Base on the report that has written. Continue to write on the parts Assignment

Base on the report that has written. Continue to write on the parts that have been highlighted in green colour. The assessment, - Assignment Example It is therefore recommended for the children to wait until they attain the required age. Although it is quite unknown on the implication of marathon to underage, the experts have recommended them waiting until they attain puberty (Bredemeier, et al. 1986). Most doctors recommend children to avoid long distance because of trauma and can lead to bone doings. When someone trains for a marathon, it is normally tough mentally and physically, exhausting and time consuming. Therefore, underage it is highly possible to affect someone priorities such as education (Bredemeier, et al. 1986). Before someone embarks on the long distance/marathon, it is suggested top run 10kms or even 4kms. Therefore, completing the race would be a major boost. 1.2 The Macro, Micro and Risk management context In the Sydney Marathon, the macro, micro, and risk management context would involve consideration of safety issues from an individual level to the safety of the group taking part in the marathon. The safety a nd well-being of all participants is of great importance if the team has to win. This has to focus on risks affecting individuals in person and those affecting the participants collectively (K. M. Nohr 2009 ). This would happen with respect to the protection of the best interests of the group or organization. A comprehensive risk management plan would be required to achieve the best level in ensuring safety of every participant in the group participants. One of the key factors to consider is working by the fundamental laws of the group. The three basic elements in risk control would be ensured. These elements include risk assessments, control, and financing (Katharine 2009). 2. The Risks Associated with The Trip The trip to the Sydney marathon will be like any other trip faced with uncertainties’ of risks such as injuries that include musculoskeletal injuries, bruises, cuts, fractures, as well as dislocations. There are also cases of accidents, which could result into injurie s, or death of some participants (Nohr 2013). These cases may make most of the participants fail to participate. Dealing with this risk would require that the number of participants in the marathon be more to initiate replacements especially in those sports involving collaborative participation. There should be provisions for first aid and medical care in case of accidents (Nohr 2013). 2.1 Location Analysis The marathon is specifically located in the Sydney International Regatta Center. This center is located in the west, 44 kilometers from the Sydney Olympic park. The risks associated with this location include the additional costs in terms of time and money involved since it is far, about one hour-drive, from the Central business district of Sydney (Office of Communities Sports and Recreation 2013). Other risk involved in this location is the raggedness of land due to the hilly lands. The climate would also be horrible for the group since most of the members are not used to tropic al climatic conditions. 2.2 The People The group selected includes 20 people but there is a risk that not the all members in the group will participate. Four people in the group are elderly, aged between 60 and 70. Two people are above 75 year but they can hardly take part due to their health problem. Four of them are children aged between 4 and 10 but one of them is suffering chronic asthma and another suffers peanut allergy. Six people are aged

The Purple Rose of Cairo Essay Example for Free

The Purple Rose of Cairo Essay Film has captured and enchanted audiences since its origination with the Lumiere Brothers; and, as it developed, it began to be used to convey messages and ideas. Film started to become a creative outlet that then turned to a catalyst of philosophical thought. Film theorist Sergei Einstein expressed that film â€Å"as a work of art, understood dynamically, is just the process of arranging images in the feelings and mind of the spectator†. Thus, directors began to realize that audience manipulation was possible through the images and sounds they delivered, as well as through the way these images and sounds were presented it all has an effect of how viewers thought of and interpreted the films. This is especially clear in the German film, Triumph of Will, directed by Leni Reifenstahl. While the film is brilliantly made, with moving cameras, the utilization of long focus lenses, aerial photography, and a revolutionary approach to musical accompaniment, the film was also incredibly propagandistic and manipulative at the time of it’s release. The entire film is a vehicle to promote the ideologies of Hitler; beginning with Germany’s near-destruction in World War I and depicting Hitler as a messiah, descending from the skies to greet his vehement followers. In the opening minutes of the film, there are close-up and over-the-shoulder shots of Hitler, making him seem rather personable, adored, and somewhat noble. There are also shots of children approaching him, showing that the ideas of innocence and purity are to be seen as parallel to the views and goals Hitler himself. Aesthetically, the entire film is superbly done, and politically its manipulative powers are astonishing. By showing Germany as unified under the divine rule of Hitler, it brought the nation together and created one of the most destructive and powerful nations in the 1940s. While film can be used as propaganda, like in Nazi Germany, it can also be used to provoke thought, rather than control it, manipulate it, or deceive it. In Woody Allen’s film The Purple Rose of Cairo, the audience is pushed to move beyond the appearance of things and consider other worlds, other perspectives. For the heroine, Cecilia, film is an escape and an impossible inspiration. According to the fictitious movie (The Purple Rose of Cairo), the purple rose itself is supposed to grow in a pharaoh’s tomb the expression of a perfect love. However, no flower can grow without light making it an impossible inspiration. According to Plato, and to partially to Allen, our relationship with truth is rather grim. When we attend movies we are much like Plato’s captives, chained facing a cave wall, only seeing a world of shadows our reality is suspended. But another point is made; although we can be deceived by shadows, we are also capable of understanding and questioning anything, shadows included. Yes, film is an escape from reality and the idea of being able to truly escape a somewhat horrid life is unimaginably wonderful, but thats just it it is an idea. Change has to be brought on by oneself, not an unreliable outside source, and perfection is an illusion. I as a viewer absolutely love how Allen presents these ideologies in The Purple Rose of Cairo. He gives it an unconventional point of view, setting up a series of contrasts between perfection and imperfection, reality and illusion, loving someone and being in love with someone, that forces us to think about film as well as the actual content of the film. And this all ties back to Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†; our life is veiled and we must aspire to leave and become less dependent on the shadow world. What is interesting is that, in the film, Allen makes the audience unsure of which world is the shadow world and which is the illusion. The perfect world becomes the film world and the false one is the desired reality. As entertainment, the film is great a nonsensical romantic comedy with a less-than-happy ending; but philosophically it goes much deeper than that, provoking audiences to think about reality and the importance of imperfection. While on the subject of imperfection, a third film demands some attention. Alejandro Amenabar’s The Sea Inside presents a whole new perspective on what perfection in life is. Many people see suicide as a selfish act removing yourself from the lives of your loved ones far earlier than they would have liked. However, the question of who is more selfish is posed. Is it the people who remove themselves when they feel no more connection to life; or the people who expect those who want to leave to stay, regardless of their misery or feelings of lacking true connection to the vibrancy of life? Thus are the questions presented to audiences upon viewing this film. In my mind, everyone should have the freedom to choose the life they want to live, or not live; and to choose what meaning they take out of said life. In Clendine’s â€Å"The Good Short Life†, it is said that we speak of living life, but never of death. That â€Å"we act as if facing death weren’t one of life’s greatest, most absorbing thrills and challenges† and that being incoherent and immobile until one only sees friends and family as â€Å"a passing cloud†. Both Clendine and Ramon didn’t want to put their loved ones through that, and taking one’s life seemed to be the best solution. Both were â€Å"vital to the end, and knew when to leave†. In my opinion, if someone has legitimate, justifiable reasons to want to leave this earth (such as a degenerative disease), that they have a right to do so. And if they cannot on their own accord due to that degenerative disease, I think that others (physicians, family members, friends) should be legally permitted to assist them. They shouldn’t be obligated to assist, but if they give consent and are willing to aid, I think they should be permitted. Mark from Breathing Lessons and Ramon were also similar on a few levels, but Mark had more hope and determination to live with dignity. Unlike Ramon who saw his life as undignified, Mark viewed it more as excessively challenging. Mark still desired life though considered suicide, but â€Å"chickened out† showing that he did truly still want to live. Ramon, however, was lost in his melancholy and nostalgia for the past, choosing to disregard the possibilities the future could bring. I think that it is a personal choice and that each individual should be given the liberty of making that choice. The phrase â€Å"dying with dignity† always reminds me of greek mythology when humiliated warriors would throw themselves on their swords for an honorable death, rather than live life in humility. I think Ramon saw his life as more humiliating and therefore wanted to throw himself on his sword, so to speak. With this, I think that the US should have a â€Å"death with dignity† law. Everyone has a right to life, as well as a right to death. Film is one of the most influential and powerful media. It’s capabilities to provoke, cultivate, and manipulate audience thought is incredible and worth studying. The innovations that film itself has gone through the amount of genres it contains, special effects, and advancements in sound all contribute to film as a whole, and all contribute to the beauty of how film is created and suspends the reality of viewers if only for an hour or two.

The Call Of The Wild :: essays research papers

The Call of the Wild Affection- The Call of the Wild is a book that gets you emotionally involved by getting you attached to Jon’s dog and their connection. From the beginning you can tell that Buck (Jon’s dog) takes a liking to Jon. He started out as a mean spirited dog but softens when he gets to know Jon. If you like touching stories, this book is just that. Bandwagon- If â€Å"everyone† does something, then most people want to join in. That’s exactly what Jon did in this book. He heard about all of the people traveling north to the Klondike for gold and he wanted to do the same. Many people follow the â€Å"pack† and can relate to this story. Authority- If someone of power or authority does something, it is easier to follow, just like how the Mayor of the town Jon was from went to the Klondike. That helped Jon make his decision about going also. Value Judgment- Family values are important to a lot of people. Charlie, an Indian guide that Jon became friends with, had a family and left them to go with the others to the Klondike. He realized during the trip that he needed to go back to them because he was abandoning them. He left Jon and went back. He later returned with his family. That proves that he was a man that had good values and cared about his family. Acquisitive instinct- Most of the people that went to the Klondike went to find gold, because they wanted more than they already had. Lots of us do that same thing. We always seem to want more than we already have. So we can relate to the book in that way. Even if it is not right to always want more we can see where they are coming from. Plain Folks- When books are about average people, we usually like to read about that more because it seems like more of a real life situation. Jon’s family was average and he was a normal guy. He just wanted something new in his life so he went North, just like a lot of the other people. Neglected aspect- Most of the people that went North went for a selfish purpose.

