Importance of magwitch in Great expectations Essay Example

Importance of magwitch in  Great expectations Paper In Great Expectations, magwitch is not always nice. He is described by pip as a convict, and as a violent man He speaks rudely to Pip Keep still, you little devil, or Ill cut your throat! and yet the readers like him. His character is mean yet in someway sensitive and nice. He is violent and mean to Pip yet doesnt do anything to harm him physically. Dickens is ever so clever in the way he keeps us on Magwitchs side right from the begging of the novel, even though Magwitch s clearly presented as the villan at first. Dickens had been very poor when he was young, and had even spent time in a workhouse, his father was also imprisoned, so he knew people like Magwitch very well and he knew that sometimes a person could be driven to do bad things, but still have a heart of gold. Even though the play is written in the 1st person, magwitch shares the leading role with Pip and gradually becomes the favourite character when he is presented again in chapter 39.His presentation in chapter 1 is vi vid and his character is memorable and when he re-appears in chapter 39, the readers realise that it is actually my convict who enables pip to achieve his great Expectations. Magwitch plays a major role in this story, and as it goes on, he starts to become the main character. Although pip is narrating this story, he somehow bases the story around magwitch on his last days and this enables the audience to know him much better. This makes the audience feel sympathy towards Magwitch as they feel they have misjudged him right from the start. Dickens is clever in the way he does this because on Magwitchs and pips 1st encounter, nobody would have thought he could have turned out to be the person he is in chapter 39. He completely alters the readers expectations. Through his characterisation, Dickens shows the audience that criminals like magwitch do the things they do for a reason and deep inside they are actually noble people. We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of magwitch in  Great expectations specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of magwitch in  Great expectations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of magwitch in  Great expectations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Through magwitch, the readers can see that crime was dealt with very harshly during Victorian times. Although Magwitchs crime is rarely mentioned in the novel, we get an Idea of it because of the brutality of his punishment. He is sent to prison and when he escapes, is given no chances and straight away sent to the hulks. Hulks are prison-ships, right cross th meshes. Explains Mrs. Jo to Pip. The hulks were old ships used for prisons. Magwitch was sent to Australia. No one seemed surprised to see him as he entered in what looked like the wicked Noahs ark which meant that his life of crime was known by many and people were used to the type of person he was. He is slowly and calmly taken away by the massive rusty ship and in no time dis-appears into the darkness as if it were all over with him. Pip narrates this with no concern in his voice which shows that in England at that time, everyone knew the punishment they would get if they did a crime. He doesnt in the time he explains of the hulks stop and say to himself how harsh or brutal my convict was being treated which shows just how used to it every one was. It is however not the same for the reader who is at this moment starting to feel sorry for Magwitch as he shows no signs of struggle or regret which shows just how innocent he is. He is taken off to Australia. Australias role in the novel is minimal and is simply there so the character of Magwitch has somewhere to go and make a big and surprising entrance in chapter 39 just like he did in chapter 1. When magwitch sneaks back to England, he tells Pip that hes there illegally. I was sent for life. Its death to come back. This tells us that England was really harsh but criminals understood and accepted that law. At the beginning of the novel, Magwitch is used to create tension and get the readers attention and get them interested in the story. His tone towards pip keeps the reader wanting to read on because they dont know what is going to happen to pip on the next page if they close the book. Hold your noise! cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves. This keeps the readers reading on and wondering what will happen next. Keep still, you little devil, or Ill cut your throat! this tone towards the little young boy instantly starts to create sympathy towards him and the readers instantly grow to love him. A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his h ead as he seized me by the chin. He says a man constantly as he describes the stranger to emphasise that this is a man hes never met before and just knows him as a man however by chapter 3, hes already referring to him as my convict. Also in chapter 4 when pip goes to take him the stolen food, the audience expect something terrible and mean from magwitch but instead he just takes the food and eats. At this point he begins to speak to Pip in a more affectionate way. Also he is taken away at the end of chapter 5 on the hulks and his last action is to lie for Pip saying that he stole the food and it wasnt Pip. This sends a relief through the readers but the relief later wears off when magwitch is again revealed to pip in chapter 39. Like in chapter 1, pip is surrounded by darkness and slowly magwitch re-appears sending chills through the readers as they have no idea what he has come back for. Pip remembers him straight away for I had seen him with my childish eyes to be a desperately violent man and so do the readers. This comes as a surprise and the readers is forced to quickly remember Magwitchs character as it had been more than 10 years before his and pips encounter. Dickens did this as he knew the readers would want to know what happens next to pip and they would want to find out why magwitch is back. Right from the start, Magwitch was not seen as a gentleman, but instead a convict. His actions in chapter 1 also prove him to be the least gentleman like person in the story. He is impatient Tell us your name Quick! His language is ungentle man like. You bring em both to meOr Ill have your heart and liver out. This causes the readers to judge him as not a gentleman but a convict and they have very little expectations that he will change otherwise. This is because a gentle man was seen as a man who behaved properly, a man of noble and gentle birth and Magwitch seemed to be the complete opposite to all this. However they are surprised when they find out what magwitch has been up to in Australia. I lived rough, that you should live smooth His actions towards Pip in chapter 39 reveal to the readers and to Pip what it is to be a gentle man. At this point Magwitch seems to be more like a gentleman than Pip who has just spoken rudely to Joe for not acting like a gentle man. But now he sees that being a gentleman is not all about talking fancy, or being rich, its all about being polite, kind and loving to those close to you just like Magwitch. Magwitch teaches pip what it is to be a gentleman through his generosity and Pip realises that Joe had been a gentleman all along. Guiltythat I had deserted Joe. I could never, never, undo what I had done. Pip is horrified to meet Magwitch at first. A fearful manstarted up from among the graves. This shows what a fast judge he is towards people and also shows that even before he has met the man coming towards him, he straight away knows that this man is no good. Pip comes to love Magwitch and starts to see him as a good and noble man. The older and more mature Pip describes Magwitch as my convict which shows that there is some sort of friendship between them in the future. Pips first encounter marks him thus, firstly as a convict and then through the cannibal references when he threatens to eat Pips fat cheeks and threatens to have another convict eat his heart and liver. However Magwitch is trustworthy towards Pip and believes him when on their second of the very few encounters they have, pip says that he has brought no one with him, he believes him straight away. Well, said my convict, I believe you Although at the beginning Magwitch uses threatening and abusive language towards pip like You young dog,, Lord strike you dead! He soon starts to see the innocence in pip and starts to relate to him as my boy. Their relationship furthers and Magwitch proves to be the perfect convict. When he is discovered by the police whilst fighting another convict, magwitch defends pip from getting in trouble and takes the blame for all the food and goods pip had stolen from Mrs Joe. This shows that even though Magwitch gets caught, he knows in his heart that it was not Pips fault that he got caught and pip had been loyal to him all along. In chapter 39, Magwitch is again in Pips life after many years. Pip is alone and has no Idea that his convict is about to return to him. This is an important part of the novel as there is no lights around Pip when Magwitch reappears said a voice from the darkness beneath which takes the readers back to their first encounter when Pip was in the church graveyard cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves and pip was alone and innocent and didnt know what was lurking around him in the dark. Its stormy and wet, stormy and wet; and mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets, Pip uses a repetition of this words to emphasise the really bad weather thats been going on and on. When Magwitch is up in Pips room he explains to Pip how he never forgot Pips kindness to him and decided to do something for the boy, in part because he reminded him of his lost daughter, who would have been about the same age as Pip. Magwitch sent money to Mr. Jaggers, who passed it to Pip and sought to make the boy a gentleman. Jaggers was not permitted to let Pip know who his benefactor was so pip was as surprised as the readers when magwitch revealed himself as pips benefactor. Up to this point of the novel, Pip and the readers are led to believe that Miss. Haversham is Pips benefactor. She and Estella act superior to Pip and treat him badlyYou can break his heart, replied Miss Haversham. And after all this time, the readers begin to realize Miss Haversham only wants to see to see Pip being tantalized and tormented, just as she torments herself by clinging to the pain of her own rejection at the altar and that all the expectations of Miss Haversham were wrong, it is actually Magwitch whos the gentlemanYes, Pip, dear boy, Ive made a gentleman on you! Its me wot has done it I lived rough, that you should live smooth straight away pip recognises him when I saw him thus engaged, I saw my convict on the marshes at his meal again. It almost seemed to me as if he must stoop down presently, to file at his leg. And knows that his convict is back. I was sent for life. Its death to come back. Magwitch tells Pip and pip tells him that hell do whatever he can to save him, however magwitch gets hurt and as he lies dying in the prison infirmary, Magwi tch appreciates the fact that Pip has been closer to him and more accepting of him in his fall than in his prosperity. Pip informs magwitch about his daughter Estella and tells him that he loves her. This marks a great moment as magwitch dies happily knowing that he really did make a gentleman out of pip. Dickens chooses to do this to show that no-matter all the crime Magwitch may have done in the past, he still has a loving heart and deserves someone to love him and take care of him just like he took care of Pip. This gives the novel a happy and satisfying ending. In my opinion, this novel is very well written. At first, the style of writing and language used was hard to adjust to at first but I soon got used to it. The story line was very interesting and kept the reader wanting to read on. I loved it.

