Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Analysis Of A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry

Alex Tran Annette Venegas Luz Martinez Vanessa Cortez The play was first performed in March 11, 1959 Lorraine Hansberry Was African American Born in Chicago on May 19, 1930 Died at age 34 from pancreatic cancer She attended the University of Wisconsin and was the first person in her family to not attend a black college She worked as a waitress and cashier at first, and writing was just a hobby. In 1956, she committed all her time to writing. She wrote about feminism, sexism, racism, and homophobia, and through her writing, it can be inferred she was homosexual. In 1938, Hansberry and her family moved to a white neighborhood, where she faced discrimination and was attacked. They didn’t leave until the court told them to after the case†¦show more content†¦Such award is important to Lorraine Hansberry because she was the first African American to win the New York City Critics’ Circle Award. Sources: http://dramadeskawards.com/#About https://www.biography.com/people/lorraine-hansberry-9327823 When discussing about African Americans in Chicago Illinois 1950 we found out that there was a big migration that moved from the south to Chicago. The population of blacks in Chicago made people discriminate them because they were overrunning their home. It was hard for blacks to find a job and homes because they wouldnt have enough money and there was so many people but not enough homes. Additionally, the problems African Americans faced with real estate lead to an all African American neighborhood that was overcrowded and put African Americans in terrible living conditions. There is a picture that shows a protest happening, where people are holding up signs saying â€Å"Real Estate Exploitation Creates Ghettos.† Sources: http://dramadeskawards.com/#About https://www.biography.com/people/lorraine-hansberry-9327823 Chicago is the third most populated city in the US and is located in Illinois on the â€Å"shore of Lake Michigan.† There are lots of buildings and skyscrapers. July is the hottest month in Chicago, and the averageShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry944 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the 1950’s are clearly depicted as a time of racism and sexism. The Younger family is disrespected during the play which might have led to some of the mistakes they made later. The 1950’s influenced Lorraine Hansberry while writing her play by showing how mistakes help us grow as a group or an individual such as when Walter lost all the money, Ruth almost killed her baby, and Walter was going to sell their new house. Lorraine wanted to showRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hans berry784 Words   |  4 PagesA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Introduction Lorraine Hansberry, the author of the play A Raisin in the Sun, indicates that she had always felt a need to put her life experiences in the black neighborhood in writing. In his book, she depicts in a realistic manner of the African-American life. The play portrays black characters combined with themes and conflicts naturally and realistically. A Raisin in the Sun provided a twist in the American art as it highlighted on key issues which wereRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry1158 Words   |  5 Pagesincredible play A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry. To further understand the play please read the text below about the background of Hansberry’s life, living conditions in the era that the play took place, and reviews written about the play. Lorraine Hansberry was a playwright and a writer. She was born in Chicago May 19, 1930 in Chicago, and she grew up in the Woodlawn neighborhood in the South side of Chicago. Her parents were well known civil rights activists; Carl Hansberry (her father)Read MoreAn Analysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 914 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is an autobiographical play written in 1950 by Lorraine Hansberry, an African American writer. The main characters are the Younger family, Mama, his son Walter and her daughter Beneatha. The play dramatizes a conflict between the main characters’ dreams and their actual lives’ struggles in poverty and racism. The main characters’ lives as African-Americans contribute to their feeling of entrapment by poverty and racism. The play predicts the black society struggles in the yearsRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1876 Words   |  8 PagesA Raisin in the Sun is a p lay written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959. This is a story about an African American family striving to reach the American Dream despite significant financial difficulties and a racially oppressive environment in the postwar era. The passage I chose was from Act 2, scene 3 of the play. This is when the chairmen of the neighborhood committee in Clybourne Park, Mr. Lindner comes to speak with the Younger family about their future presence in the neighborhood. This passageRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin And The Sun Essay2363 Words   |  10 Pagesas Normal as Possible Poverty is always a great place to start a story, yet is there a lesson to be learned if the characters ends up right where they started? That is one of the several predicaments in the story â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Afro American writer Lorraine Hansberry. The story takes place in Chicago during the late 1950’s the civil rights era, and the most prevalent question is what makes an African American different to any other person. The story dives deep into what that is throughRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1343 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is play written by Lorraine Hansberry about a struggling African American family. Set in the nineteen-fifties, the play explores the dynamics of how the family operates in a time era Chicago that challenges the family with poor economic status and racial prejudice. Hansberry uses dreams as one of her main themes in this play. Three of the characters, Walter, Beneatha, and Mama, all have a similar goal in their respective dreams, to improve the life of the whole family, butRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1854 Words   |  8 Pageseven drink from the same water fountain. Schools being desegregated has helped young American people grow together in an educational environment, where they can build friendships with students of other races. Throughout the play, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, Lorraine Hansberry vividly portrays the racism and discrimination of white people towards African-Americans in the fifties, as well as similarities to her own childhood. Walter Lee Younger, husband of Ruth Younger, works as a chauffeur for a rich whiteRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1797 Words   |  8 Pages Worthless money itself All money brings is nothing but dreams and evil. Where there is money there is also dishonesty or corruption.. In a play called â€Å"A Raisin In The Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry, she focuses on the struggle that was faced by one African American family from late 1950s. As the play opens, the family are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the death of Mr.Younger’s insurance policy. Everyone was very excited and were waiting for the money to beRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Beneatha In A Raisin In The Sun1487 Words   |  6 PagesCharacter Analysis â€Å" A Raisin in the Sun† is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry about the life of an African American family during the era of segregation. The play starts off with the Younger family receiving a 10,000 dollar check from Mr. Younger’s insurance policy. The family argues over what they are going to do with it. Mama wants to buy a house with it, Walter wants to invest in a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to use the money to go to medical school. The contrast of the characters’ personalities

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Religion Is A Cornerstone Of Civilization - 898 Words

As made evident throughout history, religion has been a cornerstone of civilization since the beginning of time. Religion, or belief systems, has paved the way for mankind by guiding us in thought and action. Even our present day laws reflect the influence of the social contracts, morals, and beliefs formed by religion. With this in mind I present the question, which came first man or religion? Despite its impact on man, religion was created by humankind in response to the unknown. As the result of many years of evolution humans became the first species to become self aware in a cognitive aspect. While we developed so did our desire for answers to questions such as those in regard to the meaning of life and mysteries of death. Religion became our way of rationalizing the concepts of life we could not understand. By putting our faith and belief into factors beyond our control, we have allowed religion to establish our cultures and histories. In our approach to understanding religion we must learn it instead of blindly following the herd. In order to learn through the study of religion, Leonard Swidler created a system of Four Cs that simplify the key elements of religion. His first C, Creed, refers to the cognitive aspect of a religion. In other ways the Creed is the core belief of a given group of religious individuals. The second C, Code, are the rules and accustoms of action created by the Creed. Simply state the Code is the laws of the religion. The third C,Show MoreRelatedHow American Indians Have Adapted their Culture Since Colonization962 Words   |  4 PagesMy essay will have an outlook of the history of the first Americans â€Å"Indians† and how they’ve adapted with their religion, subsistence strategy, social organization, and material culture. Over the years things have change in the history of Native Americans, prior to the reconstruction period, Native Americans knew who they were and wh at they lived for. Before the Europeans came and changed their living they one with nature and the land they’ve came to know. They believe that America was there’s andRead MoreReligion and Civilization Essay1245 Words   |  5 PagesHow do we define religion? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of religion is as follows: â€Å"the belief in a god or in a group of gods, an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods, or an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group† (Merriam-Webster.) My personal definition of religion is that it is a set of beliefs and practices that generally pertain the worship of one or more than one spiritualRead MoreAncient Polytheistic Religion Compared to Judaism Essay919 Words   |  4 PagesAncient polytheistic religion compared to Judaism Ancient polytheistic and Judaism are two of the most opposite beliefs possible. Polytheistic belief is the belief in more than just one god. Polytheism was brought to this world by the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Greeks. The Greek gods often took on the form of being humans while the Egyptian gods were the main cornerstone to their beliefs and religion. Judaism or the belief of Monotheism is the belief in one main god. MonotheismRead MoreThe Civilizations Of Ancient Civilization1178 Words   |  5 Pages Civilization, derived from the latin word â€Å"civis† meaning â€Å"citizen†, or simply someone who lives in a city. However, what is the difference between a group of people who live in a town and our modern concept of civilization. To find the answer to that question we can turn to the civilizations of ancient times. The beginning of civilization as we know it began in the Neolithic era. This era began with a very distinct change to the way of life, from the old way of migrating constantly to whereverRead MoreCommunication And Conflict Resolution For Criminal Justice1340 Words   |  6 Pagesbasis of peaceful coexistence in the future. Typically, civilization is used to indicate the level of development of physical and human spirit to a certain historical period. Some researchers, such as Alvin Tomer divide history into two categories, pre-agricultural civilization and agricultural civilization, civilized industrial and post-industrial civilization. Some even think that civilization is a broader concept of culture, that civilization is the sum of culture and society. It’s the expressionRead MoreAncient Egypt and Mondern Society981 Words   |  4 Pagesdozens of great civilizations have risen from nothing and fallen back into obscurity. Not all civilizations, however, leave a lasting mark on the world, especially not one so profound that influences the world as it exists today. One such civilization that has had a profound impact on daily modern lives was that of Ancient Egypt. Their systems of religion and technological innovation helped not only to leave a permanent impression on the world, but also served to mold both the civilizations that directlyRead MoreEssay about Mayan, Inca, and Aztec Civilizations788 Words   |  4 PagesMayan, Inca, and Aztec Civilizations The Mayan, Inca, and Aztec civilizations each originated from Latin America. The Mayans lived in southern and central Mexico, other Mayans lived in Central America in the present day countries of Belize, Guatemala, and ancient Honduras. The Incas lived along the long coastal strip, and in the high peaks and deep fertile valleys of the Andes Mountains, and along the edges of the tropical forest to the east; this would be the country of Peru, Ecuador, ChileRead More Aldous Huxleys Brave New World Essay779 Words   |  4 PagesFord), universal human happiness has been achieved. (Well, almost.) Control of reproduction, genetic engineering, conditioning--especially via repetitive messages delivered during sleep--and a perfect pleasure drug called quot;Somaquot; are the cornerstones of the new society. Reproduction has been removed from the womb and placed on the conveyor belt, where reproductive workers tinker with the embryos to produce various grades of human beings, ranging from th e super-intelligent Alpha Pluses downRead MoreAncient Concepts Of Law, Government, And Social Structure1408 Words   |  6 Pagesthe development of Egyptian civilization. In addition, the Hebrews moved toward pure monotheism and the Persians enhanced the Near Eastern model of monarchical government. â€Å"The evidence reveals that on the one hand, peoples then living in the Near East, Africa, and the Mediterranean developed their own distinctive beliefs, mythologies, customs, and sense of identity. On the other they shared many attributes such as large populations, the use of writing, devotion to religion, and economies based on tradeRead MoreApplying Karl Mannheims Sociologist Approach to the Theories of Emile Durkheim and William James818 Words   |  4 PagesWe can apply Karl Mannheim’s sociologist approach to knowledge to the theories of two scholars of religion, Émile Durkheim and William James. â€Å"The ideas expressed by the subject are thus regarded as functi ons of his existence. This means that opinion, statements, propositions, and systems of ideas are not taken at their face value but are interpreted in the light of the life-situation of the one who expresses them† (Mannheim 50). Mannheim essentially believes that the acquisition of knowledge is

