Effective Broadcasting of Channel One

There is a large debate erupting within our nation†s education system. Corporate America is invading our classrooms and campuses at an alarming rate. Corporate conglomerates such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nike, and US West are making their presence felt in the hallways, gyms and classrooms from grade schools to colleges. Should these companies be allowed to buy their way into the classroom? The answer is no. Corporate restructuring of our educational systems is not the way to solve our schools† funding problems. Big companies want to get into the classrooms as soon as possible. Next year, 53 million American children will make up approximately $250 billion dollars worth of immediate spending (Long, 2000:1). If the children are properly marketed, this figure would rise exponentially in later years, leading to a lifetime of brand recognition. These children are beginning to associate certain products with the brand names that they see and use at school every day. This will then likely cause these children to continue to buy the same products later in life as well. This lifetime of purchasing power could lead to incalculable profits in future years. Channel One is a daily newscast that is offered to students around the country. Nearly 40 percent of American schools tune into Channel One everyday (Manning, 1999:1). A controversial entrepreneur, Chris Whittle, founded this company in 1989. These students are supposedly tuning into this program every day in order to keep up on current events and issues around the world. However, Channel One is now known as the most profitable in-school marketing campaign in the nation. The company gives the schools, which will allot time for students to watch the program, free satellites and television sets. What it also gives them is two minutes of paid advertising (Stark, 2000;1). Nearly all of the 86,000 schools across the country use some sort of program where the schools receive money or equipment in exchange for proof-of-purchase coupons or receipts (McQueen, 2000:2). Is our public education system nothing more than an incentive based purchasing program, or are we trying to teach independent thought and creative thinking? Third grade math is being taught by using â€Å"Tootsie Rolls. † Classroom business courses are being taught by touring students through McDonald†s facilities. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are feuding over multi-million dollar contracts that would ensure student consumption of their products first (Manning, 1999:1). Nike offers free apparel and equipment for sports programs, only if the athletes will become walking billboards, wearing large logos on their jerseys and clothing. US West builds team scoreboards only for schools that will agree to exclusive vending deals. However, there is something else to be said about the commercialism of our nation†s public education system. In standardized testing, our nation†s education system is falling behind the rest of the world. The government has been lagging on education reform, and fewer dollars are being pumped into most areas of public education. Some would say that commercialism is a great opportunity to put money back into the schools. South Fork Highschool In Marlin County, Florida gave Pepsi the exclusive right to to market and sell its beverages to their students in exchange for $155,000 (Stark, 2000:3). A school that was in dire need of funding received compensation and Pepsi, in turn, gets to be the sole distributor of beverages to the school. This is the business exchange. These companies will provide money and services for schools that are lacking proper funding in exchange for what is turning out to be rudimentary corporate brainwashing. This may not be necessarily bad for the students, but it does pose a threat to true consumerism. Another great example of this is The Wal-Mart Corporation. More than 1,800 Teacher of the Year awards are given by Wal-Mart, each teacher receiving $500 that can be turned around and spend at Wal-Mart to purchase goods and supplies for the class (Long, 2000:2). This is where Wal-Mart†s investment begins to pay off. When the students see that Wal-Mart has recognized a teacher of theirs, and has in turn given money for the school, than the students will begin to see Wal-Mart as a good company. This may, in-turn, cause sub-conscious purchase intent in the future for these students. While this may seem like a fair trade, money in exchange for consideration, but there is a deeper issue at bay. Should this potential corporate brainwashing be allowed to occur when our children†s susceptible minds are at risk? If this is allowed to happen, then our entire society could be interpreted as being one large marketplace, where commercialism dominates over everything, even basic public education. There are some people who are fighting back against the onslaught of corporate propaganda, and it can make a difference. A group in Seattle, known as the Citizen†s Campaign for Commercial-free schools (CCC), has been organizing meetings and â€Å"commercialism walk-throughs† in order to raise public awareness of the situation (Manning, 1999:3). In these walk-throughs, groups from the CCC will go and collect as much marketing material in the schools as they can, and send copies of their reports to the appropriate school boards. One schoolboard, with pressure from the CCC and other supporters, issued a resolution stating â€Å"We are opposed to exposing schoolchildren to corporate values in an educational environment where they assume that whatever is presented to them carries the approval of the educational establishment (Manning, 1999:3). After this resolution was issued, members of the CCC were put on a school-community task force responsible for studying the issue and making policy recommendations. Four states have also begun to limit certain types of advertising and other commercial activity from their public schools: California, Florida, New York, Maine, and Illinois (McQueen, 2000:1). According to the Center for Commercial-Free Public Education in Oakland, the Madison School Board in Wisconsin was the first ever to reject renewal of an existing corporate contract when they cancelled their contract with Coca-Cola after months of public debate (McQueen, 2000:2). In closing, it is imperative that this corporate desecration of our education system be stopped now. If this problem is not remedied, then businesses could quite feasibly end up running our public education. People are making a stand, but the results are too far and in-between for any real difference to be seen. Consumerism will eventually take the place of learning as the goal of our schools, and we will fall further behind in terms of international education standards.

Misunderstood Adolescents

Stereotypes of a group of people can affect the way society views them, and change society’s expectations of them. And with enough exposure to a certain type of stereotype, society may come to view the stereotypes more of the reality, rather than it being a â€Å"chosen representation,† which can cause a misunderstanding between people. The public’s perception of today’s teenagers, stereotypes them in such a way that portrays teenagers as â€Å"bad. † Teenagers are believed to be obnoxious and ignorant (moody, insecure, argumentative, impulsive, etc. because of how society sees the majority of teenagers. People believe that teens are rebellious, immature, and trouble for their parents. People tend to think teens are violent, reckless, and lazy. Many people do believe that strict eye should be kept around teenagers, especially those who tend to create problems or those who misbehaves. However we all do realize and know that not all teenagers are like that. Some may fall into the mentioned criteria, while others do not. I do understand, there are teenagers whose overall, general idea during their adolescence, is to have fun and â€Å"explore† during their younger years (like how many people say to enjoy your teenage years), but there are also teenagers who focus on more serious aspects of life. We cannot classify teenagers as adults when in reality, there are some who act like children, but at the same time, we cannot and or shouldn’t classify them as children either for the few of those who do act like adults. In my opinion, society bases their stereotypes on the teens they come into contact with as well as the ones that stand out from the rest. These portrayals trigger the â€Å"involuntary response† that all teenagers must be that way—a false assumption of both parents and teenagers. The negative stereotypes not only affect how adults see teenagers, but they also influence how teenagers see themselves. Knowing the feeling that the majority of the world doesn’t respect or understand teenagers does little when trying to encourage a positive sense of self-worth in themself. Believing in a stereotype has its disadvantages. I believe that it is in partly because of the misinterpretation and hugely overstated way teenagers are depicted through he media (in movies, television, etc. ) First of all, nobody likes being judged because of a stereotype. Nobody wants to be known as someone their not. Adults insist on stereotyping teenagers because they often act in stereotypical ways. For example, making generalizations that adults think they are no good and will do bad things just because they don't agree with them on a particular issue. Teenagers want their voice heard and with these stereotypes, however nobody’ willing to listen to their perspective or side of the story. So teenagers appear to be rebellious, when they get stubborn in attempting to get their point of view across. These stereotypes about teenagers are so common that, now teens do re-question about themself, in general, if they are bad. A personal experience that I had with how people viewed me in comparison with other teenagers on school campus, was just recently when I was a new student to Mclane High School. Coming from Clovis Unified, and knowing what I hear about McLane, I already knew that McLane wasn’t the best school or was in the best neighborhood as well. I would often hear stories about how students would ditch their classes and not even come to school, probably like come to school every other school days. And sadly, some not even able to graduate with their high school diploma. My first day on the McLane campus, I was especially shocked when I met up with a counselor and was ask if I was â€Å"planning to drop out of school, or attend college. † Obviously, I wanted to go to college, but knowing about how some of the students in McLane aren’t eligible to go to college, I took that more of a concerned question rather than a put-down comment. It’s true that teenage is characterized by having mood swings and or abrupt behavior due to â€Å"hormonal† changes, but yet it is the same for every teen in the world. Teenagers are more intelligent and skilled than what society â€Å"assumes† they are. During our adolescence, it is simply more of a phase transition into adulthood, where there are various reasons why we do and act the way we do, to be able to understand us, society should let teenagers themselves explain the stories behind the stories that people assume about them, and let people listen. Stereotyping teenagers (and or for any other group of people) doesn’t seem unjust, but yet it happens in society. Groups are misunderstood because people aren’t willing to listen to what one another has to say about their view, which causes confusion or we just start to assume based on what we know only (which is only one side of the full story).

