A Christian Perspective on Nudity in Art Essay

The Association of Classical & Christian Schools John is a Christian who enjoys the arts and finds them edifying. He is particularly fond of the art of painting. Desiring to expand his art history knowledge, he visits the best, closest art museum he can find. Going from gallery to gallery, John begins to become discouraged and more than a little embarrassed because of all the nudity shown in the paintings. He finds himself wondering if he should leave the museum in a state of disillusioned protest. As a Christian, John understands the need to shun pornography; but what he is seeing is not Hollywood at its X-rated worst, it is Western Civilization. These are the paintings that make up the canon of art. What is he . what are Christians . to do with nudity as it is often shown in art? To answer the overriding question, one must first understand the difference between nudity and pornography. Nudity is nothing more than a human figure without clothing. There is no overt intention of sexual arousal. When nudity is used in art, it is often (but not always) with the goal of eliciting an admiration on the part of the viewer for the handy-work of his Creator. The Greeks believed that man was the measure of all things; as such they sought to find the perfect human form and show it in their art. The resulting nudes are not pornographic; rather, they are the outworking of the Greek ideal. As Christians, we rightly reject their philosophy, but we should not make the mistake of mislabeling their art. There has been much written on the beauty of the human body and it does not need be rehearsed here. It is clear that we are, indeed, fearfully and wonderfully made. When an artist shows nudity with this in mind, he is showing it to the praise and glory of the Creator. Pornography, on the other hand, has sexual arousal as its sole intention. It seeks to debase and lower both its subject, the person being looked at, and its object, the person doing the looking, to the level of mere animals. It is meant to feed our lusts, with the full understanding that they can never be sated. Sexual lust . like all other lusts . perates according to the Law of Diminishing Returns; the more a person feeds his lust, the harder it is to get even temporary satisfaction. This forces him to go back for increasingly more and more stimulation until it is almost impossible to derive any pleasure from his vice, no matter how much he indulges. It would be irresponsible to say that no part of Western Art leans to the pornographic side of things; for some of it does (much of Klimt, Schiele, some Courbet, etc. ); however, the difference is usually reasonably obvious with sober thought (if it. s not, then the artist has not done his job! ). There is also art that is quite charged with erotic content that doesn. t show so much as an exposed ankle. These paintings rely on context and subtlety to convey the true meaning of the work. For example, Gustave Courbet. s painting, Demoiselles on the Banks of the Seine of 1856, is widely understood to be a depiction of two lesbians in post-coital sleep . an obviously unacceptable situation for the Christian. There is no crass sexual imagery to suggest this relationship; however, when viewed in light of some of his other paintings, and when the painting is looked at carefully the relationship between the two women becomes clear. This is far from the only example of subtle erotic imagery, but it is illustrative of the issue. Like so many situations in life, context is the key to making a decision about whether or not to show or look at imagery like this. Song of Solomon (among other passages in scripture) is very explicit in its description of a sexual relationship between a man and a woman. It speaks quite openly of physical desire. We know from the context of the whole book that this is not a sinful desire and that it is proper for us to read about it and learn from it. So it is with art; when we properly understand the context of a picture we can make decisions on whether it is sinful to look at or not. We have to decide what our aim is in looking at it: are we indulging in an unlawful desire, or are we confronting an opposing worldview? If it is the former, then by no means should the image be viewed; however, if our education is to have any value we must confront opposing worldviews. To what are we objecting in pictures like this? It is obviously not the depiction of an unclothed human body. It is the representation and the implicit approval of promiscuity. This is what breaks the Law of God in Scripture . the sin does not necessarily occur when we look at such material, it happens when we approve of it. Things are rarely one dimensional; there are many reasons for showing nudity in art. We do a disservice to our students (and ourselves) when we teach them to be reactionary instead of thoughtful and discerning. There is a long tradition of depicting the nude human form in Western Art. I mentioned above that appreciation of the human form is one reason for showing nudity in art. However, it is not the only reason. Realism is another; nudity in varying degrees is a part of life, even public life at many times in the past and in different parts of the world. Many times artists were showing only what they saw as a part of everyday life. In the past there were public baths and public toilets that did not afford the same privacy that we, as 21st century Americans, have come to take for granted. There were even times when public nudity was accepted (for example, Peter worked in the nude while he fished (John 21:7). As such, people would have come to understand the concept of modesty as opposed to prudishness. Modesty reserves the exposure of the body to appropriate times and places, whereas prudishness sees the body as sinful in and of itself. As Christians, we must reject prudishness in light of the fact that God has given us many good gifts that are to be enjoyed in their proper context, our bodies being one of them. Since the Fall, nakedness in many situations has become shameful to us. Artists throughout history have recognized this fact and have used it in their art. For example, there are many depictions of the Last Judgment in art history (Rogier Van der Weyden, Hieronymous Bosch, Petrus Christus, the van Eycks, etc. ), many of which show those to be judged completely naked; the blessed are usually given a robe while the damned are sent into hell naked. This is done to emphasize their state before God; they have no covering, either physical or metaphorical to shield them from their Creator. The image of nakedness is used in the Scriptures to highlight our condition before God (Hebrews 4:13). God describes Israel as having been naked before He found her (Ezekiel 16, Hosea 2:1-5). He also uses literal nakedness when he commands Isaiah to go without clothing for three years as a sign of impending judgment (Isaiah 20:1-6). Whether in Scripture or elsewhere, a literary image of nudity is not really that much different from a literal image; both give the mind pictures of naked bodies to think about. It is the intended goal of depicting nudity (whether in words or pictures) that carries the weight of moral responsibility. If e take into account the Scriptures. use of nudity, it seems that it is proper . even edifying . at times to show nudity in art if it is done for the same reasons as the Scriptures. Many times in art the baby Jesus is shown quite openly nude. This is done for a very serious reason. His genitals were shown so that the artist might emphasize the very real human nature of the Christ. The artists wished to refute various Christological heresies (Nestorianism, Mo nophysitism, various forms of Gnosticism, etc. ) by showing that Jesus was both God and man. The attributes of Divinity are obvious and well known (the halo, lamb, and cross) but the tradition of depicting Jesus. humanity through showing His genitals is often misunderstood. At the other end of the spectrum of representing Jesus during His life on Earth is the cross. He would have been completely naked on the cross. The loincloth that we commonly see in paintings is a piece of pure fiction. Would it have been sinful for Him to be naked in public? Of course not, this was not a sexual context, nor was it meant to be. Was it sinful for Jesus. emale followers to be there and see Him in such a state? No. Again, context is the key. A common example of public exposure (albeit mild exposure) that many of us will encounter is breastfeeding. This is a context in which a woman’s breasts are not meant to be seen as sexual, but as motherly. If a man is aroused by the sight of this, does that not point to the sin in him and not in the act of breastfeeding? God ordained this method o f nourishment for children and alludes to it many times in Scripture as a good and proper thing. Again, context is the key to discerning the nature of this situation. Likewise, it is exceedingly rare for a medical doctor to be accused of being a pornography addict for giving physical exams to members of the opposite sex. The context of the examination room is not a sexual one. However, if a doctor mistreats his position and does look at a woman in a lecherous manner, does that mean that all physicals are pornographic and we should stop having them? There are other examples where images of nudity do not and should not elicit sexual arousal: childbirth, war pictures, anatomical charts and books, images from other (often indigenous) cultures, etc. The age at which it is acceptable for children to begin seeing paintings with nudity in them is a matter of debate. It seems that children should be exposed to nudity in art from an early age with the understanding that it is proper in some contexts and improper in others (many of which have been discussed above). If this is done, many aspects of the question of pornography will have been answered at an early age. Furthermore, if this approach is taken, children will gain an understanding of modesty and prudishness and know the difference between the two before it becomes an issue of practice for them (e. . skirt length, bathing suits, movies, etc. ). Of course there are many things that are perfectly good and right in and of themselves that are inappropriate for children. It is the responsibility of the parents to know their children and use their discernment in this question. The above arguments show that things are rarely as simple as nude = bad, clothed = good. This is not an exh austive treatment of the issue by any means; however, it should shed light on different perspectives on how a Christian is supposed to view nudity in art.

