages were then updated via Twitter within seconds, showing of good will, condolences and offering aid for Japan. Social media facilitates such as allowing people the chance to donate to the Red Cross via text message, the donation being added to phone bills. According to the members of the each social medium, there are more than 500 million people are using Facebook and more than 200 million view s on the Youtube for a day. It means billions of audiences are able to share and receive information on the same platform at the same time. Moreover, the information on the social media can be posted and received immediately. Therefore, the information on the social media could be disseminated much faster, compared with traditional media. Thirdly, specifically that the social media is more user generated content, it allows users as news producers. The social media provide a platform for public to advocate social issues. Moreover, it also means the news is not limited by organizations or governments anymore. For instance, for Chinese Jasmine Revolution in 2011, even the Chinese Government tried to stop the situation to be expanded on the social media, it is still held quite successfully. Afterwards, the international media is starting to be conscious to what the revolution was trying to present to public and they are trying to report it to public as well. According to media and social dependency theory (Defleur Ball-Rokeach), for some countries (especially developing countries), if public are uncertain about their society and country, it is much easier for them to rely on the media. It means for some countries, audiences might be easy to follow the issues. In short, social media definitely, developed freedom of speech. With every response and action that results from our engagement, we are slowly introduced to the laws of social physics: for every action there is a reaction even if that reaction is silence. And, the extent of this resulting activity is measured by levels of influence and other factors such as the size and shape of nicheworks as well as attention aperture and time. the concept of community no longer has geographical limitations, as people can now virtually gather in an online community and share common interests regardless of physical location. However, idea of new community in Facebook did not make Obama win his Presidency. SOCIAL MEDIA AND CULTURAL ADVANCEMENT Conclusion Yes, overall it can especially in terms of providing fast, quick and ..platform ,,,. Media scholars argue that social media platforms are tools of self-expression that return a benefit to a public good It is reasonable since Facebook and Twitter are not a replace for motivation that at least required for a revolution to be taken place or new community to be formed. . People can virtually gather in Facebok and Twitter online community or groups, regardless geographical limitations and physical location, which (.). Ronn, K. (2007). Social networking: Closer than you think. Business Week Online, p. 12. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/careers/content/jun2007/ca20070612_954809.htm Hjarvard, S. (2008). The Mediatization of Society: A Theory of the Media as Agents of Social and Cultural Change. [Article]. NORDICOM Review, 29(2), 105-134.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Falling Down Essay -- essays papers

Falling Down The 1993 film falling down provides a look into two separate men’s lives in the course of one day. Although the movie was highly acclaimed for it’s portrayal of the new human situation, the covert and overt racism, sexism, and classism leave a sour taste in this viewer’s mouth. The movie comes across as a lame attempt to show the â€Å"White man’s ever growing burden.† The audience is expected to feel a compassion for both lead characters. The message that is supposed to be portrayed is similar to films of today such as fight club and American beauty. All three pointing at what they see as specific flaws yet offering up no real solutions to these problems. With these flaws in this system pointed out Michael Douglas’ character William Foster is held up as a martyr. He is not portrayed as a real villain through out the story. Both men feel the strain of society the difference is the way each chooses to express this frustration. The first scene both main characters are stuck in a huge traffic jam. Sick of waiting William Foster leaves his car in search of a way to â€Å"come home† to his wife. After leaving his car the second main character, Detective Pendergast, is shown commenting that it is his last day on the force. The two are contrasted Pendergast is able to work within societies boundaries while Bill has rejected the society that has rejected him. In this time there is an obvious comparison between the two that will become reoccurring through out the ...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Medicinal Marijuana Should Be Legal :: Legalization of Marijuana

Any randomly chosen group of people asked to list the most dangerous of these, would include among their immediate answers: â€Å"The Drug Problem†. By the â€Å"Drug Problem†, do they mean the proliferation in our communities of all illicit, mood-altering, physically dangerous drugs? Or do they really mean the accompanying problems bought on by these proscribed substances: crime and the threat of crime, violence, disease, the growing number of users on public welfare, the loss of productivity to the country’s industry, the congestion of the court system, the over-crowding of our penal institutions, the diversion of our tax dollars from more productive areas, the corruption of our law enforcement agencies, and directly and indirectly the erosion of our civil rights? Since I am confining this paper to discussing the laws prohibiting marijuana use, I will concede that it fits the first two categories above; i.e. it is by law, illicit, and by its nature, mood-altering. With the third category we enter upon shaky ground. There is no scientific proof that the prolonged use of marijuana exacts a greater physical toll on the user than the equivalent abuse of nicotine or alcohol. Under the name Extract of Cannabis, marijuana was once widely used medicinally in the United States, and still has minor medicinal uses in other countries. There is only one species - Cannabis Sativa - which yields both a potent drug and a strong fiber long used in the manufacture of fine linen as well as canvas and rope. The seeds are valued as birdseed and the oil, which resembles linseed oil, is valuable because paints made with it dry quickly. A Chinese treatise on pharmacology alleges to date from 2737 B.C. contains what is usually cited as the first reference to marijuana. Through out the history of man in just about every culture the mention of this substance is found used both as a fiber and a drug. The first definite mention of the marijuana plant in the New World, dates from 1545 A.D. when the Spaniards introduced it into Chile. The Jamestown settlers brought the plant to Virginia and cultivated it for its fiber. In 1762 â€Å"Virginia awarded bounties for hemp culture and imposed penalties on those who did not produce it.† George Washington was growing hemp at Mount Vernon three years later – presumably for its fiber, though it has been argued that Washington was also concerned in increasing the medicinal or intoxicating potency of his marijuana plants.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Barn Burning - Charcter Analysis :: essays papers

