An Analysis of The Thurber Carnival Essay - 1094 Words

An Analysis of The Thurber Carnival The Fables for Our Time contained in Thurbers The Thurber Carnival are, in my opinion, particularly good examples of a writer successfully breaking frames in order to create humor and satire. In this essay I am going to explore the main methods Thurber uses to create humor and satire in the fables The Shrike and the Chipmunks and The Unicorn in the Garden2. Firstly though, what do I mean by the broken frame? This is a reference to the idea that the violation of our frames of reference, and the recognition of the incongruity caused by it, is the basic element of humour. If the incongruity needs to be explained, the humour will be lost. Kant expresses this idea when he says†¦show more content†¦To be sure, the female chipmunk had not been gone three nights before the male had to dress for a banquet and could not find his studs or shirt or suspenders.5 Both of these fables are part of the twist in the tale tradition. They lead the reader into expecting one type of ending and then provide another, in this case in order to create a humour. In The Shrike and the Chipmunks, the lady chipmunk espouses all of those old wives sayings that are generally considered to be commonsensical. You cant be healthy if you lie in bed all day and never get any exercise, the chipmunk wife tells her husband6. The irony here is that by being forced from his bed the male chipmunk becomes the prey of a shrike. Thurbers twist is that we tend to believe that the wifes advice is right - early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise, but in the chipmunks case, following this maxim was a death warrant. The moral at the end provides the final laugh. It is in fact an altered version of the maxim quoted above. Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy wealthy and dead.7 It is the familiarity of the one, compared with the changed emphasis of the other, that breaks the frame of our experience and provokes our laughter. This is a satirical laugh. The new version of the maxim exposes the unthinking trust we put in a lot of sayings - deserved or not. The Unicorn in the Garden has a similarShow MoreRelatedwisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 PagesCervantes (author of Don Quixote), and the Englishman Shakespeare as the three great writers of this early era when humor often reflected wisdom. He also mentions the Dutchman Erasmus’s In Praise of Folly (1509) as â€Å"one of the greatest creations of carnival laughter in world literature.†11 Since Erasmus comes first chronologically, let’s start with his book. He depicts Folly as a goddess addressing her devotees. She begins with the presumption that folly is shared by all humans. Through her, Erasmus

Free Blacks During The Antebellum A Comparative And...

Free Blacks in the Antebellum: A Comparative and Analytical Study of Free Blacks in Louisville New York City Stokely Carmichael famously said, â€Å"We have to fight for the right to invent the terms which will allow us to define ourselves and to define our relations to society, and we have to fight that these terms will be accepted.† Preceding his statement over 150 years, newly freed blacks began to assimilate into the white-dominated society of the United States. While slavery still dominated in the southern part of the country, blacks in the north began to be freed during and after the American Revolution. While there were instances of free blacks in southern society, as demonstrated by the case study of Louisville, KY, this newfound freedom was commonly seen throughout the northern states, such as New York City. It seems ludicrous to think that while the brutality of slavery increased with Cotton Kingdom, many blacks were beginning new lives as free citizens of the United States of America. Howev er outlandish, census data confirms that free slaves did indeed exist and were becoming a part of life in metropolitan America. This rural-to-urban migration pattern makes sense, though, as these newly freed blacks settled away from the urban places that were forced to call home for nearly a century. A comparative analysis of a northern city, New York City, and a city of the upper-south, Louisville, not only validates this rural-to-urban migration, but also demonstratesShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesMeyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman:

Nursing Care Practices For The Management Of Embolic Stroke - Samples

Question: Discuss about the Nursing Care Practices For The Management Of Embolic Stroke. Answer: Introduction The current assignment focuses on thenursing care practices for the management of Embolic stroke. Embolic stroke could be referred to the condition when a blood clot which forms elsewhere in the body travels to the brain via the blood stream. It blocks the adequate supply of blood to the brain leading to ischemic stroke. This cuts off the required amount of oxygen and nutrients from reaching the brain. Some of the factors which further increase the chances of contraction of the disease are- being over 40 years of age, possessing autoimmune disease such as diabetes, presence of heart disease (Holmes Jr et al., 2015). Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) are one of the biggest killers in Australia. It has been found that 80% of the strokes could be prevented which in turn adds up to a sufficient amount of healthcare costs (Mozaffarian et al., 2016). Therefore, effectivenursing care could be designed for control and management of the condition of the patient. The assignment discusses in deta il the efficacy of evidence based pharmacological intervention methods. Patient background In the current assignment we have focussed upon medication management and nursing care for embolic CVA. For designing of an effective care management the patient background needs to be taken into consideration (Hart et al., 2014). Here, the patient was a 58 year old man named John who had been brought and admitted to the hospital on grounds of feeling numbness in his rights hands along with speech difficulty and light headedness. He worked as a construction site engineer with Quality enterprises and solutions located in the Osborne region of New South Wales. As reported by his family John had normally reported to work for the day. However, he started feeling uncomfortable in the afternoon and was unable to work till he started feeling dizzy and had numbness in his right arms. Later he was admitted the daffodils hospital on encountering blurred vision, slurred speech. Reason for admission John had been feeling dizzy at his place of work and had difficulty in breathing. He later on developed slurred speech and blurred vision which made work difficult for him. His fellow workers felt that he needed immediate medical intervention and got him admitted to the hospital. John was immediately attended by a resident doctor. He reported that John had poor pulse rating, high BP along with slow breathing. The patient also reported signs of face muscle twitching along with slurred speech. Therefore, based upon these symptoms he was shifted to the medical examination room. Diagnosis Based upon the range of a number of clinical symptoms such as slurred speed, blurred vision, numbness in the right hands which gradually spread to the entire arm along with face muscle twitching and dizziness, John was suspected of embolic stroke. The tool used in order to access the condition of the patient was the FAST framework. Here, FAST stands for face, arms, speech and time. Here, the patient exhibited constant face muscle twitching along with difficulty in raising both his arms straight. Therefore, the preliminary diagnosis was given that the patient might be experiencing an embolic stroke. Therefore, the patient was suggested a blood test a along with CT scan. The CT scan confirmed the presence of ischemic stroke in the penumbra region of the brain. Past medical history The diagnosis of the past medical history of the patient plays a crucial role in the designing of effective care treatment for the patient. Here, John had a past history of hypertension and high blood cholesterol. On further investigations, it was found that he had previously fallen unconscious in his place of work an had to be given artificial oxygen. Therefore, based upon the past history of hypertension the patient was put under emergency care for embolic stroke symptoms management and prevention. A-E assessment of the patient with expected findings typical of embolic stroke An A-E assessment of the patient was conducted for analysing the physical condition of the patient. Here, A refers to airway, B for breathing, C for circulation, D for disability and E for exposure. Attributes Effects A- Airway The patient had difficulty in breathing stressing upon the need for mechanical ventilation. Once the airway had been inserted into the patient the see-saw movement of the chest stops in the patient. B- breathing The patient recorded SpO2 level of 84% which is comparatively low whereas the normal SpO2 is expected to remain somewhere between 94% to 99% .The falling of the SpO2 level below 84% point towards the administration of artificial oxygen support. C-circulation The patient recorded high blood pressure along with difficulty in breathing. D-disability The patients had slurred speech and difficulty in talking. He could only answer to the inquiries made by the doctor by making eye gestures. E- exposure The patient further recorded temperature around 38.2 degree centigrade which was slightly higher than the normal. Preliminary diagnosis: The patient could be suffering from an embolic CVA. Pharmacological treatment for embolic stroke The pharmacological treatment for stroke could be divided into- stroke-specific treatment and stroke prevention. As commented by Ruff et al. (2014), the treatment process further varies depending upon the nature of the stroke whether it is ischemic or hemorrhagic. Some of the pharmacotherapeutic options are tissue plasminogen activartor (tPA) and antiplatelet agents. It was found that the ones receiving tPA were more likely to have minimal or no disability after several months of treatment (DeBaun et al., 2014). Anti platelet agents such as aspirin have been found to be effective for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The aspirin therapy should begin within 24-48 hours of the acute ischemic stroke (Berkhemer et al., 2015). The secondary treatment addresses the prevention of recurrences of the symptoms of stroke by controlling some of the metabolic risk factors namely blood pressure and lipids. The use of diuretics along with angiotensin converting inhibitor enzyme has been seen to be beneficial. Evidence based rationale for medication and nursing care The medication provided for the management of the conditions of embolic stroke could be justified with the help of a number of supportive theories and arguments. Evidence based approaches have proved that revasculiarization of the ischemic brain and arousing sleep neurons can improve outcomes in patients with acute stroke (Campbell et al., 2015). The two major drug classes used over here are thrombolytic and antiplatelet agents. Currently one of the approved drugs which are used is tissue plasmionogen activator (t-PA) alteplase, which results in reperfusion by dissolving the thrombus (Saver et al., 2016). The affectivity of the drug supplied depends on the effectiveness of delivery to the damaged channel. As supported by Diener et al. (2015), if tPA is administered within three hours of onset of stroke improved functional outcome is observed. As supported by Schnenberger et al. (2016), administration of low molecular weight heparins have been further seen to lower the risk of thrombo cytopenia or osteoporosis in the patient. tPA has been rated as the Gold standard for the treatment of ischemic cerebral stroke. It works by dissolving blood clot and improving the flow of blood to the brain. As reported by Doucet, Roncarolo, Tampieri del Pilar Cortes (2016), patients who have got tPA administration on time have been seen to recover better than the one who had not received the drug therapy at the right time. The after treatment could be started with the right doses of administration of anticoagulants. The anticoagulants have been seen to interfere with the blood capacity to clot (Nikoubashman et al., 2017). Therefore, improving the supply of blood to the brain and can be used an effective preventive measure. In this respect, the chances of recurrence are most common in the patient within 90 days of suffering a first stroke. Therefore, in order to control the rate of the fatalities it is necessary to put the patient on anti-coagulants. In this respect, employment of trainednursing professionals trained in the areas of acute stroke management could be beneficial. Additionally, using frameworks such as Fast can r help the nurse analyse the condition of the patient. As mentioned by Anderson, Saleemi Bialystok (2017), effective record keeping and documentation has also been seen to enhance the process of drug delivery and monitoring in the patients. However, the nursing professional should ensure that permission have been sought from the respective family members of the patients before putting them through any aggressive care procedures. Conclusion The current assignment focuses on the concept of nursing care provision and management for embolic stroke. The patient has suffered an embolic stroke and had to be provided immediate care provision and management. In this respect, effective caution needs to be practised regarding the administration of the medications to the patient. For the preliminary examination of the condition of the patient a FAST framework was followed. Form the diagnosis it was ascertained that the patient could be having an embolic stroke. Hence, the patient was put under further blood tests and CT scan, which confirmed the presence of Embolic stroke in the patient. The assignment also discusses the effectiveness of different medications. Some of these have been discussed with regards to the rate of success in controlling the progression through the condition of embolic stroke. More emphasis had been given to tPA administration which if provided within a particular time frame can reduce the severity of the st roke References Anderson, J. A., Saleemi, S., Bialystok, E. (2017). Neuropsychological assessments of cognitive aging in monolingual and bilingual older adults.Journal of neurolinguistics,43, 17-27. Berkhemer, O. A., Fransen, P. S., Beumer, D., Van Den Berg, L. A., Lingsma, H. F., Yoo, A. J., ... van Walderveen, M. A. (2015). A randomized trial of intraarterial treatment for acute ischemic stroke.New England Journal of Medicine,372(1), 11-20. Campbell, B. C., Mitchell, P. J., Kleinig, T. J., Dewey, H. M., Churilov, L., Yassi, N., ... Wu, T. Y. (2015). Endovascular therapy for ischemic stroke with perfusion-imaging selection.New England Journal of Medicine,372(11), 1009-1018. DeBaun, M. R., Gordon, M., McKinstry, R. C., Noetzel, M. J., White, D. A., Sarnaik, S. A., ... Telfer, P. T. (2014). Controlled trial of transfusions for silent cerebral infarcts in sickle cell anemia.New England Journal of Medicine,371(8), 699-710. Diener, H. C., Easton, J. D., Granger, C. B., Cronin, L., Duffy, C., Cotton, D., ... Sacco, R. L. (2015). Design of Randomized, double-blind, Evaluation in secondary Stroke Prevention comparing the EfficaCy and safety of the oral Thrombin inhibitor dabigatran etexilate vs. acetylsalicylic acid in patients with Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source (RE-SPECT ESUS).International Journal of Stroke,10(8), 1309-1312. Doucet, C., Roncarolo, F., Tampieri, D., del Pilar Cortes, M. (2016). Paradoxically decreased mean transit time in patients presenting with acute stroke.Journal of computer assisted tomography,40(3), 409-412. Hart, R. G., Diener, H. C., Coutts, S. B., Easton, J. D., Granger, C. B., O'Donnell, M. J., ... Cryptogenic Stroke/ESUS International Working Group. (2014). Embolic strokes of undetermined source: the case for a new clinical construct.The Lancet Neurology,13(4), 429-438. Holmes Jr, D. R., Doshi, S. K., Kar, S., Price, M. J., Sanchez, J. M., Sievert, H., ... Reddy, V. Y. (2015). Left atrial appendage closure as an alternative to warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: a patient-level meta-analysis.Journal of the American College of Cardiology,65(24), 2614-2623. Mozaffarian, D., Benjamin, E. J., Go, A. S., Arnett, D. K., Blaha, M. J., Cushman, M., ... Howard, V. J. (2016). Executive summary: heart disease and stroke statistics2016 update: a report from the American Heart Association.Circulation,133(4), 447-454. Nikoubashman, O., Pauli, F., Schrmann, K., Othman, A. E., Bach, J. P., Wiesmann, M., Reich, A. (2017). Transfer of stroke patients impairs eligibility for endovascular stroke treatment.Journal of Neuroradiology, 55-85. Ruff, C. T., Giugliano, R. P., Braunwald, E., Hoffman, E. B., Deenadayalu, N., Ezekowitz, M. D., ... Yamashita, T. (2014). Comparison of the efficacy and safety of new oral anticoagulants with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of randomised trials.The Lancet,383(9921), 955-962. Saver, J. L., Goyal, M., Van der Lugt, A. A. D., Menon, B. K., Majoie, C. B., Dippel, D. W., ... Cardona, P. (2016). Time to treatment with endovascular thrombectomy and outcomes from ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis.Jama,316(12), 1279-1289. Schnenberger, S., Uhlmann, L., Hacke, W., Schieber, S., Mundiyanapurath, S., Purrucker, J. C., ... Ringleb, P. A. (2016). Effect of conscious sedation vs general anesthesia on early neurological improvement among patients with ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy: a randomized clinical trial.Jama,316(19), 1986-1996.

