Marketing Campaign for a Successful Product Launch Essay - 3

Marketing Campaign for a Successful Product Launch - Essay Example outhern Africa market will seek to inform the senior management team of the multinational company on how each of the selected promotional tool is appropriate in accomplishing the marketing objectives as well as the overall business objectives. Secondly, the manager in-charge of the South African market will demonstrate in this report how the recommended promotional tools will be implemented in order to make the marketing campaign successful. In most occasions when a business enterprise seeks to venture into a new market or it is about to release a new brand of product or service into the market, it usually engages in aggressive marketing campaigns. The marketing campaigns are mainly intended to create greater hype in the market, which will make the target audience eager to try or experience the newly released product and/ or service. In addition, the marketing campaign should be able to sustain the long-term growth of the business in the market or increased sales of the new product and/ or service. This therefore means that the marketing campaign should be devised properly in the first place to guarantee success of the entire process; this is according to Hollensen (2010). In this present report, Nokia’s manager for the Southern Africa market seeks to convince the company senior management team that the promotional tools he has picked are the most appropriate and effective in ensuring that both Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 record success in the South African market. For the purpose of carrying out a successful marketing campaign in South Africa, the manager in charge of the Southern Africa market picked four promotional tools that comprise of advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, and public relations. Hollensen (2010) in her studies described advertising, as any form of marketing communication that is used to reinforce what the target audience already knows about the product or service, and to convince, or encourage the target audience to purchase the

Antitrust practices Essay Example for Free

Antitrust practices Essay Antitrust practices are practices carried on by businesses that end up destroying perfect competition in the market. Antitrust laws are laws prepared to seek and promote healthy market competition by preventing anti-competitive practices by companies. Some of the illegal practices that constitute to antitrust behavior include corporate mergers, monopolies and price fixing conspiracies (Bailey, 2010). The Clayton Act of 1914 was passed by the U.S Congress. It was an antitrust law that was amended to stop and prevent practices that led to unhealthy competition in the market. The Clayton Act was amended in order to complement an earlier version of the antitrust law referred to as the Sherman antitrust Act of 1980. This was a federal law that sought to prevent practices that were harmful to consumers such as cartels, monopolies and other unfair business practices (California Association of REALTORS, 2005). Google Company One of the recent firms to be investigated for antitrust behavior is Google Company that leads the online searching industry. According to Weiss (2014), the firm recently was being investigated by Competition Commission of India (CCI) for claims that it abused its dominance in the online search engine industry by mainly promoting its own services over those of its rivals. This reason is considered to create unhealthy competition in the business as the search engine company dominates its rivals in what is considered almost a monopolistic market. Antitrust behavior brings about both pecuniary and non-pecuniary costs. Since it damages healthy competition in the market, monopolies can result and this has adverse effects to the prices of commodities. The products end up becoming costly and expensive for the customers and, therefore, affecting the society negatively (Bailey, 2010). On the other hand, antitrust behavior leads to the output of products falling below the market competitive le vel and this is mainly witnessed in monopolistic markets. Then again, the antitrust practices can be costly for any company that has engaged in them since if investigations prove that the company is guilty of the said acts then heavy penalties can be imposed on them. Furthermore, this can ruin the reputation of any company and, therefore, ending up losing its customers (Bailey, 2010). Monopolies and  Oligopolies Monopolies and oligopolies are not always good for the society. Their presence in any market simply means they have all the power to control the prices of their products and services. This is not favorable to the customers since prices can always go up any time especially when the demand for certain commodities is high. One good example of an oligopoly is the Coca Cola and Pepsi Companies. These are the world’s largest beverage companies and demand for their products is never decreasing. However, these two companies represent a market with few suppliers while the consumers are many. They have all the power to dictate their products’ prices and the consumers have no power whatsoever (Hovenkamp, 2011). On the other hand, some government monopolies can be considered beneficial to the members of the society. Many governments in the current world control the production and supply of electricity and other forms of energy. This is useful because the governments aim at providin g such services to the citizens at affordable prices and across the countries. It is the responsibility of the government to enhance infrastructure development in the country and, therefore, running such sectors of the economy can be beneficial to consumers. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to point out that antitrust practices are unwanted behaviors since they destroy healthy competition among businesses. However, the law is strict on companies that engage in these practices and heavy penalties can be imposed on them. Antitrust practices include price fixing, corporate mergers and creation of monopolies (Reeves, 2010).

A Womans Role :: essays research papers

In every area of the world, women have always had a role to fill. It has varied through the years as cultures have changed, but they are always included in some way. Ancient China was no different. Women were thought of as unimportant, yet the Chinese couldn’t have prospered without them. Women should be given the same respect that is given a man. Ancient China was filled with superstition and undirected beliefs. It is as a result of this that women were treated poorly and unfairly. Women had very few rights, most of which were insignificant. They were not allowed to join the military to help fight for their country, they couldn’t give their opinion to a man, they couldn’t hold government positions, they couldn’t have a job other than housework, they couldn’t own property, and they couldn’t choose their husbands. Women were basically slaves. If a woman was caught impersonating a man, speaking out of turn, or not obeying her husband, she could be put to death. As far as the men were concerned, a woman’s purpose was to cook, clean, garden, and doing her part in carrying on the family name. Today in America, women are treated with respect and equality. It hasn’t always been this way, however, during our nations earlier years, a handful of people have changed laws pertaining to women’s rights. Because of this, every woman, without regard for age or race, can vote, hold a government office, speak publicly, make decisions for herself, and provide for herself by working outside of the home. Women utilize these rights so that they do not lose them and end up in the same boat that the ancient Chinese were in. Have you ever wondered what life would be like if today in America females were treated the same way women were treated in ancient China? Their workload would be much greater; instead of being able to have a job, they would be doing all of the physical labor around the house without the husbands help.

The Theme of Love in Poetry Essay -- Love Poetry Poems Robert Browning

The Theme of Love in Poetry I have chosen to compare four poems, the first one is 'Porphyrias Lover'. It is written by Robert Browning who died in 1889. The second poem, 'My Last Duchess', is also by Robert Browning. Browning was a great poet in the Victorian age and married Elizabeth Barratt. The third poem is called 'First Love'. It is written by John Clare (1793-1864). The final poem is 'Ballad'. It is an anonymous poem as no-one knows who wrote ballads. This is because they are word of mouth and are passed down through many generations going through minor changes each time and therefore by the end they become a completely different poem to the one in the beginning. The three poets write about the same theme but, as expected, have many differences and similarities with each other in their writing techniques. Obviously, the two poems by Robert Browning will be very similiar to each other. 'Porphyrias Lover' and 'My Last Duchess are both written from a mans point of view . This shows that Browning has used the same approach to both of the poems. Maybe he wants to make a point of men not always being listened to and so writes both poems with a biased interpretation of the event. 'Porphyrias Lover' is about a girl named Porphyria who seduces a man who is possesive and undoubtedly insane. Some of the techniques included in Porphyria's Lover are Pathetic Fallacy, endstopped lines, personification, metaphors and en jambement. The poem begins using pathetic fallacy (the weather and atmosphere outside reflect the girls feelings) and personification of the wind, 'The sullen wind was soon awake', to set the scene. Straight away we feel edgy around this man because he says, 'I listened with heart fit to ... ...ou are in one of the characters positions and that you understand exactly how they feel. En jambement gives a sense of disorder. It becomes too regular if only endstopped lines are used in the poem although it does control difficult explanations. The obvious difference between all the poems, is the structure and regular rhythm and rhyme patterns. Porphyria's Lover is constructed using alternate rhyming lines with roughly eight syllables to each line whereas My Last Duchess is written in rhyming couplets with ten syllables to each line. As these patterns are even, they create a sense of balance and control within the poem, especially if the lines are endstopped. If on the otherhand, there is en jambement present, the poem is still effective and probably even more so because it adds a bit of life and irregularity instead of the constant even beat.

