The symbolism of death in Milan Kunderas, The Unbearable Lightness of Being Essay Example For Students

The symbolism of death in Milan Kunderas, The Unbearable Lightness of Being Essay Milan Kundera, a prominent Czechoslovakian author who lived through both the Communist regime and the Prague spring of 1968, uses his text, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, to highlight the impact of regime change in Czechoslovakia. The Prague Spring was an uprising of the youth in Czechoslovakia due to an abrupt change in political system from Socialism to Communism. â€Å"Socialism with a human face† (Encyclopedia Britannica) is a system that promotes individual freedom, whereas Communism restricts its citizens. Kundera shows the polarity of Communism and Socialism through the connotations created in his presentation of death within the text. The novel is based on four characters, Tomas, Franz, Tereza and Sabina, living in the late 1960’s. The contrasting views of death held by Tereza and Sabina represent Communism and Dubceks idea of Socialism respectively: death under physical weight symbolizing Communism and a desire to die under physical lightness symbolizing Socialism. This is significant as it presents the reader with both sides allowing them to decide which is the better governmental system to live under. It is first through the characterization of death, of both Tereza and Sabina that leads the reader to obtain an understanding of both governmental systems. We will write a custom essay on The symbolism of death in Milan Kunderas, The Unbearable Lightness of Being specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The views of death presented through both Tereza and Sabina are a symbolic representation of two philosophical themes describing ways of living, in accordance to Parmenides, an ancient philosopher who divided the worlds into opposite, and a philosophy that comes across heavily in his novel, through the use of characters. Sabina, is a woman who wants to die, knowing that her body will be free. In order to do this she â€Å"requested that her dead body be cremated and its ashes thrown to the winds.† (Kundera,173) The use of the diction â€Å"ashes† and â€Å"wind† have the connotation of being boundless. Kundera uses these terms to make the association between Sabina’s view of death and the philosophical idea of lightness in relation to living, which represents an absence of confinement, and freedom. However, Tereza is presented to fear death by â€Å"scream in terror†(Kundera,18) in one of her dreams. It is through the use of the term â€Å"terror† that Kundera is able to show Tereza’s view of death as a representation of the philosophical idea of weight. Fear is an oppressive emotion; it restricts a person by forming boundaries around the things that they are afraid of, essentially suppressing their freedom. Much like living with the philosophical idea of weight, which represents imprisonment and constraint. Kundera is able to show his readers how the view’s of death from each of the women represents the philosophical idea of lightness and weight. Lightness and weight are symbolic of the opposing governmental systems that existed in Czechoslovakia post World War II. Alexander Dubcek’s political programme, dubbed famously as â€Å"socialism with a human face† (Encyclopedia Britannica), promoted an alteration to Communism, one that the Soviets had not envisaged, an alteration that would allow more freedom for individuals. This meant greater freedoms and less oppressive policies with regard to personal freedoms. When the philosophical idea of lightness is juxtaposed to â€Å"Socialism with a human face† the reader is able to visualize multiple similarities. For instance, the freedom and the â€Å"absence of a burden† (Kundera, 5) in the Dubcek’s system, â€Å"causes man to be lighter than air† (Kundera, 5) which in essence resembles freedom. However, in a communist society, an individuals best interests are indistinguishable from the interests of the collective. Hence, the ideology of an individual freedom is at direct odds with a communist ideology. The only reason to hold individual speech and information rights would be to better the society. Essentially establishing Communism as lack of freedom. Again, the reader is able to find the similarities between Communism and the philosophical idea of weight. â€Å"burdens crush us, we sink beneath it, it pins us to the ground.†(Kundera,5) The term burden is symbolic of the government in Communism that restricts its citizens to freedom, â€Å"pin† (Kundera,5) them down. Furthermore, the connotation of the diction â€Å"crush† is one of weight. This allows the reader to form a connection between system of Communism and the philosophical idea of weight. .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 , .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .postImageUrl , .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 , .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83:hover , .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83:visited , .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83:active { border:0!important; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83:active , .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83 .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf2f5fa051c481a34b2e09522a52bdf83:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find EssayThe narration, in â€Å"Unbearable Lightness of Being,† illustrates each Sabina’s and Tereza’s view of death, and therefore their corresponding political affiliation. For instance, Tereza, who died in such a way that represents weight, has a dream in which she, along with other naked women, marched around a pool. If one of the women made a mistake, they would be shot and left to â€Å"floating just below the surface† (Kundera,18) Through the narration of Tereza’s dream the reader is able to obtain representations of Communism. For example, Kunderas portrayal of the women naked and marching together alludes to a society in which all members are vulnerable, yet equal. Furthermore, the description of â€Å"the man standing in the basket†(Kundera, 253) who looked over the women, depicts the government. She later informs the reader that the man in the basket was in fact Tomas, a character in which Tereza falls deeply in love with. This enlightens the reader that Tereza has a form of passion towards Communism, further emphasizing her affiliation to Communism. Furthermore, the use of the term â€Å"float† represents â€Å"Socialism with a human face† because the women are free, as there is no grounding influence that holds the women down. â€Å"Tereza huddled against Tomas† (Kundera,19) in fear that she may be forced to live under the system of socialism with a human face by being shot and left to float. However, Sabina who lived and died in a way that represents lightness, â€Å"could not understand why the dead would want to have imitation palaces built over them.† (Kundera,123) it caused her to hypothesize that â€Å"the dead can no longer get out. (Kundera,123) The thought of the dead being trapped â€Å"horrified her†(Kundera,123) Sabina in these quotes is referring to a buried body. It is through this description of being entrapped, that Kundera is able to establish a link between the dead being buried to Communism, and the fact that Sabina is â€Å"horrified† portrays her apprehensiveness towards Communism. Furthermore, Sabina wanting her â€Å"ashes to be thrown to the wind† (Kundera,273) reveals to the reader that she wants to die in such a way that resembles lightness, by her ashes flowing freely in the wind without constraint. Through this presentation of Sabina’s death, Kundera informs his readers that Sabina has a political affiliation towards Dubcek’s Socialism as it is a system that promotes individual freedom. Through the use of Parmenides philosophical ideas which are presented through the view’s of death in respect to Sabina and Tereza, Kundera has been able to show two opposing governmental systems that were present in 1968. By doing so, Kundera has been able to flesh out many important underlying messages about each system. Such as the connotation of each governmental system, for instance, Communism having a sense of entrapment, while Dubcek’s Socialism with freedom. Kundera has not labeled each system as being good or bad, but has linked it up to the philosophical idea founded by Parmenides’, and that is the dichotomy of life in the form as lightness and weight. Through this Kundera has allowed his readers to form their own opinion as to which system they feel more comfortable with, â€Å"Socialism with a human face† or Communism.

