The Epic of Gilgamesh

All through historic times, stories, poems, and songs have been written with common themes, which played a significant role in explaining some aspects of societal life. One of these is friendship. There is no one in the world who does not need a friend; therefore, it is a necessary aspect of life. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Epic of Gilgamesh- Theme of Friendship specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was developed over a period of nearly a thousand years from about 2500 to 1500 B.C., friendship plays an important role in the development of the story. Gilgamesh, who is described as two-thirds god and one-third man, is the oppressive fifth king of Uruk while Enkidu is the ruler of the animals. The friendship between these characters develops in the course of the story. As the story begins, King Gilgamesh of Uruk is depicted to be in mature manhood and superior to all other men in both beauty and strength. There was no one who could match up with him in the ancient Mesopotamian society. The unsatisfied cravings of his demigod nature could not find a suitable mate for him in love or war. In addition, his unsatisfied daemonic energy made the people of Uruk to be unsatisfied with his reign. Because he was lacking love and friendship, Gilgamesh turned to excess and indulgence, and he celebrated his victories with too much debauched partying, which annoyed the individuals in the city as well as the gods in the temples. Because of his oppressive rule, the people asked for help from the gods since they feared that someday Gilgamesh would ask for a greater part of his divine heritage, challenge the gods and even rock the pillars of heaven if he was not controlled. Therefore, to counter the threat, the gods devised a plan of creating Enkidu, who was the mirror image of Gilgamesh. They believed that the king would divert his dangerous energies toward that rival there by stop challenging heaven. The gods then made Enkidu from clay and left him in the wilderness to live and eat as the animals do. In the wilderness, though he established friendship with the wild animals, his cravings for a mate were not adequately satisfied. Therefore, when a harlot from the city seduced him, he quickly agreed to leave and live in the great-civilized city of Uruk. When Enkidu goes to the city, he seems not to like Gilgamesh at first since the two engaged in a fight soon after they met. However, they quickly started to like one another. The theme of friendship is shown when the two giants become very close and start to rely on one another in conquering their enemies with ease. Thereafter, the solidarity between the two characters assists in developing the plot of the story, which is a mixture of pure adventure, morality, and tragedy, as subsequent experiences are based on this newfound eternal comradeship.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages ? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The newly found comrades soon grow weak and become indolent with the city life. Therefore, Gilgamesh suggests a great exciting activity, which involves going to the forest to cut down trees so as to construct a memorable monument to the gods. However, since the terrifying demon called Humbaba is endowed with the responsibility of protecting the forest that is also prohibited to mortals, they have to kill him first. At first, Enkidu disagrees with this proposal but gives in after persuasion from his friend. Their friendship gave them the astounding courage and unwavering confidence to succeed in killing Humbaba. As the King of Uruk cleans himself, Ishtar offers to become his wife because his beauty was appealing to her; however, he turns her down with insults, recounting to her the dire fates that all her mortal lovers have met. Ishtar, the goddess of love and beauty, is infuriated at the rejectio n and goes to heaven to request his father, Anu, to send the Bull of Heaven to terrorize the people of Uruk. However, Gilgamesh and his compatriot work together to defeat the bull sent by the gods from heaven. After the success of their missions, Enkidu dreamt that they had gone contrary to the wishes of the gods so much that one of them must be sacrificed for murdering Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Thereafter, he quickly succumbed to a fatal disease after twelve days of suffering. The loss of Enkidu brings remorse to Gilgamesh and he realizes that death is inevitable. Because of the loss of the great friendship, he sets out on a journey to find Utnapishtim, the one man holding the secret of everlasting life. On the journey, he encountered various obstacles and on finally meeting Utnapishtam, he successively failed different tests that could have given him the secret of immortality. In the end, Gilgamesh, though being the King of Uruk, succumbed to the same fate that befell his fr iend. Although the type of friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu corresponds to contemporary friendship, it differs in some way from it. All through the ages, humans have treasured friendship since it determines our survival on this world. In the current society, human relationship is of essence for helping one another in times of difficulty, just as Gilgamesh and Enkidu assisted one another in conquering their enemies. Most people look for various traits in friends, especially attributes that they may be having in common. However, the current society takes friendship for granted. Most people see it as something that exists naturally.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Epic of Gilgamesh- Theme of Friendship specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More How many yearn for their better halves, as did Gilgamesh and Enkidu for each other? Who can go in the world to search for a suitable mate in love? The Mesopotamian society, as depicted by taming of Enkidu so that Gilgamesh could accept him, valued friendship such that they could go in search for it. I do not think that two ordinary peasants in Mesopotamia were capable of forming the kind of bond that existed between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. In the epic, Gilgamesh is depicted as being two-thirds god. Therefore, to make him have his equal, the gods created Enkidu to satisfy his cravings for a mate. This implies that the gods predestined their friendship, a thing that could not just happen among ordinary peasants in Mesopotamia. Before the coming of Enkidu, Gilgamesh had a cold heart and he never befriended anyone. However, the coming of Enkidu changed all these as he placed a check on Gilgamesh powerful energies. On the other hand, Gilgamesh pulled him out of his egocentricity. This even matching of characteristics is only possible when someone is specifically created for the other, but not otherwise as may be in ordinary men. This essay on The Epic of Gilgamesh- Theme of Friendship was written and submitted by user Lesly Patrick to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Agoraphobia(Anxiety Disorder) essays