Charcter Analylis Barn Burning Character Analysis William Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† In â€Å"Barn Burning† the setting is a time when people drove horse wagons and the workingmen were generally farmers. The major character in this story is Colonel Sartoris Snopes, called â€Å"Sarty† by his family who is a ten-year-old boy. In the beginning, Sarty is portrayed as a confused and frightened young boy. He is in despair over the burden of doing the right thing or sticking by his family, as his father states,† You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.† Sarty’s father, Abner Snopes is accused of burning down a barn and Sarty is called upon to testify against his father and to tell the events of what happened. He wants to tell the truth because it is the right thing to do, but he knows he might have lie to save his father from being reprimanded. To his relief, it is decided that Sarty will not have to testify and is dismissed from testifying. It is decided by the Justice of the Peace to order Abner and his family to leave town at once. Sarty has moved twelve times in his ten years of age and although the story does not state clearly, that this is not the first time his father has set fire to a barn, but shows that the chances are, that he probably has done this in the past which has affected Sarty in how he feels about his father. Sarty’s other family members include the mother, aunt, an older brother, and two twin sisters who are minor contributing factors in this story. The family knows the father is responsible for the burning of the barns and they even unwillingly help him at his requests. This story describes the family somewhat concerned for the father, but they never challenge his decision to burn the barns even though it is wrong. The critical point of the story is when Sarty decides to tell Mr. De Spain that his father is going to burn his barn. Sarty is in disarray because he doesn’t know what is going to happen to him next and is probably speculating that his family will never forgive him because the of the harm that will come to their father if he is caught in the act.

Fides et Ratio Essay

When looking at the context of the Fides et Ratio, John Paul II expresses on â€Å"crisis of meaning† in contemporary society. Throughout this section John Paul II offers examples on how the crisis of meaning has emerged. John Paul II touches on â€Å"scientism† and â€Å"pragmatism† and how these have affected modern society and are believed to be steering individuals in the wrong direction. John Paul II also includes other non-religious or philosophical based attitudes toward the contemporary society. John Paul II seems to be expressing his thoughts towards the â€Å"crisis of meaning† in hope to regain focus from individuals on the value of religion in contemporary society. Although John Paul II raises many well thought out reasons supporting the idea that there is what he calls a â€Å"crisis of meaning† in modern society, Sigmund Freud’s theories of how humanities’ desire for meaning in life is actually just delaying the inevitabl e and compounding the struggles of life. The sooner people accept that in the end, everyone dies, and after that there is nothing, the sooner one can succeed without regret or worry, and the better society will be. â€Å"Crisis of meaning† is stated by John Paul II to be one of the most important attributes in the current state of our society around the world. Pope John Paul II believes that people in contemporary society are beginning to question if it still makes sense to know the meaning of one’s life. When looking at â€Å"crisis of meaning† from a scientific perspective, the increase in knowledge on the subject makes the search for the meaning of life problematic. The amount of research and data introduced because of the increase in human knowledge in contemporary society has started to â€Å"compromise the fabric of life† (Fides et Ratio, #81). The display of theories that compete with one another, and how people view and interpret the world and human life serve to â€Å"aggravate the radical doubt† (Fides et Ratio) which than leads to scepticism, indifference and the rejection to religion and religious moral principles. Theories that were specifically developed to show an individual the answers to the big  questions in human life are consequently invading the human spirit and offering different interpretations to the meaning of life. John Paul II states that a philosophical perspective that no longer expresses on the meaning of life would reduce importanc e of â€Å"accessory functions† (Fides et Ratio, #88) and take passion away from the search for the truth. Philosophy will have to regain focus on the â€Å"sapient dimension† in order to regain a sense of harmony with the word of God. If Philosophy conformed back to its natural ways it will would be a critical factor that discovers the foundation of â€Å"scientific learning† and would also join together human knowledge and action. Philosophy has the potential to create a path to a final goal of a better understanding of the meaning of life. John Paul II discusses that â€Å"sapient dimension† in philosophy is much more necessary in modern society because peoples technical capabilities are demanding a renewed understanding of ultimate values. John Paul II argues that â€Å"If this technology is not ordered to something greater than a merely utilitarian end, then it could soon prove inhuman and even become potential destroyer of the human race.† (F ides et Ratio, #81) This quote from Fides et Ratio by John Paul II expresses his thoughts on how technology has the power to prove inhuman and possibly ruin the human race. He believes that the word of God gives people an understanding of one’s destiny and the true meaning to life. Philosophy is invited to give reason to the natural impulse within everyone on the meaning of life. Another threat that John Paul II relates to the â€Å"crisis of meaning† is through â€Å"pragmatism† and â€Å"scientism†. John Paul II believes that â€Å"scientism† is another threat the â€Å"crisis of meaning† faces in contemporary society. â€Å"Scientism† only validates the forms of knowledge through factual sciences and will not accept knowledge based on religious beliefs. Scientism views religious and theological knowledge as fantasies and considers it to be meaningless. â€Å"Positivism† and â€Å"neo-positivism† expressed the same idea in the past on the meaningless of religion and now has been revived through â€Å"scientism†. Due to technological progress and factual scientific research, science has now taken control of human life, as people have begun to believe that if something is technically or scientifically possible it then can be morally accepted. John Paul II also looks at â€Å"pragmatism† to be none the less as dangerous to the â€Å"crisis of meaning† as â€Å"scientism†. John Paul II defines â€Å"pragmatism† as, â€Å"An attitude  of mind which, in making its choices, precludes theoretical considerations or judgements based on ethical principles.†(Fides et Ratio, #89) He believes that a particular action can be morally accepted if it is backed by a majority of votes by a parliament. John Paul II expresses that â€Å"scientism† and â€Å"pragmatism†, or both philo sophical views that modern society is now trusting, are is causing this â€Å"crisis of meaning†. Pope John Paul II expresses what he sees to be a problem of â€Å"crisis of meaning† through ideas such as â€Å"scientism† and â€Å"pragmatism†. When examining John Paul II encyclical to the Bishops of Catholic Church it becomes obvious that the â€Å"crisis of meaning† is not a problem in modern society but only a positive development. People are now realizing that the meaning of life is not to be accepted by a God but to succeed in personal goals. When looking at modern society and religion it is evident that times have changed and the value of religion has slowly diminished. People in modern society are gaining a better understanding of life through â€Å"scientism† and the advancement of technology. The advancement of technology and human knowledge has begun to alter the thoughts and views people have on the meaning of life. John Paul II e xpresses that â€Å"scientism† is having a negative effect on modern society. â€Å"This leads to the impoverishment of human thought, which no longer addresses the ultimate problems which the human being, as the animal rationale, has pondered constantly from the beginning of time.†(Fides et Ratio, #81) In this quote he is stating that â€Å"scientism† is effecting how people are beginning to think and that people are being persuaded away from addressing the main problems in life. Rather than looking at this change in modern society negatively, this change has actually given people a more modern and realistic way of looking at life. Science is overpowering religious beliefs with its factual evidence challenging religion in many ways. Another point presented by John Paul II is the idea of â€Å"pragmatism†. In modern society people are beginning to base their decisions upon ethical principles rather than religious beliefs. Individuals in modern society can distinguish between right and wrong and understand the practical way in dealing with situations rather than looking to religion to guide them in the right direction. The â€Å"crisis of meaning† stated by John Paul II is not a crisis but simply a positive adjustment within contemporary society. Sigmund Freud who was a well-known psychoanalyst developed a psychoanalytic theory  on religion. He came up with the idea that people who believe in a God suffer from what he refers to as a childish neurosis in that they use religion as a way to cope with the fact that life has no meaning. He believed that the concept of religion was false. Freud believed that an individual’s life is meaningless and that people have a difficult time accepting that life does not a have an overarching meaning or purpose. In contemporary society pe ople are beginning to believe, or accept that one’s life may not have a higher meaning. Freud argued that once one accepts that there is no greater meaning, it would be easier for them to set personal goals that can be achieved, allowing them to accomplish personal enlightenment. Even though, John Paul II raises many well thought out ideas and concepts that argue his belief of the problem â€Å"crisis of meaning†. Sigmund Freud believes that one’s life is meaningless and when a person can understand that, they can then begin looking at life in a more personal way without regret rather than looking to be accepted by a god. â€Å"Scientism† and â€Å"pragmatism† are both philosophical views that are allowing modern society to grasp a more realistic idea of life, instead of living life through a specific religion. John Paul II believes that philosophy is now leading society in the wrong direction, persuading people away from asking the ultimate questi ons in life. This however is not a negative in modern society it is simply a modernized way of looking at life and is leading society in the right direction.

