Social terms in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social terms in Islam - Essay Example He went to a cave to muse on the problems, and there he prayed. In the year 610, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. It was Gabriel who gave Muhammad the words to the Koran. Muhammad started to preach, and at first his words were not taken well. Meccans were told not to trade with the would-be Muslims. In the year 619 his wife died. It was after this that he had his famous journey to Jerusalem. Soon men from Medina heard of him, and said that if his ideas worked "he would be the strongest man in Arabia." (U.S. News and World Report, Secrets of Islam pg.22) The Medina Arabs soon accepted Islam, but it was far from being accepted by everybody in Arabia. Muhammad died at the age of 63, and within a century of his death Islam spread across three continents. The first split in the religion happened not long after Muhammad's death. When Muhammad died he left no indication of who was to rule after him. The Sunnis believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin should have been the first caliph to rule after Muhammad. Instead, he was the 4th. The third caliph; Uthman, was killed, and Ali was accused of not pursuing Uthman's killers. Mu'awiya, Uthman's cousin and the governor of Damascus refused to accept Ali as the caliph until Uthman's killers were caught. Ali was killed by one on his own followers, and then Mu'awiya took the title of caliph. Ali's son, Hussein was promised the caliph after Mu'awiy died. However Mu'awiya's son took the caliph, and Hussein died. However Hussien's son Ali survived, and the two lines of caliphs made the split between the Islamic factions of Sunni and Shia. Both sects of the religion are Islam however. A believer of Islam, be the person Sunni or Shia, is called a Muslim. Muslim is the Arab word for submission to the will of Allah. And a Muslim is a person who has submitted their will to the will of Allah. Muslims believe in the 5 Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars are: 1. To believe in Allah and his Prophet Muhammad. 2. To pray in the direction of Mecca five times a day 3. To make a pilgrimage to Mecca during their lifetime if able 4. to pay religious taxes(alms) 5. to observe and fast during Ramadan The holy book for Muslims, the Koran, is the main source for Islamic law. It is considered the ultimate source of instruction and information. The legal interpretation of the Koran is call the Shariah and can vary within the religion. For example, the Koran calls for modesty in women's dress, and some Shariah's say that women should be veiled from head to foot. Islam soon spread far across the world. There is some debate however about how it came to Kyrgyzstan. Some sources say it was brought over by Sufis, Islamic missionaries. The majority of the other sources say that the religion was brought over by merchants and traders. As merchants traded, they would sell their wares as well as spread their Islamic faith. Islam was assimilated into the lifestyle of the people of the area. Some ideas of the religion were ignored, because they didn't fit with the nomadic life style of the people. The people of the area mainly practiced animism and forms of shamanism, and it I believed that they simply took and chose which parts of Islam they wanted to adopt. Many people also considered themselves Muslim, even if they didn't hold any of the beliefs of the religion. Because of the nomadic way of life, Islam does not have a strong hold on the society of Kyrgyzstan. One example of this is the role of women. Due to

The significance of the social classes concept

The significance of the social classes concept Andersen Taylor (2007) define class mobility as the movement between different classes. This type of mobility can either be downward or upward in nature. Social classes are cultural or economical arrangements of groups within a society. Class becomes a very crucial object that political scientists, sociologists, economists, social historians, and anthropologists use for their various analysis purposes. Within social sciences, the social class is usually talked over by considering social stratification. In the Western world, stratification particularly includes upper class, middle class, and lower class and each of the three classes can be further classified into occupational classes (Edgell, 1993). In a number of societies, particularly in the United States, the concept of class mobility is a very significant social idea, with her citizens considering that every individual has got a chance to climb up the social class ladder. An individuals social class can be determined by a number of factors for instance, occupation, education, wealth or access to money, and race. These are very crucial factors that place people within different social classes within any given society particularly the societies in the Western world. The factor such as race can bring about a help or a hindrance for class mobility depending on an individuals race and the society in consideration, as well as culture, manners, and the family history. In some societies for example, an individual who has a lot of liquid money might be regarded as being in upper class, while in other societies, this individual might not be considered to belong to the upper class owing to other factors such as the individuals occupation and family history. An example in this case is a pawnbroker who has done very well, but might not belong to the upper class in spite of having a lot of money like a famous banker, while the children of the pawnbroker might possi bly join the upper class as they may develop most prestigious occupations (Andersen Taylor, 2007). As seen, most of the Western nations are generally divided into lower, middle, and upper class. Each of these classes has its own characteristic features which differentiates it from the other classes. The lower class is characteristic of laborers who earn low income as they acquired limited education, and this makes the individuals in the class to acquire only few opportunities for economic or educational progress. At times, a member of the lower class may have a lot of money just like the member in the topmost class, but still will be classified under lower class because the family background or the occupation that he or she is engaged in. The members within the middle class are seen to be economically stable having attained more educational opportunities. As well in the middle class, the individuals have got increased social opportunities due to the idea that their class status is elevated. The upper class forms the stratum the social structure with lowest population of individual s. This class constitutes individuals with well established social positions including increased prestige as well as better economic security (Saunders, 1990). In most of the societies within the Western world, the goal of individuals within the lower and middle classes is the upward class mobility as they believe that higher social classes are more socially and economically secure. Achieving the class mobility can be done through various ways for instance; an individual who is attempting to attain class mobility can aggressively pursue social and educational opportunities while another individual can center on laying the groundwork so that the future generations of his or her family will find themselves in the highest social class stratum. An example in this case, is an individual in the lower or middle class, who works very hard to acquire college fees to ensure that his or her children have chances which would no be attained (Ferrante, 2007). Within some societies, individuals experience downward class mobility as well. Downward class mobility becomes a great fear among many people who usually feel that their social ranks are unstable. Experiencing a radical change in fortunes may become an indication for a family which belongs to a higher class to fall down within the class stratification, usually when the changes persevere over many subsequent generations. Those individuals who experience downward class mobility are usually exposed to a good deal of prejudice from individuals within the former social stratum as well as the individuals within the social class in which they end up. With different generations in the world, social class mobility can either occur within or across the generation. The type of social class mobility that occurs within a generation is referred to as intra-generational mobility while the social class mobility that occurs across generations is called inter-generational mobility (Saunders, 1990). Intra-generational mobility can be defined as the changes regarding social status within a single lifetime. This type of mobility occurs within a given generation. Intergenerational mobility can be defined as the changes regarding social status that happen from the parents generation to the generation of their children. Thus the intergenerational mobility occurs across a number of generations. The definitions are very crucial during the analysis concerning the manner in which social status change from a given time period to another, as well as whether the social status of parents can determine an individuals own social status. In most case, sociologists usually center on the intergenerational mobility since this is the easiest in depicting changes across generations when compared to the intra-generational mobility. The sociologists use this information to determine if inequality within a given culture changes with time (Jr, 2009). Intergenerational mobility is merit based as well as non-merit based. In this case, it is the ability and hard work which influences social mobility. Parents race, wealth, luck, and gender can also affect the intergenerational mobility. Intergenerational mobility focuses on how parents can influence their childrens social mobility. Quality education is very important since the children can obtain highest marks and therefore gain prestige. Parents can as well make significant connections with those people who belong to higher social classes so that their social network will become wider. These parents who form their childrens social capital tend to increase the social mobility of the children. Recent researchers have collected relevant data concerning the families economic mobility across generations. The researchers have considered the probability of attaining a given income distribution in relation to where the parents were socially positioned. According to the researchers, 42 perce nt of the children whose parents were in the lowest quintile end up in the bottom quintile; 23 percent of the children ended up in the second quintile; 19 percent of the children ended up in the middle quintile; 11 percent of them end up in the fourth quintile; and 6 percent ended up in the topmost quintile (Goldthorpe, 2006). The social upward mobility becomes difficulty due to some given barriers. Education is a very important factor which can enhance or hinder upward mobility depending on how an individual has attained in it. Those individuals who achieve lowly in their academics do not usually continue with higher education such that they find themselves no where in the competitive world education wise during the time of searching for the prestigious white collar jobs. The lowly educated individuals engage themselves in the lowly paying jobs which are a characteristic of low class. Without taking a step in advancing the educational status, these individuals continue being in the lowest social class. Poverty is another factor which hinders social upward mobility, in that, the children inmost poor families do not develop enough in terms of psychological and behavioral development. Families also affect their childrens social mobility, in that; some families do not adopt strategies to support the children for instance, access to social, cultural, and financial capital as well as social networks of contact to access prestigious opportunities (Andersen Taylor, 2006). Factors like higher attainment in education enable individuals to move from lower social classes to the topmost class, since they can secure well paying jobs. Parents in well-off families who might be in the middle class, encourages their children to get into the topmost class as they ensure their children get sufficient psychological and behavioral development. Parents in some families adopt some strategies to support their children, for example access to social, cultural, and financial capital. The parents also have good social networks of contact which they use to access the most valued opportunities (Andersen Taylor, 2006).

Essay --

Most of the researchers have found that there are significant relationship between motivation and social support, within the organization and school. In organization, a study from Lin and Huang (2011) have purposed to examine the relationship between achievement motivation and training motivation. Furthermore, the study also investigated the social support of managers and colleagues as moderators for testing their effect on the relationship between two variables. In findings, the training motivation is significantly affected by achievement motivation, while the social support of managers and colleagues shows a moderating effect in organizations (Lin & Huang, 2011). In schools, Urdan and Schoenfelder (2006) have purposed an analysis article to describe and analyze the research on the contextual influences on student motivation critically, by reviewing the research from three theoretical perspectives (achievement goal theory, self-determination theory, and social-cognitive theory) and the field of social relationship with teachers and peers. In the studies of all three perspectives have emphasized the importance of providing students with a sense of ownership in learning process and the appropriate challenging academic work, will more likely to improve student motivation. Whilst, the perspectives of psychologist on social relationship have found the motivation behavior in school results from a combination of the characteristics of students and the environment. For instance, to encourage the â€Å"unmotivated† student willing participants in academic task are needed the conditions of the tasks are according to their interests, or got the opportunities to meet the social needs through the cooperation with friends or caring support from... ... the path of enrollment to the college, which due to the factors of the possible lack in adult role models and the required knowledge to assist in successful completion of college. However, the non-first generation college students are reported to have higher levels of motivation and more likely to attend college for achieving higher grade point average. Besides, the researchers also found that receiving support from family is important for the students to increase the well-being and chances of enrolling in college (Pannell and Olmos, 2012). As a whole, the studies showed the motivation will positive affected by social support, within the organization and school. In addition, the relationship between motivation and social support will impact the differences in achievement. However, the year of study and sex differences will persist as areas of concern in our study.