Agoraphobia(Anxiety Disorder) essays The term agoraphobia has been widely misunderstood. Its literal definition suggests a fear of "open spaces". However, this is an incomplete and misleading view. Agoraphobics are not necessarily afraid of open spaces. Rather, they are afraid of having panicky feelings, wherever. these fearful feelings may occur. For many, they happen at home, in houses of worship, or in crowded supermarkets, places that are certainly not "open". In fact, agoraphobia is a condition which develops when a person begins to avoid spaces or situations associated with anxiety. Typical "phobic situations" might include driving, shopping, crowded places, traveling, standing in line, being alone, meetings and social gatherings. Agoraphobia arises; from an internal anxiety condition that has become so intense that the suffering individual fears going anywhere or doing anything where these feelings of panic have repeatedly occurred before. Once the panic attacks have started, these episodes become the ongoing stress, even when other more obvious pressures have diminished. This sets up a "feedback condition" which generally leads to increased numbers of panic attacks and, for some people, an increase in the situations or events which can produce panicky feelings. Others experience fearful feelings continuously, more a feeling of overall. discomfort, rather than panic. A person may fear having anxiety attacks, "losing control", or embarrassing him/herself in such situations. Many people remain in a painful state of anxious anticipation because of these fears. Some become restricted or "housebound" while others function "normally" but with great difficulty, often attempting to hide their discomfort. Agoraphobia, then, is both a severe anxiety condition and a phobia, as well as a pattern of avoidant behavior. Individuals do not develop agoraphobia because they are unintelligent or "weak". In fact, the opposite is true. Studies have shown that agoraphobics a...

Checking Immigration Case Status With USCIS

Checking Immigration Case Status With USCIS The  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  (USCIS) agency has upgraded its services to include checking case status online  and using a virtual assistant online to answer questions. Through a free, online portal, MyUSCIS, there are multiple features. Applicants can submit an online request, get automatic email or text message updates when a case status changes and practice the civics test. Being that theres  a multitude of immigration options from applying for U.S. citizenship  to green card residency status and temporary working visas to refugee status, to name a few, MyUSCIS is the one-stop  site for all applicants requesting U.S. immigration. The USCIS Website The USCIS website has directions for getting started on MyUSCIS, which allows an applicant to review their entire case history. All an applicant needs is the applicants receipt number. The receipt number has 13 characters and can be found on the application notices received from USCIS. The receipt number begins with three letters, such as EAC, WAC, LIN or SRC. Applicants should omit the dashes when entering the receipt number in the web page boxes. However, all other characters, including the asterisks, should be included if they are listed on the notice as part of the receipt number. If missing the application receipt number, contact the USCIS Customer Service center at 1-800-375-5283 or 1-800-767-1833 (TTY) or submit an online inquiry about the case.  Ã‚   Other features of the website include filing forms electronically, checking office case processing times, finding a doctor authorized for completing a medical exam for adjusting status and reviewing filing fees. A change of address can be recorded online, as well as finding local processing offices and making an appointment to visit an office and speak with a representative. Email and Text Message Updates USCIS allows applicants the option of receiving an email or text message notification that a case status update has occurred. The notification can be sent to any United States mobile phone number. Standard cell phone text messaging rates may apply to receive these updates. The service is available to USCIS customers and their representatives, including  immigration lawyers, charitable groups, corporations, other sponsors, and you can register for it online. Create an Account It is important for anyone who wants regular updates from USCIS to create an account with the agency to ensure access to case status information.   A helpful feature from USCIS is the online request access option. According to the agency, the online request  option is a web-based tool that allows an applicant to place an inquiry with USCIS for certain applications and petitions. An applicant may make an inquiry on selected forms that are beyond posted processing times or selected forms where the applicant did not receive an appointment notice or other notice. An applicant can also create an inquiry to correct a notice received with a typographical error.