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Dangers of Obedience to Authority: Writing and Reading Across the Cirriculum

As a child growing up, everyone was told â€Å"respect your elders† or â€Å"listen and obey†. As children grow into teenagers, they start pushing the boundaries to see who they really need to obey. Throughout adulthood, though people have fewer and fewer authority figures as the years go by, everyone must obey someone. Though we all have someone to obey, when does the respectful obedience cross the line into dangerous territory? Obedience becomes dangerous when it becomes physically or mentally harmful to one’s self or society.Physical abuse to one’s self or another person is dangerous, period. What is even more frightening is when someone hurts themselves or others due to an authority figure’s direct influence on them. In the infamous psychologist, Stanley Milgram’s, experiment, people were told to administer shock to a peer for not answering a question correctly. This experiment shows the dangers of obeying authority. Though the â€Å"pee rs† were acting, the subjects fully believed they were truly administering shock to another human being.This shows that the line between respectful obedience to an authority figure and a dangerous subservience to a fear striking leader is crossed when one person begins or attempts to injure one’s self or another because of a fearful obligation placed upon them. Some may argue that police officers cross the line when they use â€Å"excessive force† on a perpetrator because they are hurting another person due to the description of their job by the local government. While this is a valid point, if an officer is forced to cause physical harm to someone, he or she has been provoked by the offender and are simply doing their job.Mental or emotional abuse is generally not the first thing most people think of when they hear the word obedience. Though it is not often spoken of, mental abuse occurs often when an authority figure abuses their power to break down the psychol ogical barriers that one may have in order to get the person to obey. This tactic was used in the â€Å"Stanford Prison Experiment† when the â€Å"guards† began calling the â€Å"prisoners† by their numbers instead of names and granted admission to the â€Å"privileged cell† in order to maintain control over the prisoners. Because of the psychological games played by ome authority figures, the line between obedience and danger is crossed and can become harmful to a person’s incredibly fragile mental health, causing them to have thoughts of suicide or murder. Some may argue that mind games are the safest and easiest way to keep structure and order when dealing with a person of lesser authority. However, psychological warfare, such as the mind games that were used in the â€Å"Stanford Prison Experiment†, can leave some of the worst scars on a person due to post traumatic stress disorder as well as depression which can lead to suicide.Obedienc e to society is not often thought of when dealing with this particular topic. The power of a majority is usually far underestimated. Just as shown in the article â€Å"The Power of Situations† with the line test, most people will override their own eyes to believe what they are told the majority believes or thinks. Society can be a very harmful entity when trying to influence the masses. This statement especially applies when dealing with teenagers. For example, when most teenagers are in a situation where they feel everyone else is doing something they know is wrong, they will usually â€Å"go with the flow† and follow what the crowd does.In a study conducted by the â€Å"D. A. R. E. † group showed that, while people who try to pressure teens to smoke say â€Å"everyone does it†, in fact only 11% percent of teens actually smoke. Though teen smoking at all is not good, 11% is much better than everyone. Some may say that obedience to society is promoting c onformity which is good for our justice system as well as the status quo. However, the idea that everyone must be the same, think the same, and have the same emotions is not only sad, but also nips creative thinking in the bud.Without creative thinkers, how would our world see in the dark? Conformity is alright to an extent, but when it impedes progress, it becomes a danger to society and future generations. While a due respect and obedience should be given to authority figures, obedience that becomes harmful, psychologically or physically, to oneself or society in general, crosses the line into the danger zone where it could harm an actual human being or the creative thoughts inside that person.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Garnier Fructis – Innovation