Monday, December 9, 2019

Dylan Thomas Essay Paper Example For Students

Dylan Thomas Essay Paper Despite Dylan Thomas often obscure images, he expresses a clear message of religious devotion in many of his poems. He creates images that reflect Gods connection with the earth and body. In And death shall have no dominion,; Thomas portrays the redemption of the soul in death, and the souls liberation into harmony with nature and God. Thomas best depicts his beliefs, though abstract and complicated, to the reader with the use of analogies and images of Gods presence in nature. Appreciating the virtue of humility in Shall gods be said to thump the clouds,; Thomas associates God with thunder, rainbows, and night only to remind us that He is even more present in a simple stone as He is in other great entities. In The force that through the green fuse drives the flower,; Thomas again makes the connection of body and earth, implying that there is only one holy force that has created all motion and life on this planet. This force, because it is so pure and boundless, is present in the sha dows and poverty of our world, as depicted in Light breaks where no sun shines.; Gods sacred presence in the body and earth is the ultimate theme within these chosen poems. We will write a custom essay on Dylan Thomas Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In The force that through the green fuse drives the flower,; Dylan Thomas illustrates the connection between the earth, the body, and God. He discusses how both nature and man are propelled by the same holy force and therefore are united. He does not propose the question of how the stem grows to create a flower or how blood circulates within the body, but rather what is the ultimate force behind all motion and life on the earth. The force that through the green fuse drives the flower / Drives my green age/#8230;The force that drives the water through the rocks / Drives my red blood;;In these analogies, Thomas humbles the human race and depicts Gods presence in all natural things, including humans. Thomas reveals that we are not a separate entity, but only part of a greater existence. Aside from the holy force that propels the world, Thomas also examines how we alter the way our lives should naturally progress. Death is a stage of life; as a rose is bent or killed by the cold so shoul d we age and eventually die in due time. However, Thomas analyzes human and natural death further when he writes, And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose / My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.; The difference between the modification of the roses life and mans is that our aging and death is sometimes avoidable, whereas the rose dies naturally when its season is over. Our chosen lifestyles sometimes impede the natural progression our lives should lead. We alter our lives with our own evil and envy, and, in turn, we destroy ourselves in ways God never intended. And death shall have no dominion; is another portrayal of life and death as mere stages within the universal process. Despite the poignant analogies in this poem, the refrain has the most significance. It is a reminder that life does not end in death, and that although death may be unmerciful, our souls will endure regardless and be redeemed. Dead men naked they shall be one / With the man in the wind and the west moon; succinctly describes Thomas view of how, in death, we are as pure and naked as we are in birth, and how only our souls (without clothing and extraneous unnatural hindrances) are redeemed to become one with a greater existence. Once again, Thomas connects God with nature. He reveals that because God is present in nature, when we die our souls are given to God and therefore also given to the beauty of nature. Thomas also explores the grace and glory of the afterlife, where Though they go mad they shall be sane,/#8230;Though lovers be lost love shall not;; In spite of th e use of abstract ideas such as love, religion, and death in the other poems relating to this theme, Thomass analogies of the gods with thunder, rainbows, rain, and night demonstrate how nature and the weather are affected

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Why are marriage rates declining Essay Example