The Dimension of Inter-Professional Practice

Introduction This aim of this assignment is to analyse the unique role and contribution of nursing practices within inter-professional jobs and consider how inter-professional practices influence the way we manage the people in our care, using evidence based commentary. Mental illnesses are complex conditions and therefore cannot be managed by one professional. Holistic treatment of mental health patients requires a cohort of clinical professionals (Barker, 2008). For this assignment I chose Gibbs Reflective framework (1988) to enable my personal reflection and to improve my future nursing practice. In accordance with the NMC Code of Practice (2008) names have been changed to comply with confidentiality regulations; Grace will be my client’s name. Inter-Professional Team Working Pollard (2005), defined inter-professional working, as the process whereby members of different professions and/or agencies work together to provide integrated health and social care. Leathard (2003) states inter-professional working implies a group of professionals from different professions engaging in interdependent collaborations with mutual respect to provide integrated health and social care for the client’s benefit., Housley (2003) argues the multidisciplinary team is a group of people of different professions who meet regularly to discuss individual clients. Successful teamwork can have direct consequences for patient care and the inter-collaboration model of healthcare delivery is one of the most important modernisations of the healthcare system in recent years (Humphris and Hean, 2004). Effective team-working produces positive patient outcomes, while ineffectual team-working contributes to negative incidents in patient care (Grumbach and Bodenheimer, 2004). Client background Grace, a 21 year old female, was formally admitted via community mental health nurse due to non-concordance of medication. Grace suffers severe mental illness and personality disorder with a high level of self-harming, poor personal hygiene and inability to perform activities of daily living ADL’s. The Roper, Logan and Tierney model (Bellman 1996) states that 12 ADL’s produce a picture of the person’s lifestyle and these can be used to highlight problems which require nursing intervention. Inter-disciplinary team working and my role in Grace’s care The multidisciplinary review meeting for Grace’s care comprised a consultant psychiatrist,; a psychologist who assessed Grace’s behaviours and gave counselling sessions; social workers who assessed social wellbeing; an occupational therapist who assessed ADL; a dietician and the care-coordinator who was the key-worker involved in Grace’s care when she was in the community. The registered mental health nurse assigned to Grace was my mentor, and I was given the task of shadowing my mentor to assess Grace’s mental state on the ward and monitor any physical changes. The inter-professional team at the review placed Grace on level 3 observation due to her self-harming. Feelings I felt challenged and nervous about shadowing and handling the nursing report during the multidisciplinary team review. However, I realised this is a key role of the nursing professional in an inter-professional team, Davies & Priestly (2006) views nursing handover as vital information about clients under the care of nurses, allowing nurses to improve both the handover process and improve patient care delivery. I felt empathy for Grace, especially her anxiety over the (in her eyes) large number of people (the care team) caring for and deciding her ‘fate’. She shared in her one-to-one sessions that she was nervous of not doing the right things in front of the team and I remember thinking ‘we are both nervous for similar reasons’,, as I was also nervous about what the team thought about me and my practice. I reassured Grace that we were here to help her, using my communication skills to listen and ally her fears. Hamilton et al. (2010) stated listening is an essential skill for a mental health nurse. I felt frustrated within the team, feeling that some members worked toward their own goals rather than collectively aiming to ensure the best holistic care for Grace, which made working within the team challenging. An example of this was the doctor’s decision to exclude Grace from participating in ward activities without assessment from the occupational therapist. This is at odds with the traditional nursing role, which seeks to include the patient both physically and psychologically. I felt that this decision was not in Grace’s best interest, and could prolong her discharge. Evaluation In evaluating my empathy with Grace and her anxiety, I felt there was an understandable connection as we were both in new situations, while too much empathy can lead to difficulties in nursing (Mercer and Reynolds 2002), empathy is an important aspect in nursing. Whitehead (2000) states that one angle of team work that is often neglected is the ‘relationship’ between client and nurse, which she argues is important to ensure positive care outcomes and therefore should not be disregarded within a collaborative framework. After talking to my peers I found that we all felt some anxiety about working within a multi-disciplinary team. In evaluating my time as an inter-disciplinary team member and my anxiety, I realised this eased when roles were defined and responsibilities shared. Ovretveit et al. (1997) asserted that understanding and clarification of roles from the onset is necessary for good team-working and failure to define roles correctly can lead to confusion. My frustrations within the team were in part due to my anxiety of performing poorly in front of my mentor, and my inexperience of working within an interdisciplinary-team. I had little understanding of how the different roles and philosophies of other professionals would need to be compromised to ensure both safety of and good care for Grace and perhaps I placed too much importance on the nursing role without understanding what other professionals brought to the team. Analysis While my empathy can be a positive aspect to my nursing, on reflection, it may have clouded my judgement and my ability to follow the right course of action, given that Grace was known to self-harm. The decisions made by the doctor complied with Local Trust Policy (2010) on self-harming. Furthermore, NICE guidelines (2004) states that staff develop preventative strategies to ensure patient safety in cases of self-harming, by reducing opportunities to self-harm. The inter-disciplinary team decided Grace should not be allowed to participate in ward activities due to risk of self-harm. Through analysis of the team-work shown within this case, I believe that the team showed effective communication, as each professional had a good knowledge of the role they were expected to play in supporting Grace’s care and effective communication is vital in team-working (Ovretveit et al. 1997). My frustrations within the team can be explained by Whitehead (2001) who identified that collaboration work, while beneficial, did have a variety of barriers that could hinder development of close collaborative relationships within the different service provider’s professions, one being that the different professions may have different ideas on patient treatments that are at odds with other professionals within the multi-disciplinary team. While at first I did not understand the challenges that inter-professional working brings and thus did not feel that every member had Grace’s care foremost, after analysing my time within the team, I feel that every member was supportive of each other’s efforts to facilitate Grace’s recovery. Many opportunities were available to discuss concerns over the care-plan such as debriefing, one to one interactions, and supervision, highlighted by Freeth (2007) as vital to ensure good inter-professional development. Barriers to good inter-professional collaborations include poor communication, lack of understanding of other team members’ roles, work priorities and professional hierarchy (Whitehead, 2000), where such issues are apparent, it can be helpful to identify shared goals and voice concerns. Inter-professionals should use clinical judgment that encompasses the best of all team members’ professions in care provision to improve client wellbeing, aid th em to cope with health problems and achieve the best quality of life with their illness (RCN 2003; DoH, 2008). Conclusion In retrospect, I feel the strength of the team was its ability to develop and manage excellent patient-focussed care, resulting from the variety of disciplines, personalities and expertises. I have gained an in-depth insight into the roles and responsibilities nurses have in the development of client-centred care and a better understanding for the other team members professions, which I feel now that I was lacking. This reflective process has helped me gain an understanding of the importance of inter-professional team collaboration in managing clients with self-harm issues using positive practice guidance as stated in the NHS guidelines. Action plan This experience has taught me that inter-professional practices involve effective communication between team members and respect for other professional’s knowledge of client needs. I will seek to gain greater understanding of other clinical roles and what they represent and bring to the inter-disciplinary team. I will undertake personal development and learning by keeping up-to-date with changes in practice, embracing and promoting interpersonal working. This reflective commentary has enhanced my knowledge of inter-professional working, the challenges involved and the importance of communication and compromise, which will contribute to my personal development as a mental health nurse. In respect to my patient centred empathy, I believe this is an important trait in nursing; however, in the future I will temper my empathy with professionalism that focuses on patient safety first. I plan to improve my knowledge and expertise of the roles of other professionals. I will begin by focussing on the respect and value I have of other professionals’ expertise. With respect to my lack of confidence, I shall endeavour to develop confidence in sharing my knowledge in group forums. The placement amplified the importance of identifying and understanding patients’ needs and sharing this understanding with the inter-professional team members in order to facilitate effective healthcare interventions. References Barker. P., (2009). Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The Craft of Caring. 2nd ed. London. Hodder Arnold. Bellman, LM. (1996) Changing nursing practice through reflection on the Roper, Logan and Tierney model: the enhancement approach to action research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 24(1): 129–138. Davies S., Priestley MJ., (2006). A reflective evaluation of patient handover practices. Nurs Stand. 20(21):49-52. Day, J., (2006). Interprofessional working an essential guide for health and social care professionals. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Freeth, D., (2007). International learning Association for the Study of Medical Education: Edinburgh. Gibbs, G., (1998). Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University. Grumbach K, Bodenheimer T. (2004) Can health care teams improve primary care practiceJAMA. Mar 10;291(10):1246-51. Hamilton S., (2010). Rethink, Research and Innovation Teams Report for Nursing and Midwifery Council on nursing skills for working with people with a mental health diagnosis, London Housley, W., (2003). Interaction in Multidisciplinary Teams. Ashgate Publishing Limited: England. Humphris D, Hean S. (2004) Educating the future workforce: building the evidence about interprofessional learning. J Health Serv Res Policy. Jan;9 Suppl 1:24-7. Kozier, B., Erb G., Berman A., Snyder S., Lake R., Harvey S. (2008). Fundamentals of nursing: concept, process and practice. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Leathard, A., (2003). Inter-professional Collaboration: from policy to practice in health and social care. Philadelphia: Brunner – Routledge. Local Trust Policy (2010b). Assessment and Management of Service Users Who Self-Harm Policy, Local Trust Mercer, SW and Reynolds, WJ (2002) Empathy and quality of care. Br J Gen Pract. 52(Suppl): S9–12. NHS Choice (2011) NICE (2004), Self-Harm, Clinical Guidelines 16, cited from:http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG16FullGuideline.pdf (Accessed 11/11 2012) NMC (2008), Code of Conduct, Nursing and Midwifery Council, London Ovretveit, J., Mathias, F., Thomoson, T. eds., (1997). Interprofessional working for health and social care. Hampshire: Macmillan Press Limited. Pollard, K., (2005). Interprofessional Working: an Essential Guide for Health and Social-Care Professionals; England, Nelson Thrones Limited. Roper, Logan and Tierney (1996), Whithead (2000) Education, behavioural change and social psychology: Nursing’s contribution to health promotion. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34(6), 822-832 Whitehead D, (2001) Applying collaborative practice to health promotion. Nursing Standards. 15(20):33-7. Bibliography General Social Care Council, (2006). Code of Practice For Social Workers and Employers. London: GSCC. Golightley, M., (2008). Social Work and Mental Health People. Learning Matters. Barker. P., (2009). Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The Craft of Caring. 2nd ed. London. Hodder Arnold. Taylor. C., Lillis. C., Lemone. P., (2001). Fundamentals of Nursing: The art and Science of Nursing Care, 4th edn, Lippincott, Philadelphia. Thompson I., Melia K., & Boyd K., (2000). Nursing Ethics, London, Churchill Livingstone

How to Get a Job in Another State

How to Get a Job in Another State Maybe your partner or your spouse is being transferred. Maybe you’re just graduating from a far-off college and want to live and work closer to home. Or maybe you just need a change of scenery. For most people, the most stressful and important part about moving is finding employment in a new city. Unless you work remotely, this can be tricky. Here are 6 ways you can make potential employers confident in hiring you as an out-of-state applicant.1. Ditch your home address.At best, your home address is irrelevant to your qualifications for the job. At worst, it could turn off hiring managers who don’t want to pay relocation expenses, or aren’t sure about your commitment or ability to move and start in a timely fashion.If you absolutely need a home address, you can get yourself a local mailbox that will forward to you through Mailboxes, Etc. If your phone number is holding you back, you can get a Google phone number with the area code of your target state.2. Do your r esearch.The more you know about the place you want to go the better. What are the major industries? What does the job market look like? Figure out through the Chambers of Commerce and the state or city’s Office of Economic Development which jobs are hot and therefore easier to land. If you don’t know where exactly you want to move, research instead what states and cities are best for the field you want to work in. Finally, see if it feels like a place where you would really want to live.Check out the following:Top 5 Jobs in the WestTop 5 Jobs in the NortheastTop 5 Jobs in the SouthwestTop 5 Jobs in the MidwestTop 5 Jobs in the Southeast3. Grow your network.Tap into your existing network to mine for contacts who might be able to help you get your foot in the door somewhere else- particularly your alumni network. Ask for email introductions to local companies or contacts. Visit if you can. No matter what, start building your own network there through social media sites a nd LinkedIn. Join a local meet-up or LinkedIn group for updates.4. Take care of your own moving logistics.To avoid missing out on opportunities with companies that don’t want to pay to help you move, there are ways to let them know you’re willing to handle the move logistics and expenses yourself. A line in your cover letter addressing the issue works. You could always make it clear that you are already living in the city, staying with a friend or subletting, pending your job search.If you can be there physically, it’s never inappropriate to mention when you’ll be there and available for an interview. Employers will be much more eager to hire you if they don’t have to pay for relocation.5. Be smart about money.Figure out the logistics of your financial situation in your new state before you get there. Bone up on the relative cost-of-living, the average salary range for your industry and role, how far your money will go when you live there, and how much you require. Figure out your target state’s tax code to assess your liabilities.6. Assure them you  will be moving.Remember, no potential employer wants to hear you waffling. Be willing to talk about it- and when you do, be honest. Don’t make promises to interview if you cannot make it. Ask instead for a Skype interview, if possible. But do make sure to make it clear that you are moving, not just that you’re considering it. Make them know you’re as safe a bet as someone already living down the street.

