Saturday, November 30, 2019
MarthaS Vineyard Labov Essay Example
Martha?S Vineyard Labov Essay 1. 0      Introduction 1. 1     Martha? s Vineyard – where old traditions are still of value Martha? s Vineyard is a small island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, USA. The island has a permanent population of about 6000 inhabitants. It is separated from the mainland by the Atlantic Ocean and there are no big businesses or any McDonald to be found on the island. Here, life is not as hectic as on the mainland and old traditions are still of value. The inhabitants have a way of showing their connection and dedication to their homeland, which is also a way of identifying themselves. This term paper will be about sound changes in connection with social identity. I will examine the innovative study of language variation and change in the islands community, observed and examined by William Labov (1963). I will analyze and discuss the study made by Labov. Labov? s study is based on the characteristic sound pattern discovered while listening to the inhabitants of Martha? s Vineyard. This sound change has a focus on the centralization of diphthongs. Centralization is the phonological change in which a vowel becomes more central than normal (Lawrence Trask 2000 : 53). Diphthong is a vowel sound which is pronounced by quickly moving from one vowel position to another (Deckert, Vickers 2011 : 33). The sound changes made by inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard, observed by Labov were: /ay/ as in fight, right and sight and /aw/ as in loud and about. Labov? s observations exposed that the centralized diphthongs only occurred in a particular linguistic context. Some groups used the sound change more than others. The group of fishermen was among these. Labov also observed that some inhabitants purposely did not pronounce the diphthongs differently to people from the mainland. We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Martha?S Vineyard Labov specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Having looked at different social factors, as for example, age, ethnic group and occupation it became obvious that the attitude towards the island was an essential aspect to explain this phenomenon. The decision whether or not to use the island or the mainland pronunciation depended the attitude towards Martha’s Vineyard, whether or not being positive or negative. Labov named this phenomenon â€Å"island identity†(1963). To understand what â€Å"island identity†is it is important to define the term â€Å"identity†. What is identity and how do we identify ourselves? Can there be a connection between identity and speech? In this term paper I will attempt to answer these questions. 2. 0 The study, sociolinguistic pattern and meaning 2. 1 Background knowledge Martha’s Vineyard is divided into two parts, which are the up-island and the down-island. By the time Labov made this study, the island had approximately 6000 inhabitants. The majority lived in an area of the down-island which contains of three small towns, called Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. The remaining inhabitants lived in the rural up-island area with only a few villages (Labov 1972: 5). The inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard were divided into four major ethnic groups. The main group was the descendants of old families with English origin. The second major group was descendants of Portuguese origin who migrated from the Azores and the Cap Verde Islands. The third group was descendants of remnant native Americans. The last group consists of inhabitants of various origins, who were of no relevance for this study (Labov 1972: 6). Another group became relevant for this study. This was the group of summer visitors who came in large groups in June and July. There would be around 42. 000 visitors on the island every summer (Labov 1972: 6). It could be a possibility that the summer visitors brought the sound change from the mainland to the island, which would mean that this group would have the major influence on the pronunciation of the diphthongs /ay/ and /aw/ but it becomes clear that the influence of visitors are not as obvious as it might seem, since Labov only mentioned that this group had an indirect influence. To clarify this, it is essential to have a look at the economic situation of the island. In 1960 Marthas Vineyard was the poorest of all countries of Massachusetts and this was not only due to the high unemployment rate in Massachusetts back then (Labov 1972: 27). The islands? major industry was the fishing industry on the up-island. The large-scale of fishing went out of New Bedford on the Grand Banks and as a result it became harder to keep this industry going (Labov 1972: 27). It became almost impossible for the fishermen to make a living from their wages and their families became dependent on two earnings. Another problem forced the economic and psychological pressure. Convenience goods were at a very high price (Labov 1972: 28) and the goods were brought on the island with ferry from the mainland. This transport was expensive and permitted the salesmen to expand the prices of their goods. Some would say that the constantly growing tourism came as a blessing for the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard, but at the same time it also became a curse, especially for the fishermen who felt very connected to the island and the traditions connected to it. For them it was difficult to accept the increasing dependence on tourism. The following observations and results are of importance in order to understand the connection between the above mentioned background information and the language variation in this study. 2. 2 Accomplishment by Labov and its meaning for the inhabitants In 1963, as the study of Martha’s Vineyard was relized, Labov observed a striking way of pronouncing words such a fight, right and sight, and words such as loud and about. This striking ways of pronunciation clearly diverged from the near parts of the mainland (Meyerhoff 2006: 16f. ). The inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard pronounced the diphthongs /ay/ and /aw/ in a more entral position which is a phonological change termed centralization. In order to figure out why many inhabitants used the centralized diphthongs, Labov deliberated an interview schedule in which /ay/ and /aw/ frequently occurred (Labov 1972: 12). Here Labov did not only put his focus on the linguistic aspect but on the social aspect as well. This means th at Labov did not only put focus on the language but furthermore he wanted to examine the reasons for this sound change and in which way it was used in a social context and by whom. Why did some speakers use the centralized diphthongs more than others? This is why this study by Labov is not just of study of linguistics but also counts as a sociolinguistic study (Deckert, Vickers 2011: 1). Labov started asking inhabitants questions concerning their lives on the island. He also recorded them while they were reading lists of words naturally containing /ay/ and /aw/ sounds out loud (Meyerhoff 2006: 17). He interviewed 69 inhabitants of different ages, occupation, ethnic groups and from different geographical distribution. The table underneath is taken from Labov? s study and shows age levels and numbers of inhabitants using the centralized vowels /ay/ and /aw/: Table 1 (Labov 1972: 22) |age |(ay) |(aw) | |75- |25 |22 | |61-75 |35 |37 | |46-60 |62 |44 | |31-45 |81 |88 | |14-30 |37 |46 | Having a look at this table, it appears that inhabitants from the age of thirty-one up to age forty-five frequently tended to centralize the diphthongs. However, inhabitants younger than thirty-one and older than forty-five, did not have a high use of the centralized diphthongs. This means that the sound change could not only be dependent on the age of inhabitants being interviewed. Therefore Labov focused on other social factors which might have an effect on the production of this sound change. He interviewed inhabitants from different parts of residence, hereby people form the up-island as well as people living at the down-island. The statistics shown below demonstrates different cities on Martha’s Vineyard. It also shows the numbers of inhabitants from these cities using the centralized diphthongs: Table 2 (Labov 1972: 25)  |(ay) |(aw) | |Down-island |35 |33 | |Edgartown |48 |55 | |Oak |33 |10 | |Bluffs                    | | | |Vineyard Haven            |24 |33 | |Up-island                   |61 |66 | |Oak |71 |99 | |Bluffs                    | | | |N. 35 |13 | |Tisbury                    | | | |West Tisbury                |51 |51 | |Chilmark    |100 |81 | |Gay Head                     |51 |81 | This table clearly shows that the inhabitants living on the up-island used the sound change more frequently than inhabitants living on the down-island, especially the inhabitants of the town Chilmark. In Chilmark they were shown o have a unique tendency of centralized diphthongs. The up-island was more of a rural area and it was known for its fishing industry. Most fishermen were living and working in Chilmark. The following table shows the centralization by the different occupational groups observed by Labov. . Table 3 (Labov 1972: 26) | |(ay) |(aw) | |Fishermen |100 |79 | |Farmers |32 |22 | |Others |41 |57 | According to this table which shows the usage of centralized diphthong by fishermen, farmers and other occupations, shows it becomes clear that the fishermen were the one group who most frequently made use of centralization. Some of the farmers and people of other occupations also used this sound change but their numbers were strikingly low compared to the numbers of fishermen using the centralization. When comparing the results of all three tables it becomes obvious that the Chilmark fishermen in the middle working age level were using the centralization more frequently than any other groups on the island. However, hereby it is still not revealed why this group of inhabitants at this age and living and working in that one place where the fishing industry still played a big role in the island economy (Labov 1972: 29), were using the sound change more frequently than the other groups of inhabitants. It is central to understand the meaning and importance of