Why are marriage rates declining Essay Introduction: For my sociology project I am going to look at marriage and find out the different reasons for its downfall over the past few years.My aim is to find out why marriage is declining.The different things I am going to look at are Divorce Rates Cohabitation Changes in womens roles; Decline in religious beliefsDivorce Rates: Divorce rates have increased over the past years. There are many reasons that people may decide to divorce. The different reasons are; Changes in the attitudes towards marriage; Legal changes; High expectations of a marriageDivorce has never been accepted in religion, but recently as it is becoming more and more popular, religious people are accepting it as a fact of life.Cohabitation: Cohabitation is when two people live together, but arent legally married. Many people cohabite as it is a sort of trial for real married life. Most cohabiting couples end up getting married. Some say that marriage is becoming less fashionable and that cohabitation is a goo d alternative.Chester argues that cohabitation is just a phase. Some cohabiting couples also have children, out side a marriage. Up to 30% of births are outside marriage.Before cohabitation was seen as a deviant thing, but as time went on it became more and more socially accepted. Many people say that there are many disadvantages to cohabitation they are: Living together before marriage increases the risk of divorce. One study found an increased risk of 46%. Living together outside marriage increases the risk of domestic violence for women and the risk of physical and sexual abuse for children. One study found that the risk of domestic violence for women in cohabiting relationships was double that in married relationships; the risk is even greater for child abuse. Unmarried couples have lower levels of happiness and well-being than married couples.Young couples prefer to cohabitate because if things dont work out they dont have to seek legal or religious permission to dissolve their union.Changes in womens roles: three quarters of divorces are started by wives, which means that women are becoming more economically independent, and they dont always rely on their spouse, as they are sometimes the breadwinners of the household. Womens expectations from the marriage are also increasing. Goode argues that historically marriage, was not based on love but was for economic support, with lower expectations regarding companionship. Nowadays marriage is expected to provide both economic support and love and care. Parsons said that women look for emotional support from their marriage, which isnt found in the broader society.As women are becoming more successful, getting married could mean the end of their careers. And many women dont want to get into a relationship/marriage if it puts a strain on their careers. Another aspect of marriage that may put women off marriage is that having children is a part of it, and some women just arent ready fro that commitment.Decline in religious beliefs: the influence of religion on people is declining, and many question the purpose of a religious ceremony to tie their marriage, when they have no belief in it. All religions say that marriage is important, many religions emphasis marriage as a key aspect of life. But as religious beliefs are going down so are the marriage rates.I believe that the two reasons that marriage rates are declining are due: Divorce Changes in womens rolesI think that many marriages are ending in divorce; one in two marriages end in divorce. Therefore not many people want to get married any more. Over the years there has been a great increase in the number of divorces. Goode argues that the change in attitudes towards divorce is part of the more general process of secularisation. Secularisation refers to the declining influence of the church and of religious belief. DIVORCE is a legal dissolution of marriage. People who divorced were seen as deviant, as it was against the norms of society, but now it has become accepted. Since 1971, marriages have fallen by one-fifth and divorces have doubled. Divorce rates increased tremendously, after the law was changed, which made it easier to obtain a divorce. The changes in the law lead up to a sudden rise in divorce. In 1969 the law changed again, this meant that a divorce could have been obtained due to Irretrievable breakdown of marriage.In Britain the divorce law has changed very slowly:; 1534- Divorce allowed only by Act of Parliament; 1837-Divorce allowed only on grounds of adultery; 1937-Divorce allowed on the grounds of adultery, desertion, cruelty and insanity; 1969-Divorce allowed on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown of marriageThe different reasons suggested why people get divorced are:; They married too young; They married for the sake of the child who was on the way; They fell out of love with their partner (and in love with someone else); They just drifted apart; Mother in law got in the wayMarriage is essent ially a coming together, a sharing, a fighting of problem together, a vital communication between two people- and when this communication breakdown so does the marriage.Although many people blame the law for the increase in divorce rates, people have to remember that the law reflects the publics opinions. Divorce is more common amongst certain social classes than others. There are higher divorce rates in the working and lower -middle class. Statistics say that divorce is more common among young partners.Another reason that marriages are declining is due to the changes in womens roles in society: now that women are becoming more and more independent there is no need for them to get married. Women are becoming increasingly economically dependant. Women start off three-quarters of divorces, which may suggest that they dont rely on their partners for financial support any more.There are many different types of ways to collect information. To find out information for the whole of Britain a sociologist would take a small sample of people who could represent the whole of Britain. A sample of people is to make a general statement for a wide number of people in sampling a small representative group of people are selected from the population.Primary DataPrimary data is information that is done by the researchers. The main way in which sociologists may do this is by: Questionnaires Interviews (formal/informal) ObservationQuestionnairesQuestionnaires are sets of questions, which the sociologists hands out to their sample of people. There are two different types of questions that can either have open or closed answers. Open-ended questions are questions where the person filling out the questionnaire writes down their own answer. Closed-ended questions are where the person ticks the appropriate box.The advantages of questionnaires are that they are fairly quick to do, they can be posted to a wide number of people, and people are more likely to answer any embarrassing questi ons. It is also easier to analyse the questionnaires once they have been filled out.The disadvantages are that they can not be used for complicated issues, the researcher can not be sure who has filled out the questionnaire, they can not be sure whether or not the person has filled out the questionnaire honestly, and many people can not be bothered to give the questionnaire back to the researcher. Most of the questions in my questionnaire are closed ended questions where the respondent can chose from a list of possible answers.InterviewsInterviews can be structured or unstructured.Structured interview- a structured interview is when all the questions you want to ask the person you are interviewing are written down, and you being the interviewer follow the questions. A structured interview is good for simple issues.Unstructured interview- this is when the interviewer, asks questions which then lead onto other topics. This form of interviewing is more like a conversation with the per son. Unstructured interviews are good for in-depth subjects.The advantages of a interview is that they can be used with complex issues, people are more likely to respond to your question.The disadvantages are that the interviewer may influence, the reply the respondent, this is called Interviewer bias.For my research I used structured interviews, this was so that detailed answers could be given.Secondary DataThis is useful information that is gathered by another researcher. This data may come from: Mass Media Official Statistics Historical Documents Expressive documentsMass MediaThis data can be very useful, the researcher does a content analysis on anything that is relevant to their topic. This can be adverts, newspapers, magazines etc.For my research I am going to use questionnaires, I have chosen questionnaires as they can be handed out to a wide number of people and I can get a wide sample. From these questionnaires I can also draw graphs related to my evidence. In my questionna ire I have mainly used closed questions, but I have also added in some open-ended questions, so that the people who fill the out can add in their personal views.Instead of using questionnaires I could have just used interviews, as marriage and divorce are very delicate subjects. I decided to use both, as it is easier for me to analyse the data. From analysing the data I can then draw up graphs to present the information I found out.For my research I am going to use questionnaires and interviews.I decided to use a questionnaire as I can look at a wider sample of people. My sample is 35 people; I gave my questionnaires out to both males and females so that I could get a view of all sexes. I gave my questionnaire out to a wide range of different age groups e.g. teachers, (25-40) and pupils (12-18). I also did 5 interviews with married people and questioned them on their views on divorce and cohabitation. My interview was a structured interview; so that I can the person I interviewed ca n answer the questions that are relevant to my course work, instead of them going to into conversations, which are not relevant to my coursework. With my questionnaire I did a pilot study on a small sample of people, to see if any changes need to take place.After handing out my pilot questionnaire I decided that the following changes needed to be made: The questions needed to be lettered That one of the questions needed to re-worded. From doing a pilot study I could alter my questionnaire making it easier to understand. Some of the problems my questionnaire faced was that not everyone answered all of my questions others did not return the questionnaire.A part from doing questionnaires and interviews I am going to be using magazines and newspapers to find facts about divorce and marriage rates. All of the articles that I find will be secondary data. This data can be useful to find out statistics about divorce rates and marriage as a whole.Data found from a magazine or newspapers can be biased as it may have been written to prove a point to people. The data can also go out of date very quickly making it less reliable.For my interview I am going to ask the following questions to my interviewee. Why do you think that women are choosing their careers instead of getting married? Do you think that cohabitation is better than getting married? And why? What do you think the main reason for increasing divorce rates are?I am going to ask the above questions to married people so that I can get their views on the topic.The first person that I interviewed was my Tony Williams- my next-door neighbour. Age 47. Tony was married for 13 tears, and then he had a divorce. He is now cohabiting with his new partner. Why do you think that women are choosing their careers instead of getting married? I think that women enjoy going to work. It is a break from the typical role of the women. I dont really think that women rather get a career than get married. I think that women would like to get married and have a career.; His views on cohabitation were: I think that cohabitation is better than being married, when being married there are many different issues that crop up that you dont really know how to handle. All of these problems have a bad affect on the marriage. There is less stress in this relationship than in a marriage.; What do you think the main reason for increasing divorce rates are? I think that divorce rates are increasing as couples rely on each other too much. Another reason is that women dont like to be in relationships were the household chores are not divided equally. It can also be because people change and grow apart.My second interview was with my Dad- Ramesh Age -43; Why do you think that women are choosing their careers instead of getting married? I think that women are choosing careers instead of marriage, as before women used to get married so that they could get financial support. But now that women are successful many dont feel the need to get married.; Do you think that cohabitation is better than getting married? And why? I think that cohabitation is not a good as marriage. With a marriage there are many advantages such as the support you get from one another, although cohabitating couples do support one another I feel that within a marriage there is more security; What do you think the main reason for increasing divorce rates are? I think that the main reasons for divorce is that when people get married they may not be aware of all of the responsibilities that come along with it. Some people may also change e.g. if someone has been married for 15years their partner may have changed and they end up growing apart. My third interview was with my Aunty Tara Kapadia; Why do you think that women are choosing their careers instead of getting married? I think that women are choosing their careers because there are more jobs available to women now. Women re also becoming very successful in the work place. Some women rat her wait until they have a good job and then they get married- which maybe at an older age.; Do you think that cohabitation is better than getting married? And why?I dont think that cohabitation is better than marriage; I think that when couples cohabitate they are giving themselves time to get to know each other. I also think that in the end most cohabiting couples do get married What do you think the main reason for increasing divorce rates are? I think that the main reason for increasing divorce rates is that couples arent willing to give it another chance. Because it is easy to get a divorce people see it as a an easy way out.My fourth interview was 28-year-old Hema Why do you think that women are choosing their careers instead of getting married? I think that the main reason that women are choosing their careers before their marriage is because they are afraid that they wont be able to go back to work again. They may be scared that when they become mothers that their whole life will change, and if they are successful at work they may feel that the marriage may put a strain on their work life. Do you think that cohabitation is better than getting married? And why? I think that cohabitation is good, as it gives the couple a good chance to find out what their partner is really like. It is a really good taste of married life. What do you think the main reason for increasing divorce rates are? I think that one of the main reasons that divorce is increasing is because women have high expectations of the marriage. Also there may be very little equality within the marriage.My fifth interview was with Dr Hamid Why do you think that women are choosing their careers instead of getting married? I dont think that women are choosing their careers before their marriage. I think that all women fell it is important to have both a career and a family. A career wont fully satisfies a person, it is important that they also have a good family life Do you think that cohabitati on is better than getting married? And why? I dont think that marriage is better than getting married. I think that people that cohabitate are just going through a phase. I think that cohabitating couples want to have children that is important that they get married What do you think the main reason for increasing divorce rates are? I think that one of the main reasons for divorce is a lack of communication. People dont say whats on their mind and so arguments are more likely to occur.From these interviews most of the people felt that cohabitation was just a temporary phase. Many of the women that I interviewed said that both a career and marriage is important. Although more women feel that it is better that they get married after they have a good stable job. In these interviews many different reasons were given for the rise in divorce rates. I think that the main reason the interviewees felt was for the rise in divorce was the lack of communication and that couples dont discuss an y problems they may have. Most of the reasons given for the increase in divorce rates were reasons that were proven correct by many sociologists.I think that the interviews went well, although I should have done interviews with an equal amount of women and men-, which means that some of the data I collected, could be biased in some way, as I interviewed 3 women and 2 men.Compared to questionnaires interviews are a lot better, they allow the researcher to get in-depth answers to questions. Whereas questionnaires, are mainly yes or no answers and are fairly simple to answer.Over my questionnaire went well. Although I did not get all of my questionnaires back, there was still enough information to draw a conclusion from.Most of the people I handed the questionnaire out to, understood the questions and answered them in a sensible way.From my results I can say that one of the main reasons for the increase in divorce rates is that Divorce is becoming easier legally 43%. Another reason tha t people thought is the cause is that people have high expectations of a marriage 30%.For next question 39% said that cohabitation is more popular than marriage.Also 36% said that most cohabiting couples get married.26% said that successful women are less likely to get married.I also noticed that for the question * instead of marriage couples cohabitate, why do you think this is? Most people said that many people feel that they dont need to get married to prove their love. Others said that people dont like to rush into things and prefer to take things slowly.I also noticed that in a few of my questions half of my sample agreed with the point and half disagreed. The three questions in which this happened was why do you think divorce rates are increasing? People are getting married at a young age? Should cohabiting couples have children? And finally in do you think that only religious people get married? I think that this shows that people werent entirely sure on their views on this point.Although these results arent that accurate as they are just views of a small sample of people, they do prove my hypothesis to be correct.MARRIAGE CAN WAIT- DAILY MAIL 20/07/01This article proves many of the sociologists reasons for the decrease in marriage correct. It also mentions that cohabitation is more popular than marriage. Being a newspaper article some of the data being used could have gone out of date quickly, and the information given could be biased as the newspaper could be writing the article to prove a point.Newspapers are a good source to use for the basic statistics; they give figures and facts to prove their point.IS MARRIAGE OUT OF DATE? SOCIAL TRENDS 25In the article that I found in a book, it states some of the reasons to why people dont want to get married at a young age anymore. E.g. it is out of date also in one of the tables it says that from 1971 to 1989 cohabitation rose from 7% to 48% this data found is extremely out of date which means that it is not reliable.Sociologists have found these things to be true. Chester said that cohabitation is becoming more popular but it is only a temporary phase. The articles that I found were fairly interesting and they do prove most of my hypothesis correct.I also found out that divorce is not the only reason that marriage rates are falling it is also due to peoples attitudes about marriage.WHY WERE NOT GETTING MARRIED ANY MOREE.g. in one of the articles that I found it said that they dont need a piece of paper to declare their love. The divorce rates do discourage people from getting married. In the article Why were not getting married any more it says that marriage doesnt keep people together look at the divorce rate in the newspaper article marriage can wait daily mail it also says that women are putting their careers before marriage- which is another reason sociologists give for the decrease of marriage rates. This article also proves that the changing role of the women has an affect on marriage rates. It also states that women are getting married but at a later age.To gain information on marriage and divorce rates I have also used Official statistics, this is information, which is produced by the government. Secondary data is not that important to sociologists but they use it to prove their theory right, or they use to secondary source of information and prove it to be wrong by doing their own research.From doing this piece of research on marriage and the different reasons that marriage rates are going down I conclude that, although marriage rates are going down cohabitation is becoming more popular. I can also conclude that some women do put their careers before their marriage-, which means that they are just getting married at an older age compared to a few years ago.Cohabitating is now seen as a good alternative to married life. Many people now prefer to cohabitate as they see it as a stress free relationship. Many people dont see the point in getting marri ed, after looking at the divorce rates in Briton they dont see the point in getting married any more if 1 in 10 marriages end in divorce. As through the law has become easier the number of divorces has dramatically increased. People can get divorced on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown on the marriage.Over the years womens roles have also changed and they are now just as successful as men. Women have become very successful in the work place meaning that many women are getting married at an older age. Many women dont want to get married, as they may become pregnant and then they may have to quit their jobs to look after the children.After giving out my questionnaire I came to the conclusion that religion has very little to do with marriage.In my hypothesis I stated that the main reasons that marriage rates are declining are Divorce Changes in womens rolesI think that after doing my questionnaire and interviews many people thought that these where the main causes of declining mar riage rates. Another reason that people thought affected marriage rates was cohabitation, people felt that more people were cohabiting than actually getting married as they felt cohabitation suited their life style more than marriage.After doing some research I came to the conclusion that marriage rates arent going down its just that people are waiting longer to get married compared to 10 years ago. I think that nowadays women like to have a good stable career before they get married. Robert Chester argues Mainly we seem to be witnessing a delay in the timing of marriage.Chester also says most people that cohabit get married eventually this statement was proven correct in my results were 36% said that most cohabiting couples do get married in the end. After doing some research I feel that religion has very little to do with marriage rates and divorce rates. Even though in my questionnaire 37% said that most people that divorce are non-religious.After doing my questionnaire I realise d that different people have different vies on marriage, divorce and cohabitation. I also think that although religion has an indirect affect on a persons view of things like marriage and divorce- it doesnt have a direct influence on their views.After doing all of my primary and secondary research I feel that my hypothesis has been proven correct.As a whole I feel that my course work went fairly well. Although some of the questionnaires werent returned, there was still a high response rate.I also think that my secondary research went well, there was a lot on marriage, divorce and cohabitation in sociological books and on the Internet. I also found some of my information from newspapers. With my interviews I would have liked to do an equal number of interviews with males and females, I could have also interviewed people from different ethnic backgrounds. But with the time I had available five interviews was all that I could have done. But I feel that the interviews that I did do went excellently.If I had more time I think that I would expand my research- I could do marriage rates within different ethnicities, or I could have done the divorce rates of different ethnic people.I think that by doing a pilot study questionnaire really helped as I could improve it. After doing the pilot study I changed my questionnaire so that I was more understandable. One of the changes that I made was that I numbered and lettered my questions, making it easier to fill out.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Navigating controversial topics in the workplace