Mohammed Morsi Essay

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi has become Egypt’s first freely elected president after a delayed announcement of the results of last weekend’s runoff. He beat former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq by more than almost 900,000 votes. Morsi secured 51.7% of the vote, compared to 48% for Shafiq. Mohammed Morsi heads the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm. Mubarak appointed Shafik as prime minister in response to the protests against his regime. Shafik resigned a little more than a month later amid protests decrying him as a holdover from a discredited, ousted regime. Supports the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF): â€Å"SCAF is serious about power handover and is seeking to achieve the goals of the revolution. SCAF stands at an equal distance from all political and religious powers.† Parliamentary elections: the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party seems set to emerge as the biggest winner, with some analysts estimating it will capture about 40% of seats in the new legislature. Al-Nour, a more conservative Salafist party, looks likely to secure second place. The Muslim Brotherhood (known in Arabic as al-Ikhwan al-Muslimeen) is Egypt’s oldest and largest Islamist organization. As the most organized opposition group following the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the Brotherhood became the country’s dominant political force, winning a near majority of seats in the post-revolution parliament, and its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, winning the presidency. Some Egyptians are concerned over the group’s aim to establish a state ruled by sharia, or Islamic law, and ambiguity over its respect for human rights. Such concerns intensified after Morsi announced new sweeping powers for the presidency in late 2012 and a draft of theproposed constitution was published. The domestic political challenges also provide a difficult road for U.S.-Egypt relations, especially with regards to foreign aid. The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political party of the Muslim Brotherhood, could not have come into being without the 25 January revolution. Up to that time, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), Egypt’s most powerful Islamist organization, was not only denied the right to form parties, but also barred – at least legally – from political life. As a result, the group had to pay a heavy price in detentions and repression to practice politics under the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak. The group had been trying to get a foothold in the country’s political arena for decades but was met with entrenched opposition by the Mubarak regime, which tended to accommodate the Brotherhood, but only within strict limits. Now, after the 25 January uprising, the group’s political ambitions have resurged on an unprecedented scale. Officially founded in May 2011, the FJP says that it is committed to a modern state, democracy, women’s rights, and national unity. The FJP’s initial membership of nearly nine thousand included one thousand women and one hundred Copts. New members are subject to a probationary period of six months after which, and based on their performance record, they become eligible for permanent membership. The FJP—along with the Salafist Al-Nour—is among a very few Egyptian political parties that issue probationary membership Formed alliance with name of Democratic Alliance (Freedom and Justice) Al-Nour Party Established in the wake of the 25 January uprising, Al-Nour (â€Å"The Light†) Party is the largest of Egypt’s three licensed Salafist parties (the other two being Al-Asala and Al-Fadila Parties). It was established by Al-Da‘wa Al-Salafiyya (â€Å"The Salafist Call†), Egypt’s largest Salafist group, commonly known as Al-Daawa Movement. Al-Daawa started in Alexandria where it now enjoys a considerable following. Al-Nour Party was officially licensed in June 2011. Official registration is of paramount importance in Egypt at the present time, as the current election law limits the right to contest two-thirds of the seats of the upcoming parliament to a limited number of officially registered parties, including Al-Nour. Under the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak, the state generally did not allow for the formation of Islamist parties, but after the revolution many Islamist groups managed  to obtain official political party license. The Islamist Bloc is an electoral coalition formed by three Islamist political parties with the aim to integrate their efforts in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Islamist Bloc is comprised of the Salafist Al-Nour and Al-Asala Parties, as well as the Building and Development Party, the latter of which was founded by the Islamic Group (Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya). Wafad party: Wafd Party is one of Egypt’s oldest liberal parties and is expected to play a significant role in the upcoming elections. With deposed President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party officially disbanded, Wafd has emerged as an influential player in the political arena. The party commands the largest network that any political party in Egypt possesses today, covering major cities in twenty-four out of twenty-six Egyptian governorates. With a distinguished group of top Egyptian businessmen on its membership list, Al-Wafd stands out as one of the few established parties that do not face the same financial constraints that have historically challenged many of the country’s political parties. The party also enjoys a very strong presence in the media, thanks to its famous daily newspaper, its Internet portal, and a professional, well-equipped media department. Additionally, Wafd’s current leader Al-Sayed Al-Badawi is owner of Al-Hayat, one of Egypt’s top five television channels. Such are luxuries that very few Egyptian parties possess. Wafd’s history dates back to the beginning of party life under the monarchy, making it the oldest among existing Egyptian political parties. The name of the party is Arabic for â€Å"The Delegation,† and it references Saad Zaghloul’s attempt in 1919 to lead a popular delegation to the post-World War I Paris Peace Conference to demand independence for Egypt against the will of British occupation authorities. Threatened by the immense popular support that Zaghloul was able to garner for his mission, British authorities exiled the Egyptian nationalist leader along with members of the prospective delegation to Malta. This move instigated a mass uprising, which led to the 1919 Revolution. The Egyptian Bloc: The Egyptian Bloc consists of the Free Egyptians Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party and Al-Tagammu Party. The Bloc is often portrayed as a â€Å"secular-leaning† alliance that seeks to counterbalance the influence of the Muslim Brotherhoodin the upcoming elections, specifically the Brotherhood led Democratic Alliance’s electoral coalition. Members of the Bloc announced in early November that their partnership is not simply a short-term electoral coalition, but encompasses a long-term political alliance aimed at turning Egypt into a civil democratic state. Magdi Abdelhad:iMiddle East analyst The Islamists’ rise to power in Egypt will send shockwaves through the courts and palaces of conservative Arab kings and presidents who have tried for decades to put the lid on political Islam. But foremost among Egypt’s neighbours who watched the brotherhood’s success with increasing alarm is Israel. Cairo was the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel and the brotherhood has traditionally been vehemently opposed to that. But its opposition has softened over the years – at least publicly. It is widely believed that the Muslim Brotherhood have reassured Washington that an Islamist government in Egypt would respect the peace deal with Israel. Given also that the ruling military council will continue to have the final say on matters of war and peace, it is unlikely that the brotherhood can put that peace at risk. It is also more likely that Mr Mursi’s immediate priority will be to concentrate on Egypt’s many daunting domestic problems including rampant poverty and unemployment. Debating leaders: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/opinion/21iht-edzewail21.html?pagewanted=all From the time of Ramses II, the strong pharaoh who ruled Egypt thousands of years ago, until last year when Hosni Mubarak’s reign ended, Egyptians were never able to witness a debate over who should take over the democratic reins in the highest office of the land. Our new culture of debate, together with the election of the Parliament last December, are milestones in the history of the nation, paving a new, but rocky, path toward democracy. The open debate between the secular and religious orientations of politics was  unthinkable over the past 60 years. This new openness means the Egyptian body politic is maturing. In the end, Egyptians know that, for the first time, they can choose their future. It won’t be dictated or imposed by anyone. Army protected revo: Unlike in nearby Syria or earlier in Libya, the Egyptian Army has taken the high road and protected the revolution in its infancy. And it has been the guardian of these unprecedented transparent elections. Problems: Among the most serious problems are economic hardship, the uncertainty of the political climate and the deterioration of security — a feature that Egyptian society faces anew. These problems have been compounded over the past 15 months as each of the three main constituencies involved in the revolution — the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which is in charge of the transition period; the politically liberal as well as Islamic-oriented parties; and the youth who triggered the uprising — have stumbled in one way or another. Little bloodshed: It is a hopeful sign indeed that we Egyptians are still marching forward toward democracy with relatively little bloodshed. All signs indicate that a counterrevolution is not in store for Egypt. We will not turn back to a totalitarian governing system. Perhaps the most encouraging of all is the confidence of Egyptians in their future. In Egypt, a Victory for Democracy but Fear for the Future: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-25/in-egypt-a-victory-for-democracy-but-fear-for-the-future â€Å"So many questions remain unanswered that what can best be said is that either SCAF and the Brotherhood have worked out a deal of some sort or the political jousting has only just begun,† wrote Issandr El Amrani, a popular blogger on Egyptian politics. â€Å"Both the Brothers and  SCAF have positioned themselves in a manner in which backing down from their respective positions on the question of parliament and the Supplemental Constitutional Declaration would be a loss of face.† Tensions ran high for two weeks, when the SCAF assumed legislative responsibilities after shutting down the Islamist-controlled Parliament, announced a Supplemental Constitutional Declaration that drastically reduced presidential powers, and gave themselves the ability to veto articles of drafts of Egypt’s new constitution. They also reintroduced martial law, allowing soldiers to arrest civilians. Critics called their actions a soft coup. The Muslim Brotherhood, the most powerful political player in Egypt, has on the surface refused to accept any of these decisions, staging a sit-in in Tahrir Square and issuing aggressive statements to the media, all the while vowing to pressure the military government to rescind their declarations. It was a rare move, as the pragmatic group is more generally known for cutting deals with the regime rather than going toe-to-toe. Last week, with the possibility of a victory by Ahmed Shafiq, the other candidate in the run-off election who is widely viewed as aligned with the military, the Brotherhood showed a willingness to work with the revolutionary groups it had mostly ignored since the uprising against Mubarak. Morsi pledged to form a national salvation government to include secular politicians, Christians, and women. â€Å"The big question is: Can they build a broader, more inclusive front that can effectively challenge SCAF’s grip on power?† asks Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center. â€Å"Now that fear [of Shafiq’s victory] has passed, is there still enough that binds [the opposition groups] together? I do think the Brotherhood has at least implicitly acknowledged the mistakes of recent months and they have tried to strike a more conciliatory tone, and the recognition that they can’t do this alone because they are fighting a very challenging adversary: SCAF and the old regime.† To add to the challenges of running a country with a crumbling economy, President Morsi won with a narrow margin, garnering 51.7 percent of the vote. He had promised to be the president of all Egyptians during his first address to the nation Sunday night . â€Å"The game was being played almost like a game of poker on both sides,† says Hani Shukrallah, managing editor of the English-language online version of the Al Ahramnewspaper. â€Å"If we have reached a compromise, that’s a bit helpful for healing the deep schisms  [within] society. We have a society that’s been split down the middle, with enormous polarization. Most of the people who voted for Morsi did so out of dread [of] Shafiq.† On a side street leading to Tahrir Square on Sunday night, Ehab El Shawi led his three children to the epicenter of the celebration in the birthplace of Egypt’s uprising. Like many, he was caught between rejoicing at the idea of a new president and the reality of the office’s lack of power. â€Å"This is the first time all Egyptian people made a choice in 7,000 years to elect a normal Egyptian citizen. This is the first time we have freedom in more than 60 years,† El Shawi said happily of the first non-military president in Egypt’s history. â€Å"But we have to change all the decisions taken during the presidential elections and force the powers to ensure Dr.Morsi will have all the power to make Egypt a modern country,† he added. â€Å"We still need to take Egypt back from the old regime. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Timeline: Anti-Mubarak protests 2010 February – Former UN nuclear chief Mohammed ElBaradei returns to Egypt and, together with opposition figures and activists, forms a coalition for political change. ElBaradei says he might run in presidential election scheduled for 2011. 