Little Red Riding Hood Revisited Essay

People often ask me about the large grey wolf hide I keep hanging above the fireplace. I will admit it does seem rather odd for a young girl to have such a thing, and I assure you that the story behind it is even stranger. A story I have told many times to guests and passers by, and I always get the same look of disbelief, but I assure that this story is as true as they come. Walking to my Grandmother’s house was not a strange occurrence for me I had done many times, only this time would be far different. I had no idea of the events that were to unfold as I opened the door and entered Grandmother’s cabin. Grandma, are you there? † I called out as I entered the cabin. I made sure to move cautiously so that I did not hit my knees on anything in the dark. â€Å"I am in here darling. † I heard my Grandmother respond from the bedroom. I lit a lantern, and moved into the room where I found my grandmother lying peacefully in her bed. â€Å"Grandmother, I brought you fresh bread and vegetables from the market,† I exclaimed proudly as I removed my red overcoat and tossed it onto the rocking chair in the corner. â€Å"I will be back in a few minutes Grandmother. I am going to put on some stew, I hope you are hungry. â€Å"Oh, you have no idea, my dear. † My Grandmother said in somewhat of raspy whisper. â€Å"Grandmother, what is wrong with your voice? † â€Å"Oh nothing my dear, I think I am coming down with a bit of a cold. † Her voice, although sweeter than I remembered it, sounded forced and uncomfortable. Thinking nothing of it, I resumed my post, slicing vegetables and warming the broth over the fire. One by one as I finished making my cuts, I slid the slices into the broth, first the carrots, followed by onions and celery, and finally finishing with the tomatoes and potatoes. My stew was coming along nicely so I heated up some water on the side and began to boil tea leaves in a kettle to try and ease my grandmother’s sore throat and relieve her cold. â€Å"Red, how is everything going in there sweetie? † My grandmother queried anxiously from her comfortable perch in the bedroom. â€Å"Everything is coming along just fine Grandmother,† I replied, a little irritated. I had no idea why my Grandmother was in such a mood today, I had never seen her be this pushy and hurried. I stirred the stew one more and removed it from the fire in order to let it cool down as I made my grandmother a cup of tea. I ladled fresh hot soup into one of the bowls on my Grandmother’s counter, and then placed it along with a glass of tea on a wooden tray, and presented it to my Grandmother while she remained in bed in the dimly lit corner of the room. â€Å"Thank you my dear,† She said eerily. â€Å"I just don’t think I am in the mood for this stew. † â€Å"Grandmother, what are you talking about? † I exclaimed, â€Å"This is your favorite soup, you have made this soup for me since I was a little girl. † I paused and waited for a response but none was given. â€Å"Grandmother? † I peeped cautiously becoming more and more worried about what was going on. Grandmother? † I peeped again. Another long pause passed without as much as a whisper from Grandmother. I quickly grabbed the lantern that I had lit earlier and brought it close to the bed, shining as much light as I could on the growingly creepy situation. As I peered into my Grandmother’ s eyes, I noticed they looked strange. I looked closer, locked in her gaze, and, without even noticing, I whispered aloud, â€Å"Grandma, what big eyes you have. † â€Å"All the better to see you with my dear. † She answered in a strange tone that was as unfamiliar to me as her lack on interest in her favorite soup. Stranger still than her tone was the unmistakable largeness of her mouth, and even more so her teeth. I never remembered seeing her teeth that large. â€Å"Grandmother, what big teeth you have,† I muttered. â€Å"All the better to eat you with,† She replied. I gasped aloud as the shocking realization began to sweep over me. The loving Grandmother I had always known had been replaced by an unusually large wolf. I jumped out of the chair, and made a move for the door when the wolf, moving like lighting, blocked my path. â€Å"Why the rush? † asked the wolf slyly, with an air of arrogance. He quickly reached out for my throat, but underestimated me as I dodged and crawled through his legs. â€Å"You can’t run from me! † the wolf exclaimed as I used every once of energy I had to sprint through the front door and out into the forest. I could hear the loud crackling of breaking twigs and the scratch of the wolf’s claws against the hard frozen bark as he gave chase. I kept zigging and zagging, trying my hardest to remain a hard target for the wolf, but I could feel his breath getting closer and closer to my neck. Suddenly, in the distance I noticed an outline of a man, walking through the forest. I turned my sprint in his direction, and pumped my legs with everything they had left. With every step closer to the man, I felt more and more assured that I might yet live to see another day. â€Å"Help†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Help! † I yelled at the top of my lungs to the stranger in the distance. He turned around and I could see a lumberjack’s axe in his hands. I ran and ran, until finally I could reach out and grab the man. When I did, I turned around and noticed that the wolf was no longer behind me. â€Å"What is it, my dear? † The man asked in a calm voice as if not a single thing was out of place in the forest. Sir, a massive wolf has eaten my grandmother, and is chasing me. † I cried out as if my life depended on it. â€Å"Sweetheart, I see no wolf,† The man replied. Right at that exact moment, I noticed a large shadow over the man’s shoulder and looked up to see the wolf soaring through the air out of the trees. The wolf landed perfectly with it’s paws on my shoulders pinning me to the ground, but not attacking, just holding me there. â€Å"Oh, that wolf,† The man said calmly without so much as a hint of worry. â€Å"You did not tell me that you had met my pet. † â€Å"What are you talking about? † I sobbed loudly. Do you have any idea how hard it is to train a wolf? † The man jested. â€Å"Especially to train one to hide people’s relatives and lure little girls out to the forest. † â€Å"My Grandmother is alive? † I asked immediately. â€Å"Of course, she is. I have no taste for bitter old women. † The man seemed almost pleased with himself as one does when an elaborate plan comes together. â€Å"Enough of the small talk. † The man muttered casually. â€Å"Time to get you dressed out and ready for the dinner table. † I looked up, and watched as the man lined up the axe with my throat, and slowly raised it over his head. I had no choice but to close my eyes, and prepare myself for the inevitable. Just then, I heard the loud crack of a rifle, and looked up to see a horrifying grimace on the man’s face. I felt a drop hit my face as I noticed the red pool begin to grow on the man’s chest. His strength fading quickly, he dropped the axe. I reached up desperately, and grabbed the axe as it made its descent and caught it firmly in my hands. Rising to my feet I noticed the man lying on the ground clutching his chest and breathing heavily. Without so much as a moment’s hesitation, I drew the axe above my ead, and brought it swiftly down on the man’s neck, ending his suffering and life. I looked around frantically searching for the wolf, for I knew I wasn’t out of danger yet. Confirming my suspicions, I noticed the wolf running through the woods headed right for me, I raised the axe, ready to defend myself, when I heard another shot from a rifle, and watched as the wolf hit ground and slid to my feet dead. Shocked and relieved, I looked around for my savior. Camouflaged well I couldn’t find anyone. â€Å"Hello! † I shouted into the seemingly empty woods. My heart leapt with joy as I heard a familiar voice call back to me. Over here dear,† I ran toward the sound and looked upon the face with the familiar voice. â€Å"Grandma! † I shouted wildly. â€Å"I thought you were dead. † â€Å"Not at all dear, it would take more than an overgrown wolf to get the best of this old lady. † Surprised at this seemingly impossible turn of events, I went to ask her how this was possible, but all I could muster was a whimper. â€Å"I see you are shocked my dear, let me explain,† She said, calm as could be. My Grandmother then told me the story of how the wolf had taken her to a cave and left her there, presumably to take post in her bed. What the wolf and the hunter had not known was that Grandma was a widow, and had to fend for herself in the woods. She had been hunting this forest since she was a young woman some 25 years ago. That night Grandma and I ate quite a stew complete with wolf meat. Dinner was over and the dishes were clean, and, as Grandma sat by the fire cleaning her rifle, I relaxed after a hectic day in the rocking chair and dozed off under the warmth of my brand new cloak, a long over-sized wolf pelt which I gladly wore over my old red one.

Imc for Samsung Galaxy

Apple Phone already created a boom relied, now it is time for smart tablets to take over the boom. Well-known companies such as Apple and Samsung have already launched tablets called pad and Galaxy Tab and they have become very popular with people and are getting more popular. As Samsung is already known as one of the top electronic devices providers, customer awareness AT ten Drank Is relatively enlarger tan toner competitors, however, the marketing team provides MIMIC plan throughout the report to gain more customer awareness and sales.Samsung targets its main target market to 15 to 50 year old middle to high income genuineness, women or students who are mostly early adopters and want to try new high-tech products. The estimated target market size is approximately 10,048,226. It is true that still Apple pad is dominating the tablet market by 75% and Samsung Galaxy Tab follows next acquiring 22%, however, Galaxy Tab is closing the gap day by day. As Galaxy Tab is a little cheaper th an pad, people who are price sensitive would prefer Galaxy Tab to pad.Samsung aims to increase more than 25% of the tablet market by the end of March 2012, and increase customer awareness towards Galaxy Tab 2 from 55% to 75% by the first quarter of 2012. Samsung is going to use various media tools to promote the product through period 1 to 3 from September 2011 to March 2012. See below; In the period 1, for the whole month of September before the release of the product, on the Youth site Galaxy Tab will be broadcast worldwide.The next period, on the release day, 10 Bentley cars with pictures of Galaxy Tab 2 will be running around HCI to catch people's attention. Then for the next few days lucky draws will be held in every Samsung retail store in HCI, customers who buy Galaxy Tab 2 get a chance to win a trip to Korea, Samsung mobile phones and other electronic devices. Samsung plans to advertise Galaxy Tab 2 as online banner on various popular websites, on TV commercials, magazines a nd billboards. Samsung also uses celebrity brand endorsers, Mr.. Bin Mini and Ms.Than Hang, to promote the product and to change consumer perception. Furthermore, Samsung intends to have brand endorsers from Korea, Dong Bang Shin Gig and You-An Kim, to hold autograph sessions at Vinson Centre and Diamond Plaza. Samsung is planning to have autograph session not only to increase customer awareness but also to promote the tablet. In the period 3, Samsung is aiming to sponsor Than Hang to have music video and also from 8 February to 8 March a festival called Where the love begins' will be held to encourage more customers to purchase the product.

Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition

Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition Many theorists have come up with different definitions of cognition. Whether it is in education or psychology, the word cognition has continued to elicit much attention from people seeking to understand the working of the human brain. While trying to examine the effects that the internet has on human cognition, I sought to know the real meaning of cognition from a psychological point of view.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the many definitions that I encountered, the one that I found most intriguing was one by psychologist Kendra Cherry who describes cognition as â€Å"the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension, including thinking, knowing, remembering, judging and problem solving.† (Cherry) According to Cherry, these are â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain† and they include speech, thoughts , observations and even planning. (Cherry) The definition might sound complicated to most people but what Cherry and other psychologists are trying to say is that cognition from a psychological point of view deals with the information processing part of the mind. This processing of information can also be extended to include how the mind applies knowledge and how our preferences can change owing to the knowledge that the mind possesses. The reason why I am saying that acquiring knowledge can lead to change of preferences is because the cognitive processes can be innate or artificial, and it can even be cognizant or unconscious. This is in accordance with Cherry’s observation who states that the cognition process incorporates â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain.† By higher, what is being insinuated here is that the cognitive process can lead a person to make â€Å"unconscious† decisions that they would otherwise not have made without an outside influence. I f we ignore the natural part of the cognitive process, we are left with the artificial aspect, which is my main area of concern. In short, what I am trying to say is that the information that we gather from various sources can affect the way we understand, think, remember, judge, or even the way we solve problems. In order to understand this point in a deeper way, I would like to look at the internet and its effects on human cognition. (Wilson Keil 201) In order to understand how the internet affects human cognition, I sought the help of two renowned authors Clay Shirky and Nicholas Carr.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In their respective books titled Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age and The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, both authors seem to dwell on cognition although they arrive at different conclusions. In his book t itled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, Carr claims that each one of us has a reason to be worried for constantly wanting to â€Å"Google† something up simply because we could not remember it off head. Carr claims that our constant desire to check out our e-mail, send some â€Å"tweets† or even check out our favorite blog instead of reading a book is a reason for concern. Well, Carr does not claim that the reason why this has to get us worried is because we waste our precious time doing so but instead he claims that the constant deluge with the electronic media is apparently changing the way our brain is wired. (Carr 23) In short, what Carr is trying to politely say is that every time we are trying to decide which Web page to settle on, respond to those flashy online advertisements, or even try to check what is latest on Facebook, we are actually depleting our neurological ability to memorize facts or concentrate long enough to completely assimila te what we read. According to Carr, the older generation who lived before Google revolutionized our lives paid more attention to their fellow men. What is shocking is Carr’s observation that this same generation, which has now been overtaken by Goggle, has changed and now it finds it hard to concentrate on the interests of their fellow men. Throughout The Shallows, Carr cites enough academic research to dispel any doubts in the minds of those who think that he is anti-technology. (Carr 26) A study that Carr quoted showed that the more links an editorial has, the lower the understanding of the reader. As though this is not intriguing enough, the author quotes another study showing that our brains tend to place much value on information simply because it is latest. What is even more shocking is the finding of a research presented by Carr, which shows that the brain of a person who has been surfing the internet takes a longer time to register traces of caring on a neurological s can. (Carr 32) What Carr concludes on this study is that The more distracted we become, the less able we are to experience the subtlest, most distinctly human forms of empathy, compassion, and emotion. (Carr 35) I strongly believe that Carr’s observation is the same artificial aspect of the cognitive process that Cherry presents in her definition. This is because I cannot possibly get a plausible way to explain Carr’s observation other than in Cherry’s words that these are â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain.† (Cherry) Carr claims that the internet has rather obliterated people’s working memory and now they have to rely on the website to select the information that is incorporated into their long-term memory and approaches.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the mind of a person reading a book refl ects on what is important at its own speed, the â€Å"Netizens brain† as Carr puts it has to choose in a rapid and random manner. As a result, this diminishes our aptitude to maximize the input, and we become monotonous â€Å"consumers of data.† This clearly explains why on occasion it becomes hard to keep concentration after spending much time browsing the Web. (Carr 46) In order to give us something we can relate to, Carr gives us the example of Twitter whose very motto â€Å"Discover what’s happening right now† is an indirect ad for a â€Å"neurological heroin† that coaches ones brain to be distracted further. Well, let us forget Twitter for a moment, which after all has not caught up with each one of us and think about Google. According to Carr, while Google’s initiators may actually believe in their avowed goal to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful, (Carr 48) what they are actually doing is to literally bring distraction in to people’s lives. Although Carr believes the Internet has revolutionized how we find information, he cautions us that it might become a potentially dangerous drive to groupthink. In arriving at this conclusion, he relies on the findings of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders Stroke, which suggests that sampling different Websites makes people more likely to rely on conventional ideas and solutions rather than challenging them with original lines of thought. (Carr 58) I believe this fits the description of cognition outlined by psychologist Kendra Cherry in that the internet has affected the way we speak, think, observe or even plan our daily lives. (Cherry) Another author who addresses the issue of the internet and its effect on human cognition is Clay Shirky. In his book titled, Cognitive Surplus, Shirky introduces a new perspective on the link of social change and the internet. In an explanation that almost fits the book’ s topic, Shirky begins by claiming that Americans have experienced a â€Å"surplus of time† in the recent past. According to Shirky, this surplus time has always been in existence but it took the emergence of new technology and the social media for Americans to use the spare time in a more innovative and helpful approach.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Indeed, Shirky equates this surplus time to the 1700s Gina Craze where people did away with the consumption of beer and wine and instead concentrated with the consumption of gin. Further, the author claims that in the recent past people have been concentrating on watching sitcoms to fill in their free time. Currently, young people according to Shirky are spending most of their free time in interactive sources of media such as You Tube, Facebook, Twitter and My Space. (Shirky 21) Well, may be this does not appear to any of us as an issue of cognition. However, Shirky changes the whole scenario when he claims that the internet has made the â€Å"unpredictable events to become predictable† (Shirky 24) In essence, what Shirky is trying to tell us is that the internet makes us to begin behaving in a predictable way. To reinforce his argument, the author gives us an example of a case where people are in a rush to buy surplus pizza simply because someone said that all the pizza woul d be gone. In short, the internet has transformed the way we do things and how we respond to every day issues. (Shirky 28) According to Shirky, the social media is creating cognitive innovative solutions for man’s problems where television had previously failed. In order to keep confusion at bay, Shirky gives an example of a situation where a drunk can decide to buy beer and drink it at home or simply go to a pub and enjoy his favorite beer with other patrons. According to the author, this is what happens with social media since one can decide to watch television at home or decide to interact with other â€Å"viewers† via You Tube. (Shirky 31) In summary, Nicholas Carr’s new book tries to prove that human thinking changes with the technology we use and the technology we use changes our thinking and consequently our lifestyle. In fact, the essence of the book can be summed up in this quote â€Å"Every intellectual technology embodies a intellectual ethic, a set of assumptions about how the human mind works or should work.† (Carr 39) On the other hand, Clay Shirky’s book argues that the internet has turned us from â€Å"passive users in to active producers† thus transforming the world in to a democracy. Unlike television that produces little results, Shirky claims that the internet as a medium has brought positive meaning to people’s â€Å"surplus time.† (Shirky 41) If we match what Shirky is trying to say with the views expressed by Carr in The Shallows, we tend to get different meanings but in essence, both authors are presenting the same argument but in different reporting. I believe that Shirky’s observation largely denotes a paradigm of the social building of technology. Although there are relics created for specific social groups, most of these relics according to Shirky are apparatus for social change. With the innovations of publications, it is now possible to obtain the press at any place an d the public can participate in any ongoing debate. While Shirky agrees that the social media provides an avenue for social change, he disputes claims that the media is something that we consume but rather tries to prove that it is something we use. (Shirky 51) In their books, both Nicholas Carr and Clay Shirky have addressed the issue of the internet and its effect on human cognition in different ways. In The Shallows, Carr is of the opinion that the Web has interfered with the thinking pattern of people. Instead of relying on their minds to make conclusions, Nicholas Carr alleges that today’s society tend to turn to the media for a solution to their problems. (Carr 61) On his part, Clay Shirky agrees with Carr that the internet has interfered with the way we do things but quickly adds that this change has been for better and not for worse as Carr concludes. In order to prove his point, Shirky gives examples of previous happenings to prove that what is happening with social sites is nothing but a kind of â€Å"new surplus.† (Shirky 12) Personally, I tend to agree more with Nicholas Carr opinion since he goes to great pain to prove his points by citing credible researches done on the subject. Additionally, Carr gives a step-to-step analysis of how the internet ends up affecting our cognitive process in the end. Unlike Shirky who only tries to prove why the internet is a new â€Å"form of surplus† in our lives, Carr uses the book to show how the different tools that we use affect our brains. At the end of everything, Carr ends up bringing out the true meaning of cognition as outlined by Cherry. Conclusion Both Nicholas Carr and Clay Shirky’s books fit the description of cognition as outlined by psychologist Kendra Cherry. Although the authors give different conclusions on their findings, they all agree that the internet ultimately interferes with the mental processes involved in the manner in which people gain knowledge. In staying i n line with Cherry, both authors agree that in light of the internet people now look at things in a different perspective and they are now more informed. Even to a skeptic like Clay Shirky who does not entirely agree with Nicholas Carr that the internet has changed the way people think, his observations fall in line with Cherry’s description when it comes to making judgments and solving problems. The issue of cognition is not a new theory in the society. Throughout history, people have tried to come up with different definitions for this word. With the emergence of technology, psychologists have tried to come up with new definitions to match the people’s changed status. According to these new definitions, cognition is described as the mental processes involved with how man reacts and addresses the issues surrounding him. Most authors have emerged trying to prove that the internet, which has become the new way of life, has greatly interfered with the way people react an d address issues around them. However, other theorists have also come up trying to prove that what is happening with the internet is nothing but another big break in people’s life. However, these opposers have failed to provide tangible evidence to prove their point thus making their observations invalid. Carr, Nicholas. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, 2010. W.W. Norton, 2-100. Print. Cherry, Kendra. What is Cognition?, 2011. Web. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognition-2794982 Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age, 2010. Penguin Press, 3-72. Print Wilson, Robert Keil, Frank. The MIT encyclopedia of the cognitive sciences, 2001. MIT Press, 201-202. Print.

Free Essays on The Writing Block

available in the room can help with spelling. - The teacher models t... Free Essays on The Writing Block Free Essays on The Writing Block Writing Block â€Å"Children’s writing samples serve as a rich portrait of how well young minds are applying important language skills and strategies.† Description: The Writing block is carried out in "writers workshop" fashion. It begins with a mini-lesson (10 minutes). The teacher sits at the overhead projector or with a large piece of chart paper. The teacher writes and models all the things writers do (although not all on any one day!). The teacher thinks about deciding what to write about and then writes. While writing, the teacher models looking at the word wall for a troublesome word, which is there as well as inventing the spelling of a few big words. The teacher also makes a few mistakes relating to the items currently on the editor's checklist. When the piece is finished, the children help the teacher edit the piece for the items on the checklist. Next the children go to their own writing. They are at all different stages of the writing process finishing a story, starting a new story, editing, illustrating, etc. While the children write, the teacher conferences with individuals who are getting ready to publish. From 3 to 5 pieces, they choose one to make into a book. This piece is edited with the teacher's help and the child proceeds to the publishing table where he will copy the correct form and finally illustrate the book. This block ends with "author's chair" in which several students each day share work in progress or their published book. The writing block consists of the following segments/components- I. Mini-lesson (10 min.) The teacher presents a mini-lesson in where they will model real writing and a skill or strategy. Elements in the mini-lesson are†¦ - The mini-lesson focuses on writing, adding to, or editing a piece. - The teacher refers to the Word Wall and other places in the room to model how words available in the room can help with spelling. - The teacher models t...

The Northern Lowlands Region of the Maya Civilization

The Northern Lowlands Region of the Maya Civilization The Maya lowlands are where the Classic Maya civilization arose. An extensive area including almost some 250,000 square kilometers, the Maya lowlands are located in the northern part of Central America, in the Yucatan peninsula, Guatemala and Belize below approximately 800 meters above sea level. There is little exposed surface water: what there is can be found in lakes in the Peten, swamps and cenotes, natural sinkholes created by the Chicxulub crater impact. But the area receives tropical rainfall in its rainy season (May- January), from 20 inches a year in the southern part to a whopping 147 inches in the northern Yucatan. The area is characterized by shallow or waterlogged soils, and was once covered in dense tropical forests. The forests harbored a range of animals, including two kinds of deer, peccary, tapir, jaguar, and several species of monkeys. The lowland Maya grew avocado, beans, chili peppers, squash, cacao and maize, and raised turkeys. Sites in the Maya Lowlands Mexico: Dzibilchaltun, Mayapan, Uxmal, Tulum, Ek Balam, Labna, Calakmul, Palenque, Yaxchilan, Bonampak, Coba Belize: Altun Ha, Pulltrouser Swamp, Xunantunich, Lamanai Guatemala: El Mirador, Piedras Negras, Nakbe, Tikal, Ceibal Sources This glossary entry is part of the Guide to the Maya Civilization and the Dictionary of Archaeology. See the Maya Civilization bibliography Ball, Joseph W. 2001. The Maya Lowlands North. pp. 433-441 in Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America, edited by Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster. Garland, New York City. Houston, Stephen D. 2001. The Maya Lowlands South. pp. 441-447 in Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America, edited by Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster. Garland, New York City.

The Lumber Brothers- First Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Lumber Brothers- First Films - Essay Example Every film has an objective and reflects the tendency of Lumiere brothers to gauge the natural environment and convey meaning through them. The video starts with a 50 second movie shot in one camera setup showing the employees leaving the Lumiere Company. I think the clip is an important work of art as it not only gives a clear idea of a factory culture, environment of the closing time of a company in 1895 but also gives a clear view of how people accepted camera. People in all the clips are not at all shy, resilient or inquisitive to the new machine. All of them accepted it as something normal and casual which shows the confidence of the people of that time and also their tendency to accept technological advancements (Jay 174). The Arrival of the train at Ciatot Station portrays the train moving towards the camera at a sharp diagonal which endorses the God gifted abilities of the Lumiere brothers to think critically and innovatively. They not only invented a device but also gave its complete specification and usage to the viewers. â€Å"A Baby’s Meal† and â€Å"A Sprinkler Sprinkled† are short scenes taken from the daily life to nurture the early cinema by adding humor to routine life and making it interesting for the viewers. 2. GERTIE THE DINOSAUR (WINSOR MCCAY) Gertie the Dinosaur featured the first cartoon character in a feature length animated film. It was the first ever film which used key frame animation to create characters. The film is an attempt to blend nature with imitation. The film includes more than ten thousand animated drawings of individuals, background trees, rocks and water (Silver, 79). The film makes the drawings to live, speak and walk. An animated dinosaur walks to the foreground from the background through projected film. All the movements of the cartoon are very clearly represented by the careful and timely succession of card sheets on which the drawings are made. McCay talk and commands Gertie and she act upon th em. Gertie raised her left leg, move it forward, lay down on floor and sometime roll over on it too. She gulps down a tree stump and diverts her attention towards a sea serpent. A passing elephant was thrown by the Gertie into the lake. The film also depicted the emotions very well; Gertie cried childishly when she was scolded. She howled when McCay threw the pumpkin on her. Movements when Gertie breathes swaying forward and backward and dust particles falling from the trees along with the vibrating background keep the audience connected. Gertie was a playful character with charming personality and affable nature. Gertie marked a milestone in the history of animated films and brighten a new and undiscovered side of the film industry. Gertie is the pioneer of later animated characters like Blakton, Cohl and other popular cartoons of Walt Disney. Gertie outshined the prior animated films, embarking a wider and innovative scope for others to set their career in the industry of animated films. 3. UN CHIEN ANDALOU With the release of Un Chien Andalou, Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali marked the dawn of Surrealism in the history of silent short films. It is an outstanding potrait of surprise, superstition, myth, artificial and unexpected events. The deceptive name, which means â€Å"An Andalusian Dog† kept the audience inquisitive from the beginning of the movie till the last shot. Though the movie has nothing to do with a dog and totally revolves around dreams and subconcious activities. The movie is

Business Ethic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethic - Essay Example It is clear that the government puts up a consolidated fight to come up with the required type of legislations but it is without consultation of the main players in the industry. It is true that the fact that the people have to pay dearly when the cost of the products produced is priced higher than usually is targeted by the manufacturer. Here, Bowie is looking at the negativity of having a company produce goods at the expense of having people in the environment around them face the impact of the environmental degradation. This is what is referred to as a negative externality. Externality of an economic transaction is an impact on a party that is not directly involved in the said transaction. This is where by the prices do not reflect the full costs or the benefits that are to be accrued from the production or consumption of the produce or service that is in question. This implies that the producers and consumers in the market may either not bear all the cost or obtain the benefits expected from the economic activity. A positive impact in the business is commonly referred to as an external benefit while the negative one is referred to as an external cost. This implies that from these two, one can either create an environment conducive for producing external benefits or minimize the costs of external costs. In this case of Bowie, there are more external costs than external benefits given the case of people having to be affected by the environmental effects caused by the creation of more vehicles that produce environmentally poisonous gases (436). It is cle ar that the people in the legislation field have to look at the effects of effecting these legislations and involve the key stakeholders to come up with the required regulations for the industry. In a very competitive market though, the existence of externalities will cause either too much or too little of the goods produced or consumed in terms of the overall costs and the benefits it is supposed