Media influences on anti-social behaviour Essay

The cognitive priming explanation suggests that aggressive ideas shown in the media (particularly films) can ‘spark off other aggressive thoughts in memory pathways as proposed by Berkowitz (1984). After a violent film, the viewer is ‘primed’ to respond aggressively because the memory network involving aggression is activated.  Criticism: +  Evidence to support the cognitive priming explanation was shown in the Hockey game study by Josephism (1987) who’s boys who had been ‘primed’ to be aggression through viewing an aggressive film acted more aggressively in a subsequent hockey game where relevant behavioural cues were present. Arousal:  The arousal explanation suggests that arousal increases the dominant behaviour in any situation. If the feeling of arousal is attributed to anger, then aggression is likely to result. Research has shown that the arousal produces by (violent) pornography facilitates aggressive behaviour as shown by Zillman (1978)  Criticism:  If arousal is attributed to factors other than anger, then arousal will not necessarily result in aggression? Cultivation effect:  The cultivation effect by Gerbner and Gross (1976) suggests that the medium of television creates (or cultivates a distrust or unrealistic fear in viewers. This causes viewers to misperceive (or exaggerate) threats in real life and react in a more violent way. This is also referred to as the ‘mean world’ effect.  Criticisms:  The main problem with the cultivation effect explanation is that people who are particularly fearful are likely to avoid any threatening situations in the first place. Thus increasing the level of fear might actually help to reduce the level of violence. Desensitisation:  Desensitisation suggests that repeated exposure to violence in the media reduces the impact of the violence. People become desensitised to the violence and it has less impact on the (habituation). They become less anxious about violence per se and may therefore engage in more violent behaviour.  Criticisms:  The desensitisation argument suffers because it could be argued that desensitised individual might be less aroused by violence and therefore not be so easily provoked by real life violence. Similarly, desensitised individuals may become indifferent to the violent message. Research relating to anti social behaviour  Copy cat effect: A01: Bandura  He suggested that people are aversely affected by the media in that television can shape behaviour through imitative learning. Watching role models perform violently may increase violent behaviour in those viewers already motivated to aggress. Television may also teach viewers the negative or positive consequences of their violence. Paik and Comstock (1994) did find that the effect on anti-social behaviour was greater if the actor was rewarded for their action. Criticisms:  1) there is a lot of experimental evidence to support the social learning theory explanation. Bandura et al (1963) study into the imitation of film – mediated aggressive models showed that children who observe a model behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll subsequently behave more aggressively than those who see the model punished for their actions. This well controlled experiment and the identification of specific learned responses provides good evidence for imitative leaning.  2) The sample characteristics were unrepresentable (only children from a university nursery) and the study has been criticised for lacking ecological validity. 3) The study did not really measure real aggression (a Bobo doll is designed to be hit) and only short term effects of the media was assessed.  However Hicks (1965) found that 40% of models acts were reproduced up to eight months after one showing of a 10 minute film.  4) The study has also been criticised for its ethical stance, where children were encouraged to be aggressive.

Breaking Down The Metamorphosis

Breaking Down The Metamorphosis Essay Breaking Down The Metamorphosis Breaking Down The Metamorphosis Franz Kafkas beginning of his novel, The Metamorphosis, begins with what would seem a climactic moment: As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. From this point on, the reader is determined to make sense of this transformation. However, the reader later comes to realize that Gregor is actually not an insect, but this metamorphosis into a vermin was purely symbolic. It symbolizes the degrading lifestyle that Gregor leads to support his family. This leads the reader to understand Gregors absurd dilemma. Gregors insignificant and outcast lifestyle of supporting his family proves that the universe is irrational, and mans place in it is absurd. This is proven by the fact that Gregor is working to pay off his fathers debts and provide for his family. His work is mundane, and strictly business. Yet, when the metamorphosis of Gregor takes place, his family practically shuns him from their contact. Still however, Gregors first thoughts after believing that he is an insect, are to get dressed and go to work. This attitude is seemingly absurd, however Gregor is so deep into trying to help his family, that he makes an attempt at ignoring the impossibility of working. The idea that Humankind is disconnected from reality, is set in stone by Kafka when he writes about the transformation of Gregors families lives, and his own. The Samsas treated Gregor simply as a means to get out of debt, although the reader comes to realize later that the family was not as bad off as Gregor had believed. Also, the father returns back to work after Gregor cannot, which proves that his disability not nearly as severe as he had Gregor believed. Although Gregor is the family member that turns into a bug, he remains the only one of them to retain humanity. The family cannot grasp that the bug in the bedroom is Gregor, their son and brother. They disconnect themselves from him, forgetting that they have known him his entire life, and once perhaps loved him. After his metamorphosis, Gregor became the member of the family in need, yet instead of helping him, as he helped them, Gregor became a burden to the family. The family, especially the father and mother do not make an attempt to understand Gregors situation, but instead make it worse and harder for Gregor. The familys reality is tainted by the fact that Gregor was always a tool of income and stability, and now is of no help whatsoever. Many ideas and thoughts are proven in The Metamorphosis, but perhaps none so boldly as the idea that Intimacy is impossible. Kafka writes of Gregor, often haunted by the idea that the next time the door opened he would take the families affairs in hand again just as he used to do. Gregor, after transforming had to come to terms with the fact that his familys love was a love based on a responsibility to the family, instead of an unconditional love. Kafka is saying that unconditional does not exist. He is also saying that we all feed off of each other, and our love is an extension of this. When the ability to function as we always had is gone, so is the love we once thought we would have forever. Gregors father exhibited a mulishness that had obsessed his since he became a bank manager. Gregors father not only neglected his son, the son who attempted to provide and take his fathers place as the breadwinner for the family, but also developed a hatred for Gregor. Gregor presented a profound love for his family, which was not reciprocated after Gregor could no longer be of service to them. READ: Japanese recession Essay Another firm idea that Kafka presents to the reader is that People live unremembered lives. This is shown with Kafkas creation of the fathers disgust for his son, Gregor. The father, forgetting that Gregor was once the son he had acted as if he loved, threw an apple into Gregors back which became embedded. The apple eventually became infected and was the death of Gregor. The apple is a symbol for Gregors .

Thinking Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thinking Religion - Essay Example Another misconception is that Baptists only believe in the St. James Bible, which is the first Bible to be mass produced and distributed. This misconception came about because some Baptist churches insisted that worshippers coming to the church were given St. James bibles only. People bringing in their own bibles were pointedly asked by ushers which bibles they had, and if were any other version of the Bible, they were asked to use the St. James Bible only. Those who refused were asked to leave the church. This gave everyone the impression that Baptists believed in the St. James Bible only and not any of the other versions of the Bible which people used. These conservative Baptists believed that other versions were not true interpretations of the word of God and that the true word of God must not be diluted or misinterpreted in any way. This fierce debate was generated by Dr. Peter Ruckman with his book, Bible Babel (1964). Dr. Peter vehemently attacked those who did not agree with h im. This hostility caused embarrassment to Baptists when the debate spread even over the Internet. Before this controversy, choosing a Bible version was quite easy. However, there are some scholars who have maintained self-esteem and responsibility in these discussions. Such sanity is much-admired and highly praised. Instead of making personal attacks on others, they believed in the power of God and his text and did not think that a good Christian is the one that reads the St. James Bible only.

Business Ethics Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Ethics Advertising - Essay Example Since advertizing is done to persuade, it needs to be very creative and original to make an impact. There are often catchy tag lines associated with the products so that anyone who sees it also learns it and spreads the word. Advertising agencies are usually hired by companies to come up with eye-catching and very influencing advertisements. In the race of winning from other agencies, the advertisements that are proposed these days, lack what are known as advertising ethics. It is very important to have a check on all advertisements that are played on media to be sufficiently ethical since media has a very strong influence on the viewers and lots of harm can be done if the wrong things are promoted in the wrong way. Advertisements are made to influence the probable customers to buying a good or service. To do so, advertisements play on emotions targeting the audience so that the customers believe that the purchase of the good will benefit them (Phillips, 1997). The advertisements create a scenario such that it increases a customer’s emotional state and the customer feels that his life would be better once he purchases the product. For this reason, advertisements are often fanaticizing. The ethics that must be considered when coming up with an advertisement includes most importantly giving honest and useful information to the probable customers instead of misguiding them by fanaticizing the product beyond reality. Also, it’s a common trend these days to let celebrities promote a product through advertisements. That is unethical if the celebrities do not use the product themselves, which in most cases they don’t. The celebrities just use their star power to influence customers to buy a product which may not be as glamorous as the celebrities themselves. Also, aggressive advertising is unethical. Surely, advertisements are made to attract customers towards the good but they should not

Analytical Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analytical Science - Essay Example Others are counterfeit drugs and outright fake ones. The need of the drug regulations was necessary so as to guarantee that there was efficiency safety, and superiority of drugs in addition to exactness and the correctness of the drug information that are available to the society (Habet, 32) . The work was not aimed to rank the countries under the study against any criterion. Rather, the aim was to synthesize their experiences and later draws conclusions on generic from countries that were participating and others get to learn from them. There was a systematic study was done of drug regulations and its surroundings across countries and there was shed a new illumination on the state of affairs of the country. these was so since there needed to provide a new perspective about the constraints it was facing, and also provide the options on the way to advance the means the method was to function. The structures of drug regulations that exist today that is the drug regulatory, laws, evalua tion boards, quality control laboratories, informational centers have evolved over with time. In this process the scope of the regulatory powers and legislative had gradually expanded, in regards to both the increasing complexity of the increasingly sophisticated pharmaceutical sector, and the perceived requirements of the society (Foroutan, 69). In other countries, the enactment of the comprehensive drugs regulations was as a result of the crisis-led change, when the society demands led then the adoption of laws that are restrictive so as to provide greater safe guards to the society. The drug regulation body is a society policy that response to the perceived requirements and the problems of the society. Consequently, the laws need to be upgraded to keep up the pace of the changes and the new challenges in the surroundings (Pika 24). The laws ought to be protective to the society from dubious and harmful drugs and practices. They need to be inclusive adequate to cover up all areas of pharmaceutical activities in the country. These include the herbal or homeopathic drugs they ought to be legal mandates that are imposed on the importation of drugs. The essay laid down the conclusions on generic from the weakness and strengths of different types and then identifies the features that affect the performance of the regulation of drugs. The government acted as the guardian of controlling the private powers in the public purposes. These have ensured the efficacy, safety and the quality of drugs that are available to the society was the main aim of the drug regulation. If the goals based on regulatory were to be achieved, then the appropriate structures were to be invented and the correct activities carried out acquire the desired goals. The rapid HPLC method for Analysis Temperature (Â °C) Old Formulation Methylprednisolone Conc. (ppm) New Formulation Methylprednisolone Conc. (ppm) 30 45.21 Â ± 3 46.1 Â ± 2.100 40 41.34 Â ± 4.2 40.45 Â ± 4.123 50 40 Â ± 3.54 39 Â ± 5 60 35.67 Â ± 6 38.987Â ± 4 70 37 Â ± 2.456 37.34 Â ± 3.654 80 21.567 Â ± 3.234 36.321 Â ± 1.567 90 23 Â ± 5 37.23 Â ± 5.012 Â   Â   Â   Temperature (Â °C) Formulation 1 Methylprednisolon