Sustainability and Green Development

Furthermore, in many instances scarceness is an issue to a great extent related with the poorness. Despite the fact, that the Earth’s crust really contains adequate minerals that in fact technically can be extracted, nevertheless it can non be done in sensible monetary value and be low-cost for the hapless. Monetary values of natural stuffs have been turning in the last 10 old ages making in some instances ( e.g. in summer 2008 ) unprecedented degrees. Though the more recent development of monetary values has changed, exposing a drastic autumn in the last two old ages, monetary values are expected to lift once more in the close hereafter. Manifold grounds are behind this belief. Between them, the force per unit area on demand caused by the emerging economic systems and the diffusion of new engineerings are of import factors. The increasing inclination in the natural materials’ monetary values and the volatility showed during the old ages 2005-2009 that authoritiess and companies need to worry about the entree to resources of the stuffs. The competition for the entree to resources has intensified since provider states like China had started to devour natural stuffs and besides began to retain some parts of the production, besides that China restricted exports. The economic development of emerging states and the population growing contributed to increase the demand of natural stuffs in quantitative footings ; at the same clip the assortment of stuffs extracted and used has increased( Mancini, 2013 ) . It includes the alleged â€Å"technology metals† , which have indispensable belongingss for the production of hi-tech devices and technology systems applied e.g. in the production of clean energy engineerings. No affair how one does the computations, the deductions of current forms of stuff usage for the environment ( including clime ) , the economic system and our endurance are profound and unsustainable. We must alter the historical relationship of stuffs, energy, growing and the environment. Used heedlessly, stuffs hold set of keys, which open every bit menaces to our heath, our economic system and our environment. Life Cycle Assessment or LCA can be defined as a systematic stock list and analysis of the environmental consequence that is caused by a merchandise or procedure get downing from the extraction of natural stuffs, production, usage, etc. up to the waste intervention( Walter Klopffer, 2014 ) .Each of these stairss include thorough analyses, which 1s covers the usage of stuff, beginnings of the energy used in the production, maker and terminal of life phase, besides that analyses of the environmental impact. These analyses help to find the failings of the merchandises, services or procedure. LCA is a utile tool in ( based on ( Walter Klopffer, 2014 ) ) : The alteration of the clime, energy policy, and the economic system all create headers, but the narratives that follow frequently miss the point that all these issues are, in portion, symptoms of how we use stuffs. It is going progressively clear that how we use stuffs is a big factor in energy usage, clime alteration and the economic system, and an of import issue in its ain right. One of the most of import political docket of the EU [ 1 ] has become the security of supply of the natural stuffs. The European Union has started to take an action in order to guarantee the entree to resources and avoid deficits of supply, which would reflect on loss of fight. Furthermore, a safe supply of minerals is indispensable to accomplish the ends of the European environmental policy with regard to a low C economic system, extenuation of clime alteration and energy efficient society. Sing the population and ingestion growing in the past 10 old ages, the demand for the resources had besides increased significantly. As a effect of demand for the resources the monetary values for resources are besides increasing. Furthermore, the scientists are really cognizant that non-renewable resources will non last everlastingly. Peoples have a batch of treatment sing this fact whether it will be 20, 200 or 1000 old ages before, for illustration, the world’s crude oil resources are really scarce, but everyone agrees that this will go on someday. The depletion of natural stuffs is one of the major sustainability jobs. In fact the hazards involved with the depletion of natural stuffs likely are higher than the issue of planetary heating. If we will take a expression at history for illustration, at scarceness of significant stuffs, world normally has gone contending for them. Wherefore it is about ineluctable that the history will reiterate itself. Furthermore, the depletion of the resources will impact the future coevalss and even the life that still are excessively hapless and developing to take their just portion of these stuffs. However, the inquiry of the scarceness of natural stuffs is ineluctable. Scarcity may be impermanent if it appertains on available engineering and costs. Short term scarceness is considered by the regular economic system and in fact isone of the chief rules of the jurisprudence of supply and demand. It is merely long term scarceness that is insufficiently considered and progressively fiscal guess systems ruin sustainable and sound monetary value formation.( Scarcity of resources, 2014 ) Sustainability is of import to the wellbeing of our planet, continued growing of a society, and human development. Building building and operations have important direct and indirect impacts on the environment. The edifices use resources such as natural stuffs, H2O, energy besides that they besides generate waste ( building, resident and destruction ) , and emit purportedly harmful environmental emanations. Holders, designers, and workman’s of the edifices face a singular challenges to run into demands for new and refurbished buildings that are productive, healthy, accessible and secure while cut downing their impact on the environment. This requires for new betterments in constructions, utilizing operations ( that are environmentally dependable ) and efficiency of stuffs during a buildings life clip from design stage boulder clay deconstruction including building, operation, care, and redevelopment. At present, it is widely accepted that economic development must be sustainable, every bit far as minimization of environmental impacts and safe-guarding of non-renewable resources is concerned. In peculiar, the chance of re-using solid waste stuffs as a replacing for those extracted from preies in edifice building is going more and more widespread. One of the most of import factors specifying a sustainable edifice is the stuffs. Some illustrations of the sustainable edifice stuffs include assorted types of timber, fine-grain forests, marble mantles, sheep wool andbamboo. Harmonizing tothe Environmental Protection Agency:â€Å"Sustainability is based on a simple rule: Everything that we need for our endurance and well-being depends, either straight or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which worlds and nature can be in productive harmoniousness that permits carry throughing the societal, economic and other demands of present and future generations.† Oftentimes, green edifices and sustainable patterns are used variably. Sustainable patterns are processes that maintain human demands and better the life quality in the procedure of doing effectual and environmentally responsible usage of economic, natural and human resources. Terry J. Williamson, in his â€Å"Understanding Sustainable Architecture† describes that green edifice is a building utilizing any assorted methods that promote resource preservation ( stuffs, energy, and H2O ) and reduces environmental impact while maintaining operational costs low ( Terry J. Williamson, 2002 ) . Sustainable architecture besides looks at the life rhythm of a edifice in footings of energy usage and environmental impact. In 1970 the universe voiced their concern about the increasing population growing and the exponential addition in the activity of the industry.During the 70’s the concern was heightened even more when the Middle East cut down the supplies of fossil fuels and monetary values for the energy had risen. Scientist, designers and other people began to seek for ways of continuing the environment and devouring less energy in the edifices. Peoples became tired of the uncontrolled pollution and stuffs which amendss the environment. A whole new accentuation was placed on utilizing the free natural resources of the Earth, every bit good as recycling the resources which were already exploited. New analyses initiated to expose the advantages of taxing effects of pollution, and more significantly, that there was still clip to make something about it. Militants began making Torahs curtailing pollution end product and even prohibiting some chemicals and industrial merchandises. The universe quickly learned that â€Å" an ounce of bar is worth a lb of remedy. † Even thought, decently disposing of unsafe stuffs and filtrating fume from the mills was a dearly-won attempt, it was doubtless cheaper than cleaning up the environment subsequently. One of the easiest topographic points to experiment with sustainability was within the life infinite. Using natural edifice stuffs, which 1s are closer to the nature, such as wood and rock are much more natural than steel and concrete. Therefore, utilizing recycled elements in the building saves landfills from infinite sum of refuse every year.Sustainability was non merely about salvaging money, but besides enabled edifices to go portion of the environment, instead than lodge out from it. Sustainability besides became known as â€Å" green † architecture. Green development, eco-housing, sustainable design – environmentally sound lodging has every bit many names as it has definitions, but the Rocky Mountain Institute, in its â€Å" Primer on Sustainable Building † , describes this new sort of architecture asâ€Å" taking less from the Earth and giving more to people. †( Dianna Lopez Barnett, 1995 ) In pattern, â€Å" green † lodging varies widely. For illustration, it can fluctuate from being energy efficient and utilizing green merchandises for assorted parts of the building to being to the full constructed of recycled stuffs and wholly powered by the Sun ( or any other renewable energy beginnings ) . Green edifice patterns offer a possibility to construct resource efficient and environmentally friendly edifices by utilizing a blended attack to the design. Sustainable edifices promote resource protection, including efficiency of the energy, renewable energy beginnings and H2O saving characteristics ; reflect on the environmental impacts during the life clip and waste minimisation at the terminal of life phase ; make an integral and convenient environment ; cut down care and operation costs ; and turn to issues such as cultural heritage, entree to public transit and other community systems. The whole life rhythm ( from the natural stuffs acquisition till terminal of life ) of the edifice and its constituents is examined, every bit good as the environmental and economic impact and public presentation. An increasing public consciousness of the impact that building has on human wellbeing, clime alteration, use of the energy and environmental debasement have led in recent old ages to an increasing involvement in environmentally sustainable building. One of the most important factors bring oning edifice sustainability is the sustainability of the stuffs used in the building. However, as the surveies show, there is small connexion between the appraisal and measuring of stuffs sustainability attributes, ensuing in the market today that is littered with 100s of inconsistent, equaling and frequently misguided enfranchisements, criterions and eco-labels. This contention has led both to confusion among commercial buyers and consumers of sustainable edifice stuffs, and to the deduction of incompatible standards for sustainability in larger edifice enfranchisement plans. Global heating is the ascertained and jutting additions in the mean temperature of Earth ‘s ambiance and oceans.The Earth ‘s mean temperature raises about 0.6 ° Celsius in the twentieth century, see the temperature graph below. The alteration of the clime is brought approximately by our actions that incorporate the release of singular sums of nursery gases. Scientifically talking nursery gases traps the heat and besides allows some heat to get away back into the outer infinite. Basically, the more nursery gases are in the ambiance, the more heat gets trapped. The booming growing and increasing sustainable developments involves a broad runing cognition of steering rules and issues over and above an nonsubjective apprehension of scientific and economic rationality. Everyone needs to concentrate and take part in assorted educational plans, conferences in order to leave consciousness and apprehension of the planetary heating consequence. We need to take an enterprising attack to the environment, development of new power beginnings, edifice efficiency and technology a sustainable attack to the advancement. At present the Earth is sing the warming consequence which is called planetary heating. It is advantageous for the chief metropoliss [ 2 ] of the universe to back the Kyoto protocols [ 3 ] to guarantee the decrease emanations of the nursery gases. These metropoliss have an tremendous chance to alter the environment. Peoples must acknowledge the cardinal and terrible undertaking of organizing the metropoliss because they are the chief drivers of our societal systems. First of wholly, we need to understand what sustainability is. Awareness and reactivity will assist us to happen the ways on how to decrease the dangers of the planetary heating. New engineerings and understanding the importance of the planetary heating can assist us to construct a sustainable life style which will last for coevalss. Peoples must make a better and healthier universe where every state can populate in a harmoniousness with the nature. The metropoliss where we live are a proximate and existent step of what we create and our households are the smallest unit of the society. This thought is the connexion with the political relations and authorities, built milieus and environment, societal and economic thoughts. Looking at a work of our municipality allows us to measure our ability to assist transform ourselves in better sustainable states. To calculate out what is doing the planetary heating, scientists have analysed all the natural rhythms and events that are familiar to act upon the alteration of the clime. However, the sum and form of warming that is been measured can non be explained by these factors entirely. There is merely one manner to clear up the form and it is to affect the consequence of nursery gases ( GHGs ) released by people actions. A group of the scientists called theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC formed by the United Nations [ 4 ] gathers all information about the causes of the planetary heating. The group meets every few old ages to study the up to day of the month scientific finds and compose a protocol sum uping all what is being found about planetary heating. Each study represents an understanding between 100s of taking scientists. The scientists have figure out thatthere are several nursery gases responsible for warming, and worlds emit them in a assortment of ways.Most come from the burning of fossil fuels in autos, mills and electricity production. The gas responsible for the most warming is C dioxide, besides called CO2. Other subscribers include methane released from landfills and agribusiness ( particularly from the digestive systems of croping animate beings ) , azotic oxide from fertilisers, gases used for infrigidation and industrial procedures, and the loss of woods that would otherwise shopCarbon monoxide2.( Global Warming Causes, 2014 ) Diverse types of nursery gases have really contrasting heat pin downing capablenesss. Some of the nursery gases can pin down more heat than CO2molecule. For illustration, one molecule of methane has 20 times bigger impact on the environment than a molecule of CO2. Another type of gases azotic oxide is 300 times stronger than CO2molecule.Other gases, such as CFCs ( which have been banned in much of the universe because they besides degrade the ozone bed ) , have heat-trapping possible 1000s of times greater than CO2( Global Warming Causes, 2014 ) . However, because the concentrations of the other gases are less than that of CO2, neither of these gases addendums as much heat to the ambiance as CO2does. To understand and calculate out the effects of all the gases by and large, scientists looking afterall nursery gases in footings of the tantamount sum of CO2. From 1990 more than a 20 per centum of annual emanations have risenup by about 6 billion metric dozenss of â€Å" C dioxide equivalent † worldwide( Global Warming Causes, 2014 ). First off all, there need to be betterment in the energy efficiency. Very approximately one tierce of energy is used in the edifice sector ( domestic and commercial ) , one tierce in the conveyance sector and one tierce in the industry sector. Considerable nest eggs can be done in all three sectors, many with noticeable nest eggs in the cost. However to accomplish these nest eggs in pattern will necessitate appropriate incentive and inducements from cardinal and local authorities and a great trade of finding from all of us. For illustration the sector of the edifices: all new developments need to include energy beginnings that are carbon-free. Existing edifices need to be upgrade for much higher energy efficiency. Large efficiency nest eggs are besides possible in the conveyance sector. For autos, for case, a patterned advance of engineerings between now and 2050 is anticipated to get down with petrol/electric loanblends so move on to fuel cells and H fuel. Within the industrial sector a serious thrust for energy nest eggs is already happening. A figure of the world’s largest companies have already achieved nest eggs in energy that have translated into money nest eggs. Second, there are possibilities for segregation of C resistance, for case, in exhausted oil and gas Fieldss or in suited stone formations. For illustration: because of the big figure of coal fired workss being built particularly in China and India, rapid development, presentation and execution of C gaining control and storage ( CCS ) [ 5 ] in all new workss is a really high precedence. Third, a broad assortment of non-fossil-fuel beginnings of energy is available for development and development, for case, biomass ( including waste ) , solar power, hydro, air current, wave, tidal, geothermic energy and atomic. The potency of solar power, both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power ( known as CSP in which solar energy is used to drive heat engines ) , is particularly big, peculiarly in developing states and near desert countries with high degrees of sunlight. The chances within industry for invention, development and investing in all these countries are considerable.