Navigating controversial topics in the workplace Generally speaking, most people know that conversations that dip into politics, religion, or intimate relationships are best to avoid in professional settings. Yet in the current political climate, taboo topics are becoming harder and harder to avoid, causing people to share more opinions and exercise a lot less restraint and privacy in the workplace.Regardless of who brings hot button issues into the conversation, it’s always best to be prepared to deal with them without putting your foot in your mouth or offending someone.  Here are some tips on how to keep it classy (and keep yourself out of trouble) when controversy arises at work.Always follow the rules.Your company almost certainly has some policies in place regarding religious or political expression. You might not be allowed to hang up a campaign button or bumper sticker in your cubicle, for instance, or decorate your desk with anything a coworker might deem offensive. Take a quick glance at the employee handbook now and then to make sure you’re coloring between the lines.Listen, smile, and keep quiet.Its easier said than done, but if the conversation around you turns heated, its often best to just sit back and take in the opinions of everyone around you. If you do more listening than talking on average, then you have fewer opportunities to say something you’ll regret or that will get you in trouble.Unless youre in a situation where a legitimate wrong or injustice is taking place, if you find yourself wanting to say something- and asking yourself Is this okay to say?- chances are you should probably hold that thought and keep it to yourself.Document wrongdoings.If you have a coworker (or boss!) who’s spewing offensive commentary or bullying you or someone else- or, worse, engaging in hate speech- then you’re going to want to build a case before you do anything or tattle. Have something tangible you can present to HR if that becomes your best option. Frame your concer ns in terms of safeguarding the health of the company and culture.If youre upset, say something.Rather than making assumptions or leaping to conclusions about a person’s character, sometimes it’s better to just be up-front and frank with a coworker who has offended you. This doesn’t mean leveling accusations. It means approaching that person respectfully with an olive branch and a chance to talk things through. Dont accuse- explain. Tell him or her why youre upset. Having the confidence to do this in the first place is a tricky skill to master, but this can be quite effective in neutralizing an otherwise fraught situation.Own your mistakes.If you’re the one making people uncomfortable- even unintentionally- own up to it, take responsibility, apologize, and change your behavior. Otherwise your job might end up on the line. Remember, you’re not the only one in the office whose opinions and feelings matter.The bottom lineIf a conversation arises and y ou have passionate feelings, by all means, speak up. But if you do, keep your tone and language as professional as possible. Try to diffuse rather than accuse. Ask questions rather than asserting strong statements. Keep an open mind and your emotions at an even keel- its possible to be both passionate and polite.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Optimize Your Content Marketing Strategy [PODCAST]

How to Optimize Your Content Marketing Strategy [PODCAST] Content marketing is an essential to today’s start-up business. It is how you and your company find your voice in a sea of similar and perhaps larger companies. But, what do you do when your online content isn’t getting the attention you need? How do you create the content that is going to get your business results? How can you make content marketing work for you and your business? Len Markidan, the guy in charge of Groove HQ’s marketing department has some basic tips to improve your content. Groove HQ got its start six years ago, but the path to success was rocky.   Len and his team tried numerous types and styles of content for their blog, but nothing was working. So the team did their homework, they looked at companies like Kissmetrics and Unbounce, then they reached out to the companies. Their outreach was a big help. What they learned from the process became invaluable. Groove HQ found an audience with their blog A Startup’s Journey to $100,000 in Monthly Revenue. If you are having trouble with your content marketing, then Len can help you get a better perspective on the situation. Groove HQ’s rough start and how Len and his team found the problems. Why the best story to tell, is your story. The winning framework Len uses to create Groove HQ’s content. How your audience can help you find the right content. The best method to create content with a team. Links: Groove HQ A Startup’s Journey to $100,000 in Monthly Revenue Blog If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud,  Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Len: Hire people that you can trust, pick a tool that you trust and just keep everybody on the same page, and then back off. You have to give each blog enough oxygen and attention to succeed, otherwise it’s going to be very obvious in your results which one youre treating as a secondary blog. We had a product, but we didn’t really have a thoughtful or effective marketing strategy at all.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Leadership Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Leadership Experience - Assignment Example Vicente says that his secretary always replies his mail, and he does not seem to find anything wrong with that (Daft, 2015). Task 2 The main purpose of Chuck's communication to Vicente was to urge him to ensure that the deadline for supplying the toys that Hunter Worth had placed an order for was met. The main purpose of Chuck's communication to Michael Sato seems to have been to lodge a complaint about what seemed to him like lack of commitment and seriousness by Vicente towards meeting the deadline. While choosing his channel of communication with Vicente, Chuck should have considered the following factors. Urgency: As the matter at hand was urgent and required an immediate response, a telephone call would have been more effective.Confidentiality: By making a telephone call, he would get to speak to Vicente in person as opposed to emails that may be answered by anyone. On his communication with Sato, Chuck should have considered: Confidentiality: A call would have been more discree t. Sato is seen to have forwarded the email to Vicente's bosses, leading to conflict.Nature of relationship: Considering that Sato and Chuck were personal friends, he would have been comfortable speaking to him in person or calling him on his personal cellphone as the issue being reported to him does not seem to have been intended to be official. Task 3 If I were Chuck, I would have made a call to Vicente instead of sending him an email. This would have conveyed the message with the urgency required.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Impact of E-Commerce Technology on the Air Travel Industry Essay

The Impact of E-Commerce Technology on the Air Travel Industry - Essay Example If I were the primary decision maker in these airline companies, I would come up with brilliant ideas to ensure that my airline company adopts a measure aimed at making it to enjoy a competitive advantage over its competitors. Having realized the inefficiencies of travel agents, I would ensure that I introduce the use of modern Information Communication Technology (ICT) in my company. This is a new innovation that would help us to realize a tremendous growth in our services. When all the activities are done in compliance with the new system, it would be much easier for the company to expand its client base and be able to reach a large number of potential clients than it could otherwise manage. In other words, I would advocate for the full adoption of SABRE system. This is an advanced technology that would be of much help to my organization. Once every activity is computerized, it becomes much easier for the airline to improve the quality of its services. At the same time, it would avail information to our clients wherever they are. Thus, it becomes much easier for them to plan their trips and make online reservations whenever they feel to do so. Automating our services would definitely put us in the right path of enjoying a competitive advantage over our rivals. Rather than advocating for the adoption of ICT, I would emphasize the role of novelty. Meaning, any changes to be effected would have to be novel and beneficial to the organization. They should be highly advanced to seal any loophole that might be experienced. If this happens, we would definitely be in the right path of out doing all our competitors before emerging as the best alternative airline in the market. In my opinion, the automation of airline services is commendable. It is a worthwhile initiative aimed at improving the quality of service delivery by the airline company. SABRE technology is one of its own kind. Meaning, it had to be