Public Relation Writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Relation Writing - Assignment Example ‘Fake news’ items are deliberate hoax stories intended for public relations and may not necessarily be true or entirely true; they are meant to sway public opinions concerning certain individuals, businesses, products or firms, among others. For instance, an example of a news item that could pass for a fake news item is from the Washington post as reported on sixth of June 2013 concerning how Wells Fargo settled complaint on foreclosed homes (Douglas). This news article is clearly a ‘fake’ news article passed on through the newspaper as a PR stunt, to market the corporate to the public; the anticipated positive feedback from such a news item is good for business at the company. This news item strikes as fake news because it is only reporting the positive deeds by Wells Fargo in terms of settling the allegations of foreclosed homes, while vindicating the company from any blame. Q.2 Newspapers often localize some of their news items to particular audiences in particular places such as cities and towns; the Washington post as published on sixth of June 2013 has various news items that have been localized to certain audiences. For instance, the Philadelphia story about the six people that were killed when a building that was being demolished collapsed on Wednesday is an example of a national story (Associated Press). This particular news item is a national story that has been localized for people of Philadelphia because it directly concerns their state, and not any other in America. The news item begins with a headline that mentions the state of Philadelphia, then presenting the news; this tagging of news indicates that the news concerns Philadelphia in particular. The news mentions the families of the six victims that perished in the building that collapsed and efforts made to reach them in consolation for the loss of their loved ones. Q.3 The Washington post as published on sixth of June 2013 reports of the use of social media by the Nat ional Security Agency to collect secret information from around the world. The National Security Agency gathers information from social sites and service providers such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, PalTalk, Skype, YouTube and Apple, among others (Gellman). The use of social media is an effective way of gathering information that is vital for maintaining national security, and according to the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, the information collected is the most valuable and important foreign intelligence. Q.4 Hard news stories in newspapers are mostly about topics such as politics, business and international news; however, some heavily reported news stories about what can be considered soft subject matter such as entertainment can be considered hard news. In this regard, the seriousness of the story reported in newspapers may determine whether it can be considered hard or soft news; from the Washington post as published on sixth of June 2013, there are var ious hard news stories. For instance, what can be considered as a hard news story is the story about Romney mixing business and politics in his tour to the Park City during the Uttah conference (Horowitz). The news story provides details of Romney’s interactions with John Schoenfeld who spent time assessing investments of Solamere Capital, a company co-founded by Romney’

Civil Liberties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Civil Liberties - Essay Example He was instructed by Supreme Court to put down his website after being convicted of murdering police officials (Salakhan n.p). Such measure was taken to ensure that opinions of judiciary were not influenced by external factors and remained bias-free. However, restricting free flow of information and only making limited facts available results in ineffective decisions. Depriving Al-Amin from his right of speech also gives rise to a probability that a general American is susceptible to abuse of power by authorities. It also raises a question if having different opinions (even unethical ones) makes infringement of freedom of speech legitimate. United States Courts have been visibly clear about what a free speech means. According to their version, freedom of speech includes not to speak, usage of black armbands by students, use of offensive words and phrases to convey political messages, contribution of money for political campaigns, advertising commercials products and to engage in symb olic speech. On the other hand, inciting actions that would harm others, making and distribution of obscene material would not be included in freedom of speech (â€Å"What Does Free Speech† n.p). ... The argument is constructed on a premise that Al-Amin’s speech was for political motives and collection of financial resources; and a dissemination of print material to general public via web. If the court considers use of web by Al-Amin to disseminate offensive material, their jurisdiction may appear valid under the laws governing censorship of web which is a restriction on availability of information that government considers to inappropriate (â€Å"Freedom Online† n.p). However, socialists perceive such restriction as an infringement of civil liberties. It is important to note that such restrictions would only reflect doctrines of those in power, having an impact on civil liberties. Furthermore, an imposition of authority results in lesser expression of one’s thoughts. Observing definition of permissible speech and its corroboration with criticism on censorship on web, it can be seen that Supreme Court’s decision of depriving Jamil Al-Amin of expressing his opinion was an infringement of basic civil liberties. A critical analysis of these theoretical concepts indicates that infringement of civil liberty of a single citizen can be extended and replicated on others’ case as well. In Jamil’s case, the Supreme Court deprived him of expressing his opinion and also gathering funds for his cause which is also a classification of freedom of speech under Supreme Court’s definition (â€Å"What Does Free Speech† n.p). The first amendment itself celebrates difference of opinion and considers it a right of every American to express themselves while restricting Congress to cause any infringement. Such interference gives an undue dominance to state

Hawaiin Punch Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hawaiin Punch - Case Study Example The marketing division plans on using social media so as to change from child centered focus to the actual purchaser (mothers). The company plans to reach to the Hispanic mothers, African American mothers as well as the multicultural and urban children. Through social media, the company can market its innovated brands. The new brands developed by the company were inspired by Hispanic flavors which also attracted the non Hispanic households. Since the new flavors were solely sold through the finished goods network, social media can be employed to increase their awareness on the end users as well as well as the indirect users. Currently the Company’s sales stand at $66, 262,410 realized through analog and print media. Through employment of social media, the soft drink company can later on evaluate the impact of social media from its sales volume. Social media advertising has the advantage of causing longer shelf time effect at lower costs. The company incurs extra allowances on payment of shelf space on new flavors with varied package sizes to the retailers. The allowance prices for the juice drink aisle and juice ranged from $15,000 to $250,000 per SKU for supermarket space. The amounts rise to $2.8 million allowance-cost per SKU for a national supermarket distribution shelf space. Based on the U.S per capita beverage consumption, the carbonated soft drinks consumption in 2004 were a solid 52.3 gallons which constitutes 28.7% market share. In 2004, the Hawaiian Punch producing Company made a profit of $66,262,410 which was majorly realized through analog and print advertising. Currently the product has a 94% brand recognition in the USA which is an exemplary figure in reference to its market share. In 2004, the company incurred 78% expense in cost of goods sold which was significantly contributed by its huge advertisement costs. The company has bears an enormous task in evaluating its brand equity, its direct consumers and trade consumers.

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay Explore Dickens approach to the theme being a gentleman in key extracts of Great Expectations with particular reference to the social, historical and cultural influences of the text. What is a gentleman? A typical gentleman in modern day society is perceived as an alien concept. In 1463, a gentleman was defined as a man of rank but in 1583 a gentleman was said to be as a man of superior position or a man of leisure. However, in 1852 a gentleman was described as a wealthy man with no occupation. Yet, the traditional view of a gentleman was a man of gentle birth, a noble man who was not royalty, and a man of distinction. The first time we see Dickens use an instance of being a gentleman is in Chapter One through Pips attitude towards the convict. As Magwitch orders Pip around, yelling Tell us your name! Quick! Pip surprises us by responding in a much more polite manner than we would expect of someone in this situation. We notice a difference in dialect here; Magwitch is rough and has a very harsh voice, whereas Pips is much more refined. This suggests that Dickens created Pip with an underlying sense of being a gentleman from the start, but Pip believes himself to be more common. At home, Pips sister has brought him up in accordance with the very traditional notion of children should be seen and not heard. This could be a factor that has led to Pips politeness. However, she does not believe him to be as well-behaved and mannerly as he is. This is evident when she calls him naturally vicious. When the convict is found, Joe is called to help catch him. Pip goes along with him, and in this chapter we realize where Pip gets his decency. Joe has a simple dignity and compassion, and by caring for the convict and getting him what he needs, we notice that Pip shares these characteristics. Pip was worried that they would find the convict and his role would be discovered, but we see that Magwitch does not betray Pip when he is caught. This could suggest that there is to be other encounters with him later on, and that the convict does not want to be on unfriendly terms with Pip. In Chapter Seven Pip is invited to play at Miss Havishams, yet he does not understand why. She is a rich lady and before he goes he is thoroughly cleaned. This shows that they are a typical working-class family in Victorian times. At Miss Havishams we again witness Pips gentility. He responds to her using Maam. He is a young boy who could be excused for talking to her as he would to anybody else, but he again shows how he has the potential to be a gentleman. Also, throughout the book he speaks to all his elders in this way. This shows the respect he has, and how he has been brought up well. However, we do not see any politeness from Miss Havisham. We are also introduced to Estella, the young girl who was adopted by Miss Havisham. Her name means star, which is quite ironic. Miss Havisham has trained her to break hearts, and Pip is the boy Estella is to practice on. Pips gentility shows again when, after Estella is cruel towards him, he forgives her. He is so in love with her that her beauty makes him forget her unpleasantness. His love for her develops so much that he wants to ask her out, but he feels he is not good enough for her because he is poor.

