Social and Cultural Impact on the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro Essay

Social and Cultural Impact on the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro - Essay Example â€Å"Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil is home to the world's most famous carnival, and what many people consider to be the world's biggest and best party. The basis of Rio’s Carnival is the samba schools, which social clubs are named after the famous Brazilian samba dance† (Richard 2011). Samba schools are found in various places of Rio de Janeiro, and competition between them is fierce. Members work all through the year to make the best floats, themes, costumes, and dance performances. â€Å"Education and rehabilitation are among the primary responsibilities that these samba schools undertake† (About Rio Samba Schools: Understand Overview of Samba Schools 2011). During the four day carnival, schools parade and struggle against each other in the Sambadrome, a building that can hold nearly 60,000 spectators. Millions of people get involved in merry making all through the city, especially on Rio's famous beaches, Copacabana and Ipanema. â€Å"Rio de Janeiro and the carn ival the two attractions are inseparable. Although the carnival in Rio is very commercial nowadays, it still is the carnival in Brazil, even though there are more authentic celebrations held elsewhere. Five days of samba and partying make the event as famous over the world as the World Cup or Olympics. Rio de Janeiro is also an attraction worth of seeing† (Tourism in Brazil Essay 2012). Social Impact on the Carnival of Rio De Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro is remembered for its strange natural beauty and excitement of popular culture. â€Å"Carnival has a different effect on each person, but it was created just with one objective for everyone, and that is to have a lot of fun, to forget our routine life, worries, responsibilities and to adventure at least once in our lives, because this experience no one will ever forget† (Kathyvargas 2004). The city is also marked by tremendous differences, reflecting a high degree of social disparity. The gap between the poor and the rich an d their close geographic nearness, characterized Rio. â€Å"Rio de Janeiro has major social problems, in the same neighborhood, such as Gavea for example, there is a difference that has developed over 60 years. Opposing realities are seen within a few meters of each other. On one side we have the upper class, with its mansions and high levels of education, and on the other side groups who in poor conditions, living in shacks, without even a basic education† (Social Problems in Rio De Janeiro 2012). This chasm of disparity makes many other impacts in the day-to-day city life. Crime, violence, police corruption, drug trafficking, deficiencies in health, inefficient transportation systems defective and education form the crux of Rio’s daily routine. The city has high levels of crime, particularly homicides. â€Å"Between 1978 and 2000, almost 50,000† (The Top 10 Most Dangerous City Breaks 2012) citizens were killed in Rio, the majority of victims being affected by stray bullets, and drug trafficking. There is a huge burden of teenage homicides, the age for the majority at risk in the drug gangs for and those who endure most from police fighting. â€Å"In 2010, Rio received 800.000 visitors during carnival which represents an R$ 950 million industry for the city† (Carnival of Rio De Janeiro 2012). Urban violence is an increasing problem that that has influenced every

Person with Tattoo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Person with Tattoo - Assignment Example The design that shown to me was a dragon. The face of the dragon was on Michael’s chest and the body was uniquely drawn in the shoulder blades. Likewise, the tail enveloped his entire upper left arm. It was only in black ink and it has no other color. According to Michael, he thought of the placement as the left portion of his chest and to be expanded to his shoulder blade and upper left arm because, it was initially perceived that the heart is likewise situated almost adjacent to the left portion of the chest. Therefore, this placement is an indication that the image represents whatever he believes or hopes to achieve in life, comes from his heart; and to be exhibited through the mighty power of the dragon. Michael indicated that the choice for having a tattoo was not at the spur of the moment. The circumstances surrounding the process evolved through time. He actually thought of having a tattoo since he was very young, say, about 12 to 13 years old. By then, he was already figuring out the design, when he would eventually decide to have one, sometime in the future. When he became friends with a group of teen-agers with motorcycles, they eventually decided to have a tattoo as a symbol of their friendship. Thus, when he was 18 years old, he had the dragon tattoo drawn in the location indicated above. The experience of Michael was far from the experiences of receiving Samoan tatua done by a tufunga. It was learned that â€Å"a tatatau of Samoan origin was considered more esteemed than one completed by a Tongan tufunga. This was largely due to the origins of chiefly lineages in Tonga connecting to Manua and Upolu; and because of a divine birthright bestowed on certain Samoan tattoo families like Sua† (Manulua par. 16). Thus, the design, placement and the person doing the tattoo has different meanings, as well as levels of expertise in the Tongan tradition.  