the fishing industry for the inhabitants and the island itself to fully understand the interaction of social and linguistic patterns. Most of the fishermen from Chilmark felt deeply connected to the island since most of them were descendants of the old families (Labov 1972: 28). The fishing industry used to be a major part of the economy, before the large-scale fishing went out of New Bedford on the Grand Banks (Labov 1972: 27). The fishermen were proud to be independent, to stand on their own feet and earn their living with their own bare hands. Fishing was an old tradition on this island (Labov 1972: 29) but as an ever-growing number of summer visitors came to the island a big part of the fishing industry moved away and the inhabitants became forced to be more dependent on tourism. Chilmark changed from the traditional fishing industry to modern tourism. Many of the inhabitants accepted but the fishermen had a hard time acknowledging this change (Labov 1972: 28). They made their living from fishing. For these men fishing was not just a job, but it was also a way of living and an old tradition they did not want to give up. Two brothers from Edgartown which were also fishermen were among the interviewed. They both had a tendency to centralize the diphthongs very frequently (Labov 1972: 30). These two brothers were the last decendants from the old families (Labov 1972: 30). If they were to leave the island, there would be no descendant left in Edgartown and there would be no one to keep up the traditions of the old families. These two brothers are another example that clarifies the importance of the fishing industry. It also clarifies that the Chilmark fishermen as well as the fishermen from Edgartown shared social orientation. They felt deeply connected to the island which was their home. For this reason they also both shared an aversion to the many summer visitors. The summer visitors would invade the cities of Martha’s Vineyard, and thereby the growing tourism would invade ajor a part in the economy. Though many of the inhabitants appreciate the tourism, the fishermen suffered more and more under economic as well as psychological pressure (Labov 1972: 28). The dependence on summer visitors grew and thereby the independence of the fishermen was reduced. The more inhabitants lived a traditional way of life the more they used the centralization. This fact demonstrates the relationship to the diphthong centralization and the social orientation. Labov learned that another social factor had an outstanding influence on the sound change. He observed attitude towards the island, whether it was positive or negative, was of reason for the usage of this sound change. Labov found out that high school students and their use of the centralization depended on their plan whether or not to stay on the island. He therefore interviewed students from Marthas Vineyard Regional High School. The students who wanted to stay on the island showed a much higher use of the centralized diphthongs than the students who wanted to leave the island after finishing school (Labov 1972: 32). Not only inhabitants from the old families had a high use of the centralization, but Portuguese at the age of thirty-one to forty-five revealed to have a very high use of the sound change in comparison to the other age groups (Labov 1972: 26). The Portuguese of this age group belonged to the third and fourth generation. This generation was the first one which had entirely adopted the ways of life on the island (Labov 1972: 33). They too felt deeply connected to the island, their home. The middle aged Portuguese showed a higher use of centralization than the younger Portuguese, even though the younger Portuguese showed a higher centralization than the young inhabitants with English origin (Labov 1972: 26). This phenomenon can be explained by the attitude towards the island. Most of the young inhabitants with English origin wanted to leave the island opposed to the majority of the young Portuguese who wanted to stay on the island (Labov 1972: 26). This proves that social attitude towards Martha’s Vineyard was to blame for the use of the centralization. In relation to the social attitude the term island identity becomes important. To fully understand this term it is important to explain what â€Å"identity†really means. To define what â€Å"identity†really is, is easier said than done. Identity can be a name of a person but it can also be a way of behaving or other details like gestures or mimics. In Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English by Langenscheidt, there are more than a few explanations. For example: The qualities and attitudes that a person or a group of people have, that make them different from other people (Langenscheidt 2006: 805). The term national/cultural/social identity is listed in this dictionary as well and is defined as a strong feeling of belonging to particular group, race, etc. (Langenscheidt 2006: 805). After having studied Labov`s observations, his results and defining the term identity, it becomes clear that the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard used the sound change to identify themselves. They created an access to their identity with the help of language, and used the centralization as a way to differentiate themselves from summer visitors. This strong bond to their home, the island, is termed by Labov as â€Å"island identity†. Island identity†describes the use of the centralization as an expression of the strong connection, the inhabitant? s ancestry and their home land. Inhabitants who used this sound change also revealed their attitude and connection to the island. The ones using the sound change were the ones who felt deeply connected and identified themselves with the island. Thereby the sound change became an indicator of the inhabitants attitude. The inhabitants who showed a negative attitude towards the island the ones who did not feel connected to it and wanted to leave, did not use this centralization. They simply did not identify themselves with the island. On behalf of those inhabitants who had a positive attitude towards the island the language variant hold prestige. For some inhabitants the sound change had a higher status than for others, although the speakers were not always aware of the importance of the sound change. This is the reason why there are two types of prestige which are termed overt and covert prestige (Meyerhoff 2006: 37). Overt prestige is linked with language variants that speakers use for special reasons. The speakers using the overt prestige have the motive of sounding, for example, politer or even more educated, which means that they obviously are aware of using that variant (Meyerhoff 2006: 37). For the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard the covert prestige played a central role. The speakers who were using the centralization did not want to sound nicer or better than other people on the island. This pronunciation was not the standard or the general norm but it was based on group identity and the way the inhabitants differentiated themselves from other inhabitants and summer visitors. 3. 0 Conclusion Through the study of Labov, he demonstrated that social factors play a role in how people speak and he also clarified the deep social function language has to define sn identity. Labov? s study was of importance for the social linguistic. The centralized diphthongs observed by Labov were most frequently used by the thirty-one up to forty-five age group and was typically observed used by people who lived and worked on the island, who felt deeply connected to the island. The connection between the positive attitude towards life on the island and the usage of centralization was outstanding. The inhabitants who lived a traditional way of life, had the highest degree of centralization. Since being a fisherman was a traditional occupation, this means that the main part of the inhabitants on the up-island had a higher use of the sound change since that was the place where the fishing industry was based. The down-island was the area where less people were using the centralization. It consist of small towns and these towns were the attraction for the increasing number of summer visitors. Consequently, it can be said that the centralization is an indicator of solidarity. A way of showing where you belong and that you are proud of your home and its traditions. For the inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard it was also a way to oppose to the people of the mainland and the new service economy. This sound change made them stand out. By centralizing the diphthongs the inhabitants of island created a way to connect their social identity to language. The language functions as a tool to stick out of the crowd. It is as a reminder of their roots. . 0 Bibliography Deckert, Sharon K. ; Vickers, Caroline H. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. 2011. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Labov, William. Sociolinguistic Patterns. 1972. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Langenscheidt. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. 2006 Meyerhoff, Miriam. Introducing Sociolinguistics. 2006. Abingdon: Routledge Trask, Robert Lawrence. The Dictionary of Historic al and Comparative Linguistics. 2000. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd
Monday, November 25, 2019
Logarithm is the exponent or power to which a base must be raised to yield a given number