The Role of Fear and Obsession on Gothic Literature Essays

The Role of Fear and Obsession on Gothic Literature Essays The Role of Fear and Obsession on Gothic Literature Paper The Role of Fear and Obsession on Gothic Literature Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Picture of Dorian Gray Gothicism itself is a branch of Romanticism, which twists the idea of feeling into slightly more morbid and macabre emotions of fear and a dead, twisted and medieval past as well as losing the early Romantic sense of a moral purpose. The quotation above, taken from Oscar Wildes novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, introduces some of the key ideas which seem to run prevalently throughout Gothic works of fiction and art. It seems undeniable that influence and obsession are able to create, manipulate and dominate the emotions of fear and dread which often characterise the Gothic. Edmund Burke stated that: No passion so effectually robs the minds of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear. It seems that within the development of the Gothic, fear plays a ubiquitous role. Influence can be prevalent in inciting fear, the influence of a figure or an atmosphere and other less tangible elements of the work can be key factors which hold a certain influence over the individual. However, fear in itself is often seen to present its own influence and it is this tantalizing inexplicable mystery of fear which so often develops and envelopes a character with obsession to retain truth and logic. Within Susan Hills novel, The Woman in Black, the main character Arthur Kipps demonstrates an obvious fear of the woman in black and the supernatural elements of her presence and appearance suffering from some terrible wasting disease only the thinnest layer of flesh was tautly stretched and strained across her bones- are certainly expressed vividly throughout and contribute largely to the influence which she increasingly has on not only Kipps but also the villagers. The use of heavy adjectival phrases in describing the woman, the idea of deepest black, the woman described as pathetically wasted pale and gaunt with disease and the alliterative skin stretched and strained, give an initially comprehensive description of the woman which not only creates fear but also develops it steadily and makes it feel ubiquitous and unavoidable, as though every element of her is grotesque. Within the pre-1948 setting of the novel the idea of wasting, particularly referring to Tuberculosis, would have had a particularly chilling effect as the disease would have been the cause of many deaths and, before the introduction of the NHS, the lack of readily available health care would have made the disease a constant source of fear. However, it could also be argued that it is not only the descriptions of the woman which perpetuate a sense of fear and influence both the characters and the reader, indeed Hills descriptions of the woman are often significantly sparse. It seems within this text that the influence of fear is born from the idea of the mysterious and the unexplored rather than the grotesque and it is the influence of the unknown which shapes fear and creates a sense of the Gothic. The idea of a local and tightly-knit community who all share and perpetuate a sense of secrecy links strongly with the idea of this as a Gothic text Hill here uses the idea of isolation and unfamiliarity to enhance the idea that Kipps is an outsider and to create the mystery and silence which only fuels the influence of fear upon him: Mr Jerome stopped dead. He was staring at me Mr. Jerome looked frozen, pale, his throat moving as if he were unable to utter. Mr Jeromes reaction as well as the hotel landlords the name had stirred some strong emotion in him, all signs of which he endeavoured to suppress at once, are representative of the general reaction towards not only the woman but anything associated with her and so clearly another manifestation of her influence over them. This idea of fear being sparked and fuelled by a sense of mystery is certainly reflected within Wordsworths poem, The Thorn. Within this poem, from his collection of Lyrical Ballads, strong links can be made with The Woman in Black. The woman within the poem, Martha Ray, is a figure to be feared in the same way as the woman in black not as a result of her as a character but of the mysteries which envelope her. The whole poem is presented as a narrators account of what he has seen and the rumours which he has heard about a woman in a scarlet cloak. Wordsworth exacerbates the sense of fear for the woman by presenting his evidence in a haphazard and hearsay-like manner, some say is said, whilst steadily reinforcing the mystery with a sense of foreboding and subtle allusions such as the fact that the heap of earth is like an infants grave in size as well as the anaphoric use of the womans mysterious misery Oh woe is me! Oh misery! . Michael Kirkham states that the mystery comes from the fact that the narrator is unable to tell us whether the child was stillborn or was murdered1, Whilst Albert Gi rard, discussi ng why we are left in doubt, quotes a sentence from J. F. Danby, There is in the poem the possibility of a betrayed mother murdering her child, and adds, but the point, surely, is that it is never more than a possibility. 2 It seems key to the development of the story within the poem that the reader is made to feel the same sense of mystery that the narrator claims to feel. These slight allusions to wider and more traditionally fearful elements of the works are strongest when discussing the element of childhood and child mortality. The continued association which the woman has with death throughout The Woman in Black, too, obviously contributes largely to her mystery and the fear of her and is reinforced by the allusions to childhood mortality and the final revelation that witnessing her causes children to die- And whenever she has been seen in some violent or dreadful circumstance, a child has died. Again this can be seen within The Thorn as the references to a possible infants death create an initial unease which reaches a climax with some will say she hanged her baby on the tree, some say she drowned it in the pond. The delivery of this revelation, in a blank and unashamedly horrific fashion certainly shocks a reader and gives the cold feeling of dread which is so often identified as an element of Gothicism however, it seems that this only occurs as a result of the steady influence of mysterious and unexplored fear which Wordsworth has continually built upon. The idea of death amongst children would have been an extremely poignant and harshly relevant one contemporaneously where fears of childbirth itself and infancy were elevated. Our baby so had been thrown clear, clear against another tree. He lay crumpled on the grass below it, dead. Again the harsh brevity and impersonal nature of these words seem to give a stark poignancy and factual element to the death of Kipps baby within Susan Hills novel; it seems as though the woman and death are inevitably interlinked and it is this inevitability which serves to enhance the dread of her character. Fear itself as well as the influence which fear can have is also one of the key themes of Oscar Wildes novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Within The Picture of Dorian Gray, the portrait, an obvious anthropomorphised motif for sin and shame, is the source of fear to Dorian and it is the power of this fear which on several occasions exerts strong influences upon him. The idea of this novel as immoral would particularly be a reference to its direct challenge to Victorian morals and values of family, sexual restraint and strict social code of conduct which were propagated at the time. Certainly at the time of publication the book was labelled evil, whilst the Scots Observer wrote that Mr. Wilde has again been writing stuff that were better unwritten3. This quotation perhaps also demonstrates the fear of others towards the influence which Wilde himself may have held. It is not just the fear of being discovered which eats away at Dorian but the fear of himself and what he is capable of it was the living death of his own soul that troubled him. Dorians panicked self-promises to revert to an acceptable lifestyle and vain attempts to atone for his sins, though futile, are all obviously influenced by his portrait: One thing, however, he felt that it had done for him. It had made him conscious how unjust, how cruel, he had been to Sibyl Vane he portrait would be a guide to him through life, I have done too many dreadful things in life. I am not going to do any more. However, far from this fear acting as a constant reminder of morality, the fear also wields a strongly negative influence through the extreme excitement and passion of sin. This effectively reflects the nature of the mysterious fear within The Woman in Black and The Thorn a s fear itself is perhaps the greatest mystery and so the excitement for Dorian Gray lies in testing and breaking the mysteries of sin and debauchery, all characteristic elements of the Gothic. The link between influence and obsession within The Picture of Dorian Gray is strong; it can easily be seen that obsession is merely the product of strong influence, the degradation into the fervent compulsion of obsession from unavoidable influence He grew more and more enamoured of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul The more he knew, the more he desired to know. He had mad hungers that grew more ravenous as he fed them. This influence is seen largely within Dorians own fear rather than the hideousness of the portrait. This path from influence upon a character to their obsession can also be seen within The Woman in Black where the influence of the fear upon Arthur Kipps develops into his obsession with delving into and uncovering the mystery: the woman in black affected us both as deeply as any other experience we had undergone in our lives I must face it out Such things one must face. And even as I spoke I felt a new determination arise within me I had fallen under some sort of spell of the kind that certain places exude and it drew me, my imaginings, my longings, my curiosity, my whole spirit . Aside from the influence which fear itself can present, within these three texts and indeed many other texts which present elements of the Gothic, the influential and obsessive power of the supernatural can be seen. Supernatural ideas, particularly commencing with those found in an orthodox theology, came strongly into conflict with the rationalism and idealism of the Enlightenment and the Age of Reason which had begun to take hold by 1688 and continued into around 1789. Gothicism, following from the Romantic, was born when seizing this challenge of the cold reality of enlightenment and, seeking feeling amidst the inartistic reason, twisted these feelings into extremes of fear, weirdness and grotesqueness. The friction with the new schools of thought caused disillusionment and discord and in the midst of the disagreement, Gothicism adopted elements of the Supernatural as both a reaction to the new ideals and due to the stretched extremes and inherent impossibility of the supernatural. The Picture of Dorian Gray deals strongly with the element of supernaturalism with Wildes interpretation of Marlowe and Goethes Faust myth via the changing portrait. This notion of a deal with the devil is, however, stretched in Wildes novel to present the obsessive influence of sin rather than just the uselessness of power. The portrait, changing to display Dorians sins and ages whilst he remains unchanged, seems to present an almost paradoxical influence over Dorian; whilst Dorians actions clearly influence the aesthetics of the picture, making it the misshapen shadow that had to bear the burden that should have been his own, the pictures horrid nature influences Dorians actions. It can be seen that the picture renders him sometimes good: it was watching him e would not sin and sometimes, through the mere obsessive nature of sin and lust, damning him: he grew more and more enamoured of the corruption of his own soul he had mad hungers that grew more ravenous as he fed them, an uncontrollable feeling of hatred suggested to him by the image. It could be viewed that this paradox between the influence between Dorian and the portrait reflects that in fact influence, far from being something supernatural and beyond control, has more of a sub-conscious and human factor in which we create and control our own i nfluences. Similarly The Woman in Black presents strong elements of the supernatural; the woman herself clearly has a ghostly influence over Mr. Kipps. It seems that the fact that she is a ghost, aside from the aforementioned appearance and attire, renders her influential and fearful. However there are other elements of the woman which make her so strongly influential over Arthur Kipps, the villagers and indeed the reader. Contextually, the notion of this woman would indeed have been something which was a source of great fear for many. The idea of a lone woman would have been unacceptable in this Victorian situation and could certainly have also created allusions to witchcraft and other ideas which challenge a strong morality of not only traditional family values but also the subservience of woman and the notion of them as the possession of a man, to be kept in check, whilst also presenting the mystery of the unknown. In addition to this, the woman herself has been viewed by several critics, such as Val Scullion, as the feminist protagonist of the novel. This reading presents the notion that the woman is fearful and influential through her obvious hideousness and difference but also because she is a woman. The contention is that Hills novel challenges the prevalent anxieties about motherhood and autonomy during the period when the idea of family itself was a difficult notion. The protagonist of the novel, the eponymous woman in black, resists the lot of the so-called fallen woman. In her spectral form, she repeatedly inflicts suffering on other families and children to avenge her own; her revenge and lack of compassion is unbound by time or place whilst her ghost is never laid to rest. The lack of restoration in the final pages could reflect her struggle and the limitlessness of the pain which she will cause. This view, held by Scullion, contends that the woman is fearful because she exists against the idea that a woman should be restrained and controlled. However, it seems more likely that the presentation of the woman in this way, as unruly and vengeful, is to enhance the fear rather than to play a more feminist role. It seems within these texts that a sense of Gothic, with regard to the influence and obsession of the characters, comes not so much from the conventional fear of the supernatural and the mystical but more from a human sense of emotion and instinct and things over which man has control. It is perhaps the cold reality and bluntness of possible sin, such as the murder of Basil Hallward within The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is far more chilling and fearful than anything other-worldly and unnatural. Wildes presentation of the murder, and Dorians feelings after, certainly create a strongly Gothic atmosphere yet without the expected darkness of a truly Gothic atmosphere. The sky was bright, and there was a genial warmth in the air the events of the preceding night crept with silent blood-stained feet into his brain, it seems that the notion of humanity and the obsession which drives us, has a more powerfully chilling influence than the strictly supernatural and weird. It is as though the element of possibility and familiarity of humanity is what creates the fear rather than something wildly improbable; fear is born from a twisted reality rather than an unimaginable wildness. The curious influence which Lord Henry himself has over Dorian, far from being supernatural, is still chilling and as effective at creating a sense of obsession and influence as the ghostly woman in black is within Hills novel. This influence and Henrys awareness of it there was something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence is made more chilling to the reader because of its clearly degrading effect combined with Dorians naivety towards it: you are certainly my best friend, Harry, no-one has ever understood me as you have. Words from The Heart of Darkness by Conrad, another novel presenting the strongly horrific nature of man himself, seem appropriate: Look at the influence that men must have s it not frightful Porphyrias Lover, a poem by Robert Browning which presents strong elements of the Gothic, seems to do so too, not because it deals with elements of the spiritual and supernatural but, because it deals so shockingly with human passions and emotions, such as Dorians own or Henrys influence, which are certainly very possible and largely an element of humanity. The poem itself professes that passion will prevail, and it is chillingly Gothic that this murder has taken place not through the influence of a ghostly being or a portrait or indeed a decadent sense of medieval myth as in Keats St. Agnes Eve, but the plain obsession and influence of humanity and emotion. The obsession within this poem and the pure madness of Porphyrias lover, expecting God to interfere and say something And yet God has not said a word -, is dramatically heightened by the childlike simplicity of the rhyme; Rhythm mimics natural speech and the rhyme follows a conventional and standard ABABB pattern, this simplicity is demonstrated in the lines below. The symmetry of the rhyme and the ease and natural nature of the rhythm seem to reflect the madness within Porphyrias lover despite his reposed and calm fai de: surprise made my heart swell, and still it grew. The madness of the man is what has influenced his action yet it was also the perfection of the scene and the obsession with Porphyria and her love she was mine, mine, fair I strangled her . This obsession, a perfectly human one, yet insane, is what is most chilling about Brownings poem and indeed strongly reflects the sense of human influence within The Picture of Dorian Gray. Overall it is clear that influence, and the natural development of it into obsession, is a key feature which defines and creates the Gothic. Influence can abound in many forms within Gothic texts such as the natural influence of fear itself upon the victim and the unnatural fear of something supernatural; however, that which seems to create the element of spine-tingling and Gothic is bred mainly in something far more base and real than ghosts or curses. It is the possible which shocks and chills more than the unreal. In the same way that a terrible thought or feeling can be far more fearful than the unimaginable presence of something as otherworldly and unlikely as a curse, so too is Gothic literature defined by the baseness and instinct of humanity. Within these texts, particularly Porphyrias Lover, man himself, has more power in shaping his obsessions than would ordinarily be thought and the fact that emotions, thoughts and feelings can become so twisted and amoral is more greatly unsettling than anything incomprehensible. Human degradation is a cold reality and one which many strive to cover up yet when the mysteries of the human psyche are uncovered, perhaps because of a fearful obsession, the chilling nature of man is overturned.