How and When to Control Paper Wasps

How and When to Control Paper Wasps Though paper wasps are beneficial insects, they tend to nest in close proximity to people, putting us at risk for stings. In some cases, it may be necessary to control paper wasps to minimize such risk. What Are Paper Wasps? Paper wasps construct the familiar, open-celled paper nests we often see suspended from eaves or porch ceilings. Most paper wasps  in North America belong to the genus Polistes. Although their tendency to sting in defense of their nests can be of concern, these wasps do serve an important ecological purpose as predators of other insects. They collect caterpillars, beetle larvae, and other insect prey to feed their young. Dont be too quick to get rid of a paper wasp colony if it isnt causing a problem.   Each year, the paper wasp queen must build a new nest, which she does by masticating wood fibers into a pliable pulp. After she raises her first generation of eggs, these offspring will assume the role of construction workers, expanding the nest to meet the needs of the growing colony. By summer, the paper wasp nest can be quite large, reaching a width of 6–8 inches. In fall, freezing temperatures will kill all but the queen, who seeks shelter and hibernates for the winter. The nest degrades over winter and is rarely reused the next year. As with any insect, its important to identify it before determining how and when control is necessary. Be sure you know the differences between wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets before taking action. Do Paper Wasps Sting? Paper wasps can and will sting in defense of their nest or when threatened. Unlike honeybees, which have barbed stings and can sting only once, paper wasps can sting multiple times. A paper wasp can call other colony members using alarm pheromones, chemical messages that tell other wasps to help defend the nest from a threat. Try to stay calm and avoid swatting at paper wasps. Consider Coexisting Peacefully Before you do anything to get rid of paper wasps around your home, ask yourself if you can tolerate their presence. Paper wasps help keep hungry caterpillars and other plant pests in check, benefiting your landscape and garden. If a paper wasp nest is located on your property but away from high-use areas, consider leaving it alone. Although they do sting, they do so only in response to a threat. Humans and paper wasps can often coexist peacefully. Obviously, when someone in your household has a wasp venom allergy, you may need to remove any nests to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction to a sting. Use Caution Around Wasp Nests If a nest is located near an entrance to your home or by a porch or deck where you spend a lot of time, you may need to take action to control paper wasps. Check eaves, shutters, and other high-traffic areas in your yard early in the spring, when paper wasp queens are first building their nests. If you find one early in the spring, before the first generation of workers has reached adulthood, you can simply knock the nest down with a broom to discourage the queen from nesting in that location. Larger nests, or those found later in the season, should be handled cautiously. Never attempt to remove an active wasp nest during the day, when the insects are actively flying in and out of the nest. Wait until evening, when the paper wasps have settled in for the night, to treat or remove any nest. During periods of cool weather, you may be able to treat wasp nests, as the insects become lethargic when temperatures dip down to 50 F or lower. Advice on Using Sprays Chemical pesticides should be used as a control method of last resort for any insect pest. In this case, the safest method of eradicating paper wasps in a problem area is, indeed, with a commercial wasp spray. Look for a product labeled for use on wasps and hornets, and remember, the label is the law. You must read the label and follow all directions for using any pesticide product. Wasp sprays usually come with a propellant that allows you to spray the pesticide from a safe distance. Coat the nest in the pesticide, covering all the cells of the nest. Never stand directly below a paper wasp nest while applying the pesticide. Wasps may drop from the nest, and you also risk getting the chemical in your eyes or on your skin. Check the nest the next day for any signs of wasp activity. Before you remove a nest, you must be sure that no workers survived the pesticide application. Wasp sprays kill on contact. Wasps that were absent from the nest at the time you sprayed may return to the nest site. If you dont observe live wasps near the nest, use a broom or other long-handled tool to knock it down. Dispose of the nest by putting it in a sealed baggie and placing it in your household trash. Sources Cranshaw, Whitney. Garden Insects of North America.North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Controlling Paper Wasps In And Around Structures.University of Minnesota Extension.  Wasp and Bee Control.

International business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International business environment - Essay Example This assignment aims at discussing the concept of political economy in the context of Ireland in 2004. The paper will firstly provide a brief overview of the concept of political economy followed by a brief overview of Ireland. Then a thorough analysis of the case of Ireland in 2004 will be made and the theory of political economy will be applied to the same. Globalization is the process of speedy yet steady change and integration of countries and the occurrences that happen with the use of foreign trade and a lot of foreign investments. Globalization can be expressed as newer opportunities and possibilities for action among people across the world. Here the location is not an issue and the social activities are not affected by the location of the individuals or the businesses. There have been a number of different definitions that have been provided for globalization, however none of these can be considered to be precise. However some of the definitions that have been provided by experts are discussed below. According to Stephen Gill, globalization is a method of reducing the costs in terms of transaction and Trans – border movements of, capital as well as goods and also the factors of production and goods (RobertC.Feenstra & Hanson, 1996). However Guy Brainbant (Aisbett, 2003) has described globalization to be a process which do es not only includes the world trade, but also includes a number of other factors like the development of advanced means of communication, financial markets becoming internationalized, higher and growing importance to multinational companies, higher mobility of people, population migration, and mobility of other factors like goods, capital, data and also ideas. With the rapidly increasing connections across the world and a number of new integrations worldwide, there has been a shift in the pattern of studying politics of economic relations

5 Anthropology Questions At a Page each Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

5 Anthropology Questions At a Page each - Essay Example Therefore, the women who believe in God strongly as the sole provider of the child would voluntarily accept to bear other children. This might be contrary to their ability to take care of the children. New findings have revealed that contemporary women are concerned with the number of children they bear; depending on the responsibility one has (Joralemon 25). Therefore, in using the findings, to improve the quality of the birthing experience for women, they should be advised to give birth to the number of children that they can raise well. When comparing two medical systems, for instance, the American Medical System and the Canadian Medical system, there are specific issues, which the researcher would study. First, the quality of medical care offered at each system is probably the most important issue central to the study (Joralemon 45). The researcher would base his/her recommendations on the number of patients under each system and the morbidity and mortality rates. Essentially, this would give a reflection on the quality of health care that the system guarantees. Secondly, the efficiency with which each system is managed or medical duties executed are also examined, to give an overview of the differences in the method that each uses (Joralemon 52). Also, the nature of responsibility is studied to establish the way the medical staff attends to the patients under each system (Joralemon 59). This criterion of study would help the researcher to know the best medical system and the reasons for this. In studying each medical system, the following steps have to be followed; first, setting of objectives, then methodology of study is clarified. This is followed by data collection and presentation, analysis and making recommendations. The barriers that the researcher is likely to face include lack of corporation from the medical staff,