L’Oreal Garnier Fructis Oil+Shampoo Introduction: L’Oreal, the French cosmetic giant has become one of the leading players in the salon products sector in India. It marks its presence with a portfolio of 15 brands that grew over the span of nearly two decades in the Indian market, having an annual growth rate of 30 percent with a market share of 10 percent in the urban area. These different brands were launched in order to cover various product categories. The mass consumer brands L’Oreal Paris, Garnier and Maybelline New York; luxury brands Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl’s, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Diesel and Lancome; professional brands L’Oreal Professionnel, Matrix, Kerastase and Keraskin Esthetics and pharmacy brands Vichy and La Roche-Posay. † (premiumbeautynews. com, 2012). With almost 750,000 points of sale in both the traditional network as well as in the modern supermarket network, the brand Garnier has successfully become the leading multi-category beauty brand in India.Launched in 1991, this global brand understood the dynamics of the Indian market and was able to craft a special place for itself. Even though Garnier is positioned as a premium, nature-based and innovative brand, it is priced reasonably targeting at both, the upper and middle socio-economic classes. Worldwide, L’Oreal is famous for its product innovation and this trait is strongly portrayed in Garnier through its continuous new product launches. This also creates excitement amongst the consumers to try out the new innovative personal care products, leading to brand loyalty.Garnier has two sub-brands – Garnier Fructis and Garnier Ultra Doux. Garnier Fructis almost immediately created a very strong bond with the consumers since it was positioned as a fruit based brand. The Indian consumer is happier using natural based products compared to the chemical based ones. Under this brand, a revolutionary product was launched in the year 20 10; Garnier Fructis Oil+Shampoo that took the hair care market by storm. In this report, L’Oreal’s innovation and new product development models are explained in respect to their Garnier Fructis Oil+Shampoo product.Innovation Model: According to L’Oreal India’s chief operating officer, Mr. Dinesh Dayal, for this kind of success, the most essential factor is to yield the right kind of innovation, which was achieved through a blend of aggressive market research, intuition and the power of their global R&D. Along with the three main drivers of innovation for L’Oreal, i. e. active ingredients, formulation and evaluation; research has always been the main crux for the company’s growth. When it comes to creating cosmetic products, science is the main driver of innovation.An advanced research for discovering new active ingredients is conducted, where scientific knowledge about skin and hair around the world is gathered, after which formulation syst ems are developed and adapted by various brands including Garnier around the world. For the Fructis Oil+Shampoo launch in the Indian market, the product is formulated using three oils as its key active ingredients, i. e. Olive oil for deep nourishment of the roots, Avocado oil for nourishment of the hair fiber and making it supple and Shea oil for softening the surface.Once the formulation has been complete, the transition from the molecule to finished product is done after demonstrating the products’ safety and whether it is scientifically effective. But rather than focusing entirely on scientific research, L’Oreal believes in research that listens to consumers. They aim to nurture innovation through a constant dialog between science and marketing. Thus, in order to discover and disseminate beauty habits of international consumers, the â€Å"International Department of Studies and Consumer Insights† was created.Garnier realized that in India, in order to nouris h their hair, women extensively believed in the beauty ritual of oiling their hair, followed by a scalp massage and shampoo. The current fast-paced generation seemed to be moving away from this ritual as it is time-consuming. This became a source of inspiration for the 2-in-1 formula of hair oil and shampoo by Garnier. This is what India’s head of operations calls as â€Å"Indo-vation† – Innovation specifically for the Indian market. In order to understand the global consumers of L’Oreal, they strengthened their global presence in six regions; Europe, United States, Japan, China, Brazil and India.This enabled L’Oreal to come closer to their global market, as well as to gain the wealth of specific scientific and marketing knowledge of each region. In India, L’Oreal has its product development center in Mumbai from where it studies the specifics of hair and skin types of the Indian consumers, as well as their expectations and beauty routines f or all its brands including Garnier, and an advanced research center in Bangalore where it screens its active ingredients to address scalp concerns, hair breakage and pigmentation disorders.According to Jean Paul Agon (Chairman, L’Oreal Paris), opening a research and innovation center in Mumbai was in line with the company’s universalization strategy in order to adapt to the cultural specific needs for all its global brands. Further, L’Oreal abides by the principles of sustainable and responsible innovation on a daily basis. Product safety is an absolute priority for this cosmetic giant, and has contributed massively to the study of toxicology due to its constant scientific commitment. The team at the Ultramodern Global Center is responsible for the beneficial and undesirable effects of all the ingredients.Unlike Pantene, Head & Shoulders and Herbal Essence shampoos available in the Indian market, Garnier Fructis Oil+Shampoo does not use harmful chemicals such a s Methylchloroisothiazolinone, a preservative causing harmful effects on the skin as well as the immune system and Ammonium Chloride which is harmful when swallowed and causes serious eye irritation. Instead, this product uses plant extracts such as Pyrus Malus and Peel extracts. Also, L’Oreal makes sure that its products have minimum impact on the environment throughout their entire life cycle.For this purpose, all the raw materials are under constant monitoring for environmental indicators. L’Oreal stopped animal testing in 1989 and plans to terminate human biopsy for testing clinical effectiveness in the near future. New Product Development Model: L’Oreal operates in a very turbulent and volatile fashion industry, making the product life cycles very short. But according to Crawford (1988), an early entry of new product may result in the development of a new market and long term market dominance. Garnier Fructis Oil+Shampoo is one such product.Based on Ansoffà ¢â‚¬â„¢s (1965, 1968) directional policy matrix, L’Oreal implemented the product development strategy, catering to the Indian market with a new product, i. e. 2 in 1 oil and shampoo. New product development enables L’Oreal to earn increased value for the company through a superior market share. The company believes in creating innovative products which are not only differentiated but also satisfy different segments in the international market. Before launching a new product, the company has to ensure that the product is based on the consumer’s preferences and is ifferentiated from any other product in terms of its formula/innovation. Once such an idea is generated by market research, R&D takes over. Once completing the R&D process, the market reality is observed and different ways of marketing the product are employed. A company’s image would be shattered if there if any negligence in this context, resulting to product failures upon launch. Therefore the complex process of new product development has a direct impact on L’Oreal’s prestige. L’Oreal invests heavily while launching any new product and be certain about its effectiveness, practicality and marketability of these products.Thus, before commercialization of Garnier Fructis Oil+Shampoo in the Indian market, an intensive market research was done in order to identify the beauty ritual of oiling the hair prior to shampooing and how through R&D, this finding was converted into an effective molecular formula, later supported by a screening test and eventually passing through the market testing stage. Conclusion: According to Wang and Von Tunzelmann (1997), rather than R&D, marketing perceives a more critical role in the positioning of a new product in any market segment.In context of the Garnier Fructis Oil+Shampoo launch, it is a product that was never thought of earlier by the Indian consumers, thus making it difficult to believe in. Fundamentally, shampoo is used against oil and these are two products are not supposed to work together. Since the time factor prevents the consumers from using both oil and shampoo at the same time, Garnier has tried integrating the north-pole and the south-pole. They are trying to combine two attributes having a negative relationship and trying to convince the consumers that there is a scope of redefining this relationship and making them work positively together.Once this strategy can get established, it may work as a powerful differentiator. Garnier now needs to focus on developing a story that is credible enough for the consumers to believe in. Regardless of whether the innovations by Garnier would fail or succeed in the market, they have managed to gain equity through its innovative products, heavy investment in brand promotion, strong distribution reach and premium positioning along with a smart pricing strategy, creating a special place in the Indian personal care industry. References 1. Afaqs. com (2010) afaqs! gt; News > Company Briefs > Garnier launches Garnier Fructis Shampoo + Oil 2 in 1. [online] Available at: http://www. afaqs. com/news/company_briefs/index. html? id=43881_GarnierlaunchesGarnierFructisShampooOil2in1 [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013]. 2. B, H. (2010) Marketing Practice: Garnier : Take Care. [online] Available at: http://marketingpractice. blogspot. in/2010/01/garnier-take-care. html [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013]. 3. Bureau, O. (2013) L’Oreal looking at innovation to ramp up operations. [online] Available at: http://www. thehindubusinessline. om/companies/loreal-looking-at-innovation-to-ramp-up-operations/article4295052. ece [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013]. 4. Cosmeticsandtoiletries. com (2013) L’Oreal Unveils New Indian Research and Innovation Center | CosmeticsAndToiletries. com. [online] Available at: http://www. cosmeticsandtoiletries. com/networking/news/company/LrsquoOreacuteal-Unveils-new-Indian-Research-and-Innovation-Center-186324642. html [Accessed: 19 Ap r 2013]. 5. Coursework4you. co. uk (1990) L'Oreal's new product development strategy and the way they have successfully managed to achieve considerable market shares through consistent R&D efforts. PAPERS4YOU. COM | UNIVERSITY ESSAY COURSEWORK DISSERTATION ASSIGNMENT ACADEMIC ANALYSIS. [online] Available at: http://www. coursework4you. co. uk/essays-and-dissertations/sample85. php [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013]. 6. drugstore. com (n. d. ) Garnier Fructis Haircare Triple Nutrition Fortifying Shampoo, For Dry to Over-Dried or Damaged Hair. [online] Available at: http://www. drugstore. com/garnier-fructis-haircare-triple-nutrition-fortifying-shampoo-for-dry-to-over-dried-or-damaged-hair/qxp226120 [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013]. 7. Ewg. rg (n. d. ) Garnier || Skin Deep ® Cosmetics Database | Environmental Working Group. [online] Available at: http://www. ewg. org/skindeep/brand/Garnier/ [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013]. 8. Freepatentsonline. com (2008) Corporate culture and values: genesis and sources ofL'O real's entrepreneurial orientation.. [online] Available at: http://www. freepatentsonline. com/article/Journal-Small-Business-Entrepreneurship/204931980. html [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013]. 9. INSEAD Knowledge (2010) Indo-vation: tapping the Indian market. [online] Available at:

Saturday, September 14, 2019

United States Constitution

In the introduction of the book They Take our Jobs! : and 20 other myths about immigration written by Aviva Chomsky, Chomsky picks apart the words in the United States Constitution to support her belief that although immigrants, specifically Latino/Hispanic immigrants, are a large part in today’s U. S. society, they still do not have any rights or protection from the laws of the Constitution. She states that many of the arguments against immigrants in the United States stem from â€Å"serious misconceptions† that have been rooted from history up until present day.The view that immigration only brings about more problems and segregations for the host country has been on-going in history. When it comes down to it, a simple analogy could be made: it is difficult for the citizens or â€Å"homeowners† to be forced to house immigrants or â€Å"strangers† in their own country or home. This idea is then exaggerated and made extreme when times are tough or the peop le of the United States need a scapegoat to put their problems or the government/societal issues on.The finger is pointed at the group of outcasts—immigrants. They are easy targets. Easy because immigrants who are non-citizens are â€Å"legally deprived† of many rights the U. S. Constitution provides for citizens. What many fail to realize, as pointed out in Chacon’s Introduction in No One is Illegal is that immigrants who are here, working, living, and building a life here in the United States contribute a great deal to the overall economy and working class.They take part in the jobs that require heavy manual labor and provide the basic jobs for many large corporations in the United States at minimum wage. Rest assured, it is probable that many of their jobs should be compensated at a higher pay for the type of work they are doing, since most are jobs that many of the middle and higher class citizens cringe at when they think about it. I have speculated that th e amount of wage pay or salary today is based upon one’s credentials or experience rather than the manual load or extremities of the job at hand.This correlates to the jobs that many immigrants take on, they do a lot of work for little pay. They work for huge well known corporations and provide the labor needed to keep production at a particular rate. When times are tough and jobs are difficult to find, like right now, the blame is put upon the immigrants who hold these types of jobs. It is said that â€Å"they stole our jobs† and that is why we are unemployed and out of work. However, when looking at the core of the problem, it is not that the immigrants are ith jobs but rather the fact that the higher salary paying jobs and higher wage paying jobs are being let go first due to the downward economy and replaced with other persons who may be less qualified but could still complete the job and task at hand. As discussed, immigrants are a big part of today’s †Å"world† and the fact that they lead their daily lives just as a citizen would, immigrants are still not granted certain simple rights a newborn child is given at birth in the United States due to biases, beliefs and judgments based on history classes, politicians, and the media.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Issue of Animal Rights In the Modern World Essay