Futures Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Futures Speech - Essay Example 42). In addition, Double M’s marketing aims to attain a 96 percent excellent customer service ranking every month. Marketing communication aims to create an interest among the customers and increase the company market share. In essence, the interest will be created through informing them about the benefits of Double M. This will encourage the target audience to use Double M transport services. The communications will attain their objectives through offering discounts and other incentives to prospective customers and refocusing its service range in high margin areas. In addition, Double M will introduce customer relationship management to engage its customers and clients and obtain feedback from customers. Double M’s communication tactics will include intensified advertising campaigns through the search engines, the local television and radio stations, magazines and newspapers. In addition, the Double M will produce discount coupons and distribute them to the prospective customers. Nonetheless, Double M will provide free road safety and driver’s seminars to employees in large organizations and families. Lastly, Double M will sponsor an advertisement that aims to sensitize the public on road safety and the significant role that each should play in reducing road

Freedom of Information and Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freedom of Information and Privacy - Essay Example the government has every right to charge the organization; therefore it is better that the organization must make sure that the public funding is not being used for any purpose other than public welfare (Misuse of Public Funds, 2013). 2. No in my opinion I do not think that there should not be any difference between the privatization of traditional governmental services and private corporations using public funding for non-traditional services, as both of these services are directed towards one cause i.e. providing services for the betterment of people. Privatization of the traditional government services can be quite beneficial in some cases as when any of the government department or institution is facing a loss. The government may privatize an institution, which in the long run can be beneficial for the overall economy. Private institution at the end of the day believes in gaining profits out of the operations they are carrying on. This is what makes the private institution more successful than the government institutions (Should government stop offering any service that the private sector can provide?, 2013). 3. There are many private corporations in which they fraud, waste abuse and corruption is at its peak. The charitable organizations too are not at all immune to the FWAC. Brain Collins the retired CEO of Enron Corporation stated in an interview that their organization conducted a research on nonprofit organizations. The result of the research suggested that every year the corruption of 1.1 million occurs in the nonprofit organizations. One can predict that if the amount of corruption is so high in institutes that are solemnly working for the betterment of the society that what will be the case of other organizations (Not-for-Profits Not Immune to Fraud, 2013). 4. If the FOIA legislation fails to force the private organizations to effectively respond to their request, the government can play its role in by assigning a contracting agency that will look