Marriage and welfare essays

Marriage and welfare essays The dissolution of marriage over the past 40 years has had an enormous effect on children and the families involved. Well, this is what most conservative republicans would say, and President Bush is certainly leading the way. The beneficial effects of marriage for individuals and society are beyond dispute and the Bush administration is trying to make sure that government policy should promote marriage rather than discourage it. President Bush has proposed the creation of a program to promote healthy and stable marriages. Participation in this program would be voluntary. The funding for such a program would be around 300 million per year. This averages out to be one penny to promote marriages for every five dollars the government spends to subsidize single parenthood.  ¡ This small investment today could result in potentially great saving in the future by reducing the dependence on welfare and other social services. ¡(Rector and Johnson ) According to statistics nearly one-third of all American children are born out of wedlock. That is approximately one birth every 35 seconds, and the children born inside marriage more than half of them will see divorce before they reach the age of 18. In-fact more than half of all the children in the United States will spend their childhood in dysfunctional families. The Importance of marriage has been grossly overlooked. The dissolution of marriage is the principal cause of poverty in child in the United States. Children raised by single parents are seven times more likely to grow up living in poverty than children raised in the home of both parents. Overall approximately 80 percent of long term child poverty in the United States comes from broken homes. Even with all these statistics some still argue that building strong healthy marriages would have no effect on the poverty of children, because ...

Biography of Jefferson Davis, Confederate President

Biography of Jefferson Davis, Confederate President Jefferson Davis  (born Jefferson Finis Davis; June 3, 1808–December 6, 1889) was a prominent American soldier, secretary of war, and political figure who became the president of the Confederate States of America, a nation formed in rebellion to the United States. Before becoming a leader of the slave states in rebellion, he was  viewed by some as a  plausible future president of the United States. Fast Facts: Jefferson Davis Known For:  Davis was the president of the Confederate States of America.Also Known As:  Jefferson Finis DavisBorn:  June 3, 1808  in Todd County, KentuckyParents: Samuel Emory Davis and Jane DavisDied: December 6, 1889  in New Orleans, LouisianaEducation: Transylvania University, U.S. Military Academy at West PointPublished Works:  The Rise and Fall of the Confederate GovernmentSpouses: Sarah Knox Taylor, Varina HowellChildren: 6Notable Quote: Are we, in this age of civilization and political progress†¦to roll back the whole current of human thought, and again return to the mere brute force which prevails between beasts of prey, as the only method of settling questions between men? Early Life and Education Jefferson Davis grew up in Mississippi and was educated at Transylvania University in Kentucky for three years. He then entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduated in 1828, and received a commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. Early Career and Family Life Davis served as an infantry officer for seven years. After resigning his military commission in 1835, Davis married Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of  Zachary Taylor, the future president and Army colonel. Taylor strongly disapproved of the marriage. The newlyweds moved to Mississippi, where Sarah contracted malaria and died within three months. Davis himself contracted malaria and recovered, but he often suffered lingering effects from the disease. Over time, Davis repaired his relationship with Zachary Taylor and he became one of Taylors most trusted advisers during his presidency. Davis married Varina Howell in 1845. They remained married for the rest of his life and had six children, three of whom lived to adulthood. Cotton Plantation and Start in Politics From 1835 to 1845, Davis became a successful cotton planter, farming on a plantation called Brierfield, which had been given to him by his brother. He also began buying slaves in the mid-1830s. According to the federal census of 1840, he owned 39 slaves. In the late 1830s, Davis took a trip to Washington, D.C.  and apparently met President  Martin Van Buren. His interest in politics developed, and in 1845 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. The Mexican War and Political Rise With the beginning of the  Mexican War  in 1846, Davis resigned from Congress and formed a volunteer company of infantrymen. His unit fought in Mexico, under General Zachary Taylor, and Davis was wounded. He returned to Mississippi and received a heros welcome. Davis was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1847  and obtained a powerful position on the Military Affairs Committee. In 1853, Davis was appointed secretary of war in the cabinet of President  Franklin Pierce. It was probably his favorite job, and Davis took to it energetically, helping to bring important reforms to the military. His interest in science inspired him to  import camels  for use by the U.S. Cavalry. Secession In the late 1850s, as the nation was splitting over the issue of slavery, Davis returned to  the U.S. Senate. He cautioned other southerners about secession, but when slave states started leaving the Union, he resigned from the Senate. On January 21, 1861, in the waning days of the administration of  James Buchanan, Davis gave a dramatic farewell speech in the Senate and pleaded for peace. President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis was the only president of the Confederate States of America. He held the office from 1861 until the collapse of the Confederacy at the end of the Civil War, in the spring of 1865. Davis never campaigned for the presidency of the Confederacy in the sense that politicians in the United States campaign. He was essentially selected to serve and he claimed not to be seeking the position. He began his term with widespread support within the states in rebellion. Opposition As the Civil War continued, Davis critics within the Confederacy increased. Before secession, Davis had consistently been a forceful and eloquent advocate for states rights.  Ironically, he became inclined to impose the rule of a strong central government as he tried to manage the Confederate government. Strong states rights advocates within the Confederacy came to oppose him. Besides his choice of Robert E. Lee as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, Davis is mostly deemed a weak leader by historians. Davis was seen as prickly, a poor delegator, overly involved in details, wrongly attached to defending Richmond, Virginia, and guilty of cronyism. Most historians agree that he was far less effective as a leader during wartime than his counterpart, President Abraham Lincoln. After the War Following the Civil War, many in the federal government and the public believed Davis to be a traitor responsible for years of bloodshed and the deaths of many thousands. There was a strong suspicion that Davis had been involved in the  assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Some accused him of having ordered Lincolns murder. After Davis was apprehended by Union cavalry while trying to escape and perhaps keep the rebellion going, he was locked up in a military prison for two years. For a time he was kept in chains, and his health suffered from his rough treatment. The federal government eventually decided not to prosecute Davis and he returned to Mississippi. He was financially ruined, since he had lost his plantation (and, like many other large landholders in the south, his slaves). Later Years and Death Thanks to a wealthy benefactor, David was able to live comfortably on an estate, where he wrote a book about the Confederacy, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government. In his final years, in the 1880s, he was often visited by admirers. Davis died on December 6, 1889. A large funeral was held for him in New Orleans and he was buried in the city. His body was eventually moved to a large tomb in Richmond, Virginia. Legacy Davis, in the decades before the Civil War, served admirably in a number of positions within the federal government. Before becoming a leader of the slave states in rebellion, he was  viewed by some as a  possible future president of the United States. But his accomplishments are judged differently from other American politicians. While he held the Confederate government together in nearly impossible circumstances, he was considered a traitor by those loyal to the United States. There were many Americans who believed he should have been tried for treason and hanged after the Civil War. Some advocates for Davis point to his intellect and relative skill in governing the rebel states. But his detractors note the obvious: Davis strongly believed in the perpetuation of slavery. The veneration of Jefferson Davis remains a controversial subject. Statues of him appeared throughout the south following his death, and, because of his defense of slavery, many now believe those statues should be taken down. There are also periodic calls to remove his name from public buildings and roads which had been named in his honor. His birthday continues to be celebrated in several southern states, and his presidential library opened in Mississippi in 1998. Sources Cooper, William C., Jr. Jefferson Davis, American. Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.  McPherson, James M. Embattled Rebel: Jefferson Davis as Commander in Chief. Penguin Press, 2014.  Strode, Hudson. Jefferson Davis: Confederate President. Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1959.

The Impact of September 11 Attacks on the US Foreign Policy Research Paper

The Impact of September 11 Attacks on the US Foreign Policy - Research Paper Example This paper is basically an effort to describe the very important political event of September 11 attacks in relation to the influence it exerted on America’s foreign policy and international relations. The paper also discusses myriad ways by which US had to transform its international relations and alter foreign policy decisions according to the theories of international politics. On the morning of September 11, four commercial US airlines were hijacked by some 19 hijackers who were believed to be associated with Al-Qaeda and two of those hijacked jets were intentionally flown into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center. The third plane got crashed into the ground due to the angry passengers’ involvement and the last plane was deliberately flown into the important building of Pentagon. As a result, thousands of people died and many got badly injured for life. Most of the people who died from the attacks happened to be innocent civilians and a minority belo nged to the military forces who ran to the attacked places to save the public. The impact zones where planes hit the North and South Towers made it virtually impossible for anyone above and below the impact zones to make an escape from the buildings, rather many hundreds of people got trapped in the poisonous fumes and dust and died of smoke inhalations after remaining entrapped for terribly long hours. However, the South Tower got attacked after the North Tower which is why significantly lesser casualties were reported in this tower as the military officials started evacuating the building immediately after the first tower got struck. US also changed economically a lot as the destruction of the towers cast serious and irreparable damage to the economy of the busy area of lower Manhattan as a result of which seriously bad and devastating influence was exerted in the global markets and ultimately it all culminated in global economic recession. US economic recession was also fomented to a large extent by the practice of investing many billions of dollars in the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq under Bush administration. Prior to attacks, the approach taken by Washington concerning the rest of the world was relatively unfocused and it became definitely very much focused after attacks. America really had no significant thoughts nor any decisions were made about other countries as the Cold War has already ended a decade earlier and also victory was bagged by US in the Cold War as the enemy in the form of Soviet Union got defeated which had earlier on managed to give a focus to Washington’s approach to the world. Post 9/11, this focus again shifted but this time the influence produced happened to be long-term and much more demanding, tiring, and exhausting for both US government and public than ever before. US took these attacks made on September 11 as a threat to not only US law, order and peace but a serious menace to global law and order which is why the important officials sat together and with agreement launched a very extensive War on Terror by first invading Afghanistan and later Iraq to combat against the Taliban belonging to Al-Qaeda and defeat them. Most of the Taliban resided in