Stat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Stat - Essay Example This is mainly due to obesity, which results in Type 2 Diabetes, as we will see ahead. The reason I have decided to research on this topic was because Diabetes has become a global problem and it develops various complications in patients with time. According to a report there are about 2.9 million patients suffering from Diabetes and if a similar trend follows, it might hit 5 million by 2050. (Diabetes UK 2012) I have used the Internet as the main source of my research. I have taken statistical data from various sites that illustrate how Diabetes is persistently rising at an alarming rate all across the globe. I have then added a graph to show that how controlling this situation could make a difference in the future of the patients. I have assured to use credible sources to make my research accurate. Also, it is related to statistical data about a medicine related subject and I have taken the data from online reports of the Diabetes organizations. The figures they have are directly taken from the hospitals and doctors records. Therefore, I am sure that all the information is genuine. The graph above shows that rate at which Diabetes is rising four times the increase in rate of all the different types of Cancers combined. Between 2006 and 2007, Diabetes was rising at around 3.8 percent and this rate increased to 5.4 during 2009 and 2010; whereas, the rate of increase in Cancer was 0.9 percent and rose to about 1.3 percent as shown above. We can clearly compute that the difference in rise in rate for Diabetes was 1.6 (5.4-3.8) while for Cancer the rate was 0.4 (1.3-0.9), which is four times higher. Therefore, the slope of the chart for Diabetes is four times steeper than the slope for all the Cancers combined. The charts above show the increase in the number of people with Diabetes in 2000 compared to the estimates predicted for 2030. It is visible that in

Response to the three students with no more than 80 words with at Coursework

Response to the three students with no more than 80 words with at least 2 references for each response - Coursework Example Worse of all, there was no reference list and a couple of grammatical mistakes. It is said that in the comparison of leaders to show evolution of leadership, fallouts done in the comparison of the leadership attributes exhibited by the various leaders hinders the success of the whole comparison (Herman, 2000). This is because there ought to be comparison so that the real moments of evolution can be identified but this was lacking in the student’s presentation. Even more, the student presented his dates in a descending order instead of ascending order to give a clear link between the leaders. Clearly, dates do not flow in descending orders (Almah, 2008). The writer did a great job by linking the personal attributes and natures of the leaders to their leadership reign and this brought out a great sense of the leadership styles practiced by the leaders. This has always remained an important practice in the comparison of leaders for evolution of leadership (Amahe, 2011). The writer could however have widened his search of leadership database to include leaders from different backgrounds instead of two leaders from United States presidential background. Once this is done, the comparison lacks dynamism (Grey,

Rational choice theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rational choice theory - Essay Example Specifically, rational choice theory also claims that the decision maker knows all the potential alternatives and that s/he makes a decision after evaluating them all (Heath 2001). Decision-making process in organizations can be distinguished as automatic— regular decisions made in accordance to established guiding principles—or non-programmed—choices necessitating new and innovative solutions (White 2006). Furthermore, decisions vary with regard to the level of risk present, ranging from those wherein the results of a decision are fairly definite to those wherein results are considerably indefinite. Indefinite circumstances are communicates as probability statements derived from either subjective or objective facts (Heath 2001). Rational choice theory portrays decision makers as systematically rummaging around appropriate and relevant information to make the best possible decision. This essay will discuss the premises of rational choice theory, its implications on managerial decision making, and the validity of the argument that ‘individuals are rational and normally act as maximizing entrepreneurs’. Rationality is revered in the Western world. A rational choice is one that arises in structured procedures and maximizes a value, regardless if it is marketability, controllability, reliability, efficiency, integrity, or any of numerous other values (Goodin 1998). Observance of any value requires upholding one alternative over another. According to rational choice theory there are major steps to making a rational decision (Allingham 2002). The endeavor is as crucial as the ultimate decision, due to the fact that each step affords an opportunity to re-evaluate the minimized and maximized values (Allingham 2002). The first step is problem definition. This entails identifying key variables under consideration and analyzing the

SYLVIA LAVIN too much information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SYLVIA LAVIN too much information - Essay Example It creates situations whereby most of the artists become uncomfortable because curators use non-art materials to explain art. In fact, most of the artists consider such approaches as anticritical and dictatorial. Lavin agrees that curators are increasingly replacing artists in art exhibitions because of the dominant use of non-art material to explain art (Lavin 2). I agree with the issues Lavin raises in the article because contemporary art lacks a standard principle or ideology. An increasing number of art organizers are claiming ownership of art materials that they present in exhibitions. Contemporary artists have allowed themselves to be used by organizers of art exhibitions. In fact, most of the contemporary artists have little interest in displaying their work. Rather, they are interested in selling their ideas to the highest bidder thus compromising their position in the world of arts. Consequently, contemporary artists have converted organizers into artists. Organizers who manipulate artists and present the works of these artists as their own are currently dominating contemporary art. It is no wonder that organizers are dominating contemporary art

Rational choice theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rational choice theory - Essay Example Specifically, rational choice theory also claims that the decision maker knows all the potential alternatives and that s/he makes a decision after evaluating them all (Heath 2001). Decision-making process in organizations can be distinguished as automatic— regular decisions made in accordance to established guiding principles—or non-programmed—choices necessitating new and innovative solutions (White 2006). Furthermore, decisions vary with regard to the level of risk present, ranging from those wherein the results of a decision are fairly definite to those wherein results are considerably indefinite. Indefinite circumstances are communicates as probability statements derived from either subjective or objective facts (Heath 2001). Rational choice theory portrays decision makers as systematically rummaging around appropriate and relevant information to make the best possible decision. This essay will discuss the premises of rational choice theory, its implications on managerial decision making, and the validity of the argument that ‘individuals are rational and normally act as maximizing entrepreneurs’. Rationality is revered in the Western world. A rational choice is one that arises in structured procedures and maximizes a value, regardless if it is marketability, controllability, reliability, efficiency, integrity, or any of numerous other values (Goodin 1998). Observance of any value requires upholding one alternative over another. According to rational choice theory there are major steps to making a rational decision (Allingham 2002). The endeavor is as crucial as the ultimate decision, due to the fact that each step affords an opportunity to re-evaluate the minimized and maximized values (Allingham 2002). The first step is problem definition. This entails identifying key variables under consideration and analyzing the

Essential Elements of a Binding Contract Research Paper

Essential Elements of a Binding Contract - Research Paper Example The lack of experience in dealing in drafting legally binding contracts by businesses and individuals has promoted the occurrence of illegal acts in the administration and formation of contracts. In order to ensure that non-enforceable contracts do not occur in the future, both parties entering into a contract are required to take into consideration all the relevant requirements of a legal and valid contract. Definition of a Legal Contract According to Miller and Hollowell (2008), a contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more persons. The two parties agree on acts that will be refrained from or performed in fulfillment of a promise. Disputes from the contracts arise when one party refuses to fulfill their part of the promise made to another contracting party. The objectives of the contract theory are to show how a contract is formulated and enforced. The theory aims at describing and showing the intention of the parties to enter into a contract. The intention of the parties to enter into a valid contract is determined by an external party normally by the court of law. The courts rely on the words that a party said when he/she was entering into the contract, the actions of the party before he/she entered or what the appearance of the party looked like before entering into a contract. The law recognizes that the party entering into a contract that is valid must be based on free will. However, the law is responsible in regulating the freedom that an individual can enjoy from a contract. The law does not allow individuals to abuse the freedom to contract (Emerson, 2009). Parties in a Legal Contract The main parties to the contract include the offeror, offeree, and the government. The offeror is the party that agrees to deliver services or goods or services. The offeror is the party that agrees to accept the goods at the agreed consideration and the government acts as an agent to ensure that a contract is enforced. The main obligations of an offeror in a contract include specifications of the terms of the contract. The specifications should be enough and clear to enable the offeree to understand and accept the offer. For example, an offeror selling a house must specify the boundaries of the land holding the house and the price of the house. The offeror must specify the duration of the contract and the day that the contract will expire. The offeror reserves the right to revoke his offer in a valid or change the terms specified in a contract (Miller & Jentz, 2010). The obligations of the offeree are to accept the offer based on the requirements laid do wn by the offeror. Legally the offeree has a responsibility of paying the offeror the consideration they agreed upon. If any of the parties does not bind by the rules of the contract, there exists a breach of contract. The Role of a Third Party In a Legal Contract Collins (2003) states that, the role of the third party in a contract is to give a constructive notice or provide some kind of influence in the performance of a contract. However, the role played by a third party in the performance of a contract is limited. The third parties may be used to solve a dispute arising from a contract or a friend who passes important information to both the offeror and the offeree. The third party can also be a beneficiary who has the right to enforce a contract.