Of Mice and Men Characters Review Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Characters Review Essay John Stienbeck was born in California in 1902. He went to University but could not afford to stay. After he left University he needed money to live so he done many jobs such as Waiter, Broke horses for the Army and he was also a Ranch Hand. In the end he wanted to be a writer so that he could highlight the conditions of the poor in America. In the 1930s America was suffering from depression. The change of climate in America meant that a lot of farming land was destroyed so farm owners employed migrant workers, which were paid very low wages and kept in very poor conditions. People were only employed when there was work on the farm. Most of the workers were solitary people with no homes or families. Loneliness plays a big part in this story. Stienbeck uses two main words in this story, Soledad and Solitaire. He uses these words because they both have something in common with loneliness. Solitaire is a one-player card game that all the ranch hands played. Soledad is the name of the main town in the story, the name means Lonely in Spanish. Throughout the story George always uses the quote guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world. Candy Candy is one of the lonely people in this story. He is old and disabled because he has only got one hand, this was due to an accident with a machine on the farm. Candys job is a swamper. A swamper is basically a cleaner, he tidies up the ranch. He does this job because no one else was prepared to do it, and because he is old and he needs money and somewhere to live. Candy will be doing this job until he cannot work no more due to his age, which will be very soon. Candy had a dog. The dog was old, smelly and on its way to the grave. The dog had no teeth so it could not eat and was very much like Candy. The dog was shot and Candy feels this will happen to him when he cannot work anymore. George has a travelling companion called Lennie, George and Lennies dream is to own a ranch. George tells Candy about his dream of owning the ranch. This changes Candys life because Candy believes that they will own a ranch of their own and be able to do what they want. He now had hope for the future and that he would live with his friends and have security and would die a happy man. Candy works for Curley who has a wife. Curleys wife is killed by Lennie. When Candy finds Curleys wife laying on the floor, he gets very angry and start swearing at her saying that she had ruined his life forever because Lennie will now be killed by Curley and this will mean that they will not be able to own their own ranch. When all the ranch workers leave Candy feels sorry for Curleys wife because she was lonely and was never able to go out anywhere and needed someone to talk. Candy says poor bastard because he feels sorry for her. Candys future now has been ruined because he is too old to work at the ranch and he will soon be sacked and will probably die a homeless man. Candy was put in the story to add a bit of variety among the characters. Crooks Crooks is another lonely person in the story. He is a coloured man living in a racist society and he is also disabled. His job is a Stable Buck, this is someone who looks after the horses and cleans out the stables. Crooks is treated very badly by the other ranch hands because he is coloured and the ranch hands are white. He is not allowed to go into the bunk house and he is not allowed to join in activities they do. They also make him sleep in the stable with the horses. Crooks has a very bad life in the story because he just stays in the stable and does not get to socialise with the other ranch hands. His room is just a small area in the stables with all his possession over the floor in his room unlike the ranch hands who have small boxes over their beds for their possessions. Crooks has many possessions such as magazines, a hairbrush, a flannel, soap and other small personal items. This shows that he is a very clean man and he taught himself how to read and write. When Lennie enters into Crooks room he acts very violently at first. Crooks says, you got no right to come in my room. This heres my room. Nobody got any right in here but me, later in the conversation Crooks starts confusing Lennie by saying things like spose George dont come back no more. Spose he took a powder and just aint coming back. Whatll you do then. This starts to upset Lennie. Crooks tells Lennie about his childhood. His childhood was remembered as him playing with white children when there was no racism in America, but his dad hated him playing with white children because in the end the white children would grow up hating black people. Crooks only has one dream in life and this is to live in a non-racist society, like when he was a child playing with the white children. When Lennie tells Crooks about his dream about the ranch, Crooks says your nuts. I see hundreds of men come by on the road and on the ranch with their bindles on their backs and that same damn thing in their heads. Nobody never gets to heaven and nobody never gets no land, its just in their head. When Curleys wife entered Crooks room he reacted in a very angry way because he did not like her. She always insulted them and Crooks had had enough of this, he says, I had enough. You got no right coming in a coloured mans room. Even after saying this Curleys wife threatened him, then Crooks just backed away and went silent. Now he has no future because he will just be living in a racist society, scared and lonely. I think Crooks was put in this novel to add a glimpse of racism in society. Curleys Wife Curleys wife is one of the loneliest people in this story. She wears long dresses, has long blonde hair, would always have her fingernails painted and would always eye up the ranch hands. This shows us that she is a slut. She does not have a name in this story because she does not have any independence and she is owned by Curley. Curleys wife is lonely because she has no one to talk to because Curley is always too busy, he has no time for her, every week he goes to the whorehouse, she does not love him and he does not love her. Curley treats her very badly; he has no respect for her. Her life on the ranch is very bad because she just stays at the ranch with no one to talk to. Most of the time she goes around the ranch looking for Curley but she is not really looking for him she just wants to chat to people. She had no respect from anyone, just like all women in the 1930s. The only reason she married Curley was to get away from her mum because her mum did not let her do her own thing. Curleys wifes dream was to get away from the ranch and be in the pictures or theatre. She once had the chance to do this but her mum stopped her going. In the end loneliness kills Curleys wife because as she had no one to talk to so she decided to talk to Lennie and this is what caused her death. I think Curleys wife was put in this novel to add a woman in the story as she was the only one in the story. The American Dream The American Dream meant a better life for George, Lennie and Candy because they would live on their own ranch and not have anything to worry about. The dream would also mean companionship for Candy because he would not be lonely anymore because he would have George and Lennie to be with. In the end no ones dreams come true because loneliness ruins their lives. Loneliness kills Curleys wife, it gives Candy no future or security and for Crooks it gives him no hope because he will always be living in a racist society.