Social Media Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Media - Assignment Example great deal of researches and investigations have been carried out in order to assess the usage of different social media networking websites among both the genders. It should be noted that as per the research conducted by Duggan and Brenner in 2013, it was noted that from the sample of 1802 participants out of which 846 were men and remaining were women, 16% of women used Instagram while it was 10% among men. This indicated that women made use of the Instagram service for sharing their photos more in comparison with men (Duggan and Brenner). There are couples of reasons behind the usage of Instagram by users. As per the research conducted by Sigala, Christou and Gretzel (2012), females tend to be more curious about the happenings and experiences of others. It is due to this reason that they follow millions of other users on Instagram. However, male participants indicated that they wanted to stay updated with the later products and events for which Instagram remains a very good medium (Sigala, Christou and Gretzel). The suggested methodology for the research is mixed approach where qualitative as well quantitative methods will be used. The mix approach is considerably significant in proving literature analysis with the help of statistics (Kumar). A survey questionnaire will be directed towards participants. The number of participants will be divided into two categories on the basis of male and female. The question that will be used to conduct analysis will be close-ended questions (Goddard and Melville). Relevant researches will be used to assess the investigations of the subject matter that has been done so far. Credible databases will be used to find journal articles, books, periodicals relevant to the subject. The conducted research will not be used for the purpose of financial gain and will only be conducted as a part of academic achievement. The research will be carried out after taking informed consent from the instructor. Secrecy of responses of

Generation Limbo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Generation Limbo - Essay Example In this respect, my intention is to explore ways of becoming an employer myself. I intend to explore investment avenues for small and/or medium enterprises, thereby creating jobs and employment opportunities to other people. In case this plan fails, I will consider alternative jobs that directly or indirectly utilize my knowledge and skills within or without my area of specialty. At a personal level, business future is undoubtedly worrying. The number of graduates is consistently outmatching job creation efforts. At the same time, the disparity between the rich and the poor is growing at an alarming rate, thereby making it harder for fresh graduates to realize their personal and career goals. In light of the â€Å"Generation Limbo† issues, college is a helpful institution. College exposes me to diverse personal, academic, and professional experiences.in so doing, college life prepares me for more than just job search and employment. It equips me with the knowledge and skills to pursue survival opportunities, over and above career growth and

Business Plan for an Eastern European Juice Beverage (kompot) in the Research Paper

Business Plan for an Eastern European Juice Beverage (kompot) in the US - Research Paper Example American health conscious diets have been on the rise over the past twenty years. IBIS’s healthy eating index projects a 3% from about 66% in 2014 to about 69% in 2019. The healthy eating index is a â€Å"percentage of a recommended diet that an average American consumes. The percentage represents the degree that the average American adheres to the consumption guidelines set out by the US Department of Agriculture that are regularly updated every five years. The last recommended diet was released in 2010.† The current juice market is composed of 57% citrus juice, 5.1% vegetable juices, and 37.9% non-citrus juices. The rising price of citrus fruits has caused health-conscious juice consumers to explore alternative non-citrus juices. Many of these non-citrus juices, focus on decreasing the amount of sugar infused into each serving. Natural fructose is preferred by health-conscious families as opposed to corn syrup or a large quantity of cane sugar. Many of these non-citrus juices are exotic fruit based. Additionally, with the decline of the demand for carbonated drinks, the demand for juices, particularly non-citrus exotic fruit juices will rise. Therefore, if logistics, distribution, and costs are optimal, there may be room for an exotic non-citrus juice. However, the juice industry comes with many difficulties. It is positively correlated with the rise or fall of disposable income. The financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 significantly impacted the buying power of families, therefore decreased their spending on commodities, such as juice. It is unknown when the recession will take place, so it is paramount a new beverage company takes a potentially fatal macroeconomic effect into its planning. FDA regulations have also been stricter in recent years. With the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011, the government is taking a more preventative stance than a responsive stance on importing food safe to eat. Some produce will be returned to the

Human Resources Management, Management in Organisations Essay

Human Resources Management, Management in Organisations - Essay Example But, despite new and advanced equipments, machineries or even computer programs, the human component remains a very important factor of production. Kaplan and Norton (2005) argue that it is important to measure other perspectives other than that of the traditional financial perspective but it is important to consider the customer, business process and of course the learning and growth perspectives. In fact, one of key importance of the learning and growth perspective is that it is supposed to prepare the company’s manpower to handle the new business processes that may result from the new, technologically advanced machines and equipments. II. Main Body Strategic Human Resource Management: The Demand The technical revolution has also brought in a new breed of workers that has been called the knowledge workers. These has brood has drastically changed the way things are done wherein even office hours and barriers have also been technically demolished. These knowledge workers are a lso not easy to retain. The problem is, when they leave, their contribution goes away with them. However, to succeed or maintain competitive advantages, companies are recognising the importance of these knowledge workers to ensure the success of their strategies (Serrat 2008; ADB 2010). Hence, management of human resources has been catapulted to assume a more proactive role in the inception of company strategies. Financial and marketing strategies will always be considered in the company’s strategic plans as well as that of the operations. However, the end of the industrial age and the beginning of the information age demands that human resources step up to ensure that whatever strategies the firm may propose across the functional areas, these will be properly implemented to ensure organizational success. Likewise, there is the challenge of different cultures brought about by globalization. As such, companies must be able to make human resources truly strategic to adapt to th e demands of the business reality being faced by companies worldwide. Globalization: A growing Strategic HR concern Globalization has also been a big part as companies outsourced most of their operations, not to states but on the other parts of the globe. This is also a good thing though since the worldwide operation of businesses has weeded out low performing firms giving way to a more competitive business environment (Khatri & Nanyang 2000). These are very good for the customers since competition increases the quality of products and services that they receive. This has jacked up costs for the companies though as they push themselves to become better and avoid being boxed out not only by domestic but foreign competitors as well. This is the reality that must be faced by any company operating globally. Usually, companies open up operations mostly plant facilities to save on logistics by being closer to their customers. However, the companies are also increasing their back office op erations outside their country’s borders. This has proven to be a very important strategy since the outsourcing move has dramatically driven down manpower costs for most companies. The problem is that these personnel from different countries come with different cultures and to succeed, it is important that companies be made aware that these employees are not just a simple static part of their production

Business Plan for an Eastern European Juice Beverage (kompot) in the Research Paper

Business Plan for an Eastern European Juice Beverage (kompot) in the US - Research Paper Example American health conscious diets have been on the rise over the past twenty years. IBIS’s healthy eating index projects a 3% from about 66% in 2014 to about 69% in 2019. The healthy eating index is a â€Å"percentage of a recommended diet that an average American consumes. The percentage represents the degree that the average American adheres to the consumption guidelines set out by the US Department of Agriculture that are regularly updated every five years. The last recommended diet was released in 2010.† The current juice market is composed of 57% citrus juice, 5.1% vegetable juices, and 37.9% non-citrus juices. The rising price of citrus fruits has caused health-conscious juice consumers to explore alternative non-citrus juices. Many of these non-citrus juices, focus on decreasing the amount of sugar infused into each serving. Natural fructose is preferred by health-conscious families as opposed to corn syrup or a large quantity of cane sugar. Many of these non-citrus juices are exotic fruit based. Additionally, with the decline of the demand for carbonated drinks, the demand for juices, particularly non-citrus exotic fruit juices will rise. Therefore, if logistics, distribution, and costs are optimal, there may be room for an exotic non-citrus juice. However, the juice industry comes with many difficulties. It is positively correlated with the rise or fall of disposable income. The financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 significantly impacted the buying power of families, therefore decreased their spending on commodities, such as juice. It is unknown when the recession will take place, so it is paramount a new beverage company takes a potentially fatal macroeconomic effect into its planning. FDA regulations have also been stricter in recent years. With the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011, the government is taking a more preventative stance than a responsive stance on importing food safe to eat. Some produce will be returned to the

Communication Theory- Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Theory- Article Analysis - Essay Example Through a process of self-disclosure, communication gradually moves from shallow to intimate as a function of immediate and forecast outcomes as the interpersonal relationship develops. The movement from superficial to intimate levels follows the stages of; orientation, where superficial disclosure following social norms and appropriateness are made. The next stage- exploratory affective- entails moderate disclosure on general topics, followed by the affective stage where disclosure of private and personal matters takes place. The stable stage is a plateau level in which personal things are shared and emotions predicted, while the last stage- depenetration- entails a breakdown of the relationship following withdrawal of disclosure (Greene and Burleson 693; Gibbs, Ellison and Heino 152-177). This study analyzes Daniel Chornet-Roses’ â€Å"Using Students’ Prior Knowledge to Teach Social Penetration Theory† in terms of the main purpose, hypothesis, methodology and r esults before arriving at an appropriate conclusion on the implications of the Social Penetration Theory. Analysis â€Å"Using Students’ Prior Knowledge to Teach Social Penetration Theory† Chornet-Rose (150) acknowledges that appreciating student’s existing ideas and beliefs about a given subject enhances the experiences of learning. The scholar seeks to hone the student’s skills in analyzing information, inductive reasoning and self-reflection. To do this, the scholar plans to activate the prior knowledge of the students in relationship development through letting them watch the film Before Sunset. This will be followed by introducing the students to the intended new knowledge in Social Penetration Theory. Although not expressly stated, the hypothesis tested by the scholar is that acknowledging and incorporating the student’s prior knowledge into the classroom enhances student’s learning experience and outcomes. The researcher’s sele cted method comprises of four sections. First, the students were assigned to watch the film Before Sunset at home. The second activity is an in-class one, where the students were required to informally formulate a theory of relationship development through analyzing the film. The study provides a guide towards analysis and inductive creation of the relationship development theory through asking the students to pay close attention to; the type of information shared (superficial, important, intimate); the tone of conversation (serious, friendly, cheerful, angry); non-verbal communication (proxemics, eye behavior); and lastly, the accomplishments of their communicative interaction. The third activity entails a 75-minute in-class lesson introducing Social Penetration Theory, discussing the student’s relationship development theories with SPT and how SPT may be used to discuss relationship development in the theory. In the first 15-20 minutes, the instructor presents a lecture on Social Penetration Theory, highlighting its key concepts. In the next 10-15 minutes, the students discuss and contrast their informal theories with SPT while in small groups. The remainder of the lesson involves the instructor leading the class to discuss the students’ theories in relation to SPT and relationship development in the film. The final activity entails the students writing a paragraph on how their knowledge on relationship development has developed since learning SPT. The essay assignment is given as an end-of-class or