Tess Of The D’Urbervilles Essay Research Paper Example For Students

Tess Of The D’Urbervilles Essay Research Paper Tess of the dUrbervilles is subtitled A pure woman and this is how Thomas Hardy sees and portrays her throughout his novel. As the novel progresses the reader is introduced to many aspects of Tess as she grows from being a child on the verge of adulthood to a mature and experienced woman. In some parts of the book Hardy describes Tess as very passive but in other parts of the novel she is shown as a powerful and even godly sort of woman. The character of Tess is first shown near the beginning of the book as a proud and shy young girl. She is very loving of her family and holds them in high regard especially her parents even though they sometimes do feckless, irresponsible things such as when her father went to Rollivers a pub before going on an important delivery to get up his strength for his journey. At the club-walking at the beginning of the book Tess is shown to be just an ordinary, innocent country girl not handsomer than some others but it is also indicated that she is very attractive. The white dress she wears symbolises purity and virginity and Hardy suggests that this purity comes from lack of experience as he describes her as untinctured by it. She is also shown to be very protective of her father and when she is teased by her friends about him it appears that she is quite sensitive and not resilient to embarrassment. At this point Tess is a mere vessel of emotion and she still has a local dialect but with some educated speech. Tess is more responsible than her parents as she takes the beehive delivery herself when her father is too hung-over to do it. She is, however, contrary to her ordinariness marked out from the rest of her friends and fellow country girls from the very start of the book by a red ribbon in her hair. This doesnt seem very significant at first but as the story progresses the colour red is mentioned several times to describe her and single her out from the rest. Some other examples of this are the blood of Prince the family horse which splashes on her white dress after he dies, her red mouth which is described as a flower a couple of times throughout the novel and Alec when he is described as the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life. The colour red, in general, is also frequently used to symbolise danger, passion, death and anger. Tess at this point in the novel is pictured as extremely passive and subject to the wishes of her family and their evident irresponsibility. Hardy is very intent on mentioning the cruelty of fate which appears especially in chapter 4 with the discussion between Tess and her brother Abraham concerning the stars, the two children decide that the misfortunes they suffer are all because they live on a blighted star instead of the normal Victorian belief that all misfortunes are due to God punishing someone. This shows Tess as an intelligent and educated young woman. These ideas though technically written in the nineteenth centaury reflect more rightly twentieth centaury views and beliefs. The mere thought that life was random and doesnt always turn out how you want was particularly offensive to people in the Victorian era who believed that there was a divine God that controlled everything. The idea that Hardy thought Tess to be a pure woman even after she had gotten pregnant before marriage and committed murder, was also unheard of in the Victorian era. After the death of Prince Tess feels guilty and responsible for the event, which ironically she had no control over, she regarded herself in the light of a murderess but her guilt leaves her more inclined to her parents wishes. .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 , .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .postImageUrl , .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 , .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2:hover , .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2:visited , .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2:active { border:0!important; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2:active , .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2 .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5faf57b114ce801db44753b8c15a8cf2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Algorithms Pseudocode Flowcharts EssayTesss return to Marlott from Trantridge becomes the subject of gossip in the town because she had come back in a lower social standing than before she left-pregnant and unmarried. In the dusk when light and darkness are so evenly balanced she feels free and her burden and problems fall away, she feels as if she is part of the environment because people in the village have turned their backs on her and she wants to be away from human beings. Thomas Hardy describes her as an integral part of the scene, as if she almost becomes part of the natural world and landscape. At this point Tess is using pathetic fallacy, she thinks that the world around her was acting in sympathy with herself and that a wet day was the expression of irremediable grief. Tess feels that the elements around her are a part of what has happened to her and that whatever God she had spent her childhood praying to was angry at her weakness. Hardy says that Tess feels to blame because people had made her feel this way but that her guilt was only in her imagination. There is irony here because even though Tess is completely at home in the countryside she feels that she is the personification of guilt trespassing on the wildlife and looks upon herself as a figure of Guilt intruding upon the haunts of Innocence, but this is how the natural world operates and Hardy is saying that there is no difference between Tess and the wildlife. Animal imagery is used many times to describe Tess. Thomas Hardy always compares Tess to an animal using similes but never metaphors. This is shown clearly when Tess hears Angel playing the harp for the first time. Tess is described like a fascinated bird and then as stealthily as a cat in the same chapter. This happened at twilight, which the time between night and day that Hardy believed people became very sensitive to the world around them. Hardy has mentioned this theory of his before when Tess returns to Marlott after getting pregnant with Alec dUrbervilles child. It is silent around that time and Tess seems to enjoy silence and not think of it as the absence of sound. As Tess noiselessly walks up to Angel, who is portrayed as a genuine stereotypical angel playing a harp in the attic above her head, she is described using the imagery of birth, growth and nature seems to be in a sort of hallucinatory, erotic ecstasy. This chapter also uses synaethesia to describe how she felt as she heard the music coming from Angels harp such as the harmonies passed like breezes and his notes made visible. In my opinion I think that this novel is quite depressing and the reader feels sorry for Tess as her misfortunes are usually not her fault. Personally I think that Tess is quite weak and if she had not been so weak she could have taken control of her life like she did at the end when she murdered Alec instead of being as passive as she was throughout the novel.

Subcultures free essay sample

Assess the usefulness of sub cultural theories in understanding crime and deviance am going to be assessing the usefulness of sub cultural theories in understanding crime and deviance. The functionalist suggested that understanding deviance lies in the studying it function for society rather than the individual itself. Also consensus is essential for society to function. All functionalist therefore argues that forms of social control are necessary to check deviant and to maintain social order. Morton theory of anomie is based on the ideas of the functionalist.Anomie encourages deviance. Morton understood crime and deviance to be a response to the inability to achieve social goals. This is Often referred to as a strain theory of crime, since Morton highlighted a tension or strains between the cultural goals of a society and the legitimate or institutionalized means of achieving these goals. Morton work can be seen to be the influence by the American dream provided that you work hard in a good job, money a good house and a luxurious lifestyle can be yours. We will write a custom essay sample on Subcultures or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However he said that when the values or ultra goals are internalized, many people dont live up to it or achieve it. Morton presents five modes of adapting to strain caused by the restricted access to socially approved goals and means. He did not mean that everyone who was denied access to societys goals became deviant. Rather the response, or modes of adaptation, depends on the individuals attitudes toward cultural goals and the institutional means to attain them. Conformity is the most common mode of adaptation. Individuals accept both the goals as well as the prescribed means for achieving those goals.Conformists will accept, though not always achieve, the goals of society and the means approved for achieving them. Individuals who adapt through. Innovation accepts societal goals but have few legitimate means to achieve those goals, thus they innovate (design) their own means to get ahead. The means to get ahead may be through robbery, embezzlement or other such criminal acts. In Ritualism, the third adaptation, individuals abandon the goals they once believed to be within their reach and dedicate themselves to their current lifestyle. They play by the rules and have a daily safe routine.Retreating is the adaptation of those who give up not only the goals but also the means. They often retreat into the world Of alcoholism and drug addiction. They escape into a non-productive, non-striving lifestyle. The final adaptation. Rebellion occurs when the cultural goals and the legitimate means are rejected. Individuals create their own goals and their own means, by protest or revolutionary activity. Morton was highly critical of competitive and ambitious social values in western society suggesting that competition and greed encourages people to reek the law.The critics of Morton theory is that some say that it neglect the power relation in the whole of the society Laurie Taylor suggest the Morton theory failed to explain who creates the rules in the first place, and in whose interests these rules and values have been developed by the powerful to guarantee success. By focusing on the actions of individuals he fails to recognize that subcultures developed their own goals and means of achieving them and this is a collective response. Other American sociologist has taken the issues that Morton emphasizes on evince as individual responses.Cohen and Collard and Olin, for example, understand deviance to be a collective solution by like-minded and like situated individuals to structurally imposed problems. This meant that deviance and especially delinquency is the result of groups bein g excluded from goals of society because of their position in the social structure usually a class position. Cohen argues that although groups of working class youths may originally accept the wider social goals, their growing awareness of their inability to achieve goals leads to the development of status frustration, where the goals are rejected. Instead, new and deviant goals are formed and a delinquent subculture is formed. Collard and Olin take these ideas further. They contend that as well a legitimate opportunities varying for the successful achievement of wider social goals. Illegitimate opportunities also differ. Thus, some young people are able to join a local gang or to take up a life of crime, but others lack even these choices. These individuals become double failure usually retreat to a life of violence, drug abuse etc.