The Issue of Animal Rights In the Modern World - Essay Example This essay stresses that the man has a high intellect and capacity for reflective activity that cannot be observed in animals. However, this representation is associated with a conflicting situation. Let us imagine a mentally ill person or a person who suffers from mental retardation. In fact, they are not much different from animals because they lack the ability to think properly. This paper makes a conclusion that the analysis of the problem of equality around the world allows one to see that equality is seen only as the equality between people. However, this notion of equality is not fair. Animals also have their moral rights, because they are able to suffer like humans. The capacity for suffering is the foundation that makes it possible to take into account the moral rights of animals. Intelligent differences between humans and animals are not a valid reason to deny the moral rights of animals. Otherwise, people who have problems with mental activity should be deprived of their moral rights, but this is not happening. Fair equality is the equality that takes into account the interests of not only people but also animals. Animals, in turn, have a moral right to protection of their life and the creation of decent conditions for its existence. If human society wants to be called a fair society, it is necessary to strive for a just equality. Cruelty to animals that are seen as soulless machines is a road to nowhere.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Just Desert Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Just Desert - Essay Example The Just desert model suggests that retribution justifies punishment because individuals deserve what they received for past deeds. Under the just desert theory the punishment should be the same for all people who commit the same crime. But the idea is that does just desert punishments stops the offenders to repeat it again Has it created the peace balance in the society and is it beneficial for us in general Is the Punishment based on deterrence or incapacitation wrong In a research (Kevin M. Carlsmith and John M. Darley and Paul H. Robinson; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2002, Vol. 83, No. 2, 284-299) they came to know people are in favor of deterrence at macro level, but when it comes to individuals, people favor just desert because they consider it right and wrong doers deserve it. "The task of a just deserts theorist, then, is to assess the magnitude of the harm and to devise a punishment that is proportionate in severity, if not in kind. Kant (1952) recommended censure proportionate to a perpetrator's "internal wickedness," a quantity that may be approximated by society's sense of moral outrage over the crime". After researching for quite sometime, I came to know that many are in favor of just desert. They suggest that just desert results in social Control. When there are established criminal justice punishments in society and people know the degrees of punishment they will have to suffer if they committed any wrong deeds, people tend to think before doing anything. Because they are aware of retribution, and they know that punishment will be same for all levels of people without being bias, they feel just and are less likely to commit serious crimes. But some argue that being blind to class difference doesn't lead towards just. Ehrlich (1938: 363) pointed out that the more the rich and poor are dealt with according to the same legal propositions, the more the advantage of the rich is increased'. Galanter (1975: 363) puts it more beautifully. "The sailor over board and the shark are both swimmers, but only one is in the swimming business". Geertz (1983: 217) says that "there are number of f acts about the way the world works, mostly facts about the distribution of power, which prevent punishment being imposed on the most deserving of it. A policy of attempting punishment of all those who deserve it (and who can be caught) has the effect of increasing injustice, worsening tendencies to punish most where desert is least. This is because for the tendency for the law to be 'the most powerful where least needed, a sprinkler system that turns off when the fire gets too hot'." Some argue that the theory is fair to the offender if the punishment fits the crime; same punishment of all offenders for the same crime, etc which give people the sense of just. People know that it does not authorize selecting a criminal for particularly cruel punishment by random drawing, even if this would expend fewer overall social resources than imposing lower and proportionate punishment on all similar offenders, which is referred to as the consequentiality theory. Another benefit is that in just desert, people are punished according to the seriousness of the crime.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Conclusion for the thesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conclusion for the thesis - Essay Example However, rural areas of the world are lacking behind the modern world, in terms of growth as well as learning due to lack of exposure to the internet. This paper is seeks to examine the solutions to the rural sectors of the world with this regard. Since using a cable is far too expensive as well as complex, we will study the use of an antenna instead. An antenna is not only inexpensive, but also very easy to install and use, as well as covers a greater area as compared to the cable. An antenna can make WLAN, WMAN, WPAN as well as WWAN very easy to use. Before I start my paper, it is essential to know certain properties of antennas, to get familiar with certain terms in the rest of my paper. An antenna has four different properties. The properties are as follows: If the antenna is perpendicular to the wire, it is radiating electricity at its maximum. In case the pattern of the radiation is vertical to the whip, it could be labeled as omnidirectional. In case the whip is slightly tilted, the signal minimum, also known as the ‘null’ tends to disappear. The reason why the radiation pattern is important is because one needs to ensure that in the desired direction of communication, the null is not existent. Polarization refers to the orientation of the communication system. In case other antennas in a similar structure are oriented similarly, they are regarded as having similar polarization. In case the whip is vertical, while the antenna has a horizontal polarization, the communication pattern would not be very effective. One of the most essential concerns that would arise during this procedure would involve how well the power is transmitted to the antenna. In case the antenna’s circuit is able to carry a load of 50 ohm, the antenna needs to have an ‘impedance’ of at least 50 ohms in order to maximize its results. An antenna is essentially an electronic device that converts the

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Drama- Glengarry Glen Ross a play by David Mamet Essay

Drama- Glengarry Glen Ross a play by David Mamet - Essay Example The drama contains many idioms that also emphasize the moral teachings that the author talks about in the book. In the drama, the characters use pauses and stammers that make the language vibrant (Mamet 73). The personality of the characters in the drama often changes and it both repulses and amuses the audience. The characters in the drama also have a comic effect because of their exaggerated personalities. I believe that the drama is a piece that reminds people on the need of not losing their humanity and morality. This is especially those caused by the current hardship of the economic world. The drama clearly depicts the life of people struggling to become financially stable. The script of the author uses some styles that make it extremely difficult to execute in a play. These styles are like the use of idioms and stammers (Mamet 73). However, the actors that play the roles should be able to execute the script with all the idioms and the musical language