Health care issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health care issues - Essay Example There are several challenges that the governments around the world are facing, however, financial challenges in the health care sector seem to be of utmost importance. According to a survey conducted on top issues a hospital faced, financial challenges topped the list of 13 challenges that the respondents were asked to rank (American College of Healthcare Executives(ACHE’s)(2011). The survey also took a closer look at the top 3 concerns. Medicare reimbursement and bad debts were major contributors to the financial problem. Another major contributor was increase in cost of staff and supplies. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute, ‘In 2010, the emphasis on cost continues. (PWC, 2010). In a its annual report published in December 2009 the institute stated that managing costs and getting more out of less will be the second most important challenge for the health care industry. Second only to the impact of Health Reforms (PWC, 2010). MEDICARE CHALLENGES Medicare, a health care program taking care of the elderly has been facing problems for quite some time now. The problem has been two-fold: on one side the overall cost of providing health care is going up and on the other hand there is a large number of baby boomers who are going to be eligible for Medicare this year (Levey, 2009).

Judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Judaism - Essay Example But what sets Judaism apart from other monotheistic faiths, like Islam and Christianity? Cunningham and Katzew clearly explained that Judaism acknowledges only the the Torah as a source of revelation. The Torah, in general, comprises the thorough description of God’s plan for hmanity. In their essay, Cunningham and Katzew provide an exploratory, analytical, and thorough description of the theology and tradition of Judaism. They provide an explanation of practices, values, and beliefs, theology as conveyed in mythological stories, and standards of symbolic act and rites. They also talk about scripture and revelation, God’s teachings, the series of tradition represented in the narrative of the oral and written Torah, and signs and representations in Judaism. But more importantly, Cunningham and Katzew take a courageous leap forward by arguing that none of the historical epochs can be dismissed from the shared processes between Christianity and Judaism. The authors support the assumption that the major monotheistic religions are

Explain the ethical significance of the Sermon Essay Example for Free

Explain the ethical significance of the Sermon Essay The Sermon on the Mount is one of the key sections of the New Testament, in which Jesus builds upon the Decalogue to form the first blueprint of Christian ethics. Jesus was preaching in direct contrast to the Greek philosophy of stoicism, which sought to separate man from his emotions. Emotions, especially love, feature heavily in the Sermon on the Mount. It remains ethically relevant over 2000 years later for many reasons, the first of which is the underlying principles behind it. Jesus did not come to abolish Old Testament law, but to fulfil it. The Jews were trapped in a system of harsh legalism, where obedience was motivated by fear rather than love. The Pharisees made a grand display of holiness by keeping the law, but the Sermon on the Mount teaches that their hearts were empty. Jesus built on the Ten Commandments to create a system ruled by mercy, love and dedication to God. Even if the culture changes the basic ethical principles behind the sermon do not change. It is a moral code that focusses as much on inward moral disposition as it does our external actions: Jenkins wrote, â€Å"inner attention and attitude is crucial. † Even if a typically good action is performed with sinful thought then it becomes immoral. The most important thing to realise about the Sermon on the Mount is that it is impossible for anyone to keep it completely, as it demands perfection. Although they will never be free from sin in this life, Christians use the sermon in order to try and become more like Jesus, who was perfect. The Sermon is all about Christian sanctification. Jesus speaks not only on what Christians should do to be moral, but he also explains why it is important to be ethical in the first place. He states that Christians are the salt and light of the world. Salt is significant because it represents purity, preservation and flavour. Therefore we understand that Christians should maintain a good ethical code in order to set an example to society and to preserve it from total corruption. The image of the light is also key: in the Bible light always symbolises joy and blessing. A light is visible to all, and so the Christian should seek to make Christ visible to all through their actions. A light is also a warning, representing the Christian’s duty to lovingly warn their fellow-men about their sin. Further on in the Sermon Jesus admonishes that, â€Å"If the light then within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! † Furthermore, the Sermon on the Mount gives many specific examples of Christian ethics, the first of which is regarding murder. Jesus equates anger to murder, and speaks of the fires of hell. This is contrary to the contemporary universalist view of Jesus and his death which has led some scholars to claim that when he speaks of hell it is merely metaphorical. Regardless, Jesus is affirming that you cannot be right with God until you are right with your fellow men, which all relates to the salt-and-light reputation of a Christian. Jesus also teaches about adultery and sexual morality. Again he equates the inward sin of lust to the outward sin of adultery. He also declares that marrying a divorced woman counts as adultery, a part of the Sermon that even Christians have begun to disregard. This is contrary to the Old Testament where Moses permitted – but did not command – divorce due to the hard heartedness of the people. The close relationship between a husband and wife mirrors the relationship Christ shares with his Church, which is why sex features so highly in Christian ethics. Love, when fully understood. Is opening oneself to another completely and can succeed only where trust and fidelity are present. Subsequently, another part of the Sermon on the Mount that is ethically significant would be where Jesus deals with how we should relate to other people. The standards set by Jesus are so high it is easy for Christians to look down upon those that are struggling. Jesus, ever a carpenter’s son, uses the metaphor of the speck in your brother’s eye and the plank in your own. We are all sinners and it would be highly hypocritical to judge another when we are also flawed. We never know the whole story about someone and it is impossible to be impartial in our judgement. The Jews were familiar with the concept of loving your neighbour and not judging him, but they did not feel the same about their enemies. Jesus commanded us to show agape love towards our enemies. Such love does not naturally come from the heart, but is instead must be put into action through one’s own will. As Jesus was merciful and forgiving to sinners, so we should be. This is vital to Christian ethics. Another ethical aspect of how we relate to other people is how we treat those who are poorer than us. It is not enough to simply preach to them, but we must take care of their physical needs as well as spiritual. Jesus said, â€Å"Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. † Charitable giving was a fundamental part of Jewish life, but Jesus added another element: it was only ethical if done with the correct motivation. The Greek word translated as hypocrite in the Bible literally means ‘actor’. This is why Jesus commands us to give in secret, lest we become boastful. Moreover, there is a definite eschatological aspect to the Sermon on the Mount as it draws to a conclusion. This emphasises to the Christian how their ethics are eternally significant and will be considered on the Day of Judgement. Jesus states that few will enter the Kingdom of Heaven and that not all that profess to believe in him as Lord will be saved. He warns of false prophets who will come in sheep’s clothing; in this situation the ethics presented in the Sermon on the Mount are vital so a Christian can identify who is a true believer. We are not saved by works, but they are an important part of our Christian identity. The Sermon on the Mount also has certain evangelical tones throughout. It shows the unbeliever what is required of them if they follow Jesus, and the severe consequences if they do not. Spurgeon wrote of this passage, â€Å"The shepherd best discerns his own sheep, and the Lord, Himself alone knows infallibly them who are His. † To conclude, there are conflicting theories regarding the nature of the Sermon – certain theologians such as Calvin believe it is a compilation of many separate sermons. Others debate technical details, such as whether it was preached on a mount or a plain. However, something that every Christian will agree on is that the Sermon on the Mount is of the upmost important as a foundation for Christian ethics. Stott said, â€Å"The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, thought arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed. †