Teaching children Essay Example for Free

Teaching children Essay While it is necessary to monitor the programs that children are viewing on television, it is also important to understand that children do not have the concept of what is real and unreal at an early age. Teaching children to become media skeptics is expecting them to think and rationalize like adults. In the essay, Remote Control: How to Raise a Media Skeptic, Susan Douglas narrates how she tells her young daughter to become a more discriminating television viewer. The author is not against children watching television as evident in her statement, â€Å"I am not one of those virtuous, haloed parents who has banished the box from the home. She points out that growing up with TV provides her daughter with a form of cultural literacy that is important for the child’s growing years. She only wants her daughter to understand about what is on television and why it is there. It is an act of showing the child that whatever she sees on commercials is not what it is in reality. She believes that talking to children about what they see on television and what is unreal is important in raising them to become media skeptic. It is similar to giving them the skills and the tools to know that not everything is true on television because advertisements are there to attract us to buy products that are not as good as they are presented on TV. By nature, children are attracted to toys that are colorful, with moving parts and attractive sounds and media knows how to attract the very young consumers. Children prefer anything that stimulates their senses. They do not have the capability to understand about safety, durability, and cost. They are just kids who want to play with their toys. When they are in the toy section, they will pick toys that are seen on cartoons shows or TV commercials. When I was a child, I never had parents like Susan Douglas. My parents never pointed out what is good on television or what is real and unreal with what we see on the commercials. As we grow up, we have our own ability to know whether we are being fooled by the advertisements or whether they are telling us the truth. I believe that as long as we are studying, talking with people and we are exposed to all forms of media, the knowledge of determining what is real and not real will come naturally even without the intervention of the adults. Being a media critic, the writer Susan Douglas is sensitive to whatever she views on television. There is also a strong tendency for her to push her opinions on others and influence them on what she believes is real and what is not real. She monitors her daughter well and fears the effect of media on her child. Although there are positive and negative effects of television on the young viewers, I also believe that we should keep tract on what the children are viewing. However, I do not agree that children should be trained to become media skeptics at a young age. Adults should allow their children to be children. Pointing out everything that is right or wrong on television will affect the imaginary minds of the children. It will also spoil the fun of making children enjoy the toys that are in the market. We should not hasten the growth of the child and make them think like adults. I do not agree with the statement that â€Å"one of the best words to use when you’re watching TV with your kids is stupid. † Adults do not have the same imagination as children. What is stupid for adults may be fun for the kids. In time, children will know that ladies do not have perfect figures like the Barbie dolls and that both males and females do household chores and change babies’ diapers. Susan Douglas’ method may be effective because children trust the opinions of their parents and regard them as an authority figure. However, since most of us were not taught by our parents to be media skeptics, I believe that her techniques will not be fully acceptable to all parents.

The effect of Levis online community

The effect of Levis online community Methodology This section of the dissertation will focus on the area of the research design, the methodology conducted and it will also relate to the sample used, methods choice and the methodology criticism. The research which focuses on an online Levis community will use qualitative work to examine how Levis brand personalities influence young Chinese consumers, how this online Levis community affects people who communicated with each other and may strengthen their brand loyalty. Research Design For this dissertation, there are increasingly young Chinese consumers wearing Levis jeans on whom I might conduct and exploratory study to generate possible explanations. Because this research is an exploratory research, the major emphasis is on the discovery of the ideas and insights of consumers. Churchill and Iacobucci (2005: p77) described the purposes of exploratory research and suggested it should include, â€Å"formulating a problem for more precise investigation or for developing hypotheses and gating information about the practical problems of carrying out relevant research.† It is widely acknowledged that while quantitative approach emphasize on theory testing which means using existing theory tested and measured a specific research context (Carson et al. 2001); in long-standing tradition, qualitative research are considered to be exploratory in nature because studies are characterized by flexibility with respect to the research used (Churchill and Iacobucci, 2005). Gordon and Langmaid (1988) demonstrated the differences between qualitative research and quantitative research. Qualitative research concerned with understanding things rather than with measuring them using quantitative research; and â€Å"qualitative research emphasis is on in-depth understanding of how, why and in what context certain phenomena occur; and what impacts upon or influences such phenomena†¦.conversely, quantitative research is more relevant where the research emphasis is on comparison.† (Carson et al. 2001: p66) According to the differences, by using a qualitative a pproach, more in-depth study in the research process could provide information and insights with much more detailed and thorough level than quantitative analysis approach (Weischedel et al. 2005). For this dissertation, the intention of the research is to seek human views at the root of empirical experience on Levis jeans. So the qualitative research approach is more suitable for this dissertation. Because qualitative research approach focus on things really happen as researchers and people experience them. Besides, some characteristics of qualitative research were mentioned by Gordon and Langmaid (1988) which includes small samples of consumers which may not represent large populations; a wide different of techniques to collect data, not just a structured â€Å"question-and-answer† format; and access to the ways in which consumers express themselves. For this dissertation, the samples will be chosen from the online Levis community and a semi-structured interview questionnaire will be conducted during the research. Meanwhile, qualitative research is often carried out to examine consumers attitudes and behaviour in relation with a product category, usually with the specific aim of understanding consumers relationships with a specific brand (Proctor 2005, Gordon and Langmaid 1988). Kozinets (2002) also believed qualitative methods are mostly useful for illustrating the rich symbolic world that cause peoples needs, desires, meanings, and choices. Due to the research objectives of th is dissertation are exploring the attitudes of Chinese consumers who like to wear Levis jeans and show loyalty to this brand as well as perspectives towards one Levis online community, While quantitative research might be used to find differences between Levis normal consumers and Levis fans, qualitative research could be used to examine the attitudes, feeling and motivations of the Levis fans. Although, qualitative research has some limitations and disadvantages, such as small sample size (Gordon and Langmaid, 1988) and free-flowing discussion can result qualitative research projects with many different thought (McDaniel and Gates 2006). There are still some main advantages for qualitative research: first, it is usually much cheaper than quantitative research; second, there is no better way to understand the in-depth motivations and feelings of consumers (Proctor, 2005). According to these main advantages, the qualitative research will be developed during the research process. Secondary Data It is very important to understand market and brand background before doing research. So secondary data plays a crucial role in understanding this such as the market assessment of Levis in China as well as supports the research analysis. There are two types of secondary data. The first one is called internal database which means the company itself (Levis Company) and the second one is called external database which means other organizations or persons (McDaniel and Gates, 2006). In the dissertation, secondary data such as Levis annual report and GMID will be used to study the situation of Levis in China. Because Levis Company has a significant business performance in the world, some public media such as website, newspaper even textbook will be consulted to gain contextual information on this brand. The second data information we are looking for in this topic will also be conducted in the dissertation to strengthen the reality and accuracy of the market orientation. Sampling Sampling means using information which was obtained from a subset (a sample) to estimate about various characteristics of the total population (McDaniel and Gates, 2006). This research aims to seek the reason of young Chinese people like to wearing Levis jeans; therefore non-probability is appropriate to represent this purpose in small sample units. Because the respondence in non-probability samples is more rational representative if collected in a careful process. (McDaniel and Gates, 2006; Proctor, 2005) But the main problem of non-probability is the accuracy and the range of sample units (Forrest, 2003). Meanwhile, the results of using non-probability samples may not be projected to the total population (Proctor, 2005). Meanwhile the samples of this dissertation will be chosen from an online Levis community. McDaniel and Gates (2006) demonstrated the advantages of the Internet Sampling which included â€Å"target respondents can complete the survey at their convenience; the interview can be administered under software control; data collection is inexpensive.† (p315) However Chen and Hinton (1999) argued, online interviewing may include some sampling biases that should be thought by researchers considering the method; research methods are limited in their ability to survey members of the researchers target population because the motivation of potential interviewees to agree to being studied using the proposed method; and the ability of the method to include selected interviewees. In this project, interviewees will be obtained from their different levels in the online Levis community. The â€Å"level† in this Levis online community means the favorite level they like Levis jeans through t heir contributions such as Levis jeans photos they uploaded in this online community; Levis products introduction they wrote in this community, their own feelings about Levis products shared in this online community. The higher level they obtained means the more experience they had on Levis. The reason for choosing different level people is trying to investigate different voices and feedbacks as well as support the research objective to give further suggestions. In-depth Online Interview Qualitative researchers who use interviews as data collection tools believe that they can, â€Å"investigate elements of the social by asking people to talk and to gather or construct knowledge by listening to and interpreting what they say and to how they say it† (Mason, 2002: 225). For this project, by using interview method, it could examine interviewees feeling about Levis brand. Several researchers have found the usefulness of the internet to design and conduct qualitative research projects and online data collection methods are increasingly used (Gruber et. al. 2008). In this dissertation, I will focus on an online Levis Community and the netnography method which is used will be text-based online individual depth interviews with open ended questions. Interviewing is an important qualitative approach, because it is a highly personal process which means creating through personal communication. In-depth interviewing is defined by Neuman (1994: p246) as a social relationship a short-term, secondary social interaction between two strangers with the explicit purpose of one person obtaining specific information from the other. The use of in-depth interviews was seen as a suitable methodology which could obtain rich data through a detailed and open discussion with consumers and decision makers (OConnor and Madge, 2004). In many fields, online in-depth interview and face-to-face in-depth interview are similar processes for the researcher and both can be considered â€Å"†¦ conversations with a purpose† (Burgess, 1984: p102). However, there are still some differences between online interview and face-to-face interview. OConnor and Madge (2003) stated, comparing with face-to-face interview which would be impractical, costly and time consuming; online interview is conducted on the Internet, so that it has lower cost and is a convenient way to carry out. For this dissertation, because all the interviewees are young Chinese people, they are familiar with online environment; they are good at using chatting software such as MSN Messenger and QQ. Meanwhile, online interview method could avoid geographical problems. Gruber et al. (2008: p257) also mentioned, â€Å"Online interviews are cheaper to conduct than traditional interviews as there are no travel, venue renting and accommodation expenses. Researchers do not have to tape and transcribe online interviews as the online chat programmes that are used to conduct interviews automatically generate interview transcripts, which allow a quicker analysis of data; further, the whole interviewing process may be less stressful and more convenient for respondents as they can be interviewed at home or at work in a familiar and non-threatening environment.† Another advantage by conducting online interview for this project is the interviewees are the members of Levis online community. Qualitative on-line research, such as on-line in-depth interview, is particularly useful when the target population is small, very specialized in its skills, and difficult to find and recruit (Miller Dickson, 2001). On the other side, online interview also exist in some limitations and disadvantages. OConnor and Madge (2002) argued, although online interview could obtain rich and valuable to the researchers, there are many problems of online research so that online research should not be exaggerated and researchers should be aware of these problems. Firstly, Chen and Hinton (1999) concerned about limited samples and limited data during the online research process. They believed this sample limited problems could lead to non-specialized interviewing, such as the general assessment of a group which did not be defined because their access to the Internet. For this dissertation, the sample will be chosen in one online Levis community and the interviewees are members of this community. The second disadvantage is that online interview may receive less attention of interviewees and may not make interviewers to create rapport which is important to create a relationship with interviewees who are then wil ling to share information. (Chen and Hinton 1999; Gruber et al. 2008; OConnor and Madge 2003). The online interview is difference between face-to-face interview because online interview happened when both interviewer and interviewee fact to computer screen. â€Å"It may be that distractions result in respondents not being fully engaged with the interview whilst dealing with interruptions of which the interviewer may not be aware. In the face-to-face setting the interviewer can respond immediately to external factors, perhaps by suspending the interview, whereas the virtual interviewer, unable to see what is happening, may carry on regardless, not aware that s/he does not have the full attention of the respondent † (OConnor and Madge, 2003: p137) Gruber et al. (2008) demonstrated, during the online interview, because both of interviewer and interviewee face to computer screen, they cannot receive each others respondence such as body language, head nodding and facial expression s, as a result, researchers developing online interviewers can not able to observe if interviewees are losing interest in the chat or if they are annoyed or unclear about a particular question. As a result, there is no rapport was created. For this project, because the MSN messenger softer ware will be used as interview tool, this problem will also happen during this online interview process. Summary By summary, this research will focus on solely qualitative methodology. Secondary data will be used for an early stage of understood of the background of Levis in China. Online in-depth interview will be conducted in the exploration the reason of different consumers in one online Levis community like wearing Levis jeans. The limitations and disadvantages of online interview and sampling were also discussed in this chapter.