Via Verde Case Study Analysis

Via Verde Case Study Analysis Introduction The sustainability in real estate development is fundamental, however, what kind of manner can be sustainable in it is more crucial (Kwame, Liow, and Neo, 2009). In real estate development, this case study has discussed about affordable housing through ten aspects: site, concept, development team, development and approval process, development finance, planning and design, sustainability and healthy living, sales and leasing, management and performance, and observation and lessons learned. Ultimately, notifying some challenges that development might face. Via Verde is a project from the New York City about regeneration the brownfield in Bronx with 222 units mixed-income affordable housing development for rental and ownership with a healthier lifestyle to address health issues, and leads to a new recycling neighbourhood. It is a good example in affordable housing which involves both public and private sectors and city agencies who play key roles on approval and financing. In regulatory management, it performs well. Via Verde had components against green regulation of the city, however, city authorities permit amnesty, which conducts feasibility and flexibility of development. In terms of regulation, it was instituted and had no barrier to develop this project. The decision of planning is through the competition to select the most innovative and creative proposal for the unique site with lots of public and private sectors involved into it in financial, regulatory, planning, material aspects to produce maximum outcome with limited sources. Goals Via Verde planned to create an innovative, high-quality and sustainable housing for mixed-income family with affordable rental or ownership housing. It wants to achieve goal about healthy lifestyle to address problems of high rate of asthma and obesity in children in South Bronx area by green roof, open areas and motivated encouragement of outdoor activities, such as, vegetable garden, green club or indoor fitness centre, which providing resident a location or motivation to involve into green programme and rebuild their lifestyle. The Site Via Verde locates in northeast of Manhattan which is roughly 6.5 miles to the south to midtown Manhattan with fully developed tube and bus system. It sites in the South Bronx, which is one of New Yorks boroughs. It is four blocks away from the nearest tube station, and several bus routes nearby, which are easily access by foot or bike. However, the site is a long narrow and 1.5- acre triangle at the corner of a block, it is hard to develop as a massive affordable housing. In terms of educational aspect, there are some schools nearby, and colleges, where are easy to reach. Via Verde locates in a well location with well life functions, one of the largest park in the city, commercial centre on the nearby station. In 1960s and 70s, the area was suffered by high percentages of crime, especially violence and urban decay with high rates of residents outflow. A wave of arson fires had destroyed lots of buildings and left vacant, ultimately, were obtained by the city- public authority. In the late 1980s, communities have started regeneration and rehabilitation in this area with building new housing and improvement of facilities. The population had declined from roughly 1.47 million to 1.17 million and it has rebounded to 1.41 million by 2013. Bronx is known as poverty, the poorest borough in five of New York City. Large amount of working class family here with around $35,000 income, which is lowest in New York City and 28.5% of residents live in poverty. Therefore, Via Verde development has changed the decay of this area in 2009. The Concept The first process-stage of Via Verde project is as an entry in New York Housing competition, which is sponsored by public sectors and non-profit organization- the city of New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the New York city chapter of American Institute of Architects, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Enterprise Foundation. It was the first competition for affordable housing and sustainable housing in the city. The competition was held in 2006 with some aspects and requirements- provoking innovative design and planning to address the housing production issues, resolving affordability, sustainability, transferability, and viability, illustrating how to lower cost of building, and fostering healthy, affordable with well-designed dwelling. 5 out of 32 teams with developers and architects were selected into the final competition, they were requested to refine the proposal of their design. Ultimately, a team with two developers and two architects were chosen to build this project with support by the city and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has provided $145,000 for environmental uses and improvement. Private city agencies play a key role as representatives in this project after competition to look after in approvals and financing process, maintaining the quality and the innovative features. Instead of using their own ideas, local communities also provide their aspects of affordable housing and green design and healthy living components to development team. The Development Team The two developers in the team are Phipps Houses and Jonathan Rose Companies. Phipps Houses is one of the oldest developer in New York City, which has developed lots of projects of affordable housing, focusing on human development to foster better residency for community and residents. Jonathan Rose Companies is a national integrated real estate company with investment management, development, project management, and planning, which concentrating on developing resilient communities. The designers are Dattner Architects and Grimshaw Architects. Dattner specializes in housing and educational, creative and innovative urban design. Contrary, Grimshaw has been worked in Bronx for many years for revitalization, a local firm which may understand the environment and residency better. This team with two developers and two architects has fully achieved primary conditions of Via Verde project, focusing on green programme, residents, community, affordable housing and localized company. The Development and Approval Process The narrow site which belongs to the city was hard to develop, additionally, the project required unusual approvals for developing, planning and environmental remediation. The city agencies who had responsibility to check the process, in terms of the unique features, it is fundamental for the project to have city agencies shepherd it. This project was supported by the city authority, which is easier for unique development like Via Verde, especially in regulation. The massive development with 222 units wasnt allowed to build in this narrow site, which needed amnesty for it. The development team coped with authorities and solved the problems together, conducting the feasibility of this project. It had more flexible process in the development than others. However, there was parking issue, normally, the residential development is required to build with parking lot, the site of Via Verde was too small for such huge amounts of residents. Nevertheless, the development team has successfully argued about it with the location where is easy to access public transportation, including tube and buses, additionally, there is a huge parking garage nearby. Eventually, the project is accepted without parking in Via Verde. The community from this area had proposed their desire to the development team, they were looking forward to addressing issues of Bronx through Via Verde project. They wish to have affordable housing with for-sale component and resolving the health issues in high rate of childhood asthma. Development Finance Paul Freitag, managing director of Jonatha Rose Companies, which is one developer of the Via Verde project, asserts that development of affordable housing is difficult and complex from different aspects, such as, financing, and planning. However, this project has supported by several different resources, such as, grants, loans, tax, credits, and other funding mechanisms from 19 public, private and non-profit authorities and organizations. Fortunately, the development team obtained the site for $1 from NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to support affordable housing. The development of Via Verde had arranged with $98.8 million, which were divided into co-op and rental parts, roughly $32 million was arranged to build 71 units of co-op housing for middle-class family, and there was taxable bonds from the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) with floated rate during construction from JP Morgan Chase line of credit, and supporting by HDC, HPD, the borough presidents office, the New York City Council, the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation and NYSERDA. The $66.6 million was assigned for the rest 151 units of rental which were for low-class family, and taxable bonds from HDC with same condition for co-op, 9% federal low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) from New York State Homes and Community Renewal and HPD, supporting by HDC, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York Affordable Housing Programme, and NYSERDA. Eventually, the project exceeded 10% more in cost than expected, mostly used for green features in brownfield remediation, due to poor geographical conditions. Planning and Design The goals of this project are healthier lifestyle and sustainable housing for range incomes households through numerous outdoor activities, good views, and lots of experiences which residents may never had. Three buildings built with good view and facing south, which is better absorbing solar energy. Not only the solar panels on the roof, but also green roof with vegetable and fruit garden provides residents plant and social. Via Verde is designed for rental and ownership, and there is no barrier between them. The developers planned to build a completely new form of affordable housing, instead of red bricks in the past, they selected prefabricated panels with colourful design, which are localized manufacture. Besides, windows are large and operable for good ventilation indoor. Surprisingly, they utilized waterproof layer from localized company with official certificated by LEED programme. From the green rood, windows, air ventilation, waterproof layer, these designs are toward to create a sustainable and healthy residency. Sustainability and Healthy Living The green roof of Via Verde provides not only a place to plant, but also to exercise. Besides, outdoor activities area, there is also an indoor fitness with variety of classes for residents. The design is sufficiently for environmental sustainability on saving energy and cost by using and doing recycling, such as, trash recycle, rainwater recycle system, solar energy system, material choosing, and encourage residents take stairs instead of lifts. From the beginning, the main goal of development is to address health issues in this area. The location provides good motivation for residents to walk more, with tube, school and green parks nearby, which may help to improve it. Additionally, medical centre and pharmacy are located in the ground floor. Sales and Leasing The 151 units of rental are 30 years leasing, earning 40-60 % of area median income, on the other hand, 71 units of co-ops are earning 70-100 %. Management and Performance Via Verde provides variety of activities to motivate residents in healthy lifestyle, such as, vegetable garden where they can grow natural vegetable and fruit and cheaper price of organic food for them, exercises club to encourage them. In the garden club, which is supported and educated by non-profit organization-Grow NYC in sustainable and professional manners. Community gardens, environmental education and recycling programme, these are associating with neighbourhoods to support and modify residents into healthier lifestyle. Via Verde has established a wide range classes community, they are equal, having no barrier, all residents can entrance any common areas or use common facilities. Owners and renters can be member of garden club. There are social events to increase relationship between residents and emphasize the goals of Via Verde. Such as, volunteering to involve communitys events. Annual newsletter provides communication between residents and management, residents are able to transmit their thoughts directly. When the conflicts happen, staff can conclude it instantaneously, which build communication between either residents or management with anytime concierge allowing residents to question or discuss about their considerations and problems. Unlike accustomed affordable housing which normally leads to disappointed and seldom be materialized, Via Verde has evolved into completely new kind of affordable housing with variety of services and events, free dry cleaning for residents fully reserves the expectation of affordable housing. Observation and lessons learned Via Verde has successfully become model of affordable housing development with financial feasibility, and critical acclaim around the USA. Traditionally, there are three forms of affordable housing, developers prefer low-rise, mid-rise is more common, contrary, high-rise is usually seen as faulty for affordable housing from past experiences, especially in huge public projects. However, Via Verde with high-rise component reverses it. With these conditions, Via Verde explosively attracts people, it was designed as rental units, surprisingly, people intend to buy them. Via Verde project wants to build a healthy lifestyle with mixed-income level community in order to address and revitalize poverty issue around South Bronx, resolving problems of health, and more sustainable and vigorous. As a model of affordable housing, Via Verde truly presents and illustrates the cooperation and collaboration between public and private sectors. However, there were difficulties in this development, residents are lack of knowledge in green notion, which is hard for them to adapt into recycling concept. The success of Via Verde is extraordinary, which leads impression changes in affordable housing. Real estate development has stridden forward to another level with higher quality, more comfortable design and planning of affordable housing. Challenges This is a massive project with huge number of units and unique requirements. It is difficult for developers to build 222 units into a narrow, triangle brownfield, which needs innovative and creative ideas to achieve. The model which includes all information has proved the feasibility of the development with acceptable financing and flexible development team and authorities. The aims are healthier lifestyle through recycling and more exercises and organic vegetable or fruit. However, difficulties are lack of knowledge in green lifestyle, and adapting into rules. Via Verde received lots of resources from public and private authorities. In order to replicate the same success from Via Verde, others need to consider about sources which may not be same as them. Conclusion The model of Via Verde development clear in information, however, it is ambiguous about difficulties, and how they convinced funding and planning and decision making. Real estate development is a wide and comprehensive scenario, which involves different kind of people, such as, developers, architects, agents, planners, government, and engineers to frame and accomplish. In this case study of affordable housing, stakeholders are mostly pubic authorities, they did not have significant problems. Except zoning issue that size of site didnt conform to the regular regulation, however, authority has given amnesty permission for it, additionally, parking issue, the flexibility of development has successfully coped with it. Once development is facing some issues, public and private sectors will need to figure out and adapt to solutions, and it would sufficiently prove the feasibility of development. The sustainability of development with persistent encouragement and learning is fundamental. Affordable housing isnt always like what we expect, it can be completely different and well with good development. This case study demonstrates how real estate development brings a long-term and sustainable notion into affordable housing through wide range of consideration. References Kwame, A. D., Liow, K. H., Neo, Y. S., 2009. Sustainability of Sustainable Real Property Development.   Sustainable Real Estate, [e-journal] 1(1). 203-225. Available through: University College London Library website [Accessed 18 December 2016]. ULI, 2014. ULI Case Studies-Via Verde. [online] Available at: [Accessed 20 December 2016].

and then there were none :: essays research papers

Trust, Deceit, & Immorality in And Then There Were None, a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, discusses matters of trust, deceit, and immorality. These two words are present within each chapter, and they come to us in ways that do not meet the eye right away. They require a certain level of thought in order to be understood clearly. In which Agatha Christie hopes to bring out. Trust is a key element of life. We need to choose who we can confide and believe in. If the ten people on the island want to stay alive, they need to be aware of those who are truly loyal, but they need to choose wisely, for one out of the ten is a murderer. Everyone in the house has there suspicions. No matter what the circumstances are, they remain immutable about not trusting each other. Having no trust makes all of them a nervous wreck, making each of them more susceptible of being the next victim of murder. Having no trust only digs us a deeper hole to the inevitable, and when we trust the wrong person, the inevitable happens sooner than expected. Deceit, unfortunately, is also a part of life. Deceit inside And Then There Were None, however, is a part of death. Lombard and Vera face the facts when they appear to be the last ones alive on the island. Instead of being the nice man he seemed to be, he turned out to be a miscreant. Lombard fools a lot of people with his act of being paranoid of having the killer looking over his shoulder. It is his self that he needs to guard, and he is not doing a good job of that, because Vera kills him instead. Death comes about in many ways. Murder is one of them. This immorality is the basis of the whole entire book. One by one, each one of the ten people die by someone else’s immoral actions. Even at the end of the book when Vera shoots Lombard, she had committed a brutal crime. Yes, she was defending herself, but she still chooses to use her hands to take someone else’s life. Immorality plagues society today deeply. We have twisted morals so much that the may think the most wr ong action is OK. And Then There Were None is a book that applies lives ways in forms that come to us unconsciously.

Belonging :: Ukraine Traditions Culture Society Essays

Belonging The ideals embodied in the word "community" deal with the scientific description of specific human cultures. While traveling throughout the city of Warren, Michigan, you are bound to notice one of the many signs stating the following; "Welcome to Warren, the third largest city in Michigan." In the midst of this large city dwell approximately seventeen thousand humans of Ukrainian descent. With this many people you would need Cobo Hall to throw a get-together; however, we all seem to congregate happily at the Ukrainian Cultural Center. Throughout the Ukrainian Cultural Center’s twenty years of existence, the Center has faithfully serviced its patrons with libraries of knowledge, a museum, great food, and a social place to gather, the Odessa Lounge. The Ukrainian Cultural Center serves as the hub of most activities for Ukrainians in the metro Detroit area. You might say that I grew up in the place, nurtured by the members of Ukrainian decent who have served me like surrogate parents. It’s a large community, but I’ve grown to personally know most of the members and their families. The Center, as it is called, is not just a place to learn about me heritage, attend lectures, concerts, weddings, social and cultural activities. For me the Center is a place of belonging where "everyone knows my name," just as the words to the song in the TV sitcom "Cheers". The Ukrainian Cultural Center is situated south of Interstate 696 on the west- side of Ryan Road. This brown brick building does not look extremely elaborate or fancy, but rather, has the appearance of a large house. The building faà §ade is complimented with almond colored trim and brown shingles, the kind found on many homes in this residential area. The building’s pitched roof further adds the look and feel of a large family home. The elaborate landscaping intensifies the large house effect as well as hiding the road that runs across the front leading to the massive four hundred ninety-space parking lot in the rear. Masking the road with stones, shrubs, and several pine, maple and crab apple trees makes it look attractive and inviting from the front. Upon entering the building, you automatically know it is not a typical banquet hall. It has the look and feel of another country. The display at the entrance is filled with Ukrainian artifacts, like embroidered pillows, decorated pysanky, wedding wreaths, and other objects reflecting Ukrainian ethnicity.