2010 March – President Mubarak undergoes gall-bladder surgery in Germany, returning to Egypt three weeks later. 2010 June – Muslim Brotherhood fails to win any seats in elections to the Shura consultative upper house of parliament; alleges vote was rigged. 2010 November – Coptic Christians clash with police in Giza over construction of church. Parliamentary polls, followed by protests against alleged vote rigging. Muslim Brotherhood fails to win a single seat, though it held a fifth of the places in the last parliament. 2011 January – 21 killed in bomb at church in Alexandria where Christians had gathered to mark the New Year. Anti-government demonstrations, apparently encouraged by Tunisian street protests whic h prompted sudden departure of President Ben Ali. President Mubarak reshuffles his cabinet but fails to placate demonstrators, whose calls for his resignation grow louder. Days later he promises to step down in September. 2011 February – President Mubarak steps down and hands power  to the army council. 2011 March – Egyptians approve package of constitutional reforms aimed at paving the way for new elections. 2011 April – Former President Mubarak and his sons, Ala and Gamal, are arrested on suspicion of corruption. 2011 April-August – Protests continue in Cairo’s Tahrir Square over slow pace of political change. Islamist groups come to the fore. Army finally disperses protestors in August. 2011 August – Former President Mubarak goes on trial in Cairo, charged with ordering the killing of demonstrators earlier in the year. 2011 October – Clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces kill 24 people. Egypt and Israel swap 25 Egyptians in Israeli custody for a US-Israeli citizen accused of spying. 2011 November – Violence in Cairo’s Tahrir square as security forces clash with protesters accusing the military of trying to keep their grip on power. Prime Minister EssamSharaf resigns in response to the unrest. Start of parliamentary elections. 2011 December – National unity government headed by new Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri takes office. 2012 January – Islamist parties emerge as victors of drawn-out parliamentary elections. 2012 March – Pope Shenouda III, the veteran head of the Coptic Church, dies. 2012 April – Crisis in relations with Saudi Arabia over the Saudi detention of an Egyptian lawyer briefly threatens the substantial aid that the Saudis provide Egypt. First free presidential poll 2012 May – Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi tops the first round of voting in first free presidential elections, narrowly ahead of Mubarak-era prime minister Ahmed Shafiq. Official media put turnout at a low 43%. Military leaders announce the end of the state of emergency in place since Anwar al-Sadat’s assassination in 1981, as its last renewal expires. 2012 June – Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi narrowly wins presidential election.Armyvs civilian rule Court sentences ex-President Mubarak to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising. 2012 July – President Mursi submits to a Supreme Court ruling that the parliamentary elections were invalid, after initially ordering parliament to meet in defiance of a military decree dissolving it in June. 2012 August – New prime ministerHishamQandil appoints a cabinet dominated by figures from the outgoing government, technocrats and Islamists, to the exclusion of secular parties. Islamist fighters attack an  army outpost in Sinai, killing 16 soldiers, and mount a brief incursion into Israel, highlighting the tenuousness of government control over the largely-lawless area. President Mursi dismisses Defence Minister Tantawi and Chief of Staff Sami Annan and strips military of say in legislation and drafting the new constitution. 2012 September – Egypt kills 32 militants and destroys 31 smuggling tunnels to Gaza in an offensive against militants who attacked troops in Sinai in August. 2012 November – Bishop Tawadros is chosen as the new pope of Egypt’s Coptic Christians. President Mursi issues a decree giving himself extensive new powers. The decree sparks angry demonstrations and is condemned by Egypt’s top judges, who accuse him of undermining the independence of the judiciary. The Islamist-dominated constituent assembly tasked with writing a new constitution approves all 234 articles of the draft constitution, which boosts the role of Islam in Egypt’s system of government. The assembly session is boycotted by liberal, left-wing and Christian members. The vote is held earlier than originally scheduled, after Egypt’s constitutional court threatened to dissolve the constituent assembly. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13315719 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2012/01/23-egypt-indyk Prospects for Democracy in Egypt: There’s a conventional wisdom in the United States that Arabs are incapable of sustaining a true Western-style, liberal democracy. It will take them hundreds of years to acquire a â€Å"democratic culture,† the argument goes. And in the meantime new authoritarian regimes — either Islamist or military — will replace the ones that have been overthrown in the past year and give us all a lesson in â€Å"Arab democracy.† Advocates of this view were the first to announce, with all-knowing smiles, that the Arab Spring had become an Arab Winter. When Islamist parties won free and mostly fair elections in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco in recent months, the proponents of this view had an â€Å"I told you so† moment and they were quick to denounce anybody who said otherwise as hopelessly naive. After a prolonged hibernation, politics has broken out in Cairo, the capital of the Arab Awakenings. For the first time in six decades people are acquiring a taste for freedom and, yes, Western-style democratic politics. The issues they debate so vigorously are critical to the shape of Egypt’s democratic future: What will be the residual powers of the Egyptian military? What’s the best model for dividing powers between the Presidency and the Parliament? What revisions should be made to the Constitution to ensure democratic rule? At the same time, the newly-elected parties are busy engaging in the horse-trading necessary to coalition politics, since no one party gained a majority (the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party won around 47 percent of the vote; the Salafi Al-Nour Party won 25 percent, and a variety of liberal parties won the rest.). We were treated to an amazing sight: Salafi religious purists attempting to negotiate an alliance with liberal secularists. How did they justify such a pragmatic deal? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, one of them explained to us. They can both agree on a short-term political agenda: countering the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and getting the army out of politics. And what about the imposition of Sharia law? The leader of the Salafi Al-Nour Party noted that his party is comfortable with the conservative nature of Egyptian society so a campaign to impose sharia law is unnecessary. They can be satisfied (at least for the time being) with the existing language of Article 2 of the Constitution which states that the â€Å"principles† of Islamic shariah will guide the state. This kind of pragmatic politics is deeply disturbing to the â€Å"Costa Salafis† — a young generation of Salafis whose makeshift headquarters is in a Costa cafe. They denounce their elders not so much for being willing to compromise, which they readily accept as part of the new politics, but of failing to articulate through â€Å"fatwas† the religious basis for those compromises. It’s as if the Salafi leadership, propelled onto the political stage for the first time, has become unplugged and feels able to do whatever is necessary in the political realm to protect its community of social  conservatives. They reminded me of the religious parties in Israel! Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood is busy making its own compromises with the military and with other liberal parties that would enable its Freedom and Justice Party to build a governing and empowered coalition (at the moment, they can control the parliament but until its powers are defined in the constitution and the military hands over power, they cannot control the government). Whereas the Salafis are looking to constrain the Muslim Brotherhood, the MB is focused on how to ease fears of its intentions. After operating for eighty years in the political wilderness, the MB has learned just how fragile this moment could turn out to be. That’s why its leadership is more willing to compromise with the military than the other parties to its left and right. Consequently, the other parties fear that the MB will sell them out to the military in some sweetheart deal that compromises the revolution and their abilities to use democratic rules of the game to constrain the MB and hold the military accountable. This tension will likely manifest itself in the massive demonstrations that are expected on January 25 in Tahrir Square to commemorate the first anniversary of the Revolution. The military and the MB have called for a celebration, complete with party balloons and patriotic songs. Youth activists and some liberal parties, particularly exercised by the eighty some demonstrators who were killed by the police and the army in crackdowns in November and December last year, are calling for a demonstration against military rule. Some of the far-left revolutionary youth are calling for a campaign of violence. The way the January 25 demonstrations play out will be only one of the ways in which â€Å"square politics† and â€Å"party politics† interact in Egypt’s newly dynamic democracy. All the parties feel that they can claim legitimacy from the people’s mandates that they have received in the elections. This empowers them to stand up to the military in demanding that it leave the political arena promptly and allow Egyptian democracy to have its day. If the military focuses only on protecting its narrow interests (e.g., retaining its business interests, claiming immunity from prosecution for  past actions, demanding only responsibility for protecting the state’s borders), then a reasonable compromise can be fashioned. However, if the military insists on specifying reserve powers in the constitution and protecting its budget from civilian oversight, then the people know the way back to Tahrir Square. As one newly-elected parliamentarian put it: â€Å"We are legitimate now; the army is not.† And what about the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty? We didn’t raise the issue — they did. It came up in most conversations in the following way: â€Å"We have been elected by the people. We’re responsible to them. The people want stability, above all. They want the police back in the streets and calm and predictability restored to their daily lives. We don’t like the way Israel treats the Palestinians. We don’t like the price that Israel pays for Egyptian gas. But we’re not going to mess with the peace treaty.† That sentiment is so widely shared that one of the heads of the Muslim Brotherhood could declare to the New York Times last week that the peace treaty is a â€Å"commitment of the state,† and therefore will be respected. The sense of responsibility that rests on the shoulders of those who would govern 87 million people is palpable. They know the severe economic straits that they will have to confront. They know that neither tourists nor foreign investment will return to Egypt unless there is a clear commitment to stability. And they know the people will not forgive them if they fail to address their basic needs for order, jobs and housing. In short, newly-elected Egyptian politicians — the Muslim Brotherhood first and foremost — understand that they have to make a choice between feeding the people and fighting Israel, and for the time being they have made a conscious choice of bread over bombs. The fact that Palestine is not a priority for the Egyptian people has been manifest since the early days of the revolution. It was underscored for me during a lecture I gave at the American University in Cairo, just off Tahrir Square. A Palestinian student, draped in a Palestinian flag, stood with a makeshift banner in silent protest at the front of the hall. Despite this prominent reminder, during the ensuing ninety-minute Q&A session with  students and journalists no-one asked a question about Palestine. To be sure, there’s always the risk that populist politicians will outbid each other in their demagoguery on the Palestinian issue, especially if Israeli-Palestinian violence flares. But Israel is particularly sensitive to this possibility and the Muslim Brotherhood is apparently signaling its Hamas branch to keep things quiet too. (With 350 trucks a day passing from Israel into Gaza, and smuggling of weapons through the tunnels continuing apace, Hamas has its own reasons for maintaining the current de facto ceasefire with Israel.) What was perhaps most striking to me, however, was the attitude of the new political class to the United States. I had expected to encounter hostility — after all the United States had been Mubarak’s staunch ally through the three decades of his Pharaohnic rule. I had assumed that the Islamist politicians in particular would be antagonistic towards American influence in post-revolutionary Egypt, just as the Iranian clerics have manifested intense antagonism towards the United States since their revolution. Yet Egypt’s Islamists all seemed keen to engage with the United States government. The Muslim Brotherhood was trying to understand President Obama’s intentions in demanding that the military hand over power to civilian (i.e. Muslim Brotherhood) rule, â€Å"expeditiously.† They weren’t sure how to deal with the fact that Bill Burns, the Deputy Secretary of State, had just met with their leadership. But one thing they were very certain about — they need U.S. economic assistance and U.S. help in mobilizing international assistance. They were therefore quite anxious to know how Congress would treat them. Because of this new U.S. Government engagement with their arch-rivals, the Salafis too are seeking American recognition. Their leaders are keen to come to Washington to explain their intentions. They even appear willing to engage with Israel to establish their bona fides — one of their leaders recently gave an interview to Israeli Army Radio.

