Strategic Market Planning for Social Media Platforms

Over the past several years, social media marketing has been an addition to an increasing number of companies' integrated marketing plans. Firms of all sizes are employing various platforms of this marketing tactic. At the most basic level, social media marketing enables conversations between firms and their customers, as opposed to traditional marketing methods where the firm directs the message. Businesses are beginning to realize that they cannot control these ongoing conversations, but rather, influence them. This trend has resulted in the growth of SocialCorps, â€Å"companies that are learning to take advantage of the power of social media to reshape their relationships with customers and other important audiences.†1 Popular social media sites visited by Internet users include: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Wikipedia, Flickr, and Digg (Exhibit 1). Of those, the top four social sites used by marketers, in order of popularity, are: Twitter, Blogs, LinkedIn, and Face book. Becoming a SocialCorp allows a company to gain benefits that are otherwise limited with traditional forms of marketing. Such advantages include: unparalleled access to market research, enhanced brand awareness and perception, better engagement with all stakeholders, increased control over the company's marketplace message, and a richer user experience. This paper will explain how various companies have used social media marketing differently to achieve these advantages. Social networking websites are visited by three-quarters of all Internet users2. With the growing popularity of social media usage, many companies believe Web 2.0 marketing is the future3. As social media marketing gains headlines in companies' strategic agendas, astonishing statistics are revealed about the use of this marketing tactic: * Dell estimates that through its various communication channels, the company has two billion â€Å"conversations† with customers every year.4 * 88% of marketers are using social media marketing for their business. Of these, 72% reported that they had been using social media marketing for a few months or less.5 * 79% of the Fortune 100 companies are present and listening, using at least of one of the main social platforms to communicate with their customers.6 * By 2011, online social media advertising in the U.S. will be approximately $2.5 billion.7 From these statistics, it is evident that companies of all sizes are actively using different social platforms to reach their target segments. However, a shift of focus to social media marketing will bring substantial transformation to a company's strategic planning process. As such, this paper will answer a question that companies should ask when engaging in social media marketing: will it be more beneficial to leverage publicly available social media platforms or to build a platform in-house? Will the choice differ between companies, and what are the benefits and risks of either solution? Benefits of Leveraging Established Social Media Platforms The advantages of using an established social media channel over one created in-house are lower production and maintenance costs, quick access to a large established user base, ease of use for the consumer and increased information credibility. Businesses create company-specific marketing campaigns on established social media channels to leverage these benefits in order to engage consumers, increase brand and product/service awareness, reduce customer support costs, and drive revenues. The Ford Fiesta Movement Campaign A successful social media marketing campaign which demonstrated the benefits of using established social media channels was the Fiesta Movement Campaign by Ford. Ford gave 100 participants Ford Fiestas for six months and asked them to complete a different â€Å"mission† every month. These â€Å"agents† delivered dinners from Meals on Wheels, eloped with the help of the Fiesta, and wrestled alligators8 among many other things. Agents were required to document their adventures on Youtube, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter pages which Ford had created. The Ford Fiesta Movement was considered an extremely successful social media campaign. Agents produced 700 videos which generated 6.5 million views. Photos taken by the agents have accumulated more than 670,000 views. The campaign prompted over 50,000 U.S. consumers to request more information about the car, 97% of which did not already own a Ford vehicle. In the first six days of sales, Ford sold 10,000 units. 9 First, using established social media channels allowed Ford to gain quick access to a large established user-base. Ford's target market for its small European cars is Millennials, those born between 1979 and 1996. It is estimated that 75% of Millennials use social media sites and one in five have uploaded a video of themselves online.10 Ford therefore focused their efforts on the established social media sites, as a large majority of their target market is already using these sites. It was easier for Ford to leverage existing websites instead of working to direct consumers using an in-house social network. Second, Ford was able to benefit from consumers who were already familiar with popular social media websites to build awareness. Ford hand-picked â€Å"agents† in their 20s who had already successfully built an online fan community of their own and who were able to craft a narrative.11 Instead of pitching the idea to agents as the means to a free car, agents were incented to create content for their own benefit to feed their current networks and build their own profiles. In the process, the agents contributed to building Fiesta's brand by helping develop an image of glamour, uniqueness and excitement around the car. Third, Ford created a sense of credibility by using external social media channels on which the content would be harder to control or modify. Ford took a huge risk by taking a â€Å"hands off† approach, telling agents to be completely truthful and agreeing not to edit or censor any information that was posted. This showed consumers that Ford cared about what they had to say which was particularly important at a time when consumers were not happy to be bailing out Amercian automotive companies.12 Allowing agents to freely express their opinions about the car also helped Ford to fix any reported problems or improve functionality based on the agents' suggestions. Key Takeaways Ford used established social media channels to engage consumers and build brand awareness. Using Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube, Ford was able to gain quick access to its target market with consumers who were already users of these channels. Ford was also able to use specific consumers who were experts with these established channels to attract more viewers as well as raise awareness among the experts' large base of followers. Finally, Ford established its credibility by allowing agents to post whatever they wanted. While Ford took a huge risk by agreeing not to edit the agents' content, it ultimately worked in their favour. Risks of Leveraging Established Social Media Platforms Along with the many strengths of social marketing, there are also many risks that are associated with relying on third party platforms. For one, companies that engage in this medium often experience lack of content control. Second, information gets spread too quickly due to the large user bases of established social media websites. Third, the effectiveness of conventional social media marketing is limited, due to the sheer volume of companies already utilizing this mechanism. Molson Coors Dorm Room Campaign Molson Coors Brewing Company (Molson) is a classic example of how a company underestimated the negative consequences that are associated with traditional social media marketing mediums. Molson is Canada's oldest brewery and the world's fifth largest brewing company. Therefore, it is well-recognized within Canada and has a significant market share in the beer industry. In the past, Molson has experimented with blogs13 and a static corporate website, but has had very little social media presence overall. Recognizing that a large portion of their current target audience utilizes these mediums and wanting to catch up to its competitors, Molson initiated an online media campaign. On October 18th 2007, Molson officially launched its â€Å"Dorm Room† project on the fastest growing social networking site – Facebook. The campaign encouraged Canadian university and college students from ages 19 to 24 to post pictures of themselves partying on campus. The school with the most pictures uploaded would win a trip for five to spend spring break in Cancun, Mexico. An advertisement for this campaign read, â€Å"Be the #1 party school in Canada; show everyone how you and your crew get the party started.†14 According to Molson, the intention of the campaign was to show â€Å"school spirit and sociability;† however, these goals were not reached and the campaign placed Molson under public scrutiny. The nature of the campaign was highly criticized by universities, parents and students because they blamed the company for encouraging binge drinking. Even the front-runner of the contest, Memorial University in St. Johns, stated that the contest made them look bad. Within days, the company received numerous complaints. Several universities – including Queen's, McMaster and St. Francis Xavier – condemned the contest in the Globe and Mail as â€Å"glorifying excessive drinking.†15 As a result of the public backlash, the contest was shut down a week prior to the November 29th deadline. While there are advantages for Molson to engage their customers via social marketing, the message of the â€Å"Dorm Room† campaign was controversial. As a result, this exemplifies how marketing using established social networking mediums can bring significant risks to the brand. First, on Facebook and other traditional social media websites, companies cannot control how much freedom they give to their audience. Users have the freedom to post pictures, messages and videos. However, on in-house websites, companies have the ability to adjust the amount of power they give to the end consumer. Molson did not have the ability to control how much freedom they gave to consumers, allowing consumers to post whatever they wanted and consequently, violating the privacy rights of many individuals. Once a picture was posted, only Molson could remove the picture. Molson was unaware of certain individuals' resistance to having their pictures posted on the site and the campaign generated negative backlash. Even as Molson shut down the contest, they could not ensure that they erased all traces of the pictures posted on the Internet. Second, by using traditional social media websites, the established user base compounds the speed at which information is spread. In Molson's case, pictures spread quickly across Facebook, much to the dismay of many students featured in the photographs. Facebook has over 500 million users who all had access to Molson's pictures. Further, the pictures could be immediately viewed by the members of one's network with the â€Å"tagging† and â€Å"news feed† features. Finally, the effectiveness of conventional social media marketing is limited due to the sheer volume of companies who are already marketing to consumers on these websites. In 2006, U.S. companies spent $920 million on advertising on social media websites. Despite high spending, only 12% of Facebook users have added a brand to their page, and over 75% of Facebook users said they would not purchase a product or service from a brand via their profile page.16 Therefore, social media marketing should not be viewed as an infallible way for companies to promote. The Molson campaign was one of the many campaigns on Facebook and was popularized by the outcry of the public, rather than direct support from its target market. In total, only 200 pictures were uploaded onto Facebook and large universities such as the University of Toronto and Guelph University only submitted 15 photos each (Exhibit 3).17 Key Takeaways By using traditional social media channels, managers might be forced to give up control over the contents to the websites and to their users. In Molson's case, it passed the power to individuals who posted images onto Molson's Facebook campaign page. The company should be wary of the freedom which the users can have when it reengages itself in conventional social media marketing. Also, social media websites have large user bases; this implies that the information found within these sites can travel at an extreme speed. Photos posted on Molson's page were not limited to just Molson's examination but they were available for the entire network. Finally, even though social media websites have gained tremendous popularity and enormous adoption rates, every campaign should be redesigned for each medium in order to stand out from the competitors. Molson failed to capture a large audience with its campaign because Facebook is already saturated with many advertisers. Therefore, Molson needs to establish a creative method to market its campaign when it reengages in using conventional social media websites. In general, social media advertisement can be a phenomenal way to increase brand awareness when it becomes a company's integrated marketing campaign, as long as the associated risks are acknowledged and accounted for. Benefits of Developing In-House Social Media Platforms There are many benefits associated with creating and managing an internal social community. First, a company has the flexibility to display information in the way they intended. Second, keeping a social network in-house also helps bring legitimacy and credibility to the information available on the platform. Finally, creating a separate social media platform allows users to have access to a closed network. Pampers Village Campaign Pampers' slogan, â€Å"every step of the way†18 embodies their overall strategy. Pampers strives both to provide a high-quality product and a supply a service for women throughout their pregnancy and early child rearing years. The company has created and continues to host an online social community, Pampers Village, to facilitate an open network of communication between itself and its customers (Exhibit 4). On the website, parents have access to a breadth of information about the pregnancy process. They also have access to parenting tips and advice as their child ages. Parents have the ability to communicate with both other parents and also with Pampers' panel of â€Å"baby experts.