Free Essays on Red Bull Marketing Stragety

Red Bull’s Marketing Strategy Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 The Plan 4 Sharks in the Water 6 Product Implementation 7 Proven Competitive Advantage 8 Conclusion 9 Graph Outline Graph (1-1) Market share in percent of European held by Red Bull 7 Graph (1-2) Percentage of US market held by Red Bull and it’s (2) largest competitors 9 Executive Summary This report analyzes Red Bull’s strategies and shows how these strategies have enabled Red Bull to become very successful. Market Difficulties Currently, it is very difficult to enter the lucrative energy drink market and become successful. One of the reasons for this is because higher level of knowledge possessed by the consumers caused by the new health craze that has been occurring recently. More and more people are becoming more conscious of different ingredients in the foods and drinks they consume because of the health risks involved. Another reason for the difficulty in entering the energy market is the various types of competition. There are many types of competitors whether their energy products are liquids, solids or pills. Of course not all of these competitors are successful, but a consumer whom may be unaware of a popular energy drink could choose one of the competitors. Fortunately, Red Bull has overcome these barriers. The majority of new consumers become aware of Red Bull and it benefits by word-of-mouth. This tactic cannot be successful for every company, but it has been very successful for Red Bull. The Uniqueness What strategy has allowed them to be successful in today’s market and will that strategy allow them to achieve success in the future battle for market share? For Red Bull differentiation is â€Å"their claim to fame.† They are solely focused on making their product different from their ... Free Essays on Red Bull Marketing Stragety Free Essays on Red Bull Marketing Stragety Red Bull’s Marketing Strategy Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 The Plan 4 Sharks in the Water 6 Product Implementation 7 Proven Competitive Advantage 8 Conclusion 9 Graph Outline Graph (1-1) Market share in percent of European held by Red Bull 7 Graph (1-2) Percentage of US market held by Red Bull and it’s (2) largest competitors 9 Executive Summary This report analyzes Red Bull’s strategies and shows how these strategies have enabled Red Bull to become very successful. Market Difficulties Currently, it is very difficult to enter the lucrative energy drink market and become successful. One of the reasons for this is because higher level of knowledge possessed by the consumers caused by the new health craze that has been occurring recently. More and more people are becoming more conscious of different ingredients in the foods and drinks they consume because of the health risks involved. Another reason for the difficulty in entering the energy market is the various types of competition. There are many types of competitors whether their energy products are liquids, solids or pills. Of course not all of these competitors are successful, but a consumer whom may be unaware of a popular energy drink could choose one of the competitors. Fortunately, Red Bull has overcome these barriers. The majority of new consumers become aware of Red Bull and it benefits by word-of-mouth. This tactic cannot be successful for every company, but it has been very successful for Red Bull. The Uniqueness What strategy has allowed them to be successful in today’s market and will that strategy allow them to achieve success in the future battle for market share? For Red Bull differentiation is â€Å"their claim to fame.† They are solely focused on making their product different from their ...

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussion - Assignment Example Information gained contributes to the enhancement of purchase intentions. Further on the consumer moves forward in search of other competitors related to the same product category and then selects the one that best suits one’s need and purchase potentials. In this stage the consumer tends to deal with a plethora of options relating to the product and chooses the one that turns out to be the most applicable. Finally the consumer generally in the course of making high price purchases like luxury cars tends to continually revaluate the decision by focusing on gaining more information that further reinforces one’s purchasing intentions (Baines, Fill and Page 83-86). Automobile companies like General Motors to increase the level of consumer attention tend to enhance their relationship aspects has created a website that helps the consumers choose between a large number of options to select the vehicle suiting their needs. Further the website also informs the consumers relatin g to the different financing options and also the cost parameters related to the different models. General Motors in such ventures also tends to present to the consumers a comparison between its models with other models produced in the same category by its competitor firms. This mode of communication rendered enhances the dimension of consumer loyalty for the luxury goods company here acts as an effective advisor tending to meet the needs of the consumer. Moreover the level of consumer advocacy is enhanced by firms like General Motors inviting the people to take test drives of their models for a continual period of 24 hours. This strategy pursued helps in enhancing the consumer’s relation to the commodity thereby rightly increasing the likelihood for the purchase (Urban 77-81). Thus it is evident that use of information technology has contributed to the development of customer relationship activities for the luxury goods and vehicle companies thereby contributing to the devel opment of brand awareness. The enhanced use of internet based marketing and promotional events contributes to the pulling of consumer interests for the commodities in the pursuit of creating increasing the level of consumer awareness (McGovern, Court, Quelch and Crawford 74). Consumers of luxury good and vehicles further tend to search of new and innovative relationship aspects with the respective companies in the form of evidence of loyalty ventures through which they can earn rebates and occasional or promotional discounts. Introduction of loyalty schemes and creation of loyalty club by the companies tends to excite further consumer attention and interest in procuring the merchandises concerned from the concerned companies (Fournier, Dobscha and Mick 48). Consumption of a Luxury-Car from the Experimental Perspective The consumption patterns of consumers in terms of procuring luxury cars and merchandises tends to be largely governed by the opinions, value sets and attitudes develop ed by them in relation to their existing social and cultural framework. Again the preference patterns of the consumers are also governed in terms of the ideologies reflected by the different groups to which they relate to. Social and cultural affluences along with group influences tend to largely govern the purchasing patterns of the c

Not sure, make one for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Not sure, make one for me - Essay Example Even in the contemporary era and after various legal reforms, there are just a handful of solicitors enjoying the same position as that of barristers. A barrister defends their client in a court of law, whereas the profession of a solicitor is confined predominantly to drafting of relevant legal papers, of course barring exceptional cases. Mostly, the barrister carries out his profession independently, and the solicitor is employed by firms subsequent to partnership agreements. (2) Under the legal structure of the UK, solicitors provide advice to their clients, which are comprised mainly of various firms, in legal matters. In the event of the legal matters involving too many intricacies, they seek the guidance of barristers. In certain exceptional instances, as stipulated by the law, solicitors do have the right to defend their clients in the court. Barring these cases that can more or less be considered as rare ones, otherwise, the right of audience in a court is the exclusive privilege of the barrister. (1) When comparison is drawn between the legal profession and the medical one, the role of a solicitor can conveniently be equated to that of a doctor providing services in the realm of general medicine. Likewise, the barrister’s role is on par with that of a doctor specializing in their chosen discipline of medicine. (1) At this juncture, it would be highly relevant to be shifting the focus on to certain sections of the UK’s society strongly arguing in favor of combining the profiles of a barrister and a solicitor in a manner so as to enable the existence of just a single profile. In the event of the manifestation of such a scenario, the disadvantages would be way outweighing any advantages, much against the claims of the proponents of this fusion. At this point, it would be worthwhile to elaborate on the disadvantages resulting from the aforesaid scenario, as well as highlight the

Unconventional Monetary Policies of the Economic and Monetary Union Essay

Unconventional Monetary Policies of the Economic and Monetary Union - Essay Example The main body presiding over the decisions of the Union is the Eurosystem which consists of the governors of the European Central Bank (ECB) and National Central Banks (NCBs) of the seventeen member countries (European Central Bank, 2004). While the ECB has only a major share in deciding the policies of the EMU, it bears the whole of the responsibility of implementation of the EMU’s policies. The Governing Council of the EMU comprises the people voting over the prospective policies of the EMU. Each person has one vote of the common weight. Members of the council include the President, Vice-President and the four directors of the ECB, and the governors of the NCBs of each of the seventeen member countries thereby rendering the total number of Governing Council members twenty-three. Primary Objective The main objective of the EMU as described in article 105 of the Maastricht Treaty (Jenkins & Economist Intelligence Unit, 1992, p. 466) is the maintenance of price stability. The a rticle goes on to state that â€Å"Without prejudice to the objective of price stability, the ECB shall support the general economic policies in the Community with a view to contributing to the achievement of the Community†. The reasoning for the selection of this objective can be traced to the incentive for the formation of the ECB, which was the fear of rising in inflation due to the dominance of the Germans over the European economic landscape. Hence the EMU has a stated primary objective of keeping the average growth, over the Union countries, of the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices below two percent (Buti & Sapir, 2002). Monetary Policy In order to pursue this objective the EMU has to choose between the two main macroeconomic approaches. It can either concentrate on an Inflation Targeting approach where a clearly defined objective of numerical indicators of levels of inflation is to be pursued or it can adopt a monetary targeting framework where it expands its resourc es on influencing the monetary aggregate. So far the strategies adopted by the EMU have been described by economists as inclusive of certain aspects of both types of approach; a two-pillar approach. The first pillar in this approach is the money stock manipulation while the second pillar comprises the inflation control strategies. It has been evident for at least a decade that the monetary aggregate indicators do not correspond to the inflation rates which the monetary control purportedly affects (Bofinger, Reischle, & Scha?chter, 2001). The basis for this approach is the economic relation of the money stock to price stability represented by the Quantity Theory Equation (Mayer, 1990, p. 132): ?m = ?p + ?y – ?v Where ?: Change from one year to the next m: Money stock p : Price level y : Real GDP v : Velocity of stock However the equation and the corresponding monetary theory assume that the monetary base represents the M3 aggregate. This assumption has turned out to be incorre ct from the experience of the Euro area economies in the past decade.  

Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars

Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars INTRODUCTION The extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is a common  procedure in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The reasons for extracting  these teeth include acute or chronic pericoronitis, presence of cysts or a  tumour, periodontal problems and presence of a carious lesion on the  second or third mandibular molar. In some cases, extraction is performed  in preparation for orthodontic treatment or orthognathic surgery  In most cases, the removal of third molars will lead to a significant degree  of tissue trauma that causes an inflammatory reaction. Thus, the patient  develops the common postoperative symptoms and signs of pain, facial  swelling, dysfunction, and limited mouth opening (trismus). The pain is typically brief and will peak in intensity in the  early postoperative period.The facial swelling and trismus will reach their  characteristic maximum 48 to 72 hours after surgery. Those symptoms are  major disadvantage and affect the patients quality of life. The  inflammatory process is necessary if healing of traumatic tissue has to  occur, but often excessive inflammation lead to unnecessary pain, trismus  and swelling. The impact of these symptoms affect the quality of life in the  days following surgery. Injured tissues immediately release local inflammatory mediators, like histamine, that produce vasodilatation leading to extravasations resulting in edema and sensitize the peripheral noci-receptors resulting in hyperalgesia. Although these inflammatory mediators are released immediately after the trauma, these symptoms are not observed immediate after the surgery but rather begin gradually, peaking 1 3 days after the surgery. Pain has been an indispensible part of all surgical procedures and minor oral surgical procedures are not an exclusion. Through ages mankind has been in constant quest for various methods to control pain . The specificity theory proposed in 17th century by Descartes R explains pain as the activity of highly specific peripheral nerve endings that receive sensory information from the environment, which is then transmitted by nerve fibres through the spinal cord to the pain centre, or the pineal body, in the forebrain. However it is merely a biological explanation and does not address the multidimensional, complex process of pain as we understand today.1 Various factors contribute to determine the intensity of post-operative complications such as host defense mechanism, type of healing, duration of the procedure, 4-8extent of reflection of the mucoperiosteal flap, types of flaps, bone removal, need for tooth sectioning, 5and experience of the surgeon.9,10 To increase patients satisfaction after third molar surgery it will be necessary to avoid the inconvenience associated with tooth extraction and minimize the subsequent side effects. Methods to reduce the side effects is to prescribe medications such as corticosteriods , non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , a combination of corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs or enzyme preparation. Synthetic inflammation inhibitors which are active at certain points during the course of the inflammatory reactions are available. They are sometimes associated with undesirable side effects such as insomnia, depression, systemic fungal infection, increased calcium excretion, gastrointestinal irritation, visual complaints, fever and fatigue. These inflammation inhibitors are divided mainly into two groups: Steroids, i.e., cortisone and its derivatives, and the Non-Steroids, which are usually salicylic acid derivatives such as butazolidine, indomethacin and others. The side effects of prolonged corticosteroids use are well known, and are fundamentally dependent upon the dose employed and the duration of treatment. These effects include peptic ulcer, immune suppression, water and electrolyte balance metabolic effects, muscle atrophy, osteoporosis, increased fatty tissue (full moon facial appearance), Cushing syndrome, avascular osteonecrosis, lessened resistance to infection, hirsutism, amenorrhea, acne, hyperglycemia or hypertension. Systemic glucocorticoids , which are frequently used as anti-inflammatory agents, are well-known to inhibit wound repair via global anti-inflammatory effects and suppression of cellular wound responses, including fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. Systemic steroids cause wounds to heal with incomplete granulation tissue and reduced wound contraction. Glucocorticoids also inhibit production of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), a key transcriptional factor in healing wounds Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) have been used since many years for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Although these drugs have been proven efficient in management of post operative pain, adverse effects and associated morbidity pose a serious problem. It has long been known that NSAID may have a range of side effects, of which the commonest are gastrointestinal.5 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are widely used for the treatment of inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis and for pain management. Low-dosage aspirin, due to its anti-platelet function, is commonly used as a preventive therapeutic for cardiovascular disease, but not as an anti-inflammatory drug. In contrast to chemical inhibitors of inflammation such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), enzyme preparations support and accelerate the natural inflammatory process without contributing to pain, redness and swelling. This is accomplished by helping degrade and remove plasma proteins and fibrin that invade the interstitial space within tissues at the site of inflammation. Improved microcirculation and removal of inflammatory products results in an analgesic effect and complaint relief. Proteolytic systemic enzymes (proteases), such as those found in bromelain, papain and pancreatin, cleave protein compounds by hydrolysis. That is, they split their substrate by incorporating water. These enzymes are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream and travel to specific sites where they break down cell debris, fibrin and toxins. They also stimulate phagocytosis within the immune system and accelerate elimination by way of the lymphatic system and blood vessels. This translates into improved circulation and reduced inflammation. Proteolytic enzymes, which when taken with a meal is used to help digest food. Proteolytic enzymes are known as systemic enzyme supplements and are taken on an empty stomach, 45 minutes to one hour before meals or 3 hours after a meal, to digest proteinaceous or fibrous waste material throughout the body including the outer coating of bacteria, necrotic tissue and immune complexes. The only negative effects are for people with rare cases of protein allergies. Purpose of this randomized , single blind study is to compare the efficacy of proteolytic enzyme such as bromelain , trypsin and rutoside as an alternative to corticosteroids in pre and post- operative swelling , pain and trismus after removal of third molar.