Video Game Violence Make Teens and Children More Aggressive Essay

The term violence is a broad word that has many different views depending on what it is associated with. When it comes to teens and children, violence can be anything from pushing, shoving, and fighting too. Violence has and always will be an ongoing problem around the world. Everything that can be done to prevent it will benefit our society. Today’s video games and featured television shows have become much more graphic than they have ever been, showing brutal images that can be accessed by all ages. Video games have become one of children’s favorite leisure activities, and they spend long amounts of time playing them. It has been shown that children with high exposure to such violent games have a much higher score of serious violence (Freedman 2002). After playing these games for long and countless hours, children begin to view these behaviors as acceptable while out with their friends or in public. Violence is any action that may cause harm to another such as pushing, fighting, language, wrestling, and killing. Violent video games have a strong positive correlation with aggressive behaviors because of intense graphics, lack of effective parental control, and the amount of time playing these games. Aggressive Minds. Video games that are made these days are completely different from how they were made a decade ago. The games are much more detailed and realistic, and they give you the feeling that you are actually in the game. Elizabeth Carll, PhD in Psychology says â€Å"A comprehensive analysis of violence in interactive video game research suggests exposure increases aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, angry feeling, and physiological arousal and decreases helpful behavior†. Children that have played thes... ...ngs, E., Karas, T., Winsler, A., Way, E., Madigan, A., & Tyler, S. (2009). Young children's video/computer game use: relations with school performance and behavior. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 30(10), 638-649. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. JAMA and Archives Journals (2007, July 4). Study Examines Video Game Play Among Adolescents. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 18, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070702161141.htm Straus, M. (1972). Measuring Intrafamily Conflict and Violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/351733. Violent Video Game Campaign (1998-2011). Are you worried about the increasingly violent and graphic content in video games? Retrieved February 18, 2011. Van Horn, R. (1999). Violence and Video Games. Phi Delta Kappan, 81(2), 173. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Analysis of Editorial and Advertising Content for Glamour Magazine