†19 Pampers Village exemplifies many of the benefits associated with hosting an internal social community, as opposed to promoting their brand via established social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. First, Pampers Village ensures that Pampers has enormous flexibility in the way data is displayed and how communication is encouraged. On Twitter, or example, messages are limited to 140 characters. Although websites such as Facebook allows more flexibility than Twitter, the pages companies can create nonetheless have preset layouts and formats. Pampers Village is divided into five sections depicting a stage in a child's life. Each section is further divided into categories which discuss various issues a mother may face at that stage. Existing social media websites would not have been the appropriate medium to host Pampers Village on as the display and organization of data would be restricted by the inherent limitations of the existing platform. Second, developing their own social network brings legitimacy to their message. On traditional social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, anyone can share their thoughts and claim to be an expert. However, on Pampers Village, there are a variety of experts from the Pampers Parenting Network (PPN) moderating discussions and providing pregnancy and parenting advice. PPN members participate in Q&As, write blogs and articles and post video demonstrations. PPN experts include: Laura Jana, M.D., a widely recognized parenting expert; Lisa Druxman, founder and CEO of Stroller Strides; and Julian Claus-Ehlers, executive chef and expert in healthy eating habits for the family.20 Mothers visiting Pampers Village recognize that they have access to high-quality and credible advice from parenting experts and thus continue to return to the website. Finally, creating a social media platform separates the audience from their traditional network. Mothers have to register to use Pampers Village; however, they can register under whichever name they choose, bringing anonymity to the platform. If Pampers Village was hosted solely on Facebook, the forums likely would not be as active. Forum conversations include, â€Å"Actively trying to start a family,† â€Å"LGBT Parenting†21 and â€Å"Baby Basics.† Mothers would be less likely to be open and honest on these forums if their posts were in full view of their entire social network, as it would be difficult to ensure confidentiality of these discussion posts on traditional social media websites such as Facebook. Pampers Village provides mothers the opportunity to network with other mothers in a closed network. Jodi Allen, North American vice president and general manager for Pampers echoes this sentiment, â€Å"All moms share a common goal — to raise a healthy, happy child. And the great thing about Pampers.com is that moms can connect, bond and chat with other moms all over the globe in real time and share in each other's experiences.†22 Key Takeaways A strong online presence is critical to Pampers' success. â€Å"We leverage Pampers Village to maintain a constant conversation and relationship,† says Zeeshan Shams, category brand manager, baby and toddler care, Procter and Gamble, Canada. â€Å"Our online properties help to keep our brand top of mind.†23 Despite massive competition in the online parenting field, Pampers Village has been largely successful in accessing new mothers. In 2009, Pampers Village generated 20,000 unique visitors per month in Canada.24 It is likely that the Pampers Village concept would not have been as successful if it had been hosted on a traditional social network. The creators of Pampers Village correctly recognized that in order to gain an audience in the online parenting field and consequently learn more about their customers; they needed to create their own social community. The development of a brand new network allowed the company to distribute a wide variety of content in their own format, brought legitimacy to the platform and created a new community where mothers could connect anonymously. The success of Pampers Village illustrates the benefits of taking a risk and developing a new social network. Risks of Developing In-House Social Media Platforms Despite the many benefits that can be gained by developing a unique in-house social media platform or campaign, this approach presents a number of risks and challenges. First, it can sometimes be difficult to engage consumers and draw them to newly created social media websites. Second, in-house social media efforts are likely to require greater maintenance and monitoring. Third, in-house developments demand a greater degree of corporate responsibility than is needed when using publicly available social media platforms. GM Chevy Tahoe Apprentice Campaign In the spring of 2006, General Motors teamed up with Donald Trump's The Apprentice franchise to create a website that allowed contestants to develop their own commercial to promote the new Chevy Tahoe SUV. Their website, ChevyApprentice.com, encouraged participants to design a 30 second digital advertisement by selecting from a variety of pre-set backgrounds, video clips, and theme music that GM had constructed. These user-generated commercials could also include floating text over the images of the creators choosing.25 In addition to having their personal commercial aired on television, the winner and other top contenders had the chance to win a number of big-ticket items, such as a trip to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.26 Over the course of the contest, thousands of users took the opportunity to share their personal thoughts on the Tahoe. Not surprisingly, the ability to share one's thoughts freely created the perfect opportunity for the anti-SUV crowd to voice their discontent for GM's newest vehicle. Of the 22,000 commercials that were submitted, approximately 4,000 took a negative tone.27 The majority of these submissions were either anti-SUV, promoted a specific cause, defamed a particular group or directly attacked the product (Exhibit 5). For example, some critics pointed fingers at GM for contributing to global warming, as witnessed in an ad that featured shots of the Tahoe zooming through snow, mountains, and desert. Over these clips appeared the phrase â€Å"Global warming isn't a pretty SUV ad. It's a frightening reality.† In another clip, the words â€Å"Yesterday's technology today† appeared over a clip of pumping engine pistons.28 Many of these negative commercials went viral, and could be found everywhere from YouTube to Flickr to specific message boards, such as DemocraticUnderground.org. The Chevy Apprentice campaign highlights many of the risks associated with creating a social media website in-house. First, the biggest risk that companies face in attempting to create their own social media website is attracting traffic to their newly created websites. GM mitigated this risk successfully by launching their campaign on the popular television show, The Apprentice, and leveraged other forms of marketing to generate awareness of their social media website. Ultimately, over 22,000 people were enticed to participate in the campaign. ChevyApprentice.com generated 2.4 million page views, with the average visit lasting more than nine minutes.29 A truly unique platform has the potential to draw consumers if it is able to create a novel social media experience. Second, developing a unique social media website is a large investment, as the company is building a new infrastructure for social interaction from scratch. The company must devote significant resources to maintain the website, as they are solely responsible for managing and storing data, enabling security mechanisms, user identity management, and continual upgrades. A flaw in managing any of these aspects has the potential to hamper the overall success of a social media effort. Third, companies are directly accountable for what happens as a result of their personal social media efforts, as they have the ability to directly control content and how the public can view it. On publicly available platforms such as Facebook, companies can blame negative content posted by consumers on the open-ended nature of these platforms and the lack of control the company has over filtering content. GM did not explicitly state rules for contestants designing an advertisement, which gave consumers the impression that GM was not taking responsibility for the content that is being generated. Further, they did not screen any of the submissions before it became viewable by the general public. After negative submissions surfaced on the website (Exhibit 5), GM did not remove these commercials, specifically stating that they would â€Å"begin screening ads for offensive and inflammatory content but would not remove any material based solely on a negative tone toward the company.†30 Although GM was attempting to maintain their customers' freedom of speech, they did not account for differences in opinions when deciding what was â€Å"offensive,† and were criticized for not monitoring controversial topics in their campaign. Key Takeaways General Motors' Chevy Tahoe Apprentice Campaign provides an excellent example as to how using in-house social media can backfire and lead to negative consumer reactions towards the brand. The debate still continues as to whether or not the GM campaign should be deemed a marketing failure or success. The majority of reviewers have labelled it a social media disaster, based on the negative feedback generated. In contrast, GM and a select handful of reviewers believed that this campaign was a marketing success. GM was pleased that the website was highly trafficked and that over eighty percent of commercials depicted the Tahoe in a favourable light. Overall, the campaign generated significant buzz, which was precisely what GM hoped to achieve.31 Despite these apparent successes, there are certainly efforts GM could have undertaken to avoid some of the negative reactions. The company could have taken a more proactive approach to prevent negative backlashes by screening ads more carefully before they could be viewed by the general public. Perhaps a campaign intended to engage participants to create videos about â€Å"how much they love the Tahoe† would have been a better approach.32 Although this may not have generated as many entries, it would eliminate the participants' ability to demote the brand and introduce controversial topics. A handful of authentic, homemade video submissions would have been a better way to promote the vehicle and generate word of mouth buzz in a positive manner. Conclusion The paper examined campaigns that were successful and unsuccessful in utilizing both established social media platforms or developing platforms in-house. Ultimately, a consensus was not reached regarding which strategy is most effective, as there are numerous considerations to take into account given the context of a company's current position. In order to leverage existing social media platforms, the company's target segment should already be current users of these channels so that quick access to these consumers is gained. Additionally, these consumers must be active users of these platforms so that the company can leverage these users to raise awareness about a specific product or brand. However, managers today should nonetheless recognize that social network marketing is still a novelty. Thus, many companies hoping to â€Å"hop on the social media bandwagon† may opt for using existing platforms as these platforms are inexpensive and familiar to their existing customer base. As the number of companies using existing platforms grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate a product and brand on these platforms. Lastly, opting for this marketing tactic ultimately forces the company to give up control regarding the content that is being posted on these third party websites. On the other hand, creating and managing an internal social community allows a company to gain both flexibility with the way in which they choose to display information and bring credibility to those information that is being passed onto the consumers. However, if a company chooses to develop an in-house social media platform, attracting consumers towards this platform may prove more difficult since the in-house platform will not be as well-known as traditional social media sites. In-house social media efforts also require greater maintenance and monitoring and the company creating the site holds a greater responsibility for the content posted since they have the ability to control and filter content. For many companies, social media marketing should be used as an integral part of the company's strategic marketing plan. However, with so many strategic options available regarding social media, it is essential for the company to acknowledge that different social media tactics are suitable for different companies, products, and target customers. The most successful social media marketing campaign requires a thorough understanding of the company's customer base and online habits.