Impact of Store Layout on Customers

Impact of Store Layout on Customers Chapter 1: Introduction In todays world market, dynamic new era come with tough competition. In each and every sector competition is increasing. To cope up with the competition, it is necessary for everyone to make strategy for their positioning and differentiation. In business to business market, it is easy to retain earnings. But in retail sector it is very difficult because retailers have n-number of customers and to satisfy all of them is not possible, but only customer satisfaction can retain the customer and so the profit. Individuals, having different need and wants may not satisfy with one solution. Purchasing behavior is changing with time. People dont have much time to spend on shopping. In that case one stop shopping can be helpful to them. And because of that reason retailers have to be careful in choosing the collection, place, layout of the store. Store layout is a significant factor driving consumer response in retailing. Store layout has its own way to influence customers shopping. It is characterized by increasing competition and more sophisticated, customers have gigantic expectations related to their consumption experiences (Griffith, 2005). Atmosphere in retail market changing drastically. Competition increased and which lead to a sophisticated and demanding consumer segment that are well educated and with high expectations for their each and every purchase. They are expecting retail shopping experience with non retail services. Now days, consumers want everything customized e.g. Product collection, staffs involvement, easy accessibility of the store, all these factors influence the buying decision of the customers (Dabholkar et al., 1996) This chapter will provide a brief background about store layout and its impact on purchasing behavior at convenience stores in London, UK. It will discuss the research problem of the study, the goals and objectives of the study, rationale of the study, research methodology, limitations and overview of the study. 1.1 Overview Core concepts and terminologies help in to better understanding of the problems. Hence it is necessary to define them. All the readers may not aware about the specific terminology. Essence of the research lies there only where every normal person can understand it without the help of professional. Store layout, consumer purchasing behavior and convenience stores are defined within the context of marketing and retailing. Store layout is ease of user movement through the store to provide maximum exposure of goods and attractive display (Marketing Glossary, 2007). This includes doors, merchandise placement, shelf orientation, music, check-out counters, interior decorating, staff attitude, lighting and location of the loading facilities (Levy et al., 1995). Consumer purchasing behavior is the process by which individuals search for, select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods and services to satisfy their needs and wants. This process is influenced by the social and cultural environment (Consumer buying behavior, 2007). Convenience store is a small retail self-service store selling a limited line of fast moving food and non-food items, usually with extended hours of operation (Glencoe Online, 2004). 1.2 Backgrounds to the Study History of the convenience store state that, root of this industry found from early in 20th century. It came out form the many types of retail establishments in existence at that time. Convenience stores grew rapidly after the Second World War alongside the idea of the American dream. More families had more cars and lived in more suburbs, further away from shopping centers and large grocery stores. So, more convenience stores came into existence (The origin of the convenience store, 2007). ACNielsen (2006) reports that in todays time pressured world, convenience becomes increasingly important to consumers of Great Britain. Shopper habits are constantly evolving, along with developments in retail offerings. In recent years, the convenience store industry stands as an economic powerhouse, a vibrant channel of retail trade, and an anchor business for the neighborhoods. Many factors affect the store patronage decision, e.g. location, service levels, pricing policies, merchandise assortment, store environment and store image. However, very little research has been conducted on the actual determinants of a good store layout (Todays Convenience Stores, 2001). The increase in dual income families and longer working hours are making general shopping a more stressful activity for many families because of time pressure and lack of response by retailers (Avlott and Mitchell, 1999). Therefore, this exploratory research hopes to investigate if more consumers in small convenience stores are experiencing problems with different merchandise displays, narrow flow space, absence of price tags on products and absence of direction arrows and signs showing where the merchandise is being displayed. 1.3. Research Problem In spite of many commercial and educational researches there are much confusion about the purchasing behavior and perceptions of the consumers. Todays customers are more sensitive and demanding than ever. They want fast, friendly service on their terms every time they come to a store (Andersen, 1997). If they do not get fast and friendly service, they will abandon that establishment in search of another one which offers fast, convenient and better services. Based on the views of Shaffer and Greenwald (1996), a well defined, attractive and friendly store layout will attract potential customers to the store and, at the same time, discourage those who are not interested in the merchandise from entering the store. As a result, the study investigates the impact of store layout on consumer purchasing behavior and intends to present suggestions to improve the quality of service delivery in London, UK. 1.4. Research Objectives Main objective of the study is to examine the impact of store layout on customers and variables that affect the purchasing pattern of the customers. Once a topic has been identified and narrowed to the right size, the research question can be formulated to meet the objectives of the research (Saunders et al, 2007). The present research plan and its finding will answer the following questions. The following objectives are drawn from the overall aim of the study: To establish the fundamental uniqueness of layout of convenience stores; To ascertain problems arise by customers during the shopping at the convenience stores. To examine customers satisfaction and level of service they are getting from convenience stores in London, UK. To make recommendations to improve store layout in independent convenience stores in London, UK. . 1.5. Rationale of the Research This study will help in to the development of the convenience stores in London, UK by providing detail knowledge of the of the need and wants of the customers. The study is also intended to measure and assess the products display and collection in stores, customer handling capacity, service levels, pricing policies, store environment and store image, staff attitude and training, impulse purchasing pressure, and the impact of store layout and problems associated with products display. The real value of this study, however, lies in the hope that the retailers commitment to providing efficient and improved customer service will eventually allow both the retailers and consumers to successfully uncover the mechanics of good store layout. The consumers of convenience stores in London will benefit by providing the required information on store layout to the researcher. 1.6. Research Limitations The study was limited to a review of literature pertaining to store appearance, products display and other attributes of a good store layout. Due to time and cost constraints, the study was confined to only convenience stores in London, UK. The research was done in London area and, therefore, the results of the study cannot be generalized to all convenience stores in UK. 1.7 Outlines of Chapters The report on this study is made up of five chapters. These chapters cover the following areas and details of the chapters are as follows: Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter introduces the study and provides an overview of the research problem, the research objectives, the rationale behind the study and the research methodology and limitations thereof. Chapter 2: Literature Review -The literature review gives an overview of store layout theory. It also discusses consumer buying behaviors and perceptions and what retailers can do to help their customers to better overcome this phenomenon. The chapter will examine various concepts or characteristics relating to store layout which include: crowd density, staff attitude and training, store layout, impulse purchasing pressure, location, product assortment, music, and lighting. Chapter 3: Research Methodology The research methodology chapter shows how the data has been collected and gathered. It provides insight into the sampling methods used, the questionnaire, and various other techniques used to analyze the results. It also contains a review of the validity and reliability of the research investigation, indicating areas where errors might have occurred. Chapter 4: Analysis and Results The purpose of this chapter is to present the statistical analysis of the data obtained through the questionnaires. The data has been processed into meaningful results that the reader is able to interpret and understand. Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations This final chapter of the dissertation contains the conclusions that are drawn from the findings in chapter four and also from chapter two. Recommendations and suggestions for further research in the field are made. Brief background of the store layout and its impact on purchasing behavior at convenience stores in London is discussed in this chapter. Research methodology, research, problem of the study, the goals and objectives of the study, rationale of the study, limitations and overview of the study is also discussed. The next chapter will review the literature in more detail and cover the theme of the important aspects pertaining to this study. Chapter 2: Theory Frame work Literature Review 2.1 Theory Framework 2.1.1 Overview This chapter looks at the dynamics of consumer behavior and the consumer market. Consumer buying behavior- includes the buying behavior of final consumers individuals and households that buy goods and services for their own consumption. All of these final consumers mutually create the consumer market. The world consumer market consists of about 5.5 billion people, but the billion people living in North America, Western Europe and Japan make up 70 per cent of the worlds spending power. Even within these rich customer markets, customers vary immensely in age, income, education level and tastes. They also buy an unbelievable variety of goods and services. How these varied customers make their choices among various products squeeze a charming collection of factors. The buying behavior of final consumers -individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption. 2.1.2 Stimulus response model The innermost question for marketers is; how do consumers respond to various marketing stimuli that the company should use? The company that really identify with how customers will act in response to different product features, prices and advertising plead has a great benefit to its competitors. Hence, companies and educational institutions have researched seriously the connection between marketing stimuli and consumer response. The starting point is the stimulus-response model shown in figure 1. It indicates that marketing and other stimuli goes in to consumers black box and produce certain responses. 4Ps create marketing stimuli 1-Product, 2- Price, 3-Place and 4-Promotion. Other stimuli comprise important forces and measures in the buyers surroundings; monetary, technological, political and cultural. All these stimuli go into the buyers black box, where they are curved into a set of visible buyer responses product choice, brand choice, dealer choice, purchase timing and purchase amount. To understand how the stimuli changed in to response of the consumers inside the consumers black box in two parts. 1. The buyers distinctiveness influence how he or she perceives and reacts to the stimuli. 2. The buyers decision process itself affects the buyers behavior. Lets look at buyers characteristics as they affect buying decision and then examines the buyer decision process. It is difficult to know what exactly is in the black box and exactly predict consumer behavior, but the above model can help us to understand consumer behavior and help the researchers in creating the right questionnaire for the influencing factor. 2.1.3 Characteristics affecting consumer behavior Consumer buying process is subjective strongly by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics, as shown in Fig-2. Marketers can not control all the factors but they should have to take all of them in to consideration. Cultural Factors-Cultural factors applythe broadest and deepest influence on consumer behavior. The marketer needs to understand the role played by the buyers culture, subculture and social class. Culture Itis the mainly basic source of a persons wants and behavior. Human behavior is largely cultured, rising up in a society. A child learns fundamental values, sensitivity, wants and behaviors from the family and other important institutions health. Sometimes we take these values for granted, but they are noel cultural universals (Kotler, 2003). Subculture A group of people with common value structure based on familiar life practice and situations. Each culture has smaller subcultures or groups of persons with shared value structure based on common life experiences and situations. Subcultures include nationalities, religions, racial groups and geographic regions. Many subcultures create positive significant market segments and marketers often aimed at products and marketing programs customized to their needs (Kotler, 2003). Social Class Relatively permanent and ordered divisions in a society whose members share similar values, interests and behaviors. Almost each and every society has some structure of social group formation. Social classes are societys relatively stable and prepared division whose members share similar values, interests and behaviors. The British scale with six social classes is widely used, although all big countries have their own system. In these social classes social class is not determined by a single factor, such as income, but is calculated as an amalgamation of occupation, income, education, wealth and other variables(Kotler, 2003). 