Tiger Energy Drink Marketin Plan Essay Example for Free

Tiger Energy Drink Marketin Plan Essay 1. 0. Executive Summary Tiger Energy Drink offers their consumers â€Å"a unique product endowed with different usage alternatives† providing a beverage focused on positive effects of an energy drink and guarana with an amazing sweet taste. Tiger Energy Drink is an alternative to tea and coffee and can be consumed cold or hot depending on the preference. It has a very sweet taste -not too much intense- and can be consumed as a regular beverage. Tiger is positioned itself as an alternative to coffee since it offers a great variety of caffeine (guarana) and other energy drink since it offers different flavors. Guarana, the main ingredient of the Tiger energy drink, has a cognitive effect. A 2007 human pilot study assessed acute behavioral effects to four doses (37. 5 mg, 75 mg, 150 mg and 300 mg) of guarana extract. Memory, alertness and mood were increased by the two lower doses, confirming previous results of cognitive improvement following 75 mg guarana. Some research also shows that Guarana has antioxidant and antibacterial effects, and also fat cell reduction. The target audience is working class and is primarily males and females between 25 – 40 ages. The majority consumer group of Tiger Energy Drink includes white-collar workers who spend long hours in office, working parents and young adults. 2. 0. Situation Analysis Tiger, founded 6 months ago by 2 entrepreneurs, is about to enter the competitive energy drinks market in Turkey. Although Energy Drinks market is considerably small, its annual growth rate is around 30% and the market is the most profitable segment of the non-alcoholic beverages market. The existence of big players and many cheaper outlier products will make it difficult for Tiger to establish a strong brand and market share in the short term. In order to do that, Tiger will differenciate in product flavors, hot or cold use opportunities and varied serving sizes. Of course, careful targeting of specific segments and supporting marketing activities will be the key to success. 2. 1. Market Summary Energy Drink market in Turkey consists of 0,35% of the whole non-alcoholic beverage market in terms of the market volume. The total volume of non-alcoholic beverages in Turkey is 7,2 billion liters, whereas Energy Drink’s volume is 25,5 million liters. On the other hand, when the market value is taken into consideration, Energy Drink market gets 3,5% of the whole non-alcoholic beverages market. The value of the whole non-alcoholic drinks market is 8,5 billion TL, and Energy Drinks’ share is 298 million TL. While the average value per liter in non-alcoholic beverages market is 1,18 TL, The same ratio becomes 11,66 TL in case of Energy Drinks. Therefore, it can clearly be seen that this segment is quite lucrative and profitable. The sub-markets, from the biggest to smallest, are water, tea, carbonated drinks, non-carbonated drinks (e. g. ice tea) and coffee markets. Although, its size is small, Energy Drink market has a steady 30% annual growth rate. Energy Drink consumers are usually in the 25-40 age range, upper income level white collar people. However, cheaper products were able to penetrate low and mid income level segments too. These include truck drivers and blue collar workers. Energy Drinks are consumed in many different occasions. The need of concentration and productivity defines their daytime use whereas the need of fun and high energy defines their nighttime use. The table below shows how Tiger addresses the basic needs of its targeted segments. Targeted Segment| Customer Need| Corresponding Feature/Benefit/Product| All Segments| Wake-up in the morning| Tea flavored, hot or cold consumption optioned Tiger (B vitamins and thein)| Students Professionals| Concentration and Productivity in daytime and work activities| Orange, Melon or Tropical Mix Tiger drinks (Guarana)| | Fun and High Energy in nighttime activities| Orange, Melon or Tropical Mix Tiger drinks (Guarana, Ginseng, Taurin)| 2. 2. SWOT Analysis Tiger has several strengths which do not exist in Turkish market. However, lack of brand awareness and image is the most important weakness. The fact that the competition is well established could be identified as the strongest threat. Finally, the fast growing and profitable structure of the energy drink market would be the biggest opportunity. 2. 2. 1. Strengths Tiger has a number of important strengths 1. Innovative Product: The product has 3 different and well liked flavors which can be consumed without mixing with any other beverage. Alternatively, those flavors of Melon, Orange and Tropical Mix are suited to mix with many different alcoholic beverages. Finally the tea flavored, hot or cold consumption optioned, 4th variation is the revolutionary energy drink product. With its unmatched and tailor-made for Turkish taste tea flavor; this energy drink can be consumed even in breakfast. Its ability to be consumed as a hot drink is also revolutionary. 2. Pricing: Tiger offers excellent quality with better pricing than its 2 major competitors, Red Bull and Burn 3. Product Ingredients: Tiger’s excellent combination of Guarana and Ginseng causes great focus, improved memory and higher productivity. Furthermore, the Thein in tea-flavored variation invokes additional alertness, especially required in the morning. 4. Serving Sizes: Unlike its competitors, Tiger will have 350 ml cans for Orange, Melon Tropical Mix flavors and 75 ml cans for tea flavored variation as well as the conventional 250 ml cans. 2. 2. 2. Weaknesses 1. Lack of Brand Awareness: Tiger does not have an established brand awareness and image. On the other side, Red Bull, Burn and other competitors have strong brand images. This issue will be dealt with aggressive promotion activities. 2. 2. 3. Opportunities 1. Growing and Profitable Market: The Energy Drink market grows around 30% annually. Furthermore, that sub category of the non-alcoholic beverages market has the highest profitability. 2. Demographics: Turkey’s population is younger compared with European and U. S markets. Therefore, target market size is lucratively big. 2. 2. 4. Threats 1. Competition: The competition in Turkey is well established. Red Bull and Burn share the upper segment of the market with almost 65% of the market value in total. With the addition of smaller and cheaper products, there are around 40 different brands in Turkey. In sum, Turkish Energy Drink market is highly competitive. 2. Energy Drinks’ image: Energy drinks are still seen as unhealthy and unnatural. In 2001, Red Bull was banned in Turkish market due to excessive caffeine content. Red Bull’s caffeine content is 400 mg per liter, whereas Turkish regulations did not permit higher than 150 mg at that time. However in 2004, Turkish Food Codex has been updated according to European Union standards and Red Bull’s ban had been revoked. Additionally, some fatalities occurred after excessive alcohol consumption and it was said that energy drinks were also involved and they would cause death when mixed with alcohol. These incidents along with the banning history of Red Bull strengthened the â€Å"unnatural and unhealthy† image of the Energy Drinks. 2. 3. Competition 2. 4. Product Offering 2. 5. Distribution 3. 0. Marketing Strategy 1. The main marketing strategy is to emphasize Tiger’s distinctive taste, different usage opportunities and size can. The taste is not too intense but very enjoyable with three different flavor. The product has 3 different and well liked flavors which can be consumed without mixing with any other beverage. Alternatively, those flavors of Melon, Orange and Tropical Mix are suited to mix with many different alcoholic beverages. The tea flavored, hot or cold consumption optioned will be an innovative energy drink. The size also provides a longer lasting boost of energy and cognition and production capability which led to the brand â€Å"Stay focused† slogan. 3. 1. Marketing Objectives Since we are completely a new brand we have set realist but achievable objectives for the for the first and second years of market entry First year objectives: In 2012, the total volume of energy drink will be theoretically 33 million liter if we take the consideration of the growth rate and last year wasted volume. We are planning to get a 5 percent share of the Turkish energy drink market through unit sales volume of approximately 5. 000. 000. We have to achieve a steady increase in market penetration. The primary goal is to build and increase both awareness and brand loyalty for Voltro among upper-income professional age 25 – 40. Second year objectives: In second year the main objective is to increase market share from 5 to 8 percent. We are planning to achieve break-even and start to get profit on our third year in business. 3. 2. Financial Objectives. Energy drinks are most profitable beverage among all non-alcoholic beverages. The energy drink market is very small compared to other beverages market but it is growing 30 percent per year. Our financial objective is to maintain and increase this grow rate for our business. For the first year specially we would like to maintain a significant advertising budget to execute and utilize different media vehicles: magazine, internet, prime-time television, ambient and billboards. These media vehicles will allow Tiger to reach the desired reach and frequencies while keeping within the budget. 3. 3. Target Markets Tiger’s strategy is based on a positioning of different and exotic flavors, hot or cold use opportunities and varied serving sizes. Our main consumer target of Tiger is upper income level white collar people, working parents and young adults between 25 and 40 age who want healthy, natural, tasty and a high quality an energy drink with an affordable price. Tiger energy drink has ability to strengthen memory, increase focus and overcome exhaustion and insufficient energy. Our secondary consumer target is low and mid income level which include truck drivers and blue collar workers who seek to stay alert during driving, working, etc†¦ These type of consumers are only looking to pay less for an energy drink since they consume for a purpose: â€Å"stay focused and alert†. 3. 5. Positioning Kaplan’s strategy is to be an innovative energy drink by product differentiation based on size, taste and hot or cold usage. Using product differentiation, we are positioning Tiger Energy Drink as the most revolutionary, tasty and healthy energy drink. Tiger is the brand of energy drinks that gives you the need of concentration and productivity in day time and need of fun and high energy in night to allow you to do everything you want in a full day of work and play. The fruity and tropical fresh taste leaves you asking for more and the bigger size contain more healthy ingredients than their competitors. Our marketing will focus on the value-priced equilibrium, reflecting the positive side of a big size and product taste and usage alternatives. 3. 6. Strategies Product 3. 7. Marketing Program 3. 8. Marketing Research 4. 0 Financials 4. 1. Break-Even Analysis 4. 2. Sales Forecast 4. 3. Expense Forecast 5. 0. Controls 5. 1. Implementation 5. 2. Marketing Organization 5. 3. Contingency Planning Non-alcoholic beverages market data excludes pure milk and home use demijohn water products.