Speech of David foster wallace Essay Example for Free

Speech of David foster wallace Essay The speech, was written by David Foster Wallace, and it was delivered to the graduating class of 2005 at Kenyon College. Wallace talked about the real importance of having a degree that it is more than â€Å"just a material payoff†. He also tells the students that a liberal arts education is all about â€Å"teaching you how to think†. This means that it is all about having the choice of what we can think about. He talks about the real values of an education. It is more than the knowledge we learn but more about simple awareness. Wallace goes on with saying that learning how to think also come with becoming less arrogant to the different people around us. As humans, we tend to be very self-centered in everything we do. Wallace says that we need to learn to adjust our â€Å"natural default setting† to become less self-centered. Read more: David foster wallace good people essay I agree with a lot of what Wallace said in his speech. I think that earning a degree should definitely be more than how much money you will make. It should be about what it means to you as a person. Education is more than just learning information to get by in school and to graduate. It is about learning about yourself and who you as a person and I think that is what college does for people. Wallace is right in saying that knowledge is about the simple awareness and becoming less arrogant. I think that people do think that they are the center of the universe. This way of thought makes a person think they are the most important and that they are right all the time which is not true. Knowledge really is power because it does help people become less self-centered like Wallace states.

Consumer Analysis On Chocolate Consumption Marketing Essay

Consumer Analysis On Chocolate Consumption Marketing Essay The objective of this project is to investigate patterns of chocolate consumption experience. The project will look into different age groups and their consumption habits. The main purpose of this research is to find evidence between age and consumption patterns. And also inspect the extent of chocolate consumptions impact on health. Introduction: The tale of chocolate began at the age of Maya and stretched to the modern world. The Spanish were the first to introduce cacao in Europe and after that it become one of the most celebrated drink of the elite society in Europe until it was mass produced with the help of modern technology. There are different varieties of chocolate available in the market from different companies such as dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, sweet chocolate, candy etc. In this project will examine inclination of the consumers towards chocolate consumption (in special context of Nestle, Cadbury Mars chocolates are chosen in the study). The buying behavior is a fascinating study of human psychology. Consumers were generally thought to act rationally, according to neo-classical economics theory ( Howard and sheth 1969) individually maximizing satisfaction of their needs. By contrast, in the modern world, people are more likely to indulge into socio-psychological or emotional or irrational buying motives (Holbrook, and Hirschman 1982). These motives come from the social or psychological interpretation of the product. There are several arguments and also psychological aspects of why a consumer makes a particular choice. According to Freud, persons buying decisions are affected by subconscious motives that even the buyer may not fully understand. The most celebrated work on human motivation is done by Abraham Maslow (1943). He suggested a hierarchical order of human needs. According to Maslow, we seek to satisfy our lower order physiological needs first, before our safety needs, before our belongingness needs, our esteem needs, and finally our need for self actualization. This project will try to find link between human behavior and chocolate consumption. There are past chocolate consumption study which has to some extent examined consumer view, attitudes, and motivations towards chocolate and chocolate consumption as a representative (Belk and Costa, 1998) and social experience (Cova and Pace, 2006). Chocolate consumption can be also related to health problems as many scientific investigations have pointed out. This project will also try to ask questions on common perception on chocolate consumption and its impact on health. Chapter 1: Research aim: This study aims to investigate in the area of chocolate consumption, by exploring how consumers experience chocolate consumption in various circumstances and contexts. It also will try to examine common perceptions of health associated factors related to chocolate consumption. Research objective: The objective of this research is to gain insight in the consumer behavior related to chocolate consumption. This project will try to study existing literature and secondary data and investigate links between consumer behavior theories and the existing data. The further objective is find out perceptions on chocolate consumption and health. As many of the findings and research would suggest close link between them. Chapter 2: History of Chocolate: The story of chocolate begun about 2000 years back in the ancient civilization of Mayan when they discovered the cacao tree ( kah KOW) in the tropical rain forests of South-America. By 1400, the Aztec empire dominated a sizable section of Mesoamerica. They traded with Maya and other people for cacao and sometime traded with cacao seed a form of Aztec money. The ancient Aztecs believed chocolate to be the Food of the god. The history of chocolate in Europe began after the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1521. It is believed that Christopher Columbus first European who discovered existence of cacao tree. It is also believed that It was him who brought back some cacao trees from Spain. (http://www.sfu.ca/geog351fall03/groups-webpages/gp8/history/history.html) The Spaniards quickly recognized the value attached to cacao and observed Aztec custom of drinking chocolate. Soon after Spanish started to ship back the cacao seeds and started to sweeten the cacao with cinnamon, sugar and other sweeteners. Xocolatl! or