Logarithm is the exponent or power to which a base must be raised to yield a given number. An example of a logarithm is as follows. In the expression bx = N, if b is the base and equal to 10 and N a number, equal to 100, then x is equal to 2 and is said to be the logarithm of 100 to the base 10. This is written: log 100 = 2, in which it is understood that log means logarithm to the base 10. The latter is also called a common logarithm. Logarithms that employ the base e, in which e = 2.71828 ... are called natural, or Napierian, logarithms; the notation used is ln, to distinguish natural logarithms from common logarithms (log). When a common logarithm of a number is written as the sum of an integer and a positive decimal (e.g., 2.3147), the integercalled the characteristicserves to locate the decimal point in the number, and the decimalcalled the mantissaindicates the digits in the number. The latter are determined from tables of logarithms, which relate mantissas to numbers. When the number is greater than or equal to 1, the characteristic is 1 less than the number of digits to the left of the decimal point; when the number is less than 1, the characteristic is negative and is 1 more than the number of zeros following the decimal point. For example, the number 365.0 has the characteristic 2; the number 0.005 has the characteristic -3. (l) Metaphor, that image which determines another image. (Rogers) (2) An association of a certain object(s) from one set with each object from another set (mathematics). (Rogers) (3) The normal or characteristic action of a system of entities, generally in time. (Iberall) (4) The variation of some magnitude that depends upon the variation of some other magnitude. (Iberall) (5) a notion that arises in the description made by the observer of the components of a machine or system in reference to an encompassing entity, which may be the whole machine or part of it and whose sta
Friday, November 22, 2019
Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market Essay Example for Free
Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market Essay Whirlpool Corporation is a Fortune 500 company and a global manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $20 billion. Whirlpool entered the Indian market in the late 80s, and had entrenched itself as a formidable player in the Indian home appliances market by the mid 1990s, with a comprehensive product portfolio covering washing machines, refrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is one of the most recognized brand in home appliances in India and holds a market share of over 20%. While Whirlpool is an acknowledged player in many of the water purifier markets across the world for the past several years now, Whirlpool entered the growing water purifier market in India in 2008. Given its focus on â€Å"attaining market leadership through Customer loyalty†, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012. This case presents the situation of the water purifier market in India, and poses challenges that Whirlpool will have to overcome to achieve its vision of becoming the market leaders. Even as world bodies and governments across the continents are strategizing to manage the growth humanity in a holistically sustainable manner, availability of safe drinking is a major area of concern for all. As high as 884 Mn people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world’s population. 1.4 million children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation – one child every 20 seconds. Approximately 80% of diseases in India are caused by water borne micro organisms. This is true in rural as well as urban India. However, awareness of health risks linked to unsafe water The use of water can be broadly divided in to two major categories, namely for Consumption (drinking, cooking etc) and Sanitation. This case focuses on water used for drinking purposes. Throughout human history, different methods of treating water before consumption have been devised. Up until about 100 years ago, it was always found that water flowing from natural springs was safe for drinking in its natural state, but in the 21 century even spring water is first scientifically tested before it is recommended or bottled for drinking. Each of the above methods carries with them significant disadvantages either from a convenience point of view or from health and hygiene perspective. This calls for more sophisticated methods of purifying water, to suit with the evolving lifestyles in the societies. Current State-of-the-Art Water Purification Technologies Today, the more sophisticated and commercially available water purifying technologies are, †¢ †¢ †¢ Manual fill Purifier (Drip Type) Ultra Violet (UV) purification Reverse Osmosis (RO) purification The latter two are generally referred to as Electronic Water Purifier technologies (EWP); by exception, the first one is referred to as Non EWP. The above three are given in the order of chronological evolution, with RO technology being the latest in the Water Purification technology. The manual fill purifiers do not run on electricity, which is a scarce resource in many parts of rural India, and also have significantly lower costs in comparison to the EWPs. Interestingly , these manual fill purifiers which primarily use chlorine or UF technology are at par in performance with UV in terms of microbial protection. UV has been the oldest technology in the industry. It typically involves preliminary stages of filtration, followed by treating the filtered water through UV rays to deactivate the microbial organisms.  In the RO technology, even the smallest of microbial organisms are filtered using the reverse osmosis technology. RO technology especially scores over UV when the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) count in the source water is high . One disadvantage of RO systems is the wastage of significant quantum of water during its processing. Needless to say, the costs of the products under these different technologies increase from manual fill purifiers to UV purification systems to RO purification. The typical price range of manual fill purifier products is Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3500, while the UV products range in price between Rs. 4000 to Rs. 9000. The RO products are priced on the higher side starting from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 20000. Many products available in the market today in India use a combination of technologies but for the products in the lower end technologies (manual fill purifiers). Water Purifier Market in India The delivery of purified water in the Indian markets follow two conduits, namely, water purified in purification plants delivered to residences and other consumption locations (e.g. restaurants) in cans; and installation of water purification instruments at the place of usage. While the former One of the oldest methods of treating water, and one still used constantly in Third World and often in developing nations or areas that have seen recent natural disasters, is boiling to kill microbes (but this causes loss of taste and may leave in dirt). Other methods of water treatment include filtering and distilling, use of chemical agents such as Iodine or Silver or Potassium Permanganate into the water supply, or the use of candle filters. methodology predominantly uses multiple technologies mentioned above, provides economies of scale and eliminates initial costs of investing in equipments, the costs involved in distribution of the treated water counters these economies of scale. The l atter provides for visibility and ease of use, which are significant perceived benefits in comparison to the former. While both the delivery mechanisms exist, the latter is fast catching up. This case focuses on the latter, which is typically referred to as the Water Purifier industry. This industry is broadly divided in to two categories namely Electronic Water Purifiers (EWP) comprising of products using UV or/and RO technologies and Non Electronic Water Purifiers (Non EWP) comprising of products that use the manual fill purifiers. Frost and Sullivan report of primary research in 2009, estimates the total market size of the Water Purifier industry in India to be 2000 Cr of which 63% is from product sales and 37% is after sales revenue. Despite the size of this industry, the Water Purifier industry in India has a low penetration (2% Urban and 0.5% All India) as per IRS 2007 and is growing at a strong rate (others use traditional water treatment methods like boiling and filtering, or use of chemical additives like Chlorine, Potassium permanganate etc). As per AC Nielson 2006 study( and internal estimates), the industry is expected to touch approx 2.3 mn units by the end of 2009. Expected growth rate of 15% and a CAGR (‘04-‘09) 21%. The average ASV of the industry is Rs 6700. With a size of approx 1.7mn (units), the EWP market is divided into 2 sub-segments – RO (30% sal) & UV (70%). The RO segment is the premium end of the category and has an ASV of Rs 12000 while UV has an ASV of Rs. 7000 .RO & UV growths , CAGRs(‘04-‘09) are (15% ,16%) and (10% ,10%) respectively. The Non-EWP segment operates at a sub 2K ASV (Rs 1900). This segment is witnessing an explosive growth with the entrance major players like HUL etc . The Annual growth rate was witnessed at 25% while CAGR(‘04-‘09) at 77%. It is important to note that the technology sold in a given local market is also dependent largely on the characteristics of the source drinking water in the given demography. For example, a region like Delhi with high TDS calls for RO technology, while regions like Cochin with low TDS would depend on products with UV technology. Also, one of the detriments to EWP products is the availability of continuous flow of source water and availability of power, both of which advantages are addressed the products dependent on Manual Fill Purifier technology. While the major element of the market in the water purifier equipment business in India is still in the unorganized sector, branded products are catching up and their market share is improving. The major branded players in the market are Eureka Forbes (AquaGuard, AquaSure brands), Kent, Philips, HUL (Pureit), Ion Exchange (Zero B) Ushabrita and Whirlpool (Purafresh). As per Frost and Sullivan report 2009 , Market share by player and by technology- Approx Shares ( for 2008) Eureka Forbes: RO(20%) , UV(35%) , Drip Type(33%) Kent: RO(25%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) ZeroB: RO(15%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) HUL : RO(0%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(42%) OTH: RO(40%) , UV(65%) , Drip Type(25%) The Non-EWP segment was primarily dominated by local players until recently, when HUL entered the category with its drip type purifier under the brand Pureit at a break through price of Rs 1800 and took the market by storm. The other key players in this segment are Ushabrita & Eureka Forbes. The channel for this segment has traditionally been the Direct to Home (DTH) route, with this route still accounting for a whopping 65% of