2.1.4 The buying decision process Companies have to research on consumer buying process to understand the answers of the questions about what, where and how of the consumers. But to learn it is not easy task and the answers lies with customers only. To take it out these answerers is a work of great deal. We will examine the stages that buyers pass through to reach a buying decision. We will use the model in Fig 3, which indicates the customer as passing through five stages: 1-need recognition, 2- information search, 3-evaluation of alternatives, 4-purchase decision and 5-post purchase behavior. It can be seen that the buying process starts long before actual purchase and continues long after (Kotler, 2003). This gives confidence the marketer to focus on the complete buying process rather than just the purchase decision. This model involves that customers pass through all five stages with all purchase. But in everyday purchases, customers often skip or reverse some of these stages. To illustrate this model, we return to Anna Flores and try to understand how she became interested in buying a camera and the stages she went through to make the final choice. Need Recognition This is the first stage of the buyer decision process in which the consumer recognizes a problem or need. The buying process starts with need recognition the buyer identify a problem or need. The buyer senses a difference between his or her actual state and some preferred condition. The need can be generate by internal stimuli when one of the persons usual needs hunger, thirst, and sex raises to a level high enough to become a drive. (Kotler, 2003). Information Search: The stage of the buyer decision process in which the consumer is aroused to search for more information; the consumer may simply heightened attention or may go into active information search. A stimulate consumer may or may not search for more information. If the consumers drive is strong and a satisfying product is near at hand, the consumer is likely to buy it then. If not, the customer may simply store the need in memory or take on an information search related to the need. (Kotler, 2003). Evaluation of Alternatives: The stage of the buyer decision process in which the consumer uses information to evaluate alternative brands in the choice set is called alternatives evaluation. We have seen above that how the customer uses information to arrive at a set of final brand choices and how does the consumer choose among the alternative brands? It is necessary for marketers to know about alternative evaluation that is, how the consumer processes information to arrive at brand choices. Unluckily, customers do not use a simple and single assessment process in all buying circumstances (Kotler, 2003). Purchase Decision: The stage of the buyer decision process in which the consumer actually buys the product is called purchase decision. In the previous, evaluation stage, the consumer position brands and forms purchase intentions. Generally, the consumers purchase decision will be to buy the most preferred brand, but two factors come between the purchase intension and the purchase decision. The first factor is the approach of others. And Purchase intention is also influenced by unexpected situational factors. The consumer may form a purchase intention based on factors such as estimated family income, estimated price and estimated benefits from the product. The marketer must understand the factors that provoke approach of hazard in customers and must give information which support in buying decision and that will reduce the perceived risk. (Kotler, 2003). Post purchase Behavior This stage of the buyer decision, process in which customers take further action after purchase based on their satisfaction. The marketers work does not end when the product is purchased. After buying the product, the consumer will be satisfied or dissatisfied and will engage in post purchase behavior of interest to the marketer. What decide whether the purchaser is satisfied or dissatisfied with a purchase? The answer lies in the association of the consumers expectations and the products superficial performance. If the product falls dumpy of potential, the customer is disappointed, if it meets expectations, the consumer is satisfied; if it exceeds expectations, and the consumer is delighted and consumer deligtness is the necessity of the success in todays competition. Understanding the customers desires and buying process is the basis of successful marketing. By understanding how buyers go throughout need recognition, information search, and evaluation of alte rnatives, the purchase decision and post purchase behavior, the marketer can choose many evidence as to how to meet the buyers needs. By understanding the various participants in the buying process and the strongest influence on their purchasing behavior, the marketer can develop an effective programmed to bear an eye-catching offer to the target market. (Kotler, 2003). 2.2 Review of Literature This chapter gives inclusive idea about the characteristics of store layout and its impact on consumers purchasing pattern at convenience store. As suggested by Paulins and Geistfeld (2003), most convenience stores are poorly perceived with respect to in-store displays and external appearance. The outside store appearance affects consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ choice of a store. Hence it is mandatory for stores to focus on their external appearance. It can influence the stores performance in terms of turnover. The objective of the literature review is not just survey of the information available but it is for the better understanding of the research. It can influence the research on many stage of its development and it can help researcher in determining the key factor which has impact on store layout. Factors which are affecting the stores turnover can be summaries as follows. 2. 2.1 Store Appearance and Image Half of the work can be done by just positive attitude which is true not for the human being but for the all the business. Same is applicable for the stores. It gives sustainable competitive advantage over the competitors. It gives idea about the positioning of the store. And for the positioning what strategy should be adopt by the retailers. It also helps in to differentiating the store (Birtwistle and Shearer, 2001). A desirable retail mix can influence the consumers and store appearance has played major role in retailing. The inspiring store image is desirable for the consumers (Devlin et al., 2003). Estelami and Bergstein (2006) are also of the same opinion that consumers typically form an overall impression of a retail store through various information processing mechanisms, such as advertising, viral marketing, or personal experience. The determinants of a good store layout are rare. There are six major dimensions that should be considered when determining a good store appearance, are as follow: Personal communication Guiding principle Physical manifestation Location Problem solving and The convenience of a store The physical appearance of a store has the greatest impact on the overall service quality, higher customer retention and higher future consumption, respectively (Siu and Cheung, 2001). Thang and Tan (2003) further state that characteristic of store image and exterior affect consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ inclination for the stores. The motivations that pertain to store attributes include products, store ambiance, in-store service, convenience, status, endorsement, amenities and post-sales service. Consumers preference is based on their post-visit ranking of the stores. Hence, the quality of in-store services is likely to have a strong impact on consumers purchasing pattern and, if not liked or unsuited with the standards or the attitude required by the target consumers, might restrain appeal. Below is a diagram with mechanism of a good store appearance. As shown in Fig 4, the stimuli that pertain to store attributes include products, store atmosphere, in-store service, accessibility, reputation, promotion, facilities and transaction service. The A S-O-R Model of consumer retail purchase pattern emphases on the most important factors to succeed with store appearance and image. In becoming a customer oriented business, management needs to be well-known with all the elements of the model (Thang and Tan, 2003). Memery et al. (2005) Note that store appearance is obtained through practice only. 2.2.2 Store Traffic Flow and Crowd Density The store layout is the basis for procedure. Therefore, conducting a traffic flow analysis is a vital action to take when the object is to develop store performance. This instrument is helpful when development of a reorganization of the current collection. The analysis is also useful when the motive is to fine tune after a remodel. By ascertaining customers shopping behavior, a retailer can inspect the strengths and weaknesses of the layout. The analysis is simple to carry out and can be done on a huge or little scale, surrounding of the whole store or one department. The results will be clear and make decisions simple to arrive. The main goals of carry out a traffic flow analysis is to decide traditions to make shopping and managing the store in a simple way by using layout and merchandising techniques to develop sales, improve the stores exterior and make shopping more pleasurable (Quinn and Stewart, 2007). Shopping is one of the most exciting activities in life. As the taste and the preference of shoppers change constantly, retail facilities have evolved in response. It is universally accepted that in-store traffic flow plays an important role in the success of a retail facility (Hui et al., 2007). Dion (2004: 250) states that crowding is not simply a matter of density in a given space. Crowding appears to arise through the juxtaposition of density with certain social and personal circumstances which sensitize the individual to the potential constraints of limited space. The sensitivity of such limitation leads to a familiar inequality between the total of space required, or measured to be sufficient, by the person, and the total of space accessible to them. Emberson et al. (2006) are of the opinion that recent projects, such as professional consumer reaction, have raised the profile of in-store merchandising as a possible solution. Store group collection policies, stock organize; staffing levels and the amount of customer traffic were identified by merchandisers as affecting their activities. Cottet et al. (2006) strongly suggest that practical importance of shopping is basically obtained through simple admission to products or information. The useful value depends on the way of utilization and need, primary to the shopping behavior. 2.2.3 Products Display Merchandise display, according to Zentes et al. (2007), is a term repeatedly used in the circumstance of in-house marketing. It refers to the way products are accessible in a retail outlet. While this appearance has been used with a focus on merchandise display (e.g. the choice of fixtures to be used and the method of product presentation), it communicate on the whole store design, store layout and other aspect of the store environment. Two basic objectives of in-store marketing are: 1. To design the store for simple in-house direction; and 2. To construct a positive store ambiance. Attractive displays by retailers can lead consumer to let go the time and attempt required to go further to more distant stores. This technique advises that consumers shop at the stores where they can get maximum satisfaction, considering both retail characteristics and shopping expenses. Pleasant shopping atmosphere positively affects the shopping time and the money that customers spend in a store as well as the emotion of shopping (Kim and Jin, 2001). Sinha and Banerjee (2004) contend that convenient stores consumer append more significance to merchandise display. These shoppers prefer to visit those stores that have depth and width of products. The importance of relationship/comfort level with the retailer is stressed with regard to grocery stores. Fig 5 Framework for examining store preferences in an evolving market. Source: Sinha and Banerjee (2004). The above framework is tested and it demonstrates that the basic drivers of the store loyalty can be deriving in 3 groups. Risk Reducers Choice Enhancers Shopping Experience Enhancer. Products displays have significant effect on retailing where self service is applicable. The displaying strategy helps to the consumers and most of the time it result in to increase in the sales. And higher sales mean higher the profit. Merchandising consists of the following elements: Correct strategic placement in the store; Eye-catching and appealing display; Appropriate point of sale support media (e.g. labels, signs); and Legal requirements satisfied. The purpose of the best product display collection requires information about feature such as: 1. Market value of the place available for particular product and 2. Market assessment for sustainability of the available products. 2.2.4 Product Assortment Efficient merchandising approach can collect large plunder in todays marketplace. Effective category management is essential for retailing. It is difficult that stores improve their service by enabling consumers with the products they demanded. Adopting a more strategic approach to merchandising can collect big rewards by increasing sales, increasing step and ultimately increasing turnover (Clark, 2003). Halepete et al. (2005) recognized that, in the past, when competitors were not much strong, a store could object a broad range of consumers. But retailing trends indicate that it is becoming significant to make happy consumers needs. Assortment management is one of the significant factors in merchandising. For a business to attain consumer loyalty, the steps in the below diagram need to be followed. This model can be utilized by retail outlets managers to get an idea about different factors that should be considered while merchandising. Importance on the each factor should be given based on area of the store. Information received from this model can help in to increasing the sales. Normally customer doesnt like to go home with empty hand if their first choice product is not available or out of stock, consumers go for the substitution with in the same product category, but for different size, color or brand. In spite of enormous hard work of suppliers and retailers in the fast-moving-consumer-goods (FMCG) channel to adopt the efficient consumer response practices, lots of have not realized expected benefits. Traditional retailers are not able to give price benefits, collection verity to the consumers and it is difficult for them to fulfill the each and every customers need. Because of that customers normally switch over to the other retailers where they can get the satisfaction. Whereas convenience stores have advantage of the consumer centric assortment which improve their performance. Some loyal customers can make store profit making unit. It is possible that not all the categories they have are profit making but out of that one or two may be cover the profit of all the categories. Category management will boost consumer loyalty to the retailer and to the brand, since the plan consumer will be able to without any difficulty find their preferred brands at a fair price in one outlet duri ng each shopping experience (Dupre and Gruen, 2004). 2.2.5 Store Floor Space Floor space should be utilized in such a way that it make easier shopping experience and make possible easy communication between staff, staff and consumers. The core requirements are enough space to move around the store, ease of access from outside the store and clear navigation and displays. Stores can make their branding by this way and make it memorable window displays etc. utilizing better point of sale, personal touches to encourage customer loyalty, graphics, highlighting prices and age ranges in busy areas (Cowles, 2002). In the above figure it is shows a number of huddle have appeared on consumers psychological associations. Major, four leading motivational prototype emerged which include fr