An Overview Of Teaser Advertising

An Overview Of Teaser Advertising Zoon, V.I.B, On ne peut larreter; these ad shouts for ones attention but there is no brand name. As you pass by, the hoardings yell out to you they look extremely familiar but yet they reveal nothing except the promise of more to come. Sometimes they work in a tizzy while sometimes they ask a response out of you. It is suspense with a purpose to tease. These are Teaser advertising. In Mauritius, this style of advertising which tend to advertise for a new product while keeping the target audience interest arouse each day and at the same time creating a sort of buzz around the ad-the teaser, has become a craze lately. The Zoon Teaser advertising proved to be successful in teasing people. Nevertheless some people consider Teaser advertising to be Much Ado about Nothing (quoting the word of Shakespeare). But, why is there so much fantasy about communicating and advertising a product? Today, advertising is considered by many to be the most important factor in the success of the company as most organizations -small and large- that rely on marketing to create customer interest, are engaged in consistent use of advertising to help meet marketing objectives. An organization can have the best idea, product or service, but without effectively delivering their messages to its target market, these ideas, products and services can go unnoticed. An effective creative campaign in the form of a teaser can set a company apart from the competition and allows it to give to its potential customers an image of what makes the brand different from the competition which has for goal to be top of the mind of these busy consumers. This means that the name of the business or the brand is the first thing that pops into their head, when looking for a product in the respective category. Furthermore, given info rmation asymmetry that prevails in the market, advertising is a communication tool that cannot be missed to signal potential clients and Teaser advertising with its ability to create buzz and word of mouth is for sure a successful method to spread news about a subject. But even if advertising including Teaser plays a crucial role in positioning the product in the mind of customers, does this type of advertising push people to buy the advertised product as such? Therefore does this type of advertising always work? Does it create this sort of buzz that it wants to cause? Does it create this sort of buzz that it wants to cause? Does it has an impact on people and how do they react to it? Does it act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase? To know more about this interesting aspect of advertising and to explore this specific area of advertising, a study has been conducted towards this perspective by considering the recent teaser ads in Mauritius. This study will allow discovering and evaluating this particular technique of advertising and explore the surrounding galaxy of such tool of advertising. 1.1 Aims and Objectives Ø Understanding the concept of Teaser advertising o Teaser Ad as an advertising practice o Teaser Ad as a communication tool o Teaser Ad in relation with customer attitudes Ø Evaluating the effectiveness of Teaser advertising in the Mauritian context Ø Analysing Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase 1.2 Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase H1: There is a relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase Hypothesis 2: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. H1: There is a relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. Hypothesis 3: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. H1: There is a relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. Hypothesis 4: H0: There is no relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. H1: There is a relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. Hypothesis 5: H0: There is no relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. H1: There is a relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. Hypothesis 6: H0: There is no relationship between religion and purchasing intention. H1: There is a relationship between religion and purchasing intention Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.0 Introduction Under this chapter, teaser advertising will be treated as a style of doing advertising among others and also the concept of teaser advertising with relation customers. Thus teaser advertising will be defined under 3 main heading. Moreover, this chapter covers literatures on the development of this particular type of advertising in Mauritius. This section will try to analyse Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase with reference to different literatures from various authors. Concrete authors examples will be used. 2.1 What is advertising? According to Smith et al. (1998), there exist twelve different communication tools available to a marketer. As per Leiss (1972), advertising has been recognized as a major vehicle of social communication in the field of marketing in modern Western society. Kotler and Armstrong (2007) provide an alternative definition: Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services through mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor. Advertising is the promotion of products and services carried out by companies principally to drive sales of the products and services and equally to establish brand identity and to communicate changes or new products or services to the customers. Marketers have identified several reasons for advertising, among which are as follows: * Increasing the sales of the product/service * Creating and maintaining a brand identity or brand image. * Communicating a change in the existing product line. * Introduction of a new product or service. * Increasing the buzz-value of the brand or the company. Thus, just like, there are several reasons for advertising; similarly there exist various media that effectively can be employed for advertising. Based on these criteria there can be several styles of advertising which will be discussed below. 2.2 Styles of advertising The creative style of execution refers to the manner in which a particular appeal is transformed into a message of publicity which is presented to the consumer. According to the research done by Tony Yeshin (1997), the following are the most common styles of advertising: 2.3 Teaser advertising The Marketing Dictionary and Barrons Educational Series, 2007 defines teaser advertising as: A brief advertisement designed to tease the public by offering only bits of information without revealing either the sponsor of the ad or the product being advertised. 2.3.1 Teaser advertising: As an advertising practice According to this theory by Joannis (1995), the very old principle of Teaser advertising is to arouse the curiosity of the prospect by communicating to it the first part of the completely mysterious message. It is supposed to hold ones attention and brings him/her to seek the second part of the message. Joannis (1995) also points out that this second part would not have been read if the curiosity excites by the first part, is very far away from the subject. Joe ODonnell (2002) puts forward: If theyve got the right target audience and the right media, the audience is going to pay attention to the teaser campaign as it develops. Jean-Marc Lehu (2006) for his part stresses that Teaser advertising is characterised by a two phases advertising campaign. This technique can consist of two or even three teasers. (Lehu,2006) Source: Two Phases Advertising Campaign adapted by Jean-Marc Lehu, 2006 Bruce Miller (2002) classifies the HERE Teaser campaign in Baltimore (the largest city and cultural center of the U.S. state of Maryland) as an effective advertising practice. The revelation part of the Teaser Christopher Jacob (2006) puts forward that the revelation of certain Teaser ads are weak which eventually have a negative impact on consumers purchasing decisions. For example in 2007, in France the Teaser advertising for Transatlantis proved to be very effective, however the revelation which relates to the offer (a journey) was somehow weak which eventually had a negative effect on customers purchasing decisions. 2.3.2 Teaser advertising: As a communication tool According to Hung (2000), teaser ads rely heavily on nonverbal executional cues to communicate. As a copywriting approach to break through confusion, teaser ads provide incomplete information (Kover 1995) and rely on lush visual images, accompanied by music or other sound effects, to create an attractive image for the advertised brand and its users. Aaker et al. (1992) considers: It is through teaser advertising that we can provide creative advertising along with effective communication. This is because; this style of advertising not only attracts the target consumers attention, but also generates interest and educates the consumer about the product benefits and positioning, thus acting as an effective tool of communication. Teaser ad is a powerful tool used to convey message to the target audience but in its own style of creating curiosity on what the ad is about and thus directs the attention of target audience (Journal of Advertising, 2001) Erik Schmuckler (1999) views Lee Jeans Teaser ad as an effective communication tool in terms of delivering the right message to the target audience. The main idea behind this mystery ad was to show that this particular brand is cool to wear. Lee became very cool very fast. According to the agencys (Fallon McElligott, 1999) tracking study, perceptions that the brand was becoming more popular and was cool to wear jumped 10 percentage points from 25 to 35 percent and their sell-in of the Dungarees line was four times higher than anticipated. Most importantly, Lee gained 3 percent in market share in a flat year while Levis dropped just as many percentage points. 2.3.3 Teaser advertising: With relation to customer attitudes Lutz (1985) defines customers attitudes towards Teaser advertising as a learnt tendency to react in a favourable or unfavourable manner to Teaser campaign in general. According to Bauer and Greyser (1968), Teaser ad had important economic and social effects and built up a set of belief items associated with positive and negative outcomes of such ad in these specific areas. The attitudes of customers towards teaser advertising vary from one another. With particular reference to www.agencyfaqs.com, the following are some thoughts on teaser advertising with respect to customers: Ø Teaser campaigns are a bit like lemon. If one squeeze them too much they become bitter. One should quickly take out the juice and make the lemonade (as in the main campaign), rather than squeeze it drop by drop till it becomes too sour for anybodys liking Ø Teaser ads are not cash cows in terms of immediate sale, but if one notices, they are always at the top of the mind Ø Teasers tease the consumers and do stimulate to buy provided it is a launch product or a new sensational stuff. Gums are fun to chew and get better on chewing more but loose the juice on chewing too long. Ø What a waste of advertising money! 2.4 Development of teaser advertising According to Dan S. Kennedy (2006), the main problem with carrying out big ad in the newspaper, in a trade journal, or in a national magazine is the number of people one pay for simply do not see it. This means that on any one day, ones best prospects may be out of town, sick in bed, or too busy to read newspaper. As a solution to this problem, one strategy to focus attention on ones big ad is to precede it with a series of tiny, low-cost teaser ads. For example, a new computer store eager of making the business community aware of its existence for two months, in the weekly city business journal, ran small display ads. (Dan S. Kennedy, 2006) 2.5 Teaser advertising in Mauritius Past research done by LExpress (2005) proves that many people are still unaware of this great phenomenon in advertising in Mauritius. This is because many people have difficulty in associating the Teaser with advertising, or for the new generation this concept is still new, except those having knowledge in the marketing field. But if one asks someone about the Zoon teaser advertising campaign, they will definitely recall it. In fact, Zoon was launched in October 2005 to assess the effectiveness of billboards. But primarily the billboard was featuring a dog (who was lost and his master apparently launch this ad campaign for it and even propose a big sum of money as reward), but this was all a teaser. This was done just to make zoon becoming the talk of the town as per Mr. Vincent Montocchio; Creative Director of Circus (Lexpress October 2005). However, this particular teaser advertising is not the first one to appear in Mauritius. In fact, by the end of the eighties, one among the first teaser advertising which was famous to the public, is the one developed for the national airline company; Air Mauritius by the Immedia advertising agency. They placed a koala in 3D in front of Queen Victoria in front of the government house, without any indication what it is. This created curiosity among the general public and became the talk of not just the town but of the whole country, and it was even on the first page of the newspaper. A few days later, the teaser was revealed; it in fact introduces Air Mauritius first flight to Australia. Subsequently, this teaser advertising campaign has brought the emergence of other teaser ads and fifteen years after, this style of advertising is still present. (Poonoosamy, 2006) 2.6 The When of teaser advertising in Mauritius This is commonly used by new products and new businesses to create an element of intrigue and curiosity and build excitement and anticipation. A good example is the launch campaign for the Nissan Micra (Baker, 1994) and the initial campaign for Cable and Wireless. (Tony Yeshin, 1997) Generally, not all advertising agencies in Mauritius get involved in Teaser advertising, because it depends highly on the clients product positioning, budget of the client and most importantly, what does the client want; what dose the brand wants to say during the advertising campaign. But then when does one engage in teaser advertising? Figure 2. 