the product sales in this category. The ratio of Eureka Forbes’ DTH sales is higher at 75%. On the trade side(contribution bal 35%), the DAP channel (Domestic Appliances Products) accounts for the larger proportion of the share with 65% while the Durable Trade accounts for the remaining 35%. The DAP Channel mainly consists of small appliance sellers who sell products like iron , blenders , mixers , gas burners etc. These retailers primarily sell products which lie within the price range of Rs 500-Rs 5000. They are typically not in the prime locations in the market place and their shopfloor size is on an avg10X10ft. The products are displayed mostly in a packed form. The products are sold very close to the MRP and the discounts offered are in the range of only 5-10% HUL has made an entry through a unique channel. It has opened up a large number of ‘Water Safe Zones’ / â€Å"Product Experience Centres’ and is pushing the volumes from there while catering to direct to home service as well While HUL is establishing itself in the entry level segment through consistent advertising and promotions , the more established players in UV & RO like Eureka & Kent too are active in the media space and are seen promoting their products through several media elements. Recently, HUL was seen rolling out a ‘Rs 1 Crore’ challenge offer and heavily promoting the same. At the same time Eureka Forbes was also seen throwing a ‘Money Back Guarantee’ offer on its products. Eureka Forbes operates with a strong sales& service force of 6000 people on the company rolls along with an equally large group of third party franchises. The company has been under pressure to expand its volumes since the avg the productivity of its sales team has come down over years. Lately, they have been seen heavily focussing on retail through their ‘Aquasure’ brand while the ‘Aquaguard’ brand is operating in the DTH section. Kent has its own sales & service set up in Northern India while it depends on third party franchises for its operation in the rest of the country. It has branch offices in 6 cities (AP , Karnataka, Kerala , Mumbai , Gujarat , West Bengal). In order to counter HUL’s explosive growth, Kent recently rolled out a NON-EWP (UF based) purifier at a price of Rs 2500 under the sub-brand ’Kent Gold’. This product is being primarily marketed through the retail channel. HUL has set up its Safe water zones with external KSPs ( Key service providers) while continuing to have its internal sales team supervising the operations . In Delhi for example , it has 27 such zones with a sales team of 750 sales men, 17 Territory sales executives (TSE) , 3 business development executives (BDE) , 1 area head.(AH) and 2 service officers . The TSEs, BDEs & AH are on company rolls. The following table summarizes the typical product price points in the various segments. Price range (In Rs) Unorganized 1500-2500 4000-6000 8000-12000 Organized 2000 – 3500 6000-9000 8000-20000 Whirlpool Not Applicable Not Applicable 12500-20500 Segment Non EWP Ultra Violet (UV) Reverse Osmosis (RO) Whirlpool’s entry in the Water Purifier Market in India Whirlpool has been present in the Water category in all the key regions of the world including US, Canada, NAR, Europe, Brazil, Mexico & Asia in several value added segments like water heaters, bottled water dispensers, water softeners , Refrigerator filters etc. Whirlpool entered the Water Purifier Market in India in the early 2008 to tap in to the growing Water Purifier Market, focused on the RO segment to start with, with the launch of the Purafresh range of purifiers. Currently, Whirlpool Water Purifier products are available across all markets in the country. Whirlpool has garnered a Market Share of 5% in the RO segment in the past 1  ½ years. The Water purifier category is a perfect brand fit for Whirlpool. It is a home appliance used by the home maker to provide safe and pure drinking water to her family, thus building a strong case of placing trust in the brand. This category will lend a lot of credibility to the Whirlpool brand. Whirlpool’s communication strategy also revolves around reinforcing this element of Trust. Equipped with Whirlpool’s patented ‘6th Sense’ technology, the new ‘Purafresh’ water purifier is the first Reverse Osmosis system on the market that not only purifies but also protects the purity and freshness of the water with its prestigious gold seal certification (from GOLD Seal of Water Quality Association, USA WQA). Purafresh is available in three models – Purafresh Platinum, Purafresh Elite and Purafresh Deluxe. Given the situation described above, suggest a comprehensive â€Å"Go-To-Market†plan following a systematic methodology for Whirlpool to achieve its overall objective of achieving market leadership in the Water Purifier Market (in the organized sector) by 2012, and its interim goal of achieving market leadership in the RO segment, ensuring its premium brand image, and its operational philosophies (given in the annexure for ready reference). A) Understanding and presentation by a Systematic methodology. B)Inputs: Should reflect comprehensive understanding of the company and competitive environment. 1) Analyze company development , history, Growths. 2) Identify Strengths , weaknesses , 3) Analysis of external environment (Porter 5 forces , SWOT etc) C) Outputs: Understating should result in output 1) Strategy on all 4 P’s 2) Channel Strategy ( Spl Focus) a) Evaluation of SWOT b) Key market insights c) Business Level Strategy d) Recommendations (including articulation of hypothesis) e) innovative approach especially in the communication/promotion strategy Phase II Build a detailed business plan arising out of the above strategic plan, and project the profitability of this business over time, including investments that may be required for new products and their market entries, while achieving this objective. Recommendation evaluated by 1) Strategy 2) Product choice 2) Financials ( volumes, Margins , costs , etc) 3) Process of executing strategy 4) Innovative approach/ideas. {In the first phase, the second phase question and related references should not be circulated} Whirlpool’s high end Purafresh platinum model, is India’s first and Only Direct Flow RO with no storage tank enabling immediate consumption of freshly purified water with 72 litres per hour capacity (Normal RO products have 8-10 litres per hour capacity). It has an advanced 5-stage purification process and also boasts of a first–of–its–kind electronic interface with a ‘Filter change indicator’, which alerts the consumer on the need to change the filter and thus ensures continual purity & protection of the water. Other diagnostics functions like no water on tap indication, self cleaning mode indication, and water extraction indication makes it the most advanced and best in class product available in the Indian market today. Whirlpool entered the Indian market mainly leveraging their strength in the durable retail channel and has the highest share (30%) of all Water Purifier sales in this channel. Whirlpool has also entered the DAP Channe l and are currently having a 10% share in that channel. The â€Å"Surging to Lead†Challenge Given its focus on â€Å"attaining market leadership through Customer loyalty†, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012, with an interim goal of attaining market leadership in the RO segment by 2010, while at the same time maintaining its brand position. This, no doubt, is a challenging aspiration for Whirlpool, given the well entrenched players in the market like Eureka Forbes, aggressive players like HUL who is focused on tapping the market at the â€Å"Bottom of the Pyramid†and a large unorganized market who would significantly benefit from the growth fuelled by these players. However, Whirlpool has to its advantage of its strong brand position in the hearts and minds of the home makers, and a strong, well established channel in the white goods market. The challenge for Whirlpool is to leverage its strengths, and perhaps work out completely innovative market strategies if it has to achieve its intent of becoming a market lea der in the Water Purifier Market in general, and that in the RO segment. Annexure : A brief about Whirlpool Whirlpool, right from its inception in 1911 as first commercial manufacturer of motorized washers to the current market position of being world’s number one manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, has always set industry milestones and benchmarks. The parent company is headquartered at Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA with a global presence in over 170 countries and manufacturing operation in 13 countries with 11 major brand names such as Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Roper, Estate, Bauknecht, Laden and Ignis. The company boasts of resources and capabilities beyond achievable feat of any other in the industry. Whirlpool initiated its international expansion in 1958 by entering Brazil. However, it emerged as truly global leader in the1980’s. This encouraging trend brought the company to India in the late 1980s. It forayed into the market under a joint venture with TVS group and established the first Whirlpool manufacturing facility in Pondicherry. Soon Whirlpool acquired Kelvinator India Limited in 1995 and marked an entry into Indian refrigerator market as well. The same year also saw acquisition of major share in TVS joint venture and later in 1996, Kelvinator and TVS acquisitions were merged to create Indian home appliance leader of the future, Whirlpool India. This expanded the company’s portfolio in the Indian subcontinent to washing machines, refrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is the most recognized brand in home appliances in India and holds a market share of over 20%. The company owns three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Faridabad, Pondicherry and Pune. Each of these manufacturing set-ups features an infrastructure that is witness of Whirlpool’s commitment to consumer interests and advanced technology. In the year ending in March ’09, the annual turnover of the company for its Indian enterprise was Rs.1,719 Crores. The company’s brand and image speaks of its commitment to the homemaker from every aspect of its functioning. It has derived its functioning principles