Armour :: Essays Papers

Armour Armour in chivalric ages was truly one of the most important aspects of life. A family could spend all the money that they had arming one of their boys. The modern day equivalent to a fully armoured knight would be a tank for the United States Army. A knight's armour was important for a number of reasons. He needed it to be good looking, protective, and well maintained. Armour could take on several forms not just the typical metal suit. It came in the form of hardened leather, chain mail and hanging metal. Chivalry could not be upheld if it were not for Armour. Armour was a key tool of the chivalric period because a knight could not uphold the code of chivalry without it. A knight was judged by the armour that he wore and how he appeared in it. There were strict rules as to how the armour was to be applied to the knight and what the squire was supposed to bring to the field of battle. This is clearly evident in the following passage taken from the SCA web site (http://www.sca.org/chivarts.html ) entitled To Arm A Man GRAFICAS First you must set the sabatons and tie them to the shoe with small points that will not break. And then the greaves and cuisses over the breeches of mail. Then place the taces upon his hips. And then the breast and back plates, the vambraces and rerebraces {the arm defenses}. And then the gauntlets. Hang the dagger on his right side, his short sword upon his left side in a round ring that it may be lightly drawn. And then put his cote upon his back. The bascinet follows, laced to the cuirass in front and back that it sits just so. And then his long sword in his hand, a small pennant bearing the figure of Saint George or Our Lady in his left hand. Now he is ready to take to the field. What an Appellant shall bring to the field:

Eulogy for Mother :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Mother My mother gave me a very special gift before she left. A gift that I don't need to decide how to pass down & divide evenly to my 3 beautiful children (her grandchildren Jessica, Emily and Julia) A gift that I don't need to worry about keeping on a safe shelf so it doesn't break. My mother (and father) gave me the gift of faith. Anyone who knew my mother knew she always prayed. Over these past few days my brothers and I have discussed this and wondered how many hours during the day she prayed. We've concluded it wasn't how many hours she prayed, but how many minutes during the day she wasn't praying. I'd tell my mom about someone sick in my family, or a friend of mine or my husband Jerry's friends and when I'd talk to her the next day she'd say, "how's so and so doing - I've been praying for them." Over these past few weeks I've realized the power of prayer & the power of my mother's prayers. For I had this special peace before and during this holiday season. I didn't get "holidayitis" as my brothers well know this term. I wasn't stressed out and I kept saying, "there are 12 days of Christmas." This peace allowed us to have such a wonderful Christmas day with my mother and I know she enjoyed it greatly & saw the peace in me. That day was the last time I saw my mother and again, I realize now how her prayers were answered. For how much better does a departure from this worldly existence get by seeing and talking to your family for the last time on Christmas day, speaking her final words to her grandchildren by saying "I love you" for that is how she always said goodbye to them, and in her final moments†¦praying with her beloved husband of 57 years. And look around you now at this church-the celebration of the birth of Christ and everlasting life. Today when I cry I'm not crying for my mother for she always told us "Don't worry about me when I die, I'll be very happy with the Lord.

Affirmative Action: The Bane of Progress

The Bane of Progress Delimitation Is something any rational member of society would Like to dispel. Discrimination is something that has stunted the growth of the great country of America for a number of years. A policy called affirmative action was introduced to prioritize the Inclusion of minorities in a number of aspects. Affirmative action in university admissions started in the late asses as an effort to Jump-start racial integration. Affirmative action In college admissions decisions has certainly made an Impact, some would argue an Impact for the worst.Through numerous studies and endings, It has been shown that affirmative action does not Increase enrollment of minority students on a large scale or benefit them while in essence it actually hurts members of well represented ethnicities and races. Affirmative action in the college admissions process can be looked at in two ways. Supporters of affirmative action claim that affirmative action is the perfect policy to make up for the racism and discrimination of the past. Dissenters of affirmative action believe that affirmative action actually counteracts what It's trying to do.Affirmative action gives minorities priority over well represented races and ethnicities, despite similar standing. So, it could be understood how this controversial policy could be disliked. Affirmative action bans can and have been enacted by certain states in the US. Affirmative action bans can be perceived in two different ways by minority affiliated prospects. These minority students may decide not to apply to colleges with affirmative action bans because they feel as though they aren't wanted or that the school Is racist and discriminating.The situation can also be looked at In the fact that their admission to the school had nothing to do with their race or ethnicity. This viewpoint allows for a rational understanding as to why one did or did not get into a certain college. The effects of affirmative action are incredibly long withstanding. Affirmative action calls upon one's race in an admissions decision to be a tie-breaker, but racial preferences are far more than tie-breakers. As referred to In â€Å"Mismatch† by Richard Sander and Stuart Taylor, colleges use a sort of â€Å"academic Index† when It comes to determining which students to admit or not.It is a points system based on act/sat scores as well as GAP. These universities that value affirmative action instruct their admissions officers to roughly mirror the racial makeup of the applicants, which is typically 9% black. (Mismatch) So it is in adherence with this policy that the admissions officer will take a minority student with a significantly lower academic index score and add a certain amount of points so that he or she qualifies over a significant white candidate. Almost all colleges that Implement racial preferences have either an explicit or an implicit weight assigned to race.These schools believe that they have to have a ce rtain percentage of the student body be represented by each minority. Thus in theory throwing out any competitive white students who weren't top tier but were academically more successful than their minority peers. These racial preferences lead too â€Å"cascade effect†. The top institutions get their pick better matched at a lower-tier school. The second tier of schools then loses out on students that would have been good matches there thus making them reach for worse matches to compose their student body and so forth.The racial preferences when enacted create a domino effect, causing each school on the chain to have worse and worse student matches. The cascade effect is multiplied by the number of schools using racial preferences. It Just gets worse and worse for every institution as long as affirmative action is enacted. In simplest terms, students chosen by top-tier institutions that weren't exactly qualified begin to fail and suffer. They have been stripped of their oppo rtunities to prosper in that they have been accepted into top- tier institutions which actually aren't best for them.In the vicious cycle of affirmative action, the racial preferences create the mismatch effect. The mismatch effect being that minority students with lower qualifications who get into top-tier schools because f racial preference struggling at the top-tier schools thus creating a mismatch between the student and the institution. All the while that student could have prospered at a lower-tier school where their skills would blossom better. The mismatch effect has many components. A significant study was conducted by Dartmouth College psychologists Rogers Elliot and A.C. Streets. These two psychologists noticed something was wrong with one facet of racial integration. Dartmouth was not producing very many black or Indian scientists. For the study the psychologists gathered the admissions and transcripts data on some five thousand dents form four of the nation's most elite schools. The researchers found out that in high school blacks were actually more likely to major in science, math, engineering, or technology (known as STEM) than whites. The thing that was peculiar about this though, was the students' academic preparation.Students who entered the top higher education institutions with a math SAT score under 550 were only about one- fifth as likely to graduate with a STEM degree as students with a math SAT score over 700. (Mismatch) These minority students who were admitted into the top academic institutions came in with generally less knowledge. This caused these students to become weeded out of the STEM majors group because they simply couldn't handle the course material that they were given that the whites admitted were handling well.These minority students simply weren't a match for the top academic institutions, not because they weren't as gifted but they weren't given a structurally sound previous education in high school like most well repre sented races were. The mismatch effect has entirely led students who have all the potential to prosper and succeed to end up failing or falling behind Just because they weren't previously given he best opportunities. It is by no flaw of their own that minority students seemed to fail in higher academic institutions.Affirmative action and its racial preferences actually diminished their chances of success through its counterproductive methods of implementation. Many began to realize that affirmative action was actually hurting higher education. Once this began getting realized, affirmative action bans began coming into play. Call to play the University of California. In 1995 there was a vote by the board of regents of the university to end racial and gender preferences across the nine-campus system.In 1996 there was a vote by California voters to adopt an initiative called Proposition 209, which affirmed and extended the viewpoints on Prop 209. Those who were against affirmative acti on took it quite well and were quite content with the proposition. Those who were for affirmative action went to great lengths to deter the proposition. Prop 209 was incredibly hated by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (UCLA), The National Organization for Women (NOW), the NAACP, and the feminist majority.Minorities and women alike took Proposition 209 as an assault to them. Proposition 209 outshoot the test though, and it came with many common fears. Many believed the race-blind admissions process would dramatically reduce minority enrollment. (Mismatch) It could obviously be inferred that less minority students would be admitted to the top-tier institutions, but there was also the idea of the â€Å"chilling effect†. Many feared that black and Hispanic students would find institutions with Prop. 209 in effect would be hostile environments for them.They believed the minority students wouldn't choose these schools because they felt unwanted there. This proposition created what would become the â€Å"warming effect†. The announced ending of racial preferences at University of California schools coincided with a Jump in the rate in which blacks and Hispanics accepted offers of admissions from US schools. This warming effect was particularly large at the most elite US schools, which had previously used the largest racial preferences. Minority enrollment seemed largely unaffected at the three elite campuses.The implementation of Prop. 209 actually made the top-tier blacks and Hispanics want to try and attend the elite US schools. This proposition led to an increase in the most elite schools, not Just the lower tier schools. It can easily be inferred that the aura of race neutral admission policies attracted many more minority students than it repelled. Studies ended up showing that Prop. 209 had the effect of raising five-year minority graduation rates from 3 to 7 percent points. (Mismatch) The results on effects of affirmative action bans are quite consistent across the board.A study conducted by Peter Henries, done on the effects of affirmative action bans on college enrollment, educational attainment, and the demographic composition of universities has provided immense proof against affirmative action's claimed benefits. Henries' study found that affirmative action bans had no effect on the common college or the common student. Although the study did find that affirmative action bans decreased underrepresented minorities enrollment and increased Caucasian enrollment slightly over time.A finding of Winch's study even found that â€Å"Alternatively, an affirmative action ban may increase minority graduation rates if it reduces a mismatch between minorities and the type of college they attend. † (Henries) The study goes on to show that though affirmative action bans decrease minority enrollment in selective schools it may actually help them. As a result of Henries' study one can infer quite a few t hings. First, affirmative action bans do have an impact. Not so much of an impact at major public universities, but impacts on minority enrollment at selective universities.These bans have been shown to help, and also to hurt. Affirmative action bans are truly a case by case scenario. The grand outlook though, is one that presents bans as promoting fairness. A study by Ben Backed titled, â€Å"Do Affirmative Action Bans Lower Minority College Enrollment and Attainment? Evidence from Statewide Bans† finds quite similar results as the study done by Henries. Backed' Henries. The most important statement from Backed' study comes in his conclusion/ summary of findings.Backed' ends his study with the line, â€Å"However, the effects of affirmative action?both at top-tier schools and the university system generally?are small relative to the total population of minority students. † (Backed) These studies leave the subject of affirmative action at a moral standpoint. Both studi es show that yes, affirmative actions do effect minority enrollment at selective colleges but the effect is quite small relative to the total population of minority students. It imposes the moral question of whether race should matter when the effects are so relatively small.The evidence shows that statewide affirmative action bans do little to harm minority enrollment or graduation, so in essence race shouldn't be an issue. Affirmative action time and time again has harmed society. Even when numerous studies have been done and been proven to show that affirmative action is indeed unnecessary many argue that it is essential for societal progress. It is essential that countrywide affirmative action bans have to take place. Bans on affirmative action do o harm to minority enrollment and they actually help minority graduation rates.For example, Michigan Just recently banned affirmative action, and this is something which could tremendously help create equality in admissions decisions i n the state. More and more states continue to adopt affirmative action bans, as it becomes more and more prevalent that affirmative action policies are actually against what they are for. These policies create racial segregation and create a divide that is unnecessary. A person's ethnicity or race should have no role in whether or not they get into a college. In today's 21st century society all members are valued equally.