3: When to do teaser in Mauritius New Product Launching According to Belch and Belch (2003), the teaser advertising has for key objective to reveal the brand after hiding it for some time and after keeping this moment of pure intrigue. Therefore it will be wise to say that teaser advertising will best be adapted when the company is launching a new product or brand. For example, in France, the merger Neuf Telecom and Cegetel used online teaser ads to introduce its new subsidiary Neuf Cegetel that was meant to specialize in mobile communications (www.journaldunet.com). A local example is the national lottery LOTO where a Teaser campaign was used to advertise this product since it was new in the Mauritian market. New Business According to blimpcam.com, it is very important for a new business to generate customer interest before a business opens its doors. To achieve this, some businesses do teaser advertising. For example a teaser ad may be, the countdown has begun; there are only 60 days until a certain company opens. However in Mauritius, this particular style of advertising does not only used for new business but also for existing one. A recent example of Teaser ad in Mauritius for an existing business is Orange. 2.7 Evaluation of teaser advertising All advertising efforts-regardless of its styles, are directed mainly towards the attainment of various objectives (in terms of business, marketing and advertising) i.e., to increase the sales turnover and thus to market the maximum profit. The advertiser spends millions of rupees in this activity. In the background of all these hard work, is an effort to attract the customer towards the product through advertising. Pollay and Mittal (1993) put forward that Teaser advertising influences consumers on three levels namely: Ø economic level Ø personal level Ø social level However, in reality, does advertising especially Teaser ad really motivates ones to carry out the purchase activity? Hristo Ivanov Katranjiev (2000) points out that in most cases, the ultimate response is purchase. Normally, consumers pass through six stages (see figure 2.4) in their way to making a purchase. Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstrong (2001) suggest that prior to the first stage, consumers may be completely unaware of the product, know only its name or know a bit about it. So, there is a need to build awareness first and then knowledge. When Nissan introduced its Infinity automobile line, it started with with an extensive teaser advertising campaign to build name familiarity. Original ads for the Infiniti created curiosity and awareness by showing the cars name only and not the car. Later ads created knowledge by informing potential buyers of the cars high quality and many innovative features and continued like this till the last stage. In common cases, Teaser ads act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase activity. 2.7.1 Teaser advertising as a source of motivation for customers to purchase According to David A.Aaker (1989), usually advertising in general is not well suited to directly precipitate action. Rather it is better at conducting some communication, association or persuasion task that will hopefully result in the desired action being precipitated. A communication results in the audience members learning something new or gaining an improved understanding or memory of some fact. However, according to David A.Aaker (1989), Teaser advertising is one of the many forces that motivate customers to purchase. That is this style of advertising is well suited to directly precipitate action of purchase (see figure 2.5). According to Henri Joannis (1995), Teaser ad is actually an altered version of a very old model of advertising, the AIDA model, which points out that an announce must draw attention, arise interest, inculcate the desire and provoke action. Joannis (1995) also stresses on the fact that Teaser ad is altered in the way that the factor attention is separated from the factor interest and desire by the use of suspense element that creates curiosity. In advertising settings, consumers are assumed to go through a process to compare Teaser ad contents with self-concept when they are exposed to the advertising messages. According to Markus et al. (1985), self-concept does not just have the meaning of mere knowledge of facts, but rather, it is a cognitive structure which is related with strong feelings and motivations. While research pertaining to the effect of self-concept on purchase intention is rare, Landon (1974) and Belch (1978) found that both actual and ideal self-concept influence purchase intention (though their degree of relative impact is different). That is, the more closely the teaser ad matches the buyers self-concept, the higher the purchase intention for that product. However, previous research done by Hristo Ivanov Katrandjiev (2000) proves that Teaser advertising is cheaper than sales promotion and more expensive than public relations, but often evokes negative feelings (such as annoyance, anger, distrust, etc.). Paul Hague (2001) states that the AIDA hierarchical model follows the decision making process from lighting the lamp for people through to the sale itself. At each level in the process the number of people drastically diminishes so that those who take action are a small fraction of those who are aware of or interested in the product (see figure 2.6). Kim Shyan Fam et al. (2004) point out that religious beliefs play a major role in shaping human behaviour towards a particular ad no matter of its styles. According to Deng et al. (1994), religion also controls gender roles in a particular culture. As per Philippe Tesseron (2006), the very effective style of advertising-Teaser ad was used in France for a hypermarket. The first billboard was introduced anonymously, without brand but with a promising revelation. Comparatively, that everybody, especially the religious ones, seems to remember the great advertising campaign which became a real scoop in 1981. There was a young woman in bikini which promises to take out her top then the bottom as they change posters, then to discover the reveal-a naked woman from the back with the slogan-Avenir Advertising-They hold their promises. Philippe Tesseron (2006) points out that this teaser ad on the hypermarket in France did not really act as a source of motivation for customers to do the act of purchase, but rather this ad arise questions: Is the body merchandise that we use to satisfy the desires of some advertisers? What is the relationship between the opening of a hypermarket and the back of a woman or man in underwear on posters and billboards? So the Myriam advertising campaign realized in France 1981 on the hypermarket has created lots of controversies. Philippe Tesseron (2006) also points out that these controversies were not only due to religious beliefs but on ethical ground which eventually lead to the idea that religion alone does not influence purchasing decisions. 2.8 Summary Teaser advertising has for objective to create attention around a subject and to trigger curiosity its prospect. This technique of advertising is done in two phases. Despite the Zoon Teaser in Mauritius was a real success as it has been playing a lot on emotions, there exist lots of controversies of this style of advertising because of ethical aspects of some of the visuals displayed. Finally it is mentioned that Teaser ad acts as a source of motivation but does it really influence consumers in their purchasing decisions and force them to do the purchase activity. For this, various literatures from different authors have been used so as to obtain a deep understanding of the subject. Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.0 Introduction According to Zikmund, research is the systematic and objective process of gathering, recording and analyzing of data for aid in making decisions (Zikmund, 2000). Advertising related research provides information in several areas, for example the uses of research pertaining specifically to the creative execution (Michelet, 2006). While carrying out research, it is important for us to look at the steps in the research process that will be handled further in this chapter. 3.1 Step 1: Formulation of the research problem The marketing environment is constantly changing and therefore marketers or managers have to address new issues which may create opportunities or problems for their organizations (Wilson, 2003). As far as Teaser advertising is concerned, some ad agencies and advertisers have forgotten what this style of advertising should do and how they should do it. As a consequence, some of the advertising produced in Mauritius has substantial flaws that limit its value as a communication tool. Therefore, the present study investigates the perception of the Mauritian consumers on Teaser advertising. Basically, consumers inference to the nature and purpose of mystery advertising has been decided. The following questions also have been addressed: how far does Teaser ad influence consumers in their purchase decisions, where there are similar types of advertising as well as lots of ad messages in todays clutter. The result is ineffective advertising that gives nothing to potential consumer and the advertiser. With lots of repeated ads, can advertising in terms of teaser advertising deliver information people need and want to make them make intelligent purchase decision and motivate them to buy? Thus, a survey has been carried out and it has the following objectives: Ø Understand the concept of Teaser advertising o Teaser Ad as an advertising practice o Teaser Ad as a communication tool o Teaser Ad in relation with customer attitudes Ø Evaluate the effectiveness of Teaser advertising in the Mauritian context Ø Analyse Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase. 3.2 Step 2: Determine Research Design Research Design is simply the framework or plan for a study used as a guide in collecting and analyzing data. There are some important research design frameworks that are classified as: Ø Exploratory Ø Conclusive (a) Descriptive (b) Causal Research This study is an attribute of both exploratory and descriptive research. It is to be noted that due to time and other constraints, a true exploratory design involving techniques like focus groups were not adopted for the study. 3.2.1 Exploratory Research An exploratory research principally for this study has been conducted in order to find out the point of view of Mauritian consumers on Teaser advertising and also to identify the factors that influence their perception of Teaser advertising. This will help in the assessment of Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase. Thus, the following hypotheses (with reference to various authors) were developed: 1. There is no relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase. Paul Hague (2001) states that at each level in the process (AIDA model) the number of people drastically diminishes so that those who take action are a small fraction 2. There is a relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. As per Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstrong (2001), Teaser ads act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase activity. 3. There is a relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. Christopher Jacob (2006) puts forward that weak revelation of Teaser ads have a negative impact on consumers purchasing decisions. 4. There is a relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. Landon (1974) and Belch (1978) found that the more closely the teaser ad matches the buyers self-concept, the higher the purchase intention for that product. 5. There is a relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. Erik Schmuckler (1999) found that Teaser ad as an effective communication tool positively influences purchasing decision. 6. There is no relationship between religion and purchasing intention. As per, Philippe Tesseron (2006) religion alone does not influence purchasing decisions. 3.2.2 Descriptive research Since the objectives of the study require information to be generated about Teaser advertising as a source of motivation for customers to purchase, this study is descriptive in nature as well. 3.3 Step 3: Determining Data Collection Methods 3.3.1 Secondary Data Secondary data is information that has been previously gathered for some purpose other than the current research. As such secondary data which includes newspapers such as LExpress, the Internet and journal articles was collected externally. 3.3.2 Primary Data It is collected by a program of observation, qualitative or quantitative research either separately or in combination. For this study, both quantitative and qualitative researches were chosen. Quantitative Research: This approach was used so as to identify the influence of Teaser ad on purchasing decisions. Hence, a survey was conducted where questionnaires were designed and administered to the target population so as to get the required information. Qualitative Research: This research was as important in this study so as to gain a deeper understanding of Teaser ad as a source of motivation to make purchase