An Overview of Altruism from Darwin to the Present

Altruism itself is considered a virtue in today’s society and is present in many religions, humanitarian and philanthropic causes. This selfless concern for others of helping behaviour is not something that is only found in humans but can be found in most species and is actually a type of behaviour that has evolved with species. Though Charles Darwin first made note of com/common-core-ela-9-2014-ela3009-a-ic/">altruistic behaviour in his seminal work, The Descent of Man, the actually theory of altruism was not recognized until the early 1900s (Darwin, 1871, Kropotkin, 1902).Altruistic behaviour is difficult to understand and its evolution has proven to be interesting as the reason for behavioural changes cannot completely be defined. Additionally pure altruism is rarely found in nature, as those noble animals tend to die before they can pass down their genetic traits. Though Darwin did not completely understand altruism his work, the Descent of Man, is one of the first scienti fic published works that describes altruistic behaviour.His observation of animals helping others actually opposes his evolutionary theory of the survival of the fittest because in order for an individual to survive they need to take care of themselves and not sacrifice for others. According to natural selection theory, benevolent behavior should not evolve because it, technically, costs or even harms the doer’s fitness. Darwin did attempt to explain this phenomena by including it in group selection, as in order for groups to survive natural selection may actually favour groups of individuals and in this case the altruistic behaviours would be passed down to the next generation.(Darwin, 1871). This phenomenon of cooperation was not completely described until Kropotkin published a book, a collection of essays, dealing with mutual aid (Kropotkin, 1902). This work was a direct response to social Darwinism. Kropotkin was able to build a more satisfactory tie to individual natural selection and cooperation, displaying that mutual aid selection directly benefits individuals own struggle for personal success, so that cooperation between species will actually be the best path for individual success (mutual aid, 1955).Altruistic behaviour has since been researched and discussed by many scientists since its recognition in evolutionary biology. Scientists have thought that altruistic behaviour may be instinctual and that helping behaviour survives because it makes the individual feel good, particularly in humans (Wilkinson, 1988). There is also the theory that if an animal helps another then they may have the favour repaid back in the future, which can be found in human society (Kreb, 1952).Much research delving into altruistic behaviour and evolutionary biology cannot find a firm fit for altruism in general evolutionary terms. Inclusive selection or kin selection, in which species display behaviour that selections for those in their family to reproduce, cannot co mpletely explain altruism as it does not attempt to explain why differing species help each other (Hamilton, 1964). Symbiotic relationships, in which both species benefit, are based on specific conditions such as long-lives, dependence for food, performing a necessary service etc.(Trivers, 1971). In symbiotic relationships the help is eventually repaid by the species even if it takes a long time as the species my loss a little fitness at the current time but in the end the long term benefit will far outweigh any previous problems or disadvantages, known as reciprocal altruism. Much work has been done to investigate reciprocal altruism and inclusive fitness, particularly as evolutionary biology has evolved to include theories such as the game theory and predictive behaviour.Game theory points out that reciprocal altruism can also include negative behaviour, such as a cheater can expect to be punished in the future for its behaviour to others. (Trivers, 1971) It has been argued that t hese two types of behaviour, inclusive selection and reciprocal altruism are not truly altruism, as with altruism the species providing help does not get anything in return; much of research is devoted to study these evolutionary ideas (Rothstein and Pierotti, 1980). In the 1980s altruistic behaviour began to be investigated in Primates particularly with grooming behaviour.Primatologists noted that an individual’s status in a hierarchy seemed to be related to their relationships with others. Aiding dominant members seemed to be favoured. Juveniles needed to ingratiate themselves in the group and aiding a dominant female is a means of securing status in the hierarchical society of bonobos. (de Waal, 1989) Certain primates will chose to groom other primates and later they will gain some sort of benefit. A more recent study has shown a different aspect of reciprocal altruism as dominant female primates were found to groom subordinate primates, a type of grooming-down which had n ot been observed yet (Parr, et al.1995). Current altruism research is based around game theory and includes behavioural manipulation, bounded rationality, conscience, kin selection, memes, mutual aid, selective investment theory, sexual selection, reciprocity, and pseudo-reciprocity. The Price equation was developed to redefine Hamilton’s work on kin selection and describes natural selection and evolution. In this mathematical equation altruism is defined as a behavioural genetic predisposition that increases the fitness of the group which in turn causes the individual that belongs to that group to benefit.(Frank, 1997). A fantastic example of this is with slime mould. Slime mould live as individuals until they are starving when the aggregate and form a multicellular organism and some cells sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the group. Altruism in humans has begun to be investigated and shown that specific regions of the brain will trigger charitable or helping behaviour . It was found that altruism does not suppress selfishness but actually very basic to brain function and triggers a pleasurable response (Moll and Grafman, 2006).The theory of group selection has re-emerged when looking at aboriginal lifestyle in Africa. Individuals of groups were found to be more closely related then previously believe suggesting that the nicest really do survive. Those that shared food and other goods would reproduce and pass on their genes as individuals would ban together during difficult times (Fischer, 2006). Interestingly it is through religion that altruism is spread throughout the human population. Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism all place particular importance on altruism.There are many individuals that oppose altruism saying that it is a morality, more of an ethics branch than evolution, as individuals do not need to be altruistic to survive. Though as social beings an altruistic natural may make you more social it will not ul timately cause your death or the inability to pass on your genetics. Most of the controversy with altruism today revolves around the factor that altruism may not apply to humans, though humans do have symbiotic relationships with other species, (think of the bacteria in your digestive tract).There is a split between real altruism and psychological altruism though most will agree that those individuals that care for others, such as parents for their children will be able to survive in society much easier than those that do not care for anyone. Most of altruism in humans is psychological and not due to a selfish gene. Also due to advances in technology ands science natural selection has taken a bit of a turn or slowed down so understanding altruism in humans is possible quite different then observing altruism in other species. References;Darwin, C. (1871). The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, New York: Appleton Fischer, R. , (2006), â€Å"Why altruism paid off for our ancestors† (NewScientist. com news service) Frank, S. A. , (1997), The Price Equation, Fisher's Fundamental Theorem, Kin Selection, and Causal Analysis, Evolution 51 (6): 1712–1729 Hamilton, W. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behavior. J. Theor. Biol. 7 I: 1–16. Moll and Grafman, (2006), Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation, PNAS, 103 (42);15623-15628Parr, L. , Matheson, M. , Bernstein, I. & de Waal, F. (1996). Grooming down the hierarchy: allogrooming in captive brown capuchin monkeys, Cebus paella. Rothstein, S. & Pierotti, R. (1980). Reciprocal altruism and kin selection are not clearly separable phenomena. Journal of theoretical biology, 87(2), 255-261. Trivers, R. (1971). ‘The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism’, Quarterly Review of Biology, 46: 35-57. Wilkinson, G. (1988). Reciprocal altruism in bats and other mammals. Ethology and sociobiology, 9(2), 85-100. Ã'‹

Critical Analysis College Pressures Essays

Critical Analysis College Pressures Essays Critical Analysis College Pressures Paper Critical Analysis College Pressures Paper Tony KertulisSheila HysickENG 103-202August 07, 2012Critical Response toâ€Å"College Pressures† By William Zissnerâ€Å"College Pressures† by William Zinsser describes how college students are so worried about getting perfect grades, and are under so much pressure to succeed.  It is written from Zissner’s perspective, as the master of Branford College.The article begins with notes from anxiety filled students asking for advice.   The notes are described as, â€Å"Authentic voices of a generation that is panicky to succeed† (Zissner 306). They represent only a few examples of the hundreds of messages that are sent asking for advice and help. Throughout the article, Zinsser states which pressures are the most caustic to the success of students; such as, economic worries, peer-pressure, parental expectations, and self-induced. He then separately explains why each of these pressures affects the students. The reader can be easily co nfused when Zinsser first begins the article. It starts off with excerpts from notes asking someone named Carlos for help. Zinsser then follows this by fully explaining who is writing the notes, and who the intended recipient is. Zinsser makes the essay move along smoothly with the use of rhetorical questions, which he then answers, to prove a point he is making. â€Å"College Pressures† is written in a fairly straightforward manner. Zinsser explains the situations without using terminology that only college professors can comprehend. He also uses understandable metaphors that make the reading more interesting. For example, when he explains that no one is to blame for the pressures, he says, â€Å"Poor students, poor parents, they are caught in one of the oldest webs of love and duty and guilt† (308). The pressure on college students to succeed is outrageous, particularly in today’s economic climate. Tuition costs are rising, while employment and prospects for future employment are falling.   The pressure is being received from all

Western Expansionism the benefits and pitfalls essays

Western Expansionism the benefits and pitfalls essays Someone once said success has a price, while prosperity has a value. When comparing this statement with the benefits and pitfalls of Western expansionism, it is easy to conclude that in many cases the price that was stipulated by overpowering Western expansionism was indeed too high for the innocent. In many cases, those who were the target of Western expansionism were forced to accept, by the ruling and ruthless hand that forced it upon them, a Western imperialism which was never desired or requests. When looking at benefits and negatives of the prosperity of Western expansionism, it is fair to say that expansionism's value for European nations, in all probability, did not fairly equate to the inflated price that the innocent were forced to pay. It is not my intention in this paper to solely express only one side of Western expansionism, although I do believe that history has given us numerous examples of the pitfalls of Western Expansionism. These include the slaughter of the Aztecs that occurred when the Spaniards feared the growing Aztec resistance. The Spanish expeditions under the command of Hernan Cortez massacred many Aztecs at Cholula and pillaged the city, a taste for blood and expansionism that was mirrored by the Spanish genocide that occurred with attacks on the native population of Cuba. It is also possible that Western expansionism brought some real benefits to those people who were the targets of Western expansionism. In many cases, it can be argued that Western expansionism offered new economic opportunities and cultural diffusion. With expansionism, Europe brought technologies and medicines that could benefit the inhabitants of many countries. Today, countries like the United States and Canada are clear examples of countries that have high standards of living that may be attributed to the expansionist tendencies of Britain, France, and Spain. ...