out of an undaunted partnership with the homemakers and thus a slogan of â€Å"You and whirlpool, the world’s best homemaker†dots its promotional campaigns. The products are engineered to suit the requirements of ‘smart, confident and in-control’ homemaker who knows what she wants. The product range is designed in a way that it employs unique technology and offers consumer relevant solutions. Whirlpool Corporation : Vision and Mission Whirlpool’s pervasive vision, â€Å"Every Home, everywhere, with pride, passion and performance†, rests on the pillars of innovation, operational excellence, customer-centric approach and diversified talent. These are embedded within our business goals, strategy, processes and work culture. Be it our products that are the result of innovation and operational excellence to meet every need of our consumers or the people behind these products that come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, everything we do features a distinct Whirlpool way. Core Competencies Innovation: Unique and compelling solutions valued by our customers and aligned to our brands create competitive advantage and differentiated shareholder value. Operational Excellence (OPEX): A methodology for solving problems & continuous improvement of products & processes through pursuit, acquisition, and utilization of knowledge using critical thought and planned experimentation helps us achieve operational excellence. Customer Excellence: Excelling the customer expectation from the company, its brands, products and services are a three-step process. The three steps are: Know a customer, Be a customer, Serve a customer. Knowing a customer helps us know who our customers are, how to treat them, how we add value, and what the drivers of brand loyalty are. This information is gathered from the customer’s data base history. This way we are better able to customize products for them and recommend the right product to solve problems. Being a customer is important to share customer knowledge and insights, drive actions based on customer insights, be passionate about our brands and customer loyalty and provide a positive voice for our brands. We show empathy for customers and seek to resolve their problems by creating consistent customer touch-points, with our endeavour always being to provide unique solutions for the customer . Whirlpool Corporation’s Transformation Agenda Whirlpool is transforming into a completely customer-centred company where the customer lies in the core of every of our functions. This focus has arrived as direct consequence of our core competency of customer excellence. It allows us to build Customer Loyalty. The transformation is made The elements of the transformation hold the promise of making Whirlpool a growing company and thereby increasing value for our shareholders. The five elements are the basis for describing our strategy internally and guide the development of our plans and initiatives. Whirlpool has swiftly moved from being a World Class Manufacturer to a World Class Marketer using the brand-building framework. We are dedicated to creating unique branded solutions that build customer loyalty and achieve brand excellence. Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market. (2016, Jun 06). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
In the Mood for Love Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
In the Mood for Love - Movie Review Example ses are having an affair with each other, both were very dejected, started to fill the gap in their lives by bringing more emotions to their friendship. The theme of the story was melancholic depicting how two disheartened and deceived people found peace with each other’s company although they thought not to be as their spouses. It has been said that Wong has created moody atmosphere using a combination of mise-en-scene, cinematography and his unique direction in the movie. The most inspiring aspect of In the Mood for Love is its brilliant cinematography. Most of the scenes in the movie were shot with the normal lens in order to avoid visible distortions so that the viewers can feel being the part of the movie themselves. The closed shots and close-ups were taken from the telephoto lens as it gives a feel of personal encounter to the viewer. In an interview, Wong declared that he wanted to shoot a movie like Vertigo by Hitchcock in which most scenes were taken outside the frame leaving the rest on the viewer’s imagination. Many of the scenes were shot from behind the windows, partitions and grills in order to create suspense as asserted by the director. Another important aspect of cinematography is Wong’s direction was the use of tracking shots to slide flawlessly between spaces. (Roger 105). Wong by emphasizing on the cinematography kept most of the scenes longer so that the audience would not be interrupted by the cuts and scene transitions. This also helps the audience in getting indulge within the plot and sink with the story line. Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee, the cinematographers of the movie have been acclaimed great appreciation on the brilliant work they have done in the movie. Critics claim that the missing elements in the movie like music or dialogue in some scenes were amazingly covered by intelligent framing and filming of the characters which give us enough detail about the scene and the story. They used techniques like lowering the
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Comparison and Contrast of Dispatches and Slaughterhouse Five Essay
Comparison and Contrast of Dispatches and Slaughterhouse Five - Essay Example The main similarity of both works is that they are personal stories of soldiers coming through war and battlefields. "Slaughterhouse-Five" is a personal story which reflects Vonnegut's experience in WWII. The story is unique because the author depicts events, experience, time, memories through different frames which do not connected with each other. "Dispatches" by Herr portrays a life of a war correspondent in Viet Nam. Herr mentions "What a story he told me, it took me a year to understand it" (Herr, 1991). His personal narration plays a crucial role in plot development appealing to readers through its simplicity and veracity. Both authors use colorful language means to share the atmosphere of war. For instance, Vonnegut writes: "We had been foolish virgins in the war, right at the end of childhood" (Vonnegut, 1969). Both authors depict that war changed worldviews and emotions of soldiers faced with enormous emotional burden and fears. War is depicted as the time when people feel lack of money as Billy does. Vonnegut shows that after the war-time, Billy bears in mind the importance of wealth and richness seeing the marriage with Valencia as the great opportunity to improve his financial position.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Succession Planning Essay Example for Free
Succession Planning Essay 1. Introduction All around the globe there are two main opinions about talent management. One that states that talent can be developed by itself through the everyday work. On the other hand another school states that a talent must be discovered, nurtured, grow and retained. In the fast growing business world especially in last 2 decades many issues appeared that emphasise on taking a stand whether to follow the evolutionary theory or to follow the succession planning and management. Sometimes a company face a challenge if a key position worker disappears for any reason. For example taken by a head hunter, retirement or death. A place is vacant and to fill this place it would take maybe months. Not mention the amount of knowledge that was lost as this key employee was gone. As the competition increases in the business world there is no more loyalty, both from the company and the employee. To face those challenges big organisations must develop a plan not just to solve these situations but also to avoid them in the first place. This plan is a complicated process that requires the dedication of everyone involved. Its success can be measured by the people that affects. (Palma, M 2009, ‘Succession Planning’, PA Times (American Society for Public Administration, March, vol.32, iss. 3, pp.10-11). This report aims to explain and both theories from different vintage points. This paper has three sections. The first is the definition of succession planning. The next is examples of the evolutionary theory. The third section is about talent development as a result of sustained efforts to prepare the leaders of tomorrow. At the end I’ll briefly discuss my conclusion and give my recommendation. 2. Why Succession planning Succession planning has been defined as: A means of identifying critical management positions, starting at the levels of project manager and supervisor and extending to the highest positions in the organisation. Succession planning also describes management positions to provide maximum flexibility in lateral management moves and to ensure that as individuals achieve greater seniority, their management skills will broaden and become more generalized in relation to total organisational objectives rather than to purely departmental objectives.( Rothwell, W. J., 2010. Effective Succession Planning. Fourth edition ed. New York: AMACOM American Management Association.) Also it is the identification and development of potential successors for key positions in an organisation, through a systematic evaluation process and training. Unlike replacement planning (which grades an individual solely on the basis of his or her past performance) succession planning is largely predictive in judging an individual for a position he or she might never have been in.