Master Harold and the Boys

Master Harold and the Boys, a play written by famous playwright Althol Fugard, shares the story of a seventeen year old white boy, Hally, who spends time with two African- American servants, Sam and Willie. While the majority of the play is a conversation between the three inside a tea room, Fugard does a brilliant job of exposing the struggles that is dealt with at the time. The context of Master Harold and the Boys is deep and meaningful, especially since the play sets in South Africa. He depicts how industrialized racism really is, showing that when an individual lives under a certain set of assumptions, it is really easy to catch others views of hatred, bigotry, and at the time, apartheid. Fugard shows his true artisism for publishing this play because it takes a true artist to be able to confront problems that a society deals with and to be able to make people more considerate of their actions towards others. There is a great deal of emotional value that comes with this play. When this play was written back in 1982, South Africa was still dealing with apartheid which is similar to the United States' time of segregation. In fact, the emotional value of this play was so enormous that it was actually banned in South Africa at the time. The plot is heavy because it takes Hally's childhood innocence and turns him towards a poisness bigotry, just like what most of the adult society did during that time. The real turning point is when Hally finds out about his father returning home from the hospital. In the beginning of the play, Sam and Willie talked about ballroom dancing. They could relate to readers of the play who also dance because they might understand the pressures of dancing and the amount of skill that goes into it. However, no matter what the pressures of dance may be, it is never acceptable for a man to hit a woman. Fugard might have showed this side of Willie because domestic relationships were very common back in the 1950s. Even though there was a rise in feminism movements, men still had most of the control and strength. While blacks were still considered to be property, women during that era did not have many rights as well. Hally, Sam, and Willie have more of a friendship during the beginning of the play, but when Hally becomes distraught with the news of his dad coming home, he violently unleashes on his servants. It becomes clear that his father's vicarious racism was a learned behavior observed by Hally. From this point on, Hally no longer treats Willie and Sam as friends, but as subservient help. Hally demands that they must call him â€Å"Master Harold† as he spits on his servants. Using the word â€Å"master† showed that Hally had full possesion over them, and he wanted them to know it. He also used the spitting incident as a way to show control because that was typical during that time era. Spitting on someone is considered to be very degrading to that individual and is a form to show their unworthiness. I think my personal impact on the play has definitely changed. After I read the play, I understood what happened, but it was not until our class discussion where I really put the pieces of the play together. One eye opener during out discussion was when we were talking about the word â€Å"boys† in the title. I simply thought that Fugard used that word because of their gender, but I had no idea that using the word â€Å"boy† towards a black person is degrading. I really admired how Fugard attacked this problem that was facing South Africa's society and how he exposed the realities of bigotry. I think it would be great to see this play as a production. I believe the acting of the words verses just a persons imagination could be a real eye opener to how people see and treat others. This play will continue to be relevant in American and South Africas societies because it is a reminder of our history and how our society needs to continue to grow away from racism and towards a more accepting society of all. Master Harold and the Boys â€Å"Master Harold†. . and the Boys is not an overtly political play, but a depiction of â€Å"a personal power? struggle With political implica-tions. † The only definition that the South African system can conceive of in the relationship of White to Black is one that humiliates black people. This definition â€Å"insinuates itself into every social sphere of existence, until the very language of ordinary human discourse begins to reflect the policy that makes black men subservient to the power exercised by white children. † In the society depicted by Fugard White equals â€Å"Master† and Black equals â€Å"boy. It is an equation, continued Durbach, that ignores the traditional relationship of labor to man-agement or of paid employee to paying employer. During the course of the drama, Hally rapidly realigns the components of his long? standing friend-ship with Sam into the socio? political patterns of master and servant. Hally changes from intimate familiarity with his black companions to patroniz-ing condescension to his social inferiors. It is an exercise of power by Hally, himself a â€Å"boy† who feels powerless to control the circumstance of his life and therefore seeks some measure of autonomy in his interaction with Sam and Willie.Robert Brustein, in a review in the New Repub-lic, described' ‘Master Harold† . . . and the Boys as the â€Å"quintessential racial anecdote,† and ascribed to Fugard's writing â€Å"a sweetness and sanctity that more than compen sates for what might be prosaic, rhetorical, or contrived about it. † There is a sugges-tion that Fugard' s obsession with the theme of racial injustice may be an expression of his own guilt and act of expiation. As Brian Crow noted in the Inter-national Dictionary of Theatre, Critical Overview 24 biographical in-formation, however, is not needed in order for the play to make its full impact in the theatre.This is achieved primarily through an audience's empathy with the loving relationship between Hally and Sam and its violation through Hally's inability to cope with his emotional turmoil over his father, and its expression in racism. If to what extent the play manages. . . to transmute autobiographical experi-ence into a larger exploration or analysis of racism in South Africa is arguable; what seems quite cer-tain is its capacity to involve and disturb audiences everywhere. Yet not all critical reaction to Fugard's work has been positive. Failing to see the play's wider mes sage on racism, Stephen Gray saw â€Å"Master Harold† as nothing more than a play about apart-heid. In a 1990 New Theatre Quarterly article, Gray noted that South Africa's dissolution of apartheid has made the play obsolete, stating that it â€Å"feels like a museum piece today. † Other negative criticism found the play's black characters to be falsely represented As Jeanne Colleran reported in Modern Drama, â€Å"To some black critics, the character of Sam is a grotesquerie.His forbearance and forgive-ness, far from being virtues, are embodiments of the worst kind of Uncle Tom? ism. † Such reproach prompted Fugard to clarify his intentions during the Anson Phelps Stokes Institute's Africa Roundtable. As Colleran reported, Fugard stated that his inten-tion was to tell a story: â€Å"I never set out to serve a cause. . . . The question of being a spokesman for Black politics is something I've never claimed for myself. † Such criticism for â€Å"Master Har old† was spo-radic, however The majority of Critics and audi-ences embraced the playas important and thought? rovoking. Commenting on Fugard's ability to fuse theatricality with strong political issues, Dennis Walder wrote in Athol Fugard, â€Å"Fugard's work. . . contains a potential for subversion, a potential which, I would suggest, is the hallmark of great art, and which qualifies his best work to be called great. † In this essay Wiles examines Fugard' splay as a political drama, taking into account the dissolution of the apartheid system in South Africa and how that affects contemporary perceptions of the work. He concludes that the play is still relevant as a chroni-cle of human relations.What happens to the overall effect of a play when the societal forces that shaped it have changed to the point where the playwright himself says: , , [A] political miracle has taken place in my time. † Such might appear to be the case for Athol Fugard and his play â€Å"Ma ster Harold†.. and the Boys The South African system of apartheid? legislated separation of the races? has been dismantled; free and open elections have been held; a black man, Nelson Mandela, has been elected president of the country. The power of whites, regardless of their age or station, to subjugate and humiliate blacks with he full blessing of the government and society at large has evaporated. The question that begs to be asked, then, is: What is this play about if not about political struggle? By focusing attention on the adolescent antago-nist Hally, Fugard creates a more personal drama-, a drama rooted in the uncertainties of a youth who attends a second? rate school and whose parents own and operate a third? rate cafe. Displaying â€Å"a few stale cakes,† â€Å"a not very impressive display of sweets,† and â€Å"a few sad ferns in pots,† the St.George's Park Tea Room hardly seems the seat of power. And, the arrival of Hally, in clothes that are â€Å"a little neglected and untidy† and drenched from the heavy rains that keep customers away, does little to prepare the audience for the play's explosive confrontation. When Hally enters the cafe, it appears that he is glad for the lack of patrons so that he and Sam and Willie can have a â€Å"nice, quiet afternoon. † There is the implication that both he and the two men have enjoyed these types of days in the past.Hally's world, however, begins to crumble when Sam in-forms him that his mother has gone to the hospital to bring his father home. Hally's annoyance at the comic books piled on the table? â€Å"intellectual rubbish†? changes into fury when Willie throws a slop rag at Sam, misses, and hits Hally. Hally swears and tells both Willie and Sam to â€Å"stop fooling around. † Hally calls Sam back to have him explain what Hally's mother said before she left for the hospital He convinces himself that his father is not coming home, that Sam heard wro ng, and that the world he has created for himself will continue undisturbed.His willingness to shift the discussions