How to Pronounce Mobile

How to Pronounce Mobile How to Pronounce Mobile How to Pronounce Mobile By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders about the American pronunciation of the word mobile: When Americans refer to the thing that all of us carry around as our personal digital appendage, they rhyme it with â€Å"bill.† The rest of the world (i.e., where I live) pronounce it to rhyme it with â€Å"bile.† Im not talking about the adjective â€Å"mobile,† but the noun â€Å"mobile,† short for â€Å"mobile phone.† Does this have to do anything with the gas company which sounds the same? The word mobile functions as both an adjective and as a noun: Adjective The  mobile technology  may be a lot different in terms of the Internet platform, but they basically share a common medium: the Web. - Americans pronounce the adjective mobile to rhyme with noble. Noun Sallie bought a darling Winnie-the-Pooh mobile to hang above the babys bed. - Americans pronounce the noun mobile to rhyme with toe-heel (MOH-beel). The city in Alabama is usually pronounced MOH-beel. Sometimes it is pronounced moh-BEEL. The petroleum company spells its name Mobil and pronounces it MOH-bil. Its progenitor, Mobilgas, was founded in the 1920s; Americans were already pronouncing mobile to rhyme with noble. So, when did those wretched Americans start mispronouncing mobile? They didn’t. British speakers shifted their pronunciation of words ending in -ile from a short vowel sound to a long one. OED lexicographer R. W. Burchfield noted, â€Å"The division didn’t become clear-cut until about 1900.† This is how Charles Elster (The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations) puts it: throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, both British and American speakers pronounced -ile either with a short i (as in pill) or an obscure/silent i (as in fossil). For example, the English elocutionist John Walker, whose Critical Pronouncing Dictionary (1791) had a profound influence on both sides of the Atlantic well into the 19th century, favored the short i in nearly all -ile words, including juvenile, mercantile, and puerile, citing only chamomile, infantile, and reconcile as long i exceptions. In the 20th century, Americans were less consistent in their customary preference than the British were in their newfound preference, and the long i made some inroads in American speech. In regard to the question that prompted this post, Americans call those â€Å"personal digital appendages† neither MOH-biles nor MOH-bils. We call them cell phones. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of Adjectives"Latter," not "Ladder"Dissatisfied vs. Unsatisfied

History of my hometown,( Lamesa, Texas), historical interest, Research Paper

History of my hometown,( Lamesa, Texas), historical interest, agriculture wise - Research Paper Example Under the leadership of William Shafter, the company noted that the area was favorable for grazing except that the Indian tribes were a menace. The Indian tribes were later driven away, mainly by buffalo hunters and to a limited extent by white soldiers. As of 1875, Lamesa was known to be a habitat to thousands of Buffaloes and a preference for hunters. With time, the place served as a route for travelers and ranchers en-route to Big Spring’s railhead. Cattlemen learnt that Lamesa had plenty of grass that was good for cattle. Soon Ranchmen moved into the place, establishing at least four ranches before the end of the 1880s. The four main ranches included the Bartow, Lazy S, C. C. Slaughters, the TJF, and the Fish (The History of Dawson County par 2). Lamesa settlers later started growing cotton, which became the main crop for the town until 1915 (The History of Dawson County par 4). The production of cotton increased during the First World War due to good prices. The thriving agriculture encouraged more settlers to purchase newly partitioned ranches; this led to high prices of land in Lamesa. Most of the lands owned by the settlers were used for the production of cotton. In the 1930s, agriculture in the area was affected by adverse farming conditions and high prices. The settler farms were being operated by tenants, since most of them were affected by economic depression. The Great Depression further led to the failure of several agricultural businesses. The settlers in Lamesa contributed greatly to the development of agricultural industry in Dawson County. In 1930, the first powder milk plant was established in the area to exploit the booming dairy industry. In addition, development of oil refineries began in the region as early as in 1934. Agriculture was the main economic activity for the settlers; apart from cotton, the settlers also engaged in the farming of sorghum in much larger farms

How does Being an Outsider Affect Ones Life Assignment

How does Being an Outsider Affect Ones Life - Assignment Example There is a deep sense of insecurity in the mother. She feels the child wants to be like the locals, who stand for authority and have the power to crush little people like her, anytime. She feels that the daughter is rejecting her, to gain acceptance in the new world, of which they are now a part. Immigrants may feel like outsiders, who have to gain acceptance to become a part of their new world. To gain acceptance they will have to give up their own individuality. This gives them a feeling of insecurity and helplessness. At times they may experience a feeling of despair about not having any control over their life and family. Immigrants give up everything to move to another country, so for them, there is a lot at stake. They have nothing to return to if things do not work out, in their new home. This can have a profound effect on their lives because they have to adapt and be successful. Immigrants have to cope with many problems of adaptation. They have to adapt to a new culture that is usually very different from their own. They may have to learn a new language and about how to behave in their new country. They have to learn new skills, to find employment. In The Jade Peony, Choy (1995) highlights the problems faced by immigrants who have very limited knowledge of English and a different accent. They are mocked or ignored by many people and this can be very humiliating for a person, who is trying to adapt to life in a strange land.In The Jade Peony, the teacher Miss Doyle is a very helpful person. She is dedicated to helping her students to learn the English language. She works hard to build their fluency in English while developing their confidence. She tries to teach them values that help to build character. Miss Doyle comes across as a kind person who cares for her students. This shows that there always people who respect the immigrants as human beings and are willing to help them to create a new life, in their new home. In the Canadian Experience, by Clark, we can see how difficult it is for immigrants to make a career in their new country.

The switching roles of moms and dads Research Proposal

The switching roles of moms and dads - Research Proposal Example Ebony (1999) makes this clear: ‘a generation of new millennium parents – mostly middle-class professionals – is blurring the traditional lines and writing new rules for child-rearing’. In summary, due to fundamental changes in the past half century, the economic and social roles of mothers and fathers have become interchangeable and flexible. Over the past half century or so, women have taken on a much more prominent role in the labor market, which has presumably meant a more equitable sharing of caregiving tasks between mothers and fathers, in those households where both parents are in residence. Amato (1994) was correct in proposing that ‘the massive movement of married women into the paid labor force disrupted the traditional division of labor within the nuclear family’ (p.1031). Indeed, he found that 67% of married mothers with children under 18 were in paid work, so that ‘mothers now share the breadwinning role with their husbands’ (Amato, 1994, p.1031). With the ready availability of effective contraceptives since the 1960s, women have been able to take full control of their reproductive lives, with many choosing to delay childbirth and starting a family until they feel that they have established a secure and successful career in their chosen sector. Additionally, the availability of widespread and affordable childcare allows many mothers to return to the workplace, sometimes soon after the birth of a child. The changing economic role of mothers is fully borne out in the figures. From 1948-2001, the percentage of working age women either in employment or looking for paid work rose from under 33% to over 60% (APA, 2010). In many families, the mother is at least as powerful an economic actor as the father, and often more so. For many, traditionally-prescribed gender roles and responsibilities have been dissolved, with decisions on the divisions of roles now

Art Exhibition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art Exhibition - Essay Example Michael Criton located Johns â€Å"between Duchamp and Pollack, between the found object and the created abstraction† (Lanchner and Johns, 2009, p. 19). The second work of art is a collection of prints by Johns in which the numbers 0-9 have been created through the methodology of lithography. Lithography is a process where a smooth surface is treated in some areas so that it will retain ink, but leaving others so that the ink will not be retained. The surface is then used as a printing object from which to press an image onto another surface, most often a paper. The works were created between 1960 and 1963 and are simply titled â€Å"0-9†. The two pieces can be compared from a number of elemental concepts in order to further explore the nature of Jasper John’s work. The painting â€Å"Map† was created in the earlier part of his career when the exploration of the ideologies of America were being combined with the explorations of their meanings through the use of ‘readymade’ objects. The blurring of borders speaks of unity while the bursts of color are in motion, commenting on the wide diversity of the nation. The lines of the distinct object of the map are muddled by the use of the paint overtop of them. The colors are vibrant and primary, using red, yellow, and blue in bursts across the work, the colors blending at some points, distinctive at others. The oil paints are thick with the texture of the work dense and mountainous on top of the map. There is a repetition that creates balance within the chaos and while there is no use of perspective, there is a sense of density that is felt that about the object of the map as the colors burst forth across the entirety of the work. Although there seems to be no design to the work, there is a definite balance to the way in which the colors are utilized. They erupt across the painting in light and darkness, yellow splicing through the red and darker blue to

Epigenetics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Epigenetics - Research Paper Example Such environmental factors may include their lifestyles, the foods they eat or even the use of make up. Powerful abnormal persistent memories may lead to changes in one’s behavior. Chromatin modifications relate to learning and memory and could therefore help give an insight into relation between memory and drug seeking behavior (Malvaez, 2009). Individuals addicted to drug use may end up having memory lapses. After extended periods of abstinence, a relapse may occur. This is because relapse may be caused by exposure to external forces previously associated with the drug use like places, people or paraphernalia. (O’Brien, 1988) There may be no history of a disease like cancer in one’s family. However, if one lives a life that predisposes them to conditions that may facilitate spread of cancer, the disease will crawl into their systems. You are born with family history but your lifestyle dictates who you become. The Environment and lifestyle, it could be healthy or unhealthy largely affects the concept of epigenetics. Family history may therefore not play a big role in shaping what one eventually becomes. We’re born with genes of the family. However, our lifestyles end up dictating what we actually become. Besides, our environments end up playing a role in what we become. Environment can be social or natural. If identical twins adopt lifestyles completely different from each other, say one is physically active and the other is not, the physically active one is likely not to suffer from cardiovascular diseases unlike the physically inactive one. With regard to life expectancy, our grandparents may have lived longer than the subsequent generation. This may be due to the lifestyles the grandparents lived which could have impacted on their genes and thus were subsequently passed to the next generations hence manifested

Art Exhibition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art Exhibition - Essay Example Michael Criton located Johns â€Å"between Duchamp and Pollack, between the found object and the created abstraction† (Lanchner and Johns, 2009, p. 19). The second work of art is a collection of prints by Johns in which the numbers 0-9 have been created through the methodology of lithography. Lithography is a process where a smooth surface is treated in some areas so that it will retain ink, but leaving others so that the ink will not be retained. The surface is then used as a printing object from which to press an image onto another surface, most often a paper. The works were created between 1960 and 1963 and are simply titled â€Å"0-9†. The two pieces can be compared from a number of elemental concepts in order to further explore the nature of Jasper John’s work. The painting â€Å"Map† was created in the earlier part of his career when the exploration of the ideologies of America were being combined with the explorations of their meanings through the use of ‘readymade’ objects. The blurring of borders speaks of unity while the bursts of color are in motion, commenting on the wide diversity of the nation. The lines of the distinct object of the map are muddled by the use of the paint overtop of them. The colors are vibrant and primary, using red, yellow, and blue in bursts across the work, the colors blending at some points, distinctive at others. The oil paints are thick with the texture of the work dense and mountainous on top of the map. There is a repetition that creates balance within the chaos and while there is no use of perspective, there is a sense of density that is felt that about the object of the map as the colors burst forth across the entirety of the work. Although there seems to be no design to the work, there is a definite balance to the way in which the colors are utilized. They erupt across the painting in light and darkness, yellow splicing through the red and darker blue to