Woodland Indians

Eastern Woodland And The Seven Years’ War The Eastern Woodland Indians mainly consisted of two major regions the Iroquois, which comprised of five tribes and added an additional a sixth later, and the Cherokee. The Indians in the Eastern Woodland nation lived East of the plains and all the way to the coast, Iroquois in North Eastern currently know as the Ohio area and Cherokee South Eastern currently known as the Tennessee and Georgia area. All Indians lived off the lands hunting, gathering, farming, and fishing all to survive.Men constructed bows and arrows to hunt deer and smaller game, women cultivated garden plots gathering corn, beans, and tobacco. The Seven Years’ War or also know as the French and Indian war, the war was fought between Great Britain and France during the years 1756-1763. Warfare was fought in North Eastern America, involving Indians fighting on both sides aligning beside and against European militias. The outcome entailed the British winning the war and with the assistance of the Indians, the French withdrew and were conquered by British dominance.The central purpose for the Indians was to safeguard their homeland and preserve the land independent of foreign dominance. This is why the Seven Year’ War was a pivotal point in Indian civilization because they displayed that they could hold their North Eastern Land. War was eminent with the Indians fighting themselves and siding on different sides. The British constituently pushed for expansion invading the lands of the Iroquois. War and diplomacy involved Europeans and Indians engaging in negotiation to achieve peace trade and land through a diplomacy and not war.War for America the battle between Britain and France continued to propagate because the desire for more land. The Indians became antagonistic in defending their land from foreign invasion. The French assembled resistance with the assistance of Indians in an attempt to push the British out. In the year 1758 the British made peace with the Iroquois Indians. This agreement was made â€Å"Why don’t you and the French fight in the old country and on the sea? The Delaware’s asked. â€Å"Why do you com to fight on our land?This makes everybody believe you want only to take and settle the Land( Calloway) Why would the English â€Å"Wonder at our joining with the French in the present day war? † they asked; â€Å"were we but sure that you will not take our lands on the Ohio, or the West side of Allegiances hills from us; we could drive away the French when we please† (Calloway) Division between the tribal villages throughout the Seven Years’ War caused blood between the tribal communities. The Eastern Woodland Indians had two types of chief’s village and warrior. Most village chiefs were against war and blood bath and reasoned against fighting.Warrior’s chiefs had dissimilar viewpoints from the village chief’s, Warriors chiefs over threw de cisions made by village chiefs. â€Å"Formerly the Warriors were governed by the wisdom of their uncles the Sachems,:† sad an Onondaga chief during the revolution, â€Å"but now they take their own way and dispose of themselves without consulting their uncles the Sachemes (Calloway). † Because of the warrior chiefs motives the Easter woodland were often consider bloodthirsty and savages when referred by the Europeans. The British completed an agreement with the Ohio Indians to protect their land from the French.The French fell week without the Indians assistance allowing the British to effortlessly overthrow the French. The British won the war in 1763. Due to the fact that the Indians knew that this â€Å"war was a contest for Indian land as well as for American independence† most of the Indians sided with the British in hopes to regain their land and freedom (Calloway). Nevertheless, with the threat of war absent, land pioneers and colonizers entered into much of the Iroquois territory, infuriating battles with the Indians. Under the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, the Iroquois ceded to New York all lands east of a line drawn southward.Johnson drafted that treaty and gained Iroquois support. I feel that the most pivotal point in the Woodland Indians occurred when they sided with the British and overcame the French and forced them out. If the Indians hadn’t sided with the British the American Revolution couldn’t of transpired. ? Works Cited Calloway, ed. , The World Turned Upside Down, 133-34. Calloway, Colin G. First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History. Third ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004. Print. Pennsylvania Archives, 1st series, 3 (1853), 548-49 Seneca And Onondaga quotes from Calloway, The American Revolution in Indian Country, 7, 59.

The case of Granite Construction Industry Plc Study

The of Granite Construction Industry Plc - Case Study Example This paper focuses on Granite Construction Company. The paper is aimed at carrying out financial analyses of Granite Construction Plc with particular focus on the liquidity, profitability and solvency ratio so as to gain a reasonable basis for providing recommendations to investors and suppliers on whether to invest or continue business for the company, and finally see the various methods through which the company access the capital market. Having said this, the sections that follow will be structured as follows. Section two provides an overview of the company. Part three provide a table of the various ratios, section four compares these ratios to the industry benchmark, while the next section examine the capital structure of the company and provides recommendations to various interest groups. Granite Construction Inc is a heavy civil construction contractor in the United States. The Company operates nationwide, serving both public and private sector clients. In the public sector, th e company primarily focuses on infrastructure projects, including the construction of roads, highways, bridges, dams, canals, mass transit facilities and airport infrastructure. (Annual report 2007). In the private sector, Granite Construction Inc performs site preparation and infrastructure services for residential development, commercial and industrial buildings, plants and other facilities (www.graniteconstruction.com). According to the (2007), the company owns and leases substantial aggregate reserves and own a number of construction materials processing plants. The Company also have a contractor-owned heavy construction equipment fleets in the United States (www.graniteconstruction.com). Bodie et al (2002), defines the macro economy as the environment in which all firms operate. According to Bodie et al (2002), based on a study on the S&P 500, stock price tends to rise with earnings per share. Although ones ability to forecast the macro economy environment can lead to speculative investment performance, it is not enough to forecast the m

Sports prodigy a curse of blessing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sports prodigy a curse of blessing - Essay Example A child sometimes may project a health which is not normal for him. Sometimes parents and sports coach or teachers may take it as a blessing .This is not right, as a child can hurt himself trying to improve his health more. The bones of a child are not strong as an elderly man, anytime before maturity. And he needs to have mental maturity also to perform well in sports like a matured man. And moreover, childhood is a time to enjoy the sports and not be a sport professional. Being a sport prodigy is definitely a curse. A child cannot think of his future like 30 years ahead before the age of 21 or so and hence being a sports prodigy steals from him his childhood. As per (SPIT)â€Å"It is difficult to ask a 16 year old to think ahead to what her body will be like when she’s 30. But 30 are awfully young to be struggling with symptoms of a degenerative knee and a possible knee replacement†. Normally children at young age need to look after their body well and eat food that is healthy for the body. Only a body with a strong base can help a child to be a sport star. Being a sport prodigy is not an easy thing as one needs to provide all the nutrients to the body in the right quantity at the right time. A sports prodigy means a child who becomes expert in sports due to his skill and capabilities at a smaller age. According to (King Kamali)â€Å" My strength has been a blessing and a curse at the same time. I HAVE to lift heavy to â€Å"feel† the contraction†. It would not be easy even for his parents to maintain him. A child may at times project a well developed body at a small age due to a genetic problem. So the child should be taken to the doctor to look into the problem as a child is overgrowing. Sports are not a temporary activity for a professional, as his whole life is based on that. So once a child shows a sign of sport prodigy, the parents should take it as a

Lockes Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lockes Philosophy - Essay Example It is not clear Whether John as a young man really appreciated the concept of the severe regime his father followed, but it is a well known fact the Locke appreciated the mentioned concept as an adult: 'For, liberty and indulgence can do no good to children: their want of judgement makes them stand in need of restraint and discipline' [1, 62]. 'He that is not used to submit his will to the reason of others, when he is young, will scarcely hearken or submit to his own reason, when he is of an age to make use of it' (Aldrich 1994, p. 62). There is not much information about Locke's early education nevertheless it is known that reading was his passion which he carried through his entire life. At Westminster Scholl in London he studied under the aegis of Dr Richard Busby, the man famous for his knowledge and his pitiless use of the birch-rod on the refractory students. The ultimately arduous academic regime at Westminster school and later at Oxford, the severe birching due to the license that predominated over the students contributed to John Locke's essential repugnance to schools and correspondingly very strong predilection for domestic and private education. It was even more confusing to Locke who had been brought up in a rigours Puritan and Parliamentarian surroundings, to discover that Richard Busby was a recognized Royalist, who did not