Chocolat or Chocolate as it became known was introduced to Europe by Cortez, later as the time progressed Europeans were able to make the drink more palatable for European taste thus changing the Aztec style of drinking. The first chocolate factories opened in Spain and by the early 17th century chocolate powder from which the European version of the drink was made and exported to different parts of Europe. Spanish managed to keep their drink secret for almost 100 years before rest of the Europe find out about the drink. The Spanish kept the source of the drink the beans a secret for many years, so successfully in fact, that when English buccaneers boarded what they thought was a Spanish Treasure Galleon in 1579, only to find it loaded with what appeared to be dried sheeps droppings, and burnt the whole ship in frustration, if only they had known the value of chocolate. Within a few years, the Cocoa beverage made from the powder produced in Spain had become popular throughout Europe, in the Spanish Netherlands, Italy, France, and Germany and in about 1520 it arrived in England. The first Chocolate House in England opened in London in 1657 followed rapidly by many others. Like the already well established coffee houses, they were used as clubs where the wealthy and business community met to smoke a clay pipe of tobacco, conduct business and socialize over a cup of chocolate. For centuries, chocolate was eaten by the societys upper crust. But by the 19th century mass production of chocolate helped it reach much wider portion of society. First European chocolate factory was set up France 1761 in the town of Bayonne. As demand increased most of the European countries started producing cacao in their colonies in Caribbean, Africa and parts of South East Asia. (Simmons, 1976; Baker, 1891) 1828 marked the modern ear of chocolate making when Dutch Chocolate maker Conrad J. van Houten patented an inexpensive method for pressing making cacao powder. Many chocolate companies of today were formed as a family run businesses such as Europe such as Van Houten in the Netherlands in 1815, Menier in France in 1824, Cadbury and Rowntree in England; and Suchard, Nestlà ©, Lindt and Kohler in Switzerland. (http://www.chocolate-source.co.uk/history_of_chocolate.htm) http://www.sfu.ca/geog351fall03/groups-webpages/gp8/history/timeline.jpg http://www.sfu.ca/geog351fall03/groups-webpages/gp8/history/history.html This figure shows the evolution of chocolate from being produced in form of cacao in South America and then eventually in Europe. In 1894, English chocolate maker Joseph Storrs Fry produced what was arguably the worlds first eating chocolate (Brenner, 1999; Spadaccini, 23rd online edition). Some of Englands most successful entrepreneurs during the Industrial Revolution belonged to a group of people known as The Society of Friends, or more commonly, the Quakers. Due to their radical beliefs, the Quakers were alienated from many of the mainstream professions of the time including politics, law and medicine. Many of the large Quaker families channeled their energy into business and commerce, and one of the most progressive commodities at the time to invest in was cocoa. A one man business opened in 1824 by a young Quaker, John Cadbury, in Bull Street Birmingham was to be the foundation of Cadbury Limited, now one of the worlds largest producers of chocolate. In 1831 the business was transformed from grocery shop and John Cadbury was manufacturing drinking chocolate and cocoa. This was the start Cadburys business as it is known today which was later joined by John Cadburys brother Benjamin and the business become Cadbury brothers in 1847 in Birmingham where they rented their first factory. This partnership dissolved in 1860 and a year later John Cadbury retired leaving his sons Richard and George, the second Cadbury brothers, to continue the business. 1866 saw a turning point for the company with the introduction of a process for pressing the cocoa butter from the cocoa beans. This not only enabled Cadbury Brothers to produce pure cocoa essence, but the plentiful supply of cocoa butter remaining was also used to make new kinds of eating chocolate. Business prospered from this time and Cadbury Brothers outgrew the Bridge Street factory, moving in 1879 to a greenfield site some miles from the centre of Birmingham which came to be called Bournville. The opening of the Cadbury factory in a garden also heralded a new era in industrial relations and employee welfare with joint consultation being just one of the initiatives introduced by the pioneering Cadbury brothers. In 1899 the business became a private limited company Cadbury Brothers Limited. Progress since the start of the century through the inter-war years onwards has been rapid. Chocolate has moved from being a luxury item to being well within the financial reach of everyone. The story behind many of todays chocolate manufacturers begins with a Quaker family the Cadburys, the Frys, the Rowntrees and the Terrys all chose cocoa as the basis for their family businesses. Their aim was to persuade the poor to give up alcohol in favor of the healthier chocolate drink. Because of the persecution the Quakers faced in England thousands migrated to America and settled in the colony of Pennsylvania founded in 1682 by William Penn. By 1864 seven thousand Quakers had settled their including one Milton Hershey and by 1900 the Hershey chocolate factory was up and running. ( www.cadbury.co.uk) The UK confectionary market: This project took help from published Mintel UK confectionary market, 2011 report as it is one of the most reliable sources of information. Mars Background Mars UK is a division of Mars Incorporated, a family-owned US based business with annual revenue of over $30 billion. The company acquired Wm Wrigley Jr in 2008, extending its food and drink portfolio in the UK to cover chocolate and sugar confectionery and gum, ice cream and petcare.