Critical Analysis of The Awakening Essay -- Kate Chopin The Awakening

Critical Analysis of The Awakening The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, is the story of a woman who is seeking freedom. Edna Pontellier feels confined in her role as mother and wife and finds freedom in her romantic interest, Robert Lebrun. Although she views Robert as her liberator, he is the ultimate cause of her demise. Edna sees Robert as an image of freedom, which brings her to rebel against her role in society. This pursuit of freedom, however, causes her death. Chopin uses many images to clarify the relationship between Robert and Edna and to show that Robert is the cause of both her freedom and her destruction. Birds are a sizable image in The Awakening. Edna feels like a caged bird, and wishes to be freed. When Madame Ratignolle plays the piano, Edna often creates pictures in her head that represent the music. Edna's picture of a musical peice called "Solitude" is "the figure of a man standing beside a desolate rock on the seashore" (71). "His attitude was one of hopeless resignation as he looked toward a distant bird winging its flight away from him" (71). Edna feels like this man, as though she is trapped and cannot spread her wings and fly. This is a danger, however. Caged birds, although they are not free, are safe. They do not know of the dangers that can come with freedom. Once Edna tastes freedom, she does not want to go back to the safety of a caged life. She does not know of all the possible dangers, and being naive, she is very s...

Is the Basque Language an Endangered Language?

A language is a repository of the riches of highly specialised cultural experiences. When a language is lost, all of us lose the knowledge contained in that language's words and grammar, knowledge that can never be recovered if the language has not been studied or recorded.Not all of this knowledge is of immediate practical benefit, of course, but all of it is vital in teaching us different ways of thinking about life, of approaching our day-to-day existence on planet earth (Daniel L Everett, From Threatened Languages to Threatened Lives, Online Article, 2007).According to the Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, there are 13 languages that were once spoken in Europe that are now extinct; 9 languages that are almost extinct; 26 languages that are seriously endangered, and 38 that are in danger. This last list includes the Basque language (Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, Online document, 1999).Due to an increasing concern amongst linguists regarding ethnolinguistic groups , in-depth research, and a number of studies, have been undertaken to explain the extinction of languages, the reasons why certain languages become endangered, and how to ensure that languages are not lost in the future. The results of these studies signify several representing factors that explain why languages become endangered. One aspect is due to the fact that often a people group, or language group, moves towards another language because of increased earning and power opportunities (Daniel L.Everett, Online Article, 2007), something that is putting several European languages under threat (Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, Online document, 1999). And another is when there are so few people speaking the language that it becomes impossible to continue with its usage (SIL International, Endangered Language Groups, Online Article, 2007). Or, as was the case with the Basque language, it can be partly due to the prohibition of its usage. But these are not the only dictating fa ctors; existing social, political, economic and religious factors, all play their part.This paper will be looking at Euskera, which is the name of the Basque language; a language that dates as far back as the 7th century, and which is considered to be under threat. An Historical Overlook of Euskera. Since the beginning of mankind, new languages have been continually emerging, while others disappear forever; and while the loss of a language may not seem to be of great importance, according to professional linguists ‘each loss is a great tragedy’ (Daniel L Everett, From Threatened Languages to Threatened Lives, Online Article, 2007).Euskera, the Basque language, is spoken by approximately 890,000 people in Northern Spain, and 80,000, mostly elderly people in the South-West of the Pyrenees in the South of France (Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, Online document, 1999). However, although the Basque Community shares the same language, it is comprised of three Basque areas, which are governed by different political and administrative bodies: Iparraldea, which belongs to France; Navarra, which belongs to the Spanish State, and the BAC (Basque Autonomous Community), which governs only this particular area of the Basque Community.Once far larger in terms of geographical boundaries, research has shown that Euskera was once spoken in Aragon and West Catalonia, as far back as the 7th century (Tover, 1959). Then in the 9th and 10th centuries, through mass migration, it reached south of Alava (University of Deusto, Bilbao, Online Document, 2007). Although records show that geographical language loss can be traced as far back as the Roman period (University of Deusto, Online Document, 2007), it was really when Prince Bonaparte drew his map recording where the Basque dialect was spoken that evidence of massive language loss could be seen. By 1863, ‘†¦..Basque had been lost in west Biscay, most of Alava, south of Pamplona†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. and the Baiona area of northern Basque Country’ (University of Deusto, 2007). The decline was partly due to decisions made concerning the supremacy of Spanish during the Bourbon period of the 18th Century, and the way the language was stigmatized as inferior, only being considered as suitable for farmers and peasants (University of Deusto, 2007). Spanish was used exclusively in education and instruction, and children who attempted speaking Basque were punished, resulting in illiteracy amongst the children of Basque speakers (University of Deusto, 2007).Industrialization also played its part during the 19th century. The need for workers resulted in mass immigration, and saw the arrival of so many monolingual Spanish speakers that their numbers far outweighed those of the Basque speakers. The fact that the Spanish speakers moved into several areas where the language had already been lost, and the fact that the Franco government prohibited the use of Euskera, both helped to ensured tha t the language would become endangered (University of Deusto, 2007). Spanish and French Attitudes Concerning the Basque Language.The use of Basque by Basque-speakers is only partial during the day. With the exception of a few areas in the Basque Country, it is almost impossible to live speaking only Basque. However, living speaking only French or Spanish is possible and frequent. The Basque-speaker must use French or Spanish at least in part, not only because of the legal imperative but also because of the social relegation of Basque (Euskal Herria Journal, The Basque Language at Home, Online Article, 2007). It was during the Franco dictatorship period, through cultural and language oppression, that the majority of loss occurred.And it was only when democracy was restored that the Basque movement, whose aim was to restore their language and culture, came into being. Both the Spanish and French governments have, historically, been instrumental in the loss of the Basque language by en forcing the exclusive use of their nation’s respective languages. The results of the prohibition concerning the usage of Euskera, is believed to have resulted in half of the Basque population being more comfortable when speaking Euskera, and the other half more comfortable speaking either French or Spanish (Daniel L. Everett, Online Article, 2007).However in recent years, or at least in Spain, there have been efforts to ensure the future of the Basque language; these are mainly through educational choices. In Southern Basque Country, which is under Spanish administration, there are three types of education available to students, and which are chosen according to language choice. 1. Education in Spanish only. 2. Education in both Spanish and Basque. 3. Education in Basque only. In 1991-1992, the figures given for students attending all public, private and religious schools were as follows: The Spanish-only education system totalled 58.3% of students; Spanish and Basque totalle d 19. 5% students; and the Basque-only, totalled some 22. 2% of students (Euskal Herria Journal, Online Article, 2007). In France, however, there have been no attempts at such integration, where the only recognised language is French, and where there is little support for the Basque State. In Northern Basque Country, just 1. 4% of children who attend compulsory full-time education, are able to learn Basque; but that is through Ikastolas, which are nationalist, private schools (Euskal Herria Journal, Online Article, 2007).Protecting Euskera. The language and culture oppression that the Basque’s suffered during the dictatorship of Franco was probably instrumental in the massive resurge of people’s interest in their cultural and language identity. Emphasising language as the symbol that gave a group its uniqueness, and; against the political and social situation of the time, Basque was perceived as the central element in a process of cultural renovation. Distinguishing fr om previous rural cultural manifestations, urban youngsters wanted to show their urban voice and they wanted to do it in Basque.They proved that Basque did not have to be linked only to the rural environment, that Basque was not just â€Å"the farmers’ language,† but rather that it could occupy an important place in the manifestation of modern urban Basque culture’ (University of Deusto, 2007). With recent memories of the Franco Regime, Spain was just coming to terms with her own political, social and culture freedom, and Spanish world views and opinions would have probably been far different from than that of neighbouring France.The introduction of new laws concerning minority languages paved the way for not only Euskera, but also other ethnic tongues. The Basque language was officially recognized in Spain after the Spanish Constitution (1978), and declared in 1979 at the Basque Parliament (BAC) in the Statue of Autonomy. Education was quickly recognised as one of the major ways of protecting and spreading Euskera, and human, legal and financial resources were all, and still are being, used to this effect (Euskal Herria Journal, Online Article, 2007).More than forty years have passed since the start of the program to promote the Basque language, and it is evident that efforts are having positive results. There are reported increases in the amount of bilingual speakers, ‘especially within the younger generations, and due mostly to the introduction of Basque in the education system’ (University of Deusto, 2007), and successful results in adult literacy programs. Achieving such results, when faced with the difficulties of re-introducing a minority language, stand as evidence of the Basque’s determination concerning the continuation of their heritage, language and culture.Conclusion An endangered language is a language headed for extinction. It is a language without monolingual speakers, people who speak only that language (Your Dictionary, Online Article, 2007). If taking the above criteria and applying it to the title of this paper, ‘Is the Basque Language an Endangered Language? ’ the answer would undeniably have to be yes. This is mainly due to the fact that the Basque language is almost without monolingual speakers – but whether the Basque language is headed for extinction, or not, is debatable.At present the Basque language is growing, rather than reducing, due to the effort that has been made be the Basque community, and that does not show any sign of changing. In today’s climate the conservation of heritage, cultures and languages are recognised as vitally important for man, and more effort is being made to ensure their protection – although this still needs to increase. However, globalization is a modern reality and our world is shrinking.Europe is enlarging her boarders, frontiers are opening, and people are crossing in to other countries in the hope of fin ding better situations. As was stated earlier in this paper, immigration is one of the causes of language loss, which in some respects is a natural outcome of a changing world. References Daniel L. Everett, From Threatened Languages to Threatened Lives, Online Article, 2007. http://www. yourdictionary. com/elr/everett. html Euskal Herria Journal, The Basque Language at Home, Online Article, 2007 http://www. ehj-navarre.org/blessons/blt(2). html SIL International, Endangered Language Groups, Online Article, 2007 www. sil. org/sociolx/ndg-lg-home. html Tovar, Antonio (1959). El euskera y sus parientes, p. 144-98, Madrid: Ediciones Minotauro. Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages: Europe, 1999. http://www. helsinki. fi/~tasalmin/europe_index. html University of Deusto, Bilbao, Online Document, 2007 www. rci. rutgers. edu/~jcamacho/363/amorrortu. pdf Your Dictionary, Endangered Languages, Online Article, 2007 www. yourdictionary. com/elr/index. html