{draw:rect} UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER *FACULTY OF *BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT {draw:custom-shape} COURSEWORK SUBMISSION SHEET This sheet must be completed in full and attached to the front of each item of assessment Before submission to the School Office. Student Name: Maria Lynch Registration No: B00351233 Programme Title: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Module Code/Title: BMG378 Lecturer: Donald Mc Fetridge Date Due: April 16th 2010 (NB: Latest hand-in time is on the due date unless otherwise advised) Submitted work is subject to the following assessment policies: 1 Coursework must be submitted by dates as specified by the Subject committee. Students may seek prior consent from the [Course/Subject] Director to submit coursework after the official deadline; such requests must be accompanied by a satisfactory explanation and in the case of illness by a medical certificate. 3 Coursework submitted without consent after the deadline will not normally be accepted and will therefore receive a mark of zero. CO NTENTS Introduction 3 Analysis of advertising content 3 Analysis of editorial content 4 Magazines target market 5 Marketing and promotional content 6 Product strategy 7 The importance of consumer behaviour 7-8 Future trends 8-9 Conclusion 10 Bibliography 11 Appendix 12 Introduction I have been asked by my lecturer to analyse the editorial and advertising content of a lifestyle magazine of my choice. The magazine that I have chosen is Glamour; the reason that I chose this magazine, is because it is Britain’s number one women’s magazine and has been in circulation for over seventy years. Glamour is a prestigious fashion magazine first printed in 1939 by Conde Nast Publishing who are responsible for numerous fashions and lifestyle magazines including Vogue, Men’s Vogue, Allure, GQ and many more. Topics addressed by the magazine include: Love, Fashion, Sex, Beauty, Health and lifestyle and Celebrity gossip. Glamour is recognised as a world class fashion magazine and it is now published in the US, UK and numerous countries across Europe. Analysis of advertising content The advertising director for Glamour is Grace Dawson, and the fashion Assistant is Kerryn Grady, the products advertised are all premium brands like Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, DKNY, D&G and many more. The number of pages used in the magazine to advertise products greatly exceeds the number of pages with editorial content. The front cover of the magazine is dominated by Danni Minogue, a highly influencing style icon for more than two decades and the main topics addressed in the March 2010 issue. The magazine is printed on high quality glossy paper sending out a message of being luxurious, some of the advertising companies have attached samples of the products they are advertising and there is also a free gift offer from Benefit make up with every subscription to the magazine. The back cover is a celebrity endorsed by Charlie Theron for J’adore Dior perfume, a high cost to any marketing department, and on the inside of the back page is Cheryl Cole endorsing L’Oreal Hair products, inside of the front cover is a double spread advertising Lancome. These are the most expensive advertising spaces that a company can buy in a magazine as they are the first and last pages the reader looks at making them more memorable. There are a number of advertisements for men’s products such as aftershaves throughout, which are more likely a tactic by marketers to target women to buy these products as gifts as it is solely directed towards a male reader. There is a strong presence of sex in the advertising content; many of the images are provocative images to advertise the clothing ranges mostly, images that would not have been acceptable to print in the editions in the early 1940’s, people of today are becoming desensitised towards these images as they are more familiar with them. {draw:custom-shape} {draw:frame} Analysis of editorial content The editorial content starts on page 74, all pages before this are mainly advertisements and some acknowledgements and details of all editors, directors and managers. The editorial content starts with the topic of sex, which is then followed by a conservative political view and an exclusive interview with David Cameron although there is not much depth to the editorial content the writer takes a more light hearted approach researching Cameron’s personal life, his appearance and daily regime than into political views and issues surrounding the conservative party. The front cover has all the main issues addressed in the magazine in a bold red and black font with the largest most important being â€Å"723+ styles fixes†. Inside about quarter of the way in is a page devoted to readers letters and how much they have appreciated articles from previous issues and how they have helped the reader in their personal situations, with the winning letter receiving a camera to the value of ? 150. {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:line} {draw:custom-shape} {draw:frame} Magazines target market Glamour magazine is marketed towards career orientated heterosexual women, who are fashion conscious with targeted reader age of between 19 and 50. The socio economic class of the women that read this magazine would be typically either lower middle class or middle class, professional or junior management, educated and possibly with a political interests and a high level of disposable income as the goods advertised are designer brands such as D &G, Calvin Klein and premium brand make up like Lancome and Dior. In the 70’s VALS Value and lifestyle segmentation was developed for commercial purposes in California in an attempt by SRI International to have a better understanding of consumer lifestyle. Created to identify and group people accordingly so that they could predict consumer values and motivations to that they could target to the correct customers and make marketing attempts more efficient. Table 9. 