Managing Capability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Managing Capability - Essay Example The main purpose of their employees is to meet the needs of customers and their expectations as well. In the literature of marketing, one of the most important issues is competitive advantage that had gained significant attention. Authors and scholars have focused on the identification of the most successful competitive strategies that any organization prefers to pursue so that they can produce and facilitate supernormal advantages and benefits. The structure conduct performance of any industrial organization has great influence on this area of research, which significantly described and explained that competitive advantage derives from fortunate market positions (Helfat & Lieberman, 2002). The resource Based View (RBV) was another explanation of the source of competitive advantage, which was developed in the early 90s. This view identifies the sources of advantage inside the firm, which is viewed as a bundle of resources (Kay, 1999). A major difference was indicated between competitive strategy framework and the resource based theory. Porter, a well-known author, viewed a firm as a bundle of unique resources and by resource based scholars as a bundle of activities. The competitive strategy framework, given by Porter makes the analysis of environment- performance relationship more prior. Strategic capabilities can simply be defined as: Complicated set and bundles of skills as well as accumulated knowledge that makes a firm able to coordinate activities and make use of their possessions to promote economic value and maintain economic advantage. In order to identify strategic capabilities and its types, it is classified so that these can be applied in the required field for the purpose of an organization (Kay, 1999). These capabilities allow a firm to keep costs at lower level as well as enable a business to respond to the changing needs of the customers rapidly. The role of strategy formulation quality and its

Threat Analysis for IN-n-OUT bURGER Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Threat Analysis for IN-n-OUT bURGER - Case Study Example This is a threat to the future performance of In-N-Out Burger. The other threat is the issue of health consciousness. Consumption of too much fat is not healthy. In-n-Out burger products have a lot of fats. The foods that the company prepares have too much fat which is not healthy. Fats cause a number of health complications. Customers might decide to buy fast foods from other retail chains such as McDonalds which have little fats rather than those from In-N-Out Burger. This might lead to In-n-Out Burger losing some of its customers to such retail chains (World Market Intelligence, 2011). The other threat that faces In-n-Out Burger is the fact that prices of raw materials are not constant. They are likely to escalate in the future hence increasing its cost of production. The high cost causes an increase in the selling price, and this might turn away customers (World Market Intelligence, 2011). World Market Intelligence. (2011). In-N-Out Burger: Company Profile and SWOT Analysis; Market Research; Retrieved from on September 10,

McHam_Donatello's David & Judith_x Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

McHam_Donatello's David & Judith_x - Assignment Example the controversial message that the family’s role in Florence was the same as that of respected Old Testament autocrat slayers and saviors of the people that emblematically inverted the increasing accusations that the Medici had developed tyranny that took all the power from the republican institutions in the city (McHam 32). The sculptures were mainly used as focal points of the courtyard and the garden that were linked. David was raised on a high base at the middle of the courtyard and could be seen when the palace’s main entrance was open. The exact location of the Judith and Holofernes in the plot is not known as the orchard was immediately behind the quad, it may have been noticeable from the quad if it was located on the bloc between the orchard and the quad (McHam 32). The placement of the sculptures reveals that they could easily be viewed by the desired audience since the courtyard could be accessed by palace visitors and the garden could be accessed by an invited group. 2) What evidence does McHam provide that suggests Donatello’s earlier marble version of David was interpreted in political terms? How would the placement of the artist’s later version of David been understood? (p. 34) The inscriptions in the manuscripts which describe the Palazzo della Signoria validate the speculation that had earlier been unproven that they might have been added to the sculpture before 1416 before Danatello recut the figure to emphasize a political role for David as being the defender of Florence (McHam 34). This was done by baring his one of his legs and removing the scroll that had previously used to identify David as being a prophet. The placement of the bronze version of David in the courtyard can be understood as a self-conscious allusion to the previous marble analogue and the inscription it was associated with. It was also a sign that the Medici were closely associated to the regime and supported their principles. 3) According to the author, what was

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 49

Discussion - Essay Example An accountant must consider the unique aspects of the two classifications in order to capture all the expenses and revenues in order to enhance the accuracy of the balance sheets among other financial documents in an organization. Adjusting entries is an important undertaking in bookkeeping since it helps document every event that takes place in the organization. They help consolidate the accounts balances and bring them to the last day of the financial period. Such is a vital undertaking that helps in reconciling the financial books. Additionally, adjusting entries helps record the cost of doing business. Through adjusting entries, the financial records will show the activities that occurred instead of the transfer of money. This helps present the activities associated with doing business since they influence the cost of doing business in an economy (Warren, James and Jonathan 67). Such accounts as Accounts receivable and the income account are always adjusted depending on the movement of money in the business. Such are the adjusted entries since the movement of money in the company influences their outlook. Unadjusted entries, on the other hand, refer to money that remains unchanged despite the movement of money in the financial period. Such accounts as starting capital inherited from the closing accounts. The amount remains unchanged by the movement of money in the fiscal period. Adjusting entries is a hectic process that requires an accountant to pay close attention to the movement of money in a business. The fact that the process occurs at the end of a financial period makes it confusing and difficult since an account must refer to all the financial books within the period in order to understand the movement of cash. This makes the process hectic. While the relationship between debit and credit is natural, it remains difficult to identify the accounts to either

Government and Public Sector Trade Unions Essay

Government and Public Sector Trade Unions - Essay Example Allen Flanders (1970) says that the major functions of trade unions are 'Regulation' which is of government role, whose essence lies in rule making. As Flanders (1970) says "Union restrain the exercise of managerial authority in deploying, organizing and disciplining the labour force after it has been hired." Thus trade unions are considered not merely as economic organizations, but also as political institutions directed towards wresting control over managerial authority and moral institutions, which will uplift the weak, and downtrodden and render them the place, the dignity and justice they deserve. Trade unions, everywhere, as organizations undertake a variety of activities termed as economical, political, social psychological, cultural etc. All these activities could be broadly put into three major categories such as collective bargaining or negotiations, industrial action and legal actions. Basically unions are inclined and always emphasize on compensations and try to obtain higher wages from employer, which results in grater share from profits at the expense of organization plays have to employee-employer relationship. This relationship leads to conflict between management & employees as both adopting policies to each other (Gallie et. al. 1998; Kelly; 1998). Unions' voice through effective communication between management and employees and the resolution of employee grievances lead to improved relationship with employers (Freeman & Medoff, 1984). Union effects on employment relations depend on their monopoly and voice role. Future unions' relationship may lie on their emphasis on their voice role (Rubinstein 2001; Wachter 2003). Bargaining arrangements mediate the relationship between unions and perception of employment relations for various reasons. Fernie and Matcalf (1995: 401) agree "the benefits from having a union representation the bulk of the labour force in a work force flow from greater voice and representativesness and less fragmentation of work place employee relations." Analyzing employer perceptions of employment relations in the Workplace Industrial Relations Survey (WIRS, 1990), Fernie et al. (1994:17) found "multi unionism contributes to inferior relations between management and labour." If workers are close substitute, employers could use fragmented bargaining arrangements to 'divide and rule' them (Horn and Wolinsky, 1988). If they are highly complementary this eventuality does not arise and separate unions or bargaining arrangements may promote better relations by providing voice arrangements for different groups of workers. Unions may obtain a premium where bargaining coverage in high or multiple unions are present (Forth & Millward, 2002). Management employee relations can be viewed as one dimension in what is usually regarded as the multifaceted concept of 'industrial relations climate'. Now in a broader sense, the organizations controlled and managed by the governments directly or indirectly can be put into the category of public sector. This sector consists of pure government sectors like police, armed forces,