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Teachers Day Essay Example for Free

Teachers Day Essay ?In our country 5th September is celebrated as Teachers day. 5th September is the birthday of a great teacher Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. When Dr. Radhakrishnan became the president of India in 1962. It would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers day. The request showed Dr. Radhakrishnans love for the teaching profession. From then onwards, the day has been observed as Teachers Day in India. On this day, we gratefully remember the great educationist Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose dream was that Teachers should be the best minds in the country. Hence, Teachers Day is very important for all our people, for our students and even for all the parents, as the teachers lay the foundation for creating enlightened citizens for the nation. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, Education is that by which character is formed, strength of the mind is increased, intellect is expanded and which enables a person to stand on one’s own feet. But in the present scenario, the privatization and commercialization of education has changed the meaning and values of education. In fact, the aim of education is not the acquisition of information, although important or acquisition of technical skills though essential in modern society but the development of that bent of mind, that attitude of reason, that spirit of democracy which will make us responsible citizens and good human beings. To produce an enlightened human being, the procedure is three fold. One is moral value system. That a student gets from his parents. Secondly, the teacher becoming a role model. Not only does the student learn, but the teacher shapes his life with great dreams and aims. Finally, the education and learning process has to culminate in the creation of professional capability leading to confidence and will power to make a design, to make a product, to make a system, bravely combating many problems. Dear Teachers: Every one of us in this planet creates a page in human history irrespective of who he/she is. I realize my experience is a small dot in human life, but that dot has a life and light. This light, let it light many lamps. My best wishes to all of you on this occasion of Teachers Day. Thank you. Dr. Krishan Kant.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Enlightenment Essay -- History Historical French Essays

The Enlightenment Throughout Europe and the new American colonies in the 18th century there was a great movement in thought. This trend that preceded the French Revolution is known as the Enlightenment. Revolutionary writers and thinkers thought that the past held only darkness and ignorance, they began to question everything. Enlightened thought entered, or intruded, into all aspects of life in the 1700s. Governments were drastically reformed, art and literature changed in scope, religion was threatened, the study of science spread, nature was seen in a new light, and humanity evolved greatly. This new way of thinking was propelled by curiosity and observations of society and nature. The Enlightenment was a desire for human affairs to be guided by rationality rather than by faith, superstition, or revelation; a belief in the power of human reason to change society and liberate the individual from the restraints of custom or arbitrary authority; all backed up by a world view increasingly validated by science rather than by religion or tradition. 1 Several individuals have been credited and blamed for leading and contributing to the Enlightenment. These thinkers not only changed their views, but also spread revolutionary ideas to others. These philosophes, Evangelists of science, felt that it was their duty to open peoples’ eyes to new thought. They used every media available to them including word of mouth, pamphlets, letters, journals and books. Philosophes were tired of people accepting anything they were told, consequently a large opponent of the Enlightenment Era was the Church. Knowledge gained through observation of nature slowly replaced blindly accepted religious explanations. The Enlightenment wa... ...am, they could harness it with the steam engine. Thus, emerged the Industrial Revolution, which would never have been possible had humans not owned the knowledge gained from the Enlightenment. Literature Cited 1. Dorinda Outram, The Enlightenment (New York, Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge ,1995), 3. 2. Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment and Frank M. Turner, The Western Heritage, Second Brief Edition, Volume II: Since 1648 (Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, 1996), 397. 3. Outram, 58. 4. Kagan, 401. 5. Britannica Online, â€Å"The Enlightenment†, wysiwyg://176/http://www.britannica.com/†¦ article/5/0,5716,108605+8+106072,00.html, 21. 6. Roy Porter, The Enlightenment, (London, The MacMillan Press Ltd., 1990), 3. 7. Kagan, 403. 8. Outram, 62. 9. Jonathon Weiner, Time, Love, Memory (New York, Vintage Books, 1999), 5.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Breaking Binaries in The Odyssey: An Exploration The New Woman in The Penelopiad Essay