Response paper on Wheatleys On Being Brought From Africa to America

Response paper on Wheatleys On Being Brought From Africa to America That theres a God, that theres a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, Their colour is a diabolic dye.Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refind, and join th angelic train. (Wheatley, 12; Lauter, 575)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Response paper on Wheatley’s On Being Brought From Africa to America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Literature is a discipline that has been used for centuries as a way of expressing people’s feelings as well as an avenue for passing across messages about important issues. Artists use their pieces of writing to communicate to the general public and bring about change concerning various issues that affect the society. This essay is thus a response paper to Wheatley’s On Being Brought From Africa to America. The essay explains the meaning of Wheatley’s short poem and addresses its co ntributions in American literature as well. The above passage is a poem by Phillis Wheatley that talks about a slave shipped from her native land to another continent. The poet implies that the subject’s homeland practiced paganism and the exposure to a new setting made her aware of Christianity. The subject finds something positive in her slavery; Christianity, which she and the other slaves embrace. Religion was a major theme in most works of art written by African-American writers during the era of slave trade in the 18th and 19th century in America. They dwelled on Christianity because it was a form of solace that gave them hope. The excerpt goes on to say that many people, especially Christians, view the black man as being sinful hence uses this to scorn them. The poet implies that the White American judges the black man solely on the color of his skin and nothing else. To the White, the color of the black man prevents him from doing good including being intelligent and even being creative. But the poet reminds them that though they might be black, they also have a chance of getting in Heaven. She also implies that being black-skinned is not a hindrance to greatness. This poem reflects on the woes of the black people who were brought into America from their motherland, Africa, to work as slaves. The phrases mercy brought me and on being brought are ironic in that they imply that Africans moved to America on their own free will, which was never the case (Wheatley, 12). But in the real sense women, men, and children were kidnapped and forced into ships where most of them died due to hunger and sickness as they were shipped off to America to be slaves. Wheatley does not want to come out as a slavery critic, that is why it seems as though she is thanking ‘mercy’ and not the slave traders for bringing her from her pagan land. ‘Mercy’ is a symbol of a higher power that saved her from heathenism. Readers could also conclude that Wheatley does not want to give power to the slave traders by not crediting them for her redemption from paganism to them.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The white American, especially the ones who practiced Christianity, judge the black man harshly due to the fact that he did not practice Christianity hence they labeled him a pagan or a heathen. The phrase view our sable race with scornful eye in the above passage is purposely used to incite the reader to take a critical approach to slavery, which considers both the negative and the positive sides of the story. This is because, sable is desirable and valuable. Hence, the black man’s race is valuable and the color of his skin makes him desirable. But in the next line in her poem, Wheatley uses the phrase â€Å"diabolic die† contrasting the previous phrase (p. 12). This phrase reflects the perception w hite men had for black men then and in the present world. Emphasis is put on the black man’s weaknesses and little regard is put on the positive. Africa, the cradle of the black man, is viewed as the home of ‘evil’ and nothing good is expected to come out of there. The poet disapproves this notion saying that, â€Å"Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refind, and join th angelic train† (p. 12). Wheatley uses this line to point out the fact that God does not discriminate, therefore, ‘the angelic train’ will consist of both the white man and the black man (p.12). Towards the end, she reminds the readers of the message in the poem by using the term ‘remember’ which is a command to simply imply â€Å"lest you forget.† On Being Brought From Africa to America brings out Wheatley as a preacher. She dwells on Christianity and how those against slaves should act especially if they are Christians. The major themes a re slavery, Christianity and redemption. Redemption in that, the subject is saved from her pagan way of life. Wheatley’s work is powerful based on its content. The African-American’s place in the society has been and still is a sensitive issue in America. Her work may be an expression of her own experiences. She proved that Africans could be educated and produce quality and creative work just like the white people. During the era of slavery, the white Americans did not believe that an African, let alone a woman, could write poems. In this regard, before she could publish her work, Wheatley was forced to legally defend the authenticity of her literary ability, which worked in her favor when the court concluded that she did indeed write those poems. To the contrary, publishers in Boston, all of who were whites, refused to publish her text forcing her to publish her work in London (Gates, p. 5). This goes to show just how much the white Americans were rigid and did not wa nt to accept the fact that the black Americans were just as good as them in whatever field. The poem can be said to be a reflection of Wheatley’s personal experiences. Wheatley was bought by John and Susanna Wheatley and brought to America in 1761 where she worked as a house-help for the Wheatley family in Boston. She was forced to take up the name Wheatley as she now belonged to them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Response paper on Wheatley’s On Being Brought From Africa to America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This shows that not only were the Africans deprived of their freedom, but also their sense of identity. Even though she was a slave, her slavery had some positive impact on her life as her mistress insisted on educating her hence developing her skills in poetry. Despite this, she was still aware of the fact that she was a slave and was only allowed to write because of the kind-heartedness of her master (Gates, p. 5). Wheatley’s poem can be placed alongside Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. ‘Tis not the affair of a city, a county, a province, or a kingdom, but of a continent of at least one eighth part of the habitable globe. Tis not the concern of a day, a year, or an age; posterity are virtually involved in the contest, and will be more or less affected, even to the end of time, by the proceedings now’ (Paine, 1; Lauter, 455) Paine is referring to America’s politics in the above quote. He says that the issue of prospering politics is not the sole responsibility of one city or country, but it should be the concern of the whole continent. The quote symbolizes unity among all humankind. That is, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that countries are governed in a manner that leads to prosperity. The success resulting from prospering politics or the struggle towards achieving prospering politics cannot be realized in a day or a year; it takes time, probably years. His arguments were based majorly on the idea of American independence from England. He questioned the English monarchy and the English Parliament, thus the need for America to gain independence. His political style of writing makes this quote powerful as he was more concerned with the issue of independence. Paines work contributed greatly to the discussion about independence in the public debate; a topic which had initially been considered ‘taboo’ to discuss in the public arena. The main theme in Paine’s writing was independence and his ideas contributed to American literature in such a way that branded him the founding father of the United States. In his book, Paine urges Americans to fight for their independence from the British. He did not agree with the British government and their views so he did not understand why Americans should remain under their rule hence advocated for independence.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Likewise, Wheatley indirectly attacked the white American through her work during a time that it was a taboo to do so. While Paine uses his literature to campaign for the independence of America, Wheatley uses her literature to advocate for salvation of African American. Wheatley wanted African Americans to be given an equal opportunity to Christianity. Views on African American literature have greatly changed since the days of slavery and this form of literature has become an integral part of American literature. Wheatley’s work was considered to be of quality according to the standards of literature. Her work is often cited to point out that Africans are human and equal to the white man. Wheatley’s work negates the notion that Africans are intellectually inferior. This should encourage African-American students that they too can make it in whatever field they choose to specialize in. The poem also acts like a lens through which students can examine an author’s work. By reading Wheatley’s work, students are able to come across important literary devices, which when their effect on literary work is understood goes a long way to equip students with vital skills of literature that can be used to critically evaluate other pieces of work. In this poem, there is the use of irony and symbolism as explained in this discussion. These elements assist one in comprehending any piece of work. Being able to understand the deeper message in Wheatley’s poem enables students to appreciate her, not only as an African-American poet or a woman poet, but also as a pioneer of African-American literature. She combines poetic devices and her life experiences to create a unique voice within the American literary tradition. Hence, she has represented American literature by talking about issues that have shaped present day America. This poem ties into some of the themes and concepts discussed in class about American literature including: independence from various forms of enslavement, issues like women recognition in various sectors and the place of the black man in American society. In conclusion, Phillis Wheatley’s work of art has greatly contributed to American literature as explained in the above discussion. Her involvement in literature as a black woman has enhanced and changed how the black man and woman are viewed especially in the literary field, which was dominated by white males. Her poem suggests to the reader that every negative thing has a positive side as it is through slavery that she came to learn about Christianity. Gates, Henry. Phillis Wheatley: Americas Second Black Poet and Her Encounters with the Founding Fathers. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2003. Print Lauter, Paul. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Concise Edition. Belmont, CA: Cengage/Wadsworth Publishing, 2003. Wheatley, Phillis. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. New York: Cosimo Inc.,2005. Web.

Health, Safety, and Nutrition Worksheets for Kids

Health, Safety, and Nutrition Worksheets for Kids Nutrition, health, and safety are important topics to discuss with your children. Youll naturally discuss many facts about these subjects as you go about your daily life. However, spending some time focusing specifically on each can help children understand why their eating habits, hygiene, and exercise are vital to their overall well-being.   Additionally, talking about safety topics with your children helps to ensure that they know what to do in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.   Worksheets and coloring pages can make discussing these topics more engaging and easier to understand for young children. Use some of these free printable collections to guide or enhance your study of nutrition, health, and safety. Nutrition Worksheets Proper nutrition is an important part of a  healthy lifestyle. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), people should consume foods from the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein, and dairy groups every day for optimal health. The USDA suggests eating a variety of foods and limiting those with added sugar, sodium, and higher levels of saturated fats.   They may not be a students favorite topic, but fun printable worksheets about vegetables, which introduce children to a wide variety of veggies, can make learning better eating habits a bit more fun. So can following the USDAs recommendation to vary the way you eat vegetables. They suggest trying them raw, cooked, fresh, frozen, or canned. Roasting veggies in the oven or on the grill is a tasty treat, too! Dental Health Worksheets According to the American Dental Association (ADA), cavities remain the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood. Because they are so common, cavities may not seem like a big deal, but oral health is an important part of overall physical health. Poor oral health can increase a persons risk for health problems such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections, and certain types of cancer.   Use a fun set of  dental health  printables  to introduce your children to the basics of good oral hygiene. Some of the simplest ways to ensure good oral health include brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing, eating a healthy diet, and visiting your dentist regularly.   Physical Education Worksheets Physical Education  is vital to a students understanding of the benefits of an active lifestyle. A good PE program will teach kids about health, physical fitness, and the importance of regular physical activity. One option for teaching PE is an  online physical education  course. Other options may include combining a personal health course with individual or team athletics to ensure that students remain active.   Individual sports may include golf, gymnastics, skateboarding, or swimming. Other sports such as tennis, badminton, and volleyball can also be played with only one or two players on each team. Kids may also enjoy getting active with team sports such as baseball, softball, basketball, or hockey. Safety Worksheets It can be frightening to think about emergencies and natural disasters, but knowing what to do in the event of such a situation can save lives. According to the American Red Cross, children under the age of five are twice as likely as other people to die in a house fire. It is important to teach children fire precautions as well as what to do in the event of a fire. Combine  fire prevention worksheets  that  introduce  terms such as fire drill and escape route with other tools to teach children potentially life-saving fire safety tips. These tips should include stop, drop, and roll if a childs clothing catches on fire and where to go in the event of a fire. Have an escape plan in place and practice it at least twice a year.   Teach your children what your homes fire alarms sound like, how to call 911, and the importance of going to fire fighters and getting and staying out of the house if there is a fire. Its also important to teach your children what to do in the event of a natural disaster based on what is most likely in your area of the country. Your children may need to know what to do in the event of a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. For example, you might use a free set of  earthquake worksheets  to learn more about where earthquakes typically happen, what causes them and what safety steps to take if an earthquake strikes. Updated by Kris Bales