How to buy a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to buy a car - Essay Example Know what car you would like to buy. Check out the internet and brochures about their technical specifications if they suit your preference and your needs. Check your budget for the car you would be purchasing. After browsing on the internet and many car brochures, be sure to have that money that would require you to own the car of your choice. You can then go to the store where your chosen car is available. Approach a car dealer to assist you with your purchase. Your car dealer would introduce a lot of options that would confuse you. Get straight and state your preferences and budget so that the dealer can easily assess the car for you. As you would be paraded with the many fancy cars in their showroom, get back to the reason why you are buying the car so that you will not be confused. If you have chosen the car, check out the technical specifications to make sure they suit to your needs and qualifications. Don’t be afraid, ask for test drives. You have to have a first hand e xperience with the car before purchasing it to make sure that it would be the car for you. If you have some doubts, try another one that you think might be better. In choosing the car for you, you have to be sure with everything. If you found the one, make sure it is worth it. Settle the payment methods with your car dealer and arrange for the papers and shipment of your

Sears Air Conditioning Units and Installation Research Paper

Sears Air Conditioning Units and Installation - Research Paper Example These carry the brand name of sears and sears also take responsibility for their after sales services. The Sears air conditioning units are available in many different sizes and models. The most attractive are however smaller units which are used in household. The business environment has evolved over the last few decades. There are hundreds of different products for each market need. There are many reasons to this rapid increase in alternatives of products. The concepts of outsourcing have greatly increased the number of competitors. Just a few decades ago it was not very easy to start selling technology intensive products. This was because business could not make heavy investments in research and development. Moreover the cost of selling up manufacturing plants was too high. Outsourcing however has made it very easy for smaller investors to compete in the market. Outsourcing hubs like china can manufacture products at low cost and companies only have to invest in packaging and marketing of these products. Even distribution for products is outsourced. The challenge of selecting an effected target market for the products still remains a challenge. The quality of the products is even irrelevant if the right target market is not selected. The first step in this process is dividing the market into different segments. These segments can be divided on the basis of age, gender, location or income group. In this case however age or genders are irrelevant as the product being sold is air conditioner. The market would therefore be divided on the basis of location and income groups. The location factor is important from a distribution point of view. Only areas where Sear’s stores are available can be relevant market segments. The second basis of segmentation will be on the basis of income groups. There are three generic consumer of air conditioning. The consumer in the very high income group

Deviant behavior Essay Example for Free

Deviant behavior Essay The labeling theory and the social control theory are two explanations behind the concept of deviance. The labeling theory argues that society itself creates deviance by classifying certain behaviors or people as deviant. The social control theory, meanwhile, believes that deviance is a result of the failure of social institutions to enforce societal norms. Labeling and Social Control Theories Every culture has norms or standards that distinguish acceptable from unacceptable behavior. Actions or behaviors that go against cultural norms are referred to as deviance. To understand why some individuals resort to deviance, sociologists and criminologists first analyze how norms are created, modified and enforced. The labeling theory and the social control theory are just two of the explanations these experts have come up with regarding the nature of deviance. Labeling Theory The labeling theory argues that people assume deviant roles in society. No conduct or individual is inherently deviant – society itself creates deviance by classifying certain behaviors or people as deviant. Those who observe deviant manners acquire deviant identities by internalizing deviant labels that society imposes on them. Instead of finding the root cause of deviance, society will attribute it to particular behaviors or people (Kontos and Brotherton, 2008). Proponents of the labeling theory claim that the social group is the one responsible for deviance. It creates norms in order to differentiate conventional people from deviants. Norms, however, are detrimental in the sense that it does not recognize the difference between rule breakers or rule-breaking behavior and deviants or deviant behavior. A person is dismissed as deviant regardless of whether or not his or her actions actually violated any norm (Hamlin, n. d. ). The Stages of Labeling According to the American sociologist Howard Becker, a person undergoes three stages when he is transformed from being regarded as normal to being recognized and labeled as deviant. The first stage is the initial â€Å"public† labeling or the informal process of labeling that eventually becomes an official definition of a person as deviant. Examples of this are the shoplifter who is tried in court and is sent to prison as a â€Å"criminal† and the drunk whom the doctor or the psychiatrist diagnoses as an â€Å"alcoholic. † The process of labeling begins with just the doctor, psychiatrist and judge, and then finally spreads to the entire community (Slattery, 2003). The second stage involves the official label’s overriding of all the other statuses and symbols that a person previously had. Society will severe ties with this individual and deny him or her opportunities for advancement. The father who becomes an alcoholic, for instance, ends up being divorced by his wife and abandoned by his children. The ex-convict, meanwhile, is unable to buy a house or get a job because of his criminal record (Slattery, 2003). The third stage is characterized by the label severely damaging the self-esteem of the person involved. The â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy† begins to take place – he or she may live up to the deviant label that society imposed on him or her by assuming a deviant lifestyle. He or she may also withdraw from â€Å"conventional† society by seeking support and status from other deviants who share similar lifestyles. An occasional drug user, for instance, may live up to his â€Å"reputation† as a junkie by going to underground bars and clubs frequented by drug addicts. The juvenile delinquent, on the other hand, may later become a professional criminal, in accordance to what society labeled him (Slattery, 2003).

College Graduation Essay Example for Free

College Graduation Essay I had been waiting for this morning to come for four years. In a few hours it came and went, but it was an important time in my life. Graduation day was the end of one life and the beginning of a new life with different problems, worries and joys. While walking in the theater, I had seen hundreds of parents, grandparents, children, and even alumni students’. My family was there, excited and cheering for me because I had finally made it. I was backstage getting ready for the walk on stage and thinking that I had finally reached the one day that would end college life and start a new life in the workplace. The time came for all the graduates to line up and start heading on stage to begin the ceremony. The walk to the podium seemed to take forever, as if we were waiting in line at Cedar Point. I just wanted to get my college degree, and get the day over with, but we had to wait for the band to start playing as well as the Valedictorians and Salutatorians to begin. I was excited and scared at the same time because I knew that once I walked across that stage everything would be different. The sound of the cheering, the stately music, the solemn atmosphere, and the joy of the students all play a part in creating this spectacle. It had represented the culmination of years of our hard work, careful planning, and studiousness. We must say goodbye to the fun and excitement of college days and enter the real world. As graduates, we’re reminded of duty to uphold and the finest traditions of the university and act in a spirit of honesty and integrity. During the graduation exercise I became bored. Crazy thoughts started roaming through my head while sitting there. Such as; â€Å"oh my god† I hope I don’t trip and fall in these six inch black heels, I’m nervous; hundredths of people will be staring as I walk across that stage. Just before I knew it; Good morning staff, parents, and fellow graduates. This year, you seniors have come a long way, Ms. Pierce, our vice president at the university, droned into the microphone. Ms. Pierce is a tall, thick, brown-skinned woman, who Ive always known throughout my four years there at the university. As she went on babbling about how proud she was, and how hard wed worked, all I could think about was how I had longed for this moment to finally come, I was still somewhat startled and amazed by this brilliant event. This eventually brought small joyful tears to my eyes. Just a few days earlier, I had been counting down the days to graduation. Only two days left before graduation, and four weeks and four days left until summer! I shouted out as I began marking off the May days in my calendar. Waiting to be called up then all of a sudden I heard: Tamar Perryman, with a loud applause and smiling faces of excitement. Walking up to get my degree as well as shaking the vice presidents hand with a firm grip. Finally I had overcome my fear and accepted my bachelor’s degree! About an hour later, our graduating class threw our caps up. As a sign of excitement, It was now time to party afterwards; I and some of my other classmates went from one friend party to the next following the commencement. When walking towards the backyard I had smelled barbeque from the grill, and boy did it smelled delicious. My stomach started to growl and I knew that was a sign to hurry and smash. I also noticed the beautiful dandelions off by the side of the garage. Picnics tables were set with decorated signs that read â€Å"Congrats you’ve made it† balloons were pinned up, soft music was playing from the garage Adults were gathered around taking pictures with friends and family. Several parents’ and grandparents’ attend to share their excitement as well, gifts were brought from office supplies to home house ware appliances. By midnight I was extremely tired from what a long day, I knew today would be a memory that I would never forget about while lying in my queen size sleigh bed. Before dozing off to sleep, I started thinking about what hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities I was going to apply to first thing in the morning.