“Guernica” by Pablo Picasso Art Critique Essay

When considering the painting â€Å"Guernica† by Pablo Picasso we must first consider why the piece meets the criteria of an actual work of art. First, we define wether the piece was made by an artist and why this artist is accredited. This painting was done by Picasso, one of the most renowned painters of his time. When mentioning the art of painting, Picasso is the first name that comes to the forefront of many minds. All artists and people alike recognized and continue to recognize Picasso’s work as art because of how influential and and shaping it was on his generation. Now we must decipher whether this piece was intended to be a work of art. Through research we see that Picasso wanted to make a political statement with this painting. There was much thought and preparation that went into the making of this work of art. The real world relevance and the preparation show that the piece was obviously intended to be a work of art. As we move to the descriptive criticism we must look at how the work is physically put together and how it is unified as a whole. â€Å"Guernica† is full of many exaggerated and unique shapes. Looking closely we see the painting is made up of layers. The bottom layer is full of very large basic shapes such as rectangles and triangles, while upper layers show more unique and defined drawings. Many drawings are distorted and in areas very exaggerated. The work is unified through its basic grayscale colors across the entire painting and also through the previously stated, consistent and distorted nature of all the objects. As we look at the organization of this painting it may seem that it has none, but looking deeper we see that every piece of the puzzle has its place. â€Å"Guernica† is very balanced in its structure, the painting is not â€Å"leaning† to t he left or the right. It is obvious that Picasso was very careful about the placement of the objects and shapes in the painting. Finally, when descriptively criticizing a work of art it is important to discuss the detail and also the structural relationships of the piece. The detail of Picasso’s work is found in the obscure and unique lines used throughout the painting. Also, we find many â€Å"hidden† images in this painting, many things you would not see by merely glancing at the work. Structurally the painting is formed by layers and many overlapping shapes. The overlapping shapes are what bring the work together and make it appear completely fluent across the entire piece. Although â€Å"Guernica† does have many intricate designs and unique amenities we could describe the paintings form, overall, as chaotic and distorted. When interpretively criticizing this painting we focus on the content. We will attempt to define the identity of and the meaning behind the work. Not only is â€Å"Guernica† Pablo Picasso’s most famous work but also his most powerful. Painted as an immediate reaction to the Nazi’s devastating casual bombing practice on the small town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War this painting makes a very bold political statement. The painting reveals the tragedies of war and the physical and emotional toll it took on individuals, particularly innocent civilians. We must also consider what the work of art reveals about the subject matter or form. The chaotic nature of the painting reveals the chaos and disorder of the actual event. Also, we see pained faces on every figure represented in the painting showing the emotional and physical suffering that was inflicted on these civilians. Picasso did a wonderful job of connecting the form and content of this piece, this being one of the many reasons it is such an admired work of art. While interpreting â€Å"Guernica† we must also dig deeper into what the artist was trying to convey through the artistic form. Picasso not only wanted to depict the horror of the bombing of Guernica but publicly display his own outrage toward the happening. Picasso had a personal and emotional connection to the people of Guernica considering his birth in Spain. The painting was a way of expressing his feelings toward the situation and also representing the feelings of those affected by the bombing. In the interpretive criticism of â€Å"Guernica† we find an overall representation of Picasso’s thoughts toward the horrible event that happened in this small spanish town, depicting the heartlessness of and devastation caused by the Nazi bombing. As we move to the evaluative criticism of this piece we will be focusing on its worth, what the merits of the work are, what it amounts to, and why it is valuable. â€Å"Guernica† is one of the most famous and influen tial paintings to ever be brushed onto canvas. The painting is not only aesthetically beautiful but has meaning and effects the emotions of people everywhere. â€Å"Guernica† was originally exhibited in July 1937 at the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris International Exposition. After the Paris Exhibition the painting went on tour and has traveled around the world since its completion in 1937. We see by the international touring of the painting its worth to society. But where we find the true value in â€Å"Guernica† is in its becoming a universal and powerful symbol warning humanity against the suffering and devastation of war. Moreover, the fact that there are no obvious references to the specific attack the painting has contributed to making its message universal and timeless. Picasso truly made an inexhaustible impact on society through the painting of â€Å"Guernica† one that will last for many generations to come.

Best/Worst Experience in Modern Communication Essay

l rather than physical presence or written/printed channel. The best experience I’ve had communicating electronically was via e-mail. Last year in March, I went back to Israel to visit my family for a few weeks. Doing so each year is very hard on the family I leave behind, taking care of the everyday life without me around. My husband and I got to talk on the phone once or twice a day, but never too long due to the facts of the surrounding aspects (such as: noise, people that came to see me, and so on). Our landlord decided to sell his house and gave us one month notice as was written in the contract. We only had one month to find another place to live with 3 kids, while I was in Israel for the next 2 weeks. This was a very positive experience for my husband and I. It enabled us to communicate with each other and our realtor via the e-mail. If not for the e-mail options, I couldn’t have done what I succeed to do. I e-mailed each day to our realtor, knowing I can’t communicate with him with the 10 hours difference between us. He sent me houses to look for in the e-mails, and I e-mailed him what I liked and what not. The e-mail availability gave us the option to manage the issue from a distance, without being scared and cancel the visit with my extended family. Channels are the mediums that carry messages between communicators. (Dobkin-Pace, 2006). Worst experience I have had communicating in an electronic/computer communication channel rather than physical presence or written/printed channel. It happened in Canada 5 years ago. I was working in the Jewish community center as an event planner for the center. I was doing my daily tasks when suddenly I looked at my inbox and saw that I have an e-mail from the CEO. I looked at the e-mail and saw that she decided to cancel an event that I worked so hard on, with no reason. To me it felt so wrong and with no feelings. I felt so upset and thought to myself that this should have been done face to face and not through e-mail. She might have had her own reasons to why she did it, and she might have done the right decision.