Assessing The Conflict And Consensus Approaches

Assessing The Conflict And Consensus Approaches Consensus is a concept of society in which the absence of conflict is seen as the equilibrium state of society based on a general or widespread agreement among all members of a particular society. The consensus ideology proposes that society consists of social institutions which are all dependent of each other and are vital for maintaining social order. The consensus theory highlights harmony, integration and stability. Functionalists argue that the main institutional groupings play a tremendous role in determining the culture of society. These, as example include economic, politics, family and kinship, as well as media. Economic growth plays a role as well because it affects the way certain societies think and how they run their everyday lives. The functionalist perspective is rooted in the work of Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and gives the view of society as an organism in which each part functions in a certain way to ensure the stability of the whole. Though society is something which exists on its own it has a structure of parts that maintains it. The parts are institutions like the family or the church, which are useful or functional in some way, but if the institution was no longer functional it would disappear and be replaced like a passing fashion. People involved in these institutions may not be aware of their function, but because the institution exists certain effects follow. Institutions are long lasting so therefore functional. The foundations of functionalism explain how social inequality is necessary to motivate the more talented members of society to train to fulfil the demands of social positions which are functionally more important than others. They list the rank order of positions as religion, government, wealth and technical knowledge and point out that only a limited number of people have the talents which can be turned into the skills needed for these positions. This takes training which means social and financial sacrifices are made, so in order to encourage people to undergo this training, and to endure the demands of the future position itself, they are given certain privileges. This may include access to scarce resources such as property, power and prestige. This access to scarce resources produces stratification but also inequality in the amount of resources allocated to different people. This inequality is both functional and inevitable. Functionalist theories state that education meets the needs of the industrial society as well as the cultural society and has the important role of socialising the individual to fit into, and continue, the social system. Individuals are born into a society that already has an identity of its own and education has the function of passing on shared values and skills. Where functionalism uses consensus, shared norms and values and concepts such as order, harmony, cohesion and integration, Marxism takes a different view. Marx argues that that economic inequality is at the heart of all societies. Conflict is a disagreement or clash between opposing ideas, principles, or people-this can be a covert or overt conflict. The conflict perspective is based on many conflict approaches. In spite of their inconsequential differences, they all have a model of society as a whole and they collectively share the view of the structural approach. Additionally, all perspectives, in some form or another, share the notion that sociological groups have different interests. As a result, they propose that conflicts are always probable since that when different groups advocate their own individual interests, it tends to cause disagreement and in certain situations, resentment. Arguably, the two most prestigious standpoints within the approach are the Marxist and feminist conflict theories. A major difference between functionalism and the conflict perspective is that the conflict approach accentuates the existence of competi ng groups whilst functionalism views groups as being fully cooperative. Conflict theorists emphasise conflict and contradiction whereas consensus theorists maintain that societys institutions work within functional unity. The conflict paradigm (particular Marxists), conversely, holds that society has an infrastructure and a superstructure that work independently. The ideology considers value as being the mechanisms for keeping society together. Conflict theorists reject the assertion and claim that values are imposed by the powerful groups in society. Conflict theory, proposes that conflict, struggle and change are more prevailing within society. Marxism sees human history as a class struggle, with oppressor and oppressed wrestling for control. The dominant class controls and owns the means of production or wealth generation, and the working class in therefore controlled by them. Welfare is a result of the strength of working-class resistance to exploitation, a concession the dominant class must make to maintain social order. Programmes such as welfare and pensions help to legitimise the capitalist system with the working class. Welfare then becomes another vehicle for power and control by the dominant class. Its purpose is to placate rather than empower the poor, and seeks to reduce the individual to a state of dependency on those in power. According to Marxist theory, society has unfolded in a series of ever-progressing and better structures, as defined by their economic development and modes of production, from the primitive communal to slave-based to feudal to capitalist. The final stage was communism. This was predicted to be the best possible means of governance and structure of society, one that would erase inequalities and allow individuals to achieve their full potential and value within their community. Marxism viewed the individual as part of a collective organism, society. Inequalities in society resulted from distinction in classes, not particular individual decisions or behaviours. Conflict was between these classes, and rooted in struggle for power. Marxism assumes the individual can and will contribute to the greater community as much as they are able, and will be motivated by the common good. When society has evolved or elevated itself to this place, inequalities will be dealt with appropriately The problem with broad application of Marxist theory is that individuals do take advantage. As Wes Sharrock 1977 puts it: The conflict view is founded upon the assumption that society may provide extraordinarily good lives for some usually only possible because the great majority are oppressed and degraded. Difference of interest are therefore as important to society as agreements upon riles and values, and most societies are so organised that they not only provide greater benefits for some than for others Social conflict differs from consensus because it is interested in the way unenequal distribution of advantage in a society structures behaviour and is interested in the conflict inherent in such a society. The Marxist perspective concentrates on the differences between groups and concepts such as control, conflict, power, domination and exploitation. This is the theory based on the work of Karl Marx (1818-1833) Marx felt that social class was the main form of inequality and saw only two significant social classes. He maintained that it was capitalist industrialisation that led to this two class society, the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production (e.g. factories) and the proletariat who became the wage labourers (working in the factories). What the bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all, is its own grave diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable. (Marx and Engels. 1848) Is social stratification socially constructed. Throughout the ages there has always been evidence in stratification and how it is socially moulded into almost everything. It can be seen In families, the workforce, in politics and international from one country to another, male against female, ages from young to the old and from the rich to the poor. It is even seen in the animal kingdom and it appears to be a natural instinctive survival mechanism but one that is unfair. It seems to happen when one or more people having a belief in something which in turn over powers the next therefore creating a layer with a low medium and high for example the class system of the poor and the bourgeoisie It depends on the individuals definition of social stratification however one may understand it as a form of hierarchy which is displayed almost in everything and everywhere we are only free when we are first born from then on in we belong to a class starting within the family union through to a much bigger ranking within local to international society. FOUR SECTIONS : RACE GENDER SEX AND AGE There are two reports which have been commissioned by the government to try and find some evidence of variations in health and illness. These are The Black Report (1980) chaired by Sir Douglas Black and The Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health by Sir Donald Acheson (1998). Firstly, in The Black Report inequalities in human health take a number of distinctive forms. Most attention is given to differences in health as measured over the years between the social (or more strictly occupational) classes. When comparing rates of mortality among men and women in each of the 5 classes. Taking the 2 extremes as a point of comparison it can be seen that for both men and women the risk of death before retirement is two-and-a-half times as great in class 5 (unskilled manua1 workers and their wives), as it is in class 1 (professional men and their wives). One of the most distinctive features of human health in the advanced societies is the gap in life expectancy between men and women. This phenomenon carries important implications for all spheres of social policy but especially health, since old age is a time when demand for health care is at its greatest and the dominant pattern of premature male mortality has added the exacerbating problem of isolation to the situation of elderly women who frequently survive their partners by many years. The imbalance in the ratio of males to females in old age is the cumulative product of health inequalities between the sexes during the whole lifetime. These inequalities are found in every occupational class demonstrating that gender and class exert highly significant and different influences on the quality and duration of life in modern society. Rates of age-specific mortality vary considerably between the regions which make up the United Kingdom. Using mortality as an indicator of health the healthiest part of Britain appears to be the southern belt (below a line drawn across the country from the Wash to the Bristol Channel). This part of the country has not always exhibited the low rates of mortality that are found there today. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the South East of England recorded comparatively high rates of death, while other regions like Wales and the far North had a rather healthier profile. The fluctuation in the distribution of mortality over the years suggests that social (including industrial and occupational) as much as natural factors must be at work in creating the pattern of regional health inequalities. One of the most important dimensions of inequality in contemporary Britain is race. Immigrants to this country from the so-called new Commonwealth, whose ethnic identity is clearly visible in the colour of their skin, are known to experience greater difficulty in finding work and adequate housing (Smith, 1976). Given, for example, these social and economic disabilities it is to be expected that they might also record rather high than average rates of mortality and morbidity. Class differences in mortality are a constant feature of the entire human lifetime. They are found at birth, during the first year of life, in childhood, adolescence and in adult life. In general they are more marked the start of life and in early adulthood. Average life expectancy provides a useful summary of the cumulative impact of these advantages and disadvantages throughout life. A child born to professional parents, if he or she is not socially mobile, can expect to spend over 5 years more as a living person than a child born to an unskilled manual household. At birth and during the first month of life the risk of death in class 5 is double the risk in class 1. When the fortunes of babies born to skilled manual fathers are compared with those who enter the world as the offspring of professional workers the risk of mortality is one and half times as great. From the end of the first month to the end of the first year, class differentials in infant mortality reach a peak of disadvantage. For the death of every one male infant in class 1, we can expect almost 4 deaths in class 5. In adult life, class differences in mortality are found for many different causes. As in childhood the rate of accidental death and infectious disease forms a steep gradient especially among men; moreover an extraordinary variety of causes of deaths such as cancer, heart and respiratory disease also differentiate between the classes. The duration of the human lifetime is one of the best means of approximating the lifelong pattern of health of individuals and whole populations. As we have seen, the risk of premature death in Britain today is systematically related to socioeconomic