Diversity: Key Attributes

Bus 520 Week 1 Case: Diversity Competency 1. Which key attributes of the diversity competency are illustrated in this case? Give a specific example of each attributes identified. The key attributes of the diversity competency that were illustrated in this case are embracing and developing personal team or organizational tendencies and learning from individuals, teams, or organizations with different characteristics, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. Accenture incorporated these attributes by introducing Back-up Dependent Care, Lifework, and Future Leave programs. . Which key attributes of the self-competency are illustrated by Chris Tserng in this case? Give a specific example of each attribute identified. The key attributes of the self competency that were illustrated by Chris Tserng are taking responsibility for managing oneself and career over time and through stressful circumstances; assessing and establishing one’s own developmental personal, and work-related go als. In the case, Chris had been at Accenture for ten years before she started a family. Once the baby was born, she planned to take her scheduled maternity leave and vacation time. During the time she was off, Chris hired a caregiver however; the caregiver could not start when Chris was ready to work. Chris took advantage of the Future Leave program. This program allows employees to address personal and family issues while preserving their careers. 3. Which key attributes of the change competency are illustrated in this case? Give a specific example of each attribute identified. Accenture illustrated the following key attributes of change competency: Seeking gaining, sharing, and applying new knowledge in the pursuit of constant improvement, creativity, and entirely new approaches or goals, applying processes to introduces and achieve organizational change. Accenture conducted internal surveys through out the company. The company collected the data from the surveys and found out what was important to their employees. With this information, Accenture introduce several programs that allowed employees to balance their personal and professional lives.