4 page 400 Consumer Behaviour, Ray Wright By using the VALS table I would group the target reader of Glamour as achievers. Marketing and promotional content Glamour magazine has been available to buy as a paper copy since 1939 and in more recent years has become available digitally. The cost of buying a paper copy of Glamour is a fixed price of ? weekly, and is available in any large supermarket or book store, once a paper copy has been bought the reader can use the promotional certificate inside to get six copies at half price and get a free gift also. By accessing the Glamour website customers can avail of accounts based marketing, Glamour allow their readers to subscribe online which offers them business to customer savings and free gifts with their subscription, the proce ss is simple, the reader only has to click on the subscription link and follow the direct debit instructions. Glamour is Britain’s No. women’s magazine, with circulatory figures for Glamour year ending 2009 were 515,281 according to Audit Bureau of Circulation Glamour’s promotional presence online is that on all the Conde Nast Publications, there is a footer throughout the websites which gives the user links to all Conde Nast publications and all of their brands, for example the footer is placed on all Conde Nast websites making Glamour Magazine accessible from other websites such as Vogue and GQ. The footer also offers the reader the option of contacting the magazine in numerous languages including Polish, Spanish, French and German. Product strategy It is crucial that all elements of the product strategy complement each other, by ensuring the right mix of product, pricing strategy, promotion and place, will determine the success of the good/service. Identifying the need for the product is the basis, the pricing strategy must be realistic and meet the needs of the target market, Glamour has a set weekly price of ? 2 for their magazine, and the average cost of a magazine is between 50p and ? 4 making Glamour priced at middle of the range. The promotional element of Glamour’s magazine is done with the use of A list celebrities on the front cover, fashion icons and idols, selling provocative images and the colours that make the magazine stand out amongst others, alongside the online promotion that Conde Nast Publications offer to all their brands using the medium of each brands individual website. The product must be placed where the targeted consumer will be able to access it easily; Glamour is sold through Newsagents, book stores, supermarkets and through pre paid subscriptions. The importance of consumer behaviour It is important that a company understands consumer behaviour, it could be the difference between the success or failure of a marketing strategy, if the wrong customers are targeted the efforts will be ineffective and a waste of resources. By appreciating the importance of consumer behaviour marketers will be able to predict better the trends of the consumers and change their products or services to meet the ever changing customer wants and demands. One way of understanding better consumer behaviour is using loyalty cards to track what the consumer is buying and when they buy. Consumer behaviour theories are crucially important to companies as they help understand Psychology of consumers like Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs of individuals helps outline the basics of psychological need, which therefore helps to market products better and adapt marketing campaigns appropriately. Issues that may influence consumer behaviour may include ethical, or social changes, like the discovery of child labour issues or fur versus fake fur, are consumers as willing to buy if they know issues such as this. According to Dragon International (1991), and the Cone and Roper study (Simon, 1995) consumers are interested in ethical behaviour beyond those issues that directly impact on them, and would be more discriminating in their purchases if they were given more information about ethically and socially responsible activities. Future trends Future trends that I would predict for the magazine industry is that the decline in circulatory figures will continue, with the presence of the internet becoming stronger and the people trying to become more environmentally friendly. According to ONS, 70% of homes in the UK now have internet access which is a rise of 28% since 2006. I predict that many of Glamour’s readers will switch from their hard copy and move onto reading their favourite articles online, whilst on the go from mobile devices, although I don’t believe that the digital copy will be the only copy available, hard copies may become fewer and more expensive, as some readers will still enjoy the smell and touch of a paper magazine. Internet Access 0% of households had access in 2009 Office of national statistics {draw:frame} Conclusion In conclusion, having analysed Glamour magazine I have found that the reader is being targeted with an enormous amount of advertising content, over half the magazine is adverts for premium products which appear in all Glamour issues only changing moderately, eventually leaving these advertisements unnoticeable. Throughout the magazine there is very little editorial content of which has very little conten t or depth, the reader is mostly purchasing advertisements. This magazine already has a strong online presence of which I believe will only get stronger following their downturn in psychical sales. Bibliography Books Foxall, Gordon R. Consumer psychology for marketing / Gordon Foxall, Ronald Goldsmith, Stephen. – 2nd ed . . . . – London : International Thomson Business Press, 1998 . Wright, Ray, 1942- Consumer behaviour / Ray Wright. – London : Thomson Learning, 2006 Antonides, Gerrit, 1951- Consumer behaviour: a European perspective / Gerrit Antonides and W. Fred v. Chichester : Wiley, 1998 Electronic resources http://www. glamourmagazine. co. uk/default. aspx? gclid=cjxurovo3qacfsu8laodm0r9fg: accessed via www. glamour. com accessed 29/03/2010 https://www. magazineboutique. co. uk/secureonline/quicksubs_tpl. asp? m=469&src=2214 accessed via www. glamour. com 29/03/2010 http://www. condenast. co. uk/ accessed via www. glamour. com accessed 05/04/2010 http://www. abc. org. uk/SearchResults. aspx? SearchInput=glamour&Where ToSearch=Data accessed via: http://www. abc. org. k/ : accessed 05/04/2010 http://loft965. files. wordpress. com/2010/02/430danniiglamourcover. jpg accessed via www. google. com 05/04/2010 http://media. onsugar. com/files/2010/02/07/1/485/4852708/61f6142ea24cbac7_Dannii_Minogue. jpg accessed via www. google. com accessed 05/04/2010 http://www. gq-magazine. co. uk/ accessed via www. glamour. com accessed 11th/April/2010 http://www. vogue. co. uk/ accessed via www. glamour. comaccessed 11th/April/2010 http://www. statistics. gov. uk/cci/nugget. asp? ID=8 accessed via