Airports and ground handling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Airports and ground handling - Essay Example Various studies suggest that privately owned firms can realize higher levels of operating efficiency compared to state owned firms (Megginson et al., 2004). In the UK, there are various ownership structures of airports which include complete private ownership, local government ownership and public-private ownership. While there are several airports which are individually owned, there are also many airport operator groups in the UK. The privatisation of the UK airports is not an isolated case since the move has been embraced by other governments globally. For instance, Austria commercialised and privatised the Vienna International Airport; Australia privatised Melbourne or Tullamarine (Baird, 1996) while New Zealand privatised the ports of Wellington and Auckland international airports. Ideally, many governments globally have leased out their airports on a long-term basis to private entities to operate them to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness (Assaf, Gillen, & Barros, 2012). It is also crucial to note that this kind of arrangement has been extended to the management of sea ports and terminals across the world to enhance efficiency by easing congestion in the port facilities. A good example was the privatisation of nine UK ports in 1983 that formed the Associated British Ports (Haarmeyer, &Yorke, 1993). The privatization enabled the ports to increase capital investment, diversify assets and adopt effic ient practices (Haarmeyer, &Yorke, 1993). Thus, it is evident that privatisation of government owned entities is crucial in improving their operational efficiency and effectiveness. It is important, however, to note that privatisation of airports has not taken place in all parts of the UK and the world. Some airports such those in the Islands of Scotland, which are not busy or desirable are usually funded by the state to facilitate the movement of people

The Elusive Nacirema Tribe Essay Example for Free

The Elusive Nacirema Tribe Essay In the everyday life of the perceived â€Å"normal† individual, rituals and rites performed by individuals as part of a different culture might seem harsh, cruel or even barbaric. After my first read of Body Ritual among the Nacirema, that is how I perceived their daily way of life. They believe in magic potions, seeking pain from the â€Å"holy – mouth – men† a couple of times a year, and the men and women perform acts that seem to contradict one another by trying to obtain abnormal body shapes, and then the men cut their face daily and the women â€Å"bake their heads in small ovens for about an hour†. What I discovered when reading this article again was that the author, Sir Horatio Galbraith, put a spin on words in many different ways, but this article just goes to show that what may seem normal to you could be portrayed as a terrible way to conduct daily life to others. In this article, Galbraith made mention about the Nacirema people being incarcerated into ugly and disease ridden bodies, and they make extreme efforts to â€Å"avert these characteristics through the use of the powerful influences of ritual and ceremony. He also noted that these people make visits to receive excruciatingly painful procedure they consider an â€Å"exorcism of the evils† from a magical practitioner best known as the â€Å"holy-mouth-men†. At first glance, both of these points the author has made make it seem as though these people are very rigid and harsh with their decisions in life. It seems almost like they make an effort to induce pain on themselves to achieve a culturally acceptable appearance. However after analyzing and relating these acts to my own way of life, I noted several similarities. In society today, the majority of people strive to look better than they currently do by dieting, working out and by making sure their mouth and teeth look their very best. These are just a few examples among many other efforts that are made by people to look better than they normally do, or at least get close to or above the normal standard. The â€Å"holy-mouth-men† is a clear reference to the dentist. Galbraith noted that the Nacirema people visit this man once or twice a year which falls into the normal visit frequency today’s society exhibits. The rituals and rites performed by the people of the Nacirema tribe were diversely separated between men and women. A specific ritual only performed by the men â€Å"involves scraping and lacerating the surface of the face with a sharp instrument. † The description of this practice will lead the unknowing reader to derive this as an act of barbarity, however after trying to find a connection between this description and something that occurs during the daily life of the men in today’s society, I discovered that this is nothing more than an embellished description of a man shaving his face daily with what else; a razor! This type of twist and embellishment on words is what hindered me from figuring out what the real purpose of this article was in the first place. Galbraith makes reference to a ritual performed four times during on lunar month, only by women. His comment regarding this act by the women was â€Å"what they lack in frequency is made up in barbarity. † The ritual performed by the women was described as baking their heads in small ovens for about an hour. Of course this type of act sounds horrific when worded this way, but again I tried to make a connection. When women in today’s society get their hair colored or have a permanent curl put in their hair, they have to sit under the dryer on the chairs that line the walls of the hair salon. I have sat under one of these chairs myself, and I cannot imagine that it is even anywhere near the same extreme of baking your head for an hour in a small oven. I believe one point the author was trying to make was that not only are these people obsessed with their appearance and overall health, but they are more obsessed with being to control and change it as they see fit. Galbraith also seemed as though he was trying to make note of the fact that they want to look better than the average, but in doing so, they want to keep it a secret as if the surrounding members of their society will not discover that they are not naturally made that way. Ethnocentrically, these types of practices seem strange and it seems as though these people are trying too hard; however, from a culturally relative point of view every individual has the right to practice whatever rites and rituals they deem fit and proper, as long as they do not fall on the wrong side of the legal law that resides over their area. As part of this assignment, I am supposed to list how I would react if placed in this culture; however I believe I am already living and functioning in this culture. Galbraith did not just make a play on words when describing the normal acts of the day to day individual, he also made a play on words when he named this tribe Nacirema; spelled backwards it spells American. I have gone through this article time and time again and have successfully identified everything he mentioned in the article as a connection with the American people. The only difference is that Galbraith went to extremes when describing the â€Å"rituals and rites† as to mislead the reader, but in a way everything he said was accurate in context. I enjoyed reading and analyzing this article once I made the connection. In some ways it was an eye opener, and other parts made me laugh.