( www.mars.co.uk) The companys key brands in the UK chocolate confectionary market are Galaxy, Maltesers, Mars, Snickers, and Twix. Kraft Foods UK Background Kraft Foods is a US-based multinational confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate which supplies biscuits, cheese, grocery, chocolate, coffee, gum and candy. It has its presence over 50 countries worldwide. The company strengthened its leading position in the chocolate confectionery market when it acquired Cadbury Plc in January 2010 for  £11.5 billion and in doing so, acquiring the likes of Dairy Milk, Roses and Twirl, as well as inheriting the premium organic brand, Green Blacks. In March 2012, the company announced its plans to remain at the forefront of NPD by investing  £17 million into research and development in the UK. Kraft also launched Green Blacks an exclusive chocolate bar in support of Breast Cancer alertness month. The new Raisin Hazelnut bar in a pink package came with the Breast Cancer ribbon and the charity organisations logo. The company unveiled the limited edition bar in October 2011 and contributed  £20,000 to help Breakthrough Breast Cancer in its research work. (www.greenandblacks.com), (www.cadbury.co.uk), (www.kraftfoodscompany.com) Nestlà © Background Nestle UK Ltd is a division of the Swiss nutrition, health and wellness company Nestlà © SA. The UK business operates 15 manufacturing units and has three major subdivisions food and beverage, confectionery, and Nestlà © Nutrition. The brand claims that it is planning to invest  £500 million into the UK market from 2012-14. The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products in various markets such as Pure Life (bottled water), Cheerios (breakfast cereals), KitKat (chocolate confectionery), Nescafà © (coffee), Herta Maggi (family meals), Carnation (evaporated condensed milk) and Nesquik (flavoured milk).( www.nestle.co.uk) Market Share of Different companies and future: According to the Manufacturers shares in the UK chocolate confectionery market, by value, 2011 Kraft, Mars and Nestlà © hold three quarters of the market share (Source: Mintel) These are top three companies which hold account for 76% of sales via their wide portfolio of brands. This market is considerably more dependent on the fortunes of its top three companies than the sugar equivalent. ( Mintels Sugar Confectionery UK, November 2011 report). According to the same report Cadbury Dairy milk and Mars Galaxy is reckoned to be the two most popular brands in UK market. Both of them occupying almost 20 percent of the market share (Appendix: Table ) although there is a significant percent of change in Dairy Milks fortune. UK Leading brands purchased in the UK chocolate market, 2008-10, Chocolate Confectionery UK April 2011 Market Share According to Euro-monitor Chocolate is still the UK market leader with accounting 31% of the value sale.. Euromonitor International (2011) Chocolate confectionery data spreadsheet (Euromonitor International Limited, London) 2010 data for total size of global retail chocolate confectionery market, using fixed 2010 exchange rates, in current prices 2009 data for company share of global market Reports from Mintel also suggests that despite Dairy Milk being the only brand in top ten its presence is felt through in the chocolate confectionery market through a strong promotion and this brand which is comfortably the market leader, with 12% of total chocolate confectionery sales. Krafts takeover of Cadbury in 2010 significantly boosted the companys presence in the UK chocolate confectionery market, up from around 5% to its current status as leader with a third of the total market share. (Mintel Chocolate Confectionary Report 2011) According this report Mars is the second largest company in the chocolate confectionery market having a market share of 27%. The company achieved reasonably strong sales growth of 7% in 2011, despite this its largest brand, Galaxy, and flagship Mars bar brand both saw sales fall in 2011. Galaxys performance is mostly surprising as the brand has in fact carried out many activities which should promote growth such as a significant advertising spending, however Galaxy sales dipped by 3% although it is worth noting that this comes on the back of a particularly strong performance in 2010. It also states that Nestlà © holds a prominent share in the market as the third company which has a notable existence in the chocolate confectionery market. and holds a 16% share through a portfolio of well-established brands such as KitKat, Aero and Quality Street. Although the company has four brands inside the top 15 in the market, it currently lacks a marquee chocolate brand of same level as Cadbury Dairy Milk or Mars Galaxy. According to the Mintel report since 2006, the chocolate confectionery market has grown by 21%, with stable growth of 4-6%. The UKs fondness for chocolate has meant that it has been largely unaffected by the post-recession landscape, with sales reaching  £3.98 billion in 2011. The growth has increased on the back of inflation, with rising retail prices helping to drive value sales but suppressing volume sales, despite regular promotions. However rising prices pose a possible threat, leading to 49% of consumers claiming that they may slash back in this scenario. But considerable support for brands such as Kraft and Mars is likely to keep users engaged with the market, while the own-labels are now making concerted efforts to grow their small share (7%) of sales. The market is forecast to continue rising at between 5% and 6% in the coming years, reaching  £5.25 billion by 2016. The chocolate confectionery market continues to achieve steady growth. UK retail value sales of chocolate confectionery at current and constant prices, 2006-16  £m Annual % change Index  £m at 2011 prices Annual % change Index 2006 3,133 Na 79 4,123 na 104 2007 3,274 +4.5 82 4,119 -0.1 104 2008 3,419 +4.4 86 3,938 -4.4 99 2009 3,575 +4.6 90 3,910 -0.7 98 2010 3,772 +5.5 95 4,000 +2.3 101 2011 (est) 3,976 +5.4 100 3,976 -0.6 100 2012 (fore) 4,205 +5.8 106 4,075 +2.5 115 2013 (fore) 4,451 +5.9 112 4,123 +1.2 123 2014 (fore) 4,711 +5.8 118 4,200 +1.9 128 2015 (fore) 4,968 +5.5 125 4,248 +1.1 135 2016 (fore) 5,245 +5.6 132 4,309 +1.4 141 Source: Mintel Mintel has confirmed that the chocolate confectionery market has established itself to be one of the small numbers of recession-proof food and drink markets with consumer not cutting chocolate out of their diets despite stress on many household budgets. In recent years, yearly growth in the market has lingered at