(Annotated Bibligraphy) Finding 10 acadamic sources and writing a Essay

(Annotated Bibligraphy) Finding 10 acadamic sources and writing a brief description of those 6 entries(at least 3 sentences) - Essay Example The wars took place in a furious fight to control territory and resources. As violence escalate, laws were legislated to support the war policy of nations, e.g. espionage, albeit complaints of people who uphold freedom of speech against the monstrosity of forced servitude for war and to reassert their constitutional human rights. Author is from Brooklyn who was directly involved in WWII which motivated him to advocate for peace agenda later in his life. In 1956, he became a professor at Spellman College in Atlanta, a school for black women at the height of Civil rights movement. He was an adviser of to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This chapter of the book explicated the racial discrimination and the trafficking of black men who were subjected to severe slavery in North America. Many of them were forced to partake labor for agriculture—to grow rice, corn, and tobacco. Author is directly involved in WWII which motivated him to advocate for peace agenda. In 1956, he became a professor at Spellman College in Atlanta, a school for black women at the height of Civil rights movement. He was an adviser of to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This is a book which relates about post 9/11 incident and the consequential bombings done in Afghanistan as retaliatory moves against suspected terrorists. The author reflected about his experience as ‘bombardier’ in the Second World War and concluded that â€Å"any war, no matter how good, cannot solve the problems.† The author, as a warrior, has experiential stories of his participation on wars in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Iraq and Yugoslavia. In this story, author reflected that while there are so much theoretical concepts about democracy, freedom, national security, there remains a large majority who are poor, hungry and sick. Author advocated for the reversal of the roles of heroes and villains following his deep involvement in

Education Sector & Collective Bargaining Research Paper

Education Sector & Collective Bargaining - Research Paper Example Furthermore, as move towards the statistics provided for the grade 8 and grade 12 students, a visible trend appears. All others states, which prohibit collective bargaining, remain at the bottom but Virginia also keep falling down in the ranking (English, 2011). According to the researches regarding the salaries of teachers, especially in the public schools, most teachers are paid with single salary schedule. Regardless of which grade and subject they teach the criteria for determining their salary remains the same, which depends heavily on their degrees, qualification, and their years of service. There are almost no schools or teachers with bargain on other factors such as difficulty of the job, working with at risk children, working conditions, previous performance, or time required by the children, researches required, and others (English, 2011). The concept of merit based pay is still far way in education sector, however, in other sectors, merit based pay is an existing and growi ng phenomenon (Hannaway & Rotherham, 2006). Nevertheless, as one move up the hierarchy of education undergraduate, masters level education and so on, the power to bargaining the salary with experience and educational qualification increases. There are fewer teachers for higher education, thus they are able to exercise significant power over the bargaining power duties (Moo, 1999; Imber & Geel, 2010). Collective bargaining in various industries and professions involving measures such as strikes and walkouts; however, they cannot be applied in the same way in the educational sector. This is true because professions of doctors, teachers, and law enforcement... As the report stresses it is interesting to note the impact of collective bargaining power on educational levels and performance of students. According to the recent statistics provided by â€Å"National Assessment of Educational Progress of the 52 American Jurisdictions†, Virginia is only American, which prohibits collective bargaining in education sector and still ranks at the seventh position when it comes to assessment of grade 4th students in reading. Furthermore, out of the top 30 states in this list, Virginia is the only one to prohibit collective bargaining. This paper declares that most teachers are paid with single salary schedule. Regardless of which grade and subject they teach the criteria for determining their salary remains the same, which depends heavily on their degrees, qualification, and their years of service. There are almost no schools or teachers with bargain on other factors such as difficulty of the job, working with at risk children, working conditions, previous performance, or time required by the children, researches required, and others. The concept of merit based pay is still far way in education sector, however, in other sectors, merit based pay is an existing and growing phenomenon. Collective bargaining in various industries and professions involving measures such as strikes and walkouts; however, they cannot be applied in the same way in the educational sector. This is true because professions of doctors, teachers, and law enforcement agencies provided important and urgent services to the society.

Adam Smith During the Scottish Enlightenment Research Paper

Adam Smith During the Scottish Enlightenment - Research Paper Example On graduating, he successfully delivered a number of public lectures at Edinburgh. Those lectures led him eventually to cooperation with David Hume during the period of Scottish Enlightenment. Sharing both rationalist and humanist outlook of the European Enlightenment of the same epoch, the key thinkers and doers of Scottish Enlightenment maintained the fundamental importance of the reason combined with a rejection of all the authorities that cannot be vindicated by reason. They clang to an optimistic belief in the ability of a man to make changes for the better in both nature and social life, being guided solely by the reason. It was this very feature that added the Scottish Enlightenment the peculiar flavor that has distinguished it from its counterpart from over the Continent. Furthermore, Scottish Enlightenment was characterized by an extremely thorough empiricism and practically where the main virtues were held to be a practical benefit, improvement, and virtue itself of both societies a whole and an individual. By the middle of the 18th century, Scots had become hardly the most literate nation of Europe. Its level of literacy was estimated as high as 75%. Yet it was not many of them who were making Enlightenment. The whole culture of that time Scotland was oriented to books so spirited discussions were held at such places of intellectual gatherings as The Select Society and The Poker Club. Those places, in fact, were crucibles from which lots of ideas distinguishing Scottish Enlightenment developed. When teaching moral philosophy at Glasgow Smith received a chair, and during within this period of time, he published his work The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Later he received a tutoring position allowing him to travel over Europe where he used to meet other prominent intellectuals of the Enlightenment epoch.  

The Black writers Essay Example for Free

The Black writers Essay Whether Racism is an issue of not in USA (also in some Western Countries), it is a flourishing business. The Black writers are aware of this fact and do not hesitate to take ‘un’due advantage of the situation. When a Black writer takes on another ‘black’ writer, the basic issue, the calamity of being a Black, is intelligently swept under the carpet or the issue will be highlighted with a thick coat of extra Black, for the purpose of competition. I remember a three-time divorcee, also a scholar in the oriental language Sanskrit, comment on the theme family. Marriage is the foundation stone for a happy family,† he said and then went on to dissect the word ‘Vivaha’ (marriage). ‘Vaha’ means to flow and ‘vi’ means harmoniously together. Therefore, the word ‘Vivaha’ means to flow together harmoniously. Two distinct individuals, two separate personalities, bred, born and brought up in different set of circumstances try to come together from that day onwards to find a common identity, a common goal, and to be precise a common all! â€Å"he said. thank for you support to the institution of marriage, the three-time divorcee that! An author, when he decides to write the novel, has the issue and theme hovering in his mind. His being an author is itself the major issue. Howsoever detached he claims to be, he can not avoid himself, from the word go to the last sentence of the novel. The next importance issue is the influence of the family, an important family member or members! Percival Everett is a Professor of literature and Head of the English Department at the University of Southern California and the author of fourteen previous novels. He is the Ellison in the novel under review. Ellison faces personal and family crises—most notably, his aged mother is fast succumbing to Alzheimer’s and he is also struggling to understand his father’s suicide seven years before. The first 10 pages of the book relate to conversation between brother and sister, brother and brother and other personal issues. This is the first indication of the firm attachment the author has for the family, or say the ‘joint family! ’ The book is an entertaining mix of serious issues clubbed with personal affection and parody. The ‘family’ thread appears and reappears in the novel in one form or the other. Everett had a strong provocation to write this novel. The badge of suffering that had been a part of the Black family not many decades ago in U. S. comes to the fore in the very first page of the book. He writes, â€Å"I have always been severely put off by any story which had its main character a writer. (To an extent it is true of this novel also! ) So, I will claim to be something else, if not instead, then in addition, and that shall be a son, a brother, a fisherman, an art lover, a woodworker. If for no other reason, I choose this last, callous-building occupation because of the shame it caused to my mother, who for years called my pickup truck a station wagon. †Ã¢â‚¬â€the familial bonds are subtly explained and given importance to! (p. 1)He novel is a parody of contemporary African-American literature. It contains excellent descriptions on authentic family/social feelings with depth and emotion. My Pafology was initially submitted to the Agent under the gangsta pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh. This one ‘wrong’ step leads to a series of comical, problematic situations later as the novel climbs the ladder of unprecedented success. Thelonius Monk Ellison, author of experimental novels, is somewhat estranged from his family because he was favored by an emotionally distant, recently deceased father. When his sister is killed, Monk returns to Washington, D. C. , to care for his mother, who is in the early stages of Alzheimers disease. ’ The graphic description as to how he tackles the family crisis, clubbed with the professional crisis, with the burden of seventeen ejection slips for his novel, which later turns out to be a monumental success, keeps the reader glued to the novel. Monks main character is an Ebonics-spouting brute with no regard for his four children or their respective mothers. Everett is an enormously talented writer, who juggles with the serious issues related to Black race and other problems faced by US with ease and makes you ponder and giggle at the same time. His wit, the mode of criticism and sarcasm are worth noting. The ideas are engaging and he has intelligently roped in the black community and the white community, his sweet-bitter comments on the US social system merit careful attention, though he says it with a hilarious authenticity.