The Aging of Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

The Aging of Hamlet "Books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are" Milton I Read Hamlet the other day. It had changed considerably since I last read it. Hamlet himself was somewhat thinner, I thought; but he had also mellowed considerably; he was rather less cynical and a little more tolerant than he had been. Polonius was definitely more senile than before. Ophelia was less silly, and more of a pathetic figure than ever. Laertes was exactly the same: that sort of young man does not change; but Osrichad distinctly grown up. The Queen was a little fatter; and the King's teeth seemed to me to be needing attention. These were the principal changes I noticed in the play.... Some people will say that this is fantastic nonsense, and that it was I that had changed, not the play. Most imagine that when a work of art leaves the hand of the master, it remains in changeless beauty forever, though succeeding generations may feel differently about it, seeing it from different angles. It is to point out the fallacy of this common opinion that I am writing this essay. The fallacy springs from regarding a great work of art as a dead thing; whereas the distinctive fact about whatever has been created by genius is that it is alive and not dead. When Milton says that "books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are," his statement is both too wide and too narrow: too wide, because it is not true of all books, but only of a very select minority, the majority being as dead as mutton; too narrow becau... ... Those creations which have such vitality in them are the works which we call "inspired"; perhaps, without twisting language too violently, we can say that that is the very meaning of "inspiration" - putting spirit into lifeless matter. I need scarcely mention the obvious fact that many things which pass for works of art at the time of their production are entirely uninspired, and consequently have no principle of vitality in them, no enduring life. Most of the plays written by Shakespeare's contemporaries are uninspired works, and therefore dead. Though I, personally, get a good deal of pleasure from reading them, I always feel, after an hour or two in their company, as if I had been walking about among specimens - some of them curious and some of them beautiful - in museum cases; unchanging things, things fixed forever in the frozen immobility of death.

Human Resource Management: Attraction, Motivation, and Retention Essay

Time has changed the way organisations operate. Contemporary organisations not only need to compete for reputation and tangible organisational resources, but also participate in the ‘war for talent’ (Bartlett & Ghoshal 2002). Bartlett and Ghoshal (2002) described the ‘war for talent’ as competing for talented and skilled workers by attracting them to work for the organisation as well as retaining their loyalty. Hence, this paper will focus upon three strategies of Human Resource Management (HRM), that is, attraction, motivation, and retention. It is important to address these because many of the Human Resource (HR) activities build upon these strategies to gain competitive advantage (Jensen 2005). Organisations can win the ‘war for talent’ and hence increase their competitive advantage by creating and maintaining loyalty within organisations, albeit sometimes requiring considerable investment, effort and commitment to overcome obstacles. This discussion will also form the basis of illustrating that HRM performs more than administrative duties and plays a vital role in determining an organisation’s success. Examples of organisations’ successes in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees will be illustrated throughout the discussion. This essay concludes with an analysis of the skills HR managers need to become a strategic partner in the organisation. Competitive advantage refers to an organisation maximising its strengths as a method to compete in the marketplace (Bartlett & Ghoshal 2002). This consists of cost leadership as well as differentiation in products and services (Global Reporting Initiative 2002). In addition, an organisation achieves competitive advantage by winning the ‘war for talent’, which is the ultimat... ...anagement in Australia: Strategy, people, performance 3rd., Sydney, Australia: McGraw-Hill. Dowling, P.J., Festing, M. & Allen D. Engle, S., 2008. International human resource management: Managing people in a multinational context 5th., Boston: Cengage Learning. Global Reporting Initiative, 2002. Sustainability reporting guidelines. Environment. Available at: www.globalreporting.org. Holland, P., Sheehan, C. & De Cieri, H., 2007. Attracting and retaining talent: Exploring human resources development trends in Australia. Human Resource Development International, 10(3) pp. 247-262. Jeffries, F.L. & Hunte, T.L., 2004. Generations and motivation: A connection worth making. Journal of Behavioural and Applied Management, 6(1) pp. 37-70. Jensen, E., 2005. HR’ s role in helping companies achieve high performance. Employment Relations Today, 32(2) pp. 39-52.

Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner Essay -- Hosseini Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner In the Kite Runner, the author explores the ties that bind sons to fathers and childhood friends to one another and of the forces that tear them apart. Throughout the novel, Khaled Hosseini uses many literary devices such as parallelisms, and characterization, and symbolism. The main message is â€Å"there is a way to be good again.† Amir is continuously changing throughout the story as he narrates it which is evident through the characterization the author displays. He is always selfish when with Hassan, treating him as a servant but expecting a best friend attitude in return. He then realizes his mistakes growing up in Afghanistan and America and changes his ways, trying to get redemption for himself, a key theme in the story. Amir always wants to get attention from his father in his childhood and feels that he is being neglected by his father because he writes stories whereas Hassan is an athletic person. Amir believes Hassan is the son that Baba never had when in reality he is his other son. Throughout the novel Amir holds guilt of betraying Hassan in that fateful alley and it changes him as a person. â€Å"I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.† Amir’s goal in life after moving to America is to â€Å"do good again† ... ...ast as infants. This is important because in Hassan’s religion, if you fed from the same breast then you were brothers. This symbolizes the brotherly connection between Amir and Hassan from the beginning and the relationship between Amir and Sohrab. Another symbol in the novel is the blue kite, which is used both in the beginning and the end of the novel. The kite shows the bond between Hassan and Amir and how Hassan was willing to risk his life for their friendship and how much it meant to him. Also at the end Amir shows his loyalty towards Sohrab, as a way to forgive himself. In conclusion, The Kite Runner is a great book, and I can read it over and over again, continuing to learn to make your own path and forgive your past.

Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk

â€Å"It was once believed that when you were born, you were a blank state and could be taught to learn different things in a variety of way† (Gardner, H. Personal Learning Solution 2012) In this essay I will be talking about the importance of study skills for higher education. I will be identifying the different skills that are used both personal and professional and also providing some evidence towards my findings. The main skills I will be touching on will be people skills, reflective and creative skills, writing skills and also time management.I will be exploring how these skills have an importance in the higher education and viewing their similarity and differences between them. Study skills are the strategies and the different approaches used in learning to develop better understanding and knowledge for a life time. It is an essential piece of material that is needed for better grades in an exam, assignment etc and tackles problems such as bad organization, time manageme nt or writing skills which are useful for a life time.There are many different study skills that can be used in higher education in order to gain a successful qualification for a successful job application. It is important indentify your own personal learning style and develop on all the important study skills that helps with your learning. The reason for this is because it helps you remember and learn more and new information. It also allows you to do well in your essays/assignments and exams you are undertaking.Once your learning style has been identified and used, it will provide you with the opportunity to move up a level. There are different styles such as: The Diver: like to get on with it and get it out of the way The Dreamer: like to think a lot and research thoroughly The Logician: like things to make sense and reasons The Searchlight: like to see the bigger picture and find everything interesting (Cottrell, S. 2008. Third Edition. Pg59-60) The Dearing Report (1997) states that â€Å"the key to future success of graduates†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ommunication skills, numeracy, use of ICT, learning how to learn† (heacademy. ac. uk) This report gives a clear understanding of the main skills need for a successful future. On the other hands in the theory of Gardner’s, H (1983), he believes that everyone should be able to find 8 different areas to help with their learning, which may identify what they prefer (Gardner, H. Personal Learning Solution 2012). The first skill I will talk about is People Skills.This skill has a combination of inter-personal skill, which means the ability to work well with others in a team/group, and also intra-personal skills, which means the ability to manage your own attitudes and emotions within the environment (Cottrell, S. 2003. Pg 115). A people skill involves being able to communicate well with others and adapting to others within the team and interacting well amongst others. This skill can be turned into academi c skills by making connections with groups in class, listening well to others allowing everyone to talk, being assertive without demonstrating any form of anger etc.This is one important skill that is needed for higher education which can be developed further for a successful job in the future. My second skill I will talk about is reflective and creative skills. This is a thinking process that can put you in deep thoughts aiming to gain a better understanding. It allows you to make sense of what your putting together, go over what you have, make any judgements and changes needed and also weighing up what you have to get better balance which includes taking different things into account.In the book of The Science Good Study Guide, it states that â€Å"it is important that you take a systematic, analytical, strategic, and reflective approach to managing yourself and your studies† (Northedge, A et al, 1997, pg 16). Creativity plays a big role in study skill because; you need to identify what strategies are suitable for you in learning. With this you can be as creative as you can to help you in the process. The third skill is writing skills. This skill can also be combined with organisation as you will need to learn how to organise your essays and assignments e. . introduction, main body and conclusion/evaluation. Writing is another form of communication. In higher education, when writing an essay/assignment, you are communicating what you know and understand of what you have learnt in class. This is why writing skills is very important so you know what you’re writing is clear for the reader. However as Cottrell (2008) stated that writing a good assignment is a hard and challenging process but is a very rewarding aspect of your studying.Your writing skill is something that can always be developed as you grow (The Study Skills Handbook. 2008. Pg167) The last skill I will talk about is time management. This is one of the most essential skill needed, no t only for higher education but also for every other thing in life e. g. job, appointments, lectures, meetings etc. you need to know how long it requires for you to do something. Time is special because you cannot change time. I believe everyone has the same exact time on their hands; it depends on how it’s being used by the individual.Most students like myself will complain and say there is not enough time for their work, however what I have come to learn is that if time is managed widely it helps a lot with what you need to do or what you desire to do. In higher education, when time is managed well, it helps set your priorities straight, become more conscious with your decisions and also learn how to become more productive each day. In conclusion, I have come to read and understand how important study skills are in higher education. The first thing is to identify what type of learner you are and focus on the most important study skills.I have come across some understanding that if you lack in your study skills, there is a low chance of gaining good grades meaning less chance of a successful job application. As stated in the Dearing report (1997) the four main skills needed for success in the future and also Howard Gardner’s theory explaining how creative you should be in different ways of learning such as finding 8 different areas to learn that may help with your learning. I believe that we learn something new every day giving us the opportunity to move up a level of intelligence.

Three Major Themes in Don Quixote

One of the most obvious themes in Don Quixote de la Mancha is that of nostalgia. However, in Don Quixote, what has traditionally been regarded as the central thrust of nostalgia: that it represents a longing for a time which can never again exist or be recaptured, is altered through the use of irony to represent a form of moral idealism. In other words, the particular â€Å"flavor† of nostalgia represented by Cervantes is that of a longing for a moral and ethical past which are considered (ironically) not as ideals of an unattainable past, but as a conception of pragmatic moral instruction.Of note is the personal intimacy with which Cervantes invests his character, Quixote's, conception of a moral idealism which appears readily available and complete in the annuls of antiquity: â€Å"he fell into one of the strangest conceits that ever entered the head of any madman [†¦ ] that he should commence knight-errant, and wander through the world, with his horse and arms† (Cervantes Saavedra 23). The summoning to moral action is based, in actuality, in a sense of personal pride and self-aggrandizement: â€Å"that by accomplishing such enterprises he might acquire eternal fame and renown† (Cervantes Saavedra 23).This latter admission forms the key to the ultimately ironic unfolding of Quixote's nostalgic sense of morality in that it reveals that he, Quixote, never grasped the essential nature of the chivalric morality he idealizes in that he sought fame and recognition rather than purely service to the chivalric code itself. In this way, Cervantes indicates that nostalgia does exert a prohibitive influence on pragmatic application and behavior, but this is only revealed through the irony of Quixote's attempts to literalize a moral code which is, in fact, lost in the mists of antiquity.Further irony emerges from the theme of classicism. This theme may be considered closely aligned with the theme of nostalgia because, given the predilection of Qu ixote for self-aggrandizement, it is only natural for the alert reader to assume that Quixote's â€Å"madness† is born out of an inferiority complex. This natural assumption will be grounded not only in the picaresque action of the plot, but in the portrayal of the internal moral â€Å"compass† of the characters in the story.A good example of how Quixote's â€Å"madness† functions as a portrayal of classicism is the passage where Quixote fantasizes that a brothel is actually a castle: â€Å"he fancied it to be a castle, with four turrets and battlements of refulgent silver, together with its drawbridge, deep moat, and all the appurtenances with which such castles are usually described† (Cervantes Saavedra 28). The madness of Quixote allows ironic inversion of the dominant social order.Thsi tendency (theme) is carried out throughout Don Quixote as a whole with peasants and working-poor taking on roles traditionally associated with the upper-classes. Closel y aligned to the theme of classicism is the the theme of chivalry itself. Given the foregoing descriptions of Cervantes's ironic use of nostalgia and the inversion of the social order, one would expect, and rightly so, that the most obvious theme of Don Quixote, the theme of chivalry, is also intended to be perceived as ironic.The full realization that even Quixote's â€Å"mad† idealization of the past refuses to admit legitimate moral perception through into the world, despite, that same vision exposing the hypocrisy and injustice of the â€Å"present day† world, is a realization which seems to undermine Quixote's stature as an ironic hero. However, when Quixote himself renounces chivalry, his heroic stature is fact, increased, and his character given a final seal of integrity. When he proclaims : â€Å"free from those dark clouds of ignorance with which my eager and continual reading of those detestable books of chivalry had obscured it.Now I perceive the absurdity and delusion of them,† (Cervantes Saavedra 939) Quixote is in fact vocalizing his inner-realization that nostalgia, and chivalry were themselves aspects of the very classicism which, in the beginning, ignited his inner feelings of inferiority. He realizes that chivalry is not a release from the injustices of the present, but merely the past's method of empowering the same social inequalities and injustices which flourished in chivalry's historical decline.