Alcohol Promotion and the Marketing Industry

Julie A. Novak International MBA Student York University Prepared for The Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario September 2004 Working to Reduce the Impact of Alcohol Advertising Acknowledgements ARAPO wishes to acknowledge the effort and contributions of the following individuals to this paper: Tom Appleyard, Alcohol Projects Manager, Ontario Public Health Association Ben Rempel, Alcohol Projects Consultant, Ontario Public Health Association Pat Sanagan, Co-Chair, Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in OntarioJulie A. Novak is an International MBA student, studying through the Schulich School of Business at York University in Ontario. Julie has also completed her Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Victoria. She has held positions in Public Policy in such places as Moldova and Geneva.This paper examines current marketing trends in the alcoholic beverages industry that can i mpact the public’s health and safety. It is important for public health organizations to be aware of trends common to the industry; this will inform and bolster their efforts as watchdogs to manufacturers and retailers of alcohol.The analysis describes the critical elements of the marketing mix, and makes a clear distinction between advertising and marketing. Advertising is an important part of the marketing mix; however, there are several other tactics and tools employed by marketers in the industry to influence consumer behaviour and to build strong brands. The paper reviews current trends in the alcoholic beverages industry generally, drawing specifically on some examples from the global beer industry.In the fight to increase market share, marketers will alter their marketing strategies in response to industry trends, seeking synergies that may exist between sponsorship and promotion. The paper also discusses the use of bottle labels for marketing alcohol products as an ex ample of the overlap of product and promotion. This leads into a discussion of the relationship between advertising and packaging and how they are used to encourage selection of certain brands over others. Advertising trends, such as sexually explicit content and low-carb and health conscious media messages are also addressed.These are variables in the marketing mix. The last section discusses the current guidelines concerning marketing and promotions and the position taken by various public health groups such as ARAPO (Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario) in response to the current trends and tactics used in alcohol marketing and promotion with specific attention to recommendations to regulators. 1 1. 0 INTRODUCTION The Canadian alcoholic beverages industry includes brewers, wine producers and distilled spirits manufacturers. Molson Inc. s the oldest beer brand in the Canadian brewing industry and a global brand name with products that include Molson Canadian, Molson Export, Molson DRY, Rickard's, and Brazilian beer brands Kaiser and Bavaria. Total net sales for Molson in 2004 – year ending March 31 – were $2. 5 billion. This amounted to annual profits of $2. 37 million1. Another Canadian favourite is John Labatt Ltd. , which is owned by the Belgium-based company Interbrew. The second largest brewer by volume worldwide, Interbrew owns a portfolio consisting of, among others, Stella Artois, Carling, and the popular Labatt line of beers.In 2003, Interbrew recorded a gross profit of â‚ ¬3. 6 billion, which resulted in a net profit of â‚ ¬505 million, after spending an incredible â‚ ¬1. 3 billion on sales and marketing2. The other three major players are Sleeman Breweries, Big Rock Brewing Income Trust, and the Brick Brewing Co. Sleeman, a specialty brewed premium craft beer, recorded annual sales of $1. 85 million in 20033. Big Rock Brewing Income Trust recorded net sales of $28 million in 20034. The Brick Brewing Co. , resp onsible for Formosa and Red Cap brands among others, recorded gross sales of $11. million for the second quarter of 2004. This resulted in a record net income of $832,000 over a three-month period5. The Association of Canadian Distillers is the national trade association representing Canada's major distillers. The distilling industry has been estimated to generate $2. 6 billion worth of economic activity. Distillers include, among others: Bacardi Canada Inc. ; Canadian Mist Distillers, Ltd. ; Hiram Walker & Sons, Ltd. ; Corby Distilleries, Ltd. ; Diageo Canada, Inc. ; and Schenley Distilleries Inc.These distillers produce popular spirits including Brandy, Gin, Cognac, Vodka, Rum, and the ever-popular Canadian Whiskey, Canada’s most established domestic and exported distilled spirit. Since 1840, there have been over 200 whiskey distilleries operating throughout the country, as Canada has gained recognition as a producer of high quality whiskey. This reputation has resulted in billions of recorded sales for the Spirits industry. For example, Diageo recorded sales of US$ 15. 6 billion in 2003. Domestic and imported spirits sales for 2003 were recorded at nearly 15 million cases (12 – 750 ml. ottles)6. The Canadian Vintners Association is Canada’s national association of vintners, representing 34 wineries and producing about 90% of Canada’s total wine production and export. Winery members include, among others, Jackson-Triggs, Peller Estate, and Hillebrand Estates. Total Canadian wine sales for 2002, was 267 million litres7. Molson Annual Report (2004). Interbrew Annual Report (2003). 3 Globe Investor (2004). 4 Big Rock Brewing Annual Report (2003). 5 Just-drinks. com (2004). 6 Association of Canadian Distillers (2004). 7 Canadian Vintners Association (2004). 1 2 1. 1 Marketing – A Definition The difference between marketing and selling is more than semantic. Selling focuses on the needs of the seller; marketing on the needs of t he buyer8. According to the Business Knowledge Center, â€Å"the Marketing Concept is the philosophy that firms should analyze the needs of their customers and then make decisions to satisfy those needs better than the competition. †9 Additionally, despite misconceptions, marketing is not always advertising. In fact, advertising comprises only a small part of the overall marketing mix.The variables of the marketing mix will manifest in unique ways depending on industry characteristics as they are heavily influenced by local and global industry trends. 1. 2 Building Brand Community Building brand loyalty is key to the success of the marketing concept. Developing and exploiting crucial relationships among the customer and the brand, the customer and the firm, the customer and the product in use, and among fellow customers10 is a strategy that leads to a belief that the buyer is part of a specific brand’s â€Å"community†.These relationships are important because t hey enable marketers to create brand loyalty and customer retention, which yield the promise of long-term profitability and market share11. Like a social community, the brand community tends to be identified on the basis of commonality or identification among its members12. The brand community members identify through devotion to particular brands or consumption activities, which are connected to other symbols in the marketplace13.For example, a product that is endorsed by a popular celebrity or professional athlete will appeal to certain brand communities or target markets, but not all. Responses to marketing influences may be cognitive, emotional or material in nature and, ultimately, customers will value their relationships with their branded possessions and with marketing agents14. The basis for community identification can be on wide-ranging commonalities that are difficult to detect. The stability of a brand community through time is an asset to marketers inasmuch as longevity equates with a stable market.Additionally, if marketers are able to successfully identify where a potential brand community exists, they can use it to bolster their marketing efforts and build brand loyalty. Furthermore, marketers will tailor their strategies such that they resonate with particular existing communities. If used effectively, this knowledge can be a powerful tool for marketers, as they will have greater insight into some of the motivations behind consumer behaviour. 1. 3 Global Alcoholic Beverage Perspective It is impossible to discuss the Canadian alcoholic beverages market without considering the global perspective.In particular, the global beer industry is facing increasing pressures 8 Levitt (1986). Business Knowledge Center (2004). 10 McAlexander et al. (2002). 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 9 3 of internationalization and consolidation, which are both the result and the cause of industry-wide mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and strategic alliances. Fac ing low prospects for volume growth in mature, developed markets and increasing competition, brewers continue to seek growth through acquisitions of other brewers or by aggressive participation in developing markets15.Indeed, the top ten brewers worldwide now account for more than half of the entire world’s beer, which is an industry first16. Given the lack of volume growth opportunities in the North American market, the industry trend of increased marketing and advertising spending continues as companies try to differentiate their brands in a highly saturated market. Not only is the market saturated, but the marketing media are cluttered. In order to achieve standout in a cluttered industry, breweries continue to develop creative ideas that generate excitement around their brands.Smaller breweries, in particular, try to increase brand recognition through provocative or racy ad campaigns since they cannot hope to compete on the same scale as their larger competitors with resp ect to the total amounts spent on marketing and advertising. 1. 4 The Marketing Mix It is important to understand all of the variables that comprise the marketing mix, or the 4Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. The 4Ps are the variables that marketers can control in order to best satisfy the customers in the target market17.First, the product is the physical product or the service offered to the consumer, which can include additional services or conveniences that are part of the offering. Marketers can adjust certain product characteristics such as the functionality, appearance, packaging, brand, quality and service. The second variable, price, reflects company considerations such as profit margin and competitor pricing, including discounts. Third, place refers to the decisions associated with channels of distribution that act as a means of reaching the target consumers.This includes the channel members along the supply chain, market coverage and the various servi ce levels. Finally, promotion decisions are all those that relate to communicating and selling the product to potential customers. These may include advertising, personal selling, media, public relations and budget. Thus, marketing is a multi-dimensional function that yields a variety of effects. In the alcoholic beverages industry, a mature and highly competitive market, companies experiment with their marketing strategies regularly.The focus of this paper is primarily on promotion and product and, specifically, how these two variables are manipulated in tandem by marketers to create powerful marketing strategies. 15 16 Todd (2004). Ibid. 17 McCarthy (1975). 4 1. 5 The Impact of Advertising on Consumption and Related Problems Alcohol advertisers use effective advertising techniques to reach the youth market. Such techniques link alcohol to physical attractiveness and sexiness, promote age identification through the use of spokespeople, and use humour, music and popular culture icon s18.In 2002, $160 million was spent on alcohol advertising in Canada19 and alcohol appears in approximately two thirds of all programs watched by Canadian teens at an average rate of 8. 1 drinking references per hour20. The consequences of alcohol advertising on public health and safety are considerable. Alcohol use plays a substantial role in all three leading causes of death among youth – unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle fatalities and drowning), suicides and homicides21.Alcohol advertising is linked to patterns of heavy drinking, drinking in dangerous situations and deaths from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes22. In one study, the chances of drinking alcohol rose by nearly 10% for teens who watched an extra hour of regular television programming per day23. 2. 0 CURRENT MARKETING TRENDS 2. 1 Synergies Between Promotion and Sponsorship Currently, a dominant trend in the alcohol industry is a link between promotion and sponsorship. Companies are attempting to capitalize on the ynergy that exists in this area as they move deeper into the global arena to achieve a greater return on their marketing expenditures. The term synergies denote opportunities for collaboration in which the result that can be achieved is greater than the sum of the individual efforts. An example is the positive spillover of media exposure that results when a brand becomes the official sponsor of an international sporting event, especially one with wide television coverage. In effect, this amounts to a cost-effective marketing campaign for the sponsoring company, assuming the outcome is consistent with the overall brand identity.Another factor contributing to the drive for synergies is the seasonality of this industry. Manufacturers prepare for the summer beverage-selling season by ramping up production, increasing their marketing and seeking sponsorship deals, which act as promotional vehicles for new launches and summer products. Sponsorship agreements with int ernationally recognized sporting events help to enable a brand to stand out among the clutter. McKenzie (2000). AC Neilson (2004). 20 Robinson et al. (1998). 21 AMA (2003). 22 McKenzie (2000). 23 Robinson et al. (1998). 19 18 2. 1. 1 Sports Sponsorships Alcohol manufactures are increasingly seeking contracts for official sponsorship of highprofile sporting events as they realize the opportunities for synergies between promotion and advertising. The Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, produced by Advertising Standards Canada states: â€Å"products prohibited from sale to minors must not be advertised in such a way as to appeal particularly to persons under legal age. [And] people featured in advertisements for such products must be, and clearly seen to be, adults under the law24. High profile sports sponsorships with a heavy advertising component risk being in violation of this regulation. Two of the major international sporting events in Canada, the Roger’s Cup in Montre al and the Tennis Master’s Series in Toronto are sponsored by breweries. Sleeman is the official sponsor of Tennis Canada in Montreal; Heineken, which is part of the Molson portfolio of brands, is the sponsor in Toronto. The situation in Canada reflects a global trend. In late 2003, Heineken signed a deal with the British Olympic Association (BOA) for exclusive sponsorship rights.The deal is part of a â‚ ¬50 million global investment by the brewer25, giving the company exclusive rights to the BOA logo. Sponsorship deals are considered an opportunity for alcohol manufacturers to establish global brand recognition in a competitive industry. With huge budgets behind sponsorship deals, and the wide international exposure that results, it is very difficult for watchdogs to monitor the visibility of alcohol brands. The clientele and audiences at sporting events such as the Olympics are of all ages, youth included.Therefore, limiting exposure of beer ads only to legal age consume rs is nearly an impossible undertaking. In April of 2004, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) in the US was strongly considering changing its policy to allow hard-liquor brands to sponsor teams in its top tier Nextel Cup Series26. Though such a move could alleviate sponsorship problems for some drivers, it could threaten NASCAR’s desire to become more family friendly. With this in mind, NASCAR rejected Diageo’s bid to become official sponsor.This move did not prevent Diageo from landing a sponsorship deal: the company secured a top sponsorship contract for its brand Crown Royal. Crown Royal was signed to be the title sponsor of the International Race of Champions (IROC), one of the NASCAR events. This marked the first time a hard-liquor marketer was allowed a title sponsorship for any sport, although Diageo’s Smirnoff Ice Triple Black brand has sponsored individual drivers. However, when Diageo's Crown Royal brand signed on as the title spons or for the IROC series in January, NASCAR reiterated its ban on sponsorships from hard liquor and chewing tobacco companies.NASCAR has a long history of partnering with beer marketers for races, but accepting hard-liquor brands would be a complete reversal of NASCAR’s position. Such changes in sports sponsorship have vast implications for industry players, marketers and public health groups. In the case of Diageo, the sponsorship deal is one step toward 24 25 Advertising Standards Canada (2004). Anonymous (a) (2003). 26 Thomaselli (2004). p. 1 6 the achievement of the company’s long-term goal of leveling the marketing playing field with beer. 7 As an example, with the three-year deal, Crown Royal will have extensive television exposure, since IROC just sealed a one-year TV pact with Speed Channel, a cable subsidiary of News Corp. ‘s Fox28. Such exposure is difficult to track and, thus, even more difficult to regulate. Although spirits have so far been prohibited from becoming sponsors, hard-liquor companies can, and have, used their malt beverage products or RTD (Ready to Drink) products29 as sponsors. Diageo's Smirnoff Ice, for instance, is one of the sponsors of driver Matt Kenseth, last year's NASCAR champion. . 1. 2 Promotion and the Entertainment Industry Another advertising tactic used by liquor companies is cross-promotion with the entertainment industry. This could include joint promotional campaigns between film studios and alcohol brands or between liquor companies and music tours and concerts. An example is the recent collaboration between Adolph Coors Co and Miramax’s â€Å"Scary Movie 3†, which was released at the end of 2003. Coors not only advertised around the promotion of this film, but it also had its spokeswomen, the Klimaskewski twins, appear in the film itself30.This technique is another way for companies to realize synergies in marketing and promotion, as there exists the potential to reach a broader audi ence than could be reached through a simple television commercial or magazine ad. In this case, Coors was attacked by the Marin Institute – a public health and safety group – for its involvement in the film promotion. The Marin Institute accused Coors of defying the alcohol industry’s guidelines by promoting its connection to this film31. Given the PG-13 rating of the film, there was no way of ensuring that under-age viewers were not exposed to the ads.In the music industry, there are many examples of activities involving cross-promotional campaigns with alcohol companies. These campaigns are used to achieve synergies from the combined effect of promotion and advertising. Molson Canadian uses this technique regularly, teaming up with Napster to provide music downloads and other special music offers. The company launched a campaign contest that involved the giveaway of a â€Å"Molson Canadian Rocks Summer Soundtrack, as well as weekly chances to win concert tick ets†32.Trends in promotion and sponsorship in the alcohol industry are of concern to public health groups because they have the ability to reach a wide audience, with little or no regulation. Other forms of promotion and sponsorship exist, however a description of each is beyond the scope of this paper. 27 MacArthur (2004). Ibid. 29 RTD: Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, such as Smirnoff Ice and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. 30 MacArthur (2003). 31 Ibid. 32 Molson Insider (2004). 28 7 3. 0 ALCOHOL MARKETING AND THE INTERNET Alcohol companies are using digital marketing as a medium.The Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) in the US found that alcohol company websites have sizeable youth audiences and contain content that is attractive to youth33. In particular, games, cartoons, music and a variety of high-tech downloads fill many of these sites. In addition, programs designed to allow parents to block their children’s access to these sites often fail to do so34 . In fact, fifty-five alcohol websites tracked by comScore Media Metrix during the last six months of 2003 had almost 700,000 in-depth visits from underage persons35.Alcohol websites continue to be a cyber playground, with many features attractive to youth36. CAMY executive director Jim O’Hara identifies content such as customized music downloads, instant-messaging accessories and games including putt-putt golf, football and spin the bottle37. A recent website probe done by the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Division of Advertising Practices in the US found that both Coors and Anheuser-Busch have sites with downloadable music, online games and ring tones38.In fact, as teens start to log more hours surfing the Web than watching television, CAMY and other groups are calling for more regulation on the largely unregulated medium. Jim Hacker, director of the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, asserts, â€Å"The industry should remo ve themes, music, language and attractions that clearly appeal to underage people. †39 A key issue for health and safety groups is the ease of foiling the age requirement for viewing beer company websites.An age bar is supposed to weed out youngsters who find the sites attractive, but the investigation discovered that online forms can inadvertently â€Å"tip† kids to fill in fake answers. The trade journal Brandweek visited two websites, Coorslight. com and Budweiser. com and was able to enter several fake birth dates from the same computer, gaining access each time40. When questioned, John Kaestner, VPconsumer affairs at Anheuser-Busch, said the brewer had followed federal guidelines in its age-check system. Other websites attracting attention from the FTC are Bacardi. om, Skyy. com and the Anheuser-Busch site BudLight. com, according to a study by CAMY 41. The claim is that these sites had the highest percentage of underage people making an in-depth visit during the s econd half of 2003. The findings, which were released in March 2004, showed that 59 percent, 47 percent and 34 percent of visitors who looked at three or more pages on those previously mentioned sites were underage42. Overall, minors initiated 13. 