Nature of globalization Essay

Globalization is a term used to explain the new era just like we learn about different periods such as stone age. It entails that people around the world are more connected to one another than ever before in terms of †¢ Information flow through sophisticated means unlike in early ages where messengers and drum beating was used for communication. †¢ Money transfers and goods transportation is quicker and efficient all over the world. Goods and services produced in one part of the world are necessarily available in all parts of the world. †¢ International travel is more convenient and faster than ever. (Martin, 2004) All this changes have been as a result of advance in technology, basically the computer. This is what has enabled globalization. Globalization can be found in five different areas; economic, cultural, political, religious and social systems. Globalization therefore, can be understood as the tendency or the process of businesses, technologies or philosophies to spread throughout the world. Nature of globalization Globalization is something that is very new in the world. For the last 30 years, there was no much discoveries in computer technology although there were computers and they were only used in the developed countries. This is why we cannot say there was globalization since globalization simply means making the world a â€Å"global village† in that every information and services are available and accessible to all the people around the globe just as it is in a small village. The idea of globalization has made it possible to harmonize the cultures of people all over the world. That is because people are able to carry out businesses across boundaries without traveling, using different currencies, making instant payment and in developed countries they use a common currency for example the Euro that is used all over Europe and the US dollar that is used by many countries. It is possible therefore, that the whole world will in future be using one common currency. This is what is referred to as economic globalization. According to Sachs (2005) technology in information has made transfer of information and especially educational information to be available across the globe. This is what has brought the idea of e-learning through the Internet. The changes in culture of the people is being felt especially in the African societies which had very stronghold in their traditions but today this has little or no influence on peoples ways of life especially in the young generation, for example changes in sexual inequality. This is as a result of globalization, people copy the lifestyles or cultures of others from the developed countries due to interaction, travels and high speed information transfer. For this same reason people are able to change their religious believes because the gospel has taken a new line, i. e. it is global reaching every corner of the globe. Conclusion When we talk of globalization we definitely have to think about the major participants in this idea. The United States dominates in this global traffic in information and ideas. (www. globalpolicy. org) The American music, movies, television and software’s are so dominant , so sought after by everybody and so visible that they are now available in every corner of the earth, including the developing countries in sub-Sahara Africa. References Raskin. P. T(2002), The Great Transition Boston Tellus Institute p31-42. Alex MacGillirray (2006) A Brief History of Globalization. New York. p122-127. Sachs,T. (2005), The end Poverty New York p 13-23 Martin, W. (2004), why globalization works, New York: Yale University Press, pg 210-235 Global policies, Available from, www. globalpolicy. org (Retrieved December 14, 2007) What is globalization, Available from, www. globalisation101. org (Retrieved December 14, 2007)