A reflection on the book `Krik?Krak`

1. What is the significance of writing in CHILDREN OF THE SEA? This is where the narrator recollects about her past. Writing the Children of the Sea was deemed significant for the flow of the book because all the rest of the story were just products of the memories or records of the life of the character as she was on board a ship to Miami. It was a contrast of life and death as the main character writes about her life while a girl of fifteen gives birth to a baby and the baby eventually dies. 2. In NINETEEN THIRTY-SEVEN, why do the women travel to the river so often? A quote from the book says â€Å"The River was the place where it had all begun† (41) answers the question on why women travel so often to the rivers. They go to the river to escape the horrors of their own land. To escape death and seizure her mother swam the river that crosses between the Dominican Republic and her native country, the Haiti. Her grandmother on the other hand, being too weak to swim was caught and killed in Haiti. 3. Explain the significance of the list at the sugar mill in THE WALL OF FIRE RISING. Why doesn`t the mother want his son`s name on the list?  In The Wall of the Fire Rising, a couple is trying to raise their son without tainting his soul with poverty and hopelessness.   This is the main reason why his mother doesn’t want his name to be signed at the sugar mill. The Childs parents don’t want the boy to serve as slave in the Mill. The child however grew fascinated in the works of Boukman, a declaration of freedom and slave revolution. 4. How does (social) class become significant in BETWEEN THE POOL AND THE GARDENIAS? To further stress the importance of class in Between the Pool and the Gardenias, I quote an excerpt from the book which says â€Å"Her lips were wide and purple, like those African dolls you see in tourist store windows but never could afford to buy.† The character is that of a young woman who have had many miscarriages before since she can’t afford better healthcare for her baby. She is now in denial of her child’s death and is drawn to a dead child that she has seen on the streets. Though the corps is decaying, she can’t seem to take her eyes of the child and continues to visit her. She wants to give the child proper burial but such would require money. 5. Reread the conversation between the girl and her grandmother on page 107 in THE MISSING PEACE. Why does the grandmother feel hostility toward the visitor? In the Missing Peace, two desperate women where brought together amidst the chaos of the fall of the old regime. The narrator, Lamort, helps an American journalist named Emilie in finding her mother. Lamorts grandmother feel hostility toward the visitor for the simple reason that she was American in a foreign country and she fears that their quest for the journalist mother would put her grandchild in danger. 6. Both death and life function as major themes in SEEING THINGS SIMPLY. How does painting work with those two ideas? According to the character, the painting serves as a memoir for her as shown by the excerpt, â€Å"to have something to leave behind even after she is gone.† Through her paintings life was preserved but as her real reason for making the painting unfolds, it foreshadows death. 7. Danticat places the traditions of Haiti and Haitian culture at odds with Americans and American customs in CAROLINE`S WEDDING. Offer an example of this relationship and its significance to the story. In Caroline’s Wedding, clash of   Haitan and American culture was portrayed as Caroline is not having a church wedding which is very important to their tradition.   The difference between the American and Haitan culture was further illustrated when Coroline said to her mom in one of their arguments that they don’t want to spend money a single day just to please the rest of the crowd while leaving them bankrupt. It is cheaper to get married in court than in the church, the way all Haitan Weddings are held. They said that her husbands’ friend who is a judge will be the one to wed the couple in his office and not in the church. 8. The text closes with writing once again in the Epilogue. What is the significance of writing for this author? What does the Epilogue reveal about Danticat? The Epilogue provides substance and unity for the rest of the story as one would get to understand that she is writing of different generations of women who are bounded by struggles. When asked what the essence of writing for her is, the author said in the last part that the act is pretty much like braiding ones hair; you take a clump of rowdy stands and try to unify its strands to make it bigger and stronger.      

Art and Culture Essay

Art and culture are two terms which can never be separated and are deeply interlinked. Art refers to the quality, creation, appearance, or realm, based on aesthetics of what is beautiful, appealing, or is completely out of the ordinary. Art has many facets like theatre, paintings, music and other kinds of visual and abstract art. It has been seen that different cultures have different kinds of art because art of a country always reflects its culture, traditions and norms. The thoughts, ideas, rules & routines and famous signs and symbols common among the people of an area are displayed through art. A particular culture develops gradually and if its components are embedded in a family, generation or several generation this culture becomes permanent and its language and traditions become an imperative part of the society. By language, one does not only mean verbal enunciation of people to communicate but it also means communication through music, poetry, architecture etc. These cultural representatives show both meaning and value of art creation and more deeply the reason and value for the civilization taking place at that time. Each kind of art is an expression; it is the expression of human beings who exist as a part of culture. Therefore, culture and art go side by side and cannot be deemed as completely different phenomena. American culture and art have an old bondage. Pop Art became popular extending from America to all over the world in 1950’s and 60’and instantly became a very popular and widely accepted image of a modern America. Pop Art incorporates hard edges and displays the real life style. Warhol who is considered to be the father of Pop Art created and popularized its concept; pop art is a representative of the cultural aspects of society and is also deemed as abstract expressionism (Mamiya, 1992). The signs, symbols and artifacts represented by Pop Art are based on true American culture rooting from history. Another example is the local cultural activities that take place in the form of theatre, musical shows and dance. The visitors from all over the world come to enjoy the cultural activities at different venues in New York and Chicago such as Dallas Museum of Art, M Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and the Nasher Sculpture Center (Sherman, 2009). These activities are a true depiction of the American society and portray its traditions, values, norms and preferences in the form of art. References Mamiya, C. J. (1992). Pop art and consumer culture: American super market. CA: University of Texas Press Sherman, L. (2009). America’s Cultural Tourism Capitals. Retrived 21st March 2013 from: http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/20/america-culture-capitals-lifestyle-travel-arts.html

Cell Fractionation and Mitochondrial Function Lab Report

Cell Fractionation and Mitochondrial Function - Lab Report Example n the case of rotors which hold the tubes on an angle) and, particularly in the first spin, cell membrane material may appear as a floating skin or pellicle on the surface of the tube. The remaining liquid in the tube is called the supernatant, or â€Å"supe† for short. The higher the concentration of mitochondria, the lower the absorbance density. This is because in the mitochondria cell membrane, there is an integral membrane protein referred to as succinate dehydrogenase that has the capacity to reduce the DCIP and when DCIP is reduced, the OD is reduced as well. Basing on the graphs represented above, it is clearly evident that the mitochondria came down in pellet from 12000xg.In graph representing tube 1, it is observed that the O.D decreased with time. This means that There was mitochondria in the solution which reduced the DCIP with time. The enzyme Succinate dehydrogenase is the one responsible for this reaction.In graph representing tube 4,it is observed that, there is no change of O.D with time.this means that mitochondria was absent indicating that there was no mitochondria in the supernatant. Hence went down in the pellet as indicated in graph representing tube 2.In graph representing tube 6 it is also observed that, there is no change in the O.D with time and this as well indicate that there was no mitochondria in the tube because it was water which was added. Therefore in conclusion, it is evident that the mitochondria came down in the

Banking Crisis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Banking Crisis - Research Paper Example It is important to ensure close co-ordination between the Federal Reserve and the Government, because monetary policies should be complementary to fiscal policies for achieving the country’s objective of sustainable and long term economic growth. Evolution of Central Banking The concept of Central Bank evolved in the second half of the 19th century. The banking institutions started with commercial purposes or government banks have transformed into central banks in most of the countries. Bank of England model has been adopted by several countries. Central banks became the lender of the last resort and started issuing notes. In the aftermath of the great depression the independence of the central bank has been curtailed in US. However, gold standard and laissez faire brought back independence to central bank to ensure monetary stability. The  US Federal Reserve came into existence in 1913 through passing of The Federal Reserve Act. Panic in 1907 in banking circles gave rise to demands for reforms in banking sector and the National Monetary Commission was set up for this purpose. In mid 1990’s â€Å"in the wake of Russian default, the Fed lowered short term interest rates to minimize the consequences of international financial conditions for the US economy and to ameliorate those conditions abroad.† (Neely 35) Many world countries have agreed to adopt gold standard system in Bretton Woods Conference in 1914 which envisaged economic discipline among the nations. The role of central bank has increased substantially since stability of the currency is an important factor in international finance. But, gold standard has failed due to devaluation of currencies by several countries to protect their national economies. The International Monetary Fund created in Bretton Woods in 1944 with the aim of preserving global monetary order introduced fixed exchange rates of the currencies in relation to US Dollar or gold. This system has also failed due to v arious practical difficulties. Introduction of fluctuating exchange rates later coupled with internal economic factors has increased the clout of central banks further and most of the countries started adopting fluctuating exchange rate system based on demand and supply. Paul Krugman stated â€Å"Under the "floating" exchange rates we have had since 1973, exchange rates are determined by people buying and selling currencies in the foreign-exchange markets. The instability of floating rates has surprised and disappointed many economists and businessmen, who had not expected them to create so much uncertainty.† From the simple bartering system, the monetary order has undergone changes over years in tune with the dynamic economic environment, technological developments and introduction of exotic derivative products in banking and financial services sector. In determining the value of money in modern economy, the fiscal measures of governments and the monetary control measures of the central bank play very crucial roles. David Kupelian stated â€Å"Despite the varied theories espoused by many establishment economists, it was none other than the Federal Reserve that caused the Great Depression and the horrific suffering, deprivation and dislocation America and the world experienced in its wake. At least, that’s the clearly stated view of current Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.† The globalization phenomenon gaining momentum during the recent years