Consumer behaviour in Brazil

Consumer behaviour in Brazil Brazil is the largest country in Latin America. The total population of Brazil is 170 million. The south east part of Brazil has the highest population and then comes the north east region. The GDP and per capita of the south east is more than that of the north east of Brazil. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR The consumer behaviour in brazil to the detergent market is different in the north east and the south east of Brazil and is depended on many influences. One of the influence is the social influence. Social Influences North East Brazil South East Brazil Culture and sub culture 65% of the population are a mix of African and European origins and their lifestyles, rituals and values share an African influence. Music and humour are the key elements of their culture. Only 35% of the population share an African influence whereas the rest are the migrants from Europe. This part is the financial and the political hub of Brazil. Social class More than half of the population fall in the low income category .The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. It is more labour intrinsic type of job. Most of the women in the family are housewives. Only 21% of the entire population fall in the low income category and most of the women are from the working class. Group Membership Most of the women meet and wash their clothes in public laundry or pond in a group. Cleanliness being an issue of gossip, every woman tend to keep their family clean to please the group. Most women own a washing machine so self esteem and social status is given less importance. The purchase behaviour of a customer depends on various factors as shown in the diagram below. The social influences are the subjective norms. Apart from price of the detergent, the important attributes for the north east customers as per the rankings are Power of detergent Its fragrance The ability to remove stains without the need of soap and bleach The dissolving power with the water Packaging Impact on colours Whereas the south eastern customers are habitual decision makers. They would prefer to use the same detergents that they are using unless they dont get any flaws. BRAND PLAYERS AND THEIR STRATEGIES UNILEVER: TOP BRANDS: Omo is the top brand of the portfolio and is considered as a high quality at a premium position which is for the high end market. Omo has more than half percentage of the total market share in Brazil .Minerva is a medium quality product with low brand awareness and second in market share. Campeiro is a well-known cheapest product but with a low top of the mind penetration. The target customers of Unilever were the high income segment. The highest profit margin that Unilever generates is from the sales of Omo. STRATEGY USED: With the help of brands like Omo Unilever was the market pioneer in Brazil and hence got the first mover advantage in the detergent sector. Unilever is the LEADER in the market. It followed the strategy whereby it created the most desirable market space in the minds of the consumers as seen by the Top-of-Mind-Awareness results. (Exhibit 8) Their main strategy is to advertise and increase the sales especially of Omo as the profits generated from their detergents proves a backbone for their expansion in food and personal care categories. Unilevers main line of promotion was through the media advertising. This is cost effective and irrespective of the income, Brazilians are avid television watchers. POSITIONING: The various products of Unilever are positioned as per the product and its appeal. Its positioning ranges from removal of stain by eliminating the need of bleach (Omo) to delivering pleasant smell and softness (Minerva) to cost reduction (Campeiro) DISTRIBUTION: Unilever had the daunting task of distributing to 75,000 small outlets in the Northeast. For this it relied on its existing network of generalist wholesalers and sometimes also on secondary, smaller local wholesalers. This however increased their cost. It also had the option of contracting with the specialized distributors. PROCTER GAMBLE: TOP BRANDS: Ace is of the superior quality and is still sold at a lower price than its second brand. Through research and development, their strategy would be to improve the price and the perceived quality of Bold and Ace which is in competition with Minerva and Omo respectively. STRATEGY USED: PG is a MARKET CHALLENGER which is aggressively trying to extend its market share. It has specific challenger strategies like VALUE PRICE GOODS AND SERVICES and IMPROVED SERVICES. The advertising is not very effective as the consumers dont have much knowledge or a top of the brand awareness as compared to the other brands in the market. POSITIONING: Like most of the products of Unilever their products are also positioned depending on the target customers. Two of their main products are positioned similar to Unilevers products e.g. Bold and Pop whereas Ace is positioned as a superior whiteness source. ASA ASA is a local Brazilian brand and is only popular in Northeast TOP BRANDS: Invicto which is an entry level detergent as it is a low cost detergent and valued by its customers. It is a key competitor of Campeiro and focuses on cost reduction across all dimensions. STRATEGY USED: They are the MARKET NICHERS and have been serving a special segment of the market as a whole. POSITIONING: Positioned like Campeiro i.e. as a low priced product SWOT OF UNILEVER IN BRAZIL (AS PER CASE) PRESENT SITUATION: Unilever is the pioneer of consumer goods industry in Brazil and a clear leader in the detergent powder category with an 81% market share achieved by brands like Omo, Minerva and Campeiro. The Brazilian fabric wash market consists of two categories: detergent powder and laundry soap. It faces a huge threat from PG and hence Unilever should look into tapping the niche markets before its competitors entry into them STRENGTHS: Detergent market pioneer in Brazil. Hence gained the first mover advantage which proved very favourable for its success Unilever is a strong brand in itself and has wide acceptance for its products all over the world Have a wide range of brands i.e. have a strong brand portfolio which caters to different market segments. For e.g. Omo is more technology oriented, Minerva clings to its emotional appeal and is a traditional brand, Campeiro focuses more on cost reduction They are innovative and customer centric in their approach. E.g. introduction of 4 new variants of Omo. Each of them have different properties targeted at specific needs of customers Detergents will always remain the cash cows for Unilever WEAKNESS: Difficult to make a selection with respect to cost effectiveness between the Generalist Wholesaler and Specialist Distributor since both could prove to be equally useful in its own way and once selected very hard to reverse Vast difference in distribution of social classes in the Southeast and Northeast. So similar strategies and products will not have the same result and might also vary vastly from the expected result especially in the Northeast Its brand Campeiro is perceived to be low on quality since it is also low priced High availability of substitute products OPPORTUNITY: Tap the niche market i.e. the untouched low income sector before the competitors penetrate there Change the positioning of detergents in the minds of the Northeasterners so as to increase the use quantitatively Make use of the high frequency of washing tendency in the Northeasterners which would improve product sales in this area Omo has the highest Top-of-Mind-Awareness amongst the Northeasterners (approximately 70%). This can be used as a way to generate awareness about Unilevers other brands and also for the product which needs to be directed to the lower income consumer segment (exhibit 8) Improvement in Brazils overall economic performance thereby improving the purchasing power of the natives and especially the lower income consumers Adopt appropriate strategy targeted at the lower income group so that Unilever successfully manages to tap all the classes of people Introduction of more technology based and innovative products like Omo THREATS: Rapid growth and improvement of PGs RD and marketing expertise Northeasterners manner of using detergents is different from the Southeasterners. As per this logic the use of detergents is less with the Northeasterners Preference of laundry soap over detergent powder in the Northeast. This would pose a challenge to the lower income consumer segment product which the company wishes to market Competitor brands like Bold, Pop and Invicto are direct competition to Minerva and Campeiro with regards to quality and price There is almost equal market penetration of the competitors brands with Unilevers brands. For e.g. Invicto, Ace, Campeiro (penetration in the range of 60-80%) Introduction of local products by smaller companies with better distribution Price war with other giants like PG UNILEVER IN BRAZIL As given in the case study, Unilever in Brazil has a strong 81% market share by means of its three brands: Omo, Minerva and Campeiro. Question at hand is Whether or not to market detergents to lower income consumers in Northeastern Brazil and How to go about it The lower income segment isnt tapped by any of the giants of the detergent industry hence it provides opportunity to the company for growth in this segment. Also there is a need for good products matching the flagship brand Omo combined with affordability as clearly seen by the example stated about Maria ConceiÇà £o. TREND IN BRAZIL: As per case study it is known that Northeasterners believe bleach is a must for removal of stains; detergent powder is used only to make the clothes smell good. For the Northeasterners cleanliness is perceived as important despite of their low income survival. Cleaning of clothes for them is also seen as a measure of dedication of the woman of the family. Hence the challenge is to change few age old perceptions and yet successfully make a mark in the lower income segment. For this Unilever will have to convert the laundry soap users into an Omo class user. This is a long term strategy but yet a feasible one. WHY CHOOSE LOWER INCOME GROUP: Enter lower income group segment before PG penetrates there Detergent market in this segment will always be a cash cow Need gap analysis shows that there is an existing need for good detergents in this market IMPLICATIONS OF MOVE: SHORT TERM IMPLICATIONS: First mover advantage, shift of investment of money in low price brand from premium brands LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS: Market leader in low income detergent market, without a shift in Omo customers the new brand will be able to attract lower income customers WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? There are various options with Unilever. Namely, Launch a new product in the market targeting the lower income consumer without cannibalizing its own premium brands extensively Reposition one of its existing brands Have a cheaper version of Omo/Minerva Carry out an extension of one of the existing brands I believe that Unilever in Brazil should carry out PRODUCT LINE EXTENSION. Hereby they should introduce an additional item in the same product category. Unilever should have an extension of its brand Minerva named Minerva Progress (similar to Omo Progress which removes difficult stains without bleach and laundry soap). Minerva Progress should be positioned between Omo and Minerva PROS: The positioning of product between Omo and Minerva will help gain visibility Can promote positively using Unilevers brand name Good market penetration of Minerva as a brand  [1]   CONS: Minerva as a brand is perceived to be a medium quality brand with less Top-of-Mind-Awareness  [2]   Fierce competition with PG brands like Bold and Ace WHY EXTENSION OF MINERVA: Not possible to have a low cost product under the Omo brand since this would confuse the consumers about the original Omos credibility Launch of a new product will not be cost effective Having an extension of Campeiro might not be successful due to the original image of the brand as a cheap quality brand Repositioning of any of the top brands might confuse the consumers and Unilever might lose its loyal customers Minerva having a good market penetration can perform well if the positioning for the extended product is done appropriately. Also as per Exhibit 8 the consumers in the Northeast have good knowledge about the Minerva brand (rated second after Omo). Hence the company should capitalize on this fact and thereby build a route to tap its lower income segment by using the brand name. A MARKET RESEARCH SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT TO UNDERSTAND THE RANGE IN WHICH THE CUSTOMERS WOULD BE WILLING TO SPEND MARKETING MIX OF MINERVA PROGRESS: PRODUCT: A new formula should be produced to match the requirements of the customers and at the same time not increasing the cost Product should have attributes as per requirement of the lower income segment especially cleanliness, whitening and productivity  [3]   Along with price the product should match the six key attributes important to this segment. Formulation should have more emphasis on stain removing capability while keeping Minervas original features intact like perfume and softness The product should be made available in various sizes and types. This would be apt for customers who do not use a large quantity of product per month. This would also give a notional feeling to the customer of having spent less Use of packaging other than cardboard boxes e.g. plastic sachet PRICE: The price of the product should be affordable for the lower income consumers The company is increasing the cost on formulation and nullifying it by cutting down on packaging charges The product should be such that it is priced less than Omo and Minerva itself but a little more than Campeiro Unilever should adopt PENETRATION PRICINGfor its product whereby the profit margin for Unilever would be less but it would maximize unit sales and increase market share in this segment Adoption of penetration pricing would also discourage the competitors entry Also initially Unilever can have an INTRODUCTORY PRICE for the product which would encourage people to purchase the product SUGGESTION: Unilever can also get into backward integration to reduce its cost thereby managing to produce low priced products PLACE Unilever should sell its products at all places in the Northeast Since the big shopping malls are perceived to be expensive it should display its products at local stores Unilever should display Minerva Progress along with Omo. This is because Omo itself has a good image that even this product will be highlighted to all the customers PROMOTION Product should not be advertised as a product meant only for the low income group since this might create a negative impression about the company Medium like hoardings, radio, television should be used Above the line promotion should be emphasized on more than below the line advertising Sales promotion activities should also be carried out heavily which are directed at the customers DISTRIBUTION: Intensive distribution should be used to make the product available extensively in all the retail outlets To target the lower income segment Unilever should adopt the Specialized Distribution method as given in Exhibit 13 PUSH STRATEGY: Initially a push strategy should be used wherein the product is pushed at the customers and made widely available to them. Then depending on the demand forecasts a push-pull strategy should be used. POSITIONING: FRAME OF REFERENCE: Detergents POINT OF DIFFERENCE: Quality with affordability POSITIONING: Attribute and benefit positioning STATEMENT: THE MORE THE BETTER OR THE LESSER THE BETTER.WE GIVE YOU BOTH; MORE QUALITIES FOR LESSER PRICE! PERCEPTUAL MAP: 200 MINERVA PROGRESS OMO 200 0 100 ACE BOLD PERCEIVED QUALITY PRICE INDEX 100 CAMPEIRO POP INVICTO MINERVA = UNILEVER = PG = ASA