Macbeth and Political Force Essay

Adversity is something that one will always go through from the moment they are born to the moment they die and this is a fact that everyone knows as they grow up. One many not know about adversity while they are young but they eventually understand the meaning to it. Many are able to overcome the many adversities that lie in their path but there are a few that are not able to endure it and give up half way. Those who are able to endure the pain and suffering that comes with adversity will then receive the reward of pride. Eventually after overcoming many adversities, one will gain much confidence and one’s identity will change depending on how they overcome it, how many they have overcome, and most importantly, why they have overcome that specific adversity. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the titled protagonist is shown as a loyal member to the kingdom of Scotland’s political force and is an example and role model to others as he is a man who completes his duties as a warrior and endures the many hardships and adversities for his kingdom and king. Presenting him a new opportunity of a future and a short cut to his ambition, Macbeth struggles with himself, as he is unable to react properly and indecisively must choose a path that will bring unnecessary problems and bloodshed for the future. Through Macbeth’s struggle of loyalty, Shakespeare reveals the many choices of paths that will lead to one’s destruction. Struggling to maintain his loyalty and values towards his kingdom and king, Macbeth falters and hesitates as he is presented with a shortcut to his ambition and wish. As a shortcut is presented to Macbeth to his wishes, Macbeth chooses the short and easy pass and therefore gives up on overcoming adversity and avoids any adversity that lie in his path. After fulfilling his duties as a political force and respected thane of Scotland, Macbeth is greeted with supernatural figures that present him all the glory and wealth that any man would want, a sudden different adversity that lie before him and is unable to react properly due t the difference from his original plain adversity. Life is full of surprises and therefore one should be ready for sudden changes and consequences that would happen in their life. Only then would one be able to brag and show off to others of the many different adversities that they have overcome. Once again trying to overcome this new type of situation, Macbeth tries to hold into his beliefs and values to serve the kingdom and king, but is influenced by the verbal abuse of Lady Macbeth. Macbeth’s values fall into the depths of hell. Many are not able to stay true to their beliefs and falter but eventually regain their balance and continue on, but Macbeth is one of those few people that are not able to regain their balance until the end. Now not knowing what to do, Macbeth follows the words of Lady Macbeth and follow the road to destruction. Choosing to move forward while ignoring adversity, Macbeth puts himself in a deeper hole by committing murder and deceiving others. Only thinking about the path he chose from the influencing Lady Macbeth, Macbeth has lost all motivation to overcome the adversities that fly towards him. After losing his righteous path and committing murder of King Duncan, Macbeth is filled with guilt and sorrow that drives him insane and causes him to lose the ability to see reality and illusion. Many, like Macbeth, lose control and cause themselves even more pain and this pain causes them to go insane but rather than continuing on, many find themselves back on the right path. Unable to stop the bloodshed, Macbeth continues to commit murder and causes him to dig a bigger hole. The murder of Banquo proves the path that Macbeth has chosen and this path causes Macbeth to eliminate anyone and everyone that lie in his path. Proceeding with his path of bloodshed and guilt, he no longer is able to endure the adversity that would lie in his way and depends on the witches. Those who have lost their way of life depends on something else and Macbeth now relies on the witches instead of his own will power that he once had to overcome any adversity. No longer able to control himself, Macbeth leads himself to the road of destruction that has no return. Though anyone has the ability to retrieve him or herself from any situation, those who have forgotten the endurance that they must face will cause them to give up. People who have avoided many adversities would have forgotten the feeling of overcoming adversities and especially sin the long avoided adversity would come back with much greater difficulty. Macbeth finally realizes the many problems he has caused himself but is still not able to overcome the adversity that he has avoided for so long. Still having his pride, Macbeth shows the die-fighting attitude many people would have if they caused many sins. Many are not able to convey their feelings very well and are misunderstood and Macbeth is unable to convey his message of defeat and would rather die than admit defeat. Also having much guilt within her but unable to move on, Lady Macbeth commits suicide to ease her pain permanently. Many run away from the fearful truth until the moment where they are not able to take any more guilt and pain. Being unable to bear any longer, the common and easy method to escape is to die which lady Macbeth has done. Macbeth’s death causes Macbeth to escape from his guilt and pain and his death also benefits the kingdom. The adversities that one must face are an important part of life and Macbeth realizes this towards his end. Adversity lies in everyone’s path and may cause most to falter and hesitate to re-visit their thinking process of if they are doing something right or not. Macbeth struggles with his loyalty and does not know what to do with his mixed feelings after the contact with the witches. Macbeth hesitates to make a decision and lets the witches control him as he is exposed with a new adversity. He loses the sight of his ambition and starts to listen to the witches and this causes him to lose the will to overcome adversity and causes him to ignore all adversity that lie in his path. Like everyone else, Macbeth has the opportunity to get out of any situations but he does not have the will power to go on so he keeps following the path of destruction that was provided by the witches. Everyone loses their path and loses their sight of reality but is able to regain their conscience and regain their balance to continue on with their path.

Culture in Japan Essays

Culture in Japan Essays Culture in Japan Paper Culture in Japan Paper Japan geographically is small in area which contained an approximate 125 million people. The country has a literacy rate of almost 100% with 95% of the population studied high school education. The country is under the rule of a constitutional monarch with parliamentarian democracy as form of government. It is the Prime Minister who stands as the Chief Government Officer. The dominant and exclusive religion in Japan is Shinto, which is similar to Buddhism-the basis and roots of their tradition worldwide, though not really official. Buddhism develops culture of art and temples, which had a substantial role in civic life and meditative religious facet. The ideas of hierarchy, loyalty, and the emperor as the son of heaven came from Confucianism of China. Giving order and sanction to the system of government implied in Shinto came from Daoism. Christianity brought a combination of Western ideas, particularly those involving social impartiality and transformation. Figure 1 Religion in Japan Source: www. cyborlink. com/besite/japan. htm Japanese are introvert people, who are not mostly open to strangers. Loyalty to the group and relationship is significant for successes when carrying out business inside this country. In analysis using the Hofstede’s Model of cultural dimensions, it was observed that this Asian country is high in power distance, low in individualism, high in uncertainty avoidance, high in masculinity and high in long term orientation. Figure 2 Hofstede’s Cross Cultural Analysis of Japan Source: www. geert-hofstede. com/hofstede_japan. shtml Legend: PDI= Power Distance Index IDV= Individualism MAS= Masculinity UAI= Uncertainty Avoidance Index LTO= Long-Term Orientation Though of equal footing when it comes to legal rights, still women are not treated fairly against men in the workplace, which means there is still implicit prejudice going on. Mostly, assignments for women belong to the lower grade tasks. Marriage and giving birth are primary reasons for women to leave their jobs. The manner of dressing is dictated by the status or position. Men always wear dark suits with slip-on type of shoes, especially when having business dealings for ease and comfort. Women on the other hand, should be dressed in conservative manner, with minimal accessories and low-heeled shoes to prevent being taller than men. Japanese men find it unpleasant for women to be in pants during business transactions. The Japanese hate pointing, blowing nose in public places and facial expressions that will give double meaning. Entertainment, particularly drinking is a significant part of both social and business life of the Japanese, which is usually held in â€Å"hostess bars†. Seldom do Japanese invite someone in their homes and when they do; it could be considered an honor for the guest. When entering a traditional Japanese restaurant, it is their custom to remove their shoes. Matters pertaining to business are usually talked about during dinner, in which food is ordered and paid by the host. Giving tip is uncommon for the Japanese, because said cost is already part of the invoice. Usually the host also explains the different variety of menu on offer. Slurping noodles during mealtime is appreciable to show enjoyment for the food. When not in use, chopsticks should be placed on the holder provided on the table; do not point them to anyone nor leave them sticking into the rice, because it is improper to do so. It is impolite not leave some food on the plate at the end of the meal to demonstrate an adequacy. The Japanese are also affectionate in giving gifts, equally for business and personal purposes. Gifts need not be extravagant, but should always be in good taste. Alcohol, particularly good single malt whisky, is always an appreciated present. It is vital not to use white paper to wrap the gift, because said color means death for the Japanese. There must be word of warning before a gift is given. Using both hands is essential in giving and accepting any gift. The Japanese take satisfaction in gift wrapping, therefore caution must be observed when opening the present, which is usually done at the end of the appointment. Shun from giving gifts in numbers of four (4) or nine (9), because these are ill-fated for them. Keep away also from presenting sharp objects as gifts to any Japanese because it suggests ones wish to conclude a relationship. Meishi or business card, just like a gift must be formally given and received with both hands, placed carefully on top of the table in which the Japanese language is presented side up. The exchange of meishi must be completed to formally open the business discussion. The same level of respect must be given to the card and the man. Writing or leaving the card behind means lack of reverence. Presentment of the card must be done after the bow. When greeted with a customary bow, it must be returned together with a business card, if any. The lowness of the bow measures the level of relationship of the two (2) persons communicating. Eyes must be kept low and palms must be placed next to thighs when bowing. The Japanese never say and accepts â€Å"no† for an answer. Knowing this fact is necessary in the negotiating with them.