The Most Significant Event in My Life Essays

The Most Significant Event in My Life Essays The Most Significant Event in My Life Essay The Most Significant Event in My Life Essay Essay Topic: Maus The most significant event in my life One day, when I was lying on the bed and started to relax myself. Suddenly, a question jumped out from my mind. What was the most significant event that I had experience in my life? At the moment that I was wondering what was the answer. An answer came in to my mind. It was a trip. It was my first visit, to a country that I had always been told was my great grandfather’s motherland. It was a land I knew no more about than what the travel brochures told me. Having come to Malaysia as an infant, I knew no other home or way of life than what I was used to in Malaysia. However, my trip to India in the summer of 2005 was a significant event that made me see myself as well as the world around me in an entirely different perspective. It was quite overwhelming actually; it was as if I was propelling into another vortex, one with pungent odours of curry and saffron. It was an entirely different atmosphere, one with snake charmers, palm readers, and attractive religious rituals. However, it was an environment with not so attractive sights as well. There were poverty and disease everywhere, men and women, emaciated due to lack of food and proper medical attention. Almost everywhere I turned there was someone, young or old, man or women, so withered from hunger and diseases that each bone on their body could be seen, so poor that they barely had enough rags to cover their body. This is the real side of India, one of disease and malnutrition poverty. A country, in which outmoded diseases like malaria, and tuberculosis are not only in existence, but run out of control. Nothing is safe; water is contaminated thus, causing an ideal location for disease. Of course, there is the beauty and enigma of India, the mystery of the mausoleum known as the Taj Mahal and the serenity one experiences by practicing yoga on the banks of the holy Ganges, as well as other tourist attractions. However, they are merely tourist attractions. It is not until I looked at the real face of the rural side of India behind the cover-up of tourist sites, did I realize how lucky I have been to escape the poverty and misery felt by millions of Indians. I have always had a natural affinity towards the field of medicine, and for me taking biology in my high school and it was the only course I truly enjoyed. I loved staining animal cells and identifying the nucleus or mitochondria. I was one of the few students who actually anticipated the frog dissection in the spring and anxiously awaited it all through the fall semester. And when dissection day arrived I was the first one to put on those latex gloves, grab a scalpel and pin the frog down, set it in anatomical position and make that first incision. Due to my intense interest in biology, the idea of medicine as a career was my ambition. The trip to India had helped me to stick on my ambition. Seeing the people in misery, depleted by the disease and lack of medication, is a sight that made me appreciate my good fortune. After this event or can be said as an adventuring trip, I felt that my life is far better than those millions Indian and I felt that I’m so lucky and I hope to help them in the rest of my life.

Caribbean Culture

Caribbean culture is identifiably linked to the approaches to survival taken by her peoples. Discuss this statement critically. Essay 2: The intellectual contribution of the Caribbean. Education has forever been a priority for the Caribbean region. From the mass of the Caribbean population have come some of the world’s best minds, creative intellect and imagination. The common heritage of a history rooted in exploitation and the struggle for freedom and independence have formed the foundation of an extraordinary commitment to education on the part of Caribbean societies over the years. While some may argue that the quality of education in the region is on the decline there is no doubt that Caribbean societies continue to maintain education as one of their highest priorities. Discuss this statement critically. Essay 3: ? Caribbean Integration It will be recalled that the Caribbean islands were among the first areas to be impacted by early globalization, in the form of European maritime expansion. The initial result was the extermination of the majority of the indigenous population. There followed mercantilism, slavery and the plantation system, and centuries of rivalry and wars among the major colonial powers. This left a legacy of political and linguistic fragmentation that constitutes the main obstacle to regional integration. Discuss this statement critically. Caribbean Culture Caribbean culture is identifiably linked to the approaches to survival taken by her peoples. Discuss this statement critically. Essay 2: The intellectual contribution of the Caribbean. Education has forever been a priority for the Caribbean region. From the mass of the Caribbean population have come some of the world’s best minds, creative intellect and imagination. The common heritage of a history rooted in exploitation and the struggle for freedom and independence have formed the foundation of an extraordinary commitment to education on the part of Caribbean societies over the years. While some may argue that the quality of education in the region is on the decline there is no doubt that Caribbean societies continue to maintain education as one of their highest priorities. Discuss this statement critically. Essay 3: ? Caribbean Integration It will be recalled that the Caribbean islands were among the first areas to be impacted by early globalization, in the form of European maritime expansion. The initial result was the extermination of the majority of the indigenous population. There followed mercantilism, slavery and the plantation system, and centuries of rivalry and wars among the major colonial powers. This left a legacy of political and linguistic fragmentation that constitutes the main obstacle to regional integration. Discuss this statement critically.

Main Themes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Main Themes - Assignment Example The most important theme of Acuna’s book is to view the Mexican history in complete isolation and to understand their individuality that has been influenced by foreign elements but not completely dominated by them. The Spanish invasion expanded from Mexico to various parts of southwest America, including Texas. With their ever-increasing influence, the indigenous population was then relegated to the status of slaves and the changing roles women were also attributed to the reforms brought about by Spanish invaders, who slowly dominated almost every aspect of their life. The invaders exploited the resources that the region was abundantly endowed with. (Acuna, 2010) The resistance from the Natives then provides an explanation for the friction between the communities that has been reported in the subsequent years. The Mexican population has suffered from great discrimination and was vastly marginalized in the society. This is the main purpose behind Acuna’s writings that aims to highlight the fact that Mexican population once reigned over the region where they are treated more or less like second rate citizens. Acuna has tried to breakdown the misconceptions that were exploited by the colonizers to brand their race as inferiors. The chapters provide a sound historical background, but on a personal level I feel intrigued by the evolution of Mexican culture that took place as a result of these