Social Interaction Activities In Public Spaces Cultural Studies Essay

Social Interaction Activities In Public Spaces Cultural Studies Essay These public spaces are used for various activities based on which the activities can be divided into necessary activities, optional activities, and social activities. Necessary activities include those, which are more or less compulsory going to school or work, shopping, going to supermarkets, waiting at bus stops or waiting for a person, running errands, distributing mails- in other words, all activities in which those involved are to a greater or lesser degree required to participate. In general, all everyday activities and pastimes are included in this group. The major activities included are most walking related ones. As these activities are necessary ones and will take place throughout the year, under nearly all conditions, and are more or less independent of the exterior environment. The participants have no choice. Optional activities this category includes such activities as taking a walk to get a breath of fresh air, standing around enjoying life, or sitting and sunbathing. These activities can only take place when the weather conditions are favorable. This relationship is particularly important in connection with physical planning because most of the recreational activities that are pleasant to pursue outdoors are found precisely in this category. These activities are especially dependent on exterior physical conditions. Social activities are those that depend on the presence of others in the public spaces. Social activities may include children at play, people greeting each other, a lot of communal activities. Simply seeing and talking to each other are also included in this category. Public spaces are of vital importance because they shape peoples experience about understanding the city and of the culture. They become the citys identity. Lawrence halprin describes this process: our collective perception of cities depends on the landscape of open spaces. In our imagination of cities it is these open spaces that we remember. They are the places where people congregate to walk and shop and picnic, to play and bicycle and drive. It is these places that we use and in which we encounter each other and participate in that communal life we call city. ( Halprin, 1981, p.4) This is a result of the way people use the city, the way they commute or travel around the city, the placement of major civic and public institutions, social and gathering spaces, ceremonial spaces, location of significant public events, and spaces for recreation and leisure. These places are an expression of the public culture of a city like the way pubic institutions are. They demonstrate the relationship between the state and the citizens and express the cultures urban values. Pubic space plays an important role in the citys social and environmental life. Public space is often mistaken as the space between two buildings or, merely the all the remaining spaces and street corners. Initially no thought was given to the planning of public spaces, buildings were considered more important. After placing all the structures and important buildings the remaining area was converted to public space. Buildings were considered as the life of cities and were made iconic. Lot of money, manpower and energy was spent in the make of an iconic structure. But an iconic building cant make a city iconic. What makes a city iconic are its public and open spaces and when these public spaces are actively used by people they add to the additional value. A public space is named public because of the people using it. It belongs to the public of that area or city. Everyone are free to use it and dont have to pay any entrance fee to use or access it. It is a place where people from all caste, culture, religion and age can come, sit or take advantage of. I believe that public space should be a place for everyone and that a place should not be defined by its designer, but by its user. Currently many public spaces are impersonal with little thought into the facilities offered for the people who use it. If local people do not feel connected to a place it decays and social interaction around the place is lost. The aim is to create engaging places; increases the enjoyment people have in those spaces; or add something to existing locations in order to encourage a positive response to that space where people interact with the environment and with each other. Elements of a public space. Any public space gets affected by a number of factors. There are reasons why a particular space is formed or you may say redesigned. Some spaces such as public squares or plazas were formed in the early 18th or early 19th century due to the revolution taking place. The main purpose behind creating these public spaces was that people could gather here during times of trouble or any event. Also these squares were centrally located so people could access them from anywhere plus they represented the citys history, culture and became iconic sites of the cities. They became one of the most visited tourist destinations. The centre square mostly contained important art or statues of the person responsible for the cities reform and formation. Some of them were formed due to the political scene of the city. During election times some party made some good public spaces. Some public spaces like street markets, parks, centre squares were formed or designed taken into account the citys social and cultural scene. While some of street markets were just formed by the local people or the community living there marking the culture of the space. Some spaces were just formed due to the citys demands and needs. Other factors which affect or make a public space are streets, climate, interaction, furniture, shopping, culture, playfulness, rallys, religions, money, demonstrations, events, material, health, legislation, policies, law and order, housing schemes, security, environment, crime scenes, government policies, art, architecture, construction details, local community and last but not the least people. In short the main factors which affect any public space are listed below: Political: mostly during countries reform or some election events and rallys Economic: the countries development affects its public space. Developed countries have different public spaces whereas developing ones have a different notion and atmosphere of public space. Cultural: the countries culture affects the public space the most. Its mostly reflected in the appearance of the public space. Social: the people living there are to ones which make their public spaces. Its said that people space their space and then in return the space shapes the people around. London as a cultural hub. From being home to many national treasures, museums, libraries, galleries and universities, London is also a centre for global and contemporary culture. London attracts many visitors for its popular and creative culture and also for its interactive informal exciting spaces. For example, you will see artists plating live music in most of the underground stations, theres live music going at Camden markets and other street markets. Also many stores and bookshops keep on holding any events and fares to attract customers. Its a city which makes peoples visit even more interesting, interactive, fun and makes every visit of theirs worthwhile. When compared to the other cities around the world, London leads with an impressive count. London is the largest city in Europe, with a dramatic variation of people from all ages and cultures offering a huge amount of design opportunities. Population of London is approximately 7 million. London has a diverse range of population, which comprises people from Asia, China, and Europe and also from the states. London also shows diversity in age of this population. You find young school going children, to university graduates, mid age office crowd and also a large number of old retired people. Also you will find a number of school, colleges, universities spread all around London. Because of which it has become a hub for students and learning. Also many international companies have their headquarters here, which make it business hub. The political scene in London appears to be quite stable. Thus all the above factors like, diverse culture, economic opportunities, age ratio, political stability, have made a huge impact on the public life and public places. Table 1.1 major cultural indicators (source: cultural audit, 2009) Indicator London New York Paris Shanghai Tokyo No. Of public galleries 92 N/A 59 6 40 No. Of specialist art HE institutions 12 7 3 15 N/A No. Of national museums 22 16 19 6 8 No. Of other museums 162 85 138 100 71 UNESCO world heritage sites 4 1 2 0 0 No. Of public libraries 395 255 303 248 369 Table 1.2 creative industries indicators ( source: cultural audit, 2009) Indicator London New York Paris Shanghai Tokyo No. Of music venues 400 151 122 148 132 Music performances per year 32.292 22,204 3612 11,736 7419 Theatrical performances per yr 17,295 12,045 15,598 3117 8281 No. Of theatres concert halls 215 111 158 137 132 No. Of cinemas 105 264 88 49 105 No. Of bookshops 927 498 1,076 300 N/A No. Of nightclubs, discos etc 306 279 277 N/A N/A No. O festivals. 200 81 40 22 N/A Social interaction: important element of public spaces. They are our streetscapes and promenades According to us gardens, parks, squares are all the spaces that make a public space. This belief is not incorrect but has to transform. We need to widen our views and think of the bigger picture. We conveniently forget about the streets, paths and the roads on which we travel everyday or rather use daily. We dont consider the above ones as public spaces, but if looked in detailed these are the ones, which are used publicly the most. We dont appreciate but these spaces offer a great deal to our lives than any other spaces. These streets and pathways is where maximum interaction takes place. Meeting people, talking to each other, greeting one another, flirting, talking over the phone while waiting for the bus, queuing at he bus stop, all these activities leads to interaction and takes place on the streets, pathway, and bus stops which we generally use for walking, travelling and to reach out to our final destination. All we expect from these connecting spaces is a flat paved area to walk on, a dustbin, sometimes a bench to sit to munch on a sandwich or sip coffee. A place where maximum interaction takes place offers us very little in terms of services and activities. All the attention is mostly given to the redesigning and improvement of parks, squares and the everyday active streets and pathways are always neglected. These spaces have always been overlooked and taken granted for. The streets and pathways become like a lunch place for those who dont have time to go to a restaurant and for those whos lunch just comprises of grabbing a sandwich and eating on the streets or the bus stops. Even with many coffee shops or restaurant options we still like to munch on the noisy streets or sip coffee looking at the people pass by. The main reason behind this is that we love people, we like to watch people, we like interaction. Even though we eat alone on the streets the sense of people being around makes us feel less lonely. Generally, these spaces whish are used daily have been neglected by the government and remain unimproved. Its the local community or some private organizations or simply the people residing in the nearby areas, which come ahead and make arrangements to make these spaces better. They make a sincere effort to convert these unpleasant under walks to cleaner, brighter and fresher places. Pleasant spaces that make our daily commuting journey memorable. Same way if the government looked into this matter and offered more to people using them, it would not only make our journey pleasant but also would make it healthier. For example, if the streets and pathways are made better by putting new paving, made wider, installed with street furniture where people can sit, talk with each other, munch a sandwich or sip coffee, it would encourage people to walk down the corner or use cycles instead of cars for shorter distance, in a way also helping in a healthier, greener environment. A small change ca n make a big impact on our lives. Same way making small changes on our everyday streets and pathways can have a huge impact on our lives. They would make our journeys memorable, pleasurable and healthier. Below are some case studies where streets and pathways are considered as public spaces and redesigned taking people into account and offering them what they demand for. People are better than no people The above saying is said by an old woman counting her last breaths at a hospital bed, surrounded by a few nurses and a doctor she said people are better than no people. Even during her last few hours she wished for people, she wished someone was there at her side during her last few hours. She wished her people were there beside her to make her feel secure and comfortable. Even though she couldnt talk much she longed to see her loved ones. Just the sight of a few nurses and the doctor made her comfortable and secure even during the most dreadful moment. She said even if we arent in talking terms with some of our loved ones just a sight of them is worth it than staying alone and dying a lonely death. It applies the same way to others also, to share our happiness, to exchange the bad news in the most dreadful of all moments, in loneliness, in life and death we need people around. Even if not to share, the visual sight of people being around or just a person around makes us breathe a sign of relief. More than the need or necessity its the psychological factor because of which we long to see people or just a person around and need some physical contact. Hence more than the need, necessity and longing its the psychology and human behavior that leads us to talk to other people and interact. Socializing, communicating or meeting other people has a lot of other advantages than just the psychological factor. Firstly the good part is that we interact and talk to people, talking to other people teaches us a lot of things. We express our thoughts, our feelings, and our views. We share our happiness and sadness; we share our griefs and beliefs. They say that our happiness multiplies when sha red with someone, while our grief minuses when told to someone. Great ideas come from others, same way, talking to others, sharing views leads to some new innovation everyday. Speaking to someone we acquire knowledge about a lot of things before unknown to us, like, we learn new things about the city, about the culture, history of the city. We understand new traditions and cultures. We get to know people from diverse cultures and their ideas about life, philosophy and lifestyle. We gain knowledge about the daily happenings, city status, country status, the latest news, political and social endeavors, weather updates, season changes, news about social events, sports activities, background information and many other things. Finding out new things or getting to know about the happenings increases excitement in us. A research also shows that talking to people reduces stress and tension. Refrence. Apart from acquiring knowledge a lot of other things are also learnt from interaction, like , we laugh, we inspire, we get inspired, we share, we learn, listen, we fight, we pray, we hope and the most important thing is we care. All these emotions are very important to lead a healthy, happy and normal life. http://www.wikihow.com/Relieve-Stress http://www.essortment.com/all/stressreliefte_psh.htm http://www.tipsforpanicattacks.net/waystorelievestress.html THE DESIGN It all started with giving something more to people than they actually deserved, especially at spaces which they used daily. These spaces were not parks or gardens but spaces like the streets, pathways which people used daily to travel, walk and reach their destination. Spaces were maximum interaction takes place unintentionally and which still have the capability to give more. Spaces where maximum people are already present, and all you have to do is give them some character, some urge, some environment, some force to interact. For the same I couldnt think of a place other than a local bus stop. A bus stop is one such place, which is accessed by one and all. Its a connecting or you may say a waiting point for people going to work, children travelling to school, people going to church, people going for grocery shopping or any other social activities. Its a waiting hub for a diverse range of people. You see people from different cultures, different age groups, different communities and religion waiting for a single purpose called commuting. Where you have so many people around and waiting, why not provide some interesting features and make their wait fun? Why not create an environment which forces people to interact, to talk to each other? Thinking on the same lines, it was possible to make peoples journey more fun, more interesting and more exciting. A wait in an environment where people interact with each other without realizing they are forced to do so. For the same, the bus stop chosen was a local one called Christchurch located near the ealing broadway tube station, west London. This bus stop is on the uxbridge road and is the closest to the mall, church, tube station, shopping stores, banks etc. Plus all the buses travelling towards uxbridge make a stop here. Its the centre of all the major activities, filled with people waiting for the bus almost at any time of the day. A live survey was done at the same bus stop al day long for three consecutive days. Busiest being the morning hours from 8.00 am to 10.00 am and the evenings from 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm. The mornings and evenings at the mentioned time above you usually see a lot of office crowd, and the rest of the day specially at noon hours you meet a lot of old people. After interviewing most of the people it was found that waiting at the bus stop had been one of their major and daily activities. Specially the older people, their routine considers of going to the bus stop, then grocery store, then back to bus stop and then back home. The main reason of having this routine is meeting people at the grocery store, having some kind of interaction with at least the sales person or even with come of them at the bus stop. Inteviews HOW DID YOU COME TO THE CONCUSION FURNITURE IS BEST FOR INTERACTION. WHY FURNITURE Examples of good public spaces Millennium Park Various designers Chicago, USA (2005) Millennium Park is a massive 10-hectare project based in Chicago at a central location is a combination of art, architecture and landscape design as a single public space design. It was a 450 million dollar budget, centrally located and can be used as a public event space or even as an informal space. Its a major destination for all recreational activities. The project was created with an initial idea to create a green park to block the unattractive railway lines and car parks, which had strewn the lakefront. These tracks and car parks were seen since the city had neglected the lake and its development. A simple project, which has turned out to be the most ambitious project in USA and one of the most successful public spaces in terms of aesthetics and the use by people. A perfect park with a blend of space, form and function, which bring people together for recreation, interaction and fun contributing to a healthier life. The park has different elements designed by great architects and artists. Like at the centre of the park is a pavilion designed by Frank Gehry, which is used as an outdoor space for events, concerts and other social gatherings. It consists of a proscenium surrounded by Gehrys trademark curves of stainless steel with a large steel trellis spanning the entire auditorium. Connected to the pavilion is the first bridge project which spans from Columbus drive, linking millennium park to daley bicentennial plaza and Chicago lakefront system. Connecting all the major points, and people can take a walk through all. Another interesting element is an elliptical jellybean shaped sculpture by Artist Anish Kapoor, a graduate from University of Arts London, and his first public project in USA.its called the bean because its shape is like a bean. The elliptical jelly is inspired by the liquid mercury, and made of steel, so it reflects the city, clouds and people. Its makes us look at our feel that w e are responsible for our city, our people, and the environment we live in. Its also a way to showcase the beautiful Chicago skyline and weather with people along. Another sculpture is a crown fountain designed by artist Laume Plensa, from Spain. The fountain comprises of black granite reflecting pool, placed between two glass block towers. The glass block towers are 15.24m high and at each end of the reflecting pool. They display graphic animation videos and photos, which are constantly changing with the help of LED lights. This was one of the most notable works done by artist Laume Plensa, and is highly successful. It took about 18 million dollars to build this fountain, but the good thing is that it encouraged physical interaction between people and water. Most of the pictures and videos displayed on the tower are mostly of people from Chicago. So most of the people come to see this fountain hoping to see themselves on the tower. Its a perfect public play area, an interaction space and also an area to beat the heat during summers. Another interesting element is the garden located near the pavilion designed by the team of Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel. The garden is a combination of architecture, planning and lighting. The garden contains a variety of spaces, which helps people enjoy and encourages interaction. It contains small and large spaces, pedestrian areas, pathways etc. that invites more and more people. The millennium park is a perfect blend of pavilions, bridges, parks, sculpture, and art designed by various and famous artists and architects from all around the globe. Its a park which has all activities going on, thanks to the different elements present in it, like the pavilion, the elliptical bean shaped sculpture, the fountain, garden, and the bridge. With elements all over it attracts people and encourages interaction, being a perfect communities space. Though it contains sculpture and structures been designed taking into account peoples need, citys demand, environment, atmosphere but also doesnt neglect aesthetics. USF SQUARE 3RW Architects Bergen, Norway This public space was designed by local architects called 3RW architects and is situated in the Norwegian city of Bergen. This space was initially a car park, which used to be dusty in summer, filled with puddles in rains and slippery in winter. It needed a practical solution and redesigning hence it was decided to cover the whole area with concrete surface. This plaza is used as an artist workshop and also as a restaurant. During the redesign the clients initially wanted a stepped plaza, but the architects convinced to have a sloping concrete surface. They made it as a concrete surface so that it would be rough enough and be less slippery especially during the wet icy weather. A special arrangement is made during winters, heating elements were laid under the concrete so the ice melts and can be used as a public area no matter any weather conditions. This plaza also leads to the cultural centre. Concrete was laid in a grid of 16ft X 16ft and fitted with corten steel strips to create dividers and make shallow gaps. To help make this place interesting at night fibre optics were put into two glass boxes in concrete. An architectural solution to help people use the public space any time they needed to enjoy the weather, have some recreation, interaction and fun. A space to near the water body, a calm restaurant invites many people and helps to promote social interaction. New public spaces The growth of community led projects is creating public space that has a very local and specific uses related to local needs and physical qualities and features of their local environment. Give the people something different Serpentine pavilion Kensington garden, London. Serpentine pavilion is a different kind of public space, situated in Kensington gardens in London. Kensington garden is a huge park with people visiting at all times. To make it more exciting and invite more people