around the 5% mark, a trend expected to continue in the years up to 2016. In 2011, the market reached  £3,976 billion, a 21% increase over a five-year period. Apart from 2012 which may benefit from a halo effect around the London Olympics and European Championships growth is predicted to only be around 1% at 2011 prices, highlighting the continued impact of inflation. This report also forecasted that the market is expected to continue benefiting from its desirable position as a standard and inexpensive treat eaten by nine in ten (89%) of the UKs population, with four in five (81%) weekly users. However, there is a danger that rising prices with static or decreasing bar sizes will deter users, with 49% admitting that they would cut back if prices kept on rising. The increasing cost of the bars also cover the fact that, in terms of volume sales, the market size in fact declined somewhat in 2011, despite the frequency of a soaring number of promotions. In fact, growing prices are inescapable for chocolate manufacturers as they have to deal with rising commodity prices in recent years. However, a positive harvest in 2011 perhaps opens the door for companies to shine their value credentials by tackling rising prices head on, something which there is a strong consumer demand to see. MIntel report has mentioned a word of caution for the big three brands (Kraft (Cadbury), Mars and Nestlà ©) which account for three quarters of sales, a growing number of niche brands, particularly at the premium tier, and a fight back from own-label options, look set to increase competition in the coming years. Forecast Forecast of UK retail value sales of chocolate confectionery, 2006-16 ( Mintel ) Source: MIntel Forecast methodology: Mintel has created this estimate based on an sophisticated statistical technique known as multivariate time series auto-regression using the statistical software package SPSS. The model, based on past market size data taken from Mintels own market size database and complemented by macro- and socio-economic data sourced from trustworthy organisations (eg Office for National Statistics, HM Treasury, Bank of England), searches for relationships between actual market sizes and a selection of key economic and demographic factors (independent variables) in order to recognize those determinants having the most influence on the market. Chapter 3: Literature review Introduction: In this section of the project buying behavior will be explored with the help of theory and examples. Many of free market economists and policy makers believe of customer centric approach who will purchase according to their choice. (Consumer behavior, Ray Wright, Thompson Learning 2006). Chocolate is a very popular consumer product bought for many different occasions and reason. There is thus some truth in a popular remark like, Nine out of 10 people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies, or Chocolate makes everyone smile-even bankers (Doherty and Tranchell, 2007). Buying behavior of consumers: The consumer decision-making process is significant in determining buying behavior. In order to offer an efficient service, it is important to categorize consumer segments, taking into account the benefits which the consumer seeks. Consumers seek benefits or solutions, not products (Rowley, 1997). The main reason behind consumers search is indecision. Consumer information search has been the focus of many articles studying consumer behavior during the last 30 years (Bettman, 1979). Perceptions of food quality and safety are likely to be influenced by psychological and cultural factors rather than physiological product experiences alone. Many quantitative and qualitative researches have attended to issues connected with cultural determinants of food choice (Shepherd and Raats, 2007). It is quite evident from such studies that while analyzing factors that influence food choice, it is important to consider consumers cultural background (Overby et al., 2004; and Hoogland et al., 2005). It is believed that people from different cultural backgrounds have different perceptions and experiences related to food (Lennernas et al., 1997). Hence it can be noticed that some consumers are more oriented towards food quality, whereas for others food safety is a concern. Consumer behavior is also affected by the socioeconomic conditions of the markets namely, income, mobility, media access (Tse et al., 1989). It has been observed that per capita income and disposable income indicates the amount of resources consumers allocate to consumer goods (Johansson and Moinpour, 1977). According to Maslow, we seek to satisfy our lower order physiological needs first, before our safety needs, before our belongingness needs, our esteem needs, and finally our need for self actualization. The hierarchy is shown in the figure below: Let us simplify the pyramid of need a little bit more: physical, social and self. The physical needs relates to the basic and psychological needs of person. Basic need means a person buys food when he is hungry, buys house for his shelter and so on. Buying house is also falls into safety needs. Psychologically a person feels comfortable, when he/she has a house, of his/her own. What is a social need? Social need is driven by persons status, self-esteem, prestige, family belongingness. From luxury items to particular brands, the decision to purchase a particular product is frequently based on deeper psychological influences, oftentimes influencing brand loyalty according to psycho-social interpretation of product value (Fine, L.M. : Business Horizons 2010). It is very difficult to generalize the need motivation theory, because geographically people are different from each other. For example, as the heroes of Hollywood movies amply show the typical Anglo-Saxon cultural values, which pu ts individuality and self-actualization above all else, but that is not universally so. In Japan and German speaking countries people are mostly highly motivated by need for personal security and conformity, while in France, Portugal, Spain, other Latin American and Asian countries people mostly motivated by the need of security.