variables. This association is not new or unusual. Death rates have always been relatively high among the underprivileged and materially deprived sections of communities. Why this should continue to be so in an era characterised by new patterns of disease, increased purchasing power, and state provision of free medical care is more perplexing. In infancy and childhood where the class gradients are steep, the major causes of death are in many ways directly linked to poverty and to environmental risk. In adulthood the relationship between health and class becomes more complex and in old age social and economic deprivation becomes a common experience. Both Cartwright and OBrien (1976) and Buchan and Richardson (1973) have studied GP consultations in depth. Both investigations showed that middle class patients tended to have longer consultations than did working class ones. More problems were discussed at consultations with middle class patients than with working class ones. Cartwright and OBrien also found that middle class patients were, in a sense, able to make better use of the consultation time, as measured by the number of items of information communicated and the number of questions asked. Moreover even though working class patients tended to have been with the same practice for longer, the doctors seemed to have more knowledge of the personal and domestic circumstances of their middle class patients. In an earlier study Cartwright had found that middle class patients were more likely to be visited by their GP when in hospital than were working class patients (Cartwright, 1964). For cultural reasons then, and also because th ere is a tendency for the better doctors to work in middle class areas, the suggestion is that middle class patients receive a better service when they do present themselves than do working class patients. In the case of family planning and maternity services substantial evidence shows that those social groups in greatest need make least use of services and (in the case of antenatal care) are least likely to come early to the notice of the service. Cartwright (1970) found clear class gradients in the proportion of mothers having an antenatal examination, attending a family planning clinic, and discussing birth control with their GP. Unintended pregnancies were more common among working class women. Bone (1973) also found that women from the non-manua1 classes make more use of family planning services than those from the manual classes. This was true both for married and for unmarried women. Similar differences have been found in presentation for post-natal examination (Douglas and Rowntree, 1949) and (by Gordon, 1951) immunisation, ante-natal and post natal supervision and uptake of vitamin foods. The National Child Development Study (1958 birth cohort) found substantial differences in immunisation rates in children aged 7, as well as in attendance at the dentist. Among women, it has been found that those in classes 4 and 5 are much less likely to be screened for cervical cancers even though mortality from this condition is much higher in these classes than in the non-manual classes. In the Acheson report, the findings were much the same as The Black Report. The Acheson Report has also shown that health was improving but more for the higher than lower social classes. Premature mortality, that is death before age 65, is higher among people who are unskilled. If all men in this age group had the same death rates as those in classes I and II, it is estimated that there would have been over 17,000 fewer deaths each year from 1991 to 1993. Deaths from accidents and suicide occur at relatively young ages and each contribute nearly as much to overall years of working life lost as coronary heart disease. Death rates from all three causes are higher among those in the lower social classes, and markedly so among those in class V (Office for National Statistics and Blane Drever 1998). In adulthood, being overweight is a measure of possible ill health, with obesity a risk factor for many chronic diseases. There is a marked social class gradient in obesity which is greater among women than among men. (Colhoun and Prescott-Clarke, 1996), (Prescott-Clarke and Primatesta 1997), (Prescott-Clarke and Primatesta 1998). In 1996, 25 per cent of women in class V were classified as obese compared to 14 per cent of women in class I. Another indicator of poor health is raised blood pressure. There is a clear social class differential among women, with those in higher classes being less likely than those in the manual classes to have hypertension. In 1996, 17 per cent of women in class I and 24 per cent in class V had hypertension. There was no such difference for men where the comparable proportions were 20 per cent and 21 per cent respectively (Prescott-Clarke and Primatesta 1997). Across different ethnic groups, there are very different rates of unemployment. Those from minority ethnic groups have higher rates than the white population. Black men have particularly high unemployment rates as do Pakistani and Bangladeshi women (Office for National Statistics 1998). Between 1982 and 1992, there was a steep increase in the number of households accepted by Local Authorities as homeless. Since then, there has been a decrease of about a quarter. Of the 166,000 households classified as homeless in 1997, over 103,000 were accepted by local authorities to be unintentionally homeless and in priority need. Over half of households accepted by local authorities as homeless had dependent children and a further tenth had a pregnant household member (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions 1997 and 1998). There is a clear social class gradient for both men and women in the proportion who smoke. In 1996, this ranged from 12 per cent of professional men to 41 per cent of men in unskilled manual occupations and from 11 per cent to 36 per cent for women (Office for National Statistics 1998). In spite of the major class differences in dependence on alcohol in men (Meltzer et al 1995), there are very small differences in the reported quantities consumed. This is not the case among women where higher consumption is related to higher social class (Office for National Statistics 1998). People in lower socioeconomic groups tend to eat less fruit and vegetables, and less food which is rich in dietary fibre. As a consequence, they have lower intakes of anti-oxidant and other vitamins, and some minerals, than those in higher socioeconomic groups (Colhoun and Prescott-Clarke 1996), (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1996), (Department of Health 1989), (Gregory et al 1990), (Gregory et al 1995). One aspect of dietary behaviour that affects the health of infants is the incidence of breastfeeding. Six weeks after birth, almost three quarters of babies in class I households are still breastfed. This declines with class to less than one quarter of babies in class V. The differences between classes in rates of breastfeeding at six weeks has narrowed slightly between 1985 and 1995 (Foster et al 1997). Class inequalities in health have been accounted for in a number of different ways. The report of the DHSS Inequalities in Health Working Group The Black Report lists four types of explanation. These are inequality as an artefact, inequality as natural selection, inequality as material deprivation and inequality as cultural deprivation. The artefact explanation argues that inequalities in health are not real but artificial. They are an effect produced in the attempt to measure something which is more complicated than the tools of measurement can appreciate. It is argued that changes in the occupational structure are likely to combine with age to confound any attempt to measure inequality in mortality even at one point in time. It is suggested that the age structure of social class 5 is likely to be biased towards older workers because younger recruits to the labour force will have entered better paid, more skilled occupations, that have expanded since the war. Since the mortality risk increases with the age, this effect is likely to enlarge the rate of social class 5 as a whole. If so, the observed gradient is really caused by the skewed age structure of the unskilled manual class rather than by the poorer health of its members. The most persuasive attempt to explain health inequalities as the outcome of a process natural selection, has been put forward by the statistician, Jon Stern. He argues that those people with better health move up the social class ladder and those with poorer health move down the social class ladder (Stern 1983). Stern defines health as a fixed or genetic property of individuals largely independent of their immediate social and economic environment. His argument rests on the assumption that health itself increases the probability of social mobility and that the class structure permits movement up and down. This means that no matter how deprived the social background, a genetic potentiality for good health will enable a person to overcome material disadvantage and climb out of poverty. Material deprivation means a shortage of the material resources on which healthy human existence depends. This means that health is directly affected by the material circumstances in which people live. In less developed societies (poor housing) its effects may appear in very high death rates from diseases primarily caused by malnutrition and exposure. People in poverty may not be able to afford or access healthy foods to stay healthy or they may become ill more often because of poorly heated homes. Health inequality as cultural deprivation means that the poor have a self destructive culture which leads them to become ill because of the lifestyles and personal habits in which they engage, for example, smoking, alcohol, poor diet and lack of exercise, but these poor health behaviours are also a strategy to cope with the persistent material deprivation they experience. The psycho social explanation suggests that long term chronic stresses are unevenly distributed in society, basically in line with class position (structural inequalities). The impact of stresses depends on how individuals view them, subjectively, and deal with them. This, in turn, depends on the buffering resources we have in terms of personality, social background, location in the social structure, education, financial resources, and the supportiveness of the social environment. The social environment and the social location can generate self efficacy which is a feeling of personal control, mastery over ones life, instrumentalism (opposite concept to fatalism, powerlessness, learned helplessness). Self efficacy is the extent to which individuals see themselves in control of the forces which have a significant influence on their lives. Self efficacy is linked to self esteem, self concept, social support and individuals coping style. In other words, the psycho-social approach forges a link between class position and vulnerability to social stresses. Wilkinson et al (1990) discuss a social cohesion approach and argue that social and power inequalities (i.e. authoritarian hierarchies and non democratic social organisations, and potential status inequalities such as gender and ethnicity) will affect the quality of social relationships. Where inequalities produce anger, frustration, fear insecurity and negative emotion, social relations will suffer. Better health is linked to better social relations, through trust, more security, more social support, more self esteem, self respect, a sense of belonging and less financial and material disadvantage. Thus democratic and participatory styles of social organisation from the family to political organisations have a health enhancing effect. A life course theory regards health as reflecting the patterns of social, psychological and biological advantages and disadvantages experienced by the individual over time. A life course theory of health inequality regards these patterns as being profoundly affected by the position of individuals and families in social and economic structures and hierarchies of status. However, these links themselves depend on the political and cultural environment, which means that there is a need for a life course political economy of health, which examines the ways in which economic and social policies influence the accumulation of material and psycho social risk. The ways in which advantages and disadvantages combine over the life course influence both how long each individual may spend in good health, and also what form of illness they may acquire. In conclusion, there are many inequalities in health and all the findings from The Black Report in 1980 are still around today, which was shown in The Acheson Report. The table below shows the standardised mortality rates (SMRs) for ten equal-sized geographical areas in terms of population (or deciles). SMRs which are greater than 100 indicate higher chances of mortality, all relative to the national average. The table demonstrates a continuing polarisation in mortality rates. People living in the best areas have an improving life expectancy, whilst those in the worst areas face a decline, to such an extent that by 1998, those in the worst areas were twice as likely to die by the age of 65 as those in the best areasgraph showing Standardised mortality ratios for deaths under 65 in Britain by deciles of population, 1950-1998 graph showing Health inequalities in infant mortality (by social class for sole registrations)