Relations Between Globalization and Migration Essay

Relations Between Globalization and Migration - Essay Example The research project will collect data from the secondary sources and analyze the data according in order to come up with a conclusion. Globalization is referred to as the increasing integration and interaction of countries which has seen the decreasing significance of national borders. It is an economic, cultural, political, and environmental integration but there has been more focus on the economic integrations. Globalization and migration have been shown to be two of the most dynamic global socio-political trends in the present world. They are both highly interacted in the sense that one drives the other. Globalization has been shown to have an effect on the current migration situation in the world and has created conditions and situations which are increasing the pressure and creating a desire for migration. It is estimated that there are about 150 million people who live outside their containers in the world and how have been forced out of their homes due to economic consequences that have been created by the globalised economy. It has been shown that as s result of the increase rate for migration, there has be en pressure that has been exerted on some areas which are thought to have economic viability as compared to others. There has been an effected on the agrarian and the industrial system of the world as labor migrates in and out of the productive areas. (Benarl 2000, p. 67) Introduction The Caribbean Region is located in America. It is made up of many small states which are independent. It has a similar climate in all the states which makes it agricultural practices to be the same. The Caribbean region is made up of different states including Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominion, Cuba, Costa Rica, Haiti, Nicaragua, and others. One of the common features of the Caribbean region has been uniformity in crop production where the climate favors the production of bananas and sugar. The two crops are a common future of the region. (Australian Government, 2008; CIDA, 2008) Globalization is the growth of economic integration of various societies in the word and the process has touched all the spheres of life including the Caribbean region. The agricultural sector of the Caribbean region has been affected by the growth wave of globalization. The primary product of the region which is bananas and sugar have been the two important export crops for the region and the leading earners of foreign exchange for the region. The sectors have also provided a lot of employment for the region. The increasing globalized world has led to a lot of challenges in the two key crops. The challenges have been due to the Lome Convention that was signed in 2000. The Lome convention first signed in 1975 gives preferential prices for the entire agricultural product from the ACP countries that are exposing to the EU. Globalization manifested in the Caribbean agricultural region in two ways. First there was removal for farm subsided and second there was liberalization of the impor t regime. Therefore the wave of globalization has been impacting negative in the region given there disadvantaged position due to their limited size and due to the depreciation of their currencies. Therefore the Lome convention was made in order to give those times to organize their agricultural secto

Medical Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Medical Marijuana - Essay Example Contextually, the use of marijuana has confronted with various significant issues owing to the reason of the infringement of federal law in different countries2. Thesis Statement In this paper, the legal issues concerning whether or not the existing medicinal marijuana program in California violates the federal law of the nation and the power of the federal government towards limiting the passage of laws linked with medical marijuana would be addressed. Moreover, the issue relating to the lawful right of raiding medicinal marijuana providers by the officials of law enforcement belonging to any state will also be addressed in this paper. Analysis or Discussion California has been viewed to be one of the states, which is certified towards using marijuana especially for medicinal purposes. In relation to analyze the legal issue concerning whether or not the violation of California’s current program relating to medical marijuana violates federal law, it has been viewed that the Ca lifornia voters enthusiastically passed the ‘Compassionate Use Act’ in order to legalize the substance i.e. marijuana particularly for medical purposes in the year 1996. It has been apparently observed in this context that California has been a foremost leader in adopting marijuana legally3.Before the year 1996, California prohibited the sale as well as the possession of marijuana but the state once again started to endorse in making limited drug usage for medical reasons only with the commencement of the aforementioned Act. The state considered this approach for the motive of delivering useful drugs to the patients at the time of any urgency. The Act was mainly established in order to persuade both state along with federal governments for adopting as well as implementing deliberate steps towards ensuring secure and sensible drug allocation to the patients in necessity4. There are various reasons for introducing the ‘Compassionate Use Act of 1996’ in Califo rnia. In this similar concern, the different purposes of the Act encompass ensuring that every seriously ill individual of California possesses the right to acquire as well as use marijuana especially for medical reasons and fostering both federal as well as state government towards utilizing a plan for delivering effective allocation of marijuana to all patients in need5. With regard to analyze the legal issue concerning whether California’s current medical marijuana program violates federal law, it has been apparently observed that federal law forbids the production, allocation as well as possession of marijuana by a significant level. In this regard, no exclusion has been facilitated by the federal law for using marijuana for medical purposes. The federal law strongly possesses the viewpoint that the substance i.e. marijuana is extremely addictive and most importantly does not bear any medicinal value. This critical standpoint of the federal government against marijuana ma y cause the medical practitioners to not recommend marijuana to be used for medical reasons under the provision of federal law. The federal laws concerning the use of marijuana have been identified to be quite serious and to be depicting severe punishment to those individuals who broadly engage in the

HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HR - Essay Example The manager has to prove himself as a powerful leader not by means of his autocracy but by building trust in his employees. Rothwell and Kazanas (2003) inform that the managers of HR department have to take the responsibility of establishing goals for the department and its purposes. Manager is also responsible for structuring the department according to its needs. Staffing, issuance of orders, deciding on differences, inter-departmental and outside the department communication, planning for department budgets and politics, all can be regarded as the roles of the manager of HR department and design a path towards development of the department (Rothwell and Kazanas, 2003). The advantages that can be found because of manager’s performance at HR department are many in number. Manager is responsible for communication within the department and outside the department; it means that the information from inside and outside should be gathered in order to take the right decisions. This factor is wholly advantageous as the employees are allowed to communicate with the manager and deliver their thoughts regarding a decision. The final decision stays with the manager; it means that the manager can collect information from various sources but should be decisive in order to come to a conclusion regarding a problem (Woods and Thomas, 1994). A manager has many responsibilities to bear and the tasks should be divided among his employees but leadership should be with him so that the performed tasks of the employees can be evaluated. As a manager is required to do lengthy and painstaking tasks, therefore, there should be consciousness behind any taken decisions and the manager should decide according to the needs of a situation. Sometimes, it is disadvantageous to give so many responsibilities to a manager as all the tasks cannot be justified fully because of over burdening of the manager. There should be a team

Poetry Comparison Compare Blakes London and Wordsworths Composed upon Westminster Bridge Essay Example for Free

Poetry Comparison Compare Blakes London and Wordsworths Composed upon Westminster Bridge Essay The two poems London and Composed upon Westminster Bride, offer differing views on the city of London. Blake presents London as lifeless, dismal and monotonous, whereas Wordsworths London is very different. He feels it as beautiful, magnificent and exciting. Blakes poem consists of four different stanzas all of equal length. This gives a sense of order and regularity. This demonstrates that the people of London live a controlled life, which has no variety. Blake uses repetition, which gives a sense of anguish, And mark in every face I meet, Marks of weakness, Marks of woe. This stresses the tedious pace of life. Blake also shows that the people of London are trapped in themselves, In every voice, in every man, the mind forged manacles I hear. This demonstrates that the people of London cannot express themselves as they are trapped in their own minds. Blakes London shows the poets anger towards some members of the community. Blake blackens the city by painting images of child labour, how the chimney sweepers cry; every blackening church appals. This shows that the church is a hypocrite as they are using chimneysweepers themselves. Blake also dislikes the rich aristocrats by describing how the hapless sigh, runs in blood down the palace walls. This emphasises that the poor work very hard and fight pointless battles while the rich reap the rewards and benefits. In stanza four Blake paints a disgusting picture of prostitution, the youthful harlots curse, blasts the newborn infants ear, this tells the reader that prostitution leads to disease and plagues, many unwanted. Married men spilt up with their wives. Prostitutes have children, so the cycle continues for years. Blake combines ideas of marriage and hearse, this to show that the life cycle for people in London is death and suffering. Also Blake horrifies the reader by using different sounds to describe the feelings of people who live in London. He describes moans and cries to show the reader the depression of the people in London. The city of London is full of sorrow for every man and every infant every cry of every man, in every infants cry of fear. Also it is very negative and everyone feels depressed harlots curse soldiers sigh. Blake intensifies this gloomy atmosphere further, by using iambic meter in his poem. The use of iambic meter and an (ABAB) rhyming scheme for example streetflowmeetwoe, illerates to the reader how monotonous everyday life in London is, I wandered though each chartered street. The fact that Blake is wandering through London suggests that the city is boring and has no aims or direction. The reader can work out that Blake is blaming his apathy on the city itself and perhaps it is Londons fault that the population has marks of woe. Blakes poem is clearly written about life in the slums of London, while Wordsworth, in his sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge focuses on a more general way on the majesty and splendour of London. Wordsworth was a nature lover who normally didnt like the cities but in the early morning he sees something wonderful and glorious about London. Wordsworth realises that this moment is only temporary never did the sun more beautifully steep in his first splendour, valley, rock or hill. It was pollution less city bright and splendid. Nothing evil dark or dismal like Blakes London. This city now doth like a garment wear, it demonstrates that it is an out of this world experience. He personifies the city, bringing it to life, in order to show how this is a transient moment. Wordsworth also respects the city for its beautiful buildings, unlike Blake who sees it as a city of degraded humanity noting the harlots curse. Wordsworth sees many beautiful towers, domes, theatres and temples open into the fields and to the skys. This shows the stillness and emptiness. This is a laying affect to show that man made objects can be as good as nature, unlike Blake who sees misery. Wordsworth uses a very calm and tranquil tone to describe London. This poem is written in the firm pentrarchian sonnet, with iambic pentameter utilises an (ABBA, ABBA, CDCD) rhyme scheme unlike Blakes continuous (ABAB) rhyme scheme. This creates an unhurried pace with a peaceful mood lacking the intensity of Blakes poem. It also provides a slow pace to take in the beauty of London in the early morning. Wordsworths surprise at the beauty of London is seen when he directly addresses Dear God! Using an exclamation mark, Wordsworth address God twice to stress his personal reaction to Londons beauty-he wants the reader to see the awe of London, the exclamation mark stresses the shocked pleasure by his reaction. The mighty heart demonstrates that the people are the heart of the city-sees London as alive and living part of city working together. Wordsworth values people, as they are the centre point of London. Wordsworth tries to tell the reader that the Thames is working in harmony with the rest of the city. However, although the imagery of London Blake creates through its depressed state and every cry of every man. In my opinion I prefer Wordsworths poem Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, because he uses personification and makes the city feel beautiful. He states how dull of soul anyone would be if they didnt admire the beauty of London in the early morning. The way Wordsworth describes the cities buildings has a positive effect on the poem and this is why I prefer Composed Upon Westminster Bridge.

Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith Essay -- essays research p

Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith are two of the character is in the book Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith are unhappy with their lives. Although, Clarissa and Septimus are both unhappy the basis for their unhappiness stems from different reasons and/or events that have happened in their lives. But the both fear the can not feel as others feel. Clarissa Dalloway, a middle aged upper class woman, is unhappy because of choices she has made in her life she also fears that she can not feel things as others do. Septimus Smith, a World War I veteran, is unhappy because of effects of the war. Septimus worries that when Evan’s died he did not feel anything. Clarissa Dalloway wanted to be a part of the upper class English society. That is the reason she married Richard Dalloway. Throughout the novel Clarissa looks back on her experiences with Peter Walsh. She wonders if she made the correct choice in marrying Richard and rejecting Peter. Clarissa point out in †¦. That one of the reason she didn’t marry Peter is because he would ask her to feel too much. Richard does not ask her to feel things as Peter would. Clarissa didn’t love Richard when she married him but has learned to love him. Although she believes she made the right decision in marrying Richard, she still wonders how things would have been if she married Peter instead. Clarissa has a low self-confidence in her appearance ...