Free Essays - Southern Black Vernacular in Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

Use of the Southern Black Vernacular in Their Eyes Were Watching God "The monstropolous beast had left his bed. The two hundred miles an hour wind had loosed his chains. He seized hold of his dikes and ran forward until he met the quarters; uprooted them like grass and rushed on after his supposed-to-be conquerors, rolling the dikes, rolling the houses, rolling the people in the houses along with other timbers. The sea was walking the earth with a heavy heel. ‘De’ lake is comin’!’ Tea Cake gasped."J This excerpt from Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were watching God, is an example of her amazing writing. She makes us feel as if we are actually in her book, through her use of the Southern Black vernacular and admirable description. Her characters are realistic and she places special, well thought out sentences to keep us interested. Zora Neale Hurston’s art enables her to write this engaging story about a Southern black woman’s life. Mrs. Hurston uses Southern Black dialect through out the book. This is appropriate because all of the dialog is between Blacks who grew up in the deep South. Some authors that write in a dialect totally confuse their readers. However, Mrs. Hurston’s writing does not confuse us at all. One particular example of this is on page 102. Tea Cake starts off saying, "‘Hello, Mis’ Janie, Ah hope Ah woke you up.’ ‘Yo sho did, Tea Cake. Come in and rest yo’ hat. Whut you doin’ out so soon dis mornin’?’" Janie replied. This dialog is easily to understand. The reader really gets the feeling of the speech because reading it is just like listening to it. Mrs. Neale also knows where to stop writing in dialect. All of the narration and description in the book are in plain English: she does not confuse us by putting narration in dialect, only the speech of characters is in dialect. This part of Zora Neale Hurston’s art adds to the sto ry without confusing the reader. Mrs. Hurston not only uses the vernacular of the Deep South she also uses Southern traditional legends. One example of this is how the book refers to death. Death is called the, "Square-toed one," that comes from the West. Even if the reader is not familiar with referring to death as the, "Square-toed one," the use of traditional legends helps to make us feel like we are where the book took place.

Prostitution Should be Legalized :: Argumentative Persuasive Prostitutes Essays

Prostitution Should be Legalized Prostitution is known as the oldest profession in the world, however, many states in the U.S. outlaw it. The textbook definition of prostitution is the "act or practice of engaging in sexual acts for money" ("Prostitution," Macmillan 805). Nevada is the first in the United States to legalize prostitution. Although the long term effects of legalized prostitution is uncertain, the short term effects have been economically beneficial. Prostitution should be legalized because not only could it financially benefit the country, but it could also reduce crime. There are many reasons why prostitution is illegal in 49 U.S. states today. First, and foremost, many people feel that prostitution should stay illegal in order to preserve morality. Parents do not want their children to grow up thinking that prostitution is acceptable. Worse yet, parents do not want to hear their children say, "When I grow up, I want to be a prostitute." Christianity also looks down upon prostitution because according to their beliefs, the act of sex is only to be done when a man and a women are in love and married. Monogamy is to be practiced in the marriage, and any violation of this is considered a sin. Another reason why the preservation of morality is so important is that people's morals shape the future of a nation. Many people feel that if prostitution is legalized, then its long term effects would be detrimental to the United States. The divorce rate in the United States peaked at an all time high in 1980 ("Marriage" 56). By the legalization of prostitution, this would allow room for husbands and wives to commit adultery. Thus, leading the marriage to a divorce. "The divorce rate has really increased over the centuries. In the U.S. today, the divorce rate is fifty percent of the U.S." (Holland 86). Second, prostitution is a great health risk to the U.S. because of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A major concern about STDs is the spread of AIDS, which is currently a deadly STD because a cure has not been found for the disease. The transmission of STDs is already on the rise due to many uneducated teenagers having unprotected sex. In addition, most of theses teens are not going to a physician to be screened for STDs. Because of this, many curable STDs are going untreated and being spread throughout a community.

Human Cloning Should be Permitted Essay -- Human Cloning Essays

Human Cloning Should be Permitted What would you say if I told you that scientists had just developed a new procedure that could lead not only to the cure for cancer, but would provide an unlimited source of organ donors and could lead to the first effective treatment of nerve damage? Now adding on to this scenario lets say that our government was taking action to ban this new procedure because of a few myths and some loud mouthed conservatives. This scenario is true and is taking place with human cloning at this very moment. If you don't act fast this crowning achievement of medical science could be lost forever. "This procedure will be both a contribution to science and a betterment of the human race." Human cloning will provide unlimited benefits to our species and should be legal. This paper is intended to educate you to the many benefits of human cloning before it is banned due to ignorance. Now before you read any further I would like to ask you to forget any myth, legend or science fiction that you might have heard about cloning. The cloning of humans could be the greatest achievement of medical science, it could lead the way to the solution to some of humanity's greatest problems. Every year hundreds of thousands of Americans die from cancer making it the second most common cause of death in the united states. However, through cloning and other forms of genetic research scientists are all ready learning all kinds of important information about the genetic make up of cancer and before long we may have the cure for cancer. Though the cure for cancer is reason enough not to ban cloning it is by no means the only benefit this new technology could create for the medical field. With human cloning ... ...d benefits come from a field of research and in order for our society to better itself through science we must be open minded to new ideas and procedures and be so quick to ban them before we have the chance to truly let the benefits come forth. Human Cloning is possibly the answer to some of our eras toughest scientific problems and should by no means be stopped before we even learn what it can do. I have already told you many reasons why cloning should be legal and I hope you have gained a better understanding of this remarkable new procedure. The evidence I have presented is certainly more than enough reasons to support human cloning. however, my strongest argument is the look of pain and anguish on the face of parents who have just lost a child. I think that if human cloning can save the life of just one of these children then it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Poetry and Original Sonnet

Sonnet 69 was written by Pablo Neruda in the 20th century. As I was reading the original sonnet, I was filled with inner joy and love. The original sonnet brings profound feelings, flashbacks, and makes you and the sonnet feel as if one. However, the translation of sonnet 69 does not. It is rather dull and brings no sense of joy. In sonnet 69, the type of figurative language that is being used is hyperbole; which helps create emphasis. In Stanza 2, the line â€Å"like the red beginning of a rose† compared to the translation â€Å"like the red origin of the rose† contrasts incredibly.The word beginning flows more naturally, goes along with rose, and simply sounds better. The word choice of origin in the translation does not quite go along with the rose and it does not flow naturally. One major part that incredibly brings feeling is the last stanza. The original sonnet wins because of the way it is written. The first two lines end with commas, which builds up mood/feeling . Then it ends with a period, which tells you it is the end of the whole feeling. In contrast to the original one, the translation version does not even flow.The first line ends with a period, which does not build up feelings. In addition it uses too many words, which turns into a tongue twister. The original Sonnet and the translation both are different grammatically. The second stanza in the original sonnet ends with a period, while the translation ends with a comma. I think the period was the better choice because the sestets start next, which is something new. Lastly, I think that the original sonnet captures the concept of love rather than the translation.