Tui Mkt301 Module 1 Case

TUI University MKT 301 Winter 2012 Module 1, Case Assignment High Involvement: Infinity FX35; Low Involvement:  Starbucks Coffee Explain why the first product you chose was a High Involvement purchase and why the second was a Low Involvement purchase. Describe in detail the process you went through in buying each product. Bear in mind that the purpose of the assignment is to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the teaching materials. Identify and discuss the differences between the ways you went through the purchase decision processes for the two products.Explain how you might use your understanding of the Model of Consumer Buying Behavior for the two products. High Involvement vs Low Involvement Purchases The purchase of anything is based on the consumer background, lifestyle, and comfort in which is a routine action or something that requires attention. This is generally tied to currency and risk. High Involvement: My recent high involvement purchase was an Infinity FX 35. This purchase was a $57000 automobile that required effort and thought to purchase.This vehicle also represents an impact to my debt to income ratio and required a nominal loan that would influence my monthly cash flow over a period of time. High involvement purchase here is linked to high cost, my expression of status and ego. This was also an emotional purchase as I chose to purchase a product that fit my culture, my personal expectations of status and the immediate purchasing power that this represents. I know that a new car would represent a 40% loss of equity within a three year period but this represents a decision that was based on an acceptable level of risk.Recognizing the need for a new car that fit my wants, doing research and test driving multiple vehicles in this class, buying and evaluating post purchase are all solid steps in the purchase decision process (PDP). Actual branding of a luxury sport crossover played the most significant role in classifying this as a h igh involvement product. Low Involvement: Starbucks Coffee is what I would consider a low involvement product or service. There is not much thought put into this type of purchase and skips many of the PDP stages.This product or service is more about segmentation, habits, and brand loyalty. A low involvement purchase has little to no risk or monetary impact based on the individuals involvement. Starbucks Coffee represents a routine action that provides me with a fragmented conversation, a sense of satisfaction, and need to appease routine habits that is driven by the daily urge for caffeine and social interaction. A cup of coffee requires no evaluation process. The individual purchase decision process was night and day for these two products.The Infinity FX35 was influenced by more than one aspect of my decision making process. I followed more of the Do – Learn – Feel process with this purchase as it ended up representing a form of self-satisfaction to me versus and inf ormed decision. I followed fragmented parts of the PDP. I knew that I needed a vehicle within the next year as I was giving my current car to my daughter. Based on a series of events I moved my purchase timeline to the current week. I knew I needed a car in a condensed timeframe and had the resources to buy anything that I would come across.While driving down a street I pulled into the infinity dealer, was captivated by the vehicle sitting in the center of the show room floor and told the sales person to ring it up. There was no information search or evaluation of alternatives as this was a vehicle that grasped at the superficial aspects of environmental influences and individual differences within me. I knew that Infinity was an upper-scaled Nissan vehicle and that I wanted to buy a vehicle that represented a separate class of society as well a sense of accomplishment for myself.The regular purchase of a Starbucks coffee on a daily basis is habit that is perpetuated with a potentia l need to feel accepted by myself for some reason. I routinely drive by the corner store and pass up an inexpensive cup of coffee daily as the big green Starbucks sign draws a reaction of wants out of me. I go in every morning to a small and friendly environment that has warm pastries, friendly employees, and regular customers that are typically all from the same class of society. I do not even attempt to order anything outside of a WhiteChocolate Moca and a walnut muffin while managing to maintain a happy filler conversation with the cheerful staff and routine customers. I do not ever maintain a receipt nor do I care about the impact of such a small routine purchase. In contrast to the vehicle purchase the lack of risk mitigates decision steps. The idea to market an Infinity FX35 is based more on customer driven segmentation. This vehicle is in the same class as the BMW X5, Porsche Cheyanne, and Audi Q7. It is generally out of financial reach and comfort of consumer risk from gener al population.The targeted approach to dealership placement is in large suburban areas that are user related and focus on the buyer’s characteristics. This class of vehicle additionally targets a very diverse size of the potential market by branding and pricing in-between the middle class and upper class. The available or targeted market is based on life style and snob appeal. Most people that are in this target group are fairly well educated and are in a higher income bracket or place more value on self-worth.The motivation for this purchase is based on a high level of thought that focuses on the informative aspects of the product while actually skipping many sub elements in the information search aspect of the PDP. The buying behavior for an Infinity FX35 tends to key in on the influences that lead to a purchase. Environmental influences are culture, social class, and personal while individual differences focus on attitude, personality, and life style. For these reasons, th e PDP has the potential to skip information search and evaluation of alternatives steps based on the buyers fit into the mixed marketing environment and strategy.Infinity its self is marketed as the highest class, lowest priced of Japanese luxury vehicles. This gives them the ability to reach a more diverse segment of the middle class population based on a lower price and class branding. Infinity’s competitive advantage is based on value to the customer over its class of competitors. Starbucks coffee is based more on customer driven segmentation on a much broader scale. This produce is no different from many other similar products but is focused on social and habit forming elements.It is not generally out of financial reach and comfort of consumer risk while maintaining status quo as a high end coffee franchise. The targeted approach to Starbucks franchise placement is in a broad spectrum of suburban and rural areas based on a global footprint. The areas that are user related and focus on the buyer’s habits and culture. This brand of coffee additionally targets a very diverse size and global aspect of the potential market by branding and pricing with upper echelon of lower class and the middle class.There is an age value placed on the target audience from 19-36+ and has a socio-economic, demographic and attitudinal impacts on the consumer break down. Even though Starbucks is at the higher end of price for coffee, the available or targeted market is based on value, life style, and snob appeal. Consumers in this target group are seem to have satisfaction out of feeling as if Starbucks branding and association with a fictions lifestyle could appease individual value on self-worth and group acceptance.The motivation for this purchase is based on a low level of thought that focuses on the affective, habit forming, and self-satisfaction aspects of the product while actually skipping most all aspect of the PDP. Marketing stimulus plays a key role in sub dividing these customers in a similar way and have similar needs. The buying behavior for Starbucks branded coffee tends to rely on word of mouth and influences that lead to a purchase. This is not about problem recognition, information search, and skips evaluation of alternatives.This is a direct purchase of a consumer good based on â€Å"FEEL† regardless of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Environmental influences are culture, social class, and personal â€Å"loyalty branding† while individual differences focus on attitude, personality, and life style. For these reasons, the PDP is affected by the product, price, promotion, and place (4Ps). The target market skips different steps based on the category of consumer and how the consumer fits into the mixed marketing environment or strategy.Starbucks survives thru diversity among segment of the middle class population based on a lower price and branding. Starbucks competitive advantage is based on branding and social acc eptance to the customer over its class of competitors. In conclusion, these two products have widely different levels of involvement by the consumer, but the target markets are very similar in nature. These products are associated with a enhanced image of a brand that influences the customer. The PDP and 4Ps may vary, but the target market will always be willing to spend more spend more to maintain self-worth.

Meaning of Life by John Cottingham Essay

Every person has questioned the meaning of life; It is an idea that can be traced through out the history of mankind. John Cottingham, author of â€Å"The Meaning of Life† is just one of the many who have tried to explain and simplify this complicated question. â€Å"The Meaning of Life† is a short but informative book that attempts to breakdown the meaning of life with as little religious intervention as possible, while at the same time, be able to â€Å"reveal how [religion] connects with values and commitments that we all share, and to find a way of accommodating it without the sacrifice of scientific or philosophical integrity. † (ix). In â€Å"The Meaning of Life† Cottingham offers insight on individualistic ethical ideals and alternatives to individualism, which can often be contrasted with the beliefs of Jean-Paul Sartre, who is one of the best known philosophers of the twentieth century. Cottingham uses chapter one to argue that individualistic ethical ideals are â€Å"compartmentalized† and â€Å"self-defeating. † He believes that having activities and achievements in ones life, like sports, are not enough to make ones life meaningful. Humans are complicated beings that require much more than a few simple success stories to be truly content with life. As Cottingham states, people have â€Å"biological imperatives (for food, warmth, shelter, procreation), social imperatives (the need to cooperate, the drive to communicate), emotional imperatives (the need for such things as mutual recognition and affection), and lastly and just as importantly what might be called ‘rational imperatives’. † (26) With out these four essentials, humans simply cannot be happy and live meaningful lives, though it may seem they do on the surface. One example Cottingham uses to display this belief is Gauguin the painter. Though Gauguin was a very successful painter, which some may argue was meaningful, his choices and actions are those of one who could be considered to be living a meaningless life. Yes, Gauguin was a successful painter, but he also left his wife and children to pursue this â€Å"self indulgent† career. By pursuing the one thing that made Gauguin’s life meaningful to him, he himself ruined any chance he had at truly living a meaningful life. This is because he had to sacrifice his biological, social, and emotional imperatives when he left his family and friends. While many philosophers strongly believe in individualism, Cottingham offers an alternative in his book. Theism is the belief in some type of deity. As Cottingham states â€Å"A worthwhile life will be one that posses genuine value – value linked to our human nature and the pursuit of what is objectively conducive to the flowering of that nature. † (32) Theists ultimately have something to work towards throughout their lives. With out this metaphorical ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ people could quickly lose the desire to live meaningful lives. Those without the belief that there is a purpose humans came to exist can be haunted by the thought that â€Å" if ‘space’ is all the home we have, then our journey, a journey out of nothing and towards nothing, risks appearing futile, as void of significance as the ultimate void that spawned us and will eventually swallow us up. † (34) With nothing to strive towards it is easy to live a compartmentalized, closed, and selfish life, abandoning the four imperatives mentioned previously and thus living a life with no meaning. By being open and integrated, Theists can share their experiences on their quest towards living a meaningful life. One person that would strongly disagree with Cottingham’s belief in theism is Jean-Paul Sartre. One major reason Sartre is so opposed to theism is because of his concept of freedom. To Sartre, freedom is not possible when a person has a designed end or purpose. People must be able to decide their own purpose on this earth, and if they believe they were put here with a predetermined purpose by a â€Å"higher being† they will be unable to decide what their purpose is on their own. In the case of Gauguin, Sartre would disagree with Cottingham in that he would see nothing wrong with Gauguin leaving his family to pursue his artistic talents. If Gauguin had not left to do what he wished with his life, Sartre would have argued his belief of â€Å"bad faith† which occurs when any person denies their human freedom because they want to avoid the dread of realizing that their existence means nothing if one does not create meaning for themselves. Gauguin must leave his family to discover the meaning of his life in Sartre’s view, while Cottingham believes that by leaving his family he loses three of his imperatives and will be unhappy and live a meaningless life. While both Sartre and Cottingham make interesting and valid points on leading a meaningful life, I agree with neither. Sartre would have encouraged Gauguin to leave his family and search for his own meaning, which I believe would have been very selfish and would have lead to a miserable, meaningless life full of guilt and loneliness. Even if Gauguin loved painting, spending a lifetime alone is undesirable for even the most introverted people. Though I disagree with Sartre’s reply, I also disagree with Cottingham’s belief that Gauguin should have stayed with his family in order to live a life with all of the four essentials mentioned previously. If Gauguin stayed with his family and stopped painting, he would live a life full of questions and regret that he didn’t take the opportunity to pursue his dream when he had the chance. Rather than having to pick one or the other (family or art) I believe Gauguin could have had the best of both worlds. He could have saved enough money to move his family to Tahiti with him, or could have looked for the beauty in his own home and family to inspire him. The meaning of life is a frightening idea that all people have questioned at some point in their lives. While Cottingham’s book is very interesting, it is certainly not for everyone. Cottingham does a superb job in helping the reader to decide on their own what a meaningful life is made of by offering multiple philosophies and beliefs in one short, easy to read book.