( Gert Hofstede, Cultural Consequences ( London: Sage 1984)) The theory of planned behavior ( Azjen, 1991) argues that our intentional behavior is not always similar as our actual behavior, and sometimes how our attitude towards the behavior, subjective norm and perception about the behavior control our actual behavior. For example, alcohol consumption is different in different countries, depending up on the psychological perception about alcohol drinking. Here we also consider others opinion and the impact of drinking alcohol on our family and children. Consumers can act on beliefs. Belief can be defined as quick response; we will give about a matter. They are held with limited conviction and do not support the facts most of the times. Attitudes in comparison are held with greater degree of conviction for longer period; it is much likely to influence buying behavior. For example, when we see new advertisement about a product, say new shoe from Adidas. We believe that shoe would to good and comfortable to wear. Beliefs are based on more of emotional aspects on the contrary to attitudes. Attitude evaluates the product, based on the usage of the product. Now the attitude towards the Adidas can be positive or negative. May be there is no change in design or maybe it is not that comfortable to wear. So here attitude would be negative. Value is another very important factor influencing behavior. Peoples value grows from the childhood. The social and regional atmosphere, ethnicity, culture and sub-culture, religion all contribute to value creation in a person. Consumers often are influenced by their parents and friends. It may have a positive or negative influence on the buying. For example, a young man loves sports bike, well his father and uncle used ride one, and his friends also do. But after a serious accident of his uncle riding a sports bike made his father against him buying a one for himself. But he may or may not buy a sports bike after all. He may feel that his freedom is blocked, partially or fully and motivated to go against it. Social grade, status or lifestyle is based mainly on the income of a household. It can influence buying pattern. For example, champagne is more of a high cost drink. It was found in a survey that large proportions (44%) of champagne drinkers are professional and managerial class. By contrast, 22% working class people and only 14% who are unemployed drinks champagne. So there is a marked decrease in champagne consumption as we move down the socio-economic scale. (Source; Mintel 2008b) How customers buy: From companys prospective any communicating massage, while at the time of purchase or other point can have direct impact on consumer behavior. For example, most of the food commercials are shown at the time of our breakfast or dinner. So marketers are giving specific massage at a particular point. Although there are variety of models of consumer buying behavior, the consumer product proposition acquisition model is perhaps the simplest to understand, stressing how the consumer goes through six key stages in product acquisition process including motive development, information gathering, product evaluation, product selection, acquisition and re-evaluation.( Baines, Fill, Page pg 113) The consumer proposition acquisition process or buying process consists of six stages. Explained in the figure below: Motive Development Information Gathering Proposition Evaluation Proposition Selection Acquisition/Purchase Re-evaluation The consumer proposition acquisition process (Baines, Fill, Page pg 83) Motive development: the model begins with when we decide to purchase or we need to acquire the product. It begins with our understanding that some problem needs to be solved. For example, a young male consumer decides to gift a box of chocolate to his wife. He might have bought Cadbury dairy milk or he might opt for premium brands such as Throntons or Godiva. Information gathering: the next stage of process will require us to look for alternative ways to solve our problem. Our search for a solution to solve problem may be active or passive, in other words, we are open to ways of solving our problem but we are not actively looking for information to help us (Howard and Sheth, 1969) Search for the information may be internal; when we think we already know the problem and identified the products that will solve them. Or, external where we dont know enough about our problem and seek supplementary information to help us to decide. Now buyer access to information, feedback, and peer reviews has increased; this has increased through social networking sites and internet. With so much to choose from, customers have increasing become intolerant about products or services. The consumer has the right to choose and this continues to impact buying behavior and consumer loyalty. So by the right communication about the product with its added features, co mpanies can build a sustainable relationship with the consumer. Proposition evaluation: once we feel that we have sufficient information and we now can make a decision, we evaluate the proposition. These evaluations can be rational (e.g. based on cost) or irrational (e.g. based on emotional desire). For example, the young man buying a box of chocolate exemplifies his emotional desire to please his partner. Proposition selection: in major cases, the proposition we eventually select is the one we believe is fitting our needs best beforehand. However we might change on a particular proposition from where we buy it. For example, the man buying the box of chocolate may have been checked the stock online for a particular retailer but when he turned up at the retail shop, the brand he wants to buy is not there, so he then and there decides an alternative. The person may go to another retail shop or he may buy another similar kind of product from the shop, because what he wants to buy is not available. This is why proposition selection and evaluation are different stages of buying process. Acquisition/purchase: Once selection has taken place, different approaches are there for proposition acquisition. For example, there is always an emotional aspect attached when we are making an infrequent purchase. Family as a whole can act as a single most influencing factor, where wifes and childrens influence most of the buying decisions. Re-evaluation: The theory of cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) suggest that we are motivated to revaluate our beliefs, attitudes, opinions, or values if the position we hold on them at one point of time is not same as we held an earlier point, due different actions, circumstances and intervening events. Experience can clash with expectation which can create buyer remorse. People may feel angry, guilty, surprise or embarrassment. People are biased to think that they have made right choices despite the contrary evidence which gives dissonance theory new light on otherwise puzzling behavior The consumption experience can be described as an emergent property that results from a complex system of mutually overlapping interrelationships in constant reciprocal interaction with personal, environmental, and situational inputs (Hirschman and Holbrook, 1986, p. 219). It depends when food