In the Homeric Epic, women are cast into one of two dichotomous roles: that of the wise and faithful or that of the foolish and disloyal. However in Atwood’s The Penelopiad these roles are deconstructed such that they become fluid as opposed to concrete—such that the women do not wholly occupy one role or the other but rather move on a balance beam between the two, sometimes leaning nearer to one lateral or the other but never resting on the end points of either side. In the unfettered world of The Penelopiad, woman are granted the voices that they are denied in The Odyssey; they are free to weave their own epic stories of cunning, captivity, danger, victory, and failure. The Penelopiad therefore gives rise to a â€Å"new† woman who is not bound by Homeric conventions that confine reader to a singular understanding of The Odyssey and its characters; rather Atwood unveils a myriad of possibilities, explanations, and motivations behind the events of The Odyssey as they are imagined by Homer. Our minds are opened to realities and potentials either unconsidered, or considered but immediately abandoned for lack of emphasis, by the readers. We are made to ponder what seem to be obscurities and minor inconsistencies in The Odyssey that upon deeper exploration and analysis serve to completely revolutionize the conventional reading of The Odyssey in terms of the female characters. Atwood accomplishes this impressive feat by exploring the â€Å"dark alleyways† that lead us to alternate, but plausible, conclusions as evidenced by the expressions of the muted cast of The Odyssey—Penelope and the twelve hanged maids. The Odyssey presents Penelope as being wholly wise. She is the appropriate counterpart for the wise and cunning Odysseus. She is revered by the other characters for her wisdom. She is not made to appear foolish because one cannot be both wise and unwise in a dichotomy. In The Penelopiad she exhibits an even more fierce display of her wisdom, but also admits her foolishness and poor decisions. For example, she tells us that she knew Odysseus was still alive because he had not yet appeared to her in a dream, and admits that she had recognized Odysseus upon his arrival but placed the bow to be sure. She tells also that she had asked the prettiest and most faithful of her maids to entice the suitors and learn of their plots by any means necessary. Yet she fails to consider what Odysseus would think after returning home and hearing, or worse observing, the behavior of the maids. Moreover, when she knows that he has returned she sets her mind to proving her wisdom and faith by telling â€Å"the beggar† of her woes she had suffered in his absence and of the shroud. She also pranks him by setting Eurycleia to wash his feet knowing that she would recognize the scar and laughing to herself at how they tried to cover it up, and she tests him with the bow. But not once did she consider her maids. Nor did she think that she to tell Eurycleia of her activities with the maids knowing how faithful she was to Odysseus and how he would trust her judgment. Nor did she consider the possibility of their being raped or seduced when she set them upon the suitors to be her spies. Such folly and unwise decisions conflict with the Penelope we come to know in The Odyssey, but all is revealed in The Penelopiad. Coral Howells notes, in her piece â€Å"Five Ways of Looking at The Penelopiad,† that, â€Å"Penelope’s is not the only voice here; her tale is frequently interrupted by the voices of her twelve hanged maids, those nameless slave girls who have nothing to say in The Odyssey† (Howells 5-6). Similar to Penelope’s plight in The Odyssey, the maids are cast in a dichotomous role—that of the whore and disloyal servant. They are painted as scandalous, ungrateful, spiteful woman who abuse the household of their master Odysseus with their disrespect for the queen and her son, as well as their interactions with the suitors. Eurycleia is all too willing to, â€Å"report in full on the women†¦who are disloyal†¦who are guiltless† (Homer 406). And despite Odysseus dismissal, she was in fact later called upon to expose the disloyal servants for the whores that they were, according to The Odyssey that is. The possibilities are opened in The Penelopiad. For example, the women are condemned in the Odyssey for having sexual relations with the suitors. This behavior is attributed to their role as whores and unfaithful servitude without any consideration of other possibilities or circumstances. In The Penelopiad, they maids speak of being, â€Å"dirty girls† by occupation. They say, â€Å"If our owners or the sons of our owners or a visiting nobleman or the sons of a visiting nobleman wanted to sleep with us, we could not refuse. It did us no good to weep, it did us no good to say we were in pain† (Atwood 13-14). In a later chapter Penelope remarks, â€Å"It is not unusual for guests in a large household or palace to sleep with the maids†¦but it was irregular for servants to be used in this way without the permission of the master of the house†¦However there was no master of the house. So the suitors helped themselves to the maids in the same way they helped themselves to the sheep† (Atwood 116). Therefore, their behavior should have been considered in the same way that Penelope’s was: dutiful and loyal to their master. Penelope tells the reader that giving visitors to pick of their servant girls was a part of good hospitality—a very important convention in the Homeric epic—and the master of the house happily obliges them in their choice (Atwood 116). Considering this, by sleeping with the suitors, the girls were continuing in the same behavior that would have been promoted and even expected if Odysseus were home. Despite this reality the maids are placed in the category of the whore, therefore their actions must be presented as indicative of their role. The dichotomous classifications of women in The Odyssey would not allow them to be both promiscuous and faithful. They are limited to obscurity, being minor characters, â€Å"neglected to the margins of the narrative;† they serve no other purpose than to fulfill their role in the epic convention and suffer what most readers of The Odyssey would consider a much deserved fate (Howells 6). However in The Penelopiad the maids become the majority, holding the voice of commendation or condemnation, a voice previously denied to them in the epic. Mihoko Suzuki finds that Atwood uses parody and burlesque to expose the Odyssey’s unfair representation of women and their lack of complexity due to the placed upon them by the epic. She argues that Atwood uses her modern examining of the Penelope and her maids to, â€Å"allow agency, intelligence, and voice to female protagonists who may not be equivocally amiable.† (Suzuki 270). She goes on to argue that that, â€Å"through their debunking, light-hearted burlesque Atwood makes a more serious point; the maids function as a tragic chorus, commenting on the actions of the hero, Odysseus (and in a later chorus, Penelope)† (Suzuki 272). Atwood allows the women to occupy identities other than that of the dichotomous prudent and honorable wife and foolish dishonorable harlot. Howells argues that Atwood’s project in The Penelopiad, â€Å"Atwood’s project is to retell The Odyssey as herstory† (Howells 8). And in doing so, Atwood addresses many of the unanswered questions in The Odyssey by allowing. In her re-envisioning of The Odyssey she takes the poem out of the context of the Homeric Epic to speak plainly and bluntly about the true events of The Odyssey, or at least some quite plausible possibilities. Shannon Collins notes that The Odyssey is, â€Å"A recitation of a blind poet, who recounts the stories told by a famous liar and adventurer, the poem contains narrative nested within narrative† (Collins 57). Likewise, Howell mentions that, â€Å"It seems that Atwood is using Penelope to tell another story within it: the story of the hanged maids† (Howells 6). The stories have in common therefore that they are both metafictional, true to Homeric epic convention, however as Collins says, â€Å"In the Greek epics, women do not star in their own tales so much as play supporting roles in the adventures of others† (Collins 57). Therefore, casting Penelope as the narrator is essential to Atwood’s formation of the ‘new’ woman we find in The Penelopiad. We find in Homers interpretation that the women are described only by other characters but not given the opportunity to speak about themselves. This can have a profound effect on the facts of the story—on what is deemed important therefore which facts are told and untold—and also on how those facts are communicated. The values, beliefs, frustrations, and insights of a person or group often influence not only the tone and mood of the story—that is to say what is impressed upon the reader—but also the details of the major events as well. For example, Homer paints Odyssus as a cunning, brave, and well deserving hero with amazing exploits while Penelope paints him as a boastful, short-legged, tricky liar with amazing stories. Collins argues therefore that, â€Å"each of the women characters also has a story to tell, though their versions may be different from the official one. Our own stories are by necessity different than the stories told about us by others. The story- tellers may claim to tell an objective truth, but who can know the truths of our own individual stories† (Collins 57)? Although Atwood explains that, â€Å"Writing The Penelopiad allowed me not only to revisit an ancient and powerful tale, but to explore a few dark alleyways in the story that have always intrigued me,† she ultimately leaves the reader in the same predicament as the Odyssey; true to the epic, we are left with many questions (Atwood 58). Who’s telling the truth about the shroud, the suitors, and the slaughter: Penelope or the maids? Was it Eurycleia who perpetrated the slaughter of the maids on her own accord out of jealousy? If Penelope was so wise and indeed recognized Odysseus as she says, why didn’t she tell him the ‘spies’ at the same time she told him about the shroud? Unlike Homer however, she also opens our minds to new possibilities—perhaps Odysseus’ exploits were over-exaggerated fables adaptations of the truth in which battles with Cyclops were merely bar fights and goddesses were merely high-priced whores. Atwood’s widely imaginative, but strongly conceivable, answers to the unanswered questions of The Odyssey are some of the reasons I and many other readers fall so deeply in love with The Penelopiad. The means by which she develops these new possibilities give voices, first-hand interaction, and real humanity to the women of the Odyssey. They become real people—real women with real emotions, desires, grievances, and pain—as opposed to the simple manifestation of the roles that they play in The Odyssey: the faithful wife, the disloyal servant. Of course they serve a specific purpose to the plot and themes of The Penelopiad ad they do in Homer, they are not locked into being the muted puzzle pieces that they are in Homer. Atwood, Margaret. â€Å"The Myth Series and Me.† Publishers Weekly 252.47 (2005): 58. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. . In this brief articles, referenced quite frequently in literary criticism and examination of The Penelopiad, Atwood divulges her motivations behind the creation of the The Penelopiad and her thoughts about the re-telling of classic myths. Particularly, she admits that one of her intentions in The Penelopiad is to respond to, or provide answers to, some of the mysteries of The Odyssey. Atwood, Margaret. The Penelopiad. New York: Canongate, 2005. Print. Collins, Shannon C. â€Å"Setting the Stories Straight: A Reading of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad.† Carson-Newman Studies 11.No. 1 (2006): 57-66. Library.cn.edu/. Carson-Newman College. Web. Collins comments on the art of storytelling as depicted in The Odyssey and The Penelopiad. She evaluates the stories told by Penelope, Odyseus (in the Odyssey which are commented upon, or rather revised by Penelope in The Penelopiad), and the maids. Her arguments provide support for the voices of the women of The Penelopiad existing only outside the confines of the Homeric Epic as women, namely the maids, are not given the opportunity to weave their own stories in The Odyssey but are endowed with voices in The Penelopiad to do just that—to tell give an â€Å"herstorical† account of The Odyssey. Mihoko, Suzuki. â€Å"Rewriting the Odyssey in the Twenty-First Century: Mary Zimmerman’s Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad.† Approaches to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. By Kostas Myrsiades. New York: Peter Lang, 2010. 239-54. Analyzing Atwood’s works from a feminist perspective, Suzuki offers valuable insight to the critical nature of The Penelopiad. Particularly interesting are her comments on the voices of the women in The Penelopiad that we do not hear in the Homer’s The Odyssey.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Lady Macbeth: the Slayer of King Duncan

Lady Macbeth: The slayer of King Duncan In the 7th grade I was suspended from school for being an â€Å"instigator. † I would cause disputes by persuading individuals who didn’t like one another, to hate one another. I’d gradually use my dynamic lingo to provoke the victims in the so called scuffle to get to that final step where they’d lose it and fight. I got what I wanted by manipulating the ones who were vulnerable and unsure what to do when placed in a troubling situation. Understanding the consequences, I received the same punishment as if I was in the fight myself.That same exact concept could be used to express how Lady Macbeth is more responsible for slaying King Duncan herself. Throughout the story the audience notices how manipulative and depraved Lady Macbeth can be. She has such a huge impact on how Macbeth thinks and on the actions he makes. Just like any other committed wife, she wants the best for her husband. She wants him to chase his glo rious ambition, but fears he may not have enough determination to carry out the devious act in order to become the new â€Å"King of Scotland. † We soon learn that Lady Macbeth will do anything he assist her husband in achieving this glorious ambition.On page 311-312, Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 10-15: Lady Macbeth states, â€Å"That which cries, thus thou must do,† if thou have it, and that which rather thou dost fear to do, than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valor of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round, which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crowned withal. † This reveals the first step in Lady Macbeth’s plot to slay King Duncan, which is confirming her own opinion on the letter placed before her eyes.These lines allow the audience to visualize who she is as a person and also allows the audience to make a prediction on what move she will make next. Afte r she prays to the spirits to take the feminine features out of her, so she could be a stern and heartless human being, Macbeth returns. This is the exact moment when she begins her act. On page 314, Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 63-65: Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Only look up clear, To alter favor ever is to fear, Leave all the rest to me,† which basically declares that Lady Macbeth is entirely aware and up to date on what’s going on.She assertively enlightens Macbeth on how to disguise himself of his uncertainty and second thoughts about killing the king and is willing to accommodate Macbeth with anything else he needs assistance with. The second step in her scheme is now in the process of being complete. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are reunited and now Lady Macbeth is preparing her husband mentally to perform the assassination by giving him confidence and tips on how to remain unexposed to suspicion. However, later in Act 1 it is clear that Macbeth didn’t take the advice p rovided by Lady Macbeth earlier in Scene 5.On pg. 316, Act 1, Scene 7, Lines 31-35: Macbeth adds, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business he hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss not cast aside so soon. † Macbeth has decided he will no longer continue with this atrocious plot to murder King Duncan. It could over been over right there. King Duncan could have finished his meal, slept in peace and harmony, and returned home in the morning. Finally, Lady Macbeth slays King Duncan.After Macbeth claims that he will not go through with this dirty business any longer, Lady Macbeth ups her game. Lady Macbeth replies with, â€Å"When Duncan is asleep—Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory, the warder of the brain, shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason A limb eck only: when in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, what cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan?What not put upon his spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt of our great quell? † She improvises and takes matters a step further. Not only did she provide a new and improved plan to her husband, but assured him that going through with this to strive for his ambition will bring him and herself promising awards. At the end of the act, Macbeth is certain that he will carry out with murdering King Duncan due to the dynamic lingo of Lady Macbeth. In conclusion, an instigator is someone who deliberately foments trouble.Throughout the story the audience can confirm that Lady Macbeth was in fact more responsible for the murder of King Duncan. Her plan of attack contained the three steps which were establishing an opinion, preparing the victim mentally (Macbeth), and providing a plan for execution of the task. Each of these steps contributed to the sati sfaction of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s dreams and desires (Lady Macbeth’s intention from the beginning). Lady Macbeth is an instigator and more responsible for slaying King Duncan the Macbeth is.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare

Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare who is one of the most influential writers in history has elaborated the contemporary themes in society into a piece of literature as revealed in the drama. Due to his universal way of creating themes, he has been able to influence the western literature. In the contemporary theatre of the western, they still view Shakespeare’s work being relevant. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Shakespeare therefore uses the stylistic device of a play within a play to pass his information to the audience as well as helping him develop his plot. Shakespeare has in this case therefore used the main actor Hamlet in portraying this device. Hamlet who is a character in the play is again seen in another play within the play, which he acts in order to be in a position to kill Claudius. Hamlet is a play that depicts a vi vid drama of melancholy and insanity as well as famous of its ghostliness. In this play, Shakespeare has used various elements of literature to develop the plot of the play. In this case, the writer has used characters, settings, symbols, themes, characterization and other elements of literature in the development of the plot. The writer has used these elements correlatively to achieve his plot. Themes are used to develop characters in the play. For instance, the writer has used the theme of betrayal to develop the main character Hamlet in the play hence the development of the plot. The writer used the name of the play as the name of the main actor while other characters in the play helped in development of the predominant theme in the main character. Therefore, four main characters have greatly contributed by playing major roles. Hamlet experienced character development through the betrayals of Ophelia with whom he is romantically involved. Gertrude is his mother and Claudius†™ wife while Gildernstern and Rosencrantz were his friends from the University of Wittenberg. When the scene begins, there is a very close relationship between Hamlet and the mother, which later fades off when Gertrude remarries his uncle Claudius two months after his father’s death. This culminated the distrust in women since his mother was the most important female in his life. He therefore uses mockery phrases like â€Å"such dexterity to incestuous sheets† and â€Å"frailty, thy name is woman†. Such phrases illustrated how disgusted and disappointed he was towards his mother and women as well as depicting how isolated he was as a young man.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The theme of madness has also played major role in the development of the plot. Insanity was used in many revenge tragedies like in the first revenge tragedy of Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus. Unlike in the case of Hamlet where the madness is ambiguous, other revenge tragedies in the character have been unambiguous. In the source of Shakespeare’ plot in Hamlet, the main protagonist feigns his madness to be in the position to revenge without being suspected by the king (Claudius) whom he plots to kill. In the play, Hamlet’s madness tends to distract him from accomplishing his mission as it is depicted in the play as being with very little interest in accomplishing the mission of the ghost even after proving that Claudius is guilty (act 4 scene 2). Hamlet therefore acts like a mad person in the play since he is aware in a bizarre manner that he should act as a mad man to accomplish the role of revenge in Hamlet. He knows the role that he is supposed to play even though to some extent he does not attain it satisfactorily. This in return built Hamlet as a character who wants to revenge. Ophelia is another character who plays the part of a ma d person but in her case, she is innocently mad. Ophelia loses her senses of self-knowledge and composure completely and therefore insane. Suicide is another theme that has been used by Shakespeare to develop the plot in Hamlet. The play has been shaped using Ophelia as well as Hamlet. Hamlet deeply contemplates about the issue of suicide and this is seen in his soliloquies. He keeps on asking himself questions about the act of murder. Hamlet had the fear to kill because of his social as well as religious morals. He views suicide as a crime in the societal view and even before God who gives life. He also had the fear of what happens to the person after he has departed from this world and going to the world of the deaths. Ophelia’s death also arouses many issues where some people say that she died a natural death while others say that she committed suicide. According to Hamlet’s mother, Ophelia’s death was accidental because she drowned while on the other hand, the priest and the gravediggers said it clearly that Ophelia killed herself. This therefore left the people feeling that Gertrude’s narration was just a story to cover up the whole issue of murder since it was viewed as an immoral act in the society (act 5).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Hamlet, Shakespeare has used women characters in the development of the plot. In the play, women are seen to play minor roles but very essential in development of the plot. In the play, Gertrude and Ophelia are the two women in direct relationship with the main protagonist. The writer develops the theme of love in the play using Gertrude who is the main protagonist’s mother. This is seen when Gertrude tries to stop the death of his son because Hamlet never loved her as a mother. This is because; he felt that her mother was involved in the mu rder of his father. She is concerned about the well-being of her son, which proves the reason why Claudius could not inform her about the plot of killing his stepson. Ophelia is portrayed as loving because after the death of her father she became insane. This is evident when she started using abusive language in public without fear as she used to behave in the previous scene, where Hamlet could abuse her and she could not respond due to the fear she had as woman who was under the power of a man. The theme of patriarchal is built around the two women to show how they were not allowed to make decisions on their own. For example, in the case of Ophelia, she is forced by the father (Claudius) and her brother Laertes not to love Hamlet because the brother feels that Hamlet is playing with her feelings. Trying to satisfy the wants of the father and brother, Hamlet blames her and even insults her, but since Ophelia does not have power to explain to him what was underlying the whole issue , she ends up suffering. The husband on the other hand see Gertrude as a less repressed person but Claudius married her so that he can be able to promptly take over the throne after Hamlet’s death and pretend that he is good just like the previous king by remarrying his wife. Ophelia has been used to develop the stylistic device of symbolism in the play towards the development of the plot. The symbolism of her language in the play increases the range of meanings depicted in the play. For example, Ophelia is emotional after hearing about the death of her father and throws flowers in every place around her as a sign of purity (act 4 scene 4). On the contrary, this symbolizes her deflowering as a person, on the other scene of her madness.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lastly, the two characters have contributed in the development of the plot and again helped the writer to portray the fate of his heroes in the play. When Ophelia rejects Hamlet, Hamlet’s disgust his mother’s remarriage, taints the opinion about all women hence making him an isolated man. The madness death of Ophelia fortifies her brother’s determination of revenging on Hamlet, which results to the final catastrophe in the play. Gertrude cared for his son but could not control the tragedy from taking place. The writer has used Hamlet who is the main character in the play to build other themes hence the development of the plot. After the death of Hamlet’s father, Hamlet plots on how to kill Claudius after the spirit confirmed to him that Claudius is the one who killed his father. However, in the play Hamlets avenge on Claudius. â€Å"†¦ I, his son, do this same villain send to heaven, why, this is hire and salary, not revenge† (Act 3 scene 3 7 8-84). Honor is another theme portrayed through Hamlet the main protagonist. This theme is best depicted when Hamlet takes order from the ghost to revenge on Claudius as if the order came from God. â€Å"†¦ With wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge† (1.v.35-37). The writer develops the plot using Claudius, Hamlet’s brother the king who later marries Gertrude his brother’s wife. In the play, he is Hamlet’s major avenger who is portrayed as lustful because he took his brother’s wife, Shrewd. He takes the throne that does not belong to him and allows his son revenge on Hamlet. Due to these characters, he stands out as a man with contrasting characters from other men in the play. The ideas of Hamlet are just, honest and full of revenge but Claudius ensures that his power is maintained. In conclusion, the writer has also used other elements in correlation like the setting of the play to bring out the meanin g in Hamlet. Shakespeare therefore does not present various elements of literature as single entities in the play but he uses his concept of unity to express them as a single entity. Therefore, in this case, he uses characters in the play to develop themes and stylistic devices as well as using the themes to create the characters hence the clear development of the play.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Talking About Future Events in Spanish

Talking About Future Events in Spanish It would be natural to assume that if you want to talk in Spanish about something that will happen in the future, that you would use the future tense of the verb. However, as in English, there are other ways of telling about future events. The difference is that in Spanish, those other ways of expressing the future are so common that the future tense frequently is used for purposes other than discussing the future. Here, then, and are the three most common ways of telling about future events. Using the Present Tense As in English, and especially in colloquial use, the present tense can be used when discussing an upcoming event. Salimos maà ±ana, we leave tomorrow (or, we will leave tomorrow). Te llamo esta tarde, Im calling (or, I will call) you this afternoon. In Spanish, the time period needs to be indicated (either directly or by the context) when using the present tense to refer to the future. The present future is used most often for events that are happening in the near future and that is certain or planned. Ir A and  Infinitive   A very common way of expressing the future is to use the present tense of ir (to go), followed by a and the infinitive. It is the equivalent of saying going to ... in English and is used in basically the same way. Voy a comer, I am going to eat. Va a comprar la casa, he is going to buy the house. Vamos a salir, we are going to leave. This usage of ir a is so common that it is sometimes thought of by some speakers as the future tense, and in some areas, it has all but replaced the conjugated future tense for talking about the future. This way of expressing the future has the advantage that it is extremely easy to learn. Simply learn the present indicative tenses conjugation of ir, and youll have it mastered. The Conjugated Future Tense When used to talk about the future, the conjugated future tense is the equivalent in English of saying will followed by the verb. Saldremos maà ±ana, we will leave tomorrow. Comerà © la hamburguesa, I will eat the hamburger. This use of the future tense is probably more common in writing than in everyday speech.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Analysing a poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysing a poem - Essay Example The poem falls into the anthology entitled To Be of Use published in 1973. Barbie Doll ironically presents the famous doll of Mattel Toys in to the status quo of the women in the present American society. Barbie was an icon of every American in the 1960 with its green eyes and tall and slim shape. Piercy in this poem takes the pathetic condition of the women in the world as a general. The women are attributed to socially stereotype from her childhood to death. The poet, Marge Piercy uses the various images like doll, GE stoves, lipsticks, fan belt, pink, white nightie, etc., to describe the status of women at different ages. The theme of the poem is the presentation of women as stereotyped by the other gender in the society. At childhood itself she is become stereotyped with the gifts she get. She lives a life not for her but for the needs of others. The name of her is not relevant and so the poem presents the woman without a name. Throughout the poem it can be seen that the woman li ves with the different images attributed on her. The poem is surrounded with different images. The title of the poem, Barbie Doll represents the common notion of idealizing the female body with a doll, Barbie and demands for social concept of her nature. The poet considers that she is a doll for others even from her birth. The poetic presentation of the doll attributes to the nature of a girl- to be a doll for others. The images like stove and irons tell what type of a life is presented to her in the near future. She will have to work in kitchen and do the works for the males. The lipsticks are helping her to color herself with sexual attributes. â€Å"The color of cherry candy† (4) is having an excessive sexual impulse. She is a figure of attraction in the make world. In all the layers of her growth she is presented as a consumer product. The attaining of puberty is mentioned as â€Å"the magic of puberty† (5) in the poem as this stage brings many changes