Cultural Conversations Essay Example for Free

Cultural Conversations Essay Nonviolence has been used as an instrument of peace throughout history and it has proven to be an effective tool in instigating change in the society. Spearheaded by Mohandas Gandhi’s moving principle of nonviolent action towards the unjustly rule of the British forces in India, change is indeed possible if done out of the context of truth in love. The precept in nonviolence operates under what Gandhi termed as satyagraha or soul force which sought to compel change by way of non-cooperation and self-sacrifice for the attainment of justice. Gandhi’s worldview revolutionized the path social movements followed and morally awakened its consciousness. It didn’t take long for the whole world to take notice of Gandhi’s efforts and aspire to understand the philosophy behind nonviolence as a means for social transformation. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the modern social reformists who adhered to the teachings of Gandhi’s nonviolent action in order eradicate racial segregation in America. Just like Gandhi, King had personal experiences of racial discrimination which had propelled him to act in defiance towards the injustices that prevailed in American society. His frustration on the black segregation system prompted him to find alternative solutions for the furtherance of black civil rights in a white-dominated America. Impressed by the impact of Gandhi’s satyagraha principle, King incorporated the concept with his strong Christian background and created an unstoppable force within the convictions that echoed the sentiments of the black people. While great minds do think alike, their ideas tend to diverge in different tangents and this holds true for Gandhi’s and King’s comprehension of nonviolent action/passive resistance. Both Gandhi and King believed that in order to free themselves from the fetters of racial prejudice, they had to resort to disclosing the social realities that undermined their civil rights in a way that did not induce a violent force, rather, a force that was directed towards love. This entailed self-sacrificial acts to incite a moral response from the oppressors such as enduring physical torture from the oppressors, submitting to the law if need be and protesting under dire circumstances. It was a feat that seemed too daunting to be carried out since it requires more from the oppressed individual (Dilks, Nonviolence: A Weapon for Peace). The precepts of non-violence engage the individual to be physically submissive but mentally and spiritually active and any individual who is willing to undergo through that must be prepared and committed to take it to the long haul. Both Gandhi and King took the principle to heart and lived it. They did not rest until everyone listened. They understood that freedom would only be granted to them if they demanded it. Gandhi had emphasized that in order to achieve outward freedom, one must be free from within and this could only be attained through self- sacrificial actions in the context of self-purification. He believes that by being a strong spiritual leader, he would not only set an example for the people of India which would garner their support, but also possess the power to change the course of their existence. King had operated on this concept of freedom but was more apt to focus on the attainment of outward freedom since he believed that it appealed more to the American society as it is a nation that revels in the intricacies of law technicalities (Dilks, Nonviolence: A Weapon for Peace). In the letter that Martin Luther King jr. had written in Birmingham jail, he had discussed the relevance on breaking the laws of man if it hindered to protect and enforce the rights of an individual. King had explained the concept of law by stating the ideas of St. Augustine on its two different types, the just law and the unjust law. According to St. Augustine, just laws were in accordance with the natural laws of man in proportion with moral codes. Unjust laws were simply corrupt laws made by man which debases humanity as a whole (Dilks, Nonviolence: A Weapon for Peace). King had expressed that laws which discriminate individuals are unjust laws since it encourages inhumane treatment to an individual. While Gandhi’s belief on the necessity of breaking laws is quite similar, in essence he observed it through simple demonstrations and the importance of spiritual well-being. It is crucial to note that cultural differences are at play here since India’s religion is much more rooted on its people than it is for most Americans, which explains why Gandhi’s approach was much more inclined to spiritual self-fulfilment. In King’s Letter in Birmingham jail, he also wrote that the pressure appended to passive resistance should rouse social tension that would render negotiations. Though Gandhi has emphasized the need for patience in executing satyagraha, King understood that waiting was not an option at this point for they were dealing with a different audience. King had realized that while self-purification should be the driving force in nonviolent actions, one should also consider the degree to which the method should be enforced so as to be heard (Dilks, Nonviolence: A Weapon for Peace). The way in which Gandhi and King had expressed their convictions should also be taken into account as it reveals the differences in their style techniques that conquered the hearts of the people. King’s execution of passive resistance seemed more forceful in nature due to his passionate orations compared to Gandhi’s spiritual mind frame and mellow tonality, still both of them had one thing in mind which was to voice out the injustices within their society. Both Gandhi and King had sought to depict the social inequalities in their society. Though this action did not go unopposed, their passive resistance to such conflict invigorated them to act in accordance with love for their oppressors. Gandhi had stated in his teachings that the intention of exposing such social injustices should not be focused on degrading the individuality of their oppressors as it were regarding the relationship between the Indians and the British, but to appeal to their sensibilities and the intrinsic understanding that as human beings, we are one, regardless of race and gender. Gandhi believed that if an individual’s motives are untainted, truths will inevitable come out and justice will prevail. King held these views to heart as well which is why he had urged his fellow Black Americans to not retaliate by violent means but by a diplomatic engagement of passive resistance (Dilks, Nonviolence: A Weapon for Peace). Gandhi and King were known to be great social reformists who popularized the use of nonviolence as a means for social change. Even though both men had maintained different focal points for the furtherance of their causes, their mission of employing nonviolent actions toward active opposing forces remained intact. The end result is a transformation in the existing relationship of the oppressed and the oppressor. Reference: Dilks, Stephen, et al. Nonviolence: A Weapon for Peace? Cultural Conversations: The Presence of the Past. Bedford/St. Martin: New York, 2001.