The Characteristics of Generative Syntax

The Characteristics of Generative Syntax Introduction Until 1957, the sciences of linguistics and cultural anthropology placed language in the domain society and outside of an individual.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Characteristics of Generative Syntax specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For linguists and anthropologists, human languages were completely determined by the environment in which the child grows up, and there were no limitations on the differences between languages. In other words, the view that they embraced was that every imaginable language could, in principle, be found somewhere in the world. On the other hand, in psychology departments, behaviorism of B. F. Skinner, that run in the strand of intellectual tradition of empiricism stretching as far back in history as the work of John Lock, essentially concurred with the views of linguists and anthropologists. The behaviorist view was that language is completely a matter of the enviro nment and it is acquired through the mechanisms of imitation and negative and positive feedback. In 1957, in his book Syntactic Structures, Noam Chomsky struck at the very core of dominant intellectual traditions by proposing an entirely new view. In contrast to other linguists, he suggested that language is for the most part innate. Also, in contrast to behaviorist psychologists, he claimed that the mechanisms of imitation or reward and punishment do not play a significant role in language acquisition due to the fact that on the basis of limited, fragmentary and disorganized linguistic input, children infer incredibly complex abstract rules for producing grammatical sentences of a language. Generative Syntax The inborn device that enables children to be so effective in acquiring language contains all the rules of the Universal Grammar, which is mirrored in the underlying principles that constrain the variations between human languages.Advertising Looking for term paper on l inguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Chomsky (2002, p. 18) argues that the rules of grammar are independent of meaning and that by studying those rules one can arrive at the underlying computational system that generates the grammatical sentences of all languages, which is the Universal Grammar. Therefore, on this view, generative syntax sets out on an extremely interesting and extremely difficult journey of making sense of the incredible amount of linguistic data from the languages of the world in order to uncover those universal principles, and the crucial method in this process is discrimination between grammatical and ungrammatical sentences of a language and providing explanations as to why such differences exist. The results of this quest have been astonishing as the explanatory power of syntactic theories has already crossed the language boundaries and some concepts that are used to explain the phenomena of one language can be used with a great predictive power to account for the data in other languages. Another interesting component is that this quest has revealed a lot about the functioning of human mind because the kinds of powerful abstract explanations that syntax gives about such a mundane activity as speaking a language suggests that there is a lot more going on in the human mind than what is physically manifested (Carnie p. 5). There are many of these abstract theoretical notions that linguists use to explain certain facts about languages that have no overt physical manifestation, but their explanatory theoretical power is such that their existence can be taken with great certainty. Binding The first concept in this set is the concept of binding. According to generativists, an element binds another element if it c-commands it and if they are co-referential (Chomsky, 1980). C-command is the structural relationship between two elements in a syntactic tree such that one can be said t o c-command the other one if that other element is located in the area of the tree contained by the node that dominates the first element (Reinhart, 1976).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Characteristics of Generative Syntax specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The notion of binding is relevant and effective because it can help in explaining the contrast between the following examples: John surprised himself. *The picture of John surprised himself. One can account for this difference by claiming that the reflexive (himself) must be bound by the co-referential expression (John) within its clausal domain (Chomsky, 1980), otherwise the sentence is ungrammatical. The sentence in (2) is, thus, ungrammatical because â€Å"John† does not c-command the reflexive, but in (1) it does. The provision â€Å"in their clausal domain† is significant because (3) is ungrammatical even though â€Å"John† c- commands the reflexive because the two elements are in separate clauses. *John claims that Mary disappointed himself. Movement Movement is also one of important concepts that Chomsky (2002, p. 90) observed when discussing sentences of different types, which seem to stem from the same underlying structure and the differences are the result of reordering of elements. For instance, the example in (4) is an illustration of a construction that is said to be produced by movement. Namely, â€Å"what† is said to have moved from the position after the verb, which is marked by brackets, because this is where it gets its interpretation. What did John see ? Now, this kind of claim is not a syntactic proof, but there are plenty of syntactic arguments for this analysis. For example, one can consider the theory of binding briefly described above. If the wh-words or phrases really are in some way related to the position after the verb, than it would be possible for subjects to bind refle xives in those positions despite the fact that they appear to the left of the subject.Advertising Looking for term paper on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is because in deep structure, the subject would still c-command the wh-phrase. This prediction turns out to be correct, and the example in (5) illustrates that. Which picture of himself did John see ? This is an example of how syntactic theories and explanations are interdependent and interrelated, which shows how this approach might be capable of deriving a general theory that can explain all the phenomena of language in a uniform manner. Empty categories Another very abstract, but incredibly, convincing postulate that linguists make while discussing the issues in the generative approach to syntax is the idea of empty or phonologically null categories. Namely, if there are specific reasons to assume that there exists an empty category in a certain position in a structure, linguists might make that assumption, but then they are obliged to give a convincing argument for doing so. One such postulate is the category of PRO, which is a nominal referential element that is usually found in subjects positions (Chomsky, 1981). Linguists postulate that PRO exists on the basis of sentences like (6). John wants to become a millionaire. The problem with these sentences is that both the verb want and the verb become need some entity that â€Å"wants† or â€Å"becomes†. However, in (6), there is only one entity â€Å"John†, which has to be present in both clauses. In this situation, linguists might assume that there is an unpronounced nominal element PRO in the position marked in the example in (6) that serves as the entity that â€Å"becomes† in the embedded clause. This presupposition can only be taken seriously if it handles additional data well, and this is precisely the case. For example, there are reasons to postulate that the head of the tense phrase always requires some nominal element to be in the local relationship with it. In (7), the position of the tense head is marked by â€Å"(T)†. It requires â€Å"John† to be next to it. John (T) is running. That this requirement always applies is supported by the examples in (8) and (9) where semantically, there is no need for a subject, and yet, a pronoun â€Å"it† has to be inserted. It (T) is raining. It (T) seems that John is happy. The requirement that â€Å"it† be inserted here is purely syntactic and has nothing to do with meaning. The objection that in sentences like (6) subject is simply not necessary can be replied to by the example in (10), where we can see that as soon as the subject of the embedded clause is not co-referential with that of the main clause, it cannot be left out. John wants his sister to become a millionaire. Finally, one additional and quite convincing proof for the existence of PRO comes from binding. Binding theory would require that if PRO is really present in the embedded clauses, it should be able to bind reflexives. If there is no PRO, then the main clause subject should not be able to bind the reflexives as binding does not cross clause boundaries, and the sentence would be ungrammatical. The conditions imposed by binding turn out to fit perfectly with the theory of PRO as the sentence in (11) is perfectly grammatical. John wants to transform himself. Conclusion In conclusion, generative syntax enables us to attempt to study the notion as exciting as Universal Grammar with great scientific rigor and precision. The kind of arguments that linguists make about the abstract concepts that they introduce are incredibly strong and convincing, which is why generative syntax has been so successful. Finally, the fact that people employ such abstract concepts in their everyday speech tells us a lot about the incredible complexity of human mind. References Carnie, A. (2011). Modern Syntax a Coursebook.. Leiden: Cambridge University Press. Chomsky, N. (1980). On Binding. Linguistic Inquiry, 11, 1-46. Chomsky, N. (1981). Lectures on government and binding. Dordrecht, Holland: Foris P ublications. Chomsky, N. (2002). Syntactic structures (2nd ed.). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Reinhart, T. (1976). The syntactic domain of anaphora. Ph.D. thesis, MIT, Cambridge, MA.