( www.businessdictionary.com) It is a component of good HR planning and management. It understands that staff will not be with an organization forever and it provides a plan and process for ameliorating the situation that will occur when they leave. It must not focus on the senior positions only, but also on all the crucial key positions in all levels. Succession planning is a process of developing talent to meet the needs of the organisation now and in the future. Every time a manager makes a work assignment, he or she is preparing someone for the future because he or she is building that workers ability. Work experience builds competence, and different kinds of work experience build different kinds of competence. (Effective succession planning, William J. Rothwell, 4th edition, p371) Organizational leaders need to think about aligning their staffing and leadership needs with the organization’s future strategic objectives. If they do not take action to establish an effective SPM program, they are likely to fall victim to the so-called like-me problem, in which people are biased to pick other people like themselves, viewing them more favourably. Given the tendency to want to â€Å"clone†job incumbents for successors, organizations must take steps to counteract that built-in bias, for the simple reason that the job incumbent of today, while perhaps perfectly suited for the business environment now, may not be suitable for the business environment of the future.( Rothwell, W. J., 2010. Effective Succession Planning. Fourth edition ed. New York: AMACOM American Management Association.) 3. The Evolutionary Process of Talent Development: Here are some examples of real life companies using the evolutionary process: 3.1 Mohamed Ibrahim Optics This company was established in 1972 and the owner Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim at this time about 35 years old. By 1999 there were more than 25 branches around Egypt. After more than 40 years it’s the time for him to retire because health issues. He has 3 sons and because he was always managing the process he is assuming that one of his sons would be his successor in the business, but neither had he identified which of them would be the best successor, nor he tried to develop them. The emotional factor and the notion that he was going to stay at home and would not be the C-executive terrifying Mr. Ibrahim. Now one of his sons who is not interested in the business is running the operation and the employees are not happy with the new manager which affected their performance. 3.2 Rizkallah appliances This is an example about a CEO’s maneuvering to delay the succession process. After 2 decades of running Rizkallah for electronics, the time has come for Mr. Essam to start planning for retirement. The board was confident that Mr. Essam was the best one for the position. He has the experience and the knowledge. Putting his retirement plans in one hand and the strategy he want to follow in the other hand made him procrastinate the succession process. He became hypercritical of all potential candidates. Also compare his performance with the performance of the new candidate. For Mr. Essam he was losing his job. The key to successful succession planning is to stop viewing it as a zero-sum game with one winner and one loser. It should be regarded as a natural progression in the health of an organization. (Baldoni, J 2008, ‘Making a Success of Succession Planning’, CIO Insight) 3.3 Masr for insurance This is about a CEO who would not leave his position due to economic factors. The recession in Egypt make Mustafa think twice about leaving his position. Also the recession made it very difficult to start a systematic succession planning in the organisation. Pulling off a CEO transition is never easy, especially during a recession. (The art of succession, By: Boyle, Matt, BusinessWeek, 5/11/2009, Issue 4130) In his mind he thought that he must be the only decision making person. Holding all the keys for making a decision in his hands. Regardless he was about 59 years old he never thought of choosing a successor or investing in a succession plan. During the revolution Egypt in 2011 he was exposed to the gases and because of his age and medical condition he could not tolerate the gas and he suffocated to death. More than 6 months passed by and his position was still vacant and no one dare to fill his place. Those 6 months were very tough and the firm missed lots of opportunities as in this period many companies changed their policies to coop with the different situation. 4. Succession planning and management Argument: From the previous examples we understand that succession planning is needed in any big company. SPM program is needed so the organisational leaders align their staffing and leadership needs with the organisation’s future strategic objectives. Another reason why SPM program is needed: More and more organisations are experiencing the effects of aging workforces that are putting them at risk of losing their most experienced workers to retirement. Also terrorism increases the need for SPM program to ensure that key workers have back up in case they are needed. (Effective succession planning, William J. Rothwell, 4th edition) I Use everything that happens as a learning experience to prepare my staff to stretch in the future. Everyone takes experiences at a different level; they dont all derive the same kinds of lessons from those experiences. What I try to do on a daily basis is turn everything into a leadership learning session. (Chief learning officer magazine, The CLO Succession Plan, March 2008 issue) According to Peter F. Drucker: â€Å"The question of tomorrow’s management is, above all, a concern of our society. Let me put it bluntly-we have reached a point where we simply will not tolerate as a country, as a society, as a government, the danger that any one of our major companies will decline or collapse because it has not made adequate provisions for management succession.†(Harper W.Moulton and Arthur A. Fickel, Executive Development: Preparing For the 21st Century (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 29. â€Å"Every enterprise is a learning and teaching institution. Training and development must be built into it on all levelsâ€â€training and development never stop.à ¢â‚¬ – Peter F. Drucker 5. Talent development is a result of a sustained effort to prepare leaders of tomorrow Another good example from a friend of mine who was working as human resource manager in Prizma Securities Company. 5.1 Prizma Securities In the company they were using a 6 key steps model which used in many large organisations worldwide. They were using market-driven approach to integrate strategic plans with succession plans where necessary talents are required to deal with competitive pressure. 1. Formulating a mission statement: It describes the purpose of a program or the reason for its existence. 2. Identify key areas and positions: Gap analysis may identify key areas. Also Review key positions periodically because they may change over time, depending on changes in Government direction and the introduction of new technology. 3.Identify competency for key areas and positions: Employees who believe they are growing and developing professionally, learning new skills and gaining experience are more productive, have higher morale, and are more loyal than employees at organizations that dont emphasize talent development and knowledge management (Moskal, Planning for Succession, Baseline, October2008, iss. 89, pp. 12 -14.) This was achieved by assessing knowledge, skills and abilities or competency profile. 4. Find interested employees and â€â€assess them against capabilities: Using Talent review meetings 5.Develop and implement succession and knowledge transfer plans: Using stretch assignments, acting assignments, formal training, mentoring and coaching and Job rotations those procedures would help in transferring of knowledge and not remain with certain people. Effective succession planning and talent retention nurtures those employees responsible for the organizations future vision, strategy and success. It assures a sequence of qualified, promotable people as the boomers move on. (Moskal, Planning for Succession, Baseline, October2008, iss. 89, pp. 12-14.) 6. Evaluate effectiveness Evaluation was based on the Donald Kirkpatrick pattern which examines four levels: customer satisfaction, program progress, effective placement and organisational results. Also the programmatic evaluation which examine the process against its stated mission, objectives, and activities. 5.2 Adel Elkholy for shipping: Adel Elkholy Company is one of the largest companies in Egypt. The total number of workers is about 800 employees. In a meeting with HR manager personally he explained briefly the program for succession he is implementing. The purpose of the program: This step to clarify why the company undergoing this program. So the whole departments could be involved and participate. The measurable objectives of the program: result must be measurable so they can measure the success of the program. Design a Competency model: A competency model was established to link the organisation core competencies to job competencies. A present competencies identification for success: in this step 2 categories are identified the exemplars and the fully successful performers. The way those competencies are measured: using high technological software. The competencies needed for success in the future: A scenario planning is conducted to discover the competencies needed in the future. The way the organization assesses potential: using empowered individual potential assessment. Classify individuals by performance and potential: Using the performance/potential 9 grids Narrowing gaps: Preparing and evaluating individual development plans and activities. Evaluating results: It’s carried out by external consultant. Then the results are presented to the owner of the company. 6. Conclusion Although about one half of the companies do not have a succession plan as stated in Business Week: Last year, the National Association of Corporate Directors found that 42.4% of companies had no succession plan at all. The economic crisis has exacerbated this problem as resources have diminished. (The Art of Succession. by: Boyle, Matt, BusinessWeek, 5/11/2009, Issue 4130). But this does not mean that succession planning is not important for the survival of the organisation; moreover its importance is increasing year after year. Most of the organisations knew its importance even if they do not apply the plan. In my opinion, the previous examples show the importance of having a systematic succession planning and management program. That helps placing the right person in the right place at the right time. Having successors is not an easy job, if the SP Management Program is not aligned with the business strategies HR strategies; all stockholders are involved, top management giving full support and the use of proper approaches and tools. It became also mandatory than ever for organisations to plan for future leadership and development of all workers at all levels. At the same time, all the activities in the market became more and more complex. Many functions now require extensive skills and knowledge. 