Antisthenes Concept of Paideia :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Antisthenes' Concept of Paideia ABSTRACT: Antisthenes of Athens was an older student of Socrates who had previously studied under the Sophists. His philosophical legacy also influenced Cynic and early Stoic thought. Consequently, he has left us an interesting theory of paideia (reading, writing, and the arts) followed by an even more brief one in divine paideia, the latter consisting of learning how to grasp the tenets of reason in order to complete virtue. Once properly grasped, the pupil will never lose it since it is embedded in the heart with true belief. However, there is a danger of being confused by human learning, which may delay or obviate completing divine paideia. Nonetheless, with the help of a teacher who gives a personal example, like Socrates or the mythical Centaur Chiron, the pupil has a chance of reaching his or her goal. Through a series of myths, Antisthenes gives us the foundations of his logical and ethical theory together. Reasoning is both a way to grasp virtue and also to fortify it. Althou gh he would have chaffed under a modern university educational system, we may learn from him to value concise philosophical studies as a necessary adjunct to basic lessons in liberal arts. Antisthenes of Athens (445-360 B.C.) is remembered for being one of Socrates' older pupils. (1) In fact, he was old enough to have first studied under the sophists, before he met Socrates. (2) He thus stands straddling three important periods in the history of Greek philosophy. As a 5th century philosopher, he copied the rhetoric of Gorgias in his famous Ajax and Odysseus speeches and like the sophists, believed that virtue was teachable; surviving into the 4th century, he was taken seriously by Plato and Aristotle, composing essays in which he propounded an individual logical theory of his own; (3) and as precursor of Hellenistic Cynicism, he composed dialogues, teaching new ethical and social norms that resurfaced after his death in the teaching of Diogenes of Sinope and the Stoa. (4) In this paper, I would like to examine some aspects of Antisthenes' educational theory and his concept of paideia. In at least one of his lost Hercules dialogues, Antisthenes seems to have described Hercules' visit to the Centaur Chiron and subsequently to the Titan Prometheus. (5) Both these episodes ascribe to Hercules a different type of paideia. The first episode is often connected with a the mythological theme of Chiron's school, where the just Centaur was said to have taught heroes and demi-gods various branches of paideia:

Assessing the Marketing Strategy of Payboy Magazine

Contents Introduction4 Literature review5 The product life cycle5 Introduction stage5 Growth stage6 Maturity stage6 Decline stage7 MARKET SEGMENTATION8 Attractiveness of a market segment9 Target market strategies9 BRAND10 Building and managing brand equity12 Globalisation13 There are three main international marketing orientations13 Ethics in marketing14 Gender role and marketing14 Generic marketing strategy15 Findings16 The playboy product life cycle16 Market segmentation17 Brand17 Globalization17 Ethics18 Marketing strategy18 Discussion20 Conclusions21 Recommendations21 References22 Introduction A marketing strategy calls for the organization to pull its limited resources to attract the desired market segment and gain some competitive advantage. The positioning of a product is the reason the target segment of the market uses or buys a product based on the attributes of the product which ensure that the product attracts the desired market segment by meeting the product expectations (Wind, 1990). These two strategies are used to attract consumers of all product types. The magazine industry mainly applies these strategies to attract buyers towards their product. They offer their readers target content by being first segmented into the various types of magazines which include: men, women, news magazines and readers digest. Readers digest offer its readers a wide array of topics of interests without focussing on a specific readership, gender or group of interests. News magazines offer feature news articles usually on topics that have already been discussed in other news media but in a more in-depth sense. Women’s magazines offer articles of interest to women and men’s magazines offer articles of interest to men. Magazines are further segmented under each section to feature topics of interest from decor to cars. One of the more successful men’s magazines Playboy will be discussed in this paper, focussing on, what strategy they applied to achieve their global success. The magazine has been in existence for over, 50years and has stood the test of time. This paper will seek to determine what marketing strategies they applied to achieve their global success. Literature review The product life cycle The product life cycle can be divided into several stages characterised by the revenue generated by the product. A PLC depicts the stages that the product goes through during its life time. The PLC is made up of the following stages: Introduction stage When the product is introduced, sales will be low until customers become aware of the product and its benefits. Advertising costs are typically high during this stage in order to rapidly increase customer awareness of the product and to target the early adopters. During the introductory stage the firm is likely to incur additional costs associated wit the initial distribution of the product. These higher costs coupled wit low sales volume usually make the introduction stage a period of negative profits. During the introduction stage, the goal is to establish a market and build primary demand for the product class. The introductory stage comprises of the following marketing mix components: Price – the price will be generally high, assuming a skim pricing strategy for a high profit margin as the early adopters buy the product and the firm seeks to recoup development costs quickly. In some instances, a penetration pricing strategy is used and introductory prices are set low to gain market share quickly. Distribution –the distribution is selective and scattered as the firm commences implementation of the distribution plan. Promotion – it is aimed at building brand awareness. Samples or trials may be directed at early adopters. Growth stage This is a stage of rapid revenue growth. Sales increase as more customers become aware of the product and its benefits and additional market segments are targeted. The marketing team may increase its distribution at this point. When competitors enter the market, often during the later part of the growth stage, there may be price competition and or increased promotional costs in order to convince customers that the firm’s product is better than that of the competitor. During the growth stage the goal is to gain consumer preference and increase sales. The marketing mix may be modified as below: Product – new product features and packaging options, improvement of product quality Price – the price may be maintained at a high level if demand is high or reduced to capture additional customers. Distribution – at this point, the distribution becomes more intensive. Trade discounts are minimal if resellers sow a strong interest in the product. Promotion – advertising is increased to build brand preference. Maturity stage This is the most profitable stage. While sales continue to increase into this stage, they do so at a slower pace. The brand awareness is strong and so the advertising expenditures will be reduced. Te firm places effort into encouraging competitors’ customers to switch, increasing usage per customer, and converting non users into customers. Sales promotion may be offered to encourage retailers to give the product more shelf space over competing products. During the maturity stage, the goal is to maintain market share and extend the product life cycle. The marketing mix decision may include: Product – modifications are made and features are added in order to differentiate the product from competing products tat may have been introduced, Price – there are possible price reductions in response to competition while avoiding a price war. Distribution – new distribution channels and incentives to re-sellers n order to avoid losing self space. Promotion – emphasis on differentiation and building of brand loyalty. Incentives may be introduced at this stage to get competitors’ customers to switch. Decline stage At this stage, sales begin to decline as the market becomes saturated, the product becomes technologically obsolete, or customer taste change, if the product as developed brand loyalty, the profitability may be maintained longer. Init costs may increase with the declining production volumes and eventually no more profit can be made. During the decline stage, the firm has three options: †¢ Maintain the product with hope that competitors will exit. Reduce costs and find new uses for the product. †¢ Harvest it, reducing market support and coasting along until no more profit can be made. Discontinue the product when no more profit can be made or there is a successor product. The marketing mix may be modified as follows: Product – the number of products in the product line may be reduced. Rejuvenate surviving products to make them look new again. Price – prices may be lowered to liquidate inventory of discontinued products. Prices may be maintained for continued pr oducts serving a nice market. Distribution – it will become more selective. Channels that are no longer profitable are passed out. Promotion – expenditures are lower and aimed at reinforcing the brand image for continued products. MARKET SEGMENTATION Here, the suppliers will want to concentrate in a particular market. There are two important factors to consider when selecting a target market segment. These are the attractiveness of the segment and the fit between the segment and the firm’s objectives, resources and capabilities. † This is the process in which a company attempts to identify the categories of consumers whose needs and wants it can satisfy. In order to segment the market Companies first assess their capabilities and resources then they determine the competitive situation in the marketing environment. Finally they match their capabilities with the needs of the market segment. There is no single way of segmenting the market because their criteria used to segment the market depend on the individual organisations. The segmentation process involves several steps: †¢ You define the market usually based on the consumers needs †¢ Identify the best market segmentation criteria †¢ Apply the segmentation criteria and divide the market †¢ Analyse and understand the profile of the priority consumer segment (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) Attractiveness of a market segment The following aspects can be considered when evaluating the attractiveness of a market segment: †¢ Growth rate in the segment †¢ Size of the segment †¢ Competition in the segment †¢ Attainable market share given promotional budget and competitors’ expenditures †¢ Required market share to break even Market research and analysis is essential to obtain this information. Te impact of micro and macro environmental variables on the market segment should be considered. Target market strategies Market specialisation – here the firm specialises in a particular market segment and offers that segment an array of different products Full market coverage – the firm attempts to serve the entire market. This coverage can be achieved by means of either a mass market strategy in which a single undifferentiated marketing mix is offered to the entire market, or by a differentiated strategy in which a separate marketing mix is offered to each segment. Product specialisation – Here the firm specialises in a particular product and tailors it to different market segments Selective specialisation – Here the different marketing mixes are offered to different segments. The product itself may or may not be different. The promotional messages or distribution channels may vary. Single segment strategy – Here one market segment is served with one marketing mix. A single segment approach often is the strategy of choice for smaller companies wit limited resources. BRAND A brand is a name or symbol used to identify the source of a product. (NetMBA,marketing>brand equity). Very successful brands have been known to become the generic name of a product. The design and implementation of an effective brand strategy can be considered in relation to the brand, product or the service offered. There are several brand strategies that can be applied, these include: †¢ Brand development strategy – used when the brand already exist †¢ Rebranding – when an existing brand is rebranded in line with the change in the market segmentation or competitive positioning strategy. †¢ Brand introduction – used when a new brand is introduced †¢ Brand extension (umbrella branding) – used when a new product that is unrelated to an existing product is introduced. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) The brand can add significant value when it is well recognised and as positive associations in the mind of the consumer. This concept is referred to as â€Å"Brand equity. † There are three perspectives from which to view brand equity: 1. Consumer- based: A strong brand increases the consumer’s attitude strength toward the product associated with the brand. Attitude strength is built by experience with a product. This importance of actual experience by the customer implies that trial samples are more effective than advertising in the early stages of building a strong brand. The consumer’s awareness and associations lead to perceived quality, inferred attributes, and eventually, brand loyalty. 2. Brand extensions: A successful brand can be used as a platform to launch related products. Te benefits of brand extensions are the leveraging of existing brand awareness thus reducing advertising expenditures, and a lower risk from the perspective of the customer. Appropriate brand extensions can enhance the core brand. Te value of the brand extension is however more difficult to quantify than are direct financial measures of brand equity. 3. Financial: One way to measure brand equity is to determine the price premium that a brands commands over a generic product. Strong brand equity provides the following benefits: . It is an asset that can be sold or leased 2. It Increases cash flow by increasing market share, reducing promotional costs, and allowing premium pricing. 3. It facilitates a more predictable income stream Building and managing brand equity In his 1989 paper, Managing brand Equity, Peter H. Farguhar outlines # the following three stages tat are required in order to build a strong brand: 1 . Introduction – in this stage, introduce a quality product with the strategy of using the brand as a platform from which to launch future products. A positive evaluation by the consumer is important. 2. Elaboration – make the brand easy to remember and develop repeat usage. There should be accessible brand attitude, that is, the consumer should easily remember his or her positive evaluation of the brand. 3. Fortification – the brand should carry a consistent image over time to reinforce its place in the consumer’s mind and develop a special relationship with the consumer. Brand extensions can further fortify the brand, but only with related products having a perceived fit in the mind of the consumer. Globalisation Marketing efforts can cross borders in a process known as internationalisation and globalisation. Internationalisation is when a firm starts to sell the products across the borders. Globalisation is a result of internalisation and it is shown by an increase in volumes and value of goods as well as the emergence of transnational segments of consumers with similar demand. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007). The main factors influencing international marketing operations are: †¢ Good knowledge of the evolution of the international business environment †¢ The existing assets of the firm †¢ The capacity of managers †¢ To rapidly adapt the firm’s strategy to the continuous changes in international markets. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) There are three main international marketing orientations †¢ Domestic Market orientation – this is when you sell your service or products in a foreign markets that is very similar to the domestic market. †¢ The multi-national orientation – this is when a product or services adapts to the demands of each foreign market. †¢ Global orientation – it identifies the transnational segment of consumers in different foreign countries having similar needs and wants. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) The main challenge with globalisation is whether to adopt standardisation or adaptation theories in the marketing strategy. It has been argued that standardisation should be adopted because international markets have increasingly convergent needs and wants. However, standardisation does not allow for the local cultures to shape the preferences and in such cases the adaptation theory will work best. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) Ethics in marketing The ethical stance of an organisation can either promote or hinder the marketing strategy of an organisation. Ethical issues ranging from pay, pricing of goods to environmental issues affect the image of an organisation and can have a critical impact on an organisation’s brand. In order to combat the negative publicity, organisations can form ethical alliances with non-profit organisation taking the form of donations, cause-related marketing, event sponsorship, employee exchange and the provision of services. Such cause-related marketing strategies can be used to distinguish an organisation in the market place. (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007) Gender role and marketing In advertising, it has been found that the marketing to women and men especially in publication differ in terms of the type of products they advertise. Men products tend to promote lifestyle enhancing and professional appearance while women’s advertisements tend to promote self reflection and personal appearance (Graham and Gollop, 2003). Many brands in the market are said to posses gender bias. The bias helps leverage their ability to attract their male or female target group. This same trait works as a hindrance where the brand is trying to cross the gender divide (Jung and Lee, 2006). Findings show that depending on the race and gender of the magazine, the roles of the women and men changed. In women’s magazines, women appeared in subordinate roles most of the time and were considered more exposed then men although research has shown that these roles appear to be changing. Interestingly, depending on the magazine gender bias, men’s magazines had dominated in images of men and women’s magazines dominated in images of women (Graham and Gollop, 2003). In most the magazines, women appeared as sexual objects. Generic marketing strategy Porters has two main fundamental decisions that organisation need to adopt in order to gain competitive advantage. He proposed that organisations could compete on price and differentiation. The two strategies define the following four generic competitive strategies . 1. Overall price leadership – it provides products and services at lowest prices 2. Differentiation – offering a product or service with differentiated features. 3. Differentiation focus – segment the market then offer each segment a differentiated product. 4. Price focus – firstly, segment the market and offer the segment a low price (Mitchell,2010) Findings The playboy product life cycle Introduction – Playboy was introduced in 1953 with a $1000. 0 budget. The first publication had a circulation of 53991 copies and Marylyn Manroe was on the cover prior to her fame at a price of $0. 5 per issue. When this idea was launched, the logo was a stag, and the magazine was supposed to be called ‘Stag Growth stage –the playboy ‘bunny ‘was introduced and subsequently became the prima ry unchanged logo for the magazine. Maturity stage-in the 1970’s the playboy magazine had grown in popularity and this marked the best sales period of its circulation. The magazine grew into the playboy corporation and has under the umbrella name in addition to the magazine: Night clubs †¢ Casinos †¢ cosmetics Decline- given the negative publicity linked to the content of the playboy magazine, in the late 1970’s immediately after achieving its peak, their sales declined as a result of the rise of competitors such as penthouse (Trivialibrary. com, 2010). There was a 2-year ban on all explicit content magazines in the united states in the†¦ based on the speculation that magazine of that content was a health hazard. Maturity stage -to date the magazine has a notable goodwill and has accumulated in value. In 2002, the first issue of the playboy magazine was auctioned off for $5000. 0 showing that the magazine has accumulated value as a collectable. Market se gmentation The playboy magazine cast a wide web and segmented its market using geographical and gender based segmentation. The magazine is typically targeted at men aged between 18 and 80 years of age. However, the contents satisfied both the male and female market (Forbish, 2004). Brand The playboy brand is symbolised by a black bunny bearing a bow tie. It has immense goodwill and has been exploited and incorporated into several products such as jewellery, T-shirts printed etc. The magazine P has stars to indicate the level of circulation for that particular issue Major brand extensions include: lingerie, jewellery, TV shows, Clubs and Casinos. Globalization The playboy magazine has been published in over 50 countries worldwide with local publication and has shown a certain degree of popularity internationally. It sells more the 3million copies in the united states and 4. 5million copies around the world (Forbish, 2004). In addition, playboy has a website which has allowed that to reach an international market. Ethics There have been many ethical issues surrounding the magazine spanning from, exploitation of women to the lack of morals based in the sexual content of the magazine. However, they stand out from the rest because they show some moderation on their contents; †¢ they are not as explicit in both their magazine and web content †¢ their sit only shows nudity to viewers after they have acknowledged the content Marketing strategy The main aim of the playboy magazine was to sell a ‘lifestyle’ and not just sex and nudity. The idea was for the young man to feel like he was a member of a playboy lifestyle club (Forbish, 2004; Thompson, 2008). They show this by incorporating issues of interest to men including humorous and celebrity related content (Forbish, 2004). Between 1959 and 1961, Playboy had a television show ‘Playboy penthouse’ which supplemented in television what it offered as a publication. This show was not an easy success story because television at the time was related to feminism and usually show cased feminine products and shows (Thompson, 2008). The show offered the viewer a visual idea of what the playboy lifestyle was about: beautiful women, celebrities and partying (Thompson, 2008). They have a web page that was opened in 1994. It is currently the most visited site and highly successful magazine online sites. Its cyber store has a 2700 item catalogue and is responsible for a major portion of the playboy profit. Another major feature is the live feature which allows surfers access to view live events online. The ideas of the web site was not to lose sight of the playboy persona by strongly linking its contents and the quality to that of the magazine aimed at getting its visitors to buy into the playboy brand as well as other merchandise that they sell online (Forbish, 2004). When introducing the magazine, the pictures that were published in the magazine were of an upcoming icon Maryline Manroe which was to be used in a calendar. Playboy has been known for using celebrities such as Pamela Anderson in its covers. They also used award winning non sexual content interviews with famous figures to sell the magazine including Malxom X, Martin Luther King Jr. (Forbish, 2004). Discussion The playboy magazine is an ideal example of a magazine that stood the test of time. Starting in the 1950’s the magazine managed to capitalize on a basic need in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ‘Sex’. Considering the more conserving time era in which the magazine was launched, the minimal budget and the small circulation, the magazine has proven to be a success story. To date, the playboy brand is considered a symbol of status, fashion and personality (Chen and Wang, 2007) In terms of strategy, using semi naked women on the cover, to attract their ideal market segment was a good key strategy to attract readership; having the semi naked women being up and coming celebrities like Pamela Andersen was a genius idea this being key in attracting their target market; men aged between 18-80. This strategy was the key to the success if the magazine (Thompson, 2008). In terms of positioning, the playboy magazine has expressed intensely that they are not a ‘pornographic’ magazine and attest the idea that their content is purely sexual in nature (Schilowitz, 2004). They argue that their content is of interest to men and thus their articles will be male interest related; with men interests being women amongst other things. They show this by having in depth interviews with interesting key people in society including Malcom X. They push the idea that Playboy is in-fact a lifestyle of fun with a sexual connotation, which is why the extensions of the brand include casinos and clubs. In terms of ethics, the try to show that they are not pushing the men into reckless sex, they do not exploit women and they do have a certain level of conservative standard which they show by not fully exposing their women; and putting restrictions on their websites to inform their patrons about potential nudity in their sites. Conclusions In conclusion, the playboy brand is a successful entity, the name and logo has an international standing. Having graced that stands from the 1950’s to present day and stood the test of criticism, linking to the ‘pornographic market, defending its image as a lifestyle as opposed to a product the brand has been successful. In terms of segmentation, the ‘Playboy’ magazine had had a high success rate in reaching its target market while unintentionally attracting another segment in the market; women readers. It has successfully offered its readers more than just ‘sex’, it has offered its readers the ideal idea of what it means to be a man (Cox, 1961). Playboy has had a fair share of negative press about the ethics of the publication linked to the images of the women but this has had a little effect on the goodwill of their brand. In summation, the playboy brand has been marketed successfully and the application of the strategy has been well carried out. This has been done through effective segmentation, application of online marketing and globalization, application of ethics, effective use of goodwill on the brand as well as brand extensions. Recommendations The following recommendations could be applied: Given the current global HIV/AIDS pandemic, it would be in the interest to include in their articles talks about how best to avoid, prevent and stop the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Their articles should promote awareness and prevent stigmatization. References Chen Y and Wang X. (2007). Research on the legal protection of intellectual property right in clothing brand. Asian social science. Vol. 3 (2) pp 77-80 Cox H. (1961) Playboy’s Doctrine of Man. Christianity and Crises. Forbish T. 2004) Sexual Profiteering and Rhetorical Assuagement: Examining Ethos and Identity at Playboy. com. JCMC. Vol. 9 (3) Jung K. and Lee W. Cross-Gender Brand Extensions: Effects of Gender of the brand, Gender of consumer, and Product Type on Evaluation of Cross-Gender Extensions. Advances of Consumer Research. Vol. 33. pp 67-74. Graham R. and Gollop C. J. (2003) Gender Role Reinforcement in Popular Magazine Advertising. Dissertation from the University of North Carolina. United States. Schilowitz E. (2004) Dont Dare Associate Playboy With Porn: Playboy Enterprises, Inc. . Netscape. Communications Corporation. B. U. J. Sci and Teck L. Vol. 10 (2) Thompson E. (2008) The Parodic Sensibility and the Sophisticated Gaze : Masculinity and Taste in the Playboy Penthouse. Televisions and News Media. Vol. 9 (4) pp 284-304. Wind Y. J (1990) Positioning analysis and strategy. Interface of marketing strategy. Jai Press ———————– Assessing the marketing strategy of Playboy magazine Strategic Marketing MKT 762 Dr. Ayanda Group IV Modise Nengu 9903378 Oumi El-Kindiy 200302031 Dineo Mooketsi 9703200