1 percent of in-depth visits to the 55 branded alcohol sites included in the study. 33Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (2004). Ibid. 35 Ibid. 36 Mack (2004). 37 Ibid. 38 Edwards (2004). 39 Ibid. 40 Ibid. 41 Ibid. 42 Ibid. 34 8 This trend is especially worrying for public health and policy groups since the Internet knows no boundaries, and its content is therefore very difficult to regulate. Alcohol advertising on the web and music downloads have the power to reach all Internet users around the world, of any age. 4. 0 -THE ROLE OF LABELING AND PACKAGING IN ALCOHOL MARKETING The alcohol industry relies heavily on the use of labeling and packaging as a irectmarketing tool in the promotion and differentiation of its products. One of the obstacles facing design marketers is that while standout is paramount, they are all starting with the same structure: a simple bottle or can43. Since it is not possible to have a vastly different pack, companies differentiate themselves with creative labels or packaging. Marketers in the alcohol industry aim to create synergies among label designs, packaging and advertising, such that the overall brand image more quickly achieves wide recognition.The intended result of this coordination is a more effective and integrated means for alcohol companies to communicate with their consumer base, thus encouraging the selection of their product over another. If the product already has a strong brand identity, it is not critical to feature the pack in the ads. In this case, the advertising may be used to communicate other elements of the brand message to create the desired reputation and image with the target audience44. On the other hand, including a shot of the bottle in ads will enhance br and awareness at point of sale and ensure a more integrated approach to branding45.Approximately 60 percent of people in bars and pubs have not decided what drink they want until after they get there46. This is an enormous opportunity for brands to reach their target markets directly at the retail level with eye-catching labels that resonate with consumers. Product labels are the final point of brand contact between the company and its customers before the purchase is made. Thus, a brand’s name and how it is shown on the label can be an effective way of generating sales. The main challenge is finding a way to differentiate a standardized product while developing a strong, consistent brand identity.This is an example of the interaction of product and promotion, two elements of the marketing mix. Some of the methods used in the ready-to-drink and premium beer sectors, for example, include shrink-wrapping, bright colours and innovations such as metallic-effect labels47. In addit ion to a unique label, a catchy name, such as Smirnoff Ice or Mike’s Light will add symbolism and help increase standout and attract consumers. Brand awareness is critical for alcohol companies, and developing a strong brand is especially vital for new brands.The rationale for coordination between promotion and product is that young people, and other potential consumers, will see the campaign in Edwards (2004). Brabbs (2002). 45 Ibid. 46 Ibid. 47 Ibid. 44 43 9 cinemas and style magazines and more easily recognize it from other advertising media 48 . An additional reason to invest in labeling and packaging is flexibility. A shrink-wrap sleeve can be changed frequently, allowing the brand to adapt its appearance more easily to changing styles and trends.Unusual colours or unique label designs can help encourage selection of one product over another at the retail level. The techniques used by marketers are very subtle, such as borrowing design language from parallel markets for encouraging cross purchasing such as â€Å"Atkins friendly†, â€Å"light† or â€Å"low-carb. † Finally, if a particular brand is experiencing low or declining sales, a company can easily reposition it by superficially altering the image and, hence, reinventing a product to reach a new market. 5. 0 TRENDS IN ADVERTISING TECHNIQUESCertain techniques are used by advertisers to attract and engage consumers to their products. These have traditionally included such techniques as humour, sex appeal, popular music, describing benefits of the product, and creating a fun, enjoyable atmosphere. These techniques are used very effectively by alcohol advertisers as well, as they create a high ‘liking’ of advertisements among consumers49. High levels of effective alcohol promotion inculcate pro-drinking attitudes and increase the likelihood of heavier drinking50.For these reasons, the irresponsible use of advertising techniques is a growing concern among health an d safety advocates. 5. 1 Sexually Explicit Content The alcoholic beverages industry has long been accused of exploiting male sexual fantasies in order to advertise its products. However, this approach has recently, in some opinions, reached new levels of exploitation. Early in 2004, Labatt Breweries of Canada aired an ad during the January Super Bowl telecast that caused industry watchdogs to protest.The ad featured two beautiful women kissing, ostensibly to share lip-gloss51. Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) received 113 complaints about this ad in the first quarter and it was soon taken off the air52. The ASC reported that there was nothing wrong with the ad, other than it should run after 9:30pm. This ad is representative of the ‘simulated lesbianism’ trend in beer advertising, clearly a ploy to reach the male heterosexual audience. Labatt is not the only brewery to take this approach.During the same time period, Moosehead Light of New Brunswick launched a series o f ads called â€Å"Enjoy the Nature. † In one of the ads, two men look on and crack open beer cans as two beautiful women dance sensually together in the forest. Ibid. Grube (1996). 50 Babor et al. (2003). 51 Brent (2004). 52 Ibid. 49 48 10 5. 2 Low-Carb Phenomenon & Health Benefits Alcohol marketers must understand the psycho-behavioural forces influencing choice in order to devise effective marketing strategies. These forces are not easily identifiable in any industry.The beer and alcohol industry is not an exception and alcohol marketers have been slow to discern which factors most significantly influence brand selection. Although the sexual angle remains very common in alcohol promotion, the industry seems to be shifting gears. Instead of trying to titillate men by invoking male fantasies, marketers are now instilling fear in them about getting fat. In a feature article the Financial Times reported that beer marketers in the US have made an intriguing psychosexual discove ry about male insecurity53.The argument advanced is that men are increasingly more concerned with what they look like than how they will perform in the bedroom. Beer brands such as Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Ultra, Coors Light and SABMiller’s Miller Lite are focusing their advertising on the millions of Americans on low-carbohydrate diets, which they have realized does not include only women. By contrast, marketing campaigns linking beers to explicitly sexual imagery have been less effective54. The implication for public health groups is that efforts aimed at regulating sexual content should be reexamined.It is possible that a greater impact could be achieved through aggressive targeting of ads that portray a health or nutritive benefit of alcohol consumption. As an example, Coors, the third-largest US brewer55, recently developed new ideas for its low-calorie Coors Light. The two-year campaign featuring scantily clad women and rock music was unsuccessful in increasing beer sales for the company. Beer companies are slowly discovering that sexual appeals are fun and diverting but they rarely change consumers’ brand preferences. The idea that â€Å"light beer† is less macho and thus less likely to appeal to young men is fading.In fact, it is difficult to think of a major beer company that has not introduced a low-carb brand. The success, in general, of low-carb offerings is evident in food store data compiled by AC Neilsen. In the four weeks ending June 12, 2004, sales volumes were up 56 percent for Michelob Ultra and 15. 6 percent for Miller Lite56. For Coors Lite, which has been slower to alter its marketing campaign, sales volumes were down 2. 7 percent57. Major breweries are responding to evolving consumer demands and are providing what could be the emergence of a new sub-category of beer58.As more companies enter the low-carb market, the competition increases for market share. This translates into bigger marketing and advertising budgets as companies fight for a larger slice of the market. The latest focus on a more health-conscious lifestyle has shifted the marketing emphasis away from sensuality and sex to body image and achieving athletic success. Some 53 54 Silverman (2004). Ibid. 55 Coors merged with Molson in July 2004. The new company is the 5th largest Brewery by market share worldwide. 56 AC Neilson (2004). 57 Ibid. 8 Brieger (2003). 11 industry experts expect this trend to stick around if not because of Atkins devotees but because of aging baby boomers, who tend to prefer light and low-carb beers59. The way forward in the alcoholic beverages industry will be through low-carb advertising, which can be seen as a serious response by the beer industry to a common male anxiety about growing fat, the proliferation of a healthy lifestyle among consumers, and the widespread belief of certain health benefits in drinking a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate beverage60.The low-carb trend is not exclusive to the be er industry. In May of 2004, the Vancouverbased Marc Anthony Group launched a new vodka-based beverage called Mike’s Light, which was targeted at the millions of Canadians on low-carb diets. The lemon-lime beverage, which is part of the ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic market, contains just one gram of carbohydrate and 76 calories and is expected to bring new drinkers into the market61. Already, the RTD market in Canada is estimated to be worth $450 million per year in sales.Additionally, with its low- calorie and low-carb options, the RTD market has the potential to increase consumption of alcoholic beverages as consumers switch from light soft drinks to lighter malternatives62. Marketers in this industry are deliberate in promoting RTD products as alternatives for the health and weight-conscious consumer. It is misleading for brewers to promote low-carb beer as being â€Å"Atkins friendly† or as having overall health benefits and doing so goes against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s 2003 Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising. Under these guidelines, lowcarbohydrate claims are not approved.Similarly, according to Advertising Standards Canada, â€Å"No advertisement shall be presented in a format or style which conceals its commercial intent†63. This pertains to misrepresenting beer as having health or athletic benefits. The low-carb claim is of concern to public health groups such as ARAPO because it is both misleading to consumers and has the potential to influence consumer behaviour. 6. 0 ACTIONS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE MARKETING OF ALCOHOL There have been several responses to concerns about the impact of alcohol marketing ranging from education and awareness to legal action and civil suits.Internationally, there are groups that advocate changes in alcohol marketing regulations as well as educate professionals and the public about the risks associated with a proliferation of alcohol marketing efforts. These include: G lobal Alcohol Policy Alliance (UK): www. ias. org. uk Eurocare – Advocacy for the prevention of alcohol related harm in Europe (Europe): www. eurocare. org Center for Science in the Public Interest – Alcohol Policies Project (US): www. cspinet. org Ibid. Business World (2004). 61 Bellet (2004). 62 The market or ready to drink alcoholic beverages is called the malternative market in the US. 63 Advertising Standards Canada (2004). 60 59 12 BeerSoaksAmerica. org – A Response to beer company propaganda (US): www. beersoaksamerica. org The Marin Institute (US): www. marininstitute. org Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (US): www. camy. org In Canada, there are guidelines for advertisers that outline what are considered appropriate tactics for marketing products. These guidelines can be found on the Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) website (www. adstandards. om) for all forms of advertising or on the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) websi te (www. crtc. gc. ca) for radio and TV ads. Currently these guidelines are not enforced and rely on a voluntary paid-submission to ASC by the advertiser. Alcohol is one product that seems to have fallen prey to this lack of regulation with many advertisers outright disregarding the guidelines. In Ontario, there are alcohol-advertising guidelines that are overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and can be found at www. gco. on. ca. Before 1997, the CRTC was involved in pre-screening advertisements before they were aired. In 1997, this responsibility was transferred to ASC for national cases, and the AGCO for Ontario specific cases. However, in 1997 the regulations changed to â€Å"guidelines† and preclearance was replaced with â€Å"voluntary submission†. As a result, the responsibility of monitoring alcohol advertising shifted from the CRTC to the general public, as advertisements are now only challenged based on a complaint format.Advertisers, fearing very little in terms of consequences, often disregard the guidelines completely, particularly the following: Alcohol advertising should not: appeal to persons under the legal drinking age associate drinking with activities that require care and skill imply that drinking is required in enhancing enjoyment of any activity imply that drinking is required in obtaining sexual opportunity or appeal64. A study done by CAMY in 2002 found that as the alcohol industry increased its advertising expenditures, more ads were seen by youth.In fact, all 15 of the shows most popular among teenagers included alcohol ads. â€Å"Survivor,† â€Å"Fear Factor† and â€Å"That 70’s Show† were among those with the most ads65. The dramatic increase in youth’s exposure to alcohol brands in magazine and TV advertising suggests that the industry’s guidelines are so permissive that, in practice, they amount to no limits at all. Concerned about the lack of re gulation and increase in alcohol ads – and as a result, increase in consumption – health and safety advocates respond to aggressive marketing with specific strategies, as discussed next. . 1 Awareness, Education and Skill Building The Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario (ARAPO) is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to provide resources and support to individuals and groups about media literacy and critical thinking skills as they apply particularly to 64 65 AGCO (2003). Anonymous (c) (2004). 13 alcohol. Resources include research papers and presentations to youth and health promotion professionals about the impact of alcohol advertising on youth drinking patterns, particularly heavy drinking. 6. 2 Internet ActionThe Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth uses a vivid Internet presence to attract viewers to their site to examine what others are doing around alcohol marketing. Along with a searchable marketing gallery and steps to take act ion, CAMY regularly publishes research papers on Youth and Alcohol. An example of this is a recent paper titled The Internet, Alcohol, and Youth, which looks at the impact of Internet alcohol websites on underage drinkers. It is available through CAMY’s website at www. camy. org. 6. 3 Complaints to Regulators and ResultsWhile ASC does not demand that advertisers clear their ads before going to the public, they do respond to complaints by the public. A recent example of this was the Don Cherry â€Å"Bubba† ad that was pulled following complaints that Don Cherry is seen as a role model for underage youth – and therefore could not be used as a spokesperson for beer. Groups like the Ontario Public Health Association, responding to concerns about the impact of alcohol advertising on the public’s health and safety, have sent recommendations to both the provincial and the federal regulatory bodies. These recommendations include: Continued pre-clearance of al cohol ads, at the final stage of production by federal and provincial bodies with a strong public interest mandate More effective regulation of lifestyle alcohol advertising, promotions and sponsorships Establishing clear guidelines regarding industry-sponsored responsible drinking messages and public education programs, particularly those appealing to, or directed at, young people Capping the total amount of alcohol advertising and introduce improved mechanisms for monitoring compliance with existing or new regulations Focusing on effective deterrence, monitoring and enforcement measures.This would include a stronger role for community groups in the monitoring and enforcement of federal and provincial advertising provisions, including membership in panels previewing and monitoring alcohol advertising66. 6. 4 Class Action Suits Against Alcoholic Beverages Industry Consumers’ attorneys across the U. S. have begun to target the alcoholic beverages industry, filing lawsuits that claim that some leading brewers and distillers are using slick advertising to sell products to underage drinkers67.In November 2003, attorneys led by David Boies III filed suit against brewers Coors and Heineken, distillers Diageo and 66 67 OPHA Position Paper (2003). Willing (2004). 14 Bacardi and the makers of Zima and Mike’s Hard Lemonade68. The suit accused the companies of using a â€Å"long-running, sophisticated and deceptive scheme†¦ to market alcoholic beverages to children and other underage consumers69† Boeis’ lawsuit alleges that alcohol companies place ads in magazines such as Stuff, FHM and Spin that appeal to males under the age of 21, or in Glamour, which is oriented toward females of similar ages70.The suit claims that ads placed in these magazines are designed to push people younger than 21 to obtain alcohol illegally71. The same is true in TV advertising, where many alcohol ads reach young people not old enough to drink. The class-action suits filed against the alcohol industry since November 2003 have caused alarm in the industry because the lawyer behind them is David Boies, who represented the Justice Department in its antitrust action against Microsoft72. The suits claim that booze ads targeted at adults spill over onto younger audiences73.According to another law suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2004, AnheuserBusch and Miller Brewing are targeting minors through ads and developing products that look and taste like soft drinks in order to lure underage consumers to their brands74. The suit claims that beer-makers are marketing alcoholic beverages known as â€Å"Alco pops† to minors. These include Doc Otis’ Hard Lemon Malt Beverage, which is made by AnhesuerBusch, and Miller’s Jack Daniel’s Original Hard Cola. Both of these beverages closely resemble soda pop with sweet flavours, bright colours and youth-oriented packaging. CONCLUSIONThe domestic alcoholic beverages market is considered mature, with limited opportunities for growth. One way for alcohol manufacturers to increase their sales volume is by taking market share away from their competitors; another is to expand the overall size of the market. To achieve these goals, alcohol manufacturers continue to invest substantial resources and capital into their marketing strategies because they believe it is necessary for expanding the market and increasing their margins. It will be important that public health groups focus their research on certain elements in the marketing mix.These include where the product is sold and what are the broad social trends marketers are using to communicate with target markets. This analysis summarizes significant influences in consumer behaviour. 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