World War I Essay -- History, Cult of the Offensive

World War One took a toll on everyone between 1914 and 1918. What were some of the main causes and effects of World War One? There were many causes to World War One but one of them was the Cult of the Offensive. According to class notes on 4/4/11, countries should not wait to be attacked, they should attack first. The Cult of Offensive was â€Å"a military strategy of constantly attacking the enemy that was believed to be the key to winning World War One but that brought great loss of life while failing to bring decisive victory† (Hunt, 803). This strategy made the citizens ready and wanting to go to war. Also employs German propaganda and quick wars. Another key cause was Nationalism. Nationalism is â€Å"an ideology that arose in the nineteenth century and that holds that all peoples derive their identities from their nations, which are defined by common language, shared cultural traditions, and sometimes religion† (Hunt, G-4). Nationalism can also be described as the attitude that people of a nation have when they care about their national identity as well as the actions these people might take when seeking to achieve self determination. Everyone in the European countries had a lot of pride and joy for their country. This led to these countries trying to prove their dominance and power. Every country had to show that they were the best to all the other countries. Since this was happening, everyone wanted to show their best by helping an alliance in war. During 1870-1914 there was a substantial growth in standing armies (Class notes, 4/4/11). Many men were ready to go to war. Many countries including Germany and France doubled the size of their armies. The arms race then developed which was almost like a contest to see which co... ...security. â€Å"It was supposed to replace the divine secrecy of prewar power politics. As part of Wilson’s vision, the league would guide the world toward disarmament and arbitrate its members’ disputes† (Hunt, 818). The signing of the Treaty of Versailles did not completely end World War One. Many people’s lives were influenced by the political, economic and psychological effects. The war also changed people’s hopes and spirits because they developed a feeling of disillusionment. They believed their governments did not know in any way how to serve the best interests of the people. The psychological effect of the war on people was huge. The loss of their loved ones on the battlefield was very disturbing to them. There were millions of people who died during this war. These people just had to accept reality and release the dreams they had for their families.

Why Criticize People For Helping Themselves :: essays research papers

Why Criticize People For Helping Themselves?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many things in this world that seem offensive. Some of what is considered offensive is necessary to how some people make their livings. Court systems, parents, and other groups have come to believe that what is said in music, movies, and video games, contribute to the actions of some individuals as youngsters. To me this is wrong; I have always felt that way. It has actually helped the people saying the stuff, more than it has every hurt anybody, and I am going to explain this in the rest of this writing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now when I talk about the person saying the offenses, I am speaking of the performers. Most of my paper is going to be centered on Interscope Records, and their number one artist, Marshal Mathers III.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marshal Mathers III is also known as Eminem, or Slim Shady. He says these are his alternate personalities, obviously a show for the fans. Marshal Mathers III is named after his grandfather. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and moved around with his mother until the age of 9. He never really had any friends, or family other than his mother until they settled down in Southwest Detroit. There they settled down into an apartment in the ghetto, and lived in poverty for most of his childhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marshal had no friends because of their constant moving, and being a skinny white kid in the ghetto, he got picked on, and bullied a lot. This caused him to grow more and more angry at the world, and then to finally isolate himself to work on his music.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He got teased a lot for wanting to be a white rapper, and never really got any appreciation until his first freestyle contest. At age 18 he entered his first rap freestyle contest and came in runner-up. This just encouraged him to try harder and entered in the Annual L.A. Rap Olympics one year later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He finally came out triumphant when he took first place. This started his career, because veteran rapper Dr. Dre was attending the Rap Olympics and liked what he heard. Dr. Dre at that time was the C.E.O. of Death Row Records at the time and immediately signed Eminem on for a record deal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marshal’s first professionally recorded cd, Slim Shady L.P., started a nationwide fan club. He used language and lyrics that have never before been used in music, that offended most of the nation’s parents.