Monday, September 9, 2019

The Pandigital Novel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Pandigital Novel - Research Paper Example black and white to help accommodate the personal needs of each consumer.1 Of course, as with any product, there are good and bad reviews. One review mentions that the good aspect about the Pandigital Novel e-reader is that it incorporates Wi-Fi, web browsing, extra slot for additional memory, imaging and video, as well as audio capabilities. The poor features are the â€Å"resistive touch-screen is problematic; extremely sluggish performance; interface could be more intuitive; overall user experience could be better.† 2 The main product in which the Pandigital novel is consistently compared to is the Macintosh iPad. The reason for this being that the popularity of the iPad is substantial and thus the push to mimic the Mac device. Already the significant difference of the two is that the Pandigital Novel is much less in cost than the iPad ($199 vs. $499+). Unfortunately, the consumer appears to be getting what he or she pays for in the less expensive model due to the fact that the screen is not as responsive and the programs can be slow-acting in the Pandigital Novel. The iPad carries many more features including two cameras, HD recording, dual-core A5 chip, 10-house battery life, thinner, lighter, and comes with 16 applications to name a few.3 Apple as a producer was able to quickly produce a newer version of the iPad faster than the Pandigital Novel producers. ... cripples reaching Wi-Fi hotspots.4 Although, it allows for more memory space by having a slot for an SD card, the natural memory storage in the iPad super exceeds the Pandigital Novel. In essence, the Pandigital Novel has its issues, especially in light of its top competitor, the iPad. However, what consumers must recognize is that the Pandigital Novel is significantly less money than the iPad. It is also offering specs that many consumers would be satisfied with dependant on their needs. If the consumer is not desiring all of the extra applications or browsing features that are better on the iPad and wanting a simple, but radiant e-book reader, than the Pandigital Novel is a befitting choice. Works Cited Carnoy, David. "Pandigital Novel (white)." Cnet Reviews. Ed. John P. Falcone. N.p., 17 Aug. 2010. Web. 6 July 2011. . "iPad: There's more to it. And even less of it." Apple.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 July 2011. . Joan, Ben. "Difference Between Apple iPad and Pandigital Novel." Differenc eBetween.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 July 2011. . "Pandigital Novel Color Multimedia eReaders - U.S." Pandigital. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 July 2011.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Nationality, immigration and asylum law Coursework

Nationality, immigration and asylum law - Coursework Example At the same time, he suffers serious eye problems to such an extent that if medical facilities are not available he may go blind. To further add his misery, last week, a co-worker has threatened him to report to immigration authorities being stayed illegally. He engulfs with a fear of being deported from UK. UK Border Agency (UKBA) treats the claim of asylum as human rights claim. Insertion of Humanitarian Protection makes Immigration Rules practicable. The asylum application should contain one of the following grounds: a) whether qualifies for asylum under paragraph 334 of the Immigration Rules b) whether the applicant qualifies for Humanitarian Protection under paragraph 339C of the Immigration Rules c) whether the applicant qualifies for discretionary leave on other ECHR grounds d) Is it applicable under article 3 that fall outside the scope of the Immigration Rules on Humanitarian Protection and e) whether the individual circumstances are so compelling that a grant of discretiona ry leave is appropriate which is rare1. Mentioned process in asylum cases should strictly be applied by the incumbents irrespective of the fact that neither ECHR nor Humanitarian Protection has been mentioned specifically by the applicant. The other category of the applicants should seek shelter under the umbrella of Humanitarian Protection or other ECHR. ... In cited cases possibility of seeking assurances from the concerned authorities of the country of return is utmost important under the ECHR and the Immigration Rules. However, a deportee may contact to Asylum Operational Policy Unit via a senior caseworker before being returned to his / her country of origin4. The issues of human rights for the non-UK nationals are crucial in the sense that they have to face language barriers, lack of information on their rights, discourse on migration and asylum make it more complex. As per the practice in vogue, if detainee is detained in prison, custody suites or removal centers requires an independent inspection and investigation5. The lack of awareness about the immigration laws amongst the legal / illegal immigrants put them in knee-deep waters. In a report titled â€Å"Our Hidden Borders† written by Latif and Martynowicz examines in details the current law, policy and practice on the detention of offenders of immigration law and asylum seekers in line with the UK commitments under international human rights law. The findings of investigative report speak for itself about human rights concerns / violations6. The report in question discussed the policies, law and practice that govern the UK Border Agency and the involvement of Police Service of Northern Ireland. Each and every individual since birth has the right of liberty and security. No one shall usurp the rights of others by way of arbitrary arrest or detention. No one can be deprived of his / her liberty provided such grounds exits and in accordance with the prevalent law of the land. It is the right of the detainee to know the cause of arrest at the time of his /

Airport Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Airport - Article Example Airports receive their financial support from the general airport revenue bonds and state grants. However, they also rely on businesses and passengers using the airport. Additionally, the shippers also contribute immensely towards their success in meeting the operating expenses. The funds contribute to its airport successive running. Development has also played a significant role towards reducing aircraft pollutions. For instance, it has led to the production of new designs of airframes that reduce the noise created when a plane or jet displaces air when moving at high speed. Engine manufacturers have also managed to come with engines with reduced velocity of engine exhaust. Additionally, advancement in technology has also led to the replacement of the oldest and noisiest with new quieter technology. Since airports look like small cities, their organization is just like that of a small city. It has departments for purchasing, finance, personnel, and public relations. Additionally, they have fire department that handles fire tragedies. Airport departments enhance the success of activities in airside and groundside capacities. Development of the airport relies on the funds collected. These departments enable air transport to be

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Chinese fiction Essay Example for Free