Capitalist society

Capitalist society What are the defining characteristics of a capitalist society? Which characteristics have held constant, and which been transformed, in the period since the 1970s? In this essay I am going to examine the six main characteristics of capitalism, as outlined by Adam Smith in his book An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). To aid me in this I shall include references from a broad range of Sociologists in order to elaborate on Smiths points and provide elucidated examples. I then plan to discuss how these characteristics have been transformed since the end of the rapid economic growth post World War Two in the 1970s and the catalysts for these transformations. Prior to this I am going to give an overview of the definition and inception of capitalism. Edmund Burke (1795) defines a capitalist society as one in which even labour is seen as a commodity; the means of production are privately owned by the bourgeoisie whom pay the proletariat a wage in exchange for their labour. Good are produced in accordance with what will make the greatest profit for the bourgeoisie rather than to comply with the needs of the consumer base. The history of capitalism can be traced back as early as the 8th century, in his book Capitalism in Medieval Islam, The Journal of Economic History Sabhi Labib refers to this as, ‘Islamic Capitalism; the stability and relatively high value of the dinar currency led to the establishment of one of the first economies were money was traded in exchange for goods or services. However capitalism didnt become dominant in the ‘West until the 18th century, the catalyst for this was the French revolution of 1789. During this time social stress built due partially to an excessive population, which led to food shortages and disease epidemics. Despite the recent growth of capitalism due to increases in overseas trade and thus the continued growth of the economy the majority of French citizens (especially in rural areas) continued to live at or below the poverty level. Furthermore the stratification system of dividing the population into a hierarchy of social orders at birth caused social unrest. People wanted social change but were unwilling to act, until the fall of Bastille. The storming of the French prison by a group of middle class demonstrators protesting the dismissal of Jacques Necker effectively acted as a catalyst for the revolution; people began to realise that drastic action could bring about social change. Violence dominated the French Revolution; King Louis XVI was dethroned and beheaded and in 1793/1794 thousands more also met this fate, executed because they were thought to be anti-revolution. The French Revolutionary government, who had seized power during the political instability that followed the abolishment of the monarchy, entered war with most of the major powers in Europe, a war that outlasted the revolution. Throughout the bloodshed a number of important changes took place, the most radical of these being the abolition of feudalism and the establishment of a new order. A massive shifting of power from the Roman Catholic Church to the state took place; property was taken from the Church and members of the clergy were forced to sign an oath swearing loyalty to the state. The French revolution was swiftly followed by the Industrial Revolution in Britain, which in turn led to the spread of revolution across Europe. The Industrial Revolution brought an end to feudal society in Britain and a capitalist economic system began to develop through the growth of free labour which liberated industries such as the textile industry. E.A Wrigley wrote that industrialisation was the product of a steady increase in per capita income (1972). Though it should be noted that the economic changes were not the only factors to contribute to the rise in capitalism, the process also involves a wider set of social changes (Kumar 1978) for example Max Weber believed the Protestant ethic was a driving force in the development of capitalism. Now I have given an overview in to the development of capitalist societies I am going to discuss the characteristics associated with them. As previously stated Adam Smith outlined six characteristics of the capitalist society, the foundation of these characteristics was the notion of freedom; Smith believed that capitalism was characterised by individuals having both freedom of enterprise, that is the freedom and right to own property and/or a business and the freedom to dictate their own labour and consumer habits (freedom of economic choice). This freedom is however restricted by human need for sustenance and the means of production, ‘He is not forced to live according to the plan of a planning authority enforcing its unique plan by the police, i.e., the social apparatus of compulsion and coercion. What restricts the individuals freedom is not other peoples violence or threat of violence, but the physiological structure of his body and the inescapable nature-given scarcity of the factors of production. (Mises, L. The Anti-capitalistic Mentality, 1956 CH.1) A further characteristic put forward by Smith was the division of labour; for humans to carry out this production of materials they have to form what are known as, ‘relations of production, and divisions of labour must be made which are determined by the means of production at the time and whom owns them. According to Geoff Pilling (1980) for these relations of production take on the form of classes, as they have done present day, the productive forces must reach a certain level of growth (he further noted that if productive forces continued to increase to a higher level society may return to being class-less). . To illustrate Adam Smiths theory that within in a capitalist society there are high levels of self interest it is useful to look at the work of Marx. Marx used the model of a modern capitalist society as an example of how we can look at how the unequal distribution of the means of production leads to class development and thus class conflict. The bourgeoisie (ruling class) own the means of production, which means that for the proletariat (working class) to gain the materials they need to sustain life they must exchange their labour for a wage. According to Marx, capitalism is driven by an innate greed, especially within the ruling class; capitalists try to find ways to increase workers efficiency and force them to work longer hours. Caporaso and Levine (1992) noted, . ‘As a result profit increases, real wage (subsistence) remains the same the worker works harder, and longer whilst his share of the product declines. . This sets the interests of the two classes in opposition each acting in accordance with their own desires, as the working class are trying to limit the amount of exploitation they suffer. In order to control excesses of both individual and collective self interest capitalist societies require a competitive market, ‘As it is the power of exchanging that gives occasion to the division of labour, so the extent of this division must always be limited by the extent of that power, or, in other words, by the extent of the market. (Smith, A The Wealth of Nations, Book I, Chapter III, 1845) To ensure this competitive market there must be a large population of buyers and sellers, this is to ensure that no one person or group of peoples can dictate the price of a good or service by manipulating the supply or demand. One recent example of a company attempting to manipulate the supply/demand chain is that of Apple. The corporation is one of the main buyers of NAND flash memory chips, they are accused of indicating to their suppliers that they require larger volumes of stock than they actually intend to purchase. In order to meet this demand the suppliers increase production and as a result are left with a surplus amount of stock which they are forced to sell at a reduced rate. Moreover a competitive market must allow everyone free entrance and exit from the marketplace and must not restrict knowledge; both buyers and sellers must be aware of the markets that exist and the range of prices. The final characteristic of a capitalist society given by Adam Smith is that of limited government or laissez-faire, however it is a theory that only works if the aforementioned five characteristics are fulfilling their role. Smith believed that the government should not intervene in the marketplace as that would ruin its chances of operating efficiently and to its full potential. He saw it as the governments role to police the marketplace by creating and enforcing laws to ensure fair practice as well as helping to settle disputes. Now I have provided insight in to the characteristics of a capitalist society I am going to discuss how economic events, including two global recessions, over the past forty years have affected the characteristics and policies of the capitalist system. World War Two was the catalyst for the beginning of mass production of goods, this was known as Fordism. The process was named after Henry Ford, whom helped develop the first car that was economically viable for the working class through the use of assembly lines. Not only did this method of mass production lower the price of the end product, it also enabled Ford to hire unskilled workers which helped reduce unemployment at the time. Wages in his factory were high, at five dollars a day which enabled his employees to become consumers through this Ford managed to boost the economy. The practice of Fordism helped overcome the economic depression that occurred during the 1930s as it decreased the numbers of unemployed and increased the efficiency of workers meaning that profits rose. However the Fordist work structure was abandoned in the 1970s when economic crisis put an end to the post-war boom. The causes of this economic downturn were the oil crisis of 1973, the 1973-74 stock marke t crash, a period of slow economic growth (stagnation) and inflation. Gamble and Walton (1976) used statistics to show that it was no longer realistic for ‘Western societies to practice Fordism; they found that by 1975 3.5% of the UK was unemployed (which went against the Fordist ideal of full employment) and that inflation had increased by 27%. The aforementioned factors combined led to a massive decrease in consumerism. This economic crisis caused dramatic changes within the capitalist system and the development of a new system of economic production post-1970 that is often called Post-Fordism. It should however be noted that although the economic downturn was the main driving force for the introduction of Post-Fordism, globalisation and advances in technology also aided the transformation. Flexible production defines Post-Fordism; producers began to look more closely at the individual needs of their consumer base and produce small amounts of specialised goods rather than mass producing standardised products. One example of this is that of ‘Third Italy, this was the name given to regions of Italy such as Tuscany and Veneto that were encouraged by the Italian government to produce small quantities of high quality products. The goods were produced in small workshops with a workforce of fewer than fifty people and workshops from different regions often pooled their resources in order to purchase machinery. Despite the fact that these unique products were highly desirable to consumers and thus enabled these small companies to charge more advances in technology during the 1990s led to many corporations once again succumbing to mass production. Writing of Benetton, whom started as a small family business in Veneto (Third Italy) before becoming a large corporation, Castells stated, ‘New technologies allow for the transformation of assembly lines characteristic of the large corporation into easy-to-program production units that can be sensitive to variations in the market (product flexibility) and in the changes of technological inputs (process flexibility). (2000: 167) This product and process flexibility has enabled Benetton to maintain their individuality and the exclusive feel of their products regardless of their current status as a global fashion brand with over 6,000 retail outlets. Another such change is the deregulation of markets. Reich (2007) wrote that post Second World War capitalist society was dominated by ogliopolies whom controlled the industry; they were aided by government regulation that allowed them to keep out competition. Changes in the seventies however reduced the power of these large conglomerates as the government simplified laws regarding the market place, this led to a massive increase in competition as it became easier to start up businesses. Competition was further increased by the globalisation of the capitalist economy as corporations began increasing their consumer base by seeking larger international markets. The deregulation of markets is a product of the theory of Neoliberalism, which aims to increase the efficiency of governments and improve economies by transferring some economic control from the public sector to the private sector (Cohen 2007). This policy complies with Smiths theory of laissez-faire as it reduces government intervention. Margret Thatcher, whom served as prime minister of the UK for eleven years was an advocate of this policy; between 1979 and 1990 she oversaw the privatisation most of the United Kingdoms utilities including British Telecom, British Railways and bus services throughout London. And although the current government has yet to privatise any public services there does not appear to be any intention of reversing the work done by Thatcher in reforming the economy. There is no doubt that the capitalist system has undergone many transformations over the last few decades; the changes to economic policy caused by the current global recession serve to reinforce this. However the foundation of capitalism and the core values of the system remain intact; the essence of capitalism is still profit. The proletariat are still exploited by the bourgeoisie and the rich-poor divide increases each passing year (particularly in less economically developed countries for example in 2007 the amount of billionaires in India almost doubled). Adam Smiths vision of a competitive market that could not be dictated by any one corporation now seems too idealistic; the ‘free market is controlled by those who own large conglomerates, their wealth ensuring that nothing stands in their way. References Books Burke, E. Thoughts and Details on Scarcity, Edition 3, 1800, Oxford University: F. and C. Rivington and J. Hatchard. Caporaso, J. A and Levine, D.P Theories of Political Economy; 1992, Cambridge University Press Castells, M. The Rise of the Network Society, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture Vol. I; 2000, Cambridge, MA; Oxford, UK: Blackwell Cohen, Joseph Nathan The Impact of Neoliberalism, Political Institutions and Financial Autonomy on Economic Development, 1980-2003; 2007, Dissertation, Department of Sociology, Princeton University. Defended June 2007 Gamble, A and Walton, P. Capitalism in Crisis; 1976, Macmillan Kumar, K. Prophecy and Progress The Sociology of Industrial and Post-Industrial Society; 1978, Viking Labib, S. Capitalism in Medieval Islam, The Journal of Economic History; 1969 pp. 79-96 Mises, L. The Anti-capitalistic Mentality; 1956, Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2006. Pilling, G. Marxs Capital, Philosophy and Political Economy; 1980, Routledge Keagan Paul Reich, R B. Supercapitalism. The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life; 2007 Knopf; illustrated edition Smith, A. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, 1845, Nelson Wrigley, E.A The Process of Modernization and the Industrial Revolution in England, Journal of Interdisciplinary History, Vol. 3, No. 2, Economics, Society, and History 1972, pp. 225-259 1972, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the editors of The Journal of Interdisciplinary History. Websites http://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/index.htm http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxtstaticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1889chapter=109993layout=htmlItemid=27 http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/11/apple-using-dodgy-tactics-to-get-better-nand-flash-prices.ars

Essay --

PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE SMOKING POLICY ON CAMPUS INTRODUCTION Purpose This proposal is to improve the campus environment. Non- smokers does not like the smell of nicotine so it is their right to have a smoke-free environment where they pay tons of thousands of dollars in tuition every year, every semester in many cases. It is designed to encourage better health for everybody. Scope This report covers up policies on our campus. It also compares the policy with policies from other colleges and schools. There are few ways we can deal with this growing issue and improve atmosphere around us. BACKGROUND General Information Every year, there are hundreds of new students admitted to our campus. We are given the student handbook at beginning of the year, which includes school policies. Majority of students do not read the book or just read it for once. We have to start encouraging students to read the policies about smoking and tobacco usage on and around the university properties. Most of the students do not smoke but the other half population that does come from experience in smoking. They start smoking from high school. Research For this issue, I decided to talk to some of the smokers, non-smokers, faculty, and nurses. Most of them had the same opinion on smoking on campus. I also used internet to find policies on our campus and other colleges around us. Some of them had very strict policies on smoking and usage of tobacco around their campuses. When I looked at the smoking policy on our campus, I found that it has not been updated since 2006. It is a long time to overlook an issue of this level. Findings/ Issues Through my research, I came over with few ways we can make our campus green. I also came across the issue of cig... ...ial parking spots just for smokers away from the campus buildings. They can smoke there whenever they without jeopardizing other people’s health. Like proposed before, we can establish â€Å"Smoking Huts† one far end of the parking lot. 7. We can recommend students using the electronic cigarettes instead of traditional smokes. 8. Like many major universities across the nation, we can ban smoking altogether on the campus. This proposal is least likely to pass but as a non-smoker, that is the best way to make our campus environment fresh and clean. CONCLUSION Speaking as a non-smoker, this issue is very serious for us. We definitely have to respect smokers’ choice to smoke but they have to respect ours as well. Not many people like the smell or burning nicotine. These proposals certainly can help clean our community and provide better environment for future generations.