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Marginal cost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marginal cost - Essay Example The contribution value for the business proposal is computed by the difference between the marginal costs and the sales from the energy drinks.The above, cost data indicates that the variable cost per unit remains constant whether the business will produce 100 units, 125 or 150 units of energy drinks. It is however, very clear that the cost per unit of production goes down per every increase in the production as illustrated by the chart table above. What as well also stands out is that the cost per unit is also decreasing with the increase of production for the energy drinks. This is due, to the existence of the fixed cost that is spread over an increasing volume of the output for the energy drink by the business.This is the technique, employed in the production departments and management accountants and are used to determine the feasibility of production cost between those that are variable and that change with the production output and with those that are fixed and they do not have any association with the volume of production. Both the fixed and the variable costs are compared with the sales revenue so as to determine the sales volume, value or the production at which the business makes neither a loss nor a profit. This is the breakeven point for a business. This can as well be represented on the break even chart to indicate the costs at the various levels for the business.The company requires a cash budget of about of about  £11,750. Borrowing that should be done should be done in a way as to cover deficiencies.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Book review for No No Boy by John Okada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book review for No No Boy by John Okada - Essay Example The novel is a fiction, not memoir. The divided loyalties and the mental blocks are the issues with Ichiro Yamada who is interned during World War II. The author has written a book that clubs personal ideology with national ideologies and aspirations and how the combustible youth is caught in a dilemma of the emotional world between his country of origin and the country of which he is the citizen. Ichiro fails to answer appropriately two critical questions in the questionnaire related to allegiance to America. His improper answers and denial to serve in the American armed forces and his repudiation to abjure allegiance to Japan send him to prison. On his release from the prison, Ichiro moves back to Seattle and the ground realities of the social life there bother him intensely. His parents are proud of being Japanese and he accepts United States as his own. With this dilemma he meets and has discussions on the subject with many people, but is unable to sort out the conflicts within h is inner world. Kenji, one of his intimate friends joins the military and during the war operations loses a leg with just two years to live. Ichiro sees parity in his mental anguish and the physical pain of Kenji. His friends and his own brother take potshots at him for not joining the army, which they term as betrayal of the country. The two friends discuss whether or not it is feasible to trade places. Ichiro admits candidly "I wasn't in the army, Ken, I was in jail. I'm a no-no boy." (p. 62)Though this is a joke between the two friends, it throws light on the type of social environment prevailing at that time which Ichiro finds it tough to challenge. The war has sharpened the conflicts of generations and anti-emotions have turned out to be hard. Adjusting with the new identity, even though one wants to go with, is hard due to the societal and familial pressures. Ichiro is compelled to bow before the hard identity scenario created by his mother. She wants him to identify with her Japanese identity and sets her own terms and conditions for loving him. Their views points about national identity are poles apart. He finally makes the decision that he is an American and looks forward to the future with cautious positivity. He is unable to think in tandem with his mother who has been in United States for thirty-five years and yet she identifies with the Japanese, viewed from all angels. John Okada was born and raised in Seattle and he attended University of Washington. The friend and foe of literary creations is time. Time intervened for more than a decade, before this book is able to hit the stands of popularity. This first literary creation by the author was published in 1957 and it remained unnoticed for years until it shot into fame when the literature of the Asian American minority groups becomes popular in the American literary scene by 1970s. This novel is the reflection of the inner crisis of the young Japanese who is confronted with the dual challenge of identity. Race is the crying question around which all other subsidiary confusion hangs around. Every segment in the town is labeled with the racial tag and its separate identity stands pronounced. â€Å"Oriental† is a big umbrella under which the categories of Japanese, Chinese and Asians are accommodated. Races victimized by the whites are also not at peace with each other and they are at loggerheads with their own problems. The younger generation has to break through such communal

Sunday, October 27, 2019

SWOT analysis for TUI Travel PLC

SWOT analysis for TUI Travel PLC TUI Travel PLC is organized through the merger between TUI Tourism First Choice Holidays PLC on 3 September 2007 and listed as TT on the London stock exchange in FTSE100. TUI Travels headquarter is in UK. The company itself operates in mainstream sector, and specialist sectors that includes accommodation destinations, specialist activities. Today, TUI Travel PLC, the success leisure travel company, have around 27 key source markets, 500 000 people that they employed, and operate their business in more than 180 countries with 30 million customers. TUI Travel PLC (2010) SWOT analysis Strengths -Well recognized brand -Superior management team effective operations -Market leader well responsible corporate governance -Good marketing skills economies of scale -Good financial stability. Weaknesses -Heavy reliance on technology -Capacity-led volume reductions backfire -Diverse portfolio and potential risk to cost of financing. Opportunities -Expand Low-Cost Airlines/ form Alliances -Doing Investments -Market Specific Targeting (Ecotourism, Medical Tourism) Threats -Climate change -Hedging and exchange rate -Geopolitical/ natural catastrophes/ pandemic, supply chain / product failure -Supply Chain / Product failure -Aviation cost flow fund of capital cost -Economy decline and impact of consumer demand capacity commitment -Decline in market share Strengths There are five strengths of TUI. First, TUI Travel PLC has more over than 200 brands. Most of the brands are well recognized such as TUI, Thomson, Fritidsresor, Jetair, etc. And most of these brands are the trusted brand that leading in the market place. Second, they have many experienced leaders and also they have around 50,000 colleagues that commit to TUI Travel PLC where the company builds a better working condition for employee such as reward, employees survey, etc. Through their superior management team, the company has an effective operation which are flexible business model where they can adapt and meet to the changes happen, strong performance, synergy, and merger integration processing well. TUI Travel PLC (2009) Third, they are the number one travel websites in UK Germany by visitor numbers, number one in water based holidays, snow sports, adventure, etc. TUI Travel PLC (2010) shows that TUI Travel PLC was a market leader. Since they are the market leader, they are well responsible in governing their corporate business which is being ethical such as controls the usage of carbon emissions. Fourth, TUI segmented their market into niche market that provides product differentiation. Their distribution strategies are through internet, call centre, and retail shop. Since, they are the largest distributor in the large market, it is certainly benefits them such as supplier advantage, innovation/ RD, and cost reduction. Therefore, company has effective marketing skills with an efficient distribution channel which helps them to reach customer satisfaction. And Fifth, TUI Travel PLC maintains their finance stability through hedging by a group of expertise and cash balances from the strong relationship with banking financing partner. TUI Travel PLC (2009) Weaknesses There are some weaknesses that we have identified. First, TUI is highly relying on technology to operate their business in servicing and trading around 27 key source markets. So if there is any faulty, it may interrupt the business activities. Second, their results in planning on increase volume of sale which offers low price bid are not to their expectation, they get wrong speculation on the market situation. Third, risks such as liquidity and cash management may happen when companys expansion grow so fast and diversify. TUI Travel PLC (2009) Opportunities Some opportunities may happen such as profit margins will be increased if take chance of low-cost airlines such as Air Asia, Etc. or forming alliances since people likes to travel in budget airline with their limited budget. Second, doing some investment and expansion since there is growing markets around such as in South East Asia, Africa, Middle East, Etc. that have a good infrastructure and destinations. Third, target new market segment since ecotourism and medical tourism are emerging because people wants to travel for their own purpose such as want various adventure and have treatment. Threats Company need to look forward the threats which are climate change due to the global wastes such as carbon emission that will affect the travelling activities. Next, fluctuation of foreign exchange and fuel prices that may interrupt hedging process and unstable economy that may cause cost base increase. Third, political instability such as riot, natural disaster such as tsunami/volcano eruption, and diseases such as H1N1 will affect the operation to the desire destination and safety of customer. Fourth, even though TUI is a big distributor, building relationship with supplier is still important so that they able to maintain their supply chain and provide the qualified product to customer. Fifth, if not able to secure the fund and capital cost of aircraft it may cause a lot of expenses. Sixth, company need to be prepared that there might be economy decline that bring impact of consumer demand capacity commitment. Seventh, TUI is not the only one that keeps progress in the tourism indu stry; there are many competitors that TUI needs to be aware. TUI Travel PLC (2009) Recommendation Since there is booming in the tourism industry, competition is arise. And TUI Travel has their main competitors which were Thomas Cook, MyTravel Group, ReweTouristik, and First Choice Holidays. To be able to maintain their position, my recommendation to TUI travel are international strategy and differentiation from their competitors in attract customers, gain market share, and growth where there are opportunities that actually can be apply from my SWOT analysis such as alliance, target to new market segment, expansion in other country, Etc. TUI Travel is a big company and operates in many sectors. They have big responsibilities and challenges in running a big company. My recommendation to TUI travel is monitor well their business performance such as add value product and service in achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty, innovation, social responsibility, build better working conditions, and upgrade technology changes in achieving better information. Reflection From this report, it is compulsory for TUI Travel PLC to analyze and make sure to have a good research before take any strategy action. Through analyzing and understanding the PESTEL and SWOT analysis, I believe the company can still continue to emerge with the opportunities that they can get, handle their challenges, and develop their business. Because through analyzing, company is aware of whats happening and will able to find solution in different challenges that they may face. I have recommended some solutions through the capability that the company did not aware and it can be works on it. It will be successful solved the situation if the company implement and monitor it well. And through this report, I learn and experience a lot in how to analyzing and conduct TUI Travel PLCs SWOT, PESTEL analysis, and recommend solutions after a better understanding in the lesson of SWOT, PESTEL analysis, and discussion of group presentation.