Free Essays on In a Station of the Metro

associated with black used in this context are indicative of places that are of little law, unknown dangers or catastrophic events (i.e. Black Plague, Black Monday). By placing fragile â€Å"petals† in to what seems as a harsh environment, the beauty of the faces that he sees is magnified by the unpleasant surroundings. Pound writes this poem to share his experience at the subway station from his perspective. His concise grasp of imagery gives the reader every detail and nuance to completely immerse the imagination in his reality. In whole, Pound’s poem creates an image from... Free Essays on In a Station of the Metro Free Essays on In a Station of the Metro The Explication of Ezra Pound’s â€Å"In a Station of the Metro† Ezra Pound’s words portray a moment frozen in time. The poem, â€Å"In a Station of the Metro,† is a poem of imagery. Through imagery, Pound imbues his vision and thoughts of his surroundings while on a subway train. Pound’s title, â€Å"In a Station of the Metro,† sets the stage to allow the reader to visualize a â€Å"†¦ dark, cold, wet†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (p657) subway station. Pound uses these words to set the ambiance. He puts the reader at the station watching â€Å"the apparition of these faces in the crowd†(1). The word â€Å"apparition† takes away the identity of the peoples’ faces as what seems like a train speeding by and blurring the faces of the awaiting passengers. Yet Pound does allow the reader to notice the faces that he sees by giving a select few form, hence, â€Å"Petals on a wet, black bough†(2). The author uses â€Å"Petals† to relate to the faces that he notices in the amorphous crowd from the â€Å"bough† which he relates to the train. Pound uses â€Å"Petals† which signify beauty and delicacy, an object spawned from the sun and places them in the â€Å"wet, black bough† which relates to subjects of a subterranean plane, a place that is void of sun which is indicative of a subway station. The word â€Å"black† used by Pound describes the conditions of the subway. Words associated with black used in this context are indicative of places that are of little law, unknown dangers or catastrophic events (i.e. Black Plague, Black Monday). By placing fragile â€Å"petals† in to what seems as a harsh environment, the beauty of the faces that he sees is magnified by the unpleasant surroundings. Pound writes this poem to share his experience at the subway station from his perspective. His concise grasp of imagery gives the reader every detail and nuance to completely immerse the imagination in his reality. In whole, Pound’s poem creates an image from...

Plato, Descartes, and Freud's Take on Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato, Descartes, and Freud's Take on - Essay Example In an attempt to do just this, a well known philosopher by the name of, Plato, asked the question, â€Å"What is a good life for a human being?† This question carries with it the supposition that all humans have at least two of the same built in devices, reason and human nature. It also implies that these two devices steer people toward the same goal or purpose. It is philosophy that undertakes the study of discovering what this purpose is, by turning people away from mere appearance and toward reality. The ultimate goal of any philosopher is to uncover how the world looks objectively instead of subjectively, and from what truly is good instead of what just appears to be good. By the use of reason three theories have been developed by the world’s most prominent philosophers during their attempt to divide what is reality, and what is merely and illusion of reality. The first theory, The Divided Line Theory, was developed by Plato. The second theory, Method of Doubt, was created by Descartes. The final theory, Psychoanalysis, was developed by Freud. By taking an in-depth look into how each philosopher reasoned his conclusion and the similarities and differences each theory contains, one might develop a broad answer to one of philosophy’s most probing questions. Divided Line Theory To develop his, Divided Line Theory, Plato used the reasoning that human beings live in a world of visible and intelligible things. The visible world is made up of those things that surround humans. What they can feel, tough, taste and see. However, Plato states that the visible world is made up of uncertainty. The intelligible world on the other hand is made up of unchanging products of human reason; this would consist of anything arising from reason alone, such as mathematics, or abstract definitions. The intelligible world therefore is made up of eternal â€Å"forms† or in Greek â€Å"ideas† of things; the visible world, then, is the imperfect and c hanging manifestation in this world of these unchanging forms. An example would be the Form or Idea of a horse is intelligible, and applies to all horses. This form or idea never changes, even though each horse may vary wildly individually, the form of a horse would never change even if all horses across the world were to disappear. An individual horse, on the other hand, is a physical changing object that can easily case to be a horse. Plato therefore describes these two worlds as existing with a line between them; the intelligible world and the visible world. He says that in the intelligible world one can have knowledge and in the visible world one can have opinion. He then further divides each of the worlds in two. The visible world he divides into illusion which is made up of â€Å"shadows† paintings, poetry, etc. and beliefs which is made up of things that can change, such as an individual horse. The intelligible world is then divided into the sub-categories of reason, w hich is things such as mathematics, and intelligence, which is the understanding of the ultimate good. Plato’s theory differs from Descartes and Freud’s in that he doesn’t attempt to apply it in any way, it is a simple method of grouping aspects of the world to further uncover the ultimate truth. Method of Doubt Descartes Method of

Major Challenges along Silk Route Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Major Challenges along Silk Route - Essay Example Moreover, Silk Route proved to be a significant avenue for the exchange of ideas, cultures, and religions. Some of the primary ideas and technology travelled to the world through Silk Route, such as, paper making technology, printing, and gunpowder production are a few to name. Explorers, migrants, traders, soldiers, refugees, and pilgrims contributed to Silk Routes’ extensive cross-continental exchange through their religion, culture, animals, flowers, vegetables, plants, herbs, fruits, and diseases as well (Ma, 1998, pp.1-2).It is not surprising that Silk Road was considered to be the ‘melting pot,’ and ‘the lifeline of the Eurasian Continent’ (Franck and Brownstone 1986; Werblowsky 1988 cited in Ma, 1998, p.2).Routes expansion due to apparently hostile conditions, such as, war between tribes and robbery, Silk routes reached to India, Tibet, Iraq, and Russia(today’s). Moreover, it merged into previously established routes, such as, spice rout es with India (Rowan, 2006). 2. Silk Sea Route Sea route is considered to be another Silk Route which links South China Sea to Indian Ocean and to Mediterranean through both Persian Gulf and Red Sea route. Sea route served the same purpose for silk trade as overland route. In ancient times, overland or sea routes were alternate routes. Over a period of time, sea routes didn’t prove more efficient due to primitive ships, inefficient navigational tools, and lack of geographical knowledge. Seafarers used to stay close to the shorelines; therefore, they cover very small distances (Needham and Wang, 1954, pp.174-80). The rise of Islam played crucial role in the development of overland and sea Silk Route. Muslim ship masters pervaded into not only Indian... Strength of the windstorm and nature of the surface make it more dangerous. Though local people have huge respect for this â€Å"Land of Death,† only few travellers said well about this region in the past. A few roads pass through this vast region, caravans skirted the edges of this region from one oasis to another throughout ancient times. Climate has always been harsh; in summers, the day time temperature is in 40s and greater than 50 degree Celsius frequently measures in the sub-sea-level basin of Turfan. On the other hand, in winters, the temperatures dip below -20 degrees. Temperatures are high in day time, but drop sharply after dusk. Moreover, Taklimakan desert has much sparse water resources (Wild, 1992).Such severe environmental conditions posed great threats to traders from ancient times. Other regions surrounding Taklimakan were equally dangerous. To the northeast, there lies Gobi desert with equally hostile climate. On other three sides, there are highest mountains in the world: Himalaya, Karakorum, and Kunlun ranges. Only few icy, but dangerously narrow and difficult passes cross the region. Most of these passes are more than 5000 meters in altitude, with deep and steep side valleys. North ranges, Tianshan and Pamir are comparatively green and low, however, passes crossing these ranges have enormous problems for the travelers and traders in ancient times. However, a comparatively easier entering point is along the ‘Gansu Corridor’ while entering the region from east (Wild, 1992).