Global Strategy and Local Needs in the Luxury Car Market Essay

1 Introduction Since the 1980’s researchers have been trying to understand what globalization is and how competitive advantage can be gained out of it. This study will look at this movement with a critical eye and reflect whether or not it is sometimes better to give local needs priority in management decisions. The purpose of this study is to analyse whether the â€Å"Global strategy, but local needs† assumption leads to success. The objective is to provide scientific evidence for this strategy, analyse different organizations’ strategies and provide a possible recommendation for the best practice. Globalization is a driver of luxury 1 but it is not the best solution to apply this approach in all strategic decisions. This paper will not only look at this strategic approach in general, but will try to focus in specific on the luxury car market. The luxury segment is a fascinating subject for scientific research, because it still provides possibilities for relatively fundamental research within its niche. 2 Although there is considerable literature about specific brands, there is a lack of systematic and scholarly work that â€Å"analyses the luxury car phenomenon itself. † 3 The importance of this segment has also been emphasized in Sergio Marchionne’s recent speech to the shareholders (appendix 7. 2). The CEO of the Fiat S. p. a and of the Chrysler Group LLC underlined that his strategy for the future of the Group is located in the premium4 car production. 5 The motivation of this paper therefore is to analyse the challenge Maserati will have to address and to arrive to some practicable conclusions. 1 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 12. 2 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 6. 3 Cf. Berger 2001, p. 160. 4. Expression intentionally quoted to illustrate a later explained statement 5 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012b. Definition and terminology 1. 1 2 Methodology The findings of this project are derived from primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information. The tertiary source was mainly the catalogue of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek in Frankfurt. Another important part of the data collection contributed the Internet. Most data has been found with the search engine google. com and scholar. google. com and the homepages of the relative brands mentioned in the project. The biggest part of the project’s information was taken out of secondary sources such as textbooks, newspapers and specific literature. Finally, the annual reports of 2011 of selected brands have been consulted. 2 Definition and terminology 2. 1 Strategy â€Å"†¦ Strategy in corporate practice is an integrated concept with the objective of ensuring long-term survival in active interaction with the competition †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 6 In today’s everyday changing business environment all companies are forced to reassess their strategies, their structures and their processes regularly. But the answers to every strategic and organizational challenge is varying among industries. 7 Therefore first a summary of different general strategic alternatives will be presented. Afterwards a detailed analysis of the characteristic strategy in the luxury car market will be developed. 2. 2 Global or Local Strategy In this chapter both terms global and local strategy should be defined. Moreover the strategic challenge of a business to decide between both strategies should be analysed. 6 Cf. Kotler/Berger/Bickhoff 2010, p. 12. 7 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 17. Definition and terminology 3 Businesses have been international since ancient times and at its beginnings international business had simply the form of exporting and importing. Any business that carries out some of its activities across national boundaries can be defined as an international business. 8 In the 70s and 80s keywords as standardization, rationalization and centralization marked the new tendency towards globalization. 9 Globalization is a term that emerged in the 1980s/90s10 and that has become a buzzword in the 1990s. 11 Originally globalization was only an economic phenomenon that described the integration and merger of national economies, and the development of communication and production of knowledge, transportation and migration. 12 Today the extent to which the organization’s activities are spread across geographical regions has become a major consideration in the implementation of an organizations strategy. 13 A global strategy is the tendency of a company to a consistent strategy and adaptation to local circumstances become redundant. Global organizations gain competitive advantage overcoming national and continental boundaries. Therefore it was a widely held belief that there was the risk that the globalization would overrun all regional and national differences. 14 Though today we have evidence that there is no â€Å"global village† and that regional and national differences cannot be so easily neglected. On the contrary the majority of the apparently global organizations use local differences to gain competitive advantage. 15 Therefore numerous literature and research on the counter-rotating trend to globalization, the so-called localization, can be found. Localization in general means the adaptation to or consideration of local market conditions. Most of the research concluded that the two apparently contrary concepts do not mutually exclude but depend on one another: â€Å"Globalization can mean the reinforcement of 8 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 255. 9 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 36. 10 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 11 Cf. Rohm 2010, p. 4. 12 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 13 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 254. 14 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 10 15 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 58. 4 Definition and terminology or go together with localism as in ‘Think globally, act locally’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  16 . Numerous literatures even deduce a new concept called â€Å"Glocalization. † Glocal strategies are strategies that provide evidence to global and local players, to respond advantageous and purposeful to globalization. They should assist global players to localize their activities where worthwhile and show ways and means to local players to make use of the global area respectively – in both cases without abandoning their global or local character. 17 2. 3 Bartlett’s and Ghoshal’s model According to Bartlett and Ghoshal there are three traditional strategic directions a company can follow. Tab. 1: The three strategic directions 18 Multinational Global International Strong local presence Cost reduction through Usage of knowledge and through respect of national centralized but worldwide competences of the HQ needs oriented activities through worldwide diffusion and adaptation 2. 4 The multinational organization The multinational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal is the archetype of the organization. At the beginning of the 1900th century this was the most diffused organizational model. As shown in figure 1 in the multinational organizational model the HQ is at the centre with many decentralized, interdependent and autonomous branches surrounding it. The specific needs of the local markets are encouraged and therefore they are able to react to local needs. Historically this organizational model was the one of many European companies that expanded into foreign countries. Several of these companies originally where family owned companies. Processes were based on personal relationship and 16 Cf. Pieterse 1995, p. 49 zitiert nach Lohmeier 2008,p. 53. 17 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 64. 18 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 32. 5 Definition and terminology informal contacts rather than formal structures and systems. Therefore only elementary financial control was necessary. 19 Branch Decentralized federation: Many key assets, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized Branch Branch HQ Branch Personal control: Informal HQ – subsidiary relationship, simple financial control Branch Multinational mentality: Management considers overseas operations as portfolio of interdependant business. Branch Figure 1: Multinational organization 20 2. 4. 1 The international organization This organizational model has similarities to the multinational organization. However as shown in figure 2 the branches are more dependent on the transfer of information and knowledge from the HQ. The objective of this kind of organization is to transfer knowledge and competences in aspects such as technology or marketing to underdeveloped foreign branches. The national branches can adapt products or strategies, while the HQ determines innovation and processes. In comparison to the multinational organization model there is more systematization and control. According to Bartlett and Ghoshal the international organization model had its breakthrough in the post-war period. The international organizational model is the model for the typical American Management culture of empowerment and delegation. 19 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 73. 20 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 74. 6 Definition and terminology Branch Branch Coordinated federation: Many assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized but controlled by HQ Branch Branch HQ International mentality: Management considers overseas operations as appendix to a central domestic corporation Branch Administrative control: formal management planningand control systems allow higher HQ-subsidiary linkage. Branch Figure 2: International organization 21 2. 4. 2 The global organization Global companies develop their products and strategies considering only one equal worldwide market. Product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. 22 As shown in figure 3 the most important characteristics of the classical global organization have HQs that are a centralized hub that severely controls the branches and a management-mentality that views the world as one economic entity. The main feature is the centralization of assets, resources and competences. The function of branches is reduced to sales and services. In some cases financial competitive advantage is gained outsourcing the production sites abroad. Compared to the multinational and international organizations the branches in global organizations have less power to develop or modify new products and strategies. Managers in global organization, especially those located in HQ, often are more concentrated on the global market and consider the market to be equal worldwide. They have no comprehension of the local needs because there is no exchange of information between HQ and the national branches. 23 21 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p 77. 22 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 31. 23 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75 f. 7 Definition and terminology Internationalization pioneers like Henry Ford build up their production plant according to this model and the Japanese started their offensive in the 70s and 80s with this model. 24 Normally global organizations first where very successful in their home market and used this success then to expand internationally. 25 Branch Branch Centralized hub: Most of the strategic assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions centralized Branch HQ. Branch Operational control: Tight control of decisions, resources and information through HQ Branch Global mentality: Management considers overseas operations as channels for the supply to a unified global market Branch Figure 3: Global organization 26 2. 4. 3 The transnational strategy Bartlett and Ghoshal claim that the traditional directions do note lead to adequate results anymore. Global and international organizations look out for a centralized answer to a worldwide market opportunity. Multinational companies search local solutions. Therefore Bartlett and Ghoshal developed the assumption for a new approach to solve the challenge of increased competitive and changing environment: The transnational strategy. 27 Companies nowadays can only survive in the competitive environment if they succeed in developing simultaneously worldwide competitiveness, multinational 24 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75. 25 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 31. 26 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 77. 27 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33 and p. 90. Definition and terminology 8 flexibility and global learning capabilities. These are the main elements of the transnational model. 28. The transnational model is a symbiosis or rather compromise of the other three traditional strategic directions. It combines both kind of competitive advantages: Because the affiliations are seen as strategic partners they can better respond to local needs and global synergies can be positive side effects. In the transnational model local markets are respected, and the proximity to the market is mainly an instrument to react more flexibly on a global scale. 29 The distinction between multinational and transnational companies is the amount to which the HQs are directly involved in the management of the branches. While a transnational company often has a strategic centre that manages to a high degree all the global operations a multinational company does not coordinate directly its foreign activities but rather considers the branches as interdependent business. The transnational organization acknowledges that there are certain resources and competences such as finance or research and development that are better centralized in the HQ while other resources are more advantageous to be decentralized in the markets to spread the competences on a global level. 30 2. 5 The Luxury Concept and Definition. The concept of luxury is known since ancient times. Lucullus, a roman senator who was famous in the ancient Rome for his marvellous evening events and his love for beauty, delicacies and sensorial pleasures, can be considered inventor of the luxury concept. 31 Chevalier and Mazzalovo provide a definition as follows: A luxury brand is selective and exclusive and provides an additional creative and emotional value for the consumer. It is a brand that is giving the desirable attribute of being scarce, sophisticated and in good taste. It also has a slightly understated and aristocratic attribute. 32 28 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33. 29 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84 30 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84. 31 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 2. 32 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. viii Definition and terminology 9 According to Kapferer and Bastien a luxury brand can be defined by six criteria:33 †¢ An extremely hedonistic experience or product †¢ The price is exceedingly higher compared to the functional value †¢ Tied to a tradition, exclusive expertise and culture ascribed to the brand †¢ Accessible only through controlled and restrained distribution †¢ Obtainable with tailored supplementary services. †¢ Indicating a social representation, making the holder or beneficiary feel special and privileged 2. 6 Luxury versus premium car market The concept of luxury is represented in numerous sectors of activities 34. In this study we will look into more details of the specifics of the automobiles luxury sector. According to Chevalier and Mazzalovo luxury automobiles are â€Å"those cars that consumer perceive as being very special and different from the others. †35 It is necessary to differentiate between the concept of luxury and the concept of premium. The term luxury vehicle suggests a vehicle with a higher quality equipment, better performance, particularly precise construction, comfort, higher design, technologically innovative, and features that transfer an image, brand, status or prestige. Often the image is strongly related to the country of origin of the product. Premium products are upper-range branded products with an increased price without the emotional characteristics like hedonism or myth. „Upper premium brands remain comparative, whereas luxury is superlative. â€Å"36 Suitable examples for this difference can be found in the car industry. While an Audi A6 or A8 are super-premium cars because of the excellent usage value they provide, an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini are luxury cars because of their rarity and the prestige of the name. 37 33 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 47. 