How successful was Lord Liverpool’s government Essay

How successful was Lord Liverpool’s government in responding to Popular Discontent in the years 1815 to 1820? Lord Liverpool’s government faced popular discontent in the years 1815 to 1820 due to various social, political and economic factors which led to the majority of the British Public wanting a change. A change in government, government policies and a change to overcome the mass unemployment they were suffering from as a direct result of the end of the Napoleonic War, industrialisation and urbanisation. However, despite the widely held view that amendments – in favour of the working class – were needed, no such change came about in the years 1815 to 1820. Lord Liverpool’s government was partly responsible for this as it introduced a number of repressive policies to prevent the people from revolting; however it is argued that the main reason for the lack of change was due to the disorganisation of the radical opposition. At the end of the Napoleonic War, Britain began trading with Europe once again. This worried the farmers who were afraid that the importation of foreign corn would lower prices. As a result, the British landowners put pressure on the House of Commons to take action and protect their profit and were successful, resulting in the Corn Law being introduced. This applied a tax to all foreign wheat imports unless they reached the domestic price of 80 shillings and was viewed by the industrial class as a way in which the government was protecting the rich landowners – and paying no regard to the working, industrial class majority. The introduction of this law made things incredibly hard for the poor who were already struggling to feed their families and suffering from unemployment, furthermore manufacturers were affected by this law as their workers began demanding higher wages. As well as strikes, the Corn Law led to food riots all over Britain and was the reason many middle class moderate reformers began joining in to the call for change. Therefore it can be viewed as one of the reasons Lord Liverpool’s government was unsuccessful in dealing with popular discontent as rather than introducing reforms in favour of the radicals, it did the opposite and intensified their outcry for change. The Corn Law was followed by the abolition of income tax in 1816 to protect the wages of the landowners once again. As a result, indirect taxes were added to everyday items such as tea, sugar, tobacco, beer and salt. The abolition of Income Tax was a tax which benefited the rich more than the poor, however the indirect added taxes harmed the poor more than the rich, as they were victims of unemployment and low wages. This therefore created further popular discontent and was once again viewed as another policy to favour the rich, landowning class and is hence seen as a reason the government was unsuccessful in dealing with popular discontent. Having said that, from 1817 to 1820 various repressive measures were introduced to control popular discontent and ensure that the government of Lord Liverpool was not overthrown. The first of these was the suspension of the Habeas Corpus act; this meant that the government could hold political prisoners for an indefinite period of time and therefore intimidated people from opposing Liverpool and his government. Despite this act creating internal popular discontent it was successful as people were now angered by the government – arguably even more so than before – however were too intimidated by the idea of transportation or being arrested for an indefinite period of time to react in protest. Furthermore, in 1819 the Six Acts were introduced. The first of these gave local magistrates extensive powers to restrict public meetings and therefore prevented people from planning any forms of riot or protest. The Seizure of Arms Act gave local magistrates the right to search for and seize arms, making it virtually impossible for the radicals to up rise using violent methods. The Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act prevented the opposition to generate support through propaganda and raising awareness, as any publications unapproved by local magistrates could be seized. The fifth of the six acts introduced a four pence stamp duty on newspapers to ensure that the price of the radical newspapers was beyond the means of most members of the working class, this further prevented support through propaganda. And finally the Misdemeanours Act sped up procedures for bringing treason to trial, its impact led to people being too afraid to protest in fear of being arrested and even transported. As mentioned above, these repressive policies made it practically impossible for the radicals to organise a mass uprising to overthrow the unjust government of Lord Liverpool as doing so required authorisation from their local magistrates – authorisation they obviously would not be granted. Therefore this is an example of how Lord Liverpool’s government was successful in dealing with popular discontent as instead of abolishing it by giving in, it was dealt with through prevention policies. However, despite these wonderful repressive policies introduced by his government to prevent popular discontent, it must be noted that this cannot be solely credited to Lord Liverpool. The radical opposition was far from organised, and was divided into groups consisting of people who advocated violence like the Spenceans in the Cato Street Conspiracy of 1820, and other non violent groups. This division weakened the development of a united working class response and gave the impression of protestors who were hopeful – but by no means forceful – for change. Furthermore, the radicals were not well equipped with weapons and perhaps this can be credited to the Six Acts, however even if the Seizure of Arms Act had not been introduced, the working class radicals would most likely not have had the means to acquire sophisticated forms of weaponry. Therefore it can be concluded that the government of Lord Liverpool’s reactionary acts played an important role in preventing popular discontent as despite being harsh enough to provoke opposition, were repressive enough to prevent it taking place. However, in my opinion, the lack of change in favour of the working class was far more due to a failure on their part, than a success for the government of Lord Liverpool.