7. Recommendations For all the previous reasons mentioned in my report supported with real life cases, I strongly recommend leaders to understand that its critical to strengthen their talent pool through succession planning, professional development, job rotation and workforce planning. They need to identify potential talent and groom it. So, they must take proactive steps to plan for talent needs at all levels and implement programs designed to ensure that the right people are available for the right jobs in the right places and at the right time. References 1. (A 2009 tune up your firm’s succession planning. Dominic Cingoranelli. Journal of accounting march 2009). 2. (Palma, M 2009, ‘Succession Planning’, PA Times (American Society for Public Administration, March, vol.32, iss. 3, pp.10-11) 3. Rothwell, W. J., 2010. Effective Succession Planning. Fourth edition ed. New York: AMACOM American Management Association. 4. ( www.businessdictionary.com) 5. (Baldoni, J 2008, ‘Making a Success of Succession Planning’, CIO Insight) 6. (The art of succession, By: Boyle, Matt, BusinessWeek, 5/11/2009, Issue 4130) 7. (Chief learning officer magazine, The CLO Succession Plan, March 2008 issue) 8. (Moskal, Planning for Succession, Baseline, October2008, iss. 89, pp. 12-14.) 9. Harper W.Moulton and Arthur A. Fickel, Executive Development: Preparing For the 21st Century (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 29.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
The Space Within :: Education Medicine Learning Papers
The Space Within My second-grade teacher was a second-rate poet. For one of our elementary school's semiannual pageants, our class was supposed to represent colored pencils. Definitely silly, but we were much better off than the kindergartners, who had to portray paste. All we had to do was wear different colored outfits and recite the little verses our teacher had written for us, one pertaining to each color. I was black. My stanza went something like this: "Black is the color of night,/And of the pupils in our eyes,/And our eyes are the windows to our souls." Not exactly earth-shattering poetry. I still remember it, though, because at the time it set me wondering. It was the last line, really. If souls have windows, knowing people is easy. Anyone can see into a window, if the light is right. I thought maybe, if I looked deep enough, I could see all the way to the bottom. I could know everything about someone just by looking. I could know everything. I'm not sure when I first became obsessed with knowing what was inside people. I remember that one of the first fictional characters I ever identified with was a man in my book of Aesop's fables. He complained that the gods should have made human beings with windows in their chests so that their thoughts could be easily read. I couldn't have agreed more. All I wanted was to know. It infuriated me to no end that I could see the world, and I could see what other people looked like, but I couldn't see what the world looked like to other people. I didn't care that everyone's eyes saw essentially the same things. The things themselves were not important. It was the way they were seen that mattered, the way they got twisted around inside other eyes. For Christmas, when I was nine, I asked my mother for telepathy. What I got was a book about palm reading and a trip to the movies. Before we walked into the movie theater, my mother told me she was going to test my telepathy. "I want you to look at the people in the movie. Look in their eyes," she said. "Look very closely. See if you can tell me what they're thinking." I did my very best, watching intently as set after set of two-foot eyes fluttered across the screen. I was surprised at how easy it was.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Is Odysseus a Hero? Essay
The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles, is an epic poem focused on Odysseus, an Ithacan soldier, and his journey that helps him grow as a hero. Odysseus makes idiotic mistakes that end up costing his crewmembers’ lives. His immature ways are sometimes interrupted by occasional courageous acts, but do not outweigh the negative ones. Even though he possesses some hero archetype qualities, Odysseus is not a hero. One way Odysseus proves himself to not be a hero by having an affair with Calypso while married. â€Å"And now, withdrawing into the cavern’s deep recesses, long in each other’s arms they lost themselves in love.†(250,159) This shows that even though Odysseus is so eager to get home to his family, he is willing to make love with another woman instead of staying faithful, like a hero would. We are also shown this through his acts in the Cyclops’s cave. Although he was warned by fellow shipmates to leave the island as soon as possible, Odysseus refuses to leave with the thought of being able to stay there and feast on the food found in the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. Polyphemus is at first a polite host, until the men overstay their welcome. The Cyclops then blocks the exit from the cave so Odysseus and his crew may not leave, but not before killing some of the shipmates. â€Å"Lurching up, he lunged out with his hands towards my men and snatched two at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pupsâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å" (325, 220) This shows that if Odysseus had not acted selfishly by staying in the cave, his crewmates would be alive. A final example of Odysseus not fulfilling the hero archetype is when he refuses to trust his men and does not tell them the content of the bag of winds. This causes the men to come up with the idea that the bag holds riches of coins and treasures. The men are so close to home they can see people on the shore, but the men are too curious and open the bag of winds. Upon the opening of this bag, the ship of Odysseus is then sent back to sea. â€Å"They loosed the sack and all the winds burst out and sudden squall struck and swept us back to sea, wailing, in tears, far from our own native land.†(53, 232) This tragedy could have been avoided had Odysseus shared with the shipmates what was being contained in this bag, instead of being secretive and trying to be the man of the hour. In conclusion, Odysseus may be learning from the mistakes he has made and growing as a hero, but is not at all a hero yet. He makes decisions based on selfish desires that cost many lives throughout the story. A hero is supposed to support his peers and stand up for what is right instead of making choices based on what he wants, and Odysseus does not. Although Odysseus may be perceived as a hero through many readers’ eyes of The Odyssey, he is not at all a hero.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Infidelity across the country Essay
There is a rise in infidelity across the country. It is becoming more common; affecting everyone from celebrities, presidents, married couples, and new lovers. People are more openly talking about infidelity. Infidelity has been on the rise for some time now and is expected to continue to rise. Free dictionary.com defines infidelity as unfaithfulness to a sexual partner especially a spouse. Infidelity statistics show cheating is on the rise; over 50% of both men and women have had a sexual relationship with a person other than their spouse during their marriage. There are many different causes and effects of infidelity, mostly negative, but some can be positive. One possible cause is availability and opportunity. There are so many options of cheatingâ€â€emotional, cyber, and sexual. There are even more ways to hide it, most believe they will not get caught. When the opportunity arises, it is too tempting for most people to pass up. I took a survey in the class to see what fellow classmates believed was the most common cause of cheating. 60% believed that a change in perspective is the leading cause to infidelity. Another cause is technology. Technology makes cheating easier than it ever has been. Numerous people visit online chat rooms and dating sites. Several of those people stay in contact with their online friends, on a daily basis. According to the infidelity statistics nearly 60% of internet users flirt over internet. 40% of them have engaged in sexual conversation. 50% have contacted their online friends. Online porn directly contributes to divorce. There is a direct correlation between online infidelity and sexual affairs. Some people cheat for the thrill of the adrenaline. Knowing cheating is prohibited, they get a rush or high. These people want to avoid boredom in their life. They feel their life is predictable and they want to live on the edge. Familiarity can also play a role in cheating. As time passes, people know their partner very well; this can lead to lack of excitement. If excitement is found elsewhere it can drive a person to cheat. These people believe the grass is green er on the other side. When they become attracted to another they act on it. There are emotional feelings which can lead to infidelity. If one partner feels they are superior to the other, they believe they should cheat. They justify their behavior by feeling they deserve to be with someone equal to them. Another factor is unexpressed anger or a desire to get even. If a partner has previously been caught cheating, the non-cheater may decide to cheat. They believe if they cheat, both will be equal, thus making them feel better. This type of reaction tends not to play out well, for either side. There are physical factors that play into infidelity. Not all people age gracefully. Some people cheat if they get the chance. They want to prove they still can. As their age increases, their self-esteem decreases. They begin to wonder if they are still attractive to the opposite sex. Many people get into an affair just for the affirmation they still have it. Another physical factor is the environment they grew up in. If children are raised in a home where parents or other family cheat, they believe it is perfectly alright. Young individuals are taught, by family and friends, to believe that monogamy is unnat ural and cheating is acceptable. They then apply this learned behavior to their own life. This further increases the trend of continuous cheating. Another cause of the increase in cheating is different sexual experiences. One sexual partner may be more experienced, leaving them bored with their less experienced partner. Some people have a sexual addiction, like Tiger Woods. He had an amazing life, #1 golfer, nice house, beautiful wife, good family, but it still wasn’t enough for him. He admitted to multiple infidelities while married. He also confessed to having a sexual addiction, which he sought treatment for. However, this could not save his marriage; it ended with a public divorce. Celebrity affairs impact the rise in cheating. These affairs are made public, talked about on TV, in magazines, and on the radio. The mistresses are followed by the press, offered money for their story, and become celebrity-like overnight. The most recent public example is focused on General David Petraeus and his biographer, Paula Broadwell. The General worked for the CIA, he willingly resigned after news of the affair was made public. In his resignation note he stated, â€Å"I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as a leader of an organization [CIA] such as ours.