gender codes :: essays research papers

Gender Codes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I have read through this chapter I have noticed the one thing that is common in every section. Each one talks about how men seem to be more powered over women, and then the next it goes to how women then how more control over men, but I think it is all based one the one theory. What era it is. If you talk about the 50’s women who were big and HAD curves where gorgeous. One example would be Marilyn Monroe, she was a size 16 at that time, and she was considered one of the most beautiful women of that time. Next if we go tot he 60’s and 70’s, what ever you looked like you were beautiful too. If we skip forward to the 90’s you will now notice that look are everything. Being ‘bigger’ isn’t the thing. Its either being twig like or muscle like. Now that is for the common women. If you look at men they have never really been judged as harshly as women. A guy could get away with having a big beer belly and no one would rea lly think differently of him. They say the perfect man is business like, muscular, tall, dark and hansom. But honesty how many men REALLY strive for that. Women look at pictures and say to themselves she is blonde, tall, skinny., I can dye my hair blonde, go anorexic, and wear pant that make my legs look longer. Most men don’t sit there and say, ok, I’m going to go to school to become MORE of a business man, I’ll work out everyday for two hours, go tanning so I look darker especially in the winter, and go to a really expensive hair dresser to make me look hansom. I honestly don’t think men would do that. I can see them working out, I can see them going to the hairdresser for a nice haircut, and they might go swimming in the summer.

Leadership transformation

The authors determined that team values are an influencing factor, which has an effect on the team member's response o the transformational leader, and in turn to the team's performance. Research question(s) (Article 1) What questions(s) does the author present? Hypothesis 1. â€Å"Mediated moderation exists when the Interaction between two variables (diversity and transformational leadership) affects a mediator, which then affects a dependent variable† (Morgan-Lopez & MacKinnon, 2006). Hypothesis 2.Task-relevant information has an effect on the relationship between leader and follower performance with regards to the team's educational diversity, age, and nationality. Hypotnesls 3. How tne team views Olverslty 0T Tellow team memoers ana leader as a â€Å"collective† team in regards to performing as a team. Research Question(s) (Article 2) How does the subordinate's performance have anything to do with the leader's values and behaviors? Do transformational leaders enhanc e team performance?The â€Å"transformational leader inspires others to go beyond self-interest, impressions, and limitations in order to motivate followers to become more effective in reaching common goals† (Bass, Avolio, Jung, ; Berson, 2003). The authors focus on team alues, and the effect that those values have on the performance of the team by comparing and contrasting results from results of study done on team members in the United States and Hong Kong. Literature Review —How is this organized? What are the main themes found in the review? Who are the main authors used?

Comparison Contrast of Death of a Salesman and Glengarry Ross

Sasha Schmidt Midterm Essay Question 4 Jeannine Russell 10/28/12 The True Criminal Being a salesman has always carried a negative stigma since the early 1900s. Being seen as pushy, high pressure, deceitful people; the dreaded activity of purchasing some car or new appliance has haunted everyone at some point or another. Many words have come to describe salesman such as â€Å"sharks†, â€Å"cons†, â€Å"thieves† etc. , and these words have stuck with the profession throughout the century. Two very realistic depictions of such phonies can be seen in Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller and Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet.They depict the styles of two salesmen who have very similar selling techniques, but at the same time can be contrastingly different. Willy Loman, the protagonist of Death of a Salesman, is often regarded as a tragic figure with whom the audience feels sympathetic. At the same time, his deceitful, dishonest, adulterous ways are despised. In addi tion to this, his over confident attitude seems supercilious and creates more of a disdain for the character as can be seen when he says â€Å"Goddammit, I could sell them! † (Miller 1071). The same can be said as Mamet’s character, Shelly Levene, starts declaring how great of a seller he was.Basking in his own light he boldly exclaims that his success as a salesman is due not to his luck but his skill†( Mamet 1419). Both characters often times talk about how back in the day they were great assets of the company â€Å"averaging a hundred and seventy dollars a week in commissions† (p. 1089) and â€Å"Cold calling. Nothing. Sixty-five, when we were there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mamet 1419). Both characters meet their tragic ends as they realize that their deceitful and deceptive nature, the facade of great selling they lived behind, is a shattered reality. All both of them want is a chance and to live like they did in the old days and both are denied the chance.Whil e their characters mimic each other, the selling techniques of these two are completely different. Willy’s approach is to go in making natural conversation and the client feel as if they are human. Much to his chagrin is the new reality he is facing, where â€Å"it’s all cut and dried, and there’s no chance for bringing friendship to bear†(Miller 1089). In contrast, Levene takes on the role of â€Å"cut and dried† sales techniques, often using his other associates as pretend clients in order to just make the sell, whether or not he’s tricking extorting money out of his clients.Right from the beginning, he is trying to con â€Å"leads† out of Williamson, his supervisor. â€Å"†¦ I need the leads†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , he boldly tells Williamson who reluctantly begins to make him a deal (Mamet 1418). Right from the get go, Leven is already using the manipulation techniques he uses day in and day out on his co-workers even. Loman pushes hi s honest, integrity, and personality traits as the key to selling success, though we see an obvious decline in his selling abilities compared to the others. That being said, both characters are still very flawed with illusions of owning their own companies and waiting for the right client to come along.They both still have some nasty personality traits and are still putting on a facade to trick people; however, Willy Loman is tricking his family while Shelly Levene is tricking his consumers. Hard selling is a selling technique in which the salesman manipulates the psychological state of the consumer in order to achieve a sale, whether or not the sale is good (Baron & Branscombe). There is little concern for the consumer at all, in fact, often times the seller knows that the consumer is going to be placed into a bad situation, but they specifically rely on the ego-depletion of these buyers.They use a variation of techniques such as door-in-the-face and foot-in-the door just to name a few (Baron & Branscombe). Miller and Mamet depict this from the salesman’s side. They place this psychologically demanding technique at fault of the company, who requires them to sell a goal amount or face termination from the job. Such fear could incite higher pressure selling techniques, which actually make the consumer and the seller feel uncomfortable.Mamet and Miller criticize such deceptive techniques through their plays, highlighting the negative effects (the destruction of the central unit) and exacerbating the flaws of the technique. The role of a salesman has been part of America since the very beginning. With its recent revolution in the 1900s, it has now been associated with a negative stereotype often depicted by movies, literature, and plays. While there might be individual differences in the selling techniques, sellers are all perceived the same: dishonest, deceitful, and as con artists.Such a stigma created by their lack of concern after the sell has been mad e often reconfirms this stereotype. These prejudices notwithstanding, society often places a high demand on consumerism to help the economy and pushing the achievement of the American dream. Miller and Mamet uncover the treacheries of the salesman industry leaving the question as to whom the true criminal is : society or the salesman. Works Cited Jacobus, Lee A. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. Print. Baron, Robert A. , and Nyla R. Branscombe. Social Psychology. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.