to the varieties of textbook learning and then to the more Important learning gleaned from the servants quar-ters at the old Jubilee Boarding House under the tutelage of Sam and Willie, indicate Hally's inabili-ty to accept that his life is about to change once again. Hally returns to the comfort of the historical past, discussing Joan of Arc, World War I, Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, and William Shake-speare with Sam. He also returns to his own familiar past and the flying of a homemade kite that Sam made for him.It is the kite that provides Hally with the defin-ing moment of his young life a black man and a young white boy enjoying each other's company and a shared accomplishment. Hally says, â€Å"I don't know how to describe it, Sam Ja! The miracle happened! † Hally appears to want to return to the safety of their shared past when he mentions to Sam tha t â€Å"[I]t's time for another one, you know. † The uncertainties of adolescence challenge Hally's place, not only in the world at large but in his family as well. Of his time spent with Sam he summarizes: â€Å"It's just that life felt the right size in there. . . ot too big and not too small. Wasn't so hard to work up a bit of courage. It's got so bloody complicated since then. â€Å"Hally's violent reaction to the news that his father is indeed returning home (the stage directions describe Hally as â€Å"seething with irritation and frustration†) clearly illustrate the complications Hally must now face. â€Å"Just when things are going along all right, without fail someone or something will come along and spoil everything. Somebody should write that down as a fundamental law of the Universe The principle of perpetual disappoint-ment† Hally's attack on Willie's backside WIth a ruler and the â€Å"I? llow? you? a? little? freedom? and-? what? do? you? do? w ith? It† speech show that Hally resists acknowledging the changes and accompany-ing complications that will inevitably take place when his father returns home. In the ensuing ballroom dancing discussion (Fugard himself was a dancing champion in his teens), Sam describes the dance finals â€Å"like being in a dream about a world in which accidents don't happen. † Sam's view of the world as dance floor contrasts sharply With Hally's nostalgic view of life as the right size in the old Jubilee Boarding house. Hally wants things to remain static, to never change.Sam, on the other hand, wants the world â€Å"to dance like champions instead of always being a bunch of beginners at it. † There are no collisions in Sam's view because the participants have discovered ways of moving around the dance floor without bumping into one another; symbolically, this is Sam's hope that the world can live together peacefully without prejudice or inequality. Hally appears momentarily co nvinced at the end of this discussion: â€Å"We mustn't despair. Maybe there is hope for mankind after all. † But then the phone rings and Hally's world shatters with the news that his mother will be ringing his father home. At this point, Hally's demeanor becomes â€Å"vicious† and â€Å"desperate,† and at the end of the conversation Hally is â€Å"desolate. † He slams books and smashes the bottle of brandy his mother had told him to get for his father. With reckless words and ugly laughter, Hally mocks his crippled father, insinuating him into the dance metaphor as the ones who are â€Å"out there tripping up everybody and trying to get into the act. † His childhood world is now smashed beyond recognition as Hally swears at Sam and chastises him for meddling in something he knows nothing about.Hally's adolescent posturing leads him to de-mand that Sam call him â€Å"Master Harold, like Willie [does]. † Because he cannot control the events sur-rounding his father's homecoming, Hally lashes out at the convenient targets of Willie and Sam, people he feels he can control. The youth's petulance manifests itself with a vengeance. Hally lets fly with a racist comment and compounds the ugliness of the offense by insisting that it is a â€Å"bloody good joke. † Hally's final act of naked cruelty is to spit in Sam's face. For Hally, the bond with Sam is forever broken.The demarcation between master and ser-vant is clearly defined. Although sorely tempted to repay violence with violence, Sam remains the gentle father, the true friend, the moral teacher. Having removed the symbol of servitude (the white servant's jacket) that distinguishes him as a â€Å"boy,† Sam presents the personal rather than political response to Hally's indignities? an extended hand and the offer to try again and â€Å"fly another kite. † But Hally has shamed himself beyond compassion and cannot respond to Sam's final lesson.Errol Dur bach wrote in Modern Drama that the final dramatic images? he rain of despair, the wind where no kites fly, the hopelessness of rela-tionships ripped apart by racist attitudes, the com-forting music that elicits compassion for children who are a victims of their own upbringing, and â€Å"the image of a world where ‘Whites Only' leave two black men dancing together in an act of solidari-ty†? represent Fugard's movement between hope and despair, qualified only by the realization that â€Å"‘Master Harold' grows up to be Athol Fugard and that the play itself is an act of atonement to the memory of Sam and ‘H. D. F. [Harold David Fugard]? the Black and White fathers to whom [the play] is dedicated. â€Å"So, then, back the original question? what is the play about if not political struggle? It is a play about fathers and sons, and how those roles can be both supportive and destructive. It is a play that illustrates how relationships can be strained by factors beyond the participants. It is a play that offers suggestions and gestures for forgiveness and compassion. It is a play ultimately about race. Not black, or white, or red, or yellow, or brown, but human. Master Harold and the Boys In the play Master Harold and the boys, the telephone is a very significant symbol. It acts as a scene changer, as well as a mood changer the most for one particular character, Hally. In this summary, I will briefly describe a few instances throughout the play where the telephone is described, and the effects it has on the characters. In the beginning, Hally, a young white man arrives at his mother and father’s restaurant where he is greeted by two black â€Å"servants. † One of the â€Å"servants†, Sam informs Hally that his mom had phoned for him about a half an hour ago.Hally’s mood immediately changed from happy/content to nervousness/worry. Hally seemed to know that when his mother called, it was for good reason. Hally began pestering Sam with questions about the phone call. He wanted to know where his mother called from, what she called for and how long ago it was that she called. Sam explained that his mother had told him that she was bringing his f ather home from the hospital. Hally then became even more worried and tried to accuse Sam of lying. There was no way Hally’s mother was bringing his father home from the hospital, because he was still too sick.He then tried to call his mother at home, but there was no answer. This made Hally contemplate if the news could be true. As the two servants went back to work, Hally stood alone in confusion and worry. All he could seem to do is think about what this news means, and how it will affect him. Ring†¦ring†¦ring. Sam answers the phone while Hally stops his train of thought. He is listening and holding on to every word Sam says. This telephone call acts as a scene changer and also a mood changer for Hally and the servants; they all stop what they are doing to find out what is happening.Hally relates the phone ringing to something bad happening. Sam tells Hally that it is his mother on the phone for him. In worry Hally asks if the call is local or private, almost as if he is preparing his speech to his mother. Once Hally musters up the courage to speak on the phone, Hally finds out that the news is true; Hally’s father is asking to come home. Shocked, he cannot believe what he is hearing. He becomes angry with his mother, demanding that she make him stay at the hospital. But you know that Hally doesn’t really seem to care how his dad is feeling, he just doesn’t ant him back home. Hally’s mom agreed to try to keep his father at the hospital, but she wasn’t making any promises, Hally’s father was acting too persistent with his decision. Hally’s mother told him that she would call him back. After he hung up the phone, he was in complete shock. All he could do was stare at the telephone as Sam and Willie began bombarding him with questions. Hally had told them that Sam was right and his father wanted to come home. Hally’s mood changed to anger after that phone call.He kept going back and forth across the restaurant saying what kind of a mess this was going to make for him. He even got so angry about this news, that he began ordering same and Willie around, telling them to quit fooling around and to get back to work. As the servants obeyed his command, all Hally could do is pace back and forth through the restaurant and wait for that next phone call. Then, finally†¦ring†¦ring†¦ring. Hally took a lot longer to answer the phone this time. Sam even had to remind him not to keep his mother waiting.Hally’s mom was calling from home this time. She told her son that his father was home. Infuriated, Hally scolded his mother, asking her why she didn’t stop him and why she didn’t make him stay. He went on to tell his mom that he had an exam coming up, and how could he focus on that when his father is home causing trouble. Hally’s mom tells him that his father wanted to speak with him. Hally’s tone immediately changed when he spoke w ith his father. He sounded happy to speak with him, asking him how he was feeling. He also told his father that he was happy that he was home.After he hung up the phone he went right back to being angry. He acted like he was so much more superior to the black servants, walking around telling them what to do. In conclusion, the telephone was a very important symbol in the play Master Harold and the boys. Every time the phone rang, it changed all of the characters mood. Although the telephone acted like more of symbol to Hally, it did affect all the characters. Each time the telephone rang, Halley’s mood grew more nervous and more angry. He related the telephone ringing to anger, worry and frustration