Meaning of Life and Poem Essay

Introduction Chinodya is a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe. A good writer, he won the first prize in Literature in English in the Zimbabwean Book Publishers Associations’ Award in 1991. He has also published several children’s books in his life. Discussion There is no set garentee to unlock the meaning of a poem. Each poem dictates an individual mode of approach. A useful approach to the analysis or discussion of a poem is to list some of the elements that are foregrounded in the poem. M H Abrams defines foregrounding as follows: `To foreground is to bring something into the highest prominence, to make it dominant in perception’ (Abrams 1993:274). Foregrounding may be achieved in several ways. The writer may repeat certain words or an entire line to draw our attention. Sometimes, the typography (setting of type) and punctuation may be manipulated for effect. Even images, such as visual or auditory, may be heightened for attention. Now that you know the meaning of the term foregrounding, use it sometimes in your discourse of poetry. Just as Banoobhai foregrounds irony in his poem `He’s a Good Boy, This One’. Chinodya foregrounds certain elements in his poem for our immediate attention. Before proceeding any further, list at least THREE elements that are foregrounded in `Recollection’. Your list would probably look like this: . Repetition of words: remember, thorn . Use of sound devices (appealing to the sense of hearing) . Use of colour (appealing to the sense of sight) . Conversational tone . Use of long vowel sounds to slow down the rhythm . †¦ and so on. Try to incorporate some of the above points in your discussion of the poem. The English poet William Wordsworth celebrates the power of the imagination to recall and re-live memorable experiences in his famous poem `I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ (often referred to as `The Daffodils’). Chinodya’s poem is reminiscent of Wordsworth’s poem. The foregrounding of the word `remember’, by its repetition, suggests that the speaker’s memories of his childhood days are vivid. It also induces a nostalgic mood which contributes to the overall effect of the poem. Minute details such as `crouching thorn trees’, `criss-crossing bush paths’ and `coarse crop of grass’ suggest memories that are still alive after all these years. Unlike Wordsworth’s poem, `Recollection’ sketches a past which was not always idyllic (look up the meaning and pronunciation of this word if you are not sure). In the third stanza, the speaker’s description of his childhood days is interrupted by the unpleasant memory of a harsh law: I remember the big sign that said Something about people not being allowed in ? Such memories are indelible and often shape our attitudes as adults. We recall how in our own country apartheid laws restricted Black people (including Indians and Coloureds) free access to public places. Although as a child the speaker was too young to know the significance of the `big sign’, its effect on him as an adult is a lasting one.

Ethical Leader

An ethical leader is a leader who has good virtue characteristics as a human being that displays good quality leadership that is thoughtful of others that shows caring and kindness and believes in fairness to others. A good ethical leader encourages others to do the right thing and lead others in the right directions of making the right decisions. This paper contains virtues and vice on Bill Gates charity organization and business affairs. The evidence is shown that Bill Gates is a man of many virtues proven by a charity organization called Bill and Melinda Foundation. However, Gates has proven to be a strong ethical leader there are some who believe otherwise when it comes to unethical practice as a businessman of some of the top largest company. The goal of this paper is to focus on effective leadership of Bill Gates should be handled in an ethical manner on managing business and employees with consideration and respect. Virtues of Bill GatesThere are two virtues about Bill Gates that best describes as an effective ethical leader of Bill and Melinda Foundation. The first virtue is sincerity is one of the characteristic traits of Gates. According to Oxford Dictionary, the definition of sincerity is the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy (oxforddictionary.com). Sincerity meant as being generous and kind and caring to others such as individuals who in need of help in all lives. The Bill and Melinda foundation is a charity foundation that helps and improves poverty, education, children well-being, and health. Gates donated billions of dollars towards foundation charity that contributes to people around the world. The foundation has helped proven the sincerity virtue of Gates moral characteristic traits in the most critical issues that needed the most. There are many evidences that Gates invested into healthcare of 4.2billion dollars and 1.5billion for the homeless Lancet, (2007). Gates has well proven to help save and change world by creating Bill and Melinda foundation which is the world's largest charity foundation.The second virtue is wisdom that Gates has proven to be good moral character by building a successful foundation of charity by organizing, gathering information, and demonstrating knowledge of what are critical issues that needed to be addressed to make the world a better place. The Oxford dictionary gives the definition of wisdom as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise (oxforddictionary.com). Wisdom is meant as having the knowledge and good decision making for an effective benefit. There are two types of wisdom such as theoretical and practical. The theoretical wisdom is explained as to understanding and comprehending. According to Brusseau (2012), describes practical or sometimes called prudence as the learned knowledge that being able to apply it in real life. Bill Gates of Vice as InsensibilitySome believe that Gates has another side that made Gates one of the richest entrepreneurs in the world. Bill Gates has a number of successful businesses. One of the companies, in particular, is a waste management company called Republic Service. Republic Service that Gates own is one of the world's second-largest companies in America. Accusations have been made against Gates has mistreated the employees of Republic Service with unethical practice and standards. The three major concerns that workers are disputing over retirement funds being taken, unpaid overtime, and illegal abandoning contracts employee already agreed that was with the union. This caused employees to protest and being lockout Republic Service.The term insensibility is one of example that applies to Gates on this matter. Assuming that Gates is guilty of this unethical behavior, this is an act of no consideration for the employees if employees' benefits were taken that employee had worked for many years at the waste management company. The dictionary gives the definition of insensibility as incapable of feeling or perceiving; deprived of sensation; unconscious, as a person after a violent blow (dictionary.com). Assuming that allegations are true this unkindly act of unethical practice, then evidence has shown that Gates should show more of effective ethical practice and standards towards employees with consideration and respect. Conclusion Bill Gates is believed to be a good example of an ethical leader. Bill Gates is a self-made billionaire who was the creator of Microsoft and other software. Gates had changed the lives of people all over the world with the innovation of Microsoft. Bill Gates has a very successful resume and continues to pursuing on helping save the world which is an inspiration to everyone. Bill Gates has a way of touching people hearts because of the concerns of many critical issues that the world is faced with. Gates has a way of tackling major issues that no one wants to deal with let alone donate an unlimited amount of funding so give thanks to Gates.Despite what others are saying, many have an issue with Gates the billionaire money which shouldn't matter. After all, there are always some allegations or accusations that are being made about someone especially like Bill Gates that is rich and famous can't expect to have enemies. Overall, what should matter if Gates behaving unethical manner. The value of employees should be held to the highest standards of ethical behavior with the utmost respect? Let's concentrate on what all said to be practiced and what all is said to be preached. That is, being an ethical leader who shows, believes, and live by values, beliefs, and morals in life at all times.

Discuss the social context that influences Othello’s labelling of Desdemona as that “cunning whore of Venice”

In Othello many issues are undertaken. According to the time that the play was written, men hold all the power and women are considered to be of low intellect. Throughout the play Desdemona is a symbol of innocence and helplessness. At first she appears to be mature and quite perceptive of events around her. Iago often tells Othello that she is unfaithful. It seems that she refuses to accept what is happening and her views are impartial. She has a tendency to be sympathetic towards other people's situations, like Cassio. This is what triggers Othello's jealousy when Iago pointed out they were speaking in privacy. She often pays attention to other peoples thoughts yet remains cynical if they differ to her own. She has a loyalty to her husband in all aspects of life, whether it is mental or physical. Othello shows us how a woman's character, reputation and power can be manipulated and distorted by men. The relationship between Desdemona and Othello is very peculiar, and would have been considered even more so at the time at which Shakespeare was writing, it therefore stands out in the play, not least because it is a mixed-race marriage but also because at the start of the play they appear to be on an equal standing, they have a mutual â€Å"respect† for one another. We are presented with a very powerful image of women at the start of the play; Desdemona has disobeyed her father and taken her chosen husband, although Desdemona does acknowledge that Othello is her â€Å"Lord† and that it is her â€Å"duty† to obey him. However, in that state, Desdemona does act as a dramatic device, bringing Othello into a domestic situation where he is inexperienced. This causes his obsession with Desdemona to grow because she has become his whole world; Iago finds it easy to manipulate this situation because Othello is unfamiliar to life only in the domestic side. Although Desdemona was rational in trusting, her trust was often misplaced, for example Iago. As well as this regardless of her intellect of what goes on around her in some cases, this was not enough to rise up in society, as women had no opinion in the time of the play. Although Shakespeare undertook many modern day ideas, he did not do this for a modern day society, as it would not have allowed so many events to occur, and it would not have been considered realistic by the public. When Othello talks of wooing Desdemona he is portrayed as an eloquent storyteller and lover: â€Å"She gave me for my pain a world of sighs. † It is through her relationship with Othello that his failure is shown not only by her spoilt opinion of him, he was previously an ideal to her, but by the end of the play she has realised that â€Å"men are not gods†, but also by Othello's swift dismissal of her as a â€Å"fair devil† and a â€Å"lewd minx† after his view of her where he would â€Å"deny her nothing† has been destroyed by Iago. The downfall of Othello is marked by the destruction of their once close and trusting relationship, which Iago has convinced Othello that it is a â€Å"foul disproportion. † Desdemona's physical and vocal absence from the opening scenes speaks about women's place in the Venetian society. It is through Desdemona's absence that we are able to conjure up our own mental image of her based on what we have heard.