Chinese fiction Essay â€Å"No Longer Human† is a Japanese novel written by Osamu Dazai. It is considered as Dazai’s masterpiece and categorized as the second-best selling novel in Japan, whereas â€Å"To Live† was written by Yu Hua is a Chinese fiction. â€Å"No Longer Human† is describe as a labor of fiction, the novel is recited in the first person and have several elements which laid down an autobiographical source, such as suicide, a recurring theme in the author’s life whereas, the story of â€Å"To Live† started some time in the 1940s. The main character of this sotry is Xu Fugui who is a local rich mans son and habitual gambler, who lose his family property to the tricky Longer, driving his father to his grave in the process. His attitude also causes his long-suffering wife Jiazhen to leave him with their daughter, Fengxia and their unborn son, Youqing, the same thing with Oba Yozo in â€Å"No Longer Human†. The novel â€Å"No Longer Human† covers the portrayal of the life of Oba Yozo, who is a trouble soul not capable of revealing his true self to others and who is instead forced to uphold an impression of worthless jocularity. This story tells the emotional and interesting story of a young man who is caught between the disintegration of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. The novel is made up of three chapters which narrate the life of Oba Yozo from early childhood to late adolescence. In the first chapter of the novel, it deals on how the overcome by an extreme feeling of alienation and finding it nearly impossible to socialize with those who besiege him, Oba Yozo can but resort to buffoonery in order to ascertain an interpersonal relationships and fit into place in a vain effort to disregard the furious sexual abuse he was subjected to by a couple of servants during his childhood. In the second chapter, Oba Yozo becomes more and more troubled over the potential penetrability of his cheerful impression, which, together with the pressures of academic life, leads him into a violent cycle of drinking, smoking and harlotry, ending in a one-night stand with a married woman with whom he planned to commit double suicide. Though he survived, the woman passed away, leaving him with nothing but an unbearable feeling of guilt. In the this chapter, several years later, Oba Yozo is dropped out from High School and commits into a relationship with a destructive woman, who immediately betrays him with another man. Oba Yozo is once again driven to the edge of committing suicide, but was not able to do so because he becomes an alcoholic and a morphine addict. The story comes to a close with Oba Yozos confinement in a mental institution where he finally assumes he is no longer human, neither happy nor unhappy, but merely a man of excesses. The story of â€Å"To Live† is somewhat similar to the novel â€Å"No Longer Human† in a sense that both the main characters of the novels were engaged into alcoholism, drug addiction and losss of their families. However, in the novel of â€Å"No Longer Human† the main character’s story ended upon his confinement in a mental insitution, while in the story of â€Å"To Live† the main character after he loses his entire family fortune, eventually reunites with his wife and children, but is forced to start a shadow puppet troupe with partner Chunsheng to support his family. The story of â€Å"To Live† during the Chinese Civil War is in full swing, and both Fugui and Chunsheng are forcibly enlisted into the Kuomintang forces during a performance. After a heavy battle, Fugui and Chunsheng are captured by the communist side, where they quickly become entertainers for the troops. Eventually Fugui is able to return home, and once there, finds out that Fengxia has become mute due to a fever. The story of â€Å"To Live† gives emphasis to the peak of the Great Leap Forward. During this period the local town chief enlists Fugui and Jiazhen to donate all scrap iron in their possession to the national drive to produce steel and make weaponry for liberating Taiwan. As an entertainer, Fugui performs for the entire town, which has been devoted entirely over to producing steel. They enter this work with great passion, and the movie devotes some time to portraying the familys unity and happiness. For example, the young boy Youqing defends his sisters from bullies picking on her for her muteness. Aside from the Great Leap Forward period, the novel also give attention to the period of Cultural Revolution. The village chief advises Fuguis family to burn their shadow puppet drama props, which have been deemed as counter-revolutionary as they are traditional cultural elements. Also, Fuguis daughter is now grown up. Her family arranges for her to meet Wan Erxi, who is a local leader of the Red Guards, a worker with a salary, and also a kind-hearted and caring man, but lame in one leg. They fall in love and marry. During Fengxias childbirth, her parents and husband accompany her to the county hospital, where they find out that nurses are in charge as all doctors have been sent to do hard labor for being reactionary academic authorities. The nurses assure the family that they have nothing to fear, but the family is skeptical, and manages to retrieve a doctor from confinement to oversee the birth, under the pretext of making the doctor see his revolutionary mistakes. As the doctor has not eaten for several days, the family purchases for him seven steamed buns. However, the young woman begins to hemorrhage, and the nurses panic, admitting that they are only students and do not know what to do. The frantic family and nurses seek the advice of the doctor, but it is found out that he has overeaten and is semiconscious. The family is helpless, and Jiazhen can only hold the hand of her daughter as she slowly dies. The story ends several years later, with the family now consisting of Fugui, Jiazhen, their son-in-law Erxi, and grandson Mantou. The family visits the graves of Youqing and Fengxia, where Jiazhen, as per tradition, leaves dumplings for her son. Erxi buys for his son a box full of young chicks, which they decide to keep in the puppet drama prop chest, now empty of its contents. â€Å"To Live† such is not the same as â€Å"No Longer Human† because as you can see the character of the novel â€Å"No Longer Human† is more on of being useless to the family and to the society because Oba Yozo just ended up in confinement because his woman had another man. Another distinction between the two stories was that the character of â€Å"To Live† realized and did something good for himself and for his family, whereas in the novel â€Å"No Longer Human† the main character shows no changes in his life. â€Å"No Longer Human† on the other hand is basically autobiographical, founded on events from Dazais own life. He was a literary rock star, but a deeply unhappy guy, attempting suicide several times before finally succeeding. There is in fact a monument at the spot where he killed himself that is, along with his mistress. The book is uncommon from what we think of as autobiography, in that the reason for writing is not so much to tell a story there is no real employment, beginning, middle, and end in the traditional sense, but rather, the text is a sort of rambling exploration of the self. There is no forced form, instead, an effort to create a straightforward relation between author and reader, to explain a precise point of view. The book itself is very fascinating. It makes the reader want to learn Japanese, for beginners, because no matter how talented the translator, there is no getting throughout the fact that the grammatical structure of Japanese is completely different from that of English in that it is completely possible, and even ordinary, to compose a sentence in Japanese with no subject. Clearly, the entire book is written in this form, which would be particularly appropriate to the work itself. The book is the related story of a very unhappy guy who is essentially chronicling his downward spiral. Nevertheless it is hard to say if it is really a downward spiral, that is, though he does identify a moment at which he came to an end to be human, it is not totally clear that he was ever really human, through his own definition, to begin with. One question is what it means, in his eyes, to be human. . Oba Yozo’s character is raging against rationality, and the way, in which it dehumanizes people, so in a sense, though he calls himself a mouse, etc, he could be seen as claiming that he is really the only human. Dazais character, Oba Yozo in the novel, sees himself as inhuman, primarily, it seems, because he lacks certain fundamental human character. He maintains for instance, that he has in no way felt starving. On the other hand, there is also a certain issue of domination at play like; he is not capable to say no to anyone, to refuse permission for anything. In this sense, one could say that he is entirely determined by the outside world. Notwithstanding the fact that he has an inner life, he maintains it hidden from the outside world. As a matter of fact, his behavior is entirely, he claims, an act, he plays the clown for the pleasure of others, declining to let his own emotions reveal. The main characters of the novel have a clear similarity to notes from deeply unhappy men who are convinced of their own uniqueness, but there are definitely differences the way they choses to end up their stories. References: Dazai, Osamu. No Longer Human. New York: New Directions, 1973. Yu Hua. To Live: A Novel. (1993). Trans. Michael Berry. New York: Anchor-Random House, 2003.