†Not only did this have a negative impact on his marriage, but his life long career as well. The most well-known affair would be with President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Clinton struggled with the decision to talk publically about the affair. He contacted a friend for advice on if he should come out with the truth. He stated â€Å"I didn’t do what they said I did, but I may have done so much that I can’t prove my innocence.†His friend advised him to tell the truth, he said the American people will forgive adultery but not lies. People spoke of impeaching him, but this never happened, he finished out his term. The effects of cheating are devastating. It affects the person on the receiving end more than it does the cheater. Infidelity can have effects on both partners. Not all relationships can make it through this hard time. A majority of people affected by infidelity want to let the relationship go and move on. The person, who was cheated on, ends up with a shattered self-image. He/she is infected with severe self-doubt and blame. They can’t help but become depressed or even suicidal. This could cause them to lose faith/trust in both people and relationships. People directly affected by infidelity are more likely to be insecure or angry. If they do not seek professional help it could result in continuous problems. Most effects of cheating are negative, but there are a few positive results. Infidelity could cause one, or both partners, to seek much needed professional help. Some issues can be worked through, but require both time and work. If a couple makes it thru an occurrence, they could form a stronger bond, and become thankful for what they do have. The most critical/significant cause of cheating is a lack of emotional intimacy. Over time, the love almost dies. Couples make the poor choice to remain in these dead relationships for long periods of time. The need for love and feeling of importance is crucial to the survival of a relationship. If a partner feels neglected they may seek love from an alternative source. Spending too little time with a partner leaves them feeling their needs and/or desires are unmet. Women are more prone to cheating if they feel unaccepted, and unloved. When affection is missing it can drive an individual to cheat. The rise in infidelity has a tremendous impact on the lives of many people. There is a marriage crisis in America. In 2010, less than 50% of Americans were married. A half century ago almost 75% were married. Happiness in marriages has dropped, and divorce rates have gone up. If something is not done to decrease infidelity, theses rates will continue to go up.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Abstruse and Obtuse
Abstruse and Obtuse Abstruse and Obtuse Abstruse and Obtuse By Maeve Maddox Some writers seem to be confusing obtuse with the word abstruse, as in these incorrect examples on the web: Believe it or not, the American public wasnt always in love with Alfred Hitchcock. Because his movies were often too intelligent or obtuse, he had more fans in the film elite than he did in the general public. Grizz tends to make Shakespeare-esque, outsider-looking-in type observations about the situations at hand, while Dot Com spouts highly intelligent, yet obtuse references that send you (or maybe just me) to Google. Having finally struggled through Ulysses, and yes it was a struggle, I had no patience at all for FINNEGANS WAKE, which is even more obtuse. Has anyone actually read it? All of it? I chide Brad DeLong all the time for making excuses for Greenspan’s thick, obtuse, obscurant speech. In each of these examples, the context calls for a word that means difficult to understand. That word is abstruse: The mistake of using abstruse where obtuse is intended seems to be less common, but it happens: It is really abstruse to find Avatar not grabbing anything from the Oscars. It was altogether a new theme with a lot of innovations This movie fan seems to be reaching for obtuse, a word that means lacking in perception, stupid. Bottom line: Barely comprehensible language is abstruse. Stupid people are obtuse. Note: Obtuse derives from Latin obtusus, blunted, dull. An obtuse angle is blunt, as opposed to being sharp. 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, Whetherâ€Å"As Well As†Does Not Mean â€Å"And†How Do You Determine Whether to Use Who or Whom?
Monday, November 4, 2019
Ethical opinions on computer confidentiality in health care Essay
Ethical opinions on computer confidentiality in health care - Essay Example The patient should be informed immediately upon the availability of the computerized database. Proper explanations should be given to the patient regarding the accurate and dependable medical data that the computerized database can give in order to support the health care of patients. At the same time, the potential hazards or risks of the computerize database should also be explained to the patient in the spirit of clarity and fairness. This way, the patient will have the freedom to choose whether or not he or she would want to utilize and be included in the medical database or not (Drozdenko 4). Whatever the decision of the patient would be, pressuring him or her to make an immediate choice would be unethical, and so the decision of the patient and the relatives has to be respected. Corrections in the time and date must be marked and stamped because this will aid in the management of patient's health evaluation procedures. Any mistake or miscalculated time and date could be fatal for the patients and their families. The stamping of corrections somehow acts as a precaution during the process of the patient's recovery at the hospital.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Health Care in Haiti Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Health Care in Haiti - Research Paper Example A leading example has been in the U.S. that has developed to be a liberated system and fight to attain equality. However, Haiti will be this paper’s focus and derive the measures applied within the health care system in the attempt to offer sustainability to Haitians. About Haiti Haiti’s geographical position is found in the Atlantic Ocean in an area within the Caribbean Sea. Haiti has been since plagued by natural disasters that have threatened the sustainability of the population and these have included famous hurricanes in 2008. The economy has failed to offer sustainable measures to the population that strives to live above the dollar daily. Most Haitians are of lower class with the rising inflation within their economy. Food and fuel have been the chief cause of the impoverished lifestyle leading to some venturing to eat the edible clay cookies. The country has been named as the poorest country within the western hemisphere with the threat placed on natural and fab ricated causes. The inability to offer sustainability to the economy has developed the constraints witnessed to provide sustainable solutions within the health care (Farmer 398). ... The health care system has been the refection of the impoverished living conditions subjected upon Haitians. Despite efforts to invent measures that have been invented to improve mortality and life sustenance in vaccination services, the needed health care reforms is still an outstanding problem. The inadequate distribution of resources and, corrupt political, system has been the leading cause of the problem. The measure has witnessed a minimal amount of $85 vested annually to sustain the ordinary citizen, a figure invested by foreign entities and agencies (Whyte). Moreover, public hospitals and the few clinics available within the economy hold minimal qualified personnel with inadequate supply of the needed medical resources. Most of the qualified doctors have fled Haiti for safer environs and working conditions. The attempt has been made by Cuba to increase the number of trained professionals within the system, but the provision is not enough to sustain the reducing condition. The other provision to destabilize health care has been in the perpetrated violence witnessed in protest against the corrupt government, which instilled fear among health workers to avoid their duties. This has led to the development of ignorance that has threatened sustainability as the natives practice traditional measures to solve health problems. Research has indicated that more women are using herbal strategies to solve health problems as compared to contemporary medicine leaving more children without vaccination. Solutions Non-governmental organizations have been established to offer sustainable measures to sustain the Haitian economy. Haiti Healthcare Partners (HHP) had been established in 2006 to find strategies to accord affordable programs to the natives
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