34 Sectors of activities of luxury: Ready-to-wear cloth, jewelry and watches, perfumes and cosmetics, fashion accessories, wines and spirits, automobiles, hotels, tourism and private banking. 35 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. x. 36 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 43f. ; Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 37 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 10 Strategic examples One historic management error that underlines the difference between luxury and premium is the Jaguar case. When Ford acquired Jaguar in 1989 they invested a lot in technology and training of the Jaguar employees. Thanks to common platforms with Ford they tried to sell small Jaguars. But this strategy seriously damaged the image of Jaguar and loosing the feeling of exclusivity they lost the luxury status. 38 3 Strategic examples In this chapter the before described theoretic information should be put together into a strategic framework. The strategic examples that will be considered are the most successful competitors of Maserati in terms unit sales: Porsche, Audi, Mercedes and BMW (figure 4). The first step was to obtain an overview of the structure of these companies and to identify their dependencies among each other and with other organizations (appendix 7. 3). The second step was to identify certain characteristics of these organizations and to put them into a framework developed to identify their degree of globalization or localization (appendix 7. 4). Based on this information a picture of their strategic directions has been deduced (appendix 7. 5). Bentley 2,57% Audi 6,56% Maserati 1,81% Jaguar 3,06% Maserati Market 2012 Aston Martin 1,74% Ferrari 1,26% Lexus 0,09% Porsche 48,43% BMW 12,23% Mercedes-Benz 22,25% Figure 4 The Maserati market in Germany in 2012 (market shares) 38 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 51. 39 Management Services Helwig Smitt GmbH, Hofgeismar. 39 Strategic examples 3. 1 11 Daimler AG Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz invented the automobile in 1886. 40 Today the Daimler Group integrates different car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach. Cooperating with various organizations worldwide it has converted from a mainly domestically oriented exporting company to a globally operating one. The company is now well established not only in Europe but also in Brazil and Argentina and has established joint ventures also in China. 41 However for the Daimler Group â€Å"the cultural inertia has been difficult to overcome, and global pretensions and traditional German attachments form a contradictory and unstable mix. †42 Therefore it is difficult to classify the group to Bartlett and Ghoshals model. The Daimler AG is rather a combination between the multinational and the global organization. Mercedes-Benz being historically strongly connected to its German roots has a centralized HQ, but at the same time its business units have been made self-responsible profit centres and procurement of materials is globally coordinated for each group of materials. Furthermore this has been intensified through local settlement of direct production, more consultancies and engineering in the branches, and also some development tasks located outside Germany. 43. Daimler is relocating its production sites into emerging markets, as for example the recently opened site in Hungary. This trend can be underlined by its decreasing production figures in Europe. They are currently reducing their production in Sindelfingen. 44 3. 2 BMW AG The BMW group may be the most German focused of the three companies. It is globalized in its objectives rather than in its activities. 45 Approximately 60% of the production of BMW is still located in Germany (figure 5). However BMW is one of 40 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 4. 41 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 84. 42 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 85 43 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 84f. 44 Cf. Berens 2012, p. 17 45 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 86. 12 Strategic examples the most respected brands in the world. The explanations for BMW’s success are a strong brand character, a stable, family shareholding and a very German business philosophy. 46 It can be deduced that having local roots increases the perceived value of BMW. Producing nearly all its automobiles in Germany customers perceive BMW as an authentic product of German culture. BMW follows the same strategy of keeping the Mini production in England. 47 South Africa, 3,06% China, 5,65% Austria, 5,91% CKD, 2,16% UK, 11,23% US, 15,88% Germany, 56,11% Figure 5: Vehicle production of the BMW Group in the world in 2011 48 Therefore BMW can be classified an international organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal’s model. BMW’s key competences are centralized but many other competences are decentralized. Thus BMW efficaciously implements the strategy of local assembling and local purchasing in countries with high customs duties on imports such as Russia, Thailand or India. However, under the terms of the distinction between luxury and premium products, the cars assembled in Thailand would not longer be defined as luxury products. They do serve to initiate customers into the brand, who then should develop the desire to purchase a ‘real’ BMW ‘made in Germany’. 49 BMW’s Management Meeting Place is a good example for the acquisition of knowledge in the HQ and then transferring it to the branches. First this discussion platform has been started in Germany and then it was transferred to locations abroad. The fact that this strategy works, and that behind BMW probably stands a 46 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 67. 47 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 48 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 28. 49 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 13 Strategic examples strong team is underlined by the fact that BMW has been rewarded being â€Å"The World’s Most Attractive Employer† by a study conduced lately. In fact the employee attrition ratio at BMW has decreased continuously in the last 3 years (figure 6). 5,85 percentage of workforce 6,00 4,59 5,00 4,00 2,74 2,66 2,16 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011. Figure 6: Employee attrition ratio at BMW AG 3. 3 50 Volkswagen AG The Volkswagen Group maybe is the most advanced example of a conglomerate of successful car manufacturers. Among all the subsidiary brands the most significant ones are Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Porsche AG, but there are also Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat and Skoda (appendix 7. 3). In fact Porsche owns 32,5% of the Volkswagen Group shares. Succeeding in managing a portfolio of so dissimilar organizations under one umbrella certainly makes the Volkswagen Group to a transnational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal. The cooperation in-between the brands of the Volkswagen Group are very well developed. One successful example of this approach is the common hybrid drive used in the Porsche Panamera, Cayenne and VW Touareg 51 . In addition the Volkswagen group has only little external cooperation mainly in the area of researching. The key competences remain inside the group. Becoming an integrated automotive industry is part of the group’s â€Å"Strategy 2018†. However, every single brand has its specific targets. Volkswagen’s target is to 50 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 39. 51 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 67. The Maserati case 14 become the global market leader by 201852. This underlines the global factor. On the other side Porsche’s target is to become â€Å"the leader of exclusive sports cars manufacturers†53. Audi finally has the target to become the â€Å"premium brand that delights customers worldwide† 54 . Therefore the group’s values and capabilities remain inside the group and with a broad portfolio of interdependent and specialized brands completely different target groups can be addressed. The Volkswagen Group leads the global tendencies of the considered companies. But the core strategic functions (e. g. R&D and design) remain mainly German. However the Volkswagen Group also recognizes the importance of knowing the local sources and therefore has implemented the C3-Sourcing program. Becoming technical, organizational and social laboratories foreign branches contribute to the integration of the whole group’s worldwide activities. Hence some Audi models that have the same platform as Volkswagen models are now produced in Volkswagen factories in China. This local adaptation is the key of success for Audi’s sales in China, where the top members of the communist party cannot own a car unless it is made in China, but at the same time it forces the brand to give up their luxury strategy and replace it with a premium one. 4 The Maserati case 4. 1 Introduction to Maserati The Italian sports cars producer with the trident on the logo has been founded as Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati on December 1st 1914 in Bologna. Maserati was originally founded as a family business, but in 1937 it was sold to the Orsi family. In 1968 it was sold to Citroen and finally became part of the Fiat Group in 1993. 55 Thanks to his big sister Ferrari, Maserati has been reconstructed and from 2006 stands alone now in the structure of the Fiat S. p. a. (see figure 7). Today Maserati’s headquarter is based in Modena and it has two production sites in the north of Italy. Furthermore Maserati is divided in regions (Europe, Asia Pacific, 52 Cf. Volkswagen AG 2012, p. 233. 53 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 14. 54 Cf. Audi AG 2012, p . 131. 55 Cf. Wikipedia 2012a. 15 The Maserati case. America and Middle East) with national branches in each separate country (e. g. France, Germany, United Kingdom). Maserati is currently becoming more and more significant for the rest of the Fiat Group. The first strategic milestone of the so-called â€Å"2010-2014 plan† was the integration of the Chrysler Group in June 2011. Figure 8 shows the increase of 30% of the workforce through this merger, mainly in North America. * including 58,5% Chrysler Group LLC Maserati (100%) Fiat Group Automobiles* (100%) AUTOMOBILES Fiat S. p. a. Ferrari (90%) Fiat Powertrain (100%) Magneti Marelli (100%). COMPONENTS & PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Teksid (84,8%) Comau (100%) Figure 7: Structure of the Fiat S. p. a. Workforce 80 62,583 63,214 60 40 2011 2010 60,336 44,668 24,616 23,596 20 56 39,498 5,579 0 5,838 Italy Europe (excl. Italy) NAFTA Mercosur 4,894 other regions Figure 8: Increase of the workforce in the Fiat Group through the integration of Chrysler in 2011 56 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2011, p. 11. 57 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 30. 57 The Maserati case 16 The second milestone was the plan presented in February 2011 in which â‚ ¬ 500 million were invested for the relaunch a production site58. In this new pIant two new models will be produced: The new Maserati Quattroporte by the end of 2012 and the Maserati Ghibli in the second half of the year 2013. 59 Thereby Maserati plans to increase its sales: While in 2011 Maserati sold 6,159 vehicles worldwide, in 2013 20,000 units are planed and by 2015 a growth up until to 50,000 vehicles per year is projected. 60 The Maserati S. p. a. can be classified as a global organization. They concentrate their decision and strategy making in the HQ in Italy and product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. The function of the branches is reduced to the implementation and realization of sales, services and marketing activities. The reason is linked to the strong connection with the domestic country and the patriarchal organizational culture that has developed over the years. One cultural example for this approach is that usually in the branches employees refer to the HQ as â€Å"the factory†. And while until today Maserati’s production sites are located just in the domestic market, by the use of a common platform and production site with the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the United States for the new SUV model, Maserati will enter also in the global environment. 4. 2 Maserati’s strength 4. 2. 1 The cooperation with the Fiat Group Being part of the Fiat Group is strength and weakness at the same time for Maserati. Through the cooperation with the other brands of the group, Maserati can benefit from economies of scale and scope. E. g. particular engines for Maserati are developed and produced in the production site of Ferrari. Another example is the collaboration with Jeep that will allow the new Maserati Levante to share the expertise of Jeep in building SUVs. 61 Moreover the fact that the production of this new Model will be relocated to the United States will finally transform Maserati from a purely domestic manufacturer to a global player. 58 Officine Automobilitische Grugliasco. 59 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 34. 60 Cf. Wehner 2012. 61 Cf. Baedecker 2012. The Maserati case 17 4. 2. 2 The luxury image Maserati as a brand itself and the Maserati products are stereotypes of luxury. Maserati is like none of its competitors a unique iconic and superlative brand that stands for an extravagant Italian lifestyle and sportiness. It profits from its long-time racing experience and expertise in building extremely performing engines. Additionally some parts are tailor made and its products are positioned in an upmarket pricing class that does not correlate with the functional value they provide. Moreover until today the units sold are rather restricted and therefore it is still a rarity to see a Maserati on the road. Thus possessing a Maserati is to a high degree socially representative and makes the owner feel special and privileged. Maserati is a myth and continuous to benefit from this legend. 4. 2. 3 Driving performance Another very strong characteristic of Maserati is its driving performance. Driving a Maserati is an overwhelming driving experience from the very first moment you switch on the engine. The expertise in building extremely performing engines is definitely a strength that should not be underestimated. „Hearing a Maserati’s V-8 engine scream on the way to its 7200-rpm redline is an experience gear heads will cherish. â€Å"62 4. 2. 4 The people that work for Maserati The people that work for Maserati are fundamental assets. A mixture of experienced and long-established employees on the one side and on the other side young, motivated and talented staff are the most important ingredient for the team that is able to face the current challenges. Maserati’s employees identify with the brand to a high level and therefore live for the brand. E. g. in the HQs in Modena are hanging poster with the slogan â€Å"I am Maserati†. 62 Cf. Floraday 2011. The Maserati case 4. 3 18 Maserati’s weaknesses 4. 3. 1 The image of the Fiat Group As mentioned above, being connected to mass-market brands like Fiat and Chrylser could affect Maserati’s luxury status. This is primarily related to the image of Fiat’s quality standards. The fact that some components are commonly introduced in both, Maserati and Fiat, could severely damage Maserati’s reputation. 4. 3. 2 Progress and technology Except for its engines, Maserati is not using the most advanced technology in his cars until now. Competition from other car manufacturers is very strong in this context (e. g. Porsche or BMW). Therefore this is a threat especially in those markets where technology and innovation are very important factors in the consumer buying behaviour process (e. g. Russia or Germany). Moreover while other manufacturers have already developed new propulsive forces e. g. the new Daimler electric fleet63, Maserati continued only the evolution of traditional fuel and diesel engines. As the petrol price rises also this threat is increasing. And depending on the trend of the environmental regulations in Europe and in the rest of the world, this lack of development could become an increasing challenge for the next future of Maserati. 4. 3. 3 Dealer network Another threat is the necessity to improve and expand the dealer network. There is a clear need to increase the distribution capillarity by appointing additional dealers. Moreover, there is also a need to transform the existing dealers bringing them to focus their activities and organizations on the brand. Dedicated sales, after-sales and marketing forces will be key to this transformation. E. g. most of the Maserati dealers sell also Ferraris and should adapt their staff with personnel dedicated exclusively towards Maserati. 63 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 41. The Maserati case 4. 4 19 Maserati’s opportunities 4. 4. 1 Industrial opportunities With its current models range (Quattroporte, Gran Cabrio and Gran Turismo) Maserati is represented in the core segments.