Mediation †Practicum

What kept the two sides glued to the negotiating table was their mutual desire to stay out of court.   Although for different reasons, a court case would not help the causes of Manasseh Pulp & Paper Company (Manasseh) and Shawnee Power Company (Shawnee).   Manasseh had two reasons for wanting to settle the dispute out of court.   First, the company was not financially healthy.   It feared that the combined cost of taking down the dam and bringing Shawnee to court would dangerously drain the company coffers. Second, it considered Shawnee a big customer for their specialty papers and believed, correctly, that filing a suit would certainly mean losing a sizable amount of business. (Selig, 2002) Although Manasseh appeared adamant in its initial demand, I believe that the company was really hoping for a favorable out of court settlement. Shawnee, on the other hand, had its own reasons for avoiding a court case.   Even before the problem with Manasseh arose, the company had already received an order from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requiring it to clear the river of their toxic metal discharge.   The company counsel pointed out that a suit involving the same issue might work to their disadvantage in that it might force EPA to compel Shawnee to speed up its compliance with the clean-up directive. Shawnee would not want this to happen because it would mean an earlier cash outflow for the project.   Moreover, if Shawnee lost a court case with Manasseh (and the probability was very high because unquestionably, Shawnee was the source of the toxic metal in the river), the company counsel feared that such a ruling might cause a negative influence on the EPA regarding their directive on the toxic metal clean-up. (Selig, 2002) The aforementioned motivations compelled both parties to keep on discussing possibilities despite recurring impasses brought about by their conflicting interests.   The counsels of both parties played a significant role in maintaining interest in the discussion not only by their constant reminders about the undesirability of litigation, but also by their active participation in efforts to look for mutually-beneficial alternatives. It must be properly noted that during one of the lulls in the discussion, it was the remark of one of the legal counsels that â€Å"it would be a lot simpler and cheaper if we could repair the dam instead of having to take it down,† (Selig, 2002) that started the ball rolling again. Notice should also be made of the participants’ enthusiasm in following-up any new ideas that came from discussants from both sides of the table every time an impasse occurred.  Ã‚   When one of the attorneys made the remark about the possibility of a repair being cheaper, it was a Manasseh vice president who followed it up by asking â€Å"if we were to repair this dam, could we restore railway service over the top and also use it once again to generate electricity?† (Selig, 2002) Another constructive quality shown by the parties to the conflict was their readiness to look at the issue from all sides and take into account radical departures from their original demands and objectives in order to investigate all possible areas of agreement.   For instance, the final solution found by the parties – that of repairing the dam, restoring the railway service, and operating a turbine that would generate power (Selig, 2002) – was a far cry from their original plan of dredging the toxic wastes and dismantling the dam.   However, since both parties were determined to look for a solution, their discussions stretched that far. The successful resolution of the problem faced by Manasseh and Shawnee as shown in this case history, is evidence that if parties to conflicts adopt the correct attitude before embarking on conflict resolution processes, solutions that could benefit all parties involved are almost always available.   That attitude would include a determination to resolve the issue in a way that would benefit the two sides.   To achieve such an attitude, both parties are required to come prepared to open up, speak freely, patiently listen to arguments, empathize with the other’s situation, and be prepared to utilize all pieces of information arising out of the discussions to explore possible avenues of success. As a tactical move, it might help to stand firm on one’s position, but for the sake of a successful negotiation, one should never close the door on proposals from the other side.   In the case history presented, several issues stalled the discussion.   The first hurdle proved to be the differential amount of $2.2 million that Manasseh insisted must be paid by Shawnee and which Shawnee expectedly rejected. (Selig, 2002).   However, because both sides were decided to settle things out of court, that disagreement, and all other subsequent differences of opinions, did not deter them from seeing the process to its final conclusion. The Manasseh – Shawnee negotiation showed that in cases where the parties to a conflict are both intent on resolving their common problem, the mediator becomes redundant.   A mediator is someone who has no interest in the case, personal or otherwise, and his or her neutrality is supposed to afford him or her with an unobstructed view of the possible solutions to the conflict. However, in the subject case history where both parties were determined to cooperate in order to find a mutually-beneficial solution – out of court – their positive attitude was enough to provide them with a certain amount of neutrality that enabled them to stay focused on looking for possible solutions to their shared problem.   Of course, full realization of the dire consequences to both parties in case they failed to reach an agreement proved decisive.   Both Manasseh and Shawnee, for instance, were fully aware of the urgency of repairing the dam before it collapsed because they were advised by their respective counsels that they â€Å"would probably be held jointly and severally liable for the consequences of such a collapse.† (Selig, 2002) The six-month deadline fixed by the Corps of Engineers for the removal of the dam provided an added impetus for the two parties to stay on the negotiating table in spite of several impasses until a solution was finally found. (Selig, 2002)   Based on this case history, it would therefore be safe to conclude that given the proper guidance and control from the proper authority, it only takes total cooperation from both parties to render the mediator redundant. REFERENCES Selig, E.I. (2002). Mediation Principles: An Environmental Case History. Dispute Resolution

Analysis of Macbeth Essay

Shakespeare uses vivid and powerful forms of imagery to let the audience visualize the setting. Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a strong woman who is attracted to power and would do anything to be in control; she is anything but an elegant and sensitive woman. After the bloodshed begins, however, Lady Macbeth falls an easy prey to insanity and guilt. Her soliloquy (5.1.24-30) shows her decline into madness when she says,â€Å"out damned spot†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There are many examples of visual and aural imagery throughout the play. The murder of Duncan is indicated by the clanging of a bell and the knocking at the gate. Though they are not described in the text, the stage directions are enough to build up the tension. The knocking occurs between each line that is spoken in a rhythmic regularity. There is a great emphasis on the knocking because it startles Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as they quickly try and cover up their involvement in the murder. To add to the intensity, the fact that the entire scene (2.2) takes place at night builds up the suspense as the darkness is used to bring up peculiar components like cruelty and the supernatural. Darkness as a thematic tool is instantly used by Shakespeare in the opening of the play. The three witches enter in â€Å"thunder and lightning† which sets the mood of the play, which becomes Shakespeare’s habitual way of introducing the witches into a scene. Introducing the supernatural and the witches to the audience at the beginning, intensifies the significance of their role. The audience can now ascertain that even when the witches do not appear directly in a scene, the progression of the plot will revolve around their prophecies. Shakespeare reminds us of the gloominess of the play by creating uncertainty in Lady Macbeth’s expectant wait for her husband, which soon becomes nervousness and excitement as he arrives. Animal imagery, a frequent motif, in this case, the shrieking of the owl is considered as an indication that â€Å"He is about it .† The owl, like a raven, is considered an ill omen; an omen of death and represents nature’s ‘messenger-’â€Å"the fatal bellman.† This line appears to minimize the enormity of Duncan’s murder and seems that Lady Macbeth is blaming the bellman. Blood is another motif throughout the play. The language used to describe Macbeth’s anguished state is extraordinarily effective in terms of imagery and detail. When Macbeth looks at his hands and thinks they are a â€Å"sorry sight† and his hand â€Å"will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red† (2.2.58). Shakespeare uses personification to manipulate Macbeth’s bloody hands as witnesses to the murder when Lady Macbeth urges him to â€Å"wash this filthy witness from your hands† (2.2.50). ‘Themes are fundamental ideas explored in literary work.’ In my chosen extract, there are no specific lines that show the various themes in the play. However, the link between cruelty and masculinity is one of the first themes introduced to the audience. The murder of Duncan is the first in Macbeth’s long line of killings. It soon becomes evident to us that Lady Macbeth provides the brains and the willpower behind Macbeth’s actions. Her behavior proves that women can be as ambitious as men, as she herself wishes to be â€Å"unsexed† (1.5.40); to become more masculine than feminine. Even so, she depends on the manipulation of others, rather than using violence herself. Macbeth asks her to â€Å"bring forth men children only† (1.7.73) and she says nothing to challenge this statement. The hired murderers were also persuaded to kill Banquo by being questioned about their manhood. These acts prove that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth associate courage or strength with violence; they think alike. The witches’ predictions also spark Macbeth’s need to continue the bloodshed as he is blinded by his overconfidence in them. When Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are first introduced, they appear to have a very strong and caring relationship that seems to be based on trust (Macbeth tells her about the three witches in his letter). However, as Macbeth’s lust for remaining King grows, the audience knows that one murder always leads to another. Because of this, his relationship with Lady Macbeth weakens and is not able to flourish. We notice that whenever they are together in a scene, they are either pretending to be innocent or planning yet another murder. The scene after the murder of Duncan, consists of a range of language techniques. The first clever part of this scene is Shakespeare’s use of a technique known as Elision. It does not allow the readers to witness the actual murder of Duncan. This is an age old tradition used by the Greek tragedians Sophocles and Aeschylus, to allow the reader’s mind to decide on the enormity of an unseen event, in this case; the murder. This diverts the audiences’ attention to the reactions caused by the murder and not the murder itself. Shakespeare uses specific words that have an impact on the reader’s mind. â€Å"It was the owl that shriek’d† (2.2.3) is a very effective sentence. Shakespeare could have substituted this word for anything that meant ‘to scream’ and it would not have had the same effect. This is because the word ‘shrieked’ not only contains plosive consonants (K & D), but also implies a high-pitched, piercing sound of terror or pain, contributing to the strength of the sentence and the recurring motif of death or blood. The order of the sentences used by Shakespeare, or the syntax, is simply changed by varying sentence length and rearranging the order of the words for effectual sentences. A variety of techniques such as ellipses and antithesis’ are frequently used by Shakespeare throughout the play. The antithesis, in this case, is Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare emphasizes her courage to admit to herself that â€Å"what hath quench’d them, hath given me fire†- which shows that she has been drinking too. Lady Macbeth: Did not you speak? Macbeth: When Lady Macbeth: Now. Macbeth: As I descended? Lady Macbeth: Ay. Macbeth: Hark! This piece of text, taken after the murder, shows how Shakespeare uses monosyllabic words to build up the tension and intensity of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s staccato-dialogue conversation. Shakespeare also uses a traditional kind of verse known as the Iambic Pentameter (unrhymed). It consists of a ten-syllable line with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (â€Å"da DUM†). The majority of this play alternates between prose and blank verse. Blank verse resembles prose in that the last word of each sentence does not rhyme, however, there are the occasional rhyming couplets: â€Å"Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell†Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Ã¢â‚¬Å"That summons thee to heaven or to hell† †¨ The utilization of the iambic pentameter, gives the lines a certain rhythm, making them easier to remember when producing a play. However Shakespeare sometimes uses a style of writing called prose. Prose is a piece of written or spoken language in its ordinary form without a rhythmical pattern or any metrical structure. An example of prose can be seen from lines seventeen and onwards. The sentence structure is short, simple and smart. Sentences like â€Å"Ay† and â€Å"When?† show that the conversation between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is fast-paced and confirms that they are nervous. Lady Macbeth: A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight Macbeth: There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried ‘Murder!’ This piece of text shows that Macbeth is affected by the murder. Shakespeare conveys this to the audience by changing the subject abruptly. Verse is much too regular and orderly for expressing madness or is simply not the natural way to speak. In my chosen extract, there are not many examples of verse as the murder has already taken place. Macbeth is in a state of shock and regret, therefore, prose seems appropriate to convey this feeling to the readers and audience. In conclusion, I believe that this scene was the most crucial part of the entire play. Shakespeare manages to build up the tension and increase it until after the murder. Shakespeare’s use of language, equivocation and tragic irony merge to build up the suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. His use of personification and imagery create realistic and very believable characters, which are crucial for a successful play.